In what has become an annual tradition, at the end of every year, I review all the books I read over the previous year. This is not a comprehensive list of all the books I read, nor is this a ranking of these books as the “best” of anything. Instead, I prefer to share the books I enjoyed reading the most in the hopes that maybe someone will find and enjoy something they otherwise might not have encountered. Enjoyment does not imply agreement with or an endorsement of their arguments, only that I found their content stimulating and engaging.

This year’s Goodreads tally is 79 books, which includes more fiction than usual. Aside from starting the year off with Brandon Sanderson’s Four Secret Novels, I also caught up on the Golden Compass trilogy (the first one, anyway) and Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. These were all fine, but nothing I’d put on my favorites list for 2025.
So, what did make the cut?

Honorable Mentions

Modern Musar: Contested Virtues in Jewish Thought – Geoffrey D. Claussen
Although I disagree with its tacit biases,¹ I appreciate any project that expands the breadth of understanding Judaism beyond the popular reductionism. 

Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI – Karen Hao
A Study in Power, John D. Rockefeller, Industrialist and Philanthropist, Volume I – Allan Nevins
I’m listing these two books together in part because I read them back-to-back and because they share some important features. Aside from the superficial similarities of individuals amassing vast fortunes in industries that care little about social or environmental impact, both works recognize the challenges and importance of accurately documenting the rise of businesses. 

As Nevins’ writes in his preface:

The writing of business history or biography in the United States (this is emphatically a biography, not a history) has suffered from two grave handicaps: on one side the reluctance of corporations and businessmen to open their records to students, lest they be made victims of prejudice and distortion, and on the other side, a public suspicion that any work founded on such records may present an uncritical view of business activities. It is evident that unless these handicaps are overcome, one of the most spacious, interesting, and important areas of American history will remain imperfectly explored. The widespread prejudice against big business may die hard; but unless we study its growth objectively, the very nature of our civilization and the very character of our nation’s place in the world will be incomprehensible. Little by little, the two antithetical types of distrust may be dispelled by honest searchers and interpreters (xi).

 That said, these are still to very different books. Despite being “emphatically a biography”, Nevins’ book on Rockefeller² is still essentially a work of history. Nevins explores Rockefeller’s rise through meticulous (and surprisingly readable) narratives of financial transactions of Rockefeller, his colleagues, and competitors. 

Hao, on the other hand, is not writing a history as much as a commentary (and warning) of the present. Whereas Nevins’ Rockefeller’s personality is revealed by his business decisions, Hao’s narrative demonstrates how personalities drive the business decisions, especially those with dire social consequences. While some claims have been contested,³ I believe the fundamental thesis regarding the financial and social costs of AI is still relevant and worth exploring.

The Spirit of Jewish Law: A Brief Account of Biblical and Rabbinical Jurisprudence With a Special Note on Jewish Law and the State of Israel – George Horowitz
Though its length may seem intimidating, this ambitious work is a surprisingly decent overview of several aspects of Jewish law. I might even add it to my list of recommendations for those who are academically inclined looking for an entry point into understanding Jewish law.

Favorites:

Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus – Susannah Heschel
This was easily my favorite book of the year, and I daresay may be one of the most important books for understanding contemporary Judaism. The book focuses on how Geiger’s scholarship on Jesus influenced the academic culture of his day, which, while interesting, is in my opinion secondary to understanding how Geiger’s interpretation of Jesus paralleled his vision of Judaism. Per Heschel:

True Pharisaic Judaism had been lost in the rigidity and narrow-mindedness of later talmudic Judaism, which developed under the pressures of Christian intolerance and persecutions. Liberalizing Judaism constituted not only a recovery of authentic Pharisaic religion but also a restoration of the faith of Jesus. Reform Judaism was therefore the answer for both an authentic Jewish faith and for authentic Christians seeking to follow the faith of Jesus (13-14) [Emphasis added].

Following this read, just as Jesus rebelled against the legal formalism of the rabbinic sages in favor of the spirit, Geiger’s Reform Judaism rejects the structures of Orthodoxy in favor of higher metaphysical principles, and just as important, the enlightened authorities who preach them.

At some point I hope to revisit this idea in a better suited format, but I believe this narrative offers one of the more useful insights into understanding the religious foundations of liberal Judaism.

Super Duper Safety School: Safety Rules For Kids & Grown-Ups!
NO Trespassing – This Is MY Body!
Pattie Fitzgerald
There are countless of difficult conversations parents need to have with their children. Pattie Fitzgerald provides a invaluable resource for discussing abuse with children with an eye towards taking preventative measures. While it’s depressing that such books are needed, I’m grateful that such books exist.

American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation – Jon Meacham
Political conservatives often claim that the United States was founded on Christian (or Judeo-Christian) values. Meacham’s American Gospel challenges this popular cliche`, and reframes the founders’ political relationship with religion based on copious citations. My favorite discovery from this book was Article 11 of the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Signed at Tripoli November 4, 1796:

As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, – as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,- and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.[Emphasis added]

But then again, what did the founders know about their own opinions?

The Gnostic Gospels – Elaine Pagels
Finally, I have to include Elaine Pagels’ classic The Gnostic Gospels which has sat on my shelf unread for longer than I care to admit. A perfect companion to Morton Smith’s Jesus the Magician, Pagels discusses the other texts written about Jesus that were deemed heretical by the church who wished to push their own vision Jesus to the exclusion of all others. If nothing else, these books demonstrate the importance of canonicity and authority and how certain early theological choices (and the power to enforce them) can change the trajectory of an entire religion.

1. Some biases are unavoidable, the most significant one being what constitutes “Jewish.”
2. It’s technically two volumes, but we only have the first volume.
3. Specifically, the estimated water consumption of AI data centers was overstated due to inconsistent units of measurement. To her credit, when presented with evidence, Hao adjusted her claims accordingly.