Between the lines

Recommended by Phillipe

The Billionaire Who Wasn’t

By Conor O’Clery, 432 pages, 2013, Hachette Book Group

A fascinating book chronicling the life of Chuck Feeney, who died on October 23, 2023. He made his fortune creating Duty Free Shoppers Group, a high-value company that became the largest chain of duty-free stores in the world. What sets Mr. Feeney apart is that he gave almost his entire personal fortune to causes close to his heart… during his lifetime! An inspiring example that convinced Bill Gates and Warren Buffet to follow the same path by also giving away their fortune during their lifetime.

Recommended by Phillipe

Red Notice

By Bill Browder, 416 pages, 2015, Kero Éditions

We have heard a lot about Russia and its autocratic system since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2022. This entertaining book is very informative on the political and economic workings of Putin’s country and allows us to better understand how things work in Russia. Although we are in an autobiography, it reads like a thriller where memories are tinged with suspense that keeps us breathless.

Recommended by Phillipe

Same as Ever: A Guide to What Never Changes

By Morgan Housel, 240 pages, 2023, Penguin Random House

Having barely started reading, I was struck by a passage that resonated in my mind: the news that the media bombards us with daily is more and more negative and pessimistic. The introduction exposes a process that goes against the grain of all existing investment plans which extrapolate the past to speculate on the future. Rather, this book presents several phenomena that will not change over time, allowing us to anticipate major events better and achieve success. And this, not just in our finances, but in our entire lives.

Recommended by Phillipe

L’enfant et l’oiseau

By Durian Sukegawa, 256 pages, 2019, Albin Michel

(Book only available in French)

After Les délices de Tokyo, which I really liked, the author takes us this time into the universe of Johnson, the only survivor of a brood of crows who is taken in by Ritsuko and Yochi, his 11-year-old son, who loves to care for the bird. As animals are forbidden in their building, they release the bird, which begins a long wandering journey where it will face the hostilities of the city. A story full of poetry that amazes us and makes us discover endearing characters from whom it is difficult to detach when we finish the last page.

Recommended by Phillipe

The Passage Through Time – Book 1: Paradises Lost

By Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt, 2024, Europa Editions

To be published in May 2024 

This author, whom I have appreciated for many years, has started a series that will eventually include eight historical novels telling the story of humanity. The first volume, Paradises Lost, launches this adventure set 8000 years ago with Noam as hero, who will have to face the Flood. This character, who has become immortal, continues to be the central character of the other volumes. The remarkable pen of Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt is used to produce this work where the romantic and the encyclopedic intersect. Three volumes have already been published, and I await the sequel with great interest.