From history to AI, fantasy to science, the team at FIIG share their favourite reads and podcasts for 2025.
A Periodic Tale: My Sciencey Memoir
By Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (aka Dr Karl) is a National Living Treasure and one of the coolest science-nerd-generalists. He has written dozens of fun, educational books working as a science communicator since the 1980s, progressing to a public media profile. The accidental journey to success for Kruszelnicki is a combination of an excellent tertiary education (16 years), good luck and an undefined, idiosyncratic pathway of where he wanted to go on his life course. Propelled by wonder and a thirst for knowledge, Dr Karl learned a skill for storytelling and nourishes his abilities to remember vast amounts of science knowledge. Famous for his colourful shirts, passion for communicating and desire for truth and rationalism, Dr Karl examines his childhood and family’s abstracted memories to understand his talents and self-described deficits.
Divided into three parts, the score is anchored by his formative years as a shy, curious child. Beginning with his parents’ experience of the holocaust, there are some harrowing accounts of his parents’ survival juxtaposed with Karl’s mostly happy suburban childhood. Utilising the dichotomy of parents with different coping strategies to process their holocaust trauma, Dr Karl offers a mature and fascinating insight into his own drive motivations. This memoir is part love letter to his parents’ strengths and the affordances of post-war immigration policy into Australia.
Love of information is evident to the importance of reactivation of memory. Interspersed with life’s anecdotes are mathematical, physics, psychology and science storylines - titbits of information shaped by the zeitgeist of post-war Australia, the druggie-hippie 1970s and the economic booms of the 80s and 2000s. Some of Dr Karl’s occupations include car mechanic, children’s doctor, ditch-digger, roadie, talkback radio host and test driver. According to Dr Karl, the price of studying multiple degrees was the youthful consolidation of automatic physics and mathematical cognitive processing abilities - a skill he wishes he possessed to process the world on another dimension. The joy of knowledge translates from his adventures – the brilliance of the s-bend for toilet drainage, the immense power of black holes, how to protect your heart from a 240V electrical shock. Each career was an instinctual stepping stone to his indefatigable calling - education, science and storytelling.
Why I like this book: This is a two-for-one reading - an interesting autobiography plus random sciencey learnings. The joyful, humble and sometimes whimsical tone makes an easy read about an interesting, prosocial and self-aware man.
Reviewed by M Pinker - FIIG Client
Posthuman with Emily Chang
By Bloomberg Originals (Documentary)
The philosophical term ‘posthumanism’ covers the impact of humanity as a force for planetary change, artificial intelligence and the deconstructed alternatives of what it means to be human (Ferrando, 2019). What is ethically or unethically unnatural? Wearing contact lenses or a cardiac pacemaker are unnatural human enhancements.
The fast pace of technological advancements of artificial intelligence (AI) is covered by Bloomberg’s four-part series about biology, mind hacking, AI companionship and robots as a synthetic species. The series offers a snapshot of the abilities, the frightening and wonderful combined with philosophical questions about the applications of the future of AI.
Will humanity thrive and prosper or lead itself to self-destruction? What are the legal and ethical implications of a digital copy of a human? The latter question covers medical innovations to healthcare but also the privacy issues of forever becoming a human digital avatar. Some postulate humanity will become demotivated and lazy, replete with the loving messages from AI companionship. A similar supposition was depicted in the Pixar movie Wall-E, where humans became a sedentary and self-absorbed dystopia. Featuring a cure for depression and brain bioimplants for handsfree communication – there are amazing and game-changing impacts. Are you willing to be datafied, digitised, or implanted to benefit from the power of artificial intelligence?
Why I liked it: The series is an introduction to educating oneself about ethical, political, privacy, and security safeguards related to artificial intelligence. Content will stretch the curious layperson about the myriad ways AI enhances super-quantification of data for planetary change. It also serves as a Black Mirror like warning as “humanity hurtles into the future without a safety net” (Emily Chang, 2024).
Reviewed by M Pinker - FIIG Client
Rocks
By Joe Perry
Autobiography of Aerosmith's famous guitarist. It tells the story of his life from birth to forming of the band, and the ups and downs of being a famous musician.
I enjoyed the book because it highlights the relentless effort and determination Aerosmith’s members needed to survive in the music industry.
Reviewed by Damir Mikulic, Associate - Fixed Income - WA
The Hunger Games
By Suzanne Collins
After watching the films first, I found that The Hunger Games novel added a surprising amount of context and emotional depth to the story already portrayed on screen. The book follows Katniss, a resilient protagonist fighting to survive the brutal Hunger Games — a harrowing spectacle of mass violence orchestrated by the oppressive, capitalist Capitol. What really struck me was how much more connected I felt to Katniss’s thoughts and fears compared to the movies. The inner monologue and moral conflicts gave the story a raw intensity that the films only hinted at. Overall, reading the book felt like peeling back layers of a world I thought I already knew, and it made me appreciate the series on a whole new level.
If you’re new to the series, I’d definitely suggest starting with this book. It tells a powerful story that stands on its own and will keep you turning the pages.
Reviewed by James Adams, Junior Associate - Fixed Income - WA
Strong Ground
By Brené Brown
This has to be one of the most evolved and progressive leadership books I have ever read, and the best I’ve read from Brené Brown. She provides expert leadership guidance from her significant work with the Dare to Lead community of coaches and facilitators, which has involved more than 150,000 leaders in forty-five countries through the Dare to Lead courage-building work.
In Strong Ground, Brown describes “finding our strong ground — that athletic stance” as an anchor. The idea is that strong ground provides a foundation of stability, clarity, and centeredness. In a world of rapid change (uncertainty, pressure, complexity), strong ground helps individuals and organisations respond with resilience — without being reactive or losing core values.
It’s not just about rigidity or unbending strength. Through the book she argues that real strength involves discipline, humility, the confidence to unlearn and relearn, and a willingness to hold paradox — to tolerate tension and uncertainty — rather than forcing simple answers.
Reviewed by Sarah Lepelaar, Head of Marketing – Fixed Income and Broking Services - QLD
Let my People Go Surfing
By Yvon Chouinard
Let My People Go Surfing is Yvon Chouinard’s story of how he built Patagonia into one of the most respected outdoor brands by putting purpose ahead of profit. The company was founded in 1973 in Ventura, California, just a few miles from my hometown (the cover photo is the famous Rincon Point break off Pacific Coast Highway at the Ventura–Santa Barbara County line). Patagonia started by selling climbing gear and later expanded into outdoor apparel and accessories. Even as the company grew globally, Chouinard stayed focused on making products sustainably, treating employees well, and engaging in corporate responsibility.
It’s not your typical business book. It’s about values, sustainability, and doing things differently. The big takeaway is that companies that think long term and care about their employees and their impact tend to be more resilient. No surprise this book has been required reading across American business schools.
Reviewed by Judd Bogust, Director – Fixed Income - WA
The Snow Leopard
By Peter Matthiessen
The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen is a book about something I would never do in a place I would never go, deep into the Himalayas and far beyond my comfort zone. The story unfolds in Nepal’s remote Dolpo region as Matthiessen intentionally faces some of the harshest conditions on earth in search of the elusive snow leopard. Along the way, the book explores Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, and animist traditions, weaving in the cultures and spiritual practices of the Sherpa and Tibetan people.
Page after page, the descriptions of the changing scenery, sounds, and smells are astounding. More than a travel narrative, it is a meditation on patience, perspective, and meaning beyond material success—a powerful reminder of the value of endurance and reflection.
Reviewed by Judd Bogust, Director – Fixed Income - WA
The Road
By Cormac McCarthy
A great if slightly haunting read. A real page turner set in a post-apocalyptic America detailing a father and son's journey on the road.
Despite the increasing dire nature of the obstacles that the characters face, you will see parts of yourself in each interaction.
Not for the faint of heart, but a read you will not forget.
Reviewed by Harry de Fries, Associate - Fixed Income - WA & QLD
The Impossible Fortune
By Richard Osman
A couple of years ago I recommended the “Thursday Murder Club” series as being great.
There was a new instalment this year called “The Impossible Fortune” by Richard Osman.
I like the books because the characters are fun and despite the topic (it is a murder mystery after all) the characters are remarkably gentle and humane with each other. This one explores a little more the behaviour of a neurodivergent character and the growing family of the detectives themselves.
It’s up there with the better books of this series – I give it 4 stars out of 5.
Reviewed by Philip Brown, Head of Research - VIC
Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine
By Hannah Fry
I read this a while back... Was a good read.. It’s not technical at all, just more philosophical which is what I read a lot about.
Reviewed by Ben Donachie, Senior Technical Business Analyst - NSW
The Bone Season series
By Samantha Shannon
Samantha Shannon has come up with such an original world in her Bone Season series that despite it being a bit YA and fantasy for an old man like me I am drawn into the characters. Her writing is superb and the books are real page turners. She wrote the first one in 2012 whilst still a student at Oxford University and for such a young author the book shows a lot of maturity.
Critics say it is too similar to the Harry Potter and Hunger Games series but in my opinion the basis for the characters far outweighs the western genre of good vs evil. Yes you have to enjoy fantasy worlds to keep the story credible but from Lord of the Rings and onwards I have always enjoyed them and this series keeps it fresh.
Reviewed by Jonathan Sheridan, Director - Fixed Income and Investment Strategy - NSW
Greatest Game Ever Played
By Mark Frost
Author Mark Frost takes the ultimate biscuit for me. It's a toss up between The Greatest Game Ever Played and The Match.
I’ll plump for the former which covers the epic battle between local 19 year old amateur Francis Oiumet and the English veteran professionals Ted Ray and Harry Vardon. Oiumet quite remarkably ties them for the 1913 US Open over 72 holes at the Brookline Country Club and in a most unlikely turn of events, triumphs over them both in front of a huge crowd in the playoff the next day.
The masterpiece is 6 or 7 biographies in one, for example detailing the life of Oiumet's caddie, Eddie Lowery who skips school at the age of 10 to fulfil the caddy role and goes on to be a multi millionaire car dealer.
It’s a highly recommended book if you have any passion at all for golf or great sporting stories.
Reviewed by Peter Robinson, AUSIEX – Head of Operations, Broking Services Division - WA
Snow Wolf
By Glenn Meade
I first read this book when I was 16 (a long, long time ago) and have read it many times since. I think I can give it the title of my first favourite book, and it was responsible for starting my interest in Russian history and the Cold War. My copy is looking a little worse for wear and it looks out of place on my bookshelf, but then I think it’s a book that’s been enjoyed often and will hopefully hold together for many more years.
Snow Wolf is a fiction spy thriller set in the middle of the Cold War. There are strong characters, likeable and unlikely heroes, plot twists, and a creative ending. I don’t want to give away more than that… it’s the absolute definition of a page-turner.
Reviewed by Samantha Edwards, Senior Marketing Manager - NSW