The best business book I read this year was The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai - even though it isn’t a business book.
It’s about people who are intelligent, mobile, and doing all the “right” things. On paper, they’re fine.
And yet, they’re lonely.
What struck me is that their loneliness isn’t caused by lack of information or opportunity. It comes from carrying responsibility and uncertainty alone, over time.
I see the same thing in my work. The people who struggle most with money are often successful and sensible. Their numbers look fine, but the questions never quite go away.
Am I doing enough?
Am I being too cautious?
When is it okay to spend?
These aren’t questions you solve once. They return as life changes.
The book helped me see something clearly: loneliness isn’t about not knowing what to do - it’s about not having someone to hold the uncertainty with you.
That’s changed how I think about advice, leadership, and long-term relationships.
Good work doesn’t eliminate doubt.
It makes doubt manageable.
And sometimes the best business lessons come from places that aren’t trying to teach them at all.