Bezos favorite Kazuo Ishiguro wins the Nobel Prize in Literature

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Kazuo Ishiguro, author of “Remains of the Day” and other bestsellers, pictured in 2010.

The novel, in which a butler reflects on his life, is one of several titles Amazon employees refer to as “Jeff’s Reading List,” according to the unofficial Bezos biography “The Everything Store,” by Brad Stone.

In fact, Ishiguro’s writing changed the way the Amazon founder viewed his career, according to Stone’s book.

In “The Remains of the Day” an English butler referred to as Mr. Stevens recalls his time serving in the army during WWI. The book, which was adapted into an Academy Award-nominated film, explores the meaning of duty, the pursuit of greatness and the sacrifices that come with both.

One of the most powerful themes that emerges from the story is the power of remorse and the difficulties of dealing with it.