Book Reviews

Background

In my former life, I was a librarian. Maybe someday I’ll be one again. In the meantime, I’ll try to content myself by sharing my favorite authors and writing book reviews.

Growing up I was largely into Science Fiction and Fantasy. Nowadays I read more Non-Fiction than anything else. I’ll try to keep a 50/50 balance here. With Non-Fiction, there’ll be more a focus on novelty/importance of the ideas than writing style (with a few exceptions.)

5 Best Books About Finance - Whatever your stage of life, it won't hurt to pay attention to money, the ways to preserve it, and the ways to make it grow. It will be even more useful if you start early, but not everyone has this liberty. In any case, here are my picks for the 5 Best Books about Finance. Read More »

5 Reasons You Should Take Up Reading As A Hobby - As a kid, I loved reading. I got sucked into the Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis, Phillip Pullman, J.K. Rowling, Piers Anthony, Redwall, the Game of Thrones, etc. Not too surprising that I sought a career as a librarian. But for anyone out there who hasn't yet gained a love for reading, here are… Read More »

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - This is a classic self-help book. I say classic because even though it was first published more than 30 years ago, it is still relevent today. So much so that it goes on my list of best books I've read in 2022. Read More »

9 Best Books About Medicine - Here are my picks for the 9 best books about medicine, diet, and health. The novels have entertained me, and the non-fiction has improved my understanding of the world. If you're not sure what to read next, I recommend you pick up one of these. Read More »

A Man Called Ove - A Man Called Ove is about a grumpy old man (he's not really that old) surpassed by time and the society around him. He is a misfit and always has been. His constant grumping, stubbornness, and antagonist behavior make you wonder why you are sympathisizing with him. But indeed, it is impossible not to. Read More »

Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Each story features Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they go about Victorian England solving crimes and mysteries, often in parallel with the incompetent Scotland Yard. They are light, quick to read stories but for today's audience, I think their main attraction comes from their historical insight into a society with much more obvious class… Read More »

American Sirens - American Sirens is about Freedom House, a Black ambulance service from Pittsburgh that set worldwide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) standards and revolutionized pre-hospital care. It also describes Freedom House's eventual collapse in the face of overwhelming racism. Read More »

American Ulysses - Ronald White recounts the president's life chronologically, drawing upon personal correspondence, newspaper articles, reports, and other biographies and memories to inform his work. As an audiobook, the piece flows easily. One can follow the narrative and get a feeling for the principal figures without strain. For the chapters dedicated to the civil war a map… Read More »

An Autobiography of My Experiments of Truth - What stands out from the book are Gandhi's guiding principles rather than his particular causes. For example, it is impossible to separate Gandhi from his humility, aversion to injustice, simplicity, or quirks. Read More »

Anarchism and Other Essays - As a person, Emma Goldman has my respect for the difficulties she lived through and her unwavering pursuit of justice. During her life, she was a leading light for liberty and conscience. Nowadays, I think her ideas are less shocking and more mainstream. Her essay on prison reform and her criticism of prisons would hardly… Read More »

Ariadne - Ariadne gives a point-of-view perspective to pivotal events of Ariadne's life and does the same with Ariadne's younger sister Phaedra. Ariadne and Phaedra are shaped and moved by other mythological figures such as Theseus, Minos, Pasiphae, the Minotaur, Daedalus, and Dionysus. Read More »

Atomic Habits - Atomic Habits is clearly one of my favorite books from 2022, it's not only a breeze to read but it inspired concrete improvements in my life. If you're on the self-improvement journey, little will help you more than understanding the psychology of habit-building and habit-disrupting. See what James Clear's method can do for you. Read More »

Bringing Up Bébé - Overall, French child-raising seems more civilized than the American model that Druckerman describes, that being the "helicopter parent." I don't fully recognize it from my childhood. But if that is what mainstream American child raising is nowadays, the French method is way less fatiguing for parents and results in better-behaved, happier children. Read More »

Building A Second Brain - Our biological brains are masters of creative thinking. They detect patterns and create links between seemingly unrelated topics. However, they aren't so good at storing large amounts of information. Forte advances the idea that just as we can improve the physical capacities of our bodies with tools, we can also create tools to increase the… Read More »

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents - Wilkerson argues that many of America's problems elsewhere labelled as Racism, or Systemic Racism derive from an unacknowledged caste system. She suggests that we, as Americans have an unwritten code of conduct imprinted on us by centuries of history and that this code instructs our assumptions, behaviors, and values. In order to better understand caste,… Read More »

The Changing World Order - Pretty crazy to be reading this as Russia invades Ukraine in what I can only imagine is the last futile power grab of a disillusioned once-great empire. The Changing World Order is very popular in the Crypto-verse and with investment influencers on Youtube. As I watch people line up outside of banks in both Russia… Read More »

Circé - Circe is born into her father’s kingdom, one of the thousands of nymphs – her cousins. They are so numerous and similar that remembering any one as distinct from the others is impossible. Instead, it is what is done to them that is memorable. They are as objects to be acted upon. And so begins… Read More »

City of Thieves - City of Thieves by David Benioff City of Thieves recounts Lev Beniov's experience of the siege of Leningrad. The 17-year-old protagonist is caught outside his residence building after curfew and is labelled a looter. For this crime, as for many others in the wartime city, the usual punishment is death. Lev is thrown into prison… Read More »

Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know - Not only does civil resistance work, but it is more than twice as effective as violent resistance! As a non-academic, I find Chenoweth's Civil Resistance highly accessible. Not only that, it is inspiring. Earlier this year, I got tear-gassed at a largely peaceful protest. And last month, France erupted into riots because police killed an… Read More »

Confusion - There are two main storylines. One: Where Jack comes out of third-stage syphilis delirium and leads a diverse rascal band of former galley slaves on a wild quest to steal a boat-load of silver, then return with it back to Europe via the Pacific. And Two: Where Eliza faces her own troubles in the French… Read More »

Cook’s First Voyage Round the World - Despite Cook's rigor in minimizing scurvy amongst his crew, his sailors dropped like flies after catching Dysentery and Malaria in Batavia. It was a time without modern medicine when something easily prevented or treated today could be fatal. Read More »

Crypto Must-Reads - If you're trying to get your head around new cryptocurrency ideas and concepts see the books below. It's a new field, and there still aren't many published books to describe it. Since cryptocurrencies are developing so fast, I doubt that books are even the proper medium to get a real understanding of what is currently… Read More »

Digital Minimalism - Rather than being strictly Luddite, Newport allows for the measured usage of social media. He suggests that readers take a digital diet for a few months to eliminate the addiction. He encourages the reader to reflect during this time and see if anything is missing. Social media can be re-introduced later Read More »

Drunk - Drunk describes the effects alcohol has had on human civilisation. It covers the physiological, mental, psychologic/creative, and communal effects of alcohol, as well as its negative aspects. Slingerland keeps one foot in the scientific fields but his text is more for the general public. Read More »

Eating Animals - Why should a horny man have less right to rape an animal than a hungry person to kill one and eat it? It's easy to dismiss this question, but very hard to answer. Read More »

Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal - Everything I Want to Do is Illegal is a riveting and educational book in which author, Joel Salatin, describes a generations-long battle. On one side: the goliath agricultural industry and unfeeling government bureaucrats. On the other: small, hometown, traditional farmers and artisans. Read More »

Facing the Climate Emergency - In Facing the Climate Emergency Margaret Klein Salamon starts with an impressive call to arms. She invokes the hero's journey and states quite clearly how much the climate crisis matters and that you have a calling in life. It seems a bit dramatic at first, but in light of the global climate crisis, she's probably… Read More »

Factfulness - Humans are making enormous progress against global poverty and diseases, we're living longer, more children are going to school. You name the area of concern (except global warming) and we're improving. That's been the case since roughly the end of the Second World War. Perhaps it isn't so evident in the 'West.' But most people… Read More »

The Fiat Standard - The Fiat Standard was published after Ammous' more popular title: The Bitcoin Standard. It examines Fiat currency, paper money that isn't backed by Gold, as though it were a cryptocurrency token. With the underlying attributes of Fiat currency laid clear, readers can more easily compare it to Bitcoin and Gold. After outlining the deficiencies of… Read More »

The Golden House - Another sprawling magical-realism book by Rushdie - sign me up! The Golden House recounts ~10 years of a transplanted Indian family in contemporary New York City; mostly sandwiched between 2008-2018. Rene, a neighbor, friend, and almost member of the family narrates the story as he films the 'Goldens.' Read More »

Here I am - "Your only problem is you don't have enough problems" interjects Tamir, Jacob's cousin, during a rare visit from Israel. He thinks that the Bloch family, with nothing important to worry about, makes problems for themselves. But for all of the seeming tranquility, the Blochs are confronted by pivotal and even tragic events throughout the novel. Read More »

How the World Really Works - Smil uses historical information and data to show how modern civilization, far from being at the cusp of turning its back on fossil fuel dependence, is more likely to continue its current trajectory of using ever more in the years to come. And he explains that even if stepping away from fossil fuels was an… Read More »

Killing Commendatore - On a surface level, Killing Commendatore is a story about a young painter during a separation from his wife of six years. He takes refuge in the house of a famous painter on a secluded mountain. Deeper down, it explores themes of isolation, one's search for meaning, and the impact of ideas, memories, dreams, and spirits… Read More »

The Magic of Thinking Big - a classic self-help book. It encourages and guides you, and it builds your ego up. It is a book for anyone, though the author speaks largely from a business perspective. Expanding from there, Schwartz borrows stories and anecdotes from other people; broadening the appeal considerably. Read More »

Memoirs of a Geisha - Memoirs of a Geisha is an orphan narrative and reserved romance based in Imperial Japan before World War II. It recounts the life of Chiyo, later Sayuri, as she grows from poor fisherman's daughter to one of the most in-demand Geishas of Gion. Read More »

A Memory Called Empire - A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine is the story of a young diplomat from a 'provincial' region of space who makes it to the center of the Teixcalaan Empire to represent her people. Her own region is a nominal vassal state though it retains much independence. This region is important because it is a… Read More »

Norwegian Wood - Norwegian Wood is a novel that recounts the observations and memories of Toru Watanabe, specifically during his high-school and university years. Its subjects are love, grief, death, and loneliness. Read More »

On Fire - On Fire combines a dire environmental backdrop that underscores why the book is important to read, truth-to-power statements about which political parties and multinational corporations are at fault, and a seam of hope that makes you feel empowered and inspires you to get active in the climate fight. Read More »

One Mighty and Irresistible Tide - One Mighty and Irresistible Tide is about how immigration law has changed over the decades, primarily between 1924 and 1965 but also more recently. Jia Lynn Yang studies the men in positions of power that determined what American immigration law should resemble. She shares their upbringing, private letters, and the context in which they acted. Read More »

Pastoral Song: A Farmer’s Journey - Pastoral Song is an easy book to read. It is sometimes poetic, often peppered with relatable observations, even quaint. Because it paints a large picture of the forces at work in Western agriculture over the last 70 years it gives voice to the dawning realization many of us have that farming, coupled with profit motives,… Read More »

Permanent Record - Permanent Record by Edward Snowden Permanent Record is the story of Edward Snowden's life in his own words. It describes his parents, idyllic childhood, and the increasing importance computers would have over his life. Leaving Snowden's childhood and upbringing, the book recounts his early adulthood and the impact 9/11 had on his trajectory. And… Read More »

Quicksilver - Quicksilver is the first of three books of the Baroque Cycle trilogy, and it's also three independent books in one. It follows the lives of three fictional characters interwoven with real figures from the 17th century such as Louis XIV, Isaac Newton, and Leibniz. Read More »

Real Books that belong in the Restricted Section - Real Books that belong in the Restricted Section Most of you will be familiar with the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts Library. The books within contain dark magic, and you will need a professor's written permission to gain access. The Catholic Church also had a List of Prohibited Books. The Church selected books that went… Read More »

Siddhartha - It is a long life Siddhartha lives in this short book. Hopefully, yours and mine will be as full and varied. Salient themes include the search for meaning in life, the oneness of all things, grief, love, wisdom vs. knowledge, and time. Read More »

So Good They Can’t Ignore You - So Good They Can't Ignore You is Cal Newport's response to the recent cultural assumption that there's a mysterious, perfect job out there waiting for you and that all you have to do is find it. Instead, Cal Newport argues that the best way to find a fulfilling job is to develop rare and valuable… Read More »

Spark Joy - The premise of Kondo's book is that one's environment should spark joy and that you should feel happy when surrounded by your material possessions. She encourages you to do this not only by getting rid of objects in the tidying push but rather by focusing on the objects that give you pleasure. Who's going to… Read More »

Take Your Selfie Seriously - The premise is that you should learn how to take good photos of yourself and that the selfie should be considered a form of art. Well, I buy it... Read More »

Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a novel about Junior, a poor kid who grows up on a reservation in Washington state. Maybe because much of the book mirrors Alexie's life, it seems like a memoir. Alexie's book is at turns touching, funny, and tragic. Junior, the protagonist, is not only poor… Read More »

The Courage to Be Disliked - The Courage to Be Disliked explores Adlerian psychology via informal conversations between an older 'professor' and a young 'pupil. The dialogues between them allow a naturally flowing question-and-answer format that teases out the conversation points and turns them into applicable lessons. Read More »

The Day the World Stops Shopping - J.B. MacKinnon speculates about what would happen in the real world if everyone suddenly stopped their unsustainable shopping. Since Covid lockdown and quarantines were just a few years ago and as it's still easy to remember how quickly nature rebounds with wonderous birdsong, clear canal water, and incredible blue skies, MacKinnon's speculations are easy to… Read More »

The Gardens of the Moon - The Gardens of the Moon begins in the wartorn capital of a grasping empire just as a new and bloodthirsty Empress seizes power from her predecessor. The reader follows a young noble as he is attached to a squad of old-guard soldiers who have survived the coup and the Empress' initial purges. Read More »

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is a story about Henrietta Lacks and the cancer cells that killed her and afterward, revolutionized science. It is about the Lacks family and how the decades without proper recognition contributed to their disadvanteged social position. And to a lesser extent, it is also about medical… Read More »

The Psychology of Money - Housel's thesis is that 'financial success is not a hard science. It's a soft skill, where how you behave is more important than what you know.' Arguing to support this point he gives a small comparison. Given that health and wealth are important to everyone, how can we have made such advancements in the medical… Read More »

The Scarlet Letter - Prynne's shame is represented by the scarlet letter that she must wear as punishment for adultery. Prynne becomes pregnant and is thus discovered. Since her husband was still in Europe, it would have been impossible for him to be the father. But Prynne refuses to tell who the real father is. She keeps his identity… Read More »

The Sovereign Individual - The Sovereign Individual imagines what changes are to come from the Information Revolution. A revolution that will bring in the fourth stage of human economic life; that of the Information Society. Side note: This book has aged really well. It was written in 1997, and many of Davidson and Rees-Mogg's predictions have come to be. Read More »

The Voyage of the Beagle - ...to the south we had a scene of savage magnificence, well becoming Tierra del Fuego. There was a degree of mysterious grandeur in mountain behind mountain, with the deep intervening valleys, all covered by one thick, dusky mass of forest. The atmosphere, likewise, in this climate, where gale succeeds gale, with rain, hail, and sleet,… Read More »

The WEIRDest People in the World - Henrich argues that it was first the Catholic Church's strange practices of reducing the power of extended kin-groups in Europe and then various other protestanty-based ideals which further changed the social psychology of Europeans. And then how the habits of European social psychology bore fruit by encouraging higher rates of education, technological advancement, sharing with… Read More »

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami This book is exactly what you think it is, a memoir by a popular (and good) author on what running means to him. Though it may not appeal to everyone, this book attracted me because I love books, reading, writing, and running. Also,… Read More »

The Wheel of Time Series - The "Eye of the World" starts in the sleepy village of Emond's Field in the Two Rivers region. You are introduced to a handful of villagers on the day before the yearly Bel Tine celebration (more or less spring equinox.) These villagers become the main characters of the series. Everything is idyllic and tranquil, even… Read More »

Why Civil Resistance Works - Why Civil Resistance Works The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict by Erica Chenoweth and Maria J. Stephan This is a very smart book, maybe not the best as an audiobook since it isn't easy to re-read passages, but that's how it got into my 'hands' so hey. I can confidently say that I've been convinced… Read More »

Your Money Or Your Life - Your Money Or Your Life is a cornerstone of the personal finance genre despite its atrocious title. It was written in 1992 and has influenced millions of people since. It gives a 9-step process so readers can focus on distinct elements of their financial life independently from one another. Read More »