Monthly Non-Fiction Reading List 11.24
We have November’s reading list, and it has seven fantastic books! November was the election, and I found myself looking for books that helped me feel a little bit more sane. We have quite a few books on the list that discuss why people believe bad ideas and don’t think rationally and a book on moral philosophy. We also have a book on Marxism as well as a book on the myth of meritocracy.
There are a few other books on the list that I enjoyed and one that’s decent, but I’m just not a fan of the writer’s style.
Lastly, on a side note, while I’m still transitioning to the monthly reading lists instead of the weekly ones, I’m still getting my footing. I’m really hoping to get these out the first week of the month, but with the holiday season, I’ve been swamped with life and work, but hopefully things shill out as we go into 2025.
Enjoy the list, and I’ll see you next month!
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Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind, Inspire Any Audience by Terry Szuplat
This was a pretty decent book. While I never plan on doing any speeches, I do make content, and I like reading books about how to speak better to capture attention and tell a story. Terry Szuplat was one of Obama’s speech writers, and in this book, he gives a ton of tips about how to write and give speeches. I’m not really sure who the target audience is because it’s written for regular people, but not many of us give speeches. Overall, it’s a decent enough book if you’re interested in speaking better in public.
The Joy of Actually Giving a F*ck: How Kindness Can Cure sssStress and Make You Happy by David R. Hamilton
This didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I was blown away by it. Usually, books that talk about kindness can come off pretty cheesy, but this was awesome. David Hamilton teaches the reader about how kindness not only helps others, but it helps us too. In addition to turning to some research to back his arguments, he also discusses Buddhist philosophy and some other interesting topics. This is a great read, and I highly recommend it.
The Meaning of Life: A Very Short Introduction by Terry Eagleton
This book was fine. I’ve tried to read a few books by this author, but I’m just not a fan of this author. He covers some interesting topics from a philosophical angle, but he’s just not my cup of tea. He’s one of those authors who quotes a lot of other people and breaks down their thoughts, and he writes in that high-brow philosophy style rather than for the average person. This book is the only one of his that I finished and has some interesting discussions on how different philosophers and cultures view the meaning of life, and it was short.
If you’re curious about this stuff, you may like the book. A lot of people like this author, he’s just not for me.
Total Propaganda by Helen Razer
I’ve been really annoyed with capitalism lately, so I wanted to re-read one of my favorite books on Marxism. There are so many books on the topic that are just boring, but this one’s entertaining and keeps things simple and interesting. Helen Razer brakes down what Marxism actually is and how so many of our problems stem from our current capitalist system. I really wish people would read books like this to educate themselves rather than just hearing words like “Marxism” and instantly thinking it’s something bad because that’s what they’ve been told.
It’s really hard to read a book like this and think, “Wow, all of that sounds terrible.” Most people agree with these types of policy ideas until someone slaps a label o them.
Mental Immunity: Infectious Ideas, Mind-Parasites, and the Search for a Better Way to Think by Andy Norman
Books help me feel sane in an insane world. After Trump was elected…again…I couldn’t stop asking, “Why did so many people vote for this guy?”, and this is one of my favorite books on how people fall victim to bad ideas. Andy Norman is awesome, and this book really breaks down how people and groups fall for bad ideas, and he discusses how to inoculate ourselves from these bad ideas. He teaches the reader that we have to yield to the better reason but also explains how we also have to be skeptical.
This is one of my all-time favs, and I highly recommend it.
The Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels, and Why It Matters by Daniel M. Wegner and Kurt Gray
After hearing the exciting news that Kurt Gray was working on a new book, I wanted to give this one another read. Kurt co-authored this book with the late Daniel Wegner, and it’s about how we perceive minds in other people, and it brings up a lot of interesting philisophical questions like how we deal with people who have medical issues and are locked in their bodies, unable to move. It also has a lot of interesting topics in the realm of moral philosophy, and I love it because it helped me better understand some stuff I was going through a while back. Fantastic book, and I can’t wait for his new one.
The Tyranny of Merit: What's Become of the Common Good? by Michael Sandel
This is one of my all-time favorite books (I love all Michael Sandel books), and I realized I hadn’t read it in years. I’ve been thinking a lot about the myth of meritocracy as my son gets older and works his way through high school, and I just kept thinking about this book. It’s just as good as the first time I read it, and I can’t recommend it enough.
We all want to believe in meritocracy because it helps us feel better about the world like we have some control. For example, Sandel explains how kids from wealthy families are able to take expensive SAT prep courses, thus giving them a better chance to get into good schools. He also does a great job explaining how even “talent” isn’t a great way to measure someone’s value.
I could talk about this book all day long, and I really, really hope you read it.
Special shoutout
The Curious Reader's Field Guide to Nonfiction by Anne Janzer
Anne Janzer is one of my favorites, and I found her when I was trying to learn to become a better non-fiction writer. She was kind enough to send me a copy of her brand-new book, and it’s like it was written just for me. But I also assume that if you’re here, this book’s written for you as well.
This is a completely different type of book from Anne, and while I haven’t had a chance to finish it, yet, I’m excited to keep diving into it. This book is made for curious folks like us who love to learn through non-fiction books. Anne’s put together a guide that not only helps you pick out better books, but it also offers tips for getting the most out of each book and expanding your interests based on your preferences.
It sort of reminds me of the awesome classic I read not too long ago by Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren titled How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading. Do yourself a favor and grab this new book from Anne Janzer. She’s not only a great writer, but she’s an awesome person as well.
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Thanks for that wonderful shout-out, Chris! I always appreciate your nonfiction recommendations, too. Thanks for all you do!