Monthly Non-Fiction Reading List 10.24
We’re back! And we have seven amazing books on the monthly reading list. This month, I loved every book I read, and they cover a variety of different topics. We have some books on political and moral ideas, some books on living the good life, a book on life and death, and a book about Blizzard.
I’m still trying to figure out a set schedule for this new monthly reading list, but I’m hoping to get it out within the first week or so of the month, so stay tuned.
Also, feel free to become a paid subscriber for the low low price of $5/month to help support the substack so I can keep buying books!
Each of the links to the books are affiliate links, so if you use my link to purchase any of these books, some comes back to support what I do (and it also helps fund my reading habit).
Abortion Ethics in a Nutshell: A Pro-Both Tour of the Moral Arguments by Matt Deaton
This is a phenomenal book that really dives into the nuances of the abortion debate. Matt Deaton is a philosopher who has spent a lot of time thinking deeply about the topic of abortion. I’ve been pro-choice my entire life, but Deaton addresses topics I hadn’t even considered. While it didn’t change my opinion at all, it sure gave me a lot to think about, and I think it’s a great read for anyone interested in the topic.
Good Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America's Dangerous Divide by Keith Payne
For a long time, The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt was my favorite book about why people lean politically left or right, and how it’s based on their upbringing. While that book will always hold a special place for me because it was the first book to ever make me empathize and better understand people with different views, this book from Keith Payne is my new favorite. At the time of posting this review, it’s only a day before the election, and books like this are so important.
Payne explains why people believe what they believe when it comes to politics, and it’s interesting because he’s a liberal who grew up in a religious, conservative area. You get to learn how becoming more educated helped change his views on politics and God, but he also has a deep understanding of conservatives. The book has a ton of great studies and insights that will help you get inside the minds of people you disagree with.
I 1000% recommend this book, but something that bothers me about these types of books is they never address one of the most important aspects of all of this. It’s easy to say, “See, here’s why they like conservative policies!” What they don’t address is how leftists like myself are supposed to be friends or be cordial with people who support candidates and policies that are so morally bankrupt.
These “can’t we all just get along” books completely disregard what it means to keep people around who you think have good character. When people are against basic rights of the LGTBQ community, are xenophobic and racist, and support a slew of other policies that hurt people in the real world, they aren't good people I want to hang out with. Like, if someone had a hobby of kicking puppies, am I supposed to simply say, “Well, we just see the world a little differently but we can still hang out.”? That seems insane, yet we’re constantly told to do that with people who support candidates who are arguably fascist.
And some will say, “But they don’t support all the policies,” and that’s kind of ridiculous. If you put something like a tax break for yourself over basic human rights, I still don’t think you’re a good person that I want in my life.
Anywho, sorry for the rant. Excellent book, but I really think these books need to address this massive issue many of us face.
The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This is the first Ta-Nehisi book I’ve read, and he definitely lives up to the hype. This is a short read, and it’s great. The book is broken into three sections, and Coates addresses three important topics. He discusses the Black experience, book bannings in the United States, and the conflict between Israel and Palestine. What’s happening between Israel and Gaza can seem complex, but Coates does an excellent job breaking it down and really giving you an insight into what the Palestinian people are going through and what they’ve been going through for many years now.
Happy Ever After: Escaping the Myth of the Perfect Life by Paul Dolan
I’m pretty surprised I never heard of this book or this author because this book is right up my alley. Paul Dolan wrote an excellent book about what does and doesn’t make us happy. If you enjoyed The Sweet Spot by Paul Bloom or Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. Dolan debunks a lot of myths about what we think will make us happy by using a ton of research, which includes some of his own.
One thing I really appreciated about this book is that it comes out the gate with chapters on social class, social status, poverty, and other social issues and how they affect our happiness. An excellent book that everyone should check out.
The Human Predicament: A Candid Guide to Life's Biggest Questions by David Benatar
Full transparency, I think about death a lot. It’s not necessarily something I have an unhealthy fear of, but it’s regularly on my mind and helps me appreciate life and people a bit more. Death’s a tricky subject, and that’s why I loved this book. David Benatar is a philosopher, and this book could have been one of those over-the-top philosophy books that’s all confusing and overly intellectual, but it wasn’t.
David Benatar talks about life and death in a very interesting, thoughtful way. And I’ll always appreciate philosophers who speak in a way that everyone can understand. This book makes you rethink life and death in ways you hadn’t considered, so I highly recommend checking it out.
Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts by Oliver Burkeman
Oliver Burkeman has done it once again. I had no clue what this book was about, but the second I saw that Oliver had a new book coming out, I knew I had to grab it. Once I started reading it, my immediate thought was, “Oh no. Oliver wrote a four-week self-help program”, but this book was so damn good.
Oliver breaks the book down into daily meditations that you’re supposed to read over four weeks, and it’s phenomenal. The book is super short, but it gives you a lot to think about, reflect on, and put into practice to live a better life. This book is a culmination of years of Oliver’s studying of what it takes to live a good life, and each short chapter is impactful and memorable. I can’t recommend this book enough.
Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment by Jason Schreier
I was first introduced to Jason Schreier’s books earlier this year and absolutely loved them. I’m a lifelong gamer, but I’m not a huge player of Blizzard games. But once I saw that Jason had a new book coming out, I had to pick it up, and he didn’t disappoint. Jason interviewed hundreds of past and current Blizzard employees to write a book about the history of one of the biggest game studios around.
Whether you’re a fan of Blizzard games or just want to learn about the history of this massive game developer that’s been around for 30 years, you’ll really enjoy this book. Jason is a phenomenal writer, and it was really interesting learning about how they came up with ideas for these games, their success, and their failures.
Subscribe to the reading list! It’s free! Although I’ve been publishing this weekly reading list for free for multiple years, consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5 to help me pay for new books and keep this list free for everyone.
If you enjoyed this post, it’d mean a lot to me if you shared it. Forward it in an email, share it on social media, or whatever suits your fancy.