Non-Fiction Reading List 11.13.23
I was insanely sick last week, so I finished two short books by some great authors. The first book is about the lack of recognition for marginalized people and what we can do about it. The second is a book about how to help young people find their purpose. Enjoy!
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).
Seeing Others: How Recognition Works—and How It Can Heal a Divided World by Michèle Lamont
I’m split on this book. Lamont wrote an excellent book about the challenges marginalized people go through and what we can do about it. It’s a fantastic book when you look at it as a book about social justice, but I was sort of sold on getting this book because it was written by a sociologist. I was expecting a lot more data-driven research in this book or even some psychological research. While the author interviewed quite a few people for the book, the book was primarily opinion rather than the research I’d expect from an academic writing a book like this.
The Path to Purpose: How Young People Find Their Calling in Life by William Damon
I learned about this book from another book I was reading, and this one is pretty good. I’m the father of a 14-year-old son who does amazing in school, but sometimes I worry he won’t find purpose. This book does a great job explaining different ways young people can find purpose and meaning in their lives by pursuing goals and careers that make this world a better place.
What’s interesting is the research the author conducted was prior to May 2020 (when the book was published), and many young people didn’t care about politics or getting involved. As we all know, the world changed a ton in the summer of 2020 and we saw insane amounts of young people out joining protests and being vocal on social issues. I wonder how much different this book would be if it were written today.
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