Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 11.28.22
This week I finished 5 books from some amazing authors. I’ve been really interested in wealth inequality lately, so there are some books here that discuss it and critique capitalism. There’s also a book about the myth of meritocracy in higher education. And best of all, there’s a theory of assholes. 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).
Assholes: A Theory by Aaron James
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while, and I’m glad I finally did. We all deal with assholes in our lives, whether it’s at work, on social media or anywhere else. In this book, Aaron James takes a philosophical look at assholes, why they are the way they are, how they disrupt our lives and the world, and how we can keep our sanity when encountering them. It was a fun read, and it also helped me have a better perspective on assholes. I definitely recommend it.
The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future by Joseph E. Stiglitz
I heard Joseph Stiglitz was a progressive economist who criticizes capitalism, and I was sold. I bought a few of his books, and this one was the first I checked out, and it didn’t disappoint. Stiglitz does an amazing job breaking down how capitalism has had runaway inequality in the United States and how it’s affecting 99% of us as well as the world as a whole. I’ve read quite a few books like this, and this one is one of the best. Economists can write in a way that’s difficult to understand, but Stiglitz made this book accessible to anyone looking to learn more about why we need to reform our current systems to make this country a bit more equal.
Nightmare Fuel: The Science of Horror Films by Nina Nesseth
This was hands down the best book I’ve ever read on horror research, and if Mathias Clayson reads sees this, I apologize. But I’m sure he’d understand getting bumped to #2. Nina did such an amazing job gathering a ton of research while combining it with personal anecdotes and highlighting specific horror movies. I learned so much from this book, and it was super interesting as someone who used to hate horror but am now a big fan. If you love horror, this is a must read, but it’s also a good read for anyone who doesn’t like horror because you’ll walk away with a better understanding of why you don’t like it and others do.
The Merit Myth: How Our Colleges Favor the Rich and Divide America by Anthony P. Carnevale, Peter Schmidt and Jeff Strohl
Although they make me furious, I love reading books on how meritocracy is a myth. This book focuses specifically on college, and it’s one of the best I’ve read. I’ve read a few books that touch on this topic, but these authors introduced me to a lot of new data that I was unaware of. This book will help you understand how if you’re not born into the right family, equality of opportunity is non-existent in the United States. You’ll learn how from birth to college, upper class and wealthy kids are always going to take priority getting spots in colleges until something changes in this country. The authors offer some great solutions to this issue as well.
Twilight of the Elites: America after Meritocracy by Chris Hayes
I read this book a couple years ago, and I keep hearing it referenced in other books. I loved this book when I first read it, but now that I’ve read more about inequality and capitalism, this book just annoyed me. Chris Hayes is clearly a multimillionaire, and I’ve read his other book, so I know he’s lived a pretty privileged life. As I read this, it was just irritating listening to him talk as though he’s “one of us”. While I’m grateful he’s getting this information out into the world on his large platform, this is something I’ve seen that’s way too common. These people act like they understand the struggle of the lower class or are fighting for us, but I doubt Chris Hayes would give up much of his riches or position to balance the scales a bit more.
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.
To stay updated follow me on Twitter and Instagram @TheRewiredSoul and subscribe to the Substack.