Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 1.15.24
We have three great books from some amazing authors this week. The list kicks off with the best book I’ve ever read on fatphobia. Next, we have an incredible book explaining why democracy is difficult and why people vote the way they do. Lastly, we have a fantastic book about why we need better jobs. Enjoy!
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Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia by Kate Manne
I’ve read a a few books on the topic of fatphobia, and this is by far the best one I’ve read, and I’m so grateful that someone was awesome as Kate Mann wrote it. I’m a massive Kate Mann fan. She’s a philosopher and has written previous books about sexism and misogyny, and in this one, she tackles the issue of fatphobia and how overweight people are treated in our society.
I’ve been overweight for most of my life but put on the most weight during my drug addiction over a decade ago, and it’s been a struggle to shed the pounds. There are so many myths and misconceptions about overweight people, and Kate’s book is one of the first books I’ve read that actually left me feeling good about myself. One of the reasons is that she does an excellent job explaining how overweight people internalize fatphobia.
Kate’s book covers just about everything I’d want covered. She discusses the rise of fatphobia, the moral philosophy around the topic, and many studies that show that fat doesn’t always mean unhealthy. If I had one critique it’s that the book is largely through the lens of women, which makes sense, but it’d be nice if one of these books spoke to men more as well. Women have it rough when it comes to weight, but I think there’s room for a book out there to speak to men about this topic as well due to the standards put on them as well. Many of us are passed the sexy status of “dad bod”.
Overall, this was an incredible book and I highly recommend it.
Why Politics Fails by Ben Ansell
I grabbed a copy of this book and was expected to be bored out of my mind, but that wasn’t the case at all. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t stop. Ben Ansell is an expert in politics and his title is Professor of Comparative Democratic Institutions. Basically, this book discusses the many conflicts we face with democracy, and he does an excellent job explaining why it’s so difficult to get people to vote in their best interest. There are many psychological reasons people vote the way they do, and Ansell also explains how even though we don’t admit it, most of us vote for our own self-interest and are extremely short-sighted.
This is an excellent book, and if you’re curious why it’s so hard to get people to vote for things to help them, this is the book you need to read. It’s not over the top with academic language, either, so it’s easy for people to grasp. Ansell offers some optimistic solutions that I don’t see happening anytime soon, but hopefully some politicians and voters read it.
The Case for Good Jobs: How Great Companies Bring Dignity, Pay, and Meaning to Everyone's Work by Zeynep Ton
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. There are many business academics out there who make a career out of kissing the butts of C-suite executives and getting high-paying speaking gigs by telling them what they want to hear. I started to feel like that was the direction this book was heading, and then Zeynep Ton surprised the hell out of me. This book is not that at all, and Zeynep has incredible research and arguments that benefit both employers and employees.
This book goes pretty hard on employers explaining why employees need better wages and why employers need to quit looking at industry standards when paying people. Ton also does a phenomenal job explaining why employees need more autonomy to make decisions at their job and should be treated a lot better. She even explains why employers really need to start caring about their turnover rates.
I couldn’t tell if Zeynep was fighting for workers or if she’s just arguing for what the research says works. Either way, it doesn’t matter, because if employers listen to Zeynep, workers will be a lot better off and they can even make the employers some more money.
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