Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 4.24.23
This week, we have two phenomenal books on the list. The first book is how to become a better debater, and it breaks some conventional wisdom about the art of debate. Then, we have one of my new favorite books about why we fear being a sucker.
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).
Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking by Mehdi Hasan
I love learning tools for debate, so I grabbed this book and absolutely loved it. I wasn’t 100% sure who Mehdi Hasan was, but after the introduction, I looked him up and realized I’d seen some clips of him. He’s the host of an MSNBC show, but his resume is pretty extensive, and the man loves to debate, and he has great tips for others.
I enjoyed this book a ton for a multitude of reasons. First off, Mehdi has a ton of experience, so there are practical anecdotes throughout the book to back up what he’s saying. I listened to the audio version, so there were actual clips from the events, and that was cool so you could hear his style and where he emphasizes different words and other skills he discusses in the book.
What I really liked about this book was that he knows all of the “rules” for debate, but he argues for some unconventional methods. For example, he has a whole chapter on using ad hominems, which are frowned upon in debate. He explains how there’s a time and place for them and also explains how you need to watch out for when people question your character. But I liked this part because it’s more realistic than other books that have you stick to the regular rules of debate while others are punching below the belt constantly.
If you’re interested in becoming a better debater or even a public speaker, this is the book for you.
Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the Sucker Shapes Our Selves and the Social Order—and What We Can Do About It by Tess Wilkinson-Ryan
This is one of my new favorite books, and I couldn’t put it down. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to read it. Misinformation has been a major topic in recent years, so my thoughts are that people are far too gullible and fall for anything, but I knew that couldn’t be the whole story. When I saw the subtitle of this book, I knew the author was going to argue against the idea that people are too gullible to challenge my thinking, and she did. That’s why I loved it oh so much. It gave me a completely new perspective.
Tess is a contract lawyer who got really interested in the moral arguments about why people shouldn’t break a contract, so she then went on to become an experimental psychologist. She argues that we’re always trying to not get taken advantage of or be played as a fool, and she cites a ton of research. What I loved about this book was learning about how all of this really has to do with status, which is a topic that I’m totally fascinated with.
After laying the foundation, Tess goes on to explain how people not wanting to be played as a fool leads to racism, sexism, and all sorts of bigotry and other social injustices. She also has a great chapter on what it’s like for mothers and how being played for a fool ties into that experience for women.
I can’t recommend this book enough, and I’ll definitely give it another read in the future.
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