Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 7.4.22
This week, I finished 4 fantastic books. There are some new books that I haven’t read on this list about why argument matters as well as issues with masculinity. There are also two of my favorite books that I gave another read. 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).
Spite: The Upside of Your Dark Side by Simon McCarthy-Jones
This is probably the first book that I’ve read for a third time. I can’t get enough of it. Maybe it’s because I’ve been feeling really spiteful lately and see how often others use spite as well. I had a long history of anger issues, and it’s helped me to understand what’s going on. Spite is harming someone at the cost of harming yourself in the process, and Simon McCarthy-Jones does an epic job explaining why this is. He uses studies as well as some evolutionary theories as to why we do these things. After reading it once again, my spite is toned down just a little, but I also don’t feel as guilty about it.
Why Argument Matters by Lee Siegel
This book started out great, and the author did an awesome job explaining different styles of argument and the importance of argument. I grabbed this book from Siegel because it was short, and I also think it’s important for people to be able to form good arguments for defending their ideas and changing minds. Unfortunately, it felt like this book went off the rails about halfway through and didn’t feel super coherent. It almost felt like they just needed to meet a word count. But, it’s a super short book, so if you’re interested, check it out.
The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It by Will Storr
I read an early copy of this book, and it’s just as good with the 2nd read. To date, there’s still not a better book about human behavior and how we seek status. Will Storr covers so many different aspects of status and what we’ll do for it. I cannot recommend this book enough. It’ll help you better understand humanity in ways that I can’t even describe. Just get the book if you haven’t yet.
The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by Bell Hooks
I’ve been trying to learn more about what’s going on with men. There’s so much sadness, rage, and despair. I’ve grabbed a few books on the topic, and a lot of people recommend this book from Bell Hooks. This is a fantastic book that I think has incredible insights. Bell Hooks has this philosophical and sociological perspective about men and the idea of masculinity. She also puts a huge emphasis on how trauma is usually at the root for many violent men and how we should be addressing it. I also think she has a fantastic description of patriarchal systems that are difficult to deny for those who don’t believe they exist.
I guess my only critique is that this hyperfocuses on a very specific type of man. This is about men who are physical and/or psychological abusers. It’s also about men who had violent fathers or fathers who taught them some pretty toxic ideas of what it means to be a man. Since the book was original published in 2004, we’re seeing the problem grow and spread to young men who don’t come from these backgrounds. We’re now seeing young men who don’t have these histories but are turning into the same type of men, and that’s what’s scary.
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