Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 8.21.23
This week was a busy one, but I managed to finish two awesome books from some amazing authors. The first book is about consciousness and free will. Then, we have one of my new favorite books about how we all need to make quitting a life strategy. 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).
The World Behind the World: Consciousness, Free Will, and the Limits of Science by Erik Hoel
I’ve been a big fan of
’s Substack for a while now, so I was super excited when I found out he had a new book coming out. This was a super interesting book diving into the science of consciousness, and I don’t think I realized Erik studied this type of science in school. He’s extremely knowledgeable and brings up a lot of great topics. I especially liked how he goes over why theories in this field are difficult because they’re hard to falsify.Erik’s a fantastic writer and does a great job writing for a broad audience. But, I will say that although I’m slightly more knowledgable than the average person because I’m a big ol’ nerd who reads a ton of books, some of this definitely went over my head. That’s not really a criticism of Hoel’s writing, though. The topic of consciousness has always just been a bit confusing to me, so it may be tough for some others as well.
Overall, awesome book if you’re interested in this topic.
Quitting: A Life Strategy: The Myth of Perseverance - and How the New Science of Giving Up Can Set You Free by Julia Keller
This is definitely one of my new favorite books, but I must admit that I’m extremely biased. My bias comes from absolutely loving when someone writes about quitting, and the only other author I know who has done this is Annie Duke. So, when I saw this new book from Julia Keller, I bought it immediately even though I hadn’t known of her previously.
I’ve been clean and sober for 11 years now, so I know how to quit, but I also have an insane work ethic and don’t give up easily. But, there’s a balance to be had. I love these books because everything we hear, read, and learn is about perseverance and grit. It took me far too long to realize that there are massive opportunity costs when you don’t give up on something that’s clearly not going well. That time could have been much better spent somewhere else.
I wasn’t sure if this book would be any good, but it was phenomenal. One concern I had was that this book would be too similar to Duke’s, but it’s much different. Keller does an amazing job covering a ton of research on quitting that I hadn’t heard about before while also blending interviews with others as well as her own experience. The book discusses how we’re taught to never give up, and why quitting is often a great strategy. I really liked toward the end when Keller writes about how humans are pretty much the only species that doesn’t quit when we should and most species have survived purely because they know when to quit.
I could talk about this book all day, but I’ll stop there. This book is a must-read, and I really hope more people start learning about the value of quitting.
Shoutout
The Writer's Voice: Techniques for Tuning Your Tone and Style (The Writer's Process Series) by Anne Janzer
I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to this new one from Anne Janzer. She was kind enough to send me a copy of this book, and I can’t wait to dive into it. Anne Janzer writes amazing books for writers. So, whether you write blogs or newsletters here on Substack or you want to write a non-fiction book Anne is an amazing teacher.
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