Weekly Non-Fiction Reading List 9.19.22
This week I finished 5 fantastic books. There are two amazing moral philosophy books on the list as well as a book from a philosopher of science. There’s also a great book about how infectious diseases affect marginalized communities as well as one of my favorite books that I read for a 3rd time. 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).
A Decent Life: Morality for the Rest of Us by Todd May
This instantly became one of my favorite books. It’s definitely in my top 10. I was talking with someone about effective altruism and how it’s provided me with a solid moral framework, and they said it sounded similar to Todd May. I’ve had May recommended before, but I finally grabbed a copy of one of his books, and I became an instant fan. This book is basically effective altruism but more realistic.
If you’re looking to live a better life and make better decisions while also cutting yourself some slack, this is the book for you. Some philosophy books get way too complex, but Todd is an incredible writer and has this great way of giving examples for what he’s talking about by using realistic (or even real) situations. This is such a great book, and I’m definitely going to read it again regularly.
Post-Truth by Lee McIntyre
Lee McIntyre is one of my favorites, and he’s a philosopher of science. This was one of the only books of his that I hadn’t read, so I’m glad I finally remembered to check it out. This book was born out of the election of Donald Trump and the rise of misinformation that spreads on social media. As usual, Lee does an excellent job discussing the problem as well as the challenges we face with addressing various issues like people caring less about truth as misinformation spreads more than ever.
What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael Sandel
I started re-reading all of Sandel’s books earlier this year, and this was the last one. In this lovely world of capitalism, more and more things are becoming commodities. In this book, Sandel asks us about the ethical implications of what we buy and sell. I’m a lover of moral philosophy, and Sandel is one of the best because he gets the reader to start asking questions and start looking at the world through a new lens.
Not Born Yesterday: The Science of Who We Trust and What We Believe by Hugo Mercier
This was my third time reading this book, and it’s still one of the best I’ve read about why we listen to certain people and trust them. Hugo debunks a lot of myths about gullibility, and the book helps you understand why people listen to certain figures when the rest of us can clearly see the person is lying or sharing bad information. This book is an excellent source if you’re looking to learn more about human reasoning and behavior. I still have a bunch of questions as I continue to be interested in this topic, but this book always answers most of them.
The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven W. Thrasher
I was unfamiliar with Steven Thrasher’s work, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this book. I’ve been curious how COVID-19 disproportionally impacted low-income and marginalized communities, which is why I grabbed this book. Surprisingly, this book was so much more than that, and I learned a ton. Steven is an excellent writer, journalist and science communicator.
This book discusses how various marginalized communities are affected in a variety of ways when it comes to infectious diseases. Not only does Steven discuss stories about how COVID impacted low-income and BIPOC communities, but he also dives into the AIDS epidemic and a wide range of issues affecting the LGBTQ community. It really made me aware of so much that wasn’t fully on my radar.
I think one of the most enlightening parts of the book is the beginning when Thrasher really sets up how the viral underclass came to be and carries on via various stigmas and our need to find someone to blame. This is a fantastic book that everyone needs to read.
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