One of my ambitions for this year was to read at least 25 books of non-fiction. I figure that exercise works on the brain much like on any other muscle – push it, and it will develop. So, in order to encourage others to follow the Way of the Librarian, here is a short overview of the books I’ve read thus far this year:
Life Leverage (Moore) – a self help book to get more out of life, based on efficiency, a creative mindset and economies of scale. Quite good, actually. 4/5
Consider This (Palahniuk) – Palahniuk is an extraordinary writer, and this book on writing doesn’t disappoint. 4/5
Take a Thru Hike (Mills) – on the joys (and tribulations) of long distance hiking. Not great. 3/5
Awol on the Appalachian Trail (Miller) – a personal account of thru hiking the AT. Not in the same league as A Walk in the Woods, although it covers the same ground. 😉 3/5
Leaders Eat Last (Sinek) – I like his TED talks, but his books are not reaching the same heights, to my mind. Still good. 4/5
The Emperor (Kapuscinski) – fascinating eye witness accounts of life in Ethiopia under the last emperor. 4.5/5
Humankind – a hopeful history (Bregman) – a very good AND uplifting book. Like a more optimistic Jared Diamond. 5/5
Shah of Shahs (Kapuscinski) – similar concept to The Emperor, but set in Persia/Iran, and unfortunately not as complete. 3.5/5
Utopia for realists (Bregman) – a look at ways in which to reinvent society to better cope with our new reality. Thought-provoking. 5/5
A Burglar’s Guide to the City (Manaugh) – written by an architect, I loved the idea of getting into burglars’ mindsets, but unfortunately the author doesn’t quite deliver. 3/5
Walking the Bowl (Lockhart) – an account of street life in Losaka, Zambia. Horrid, and unputdownable. 5/5
Beyond the Beautiful Forevers (Boo) – a very similar take on the slums of Mumbai, and equally engrossing. 5/5
When we cease to understand the world (Labatut) – a somewhat fictionalized account of some of the greatest brains of our time, and their achievements. Fascinating, but would have been better without the fictionalization. 4.5/5
So there it is. An eclectic mixture, but mostly enthralling stuff – to me at least. Hope something on the list speaks to you as well, gentle reader. Oh, and none of this affiliated sales crap – I just put in links in case you wanted to head straight to the book store. I don’t stand to earn a penny from this. Eek!
