Category Archives: History
Sapiens
Last year, I read 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari, which I reviewed here. Several friends recommended I read Harari’s earlier book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Now I know why. It’s an excellent book. As the … Continue reading
Amend: The Fight for America
I can’t remember ever reviewing a television show before, let alone recommending one, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. Amend: The Fight for America is a six-part Netflix documentary hosted by Will Smith. It’s about the on-going … Continue reading
A History of Future Cities
People make cities, but cities also make people. That’s one of the key messages from Daniel Brook’s 2013 book A History of Future Cities. The book tells the stories of four cities, St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Dubai. All four … Continue reading
Meditations
Meditations, written nearly two thousand years ago by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, is one of the most influential books in Western philosophy. It deserves years of study. I’ve read it just once. So I won’t be “reviewing” this book … Continue reading
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents
Reading, and writing about what I read, helped me stay sane this awful year. I’m glad to wrap up 2020 with Isabel Wilkerson’s acclaimed book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Caste: The Origins of Our DiscontentsBy Isabel WilkersonRandom House, … Continue reading
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Humans are storytellers. We tell stories to understand our place in the world and to give our lives purpose and meaning. Shared stories help bind us together into communities, tribes, nations and civilizations. We understand stories better than facts. 21 … Continue reading
Nonfiction November: Book Pairing
It’s week 2 of Nonfiction November and this week’s prompt comes from Julie @ JulzReads: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. It can be a “If you loved this book, read this!” or just two … Continue reading
The Storm Before the Calm
I can’t decide whether George Friedman is a genius or a crackpot. Friedman has made a career of geopolitical forecasting. He’s founded a couple of consulting companies that specialize in the field. He’s the author of several bestselling books including … Continue reading
Growth
People used to think growth was a good thing. Politicians, economists and business leaders brag about healthy or robust growth in jobs, GDP, and profits. But that’s changing. These days, growth is often described as excessive, uncontrollable, and unsustainable. In … Continue reading
Endeavour
Endeavour: The Ship and the Attitude that Changed the World By Peter Moore Chatto & Windus, London, 2018 Pop quiz: What does “endeavour” mean to you? a) To attempt, to strive, to exert oneself towards achieving some goal, b) The … Continue reading
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