2021 NonFiction Recommendations
How to be an Antiracist
In How to Be an Antiracist each chapter is broken out with a definition of a term relating to racism, an anecdote from Kendi's life, and a discussion on a concept relating to antiracism. It is meticulously researched and notated. It tends towards the academic which I enjoyed but some people might find dense reading. I specifically loved two parts in the book:
1) Racist is a verb - not an insult - and it is based off of your impact rather than your intentions. Because of this, there is no 'colorblind' or not-racist. There are people who are having an anti-racist impact by actively working to dismantle racist systems or educate racist individuals, and there are people who are having a racist impact by actively OR PASSIVELY upholding racist systems. It doesn't matter if you believe a person's worth is only based on how hard they work - if you're supporting racist policies such as Stop and Frisk, you're having a racist impact on the world.
2) Systematic racism means that racism has been built into the system in such a way that filling it entirely with non-racist individuals would still result in a racist outcome. Think of the racist housing/ mortgage practices throughout recent US history. Even just the practice of legacy admissions - harmless on the surface, but the great-grandfather of today's legacy was a rich white landowner. Nobody is claiming that admissions offices are being actively racist/prejudiced by continuing the legacy admission practice, but its equally inarguable that this policy has a racist impact, because today's legacies are passively benefiting from the active racism of decades past.
This would be a great book to use as a monthly/weekly discussion group focusing on a single chapter at a time. I read this book on kindle which was great for highlighting some of my favorite passages, but I plan to reread this periodically in future, so I will be buying a physical copy to keep on my bookshelf as a visible reminder.
See No Stranger
“Love is more than a rush of feeling. Love is sweet labor—fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life-giving. A choice we make over and over again.”
Kaur’s book is heartfelt and beautifully written, laying out the case for a return to the ‘love your neighbor’ ideal of days past. Not in a rose-colored-glasses sense though - Valerie Kaur argues that in order to love your neighbor, you must understand them. She follows through in her book, taking the reader from the 9/11 memorial to the site of the first post-9/11 hate crime and all the way out to Guantanamo Bay. She repeatedly learns that most hatred is fueled by fear, and fear eats at the one holding it as badly as it affects those they turn their hatred upon. Kaur also did an excellent job finding a balance between difficult topics and heartwarming anecdotes, making the book much more pleasant to read than I was expecting.
The Lemon Tree
This book should be required reading. It's a meticulously researched look at the history of the Israel/Palestine conflict with a focus on two families that lived in the same house at different times. The book bounces between broad context of the overall history of the region and the hyper-specific impact on two families, one Israeli and one Palestinian. Its incredibly dense - going in I assumed it would read similar to historical fiction but this feels like textbook that includes a thread on the families.
The back and forth between the macro and micro levels added exponentially to the book's impact. The broad context and history are needed to understand political environment, government and military motivations, and economic affects. Visiting the families in turn brings an emotional understanding of the real impact. You as the reader become fond of both families, and empathize with them as they each deal with various hardships caused by the conflict. It allows for a much deeper understanding not only of how terrible the conflict really is, but why each side is so committed.
One other note I want to add: This book may be written like a textbook, but the author holds on to one key detail for a dramatic reveal at the end. It was so well done I had to put the book down and just process for a bit before I could finish reading.
A Woman of No Importance
“It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls. —Robert F. Kennedy”
Virginia Hall's life is so incredible it almost defies belief. She faced down sexism and facism with the same unflappable determination, and was so committed to serving in the field that she just... didn't mention she had a prosthetic leg. Virtually all of her accomplishments in the war were achieved despite the ‘help’ from her own command, who refused to promote her to the level at which she was operating. Deployed to France as a radio operator at a time when the average life expectancy for the role was 6 weeks, Virginia Hall spent over a year almost single-handedly setting up a spy network and running safehouses. The detached journalistic writing style and heavy topics make for a slow read at times, but I’m so glad I read it. Definitely pick this up when you get a chance. I recommend the audiobook as the narrator did a wonderful job.
A Slip of the Keyboard
I love Terry Pratchett's style, and it turns out that style holds true regardless of genre. Reading Pratchett's collected essays was exactly what I needed to kick my love of reading back into gear when I hit a slump earlier this year. I'm not sure which I love more, his dry British humor or the deep rage he feels looking out at a world that could (and perhaps should) be so much better than it is. Either way, these essays have the perfect blend of wit and insight, and serve as the ideal palate-cleanser when trying to get out of a funk or just take a step back from the world for a minute.
Work
A Deep History, From the Stone Age to the Age of Robots
Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination, and as long as you keep that in mind you'll enjoy Suzman's Work. He starts the book at the very beginning of human history and slowly works forward to the present day. Honestly the first 2/3 or so of the book were my favorite - I had no idea that early hunter/gatherers only actually worked a couple hours a day, or that money wasn't needed until farming became widespread and required the concept of debt. (I'll buy goods now and pay you back after harvest).
From a stylistic perspective the writing was clear and fairly engaging, and I enjoyed the potshots he took at economists throughout the book. The only real complaint was in the attempted wrap-up at the end of the book. I wish he'd split this into two books; pre and post industrial revolution, as the level of complexity he needed to address kept escalating. The book also didn't have a clear thesis at the end - the final chapter was almost a list of ideas for what the thesis could be without a lot of time spent on any individual one.
Overall a good read, especially to listen to while driving or doing chores. Not life shattering but could provide good discussion topics if you read it with a group.
Shrill
Notes From a Loud Woman
I read this as part of a bookclub and it made for a solid discussion. The first half of the book feels like a pretty classic comedy memoir, the second half of the book focuses more specifically on Lindy West's experiences trying to balance comedy and feminism. Its a tough read on occasion, but incredibly well written and makes its points clearly and effectively. Just plain fun for any woman to read, and hopefully and enjoyable eye-opener for men.