Books to Get You Thinking
December is the month when major newspapers and journals traditionally delve into the thousands of books published during the year and make their selections of “best books” in both the fiction and nonfiction genres. It is an eclectic mix that encompasses a diverse range of topics, from history and current affairs to biographies, memoirs, technology and science. This month’s column features a selection of nonfiction titles from the best books of 2018 that you can include in your list of Must Read titles. I can think of no better way to spend those long winter evenings than nestling in your favorite armchair with a blanket and a good book! All titles can be found at the Mercer County Library System.
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
A deeply moving and inspirational memoir, Educated was named a top book by multiple journals and newspapers including the New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, The Guardian and the Financial Times. It is the story of a young girl brought up in the remote mountains of Idaho. She was born to radical Mormon parents who subscribed to an extreme survivalist view that included a fanatic distrust of the government, mainstream medicine and schools and an avid belief in the world’s impending disintegration. Youngest of seven children, Tara Westover makes a choice to leave her home at 17 without ever having attended school. Leaving her past behind, through sheer grit and determination, she was able to use books to teach herself well enough to pass the ACT exam and then went on to earn a PhD in History from Cambridge University. The memoir brings to focus issues of loyalty to family versus loyalty to oneself, and ultimately forgiveness versus reconciliation. Despite the harsh conditions surrounding her childhood, the author’s love and respect for her family and home in the mountains remains steadfast over the years.
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu
Named a top book of 2018 by both the Washington Post and NPR, Francis Cantu’s book is also shortlisted as a finalist for the Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award. The memoir provides a poignant and heart wrenching account of the author’s four years as a border patrol agent, guarding the 2,000-mile border between Mexico and the United States. Cantu’s powerful writing brings to sharp focus the humanitarian crisis taking place at the border every day. Cantu joined the Border Patrol at age 23 - a third generation Mexican American, he was looking for answers to the migrant problem existing at the border. More than 6,000 migrants fleeing the poverty and the violence of drug cartels in their homelands south of the US border died between 2000 and 2016 as they faced the harsh conditions of the desert. Ultimately, the horrors the author witnessed in the treatment of migrants would make it impossible for him to continue to be part of the Border Patrol and would haunt him long after he went back to civilian life. Along with the omnipresent fear and despair is also the empathy and eternal hope of migrants in search of a new life, a new home and reunion with loved ones.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
Featured in multiple publications including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post is the incredible and riveting story of Theranos, a Silicon Valley startup set up by 19-year-old Stanford dropout, Elizabeth Holmes. Theranos was founded with the objective of simplifying blood testing using new technology and lab procedures that would require just a few drops of a patient’s blood. Quickly, through sheer charisma and the compelling story of developing a novel pain free system for blood tests, Holmes became a Silicon Valley star, attracting high profile investors and building a company now valued at nine billion dollars with eight hundred employees. She won contracts from major health care players such as Walgreens and Safeway. There was just one problem - the technology simply did not work. By perpetrating a complex web of lies, cover-ups and fabrications, Holmes and her CEO continued to successfully keep up the façade until the author, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, was successful in uncovering the scam.
Gigged by Sarah Kessler
Listed as one of the best business books of 2018 by the Financial Times, Gigged throws a spotlight on the new and rising trend of replacing traditional nine to five permanent jobs at companies with temporary contracting jobs to those with specific skills needed for specific projects in a given time frame. The trend, which first started in Silicon Valley and has now spread throughout America to many fields of employment, has been spurred on by increased access to high speed Internet and sophisticated computer technology applications. Companies such as Uber and Airbnb have followed this model successfully and individuals have benefited from flexibility in schedules as well as more independence and creativity in the way they handle projects. Through real life interviews with a range of people who are part of the gig economy, the author also zones in on the negative consequences of the changing workforce structure, including the uncertainty and stress resulting from the absence of a steady income and employer-offered social benefits. The author also raises important questions about the future and structure of work, and how we can ensure meaningful work and well-paid employment for present millennials and future workers.
The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind by Michael Gazzaniga
Celebrated neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga investigates some of the most daunting questions that both scientists and philosophers have been trying to answer - what is human consciousness and how is it formed? What is the connection between the brain and the mind, and how does the brain communicate with the mind? In this fascinating book, Gazzaniga makes an extensive exploration of evolutionary biology and medical anatomy, as well as writings of scholars over several centuries, to present a modern understanding of human consciousness. The narrative covering the intriguing story of the human mind is both riveting and poetic, making us realize what it is that separates the human species from the millions of other species who have lived on this planet. Gazzaniga links consciousness to the intricate layered structure of the brain – at any time consciousness would be a result of the particular area of the brain that is active at that moment. The book is a milestone, and it radiates a hope that a superior understanding of the human mind will open new avenues to help millions who suffer from diseases resulting from neurological disorders or a breakdown of the harmonious interaction of the brain and the mind
Educated: A Memoir by Tara WestoverA deeply moving and inspirational memoir, Educated was named a top book by multiple journals and newspapers including the New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, The Guardian and the Financial Times. It is the story of a young girl brought up in the remote mountains of Idaho. She was born to radical Mormon parents who subscribed to an extreme survivalist view that included a fanatic distrust of the government, mainstream medicine and schools and an avid belief in the world’s impending disintegration. Youngest of seven children, Tara Westover makes a choice to leave her home at 17 without ever having attended school. Leaving her past behind, through sheer grit and determination, she was able to use books to teach herself well enough to pass the ACT exam and then went on to earn a PhD in History from Cambridge University. The memoir brings to focus issues of loyalty to family versus loyalty to oneself, and ultimately forgiveness versus reconciliation. Despite the harsh conditions surrounding her childhood, the author’s love and respect for her family and home in the mountains remains steadfast over the years.
The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco CantuNamed a top book of 2018 by both the Washington Post and NPR, Francis Cantu’s book is also shortlisted as a finalist for the Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award. The memoir provides a poignant and heart wrenching account of the author’s four years as a border patrol agent, guarding the 2,000-mile border between Mexico and the United States. Cantu’s powerful writing brings to sharp focus the humanitarian crisis taking place at the border every day. Cantu joined the Border Patrol at age 23 - a third generation Mexican American, he was looking for answers to the migrant problem existing at the border. More than 6,000 migrants fleeing the poverty and the violence of drug cartels in their homelands south of the US border died between 2000 and 2016 as they faced the harsh conditions of the desert. Ultimately, the horrors the author witnessed in the treatment of migrants would make it impossible for him to continue to be part of the Border Patrol and would haunt him long after he went back to civilian life. Along with the omnipresent fear and despair is also the empathy and eternal hope of migrants in search of a new life, a new home and reunion with loved ones.
Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John CarreyrouFeatured in multiple publications including the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post is the incredible and riveting story of Theranos, a Silicon Valley startup set up by 19-year-old Stanford dropout, Elizabeth Holmes. Theranos was founded with the objective of simplifying blood testing using new technology and lab procedures that would require just a few drops of a patient’s blood. Quickly, through sheer charisma and the compelling story of developing a novel pain free system for blood tests, Holmes became a Silicon Valley star, attracting high profile investors and building a company now valued at nine billion dollars with eight hundred employees. She won contracts from major health care players such as Walgreens and Safeway. There was just one problem - the technology simply did not work. By perpetrating a complex web of lies, cover-ups and fabrications, Holmes and her CEO continued to successfully keep up the façade until the author, a reporter with the Wall Street Journal, was successful in uncovering the scam.
Gigged by Sarah KesslerListed as one of the best business books of 2018 by the Financial Times, Gigged throws a spotlight on the new and rising trend of replacing traditional nine to five permanent jobs at companies with temporary contracting jobs to those with specific skills needed for specific projects in a given time frame. The trend, which first started in Silicon Valley and has now spread throughout America to many fields of employment, has been spurred on by increased access to high speed Internet and sophisticated computer technology applications. Companies such as Uber and Airbnb have followed this model successfully and individuals have benefited from flexibility in schedules as well as more independence and creativity in the way they handle projects. Through real life interviews with a range of people who are part of the gig economy, the author also zones in on the negative consequences of the changing workforce structure, including the uncertainty and stress resulting from the absence of a steady income and employer-offered social benefits. The author also raises important questions about the future and structure of work, and how we can ensure meaningful work and well-paid employment for present millennials and future workers.
The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind by Michael GazzanigaCelebrated neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga investigates some of the most daunting questions that both scientists and philosophers have been trying to answer - what is human consciousness and how is it formed? What is the connection between the brain and the mind, and how does the brain communicate with the mind? In this fascinating book, Gazzaniga makes an extensive exploration of evolutionary biology and medical anatomy, as well as writings of scholars over several centuries, to present a modern understanding of human consciousness. The narrative covering the intriguing story of the human mind is both riveting and poetic, making us realize what it is that separates the human species from the millions of other species who have lived on this planet. Gazzaniga links consciousness to the intricate layered structure of the brain – at any time consciousness would be a result of the particular area of the brain that is active at that moment. The book is a milestone, and it radiates a hope that a superior understanding of the human mind will open new avenues to help millions who suffer from diseases resulting from neurological disorders or a breakdown of the harmonious interaction of the brain and the mind
- Nita Mathur
Comments
Post a Comment