Arts & Entertainment
13 Summer Reads To Understand The World Better
Looking to get a better grasp on events in the news? This summer reading list is a good place to start.
If you've ever wanted to understand the world better, there's no substitute for the profound, substantive knowledge you can gain from reading a book. With summer upon us, there's no better time to finally dig deep into what some of the most provocative thinkers and writers of the past and present have to teach us.
But where to begin?
Patch has selected 13 of the most thought-provoking and engaging books — some are recently published, others are important classics. Let us know what you think of our choices in the comments below, and feel free to share any of your favorites.
Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
An expert on American politics and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, Kamarck uses this book to ask a simple question: Why do president so often fail? She finds the answer to this question by recounting three major examples of presidential failure: Jimmy Carter's botched rescue attempt of the hostages in Iran; George W. Bush's failure to prevent 9/11; and Barack Obama's disastrous rollout of Healthcare.gov.
What's most crucial about each of these three failures, Kamarck argues, is an underappreciation of the skills of political management. While politicians, especially those that end up at the presidential level, extensively focus on importance of policy and messaging, she believes that they neglect developing the skills of management that are needed to effectively direct the executive branch. This short but critical work examines a hidden part of politics that gets relatively little coverage in the press; it's a valuable book for anyone looking for a better understanding of the skills of governance.
Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier by Edward Glaeser
Glaeser's love letter to cities aims to bust myths and encourage a fondness for urban life. Contrary to the perceptions of some, Glaser argues that cities tend to improve health and well-being while reducing human impact on the environment.
He also argues that we could be doing more to let cities thrive; in particular, Glaser holds that policy that spurs density has myriad benefits that are too often neglected. Cities are the engines of growth and ideas, and the urban landscape potentially provides one of the best pathways out of poverty, if guided in the right way.
Skeptics and urbanophiles alike should find much to admire and engage with in Glaeser's clearly written and deeply researched work.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
Part memoir and part policy text, this book draws important insights about the process and struggle for appropriate and meaningful end-of-life treatment. Gawande recounts his father's final days and struggle to find the proper approach to treatments within the existing health care structure.
Gawande has no simple solutions. For the problems he identifies, there are plenty of approaches different families and individuals might take when it comes time for them to navigate their own courses. But his plain and careful writing style will immerse you in his own family's struggles and the struggles of other people he's known, helping the reader think more concretely about what it is we all want out of life and the time we have left.
The Man Without A Face: The Unlikely Rise Of Vladimir Putin by Masha Gessen
The man without a face is in the news a lot these days. Russian President Vladimir Putin has had a particularly high profile in the last year, the details of his life and rise are not particularly well-known. In this biography, long-time Russian reporter Gessen explores the past of the man who came to command the power center of what was once the United States' greatest geopolitical foe.
Gessen's portrait of Putin and modern-day Russia is a dark one, but it is a fascinating and vital tool for understanding the origins of Boris Yeltsin's successor. Anyone trying to get a better grasp of world events would benefit from this look at the enigmatic figure overseeing one of the largest stockpiles of nuclear arms in existence.
Against Empathy: The Case For Rational Compassion By Paul Bloom
Empathy is often said to be the solution to many problems of our time. If everyone just had more empathy, we could solve the problems of racism, crime, health care policy, climate policy — you name it. Who could be against empathy?
Paul Bloom. Bloom here is working with a very specific definition of empathy, meaning the actual feeling of other people's emotions. Bloom argues that this much championed psychological trait rarely makes us more moral and has a tendency to make us more parochial, dejected and unfair. Instead, he says, we should focus on cultivating rational compassion in our engagement with the world.
Bloom's provocative book mixes psychology, philosophy and common sense to devise a compelling and engrossing argument. Even if you're not convinced, it is well worth a read.
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation On Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Washington's book is now 10 years old, but this historical examination on the racialist uses of medical science seems more relevant than ever. As the American government once again tries to revamp its health care system and continues to struggle with the massive racial disparities in income, criminal justice and health, reflecting on this history is revelatory and necessary.
"Medical Apartheid" is a tough read, but it's exceptionally well-researched and provides extensive details into a neglected, but incredibly important, subject.
Anger and Forgiveness: Resentment, Generosity, Justice by Martha Nussbaum
Why get angry? When should we forgive? Renowned philosopher Martha Nussbaum tackles these questions with her combined powers of theoretical rigor and historical conceptual analysis.
In a treatment that ends up similar to Bloom's on empathy, Nussbaum comes out against the generally accepted view that anger is sometimes appropriate and warranted. While she believes that some related feelings of outrage can be justified, she argues that the core of anger — a wish for retaliation — is fundamentally unjust and undesirable. She also inspects the history of anger and forgiveness, from its roots in Christianity to its practical applications in post-apartheid South Africa.
Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom by Condoleeza Rice
What does it take for democracy to take hold in a nation? While the answer remains elusive, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's new book uses well-told case studies to illustrate what makes some experiments and self-government thrive while others fail.
Her background as a top Bush administration official, including her support of highly controversial policies during the Iraq war, will no doubt color many readers' views of this book. But on this topic, her personal experience is an asset.
The reader can tell Rice is emotionally impacted by Iraq's failure to create a thriving democratic polis — a failure for which she perhaps places undue blame on President Bush's successor rather than his own administration. Meanwhile, her own experience to help secure a peaceful resolution to a disputed Kenya election stands as a powerful example of diplomacy working as a clear force for good in the world.
An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back by Elisabeth Rosenthal
American health care reform has become a major political sticking point as Republicans attempt to make good on their promises to "repeal and replace Obamacare." Elisabeth Rosenthal's book goes much deeper than most of the high-profile debates we have in modern politics; instead of focusing on who should pay for what and how much — a perennial source of disagreement for politicians — she starts with the more basic issue of why health care costs are so high.
This book is particularly valuable not just because of its insight into the health care industry, though there's plenty of that. It also provides useful tips to avoid being overcharged and potentially bankrupted by health care bills.
The Conservative Mind: From Burke to Eliot by Russell Kirk
In the age of the Trump administration, it's not exactly clear what philosophical direction the Republican Party is headed in. What place does conservatism have in party whose leader has embraced much populist rhetoric and ideas?
For those looking for a more complex understanding of the roots of conservatism than cable news can provide, Russell Kirk's famous meditation on the ideology's history is essential. He begins with the conservative's conservative, Edmond Burke, tracing the lineage of thought aimed at respecting authority and casting a skeptical eye on radical change. Whatever your personal ideological leanings, a thorough understanding of this line of thought will equip you to better make sense of the political landscape.
Phishing for Phools: The Economics of Manipulation and Deception by George Akerlof and Robert J. Shiller
Traditional thinking in the field of economics begins with an imagined world where everyone is perfectly well informed, where buyers and sellers have the same information. While economists have always acknowledged that this isn't a realistic picture, this basic assumption has powered many key ideas in the field.
Akerlof and Shiller want to challenge this basic assumption. They point out, as everyone knows, that buyers and sellers never had perfect information — but they argue this assumption is far more crucial, and distorting, than has traditionally been conceded. Instead, they think we should consider the phenomenon of "phishing," in which one person tricks another into an action that is against their own interests, as a basic feature of our economies.
This brief but compelling book touches on examples of "phishing" in health care, finance, schooling, politics and drug markets to show just how extensively the phenomenon touches our lives.
The Loudest Voice in the Room: How the Brilliant, Bombastic Roger Ailes Built Fox News—And Divided A Country by Gabriel Sherman
Fox News has undeniably shaped the face of American politics and arguably paved the way for the election of President Trump. This once marginal outlet has boomed into our lives from our cable connections to become a dominant media force — but how exactly did it arise?
Gabriel Sherman documents the late Roger Ailes' rise from a young child with hemophilia to the founder of the most influential platform in conservative politics. Part Ailes biography and part Fox News origin story, "The Loudest Voice in the Room" provides extensive detail into the growth of a cable empire. Some of the best parts of the book, however, explain what was going on behind the scenes, from Ailes' work turning Nixon into a star to his takeover of a small-town newspaper in Philipstown, New York.
"Existentialism" is a word that most people have heard, even if they don't really know what it means. Blakewell approaches an understanding of existentialism by exploring the biographies of its progenitors, including Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.
The book dives into these writers' personal relationships, individual quirks and their profound contributions to philosophical thought. As the story spans pivotal events in human history, including World War II and the movement for women's rights, it also reflects the fact that existentialism is a philosophy about fundamentally personal questions and choices. What does it mean to be free? How does one act as an authentic self?
Bakewell's account of the lives of some of the most important thinkers in the 20th century is not a bad place to start answering these questions.
Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
