Four Stars

Best for: Anyone wanting to learn more about the (interesting!) minutia and day-to-day bits of life during Queen Elizabeth I’s reign.

In a nutshell: Author Ian Mortimer has researched source documents, including personal journals and diaries, as well as other sources to provide details about what it really meant to live in Elizabethan England.

Worth quoting:
“A woman may travel, pray, write, and generally go about her affairs just as freely as a man — as long as she is not married.”
“But it is the mass production of books in English that prompts the shift to a more literary culture, not printing itself.”
“At Christmas the wealthy are expected to entertain the less fortunate members of society.”

Why I chose it: It seems my books choices this year are: I live in England now and want to learn; I don’t have a job and need to figure out what I’m doing with my life; and Other. This is the first one.

Review:
This book took me FOREVER to read, but that’s because the information is so interesting and densely packed. I only found myself skimming a few parts; the rest was just fascinating. I’ve always wondered about the daily life in past time periods; most of what I know comes from either a short bit in a world history text book, or from movies. This book was just what I wanted.

Mr. Mortimer covers pretty much everything I’d wanted to learn about – he talks about the people, the role religion plays, the ethics and morals of the people, essentials (including money, which I still don’t really get), clothing, traveling, housing, food, illness, crime, and entertainment. Wherever possible, he includes details from diaries or letters written by someone who lived during this time.

I found the food, illness, and clothing sections the most interesting, but generally skimmed the entertainment section mostly because I was getting anxious and just wanted to finish the book (I might go back and read it again later). If you’re into history, I think you’ll probably enjoy this one.

Three Stars

Best for: Anyone at a bit of a crossroads in life, trying to figure out their next career move.

In a nutshell: The creators of the Designing Your Life workshops and program at Stanford offer their tips and process for figuring out options for your career, using design as the basis.

Worth quoting:
“If it’s not actionable, it’s not a problem”
“There is no one idea for your life. There are many lives you could live happily and productively (no matter how many years old you are).”

Why I chose it:
I’m in a new country with no job and some time to figure things out. The hardcover version of this book caught my eye multiple times, although I hesitated to buy it. I probably should have stuck with my instincts.

Review:
This is not a bad book. There is a lot of good advice in it, and I think that it may very well work. I’m just not sure that I have what is necessary to really implement their suggestions. And by “what is necessary,” I mean energy. Because there is a lot to do here. And it makes sense — we’re talking about figuring out career options that are actually feasible, and that’s a big part of life for many people. But at one point when they give an example of success in sorting things out coming after TWO HUNDRED conversations with individuals.

I just — even without a job, how on earth am I going to connect with two hundred people? I just … no.

That said, there are some good take-aways, like exercises to help you sort out what matters to you in life and in work, and how to think about how your career aligns with your values. The authors are also clear that there is no one right answer for any of us; the point of designing our lives is to come up with ideas, options, and possible paths and then test them out a bit before jumping in completely.

I jammed through the first few chapters then felt myself just sort of stuck. I don’t know if I’m lazy (unlikely), or realistic about what will work with me (possible), or what, but this just wasn’t the right book for me.

Four Stars

Best for: Anyone interested in an introduction to ideas from western philosophy, starting with Socrates and Plato.

In a nutshell: Philosopher (and podcaster) Nigel Warburton spends 40 chapters exploring the one or two main hallmarks of different western philosophers.

Worth quoting:
“Philosophers challenge dogma. They ask why people believe what they do, what sorts of evidence they have to support their conclusions.”

Why I chose it:
I was feeling a little nostalgic about my days studying philosophy. That program was only a year, and pretty focused on certain areas, so I only have a passing understanding of many of the big western thinkers.

Review:
I’m going to say this upfront: the western philosophy that professors often choose to teach in school is populated by dudes. White dudes. That is evident clearly in this book, which includes only four women (two of whom are in the same chapter, and one of whom shares a chapter with two dudes). In the 40 chapters there are probably between 50 and 60 philosophers discussed, so yeah. That’s not great at all.

With that said, the ideas that many of these philosophers have explored are fascinating to think through. While I’d heard of nearly all the folks discussed in the six or seven page overviews, I enjoyed getting a condensed version of their beliefs. It’s not enough to have serious, thoughtful dialog about, but it is enough to get one thinking.

I probably enjoyed the chapters that discussed figures I studied more than the other chapters, just because it got me thinking back to my time in school and how much I enjoyed those conversations and debate (and how much I think Kant is just … wrong). It got me excited to do some more philosophy reading in the near future.

If philosophy is something you think you might be interested in, I recommend this book. I think Mr. Warburton is generally pretty fair in his analyses and descriptions, so you can take what interests you and then pursue further readings in those areas.

Four Stars

Best for: Anyone who likes a little trivia about place names.

In a nutshell: Author Hilliam provides the history of the name of every station on the London Underground

Worth quoting:
“Interestingly, our word ‘book’ also comes from this Saxon word (boc hyrst) for a beech tree. Even before books as we know them were invented, wooden writing tablets were made of thin slices of beech wood, on which letters known as runes could be scratched. These, of course, were pieces of boc.”

Why I chose it: I saw it at the Museum of London and it seemed like a fun thing to own.

Review:
This is one of those books that you don’t actually have to read straight through; it’s more of a reference book. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through it in just a couple of sittings. It’s probably more interesting to someone who has been to London, but if you have an interest in language, and in how words evolve over time, then you might enjoy this book.

One thing I learned is that so very many place names in London come from Saxon leaders. Like, Paddington (as in the bear, named after the Paddington Tube station), is named after a Saxon leader Padda. Padda + ingas (family or followers) + tun (village): The Village Where Followers of Padda Live.

Another interesting bit is how many names are not that interesting. They’re named for a tree that once stood somewhere, or a popular pub. I mean, I suppose that’s kind of interesting, but imagine a future where the stop on the flying car expressway is Dennys, after that super-popular restaurant in the center of town.

I think I’ve always thought of names of places in London as being steeped in history, and for the most part they are, but in reality there are the mundane names as well, and that’s kind of cool.

Five Stars

Best for: Anyone looking for a meaningful read that, despite being nearly 400 pages, flies by.

In a nutshell: Eleanor Oliphant is nearly 30 and has lived her life alone since leaving foster care. But when she and her colleague witness a man take a bad fall on the street, she starts down a path towards confronting her loneliness and her past.

(Read the synopsis online, as I fear I’m not doing it justice.)

Worth quoting:
“Human mating rituals are unbelievable tedious to observe. At least in the animal kingdom you are occasionally treated to a flash of bright feathers or a display of spectacular violence.”
“All of the people in the room seemed to take so much for granted: that they would be invited to social events, that they would have friends and family to talk to, that they would fall in love, be loved in return, perhaps create a family of their own.”
“I could see no point in being anything other than truthful with the world. I had, literally, nothing left to lose. But, by careful observation from the sidelines, I’d worked out that social success is often build on pretending just a little.”

Why I chose it:
This book is everywhere over here. By the fifth or sixth time I saw it on prominent display at a bookshop, I decided perhaps it was time to pick it up.

Review:
Is all fiction this good? I’ve read 16 books this year, and only two are fiction, and they’ve both been fantastic. I’m pretty sure I say this every time I read fiction — I’m just usually so taken with nonfiction that I don’t make time to read fiction, and that clearly isn’t great. There’s so much to think about with good fiction.

In this case, the main topics are loneliness, friendship, kindness, and how we learn how to navigate the world. As we start the book, Eleanor seems a bit like an odd duck. She has a very specific daily and weekly routine, she isn’t looked upon highly by colleagues (not for her work, but for her personality), and she doesn’t have any friends. She seems to view the weekend as just marking time until Monday rolls back around.

Early on, we learn that she has some sort of scar on her face, and that she spent her youth in care homes until she moved into her current flat in council housing right after graduating university. She has no friends, and her only family is her Mummy, who is away somewhere but calls every Wednesday. Mummy is extraordinarily cruel.

I think some of the brilliance of Eleanor is that the things she thinks and says are (for the most part) totally logical, but don’t actually apply to how we interact as people. She is flummoxed by the idea, for example, that someone would say a party starts at 7 PM but then find it to be rude if people actually showed up at 7 PM. I mean, she’s right. It’s weird. But we’ve all picked up on the social cues about things like attending parties, or interactions with people we’ve just met. She hasn’t.

This is the kind of book that I wish I’d read as part of a book club, because I want to talk about it with people, like right now.

Four Stars

Best for: Anyone who wants to get the conversation about death going. I know, probably not many folks want to, but the book makes a good case for it.

In a nutshell: UK palliative care physician Dr. Kathryn Mannix shares stories from her 40 years working with individuals to manage their symptoms and help with their end of life.

Worth quoting:
“This conspiracy of silence is so common, and so heartbreaking. The elderly expect death, and many try to talk to others about their hopes and wishes. But often they are rebuffed by the young, who cannot bear, or even contemplate, those thoughts that are the constant companions of the aged or the sick.”
“It’s not about ‘getting better’ — bereavement is not an illness, and life for the bereaved will never be the same again. But given time and support, the process itself will enable the bereaved to reach a new balance.”
“It’s a truth rarely acknowledged that as we live longer thanks to modern medicine, it is our years of old age that are extended, not our years of youth and vigour. What are we doing to ourselves?”

Why I chose it:
I saw this at a shop I visited recently, and it jumped out at me. While I don’t have my job anymore, my interest in making sure that the lives of those who are dying and the lives of their family and friends are as well-supported as possible hasn’t gone away.

Review:
I’ve read a couple of books like this. There’s Being Mortal and On Living, and they all take different approaches to the topic. While this isn’t my favorite of the three (I think Being Mortal still is), I think it has the best organization and readability. After finishing it, I feel that I’ve both learned more about life and death AND had opportunities to think about it in relation to my own life.

The book is organized into sections, and each chapter is a story about one or two of Dr. Mannix’s patients. It isn’t presented chronologically, so sometimes Dr. Mannix is just starting out as a doctor, and sometimes she’s got two teenagers at home. Shestarts with providing information about the physical aspects of death (how it actually happen, which doesn’t seem to be that similar to what we see in media), then moves on to how people who are dying can gain back some control, how families and those who are dying can face their new reality. It ends looking at ideas of legacy and broader meanings of life.

I know. I mean, sure, a book about death and dying is going to be deep, but this is like Marianas trench deep.

What I liked most is that at the end of each section, there’s literally a chapter called “Pause for Thought,” where Dr. Mannix asks the reader to actively reflect on what they’ve just read, and think about how it might apply or have applied in their own life.

I know that not everyone is as interested in this topic as I am (especially considering in my personal life I’ve been lucky enough to not lose anyone close to me, although obviously that will end at some point), but I still think most people could benefit from reading this book.

Five Stars

Best for: Everyone interested in combating white supremacy.

In a nutshell: Author Ijeoma Oluo offers practical advice for ways to engage in conversations — and actions — to combat systemic racism.

Worth quoting: SO MUCH. But some of my favorites include:
“White Supremacy is this nation’s oldest pyramid scheme. Even those how have lost everything to the scheme are still hanging in there, waiting for their turn to cash out.”
“I think about every black and brown person, every queer person, every disabled person, who could be in the room with me, but isn’t, and I’m not proud. I’m heartbroken. We should not have a society where the value of marginalized people is determined by how well they can scale often impossible obstacles that others will never know.”
“It may not seem fair that you would take some of the blame for what has happened in the past, but what is truly unfair is the fact that people of color have to endure this every day.”

Why I chose it: Ms. Oluo is a writer based in the Seattle area, so I have been familiar with her work for while. You may be, too: she received a measure of national attention for this fantastic profile of the white woman who claims she is black. She has an amazing talent for writing that I have trouble describing without venturing into hyperbole. She gets to the point, cuts to the quick, and uses language in ways I am envious of. I was sad when I learned the release of this book in London came a month after the US release, but I finally got my hands on it on Sunday.

Review:
Go buy this book. Or get it from your library. If you are a white person, this book will help you understand how to be better at dismantling White Supremacy in all the ways that it works itself into our society. But this book isn’t just — or even primarily — for white people; it’s also a deeply personal exploration of how Ms. Oluo has experienced life as a black woman, and she speaks directly to other people of color throughout.

This could feel like a 101 exploration of how to be less racist (and sexist, and ableist). And in the best ways it does, and in the best ways it doesn’t. The topics are described in a way that I think anyone new to the work of dismantling White Supremacy will find easy to understand. Ms. Oluo never comes across as condescending or patronizing.At the same time, if you are a white person who has chosen to read about and learn about racism and ways to fight white supremacy, you will also learn so much here.

Think about that: Ms. Oluo has written a book that can speak to people new to this work and people who have been paying attention for awhile. That’s pretty bad ass.

I think what makes this book so relevant and necessary is how practical it is. I’ve reviewed books on social justice topics in the past (some focused on racism, some on sexism) that describe all of the problems that Ms. Oluo discusses, but don’t take that next step of offering practical, usable, realistic suggestions for what to do next.

Ms. Oluo does, and she does it so well. She starts by laying the groundwork in her first two chapters, which deftly put to rest the ideas that, say, class is really what we should focus on (“Is it really about race?) or that ‘reverse racism’ is a thing (“What is racism?”). She makes it clear that while white people and people of color may both be poor, the root cause is different, and so focusing just on class isn’t going to address the issues of race. And she makes it clear that she’s interested in looking at racism as the concept that includes the power behind it.

Once she sets up those definitions and bats away the straw men that so many people like to throw into discussions of race, she gets to the heart of many different questions or issues that come up in discussions of race. She speaks to the fear white people often have that we will fuck up when it comes to race (and we will fuck up). She provides one of the best discussions of privilege I’ve ever read. She talks about the need for intersectionality, and about affirmative action. She looks at what the school-to-prison pipeline is, why cultural appropriation is concerning, and breaks down why microaggressions are so insidious.

And in each of these chapters, she provides suggestions for how to address these things. She often even provides sample scripts to help guide the discussions.

The penultimate chapter is one that I think all white people should read, sit with, and read again. It’s called “I just got called racist, what do I do now?” Being white in the US means you are racist. It’s impossible not to be, but it doesn’t mean that you are aware of it or mean to be. But the reality is you (and I) are going to say or do something racist at some point, and if they feel safe to do so, someone will point it out to you (me). And in those moments we have the chance to learn. Being told we’ve done something racist is a kindness; it allows us to do better and be better.

*Note: If you purchase this in the London area, please take a moment to flip all the way through. Specifically, make sure that page 90 is followed by page 91 and not page 59. There was an issue with my copy that saw pages 91-120 missing, and pages 59-90 printed a second time. I returned the book and got a new one without the issue. Later in the day I found myself in another bookstore in London, and picked up a copy, and saw the same issue. I told both shops, so presumably they’ll alert the publisher and get fixed copies, but this book is SO GOOD that I don’t want you to buy it and then find that you’re missing 1/6th of it.

Four Stars

Best for: Those looking for a quick but insightful read about all the noise in our lives.

In a nutshell: Explorer and writer Erling Kagge offers his poetic thoughts on the importance of silence in our lives.

Worth quoting:
“There are so many noises that we barely hear them all.”
“Silence in itself is rich. It is exclusive and luxurious.”
“Noise in the form of anticipating a screen or keyboard is addictive, and that is why we need silence.”
“[Silence] is about getting inside what you are doing. Experiencing rather than over-thinking. Allowing each moment to be big enough. Not living through other people and other things.”

Why I chose it: As evidenced by my last review, I’m trying to find more intentionality and authenticity in my life. This book seemed like a good addition to my list of books to help me in that goal.

Review:
What a lovely book. It starts with a quick introduction, then jumps into 33 short chapters that are meditations on the ideas of noise and of silence. Mr. Kagge — who has been to the North and South poles as well as the top of Mt. Everest — knows a thing or two about silence. He went 50 days without speaking when making his way across Antarctica.

But this book isn’t about figuring out a way to get to a snow-covered, empty continent. It’s more about looking at why silence matters, and what it means to find an escape from the din of our lives. As a writer, I especially appreciated the chapters that spoke to the idea that some experiences don’t translate well into words; we just need to be in them. The example he uses is examining the moss on a rock; I would say that I’ve experienced when traveling and I find myself in parts of the world that have architecture from many hundreds of years ago. Being in the moment, instead of talking or even writing about it, helps me connect to it more than if I tried to find the words.

I read a book many years ago called “Einstein’s Dreams,” and this reminds me a bit of that. I doubt they are actually similar, but the feeling I got from it is comparable. I felt calm, and invested in the writing. I felt peaceful but also motivated.

This book has been translated into 33 languages, and I can see why. I think the message translates well.