Some more good books I have recently completed.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century - by Harari, the same guy who wrote Sapiens. He may be the most provocative writer I have come across in some time. He causes me to rethink a lot of certainties with assertions that seem to be to be true but contradict many assuptions or go beyond many foundation principles. Fascinating book.
Winners Take All - by Giridharadas. Raises the question whether the philanthrophic groups that are formed by the massively rich and which take on certain problems in the world (malaria, e.g.) are really using those efforts to ward off a deeper review of what they do to make their riches. Citing many individual cases and only briefly highlighting the Sackler's opiod responsiblity and noting theier massive contriubutions to "good causes," he forces the reader to think about the Aspen Institute, Davos meetings, the Clinton foundation, and other similar meetings and organziations to raise the question - should a very small group of private individuals, all of whom made their fortunes by practicing some practices that are gnerally though problematic, use those gains to do what governments should do. In additon, he wonders whether they would do more good by chainging their basic business practices.
The Righteous Mind Jonathan Haidt. Provides the results of years of research into "evolutionary morality" and why we make the decisons we do. Categorizes all moraltiy into 5-7 categories and then as part of the book, researches how liberals and conservaties considers those categories in making decisions. His results may surprise you. Most of all though, he emphasizes that decisions we make of politics and religions are not systematically reasoned. We make our decision immediatiely (without reasoning about it internally) and then rationalize it in defending it against contrary views. That's why it is so hard to have a meaningful discussion with someone who disagrees with you on these sensitive issues - neither of you are really trying to put yourself in the position of the other person and trying to understand his or her position.
iNinth Street Women Mary Gabriel How five women artists post WWII helped change the face of modern American art and how women artists will be considered. Fascinating, long and detailed review of each of de Kooning, Frankenthaler, Mitchell, Kransner and Hartington, how they managed to be seriously coniisdered as artists, and what they contributed to the movement.
Up next for me the biography of Frederick Douglass by Blight (Pultizer prixe winning)
Then, Infinite Powers, a book about the power of calculus
21 Lessons for the 21st Century - by Harari, the same guy who wrote Sapiens. He may be the most provocative writer I have come across in some time. He causes me to rethink a lot of certainties with assertions that seem to be to be true but contradict many assuptions or go beyond many foundation principles. Fascinating book.
Winners Take All - by Giridharadas. Raises the question whether the philanthrophic groups that are formed by the massively rich and which take on certain problems in the world (malaria, e.g.) are really using those efforts to ward off a deeper review of what they do to make their riches. Citing many individual cases and only briefly highlighting the Sackler's opiod responsiblity and noting theier massive contriubutions to "good causes," he forces the reader to think about the Aspen Institute, Davos meetings, the Clinton foundation, and other similar meetings and organziations to raise the question - should a very small group of private individuals, all of whom made their fortunes by practicing some practices that are gnerally though problematic, use those gains to do what governments should do. In additon, he wonders whether they would do more good by chainging their basic business practices.
The Righteous Mind Jonathan Haidt. Provides the results of years of research into "evolutionary morality" and why we make the decisons we do. Categorizes all moraltiy into 5-7 categories and then as part of the book, researches how liberals and conservaties considers those categories in making decisions. His results may surprise you. Most of all though, he emphasizes that decisions we make of politics and religions are not systematically reasoned. We make our decision immediatiely (without reasoning about it internally) and then rationalize it in defending it against contrary views. That's why it is so hard to have a meaningful discussion with someone who disagrees with you on these sensitive issues - neither of you are really trying to put yourself in the position of the other person and trying to understand his or her position.
iNinth Street Women Mary Gabriel How five women artists post WWII helped change the face of modern American art and how women artists will be considered. Fascinating, long and detailed review of each of de Kooning, Frankenthaler, Mitchell, Kransner and Hartington, how they managed to be seriously coniisdered as artists, and what they contributed to the movement.
Up next for me the biography of Frederick Douglass by Blight (Pultizer prixe winning)
Then, Infinite Powers, a book about the power of calculus
