As requested by Robert….
Non-fiction
A
problem from hell by Samantha Power. Prepare to be immensely depressed and infuriated. Power systematically dissects genocide after
genocide, exposing the intense unwillingness of world powers to see it and act.
But also many stories of courageous individuals who made the difference by
dogged and often dangerous efforts to force leaders out of denial.
How
we do harm: a doctor breaks rank about being sick in America by Otis Webb
Brawley and Paul Goldberg. Extremely readable narratives on what’s wrong with the
health care system. Reads a bit like
Atul Gawande, but with a different personality and set of experiences.
Made
to stick: why some ideas survive and others die by Chip and Dan Heath.This is the best book on communication I’ve ever read. Highly recommend it to anyone who ever writes
or speaks……yeah, that good. By the same
authors as Switch,
which I also read, but did not like near as much.
Quiet:
the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking by Susan Cain. There’s a TED
talk that gives a decent overview, if you’re not into reading. For me this book was inadvertently an exploration
of self and as a manager.
Big
data: a revolution that will transform how we live, work and think by Kenneth
Cukier and Viktor Mayer-Schonberger. Even if you’re not a quant nerd, this book will get you
excited (great, free excerpt
on NYC city government’s use of data). In contrast to all the debates about
privacy, data being used for all sorts of nefarious purposes by governments and
advertisers, this book points how the many ways in which societies and
individuals can and do benefit from the ridiculous amount of data out there in
the world.
Emergency
Sex and other desperate measures: a true story from hell on Earth by
Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thompson. Not as exciting as the title led me to believe, but a pretty
unique look into the humanitarian crisis machines like the United Nations. Refreshingly candid, though that’s not to
stay that you make walk away with a few concerns about the whole aid system,
who ends up on the ground, and what they do.
This is NOT the book that will inspire you to drop everything and move
to Africa.
Fiction
Bill Gates, in his annual list of reading
recommendations, wrote that he reads“mostly nonfiction because I always want to learn more about how the world works.” I would argue that some of the most
illuminating books, the ones that shape how we think, what we believe, and how
we act, are fiction. I ignored fiction
for a long time, but in the last few years have begun to crave good stories and
new worlds as a way to inspire new ideas of my own.
Looking at these four books, one common theme is that all of
the books are largely tied to places and the experience of being there. And the experiences of being somewhere else
when a particular place has become part of you.
It’s a great book that makes you understand why one would love a place—whether
it’s New York City, Lagos, or District 12.
I hope to one day be able to write about a place as intimately and
lovingly as these authors do.
The
black coat by Neamat Imam. The best book I’ve read about Dhaka in the early
1970s. Fascinating story that also gives
the reader a good historical glimpse at urbanization and the early days of a
nation.
Americanah
by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie. Perhaps my favorite book from her yet. I suggest you read this great interview beforehand, which includes gems
like “why can’t a romance be deep and philosophical?”
And
the mountains echoed by Khaled Hosseini. Hosseini’s past books were too bleak for me. This one is no Pollyanna, but it’s beautiful albeit
a bit haunting.
Don’t judge me:
The
Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The plot get a bit laughable at times, but the undercurrents
of political commentary and the ongoing attention to the psychological trauma
that the Victors face both make it a great read. Both topics that have very real and urgent
needs, but are perhaps easier for some to first consider in the abstract.
Suggestions welcome!! Also, if anyone has a copy of any
Humayun Ahmed books in English, I would love to borrow it!
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