2022 Books


Non:Fiction — 10:2

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey:

Completely surreal. Possibly divisive but by no means ever boring. (Audiobook)

Regeneration: The Rescue of a Wild Land by Andrew Painting:

Vivid descriptions and charming wit carry the lovely retellings of many expeditions and ecological facts. A love letter in many ways to the Scottish wilderness and a daring discussion of what makes it worth saving. It has certainly inspired me to plan a visit and see it for myself.

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell:

Malcolm contextualises 'the longest night of the second world war'. Grain of salt with Gladwell but he does know how to make a story sound good. (Audiobook)

How to Think Like a Roman Emperor by Donald Robertson:

The final chapter was simple and beautiful. The book weaves between historically accurate though often styled and colourised story telling with modern day science and made for a lovely read. I have given chapters of this book more than a few reads this year alone.

This is Vegan Propaganda by Ed Winters:

Most notable was perhaps the many conflicts of interest worth putting some personal thought to. Ed's ethical arguments are poignant yet often seem to fall flat just as you expect to be moved to action. I encourage you to give this a try, even if only to reaffirm your own thoughts on the matter.

Surprisingly Down to Earth and Very Funny by Limmy:

An interesting and funny bloke with a rather troubled past (and present, in some sense). The book was surprisingly down to earth and very funny.

Hacking the Unconscious by Rory Sutherland:

Though I'm no ad-man; Rory is a terribly charming bloke and I appreciate his outlook on both rationality and economics. Though his inspirations are often pretty clear, I find his expertly woven humour to often be the perfect vectors for many of the ideas presented. (Audiobook/Radio Recording?) I strongly advocate for you to enjoy his book "Alchemy" if this 'book' a harder find. I have enjoyed listening to them both more than once this year.

Waking Up by Sam Harris:

Sam has a refreshing habit of pointing out the shortcomings of arguments, whether they're others or his own, he seems indifferent. I enjoyed the anecdote about the rat.

What we Owe the Future by William MacAskill:

Longtermism is strikingly important but feels very little like a philosophy for humans. It is at least a nice reminder that we are living in tremendous times and that it matters to stand up for something you care deeply about.

The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe:

Took my time (it was long enough) but it was worth it. I hate all the main characters but love them at the same time.

Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell:

Went into this mostly blind, so some parts were maybe inappropriate for got a lot heavier than expected. 'Strangers' changes from chapter to chapter.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman:

Listened to the J.K. Simmons audiobook; that felt just right. Ove is a brilliant character.


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