Nov 19Nuts and BoltsSeven Small Inventions That Changed the World (in a Big Way) — by Roma Agrawal, narrated by the author A real treat for people who like to tinker with things or are just interested in the inner workings of objects. Roma Agrawal is a great teacher — she explains even complicated technical stuff in an engaging and easy-to-understand way — and in…Netgalley1 min readNetgalley1 min read
Nov 18NarcotopiaIn Search of the Asian Drug Cartel That Survived the CIA — by Patrick Winn It is not often that you stumble upon a story that is so big, so important, and yet you have never heard of it before. And a story so well told! I’ve read a lot of books about drug trafficking, and quite a few about Burma, but…Narcotopia3 min readNarcotopia3 min read
Nov 4The Future of GeographyHow the Competition in Space Will Change Our World — by Tim Marshall Once again, Tim Marshall offers us a thought-provoking and fresh look at the world around us — and the skies above us, as this time he uses his geopolitical knowledge to analyze the space race. As with his previous books on Earth (“Prisoners of Geography” and “The…Tim Marshall1 min readTim Marshall1 min read
Nov 4Emperor of RomeRuling the Ancient Roman World — by Mary Beard Ever since I read her brilliant SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome I have considered Mary Beard to be the best possible guide to ancient Rome. Her deep knowledge of the subject, combined with her dry wit and eye for surprising detail, make her a great storyteller…Mary Beard1 min readMary Beard1 min read
Oct 10This House of GriefThe Story of a Murder Trial — by Helen Garner It seems that it takes a great novelist to write a great true crime book. Like Truman Capote with “In Cold Blood”, Helen Garner has used her literary talent to tell a terrible story in the most beautiful and moving way. The book is largely a courtroom…Netgalley2 min readNetgalley2 min read
Oct 7EveHow the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution — by Cat Bohannon An important book on an important subject. As the author eloquently argues in the preface, the female body has been neglected by science and medicine for too long. And while there have been a few popular science books on the subject, this is the first I have…Eve1 min readEve1 min read
Oct 7The Hank ShowHow a House-Painting, Drug-Running DEA Informant Built the Machine That Rules Our Lives — by McKenzie Funk A great piece of narrative non-fiction that reads like a thriller. If you are interested in Big Tech and privacy issues, you are probably familiar with scandals such as Cambridge Analytica or Snowden’s revelations about the NSA. But like me, you probably had no idea that it…Thehankshow1 min readThehankshow1 min read
Sep 16Mountains of FireThe Menace, Meaning, and Magic of Volcanoes — by Clive Oppenheimer I first became aware of Clive Oppenheimer while watching Werner Herzog’s documentary “Encounters at the End of the World”. Their meeting at the Erebus volcano in Antarctica led to a collaboration on two more films. I found this British scientist to be a brilliant popularizer and storyteller…Netgalley2 min readNetgalley2 min read
Sep 16Jewish Space LasersThe Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories — by Mike Rothschild It is hard to understand modern society if you ignore the ubiquitous conspiracy theories — and this book is dedicated to the mother of them all, showing how this twisted way of thinking is deeply rooted in anti-Semitism. I have to admit that, based on the title…Netgalley1 min readNetgalley1 min read
Sep 9American GunThe True Story of the AR-15 — by Cameron McWhirter; Zusha Elinson If you want to know how the United States became a land of mass shootings, read this book. It is an excellent, gripping non-fiction account of the history of the world’s most (in)famous rifle, the AR-15. I am sure it will cause some controversy, but…Americangun2 min readAmericangun2 min read
