Jan 8PegasusHow a Spy in Your Pocket Threatens the End of Privacy, Dignity, and Democracy — by Laurent Richard; Sandrine Rigaud The Pegasus project led to one of the most important breaking stories of 2021. The whole world learned about this malicious surveillance tool and how it was exploited by many supposedly democratic governments. …Pegasus Project2 min readPegasus Project2 min read
Dec 30, 2022Edible EconomicsA Hungry Economist Explains the World — by Ha-Joon Chang Since I by far prefer to read about food than economics, it was the title and the cover which encouraged me to pick up this book, rather than the author’s credentials. As it turns out, it was a trap set out for exactly such a reader like…Nonfiction2 min readNonfiction2 min read
Dec 28, 2022FatherlandA Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets — by Burkhard Bilger Beautifully written and thought-provoking book. It is not only an insightful family memoir but also a fascinating history lesson, which brings the facts that are rarely mentioned in the official accounts of the wars. …Netgalley1 min readNetgalley1 min read
Dec 9, 2022Russia’s War on EverybodyAnd What It Means for You — by Keir Giles If you want to understand how on Earth it is possible that we have a regular, brutal war raging for almost a year in Europe and you have time to read only one book, choose this one. …Netgalley2 min readNetgalley2 min read
Nov 27, 2022And FinallyMatters of Life and Death — by Henry Marsh A remarkable book. Facing the potentially terminal illness, Professor Marsh is reevaluating his long and eventful life and shares his sometimes bitter reflections. While I loved his two earlier memoirs, it is this latest one that I have found the most profound and personal. His openness and…Books1 min readBooks1 min read
Oct 16, 2022PestsHow Humans Create Animal Villains — by Bethany Brookshire The concept of a pest is completely artificial and arbitrary. I have been interested in it, and in sources of human-animal conflicts for quite some time, but I think that few people ever think about it. …Pests2 min readPests2 min read
Oct 15, 2022The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2022by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson; Jaime Green A real treat for fans of popular science. In one volume you will find so many great topics, from slime to beavers to galaxies, and so many of the best authors in the field. What I always appreciate about such anthologies is that they are not limited to the articles from the biggest and most popular titles, like the New York Times or The Atlantic, but also contain pieces from outlets that I would have no idea existed otherwise — and would miss a great story.Netgalley1 min readNetgalley1 min read
Oct 15, 2022Sewerby Jessica Leigh Hester Out of sight, out of mind — as the author of this book notes, we tend to think that in the 21st century the sewage is not an issue and everything that disappears in our toilets really just, you know, disappears. Unfortunately, this is not the…Netgalley1 min readNetgalley1 min read
Oct 8, 2022Saints and SoldiersInside Internet-Age Terrorism, From Syria to the Capitol Siege — by Rita Katz I wanted to read this book because I am interested in the topic of radical movements flourishing in the Internet’s grey areas and was curious to learn more from an unquestionable expert in this field — but I was pleasantly surprised that it is not a dry…Nonfiction2 min readNonfiction2 min read
Oct 4, 2022In the Mouth of the WolfA Murder, a Cover-Up, and the True Cost of Silencing the Press — by Katherine Corcoran An interesting case of investigative journalism, in which the topic is another investigation — the one that led to the killing of the book’s heroine. Katherine Corcoran, a veteran AP correspondent and former bureau chief, dives deep into the dangerous world of Veracruz politics to find answers…Books2 min readBooks2 min read
