Thoughts

On a bunch of heavy books

Even though September has passed, any chance we could still get a book list?

Yes, yes. I know I’ve owed you a fresh book list for some time now. Unfortunately, my library isn’t as fun as it used to be, but that’s what happens when an incompetent, narcissistic grifter becomes president and a bunch of punk bitch neo-Nazis feel emboldened enough to march through the streets with tiki torches dressed like little racist Best Buy employees.

We live in interesting times, y’all. I’m still hopeful that this country will get its shit together and the Democrats will win back the House in 2018. I’m also looking forward to the day when the Mueller investigation finally sinks the Trump administration. Until then, stay frosty, and enjoy this list of slightly more serious books about the fucked up world we’ve created for ourselves.

The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 27 Psychiatrists and Mental Health Experts Assess a President by Bandy Lee, MD

The People Are Going to Rise Like the Waters Upon Your Shore: A Story of American Rage by Jared Yates Sexton

Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History by Kurt Andersen

The Retreat of Western Liberalism by Edward Luce

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessions from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton

Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History by Katy Tur

Religion for Atheists: A Non-believer’s Guide to the Uses of Religion by Alain de Botton

Consciousness: Confessions of a Romantic Reductionist by Cristof Koch

From Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Time by Sean Carroll

The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk MD

Fuck Feelings: One Shrink’s Practical Advice for Managing All Life’s Impossible Problems by Michael Bennett MD

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan (They can’t all be serious.)

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26 thoughts on “On a bunch of heavy books

  1. grouch says:

    Thanks, I always end up getting a couple from your list. Personally, I’m not very hopeful right now, in the States or here. In Canada, the new head of the NDP is dangerously photogenic and charismatic. He’s a Sikh, so basically unelectable as PM in this country, and he won’t change the votes of a lot of the more centre Liberal types, but he’ll be the reason why the Conservatives win instead of Trudeau in the next election. I don’t particularly like Trudeau, but he’s the enemy of my enemy.

  2. Jessica says:

    Hey Coke! Have you heard of/read any Thomas Frank? His book “Listen Liberal” made me question and rethink my whole world view as it fit within the Democratic Party framework (while I realize that party politics are woefully inadequate to handle the societal ills we face today, being a Progressive and voting Dem was always one way I felt I could be effective). I Was poorly informed about the fact that our champion “Dems” of the 90s and 00s did so much damage to the middle class and poor people. What do you think about that? How can the Democratic Party get back to our roots and wrench power back from the oligarchy?

  3. Chris says:

    I’ll definitely check out Body Keeps Score. While I feel a lot better than I used to, I’m still diagnosed with Chronic PTSD.

    Fuck Feelings has a good enough title to at least crack the spine.

    But 5 books are in front of anything else – the new David Sedaris diary is recommended so far.

  4. M says:

    It’s interesting that people are calling out the Kaur, while not calling out Fuck Feelings, that has an Amazon description like this “The only self-help book you’ll ever need, from a psychiatrist and his comedy writer daughter, who will help you put aside your unrealistic wishes, stop trying to change things you can’t change, and do the best with what you can control—the first steps to managing all of life’s impossible problems. Here is the cut-to-the-chase therapy session you’ve been looking for!”

    Now, this may not be the author or publisher’s description obviously, but there are some red flags in that description. It’ll probably still check it out, but with a grain of salt as you should most self help and “here is the truth” style claims.

    My point is that Kaur is not the only one, if even a one, that should be called out for pithy sayings as art. Most art can be critiqued, but I don’t understand the Kaur hate out there, beyond that people don’t trust her as a person for some reason.

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