Monday, January 13, 2020

2019 Books

73 books this year, down from last year, but consistent with the two years I was working in Serbia. Nothing really rocked my world this year, although Matryona's House may have a place in my Top 5 short stories. I'd have to think about it. 25% fiction, which seems about right for me, though maybe a bit low.

Of this year's Top 5, only one is an all timer--more for its detail about the horrible extent to which the west was won at the expense of the people who were already there. I mean, I guess I sort of knew that, but to see it laid out like that is something that every American should experience.

I didn't like James M Cain as much as I'd hoped, and the work I chose is markedly different from the others, which are more of the style for which he's famous. Not for me, I guess.

The Solzhenitsyn work, along with the aforementioned novella makes him my man of the year, and the way he blends fact and fiction put him right there in the conversation with Tolstoi. It also helps a westerner understand the extent to which Russia was decimated by the First World War--the Eastern front was not mentioned in my elementary school Canadian history.

Of the other two selections, the one is mainly of interest to Tbilisi visitors and it is amazing to see how much the city has changed in twenty years. The country's geopolitical situation is still a bit precarious, but it feels like the country is slowly establishing its place in the world and moving away from Russia and toward Europe. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if something happened to suddenly reverse that trend, and despite America's assistance, I think our commitment to Georgia and willingness to stand up to Russia has its limits.

Finally, in this time of depressing and fake news it is reassuring to take a longer look at the recent past and to see how far we have come in reducing poverty, hunger and child mortality. There is still a long way to go, but our progress has been remarkable and there is every indication that it will continue, despite whichever shape the revolt of the public takes.

Jason joined me on Goodreads this year and I have enjoyed following what he and Pat are reading, and have benefited from several of their recommendations. It's easy and fun to track your reading and the network effects are significant, so I encourage everyone to get on board.

Happy New Year, everybody. Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark too read.


Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American WestBury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

by 

August 1914 (The Red Wheel, #1)August 1914

(The Red Wheel #1)

Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

When asked simple questions about global trends - why the world's population is increasing; how many young women go to school; how many of us live in poverty - we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers.
In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and a man who can make data sing, Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens, and reveals the ten instincts that distort our perspective.
It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most.
Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world.

Stories I StoleStories I Stole

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