Latest Read: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Hariri

This book should be mandatory reading!

It is rational and hopeful. It takes the prevalent pessimism of 'the world is falling apart' and smashes it to pieces with reasoning, graphs and history. 

Cannot wait to read the next one. 

Thank you for this book!

Latest Read: Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow

A friend recommended this book after she attended the Portland Book Festival this year and heard the author talk about white nationalism. I was immediately interested and at first decided to wait till she had finished reading her copy; then, found that I could not wait and ordered my own copy.

Last year, I had started to read the tweets and posts of some white supremacist women after the Charlottesville rally. Their point of view was alarming and the words that they so casually used startled me - 'white genocide' being one of them.

This is the story of how one of the creators of that point of view and the heir apparent to the WN movement, Derek Black, changed his own point of view and then publicly disavowed his WN beliefs. It is fascinating and hopeful. 

I highly recommend this book. 


Added Nov 20th: . I was listening to Derek Black and Mathew Stevenson on NPR and one thing struck me particularly. Black emphasized that it was not ONLY the friendship and the quiet conversations that changed his mind but also the condemnation from others around him that forced him to rethink his stance. He said that you need both.

Latest Read: Susannah by Janet Hickman

I read this book as I was a bit alarmed that my daughter was going to do a book report on it. I did not know much about the Shakers before I started to read it. I actually thought that Shakers and Quakers were the same and did not like the fact that the book promised to show an unflattering picture of a religious group. 

I learned a lot - read the wiki page for Shakers after I finished the book. They believe in the equality of men and women in society and religion and the movement was founded by a woman. I also remembered that the straight line furniture that I have in my family room is Shaker - it is beautiful. I used to know that but had forgotten over the years. Now I appreciate its simplicity and sturdiness even more.

The book is about a young girl who comes to live with a new Shaker community in Ohio after her mother passes away and her father decides to join the group. Some of the events and people in the book are real. As an adult reading this book I can sympathize with her father and understand why he brought her there. It is a good book for a young person and it will initiate good conversations about mourning, parents' rights over children, kindness and bravery. 

Latest Read: Fear by Bob Woodward

Finally! A book on the current presidency that is palatable to me. Fire and Fury was awful, it was spiteful and just angry. What Happened was OK. This one is what suits me best - it is a narration without judgement, that is left to the reader.

This is the book to read. 

Latest Read: Fascism: A Warning by Madeline Albright

I bought this book around the time I bought my copy of Fire and Fury; but Fire and Fury's style and content left a bad taste in my mouth and I left this book on the coffee table for a couple of months. I finally picked it up last week.

Ms. Albright gives a history of fascism starting with WW1. Hitler and Mussolini both get their own chapters. Ms. Albright takes us all the way to the present day, discussing Putin's Russia and Kim Jong Un's North Korea along the way. Her own personal history is linked with fascism's rise in Europe and she talks about being an immigrant in the US after WW2. 

This book was a critical piece in my world history education. I learned about the Marshall Plan, and understand more deeply the importance of NATO.

I recommend this book.

Latest Read: The Prisoner by Omar Shahid Hamid

I read this wonderful book a few years ago. Am writing now because, life.

I loved it! Written by a serving policeman in Karachi, the book is riveting. It gave me a delightful look into 'that world'. We need more books that expose the beast that is Karachi while endearing it to the reader by being simple and direct.

Hamid went to Oxford or Cambridge I believe and comes from a family where people do not generally join the police force. An aunt knows his family and asked him what would happen if his colleagues read this book. He said that no policeman reads!

Recommend recommend recommend!

Latest Read: The Atheist Muslim

This was excellent. I found myself nodding along while reading about the author's experiences as a child and young adult growing up in a Muslim household.

Buyer beware: This is a book about an atheist Muslim. It is thoughtfully written and is thought provoking. Do not read it if you do not want to think about your religion. 

I recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in religions.