Books Read In 2022
In alignment with tradition, I've listed the books I read in 2022 so that anyone interested in a particular title can pick it up on their own accord. As always, the content of these books doesn't always reflect my personal opinions as I attempt to expose myself to a variety of differing perspectives. Enjoy!
Fiction
Crossroads (2021) by Jonathan Franzen
Franzen's most recent book is the first in a planned trilogy. Taking place in the 1970s, Franzen once again tells an engaging story of a dysfunctional family against a religious and political backdrop.
The Idiot (1869) by Fyodor Dostoevsky
This compelling story is about a man who was released from an institution only to find that the society he was far removed from may not be very conducive to his wellbeing.
The Big Sleep (1939) by Raymond Chandler
Set in Los Angeles, Philip Marlowe is a hardboiled detective exposed to various twists and turns at each step of his investigation.
Swag (1976) by Elmore Leonard
Two criminals in Detroit decide to partner up to try and live big. As the scores become more elaborate, they begin to sacrifice some of the rules they agreed upon prior to their schemes, leading to unintended consequences.
The Bell Jar (1963) by Sylvia Plath
Semi-autobiographical, Plath's novel follows a young woman who navigates forging a socially acceptable identity while slipping into the grips of mental illness.
The Andromeda Strain (1969) by Michael Crichton
This techno-thriller follows a team of scientists as they attempt to determine how an unknown virus caused a small town, sans two survivors, to perish.
Bewilderment (2021) by Richard Powers
A widowed father raises a son who is on the autism spectrum. Together they grieve the loss of the family matriarch while navigating a world that apears to be falling apart at the seams.
The Girl Next Door (1989) by Jack Ketchum
This horror novel, set in the 1950s, takes the Leave It To Beaver idealism attached to the period and flips it on its head. A grotesque yet compelling examination of the bandwagon effect.
Nonfiction
War: How Conflict Shaped Us (2020) by Margaret MacMillan
This brief history of war doesn't encourage conflict but rather considers its mainstay and everpresent nature.
Stranger Than Kindness (2020) by Nick Cave
A photographic history of Nick Cave that features items that he's collected and original copies of song lyrics that he's written throughout his extensive career.
Slouching Toward Bethlehem (1968) by Joan Didion
A collection of essays to describe her experience while living in California, Didion strips the idealism of the 1960s counter-cultural movement to reveal something more unwitting and nescient.
Long Walk To Freedom (1994) by Nelson Mandela
This memoir recounts Mandela's political career and fight against apartheid, including his concurrent prison sentence.
American Schism (2021) by Seth David Radwell
The author looks at a polarized culture and offers a lens through which we can understand our current predicament. Drawing upon the enlightenment ideals that lead to America's founding, Radwell argues these ideals are still very much at play today.
Business
Ride of a Lifetime (2019) by Robert Iger
Former CEO (and, as of recently, reinstated CEO) of Disney, Robert Iger, describes his most significant challenges and successes during his tenure at one of the largest mass media entertainment conglomerates.
The Gap And the Gain (2020) by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy
A business coach and psychologist team up to describe a system of how to keep yourself motivated, prevent yourself from falling into despair, and feel more successful in work and life.
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed or Fail (2021) by Ray Dalio
Dalio looks at the similarities between rising and falling empires in this mammoth undertaking. According to Dalio, China is likely to become the world's dominating global superpower due to the current state of crisis that the United States is in with regard to its economy and culture.
Capital in the 21st Century (2013) by Thomas Piketty
A comprehensive examination of global economics through past, present, and future consideration.
How To Build a Billion Dollar App (2014) by George Berkowski
An easy-to-comprehend manual for starting an app company without having to be tech-savvy or a developer.
Psychology/Philosophy/Health/Science/Self-Help
The Joys of Gay Sex (1977) by Dr. Charles Silverstein with Felice Picano
A psychologist's ABC guide and perspective on the wonders of gay men's sexuality and the fulfillment that can accompany the exploration of one's erotic interests.
Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live (2020) by Nicholas A. Christakis
An incredibly helpful read during the pandemic's lockdown period, discussing how these types of global events begin and eventually what they look like when they end.
Woke Racism: How A New Religion Has Betrayed Black America (2021) by Jon McWhorter
Linguist and self-identified liberal John McWhorter examines the third-wave antiracism movement and argues against many of its tenets due to their dogmatic nature. For anyone interested in reading about political polarization and race relations.
The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity (2018) by Kwame Anthony Appiah
Something I've written on extensively this year, identity is an everpresent aspect of our nature; however, we can overemphasize its importance as well as lack humility when embodying a particular identity. Appiah examines identity and demystifies it for those curious about its origins and purpose.
Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization (2021) by Edward Slingerland
Slingerland guides us through the history of alcohol and the philosophical reasons why we utilize this substance.
Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How it Can Improve Your Sex Life (2018) by Justin Lehmiller, PhD
Sex Psychologist Justin Lehmiller looks at the secret desires of men and women and discusses strategies for communicating what we want from our respective partners.
The Better Angels of our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined (2011) by Steven Pinker
A comprehensive history of humanity's proclivity toward violence and the case for why, despite mass media coverage, we are living in a safer world today, more than any other time.
A Grief Observed (1961) by C.S. Lewis
Originally published under a pseudonym, C.S. Lewis recounts the experience of the death of his wife and its accompanying grief.
How Can I Forgive You?: The Courage to Forgive, The Freedom Not To (2004) by Janis Abrahams Spring, Ph.D. with Michael Spring
What's cheap forgiveness versus genuine forgiveness? What do we do if we cannot achieve genuine forgiveness with someone else? This guide answers these questions and provides guidance to those who are struggling to move past the hurt inflicted by another.
The Coddling Of The American Mind (2018) by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
Part of political polarization has to do with how younger generations have been raised by their parents, argues Greg Lukanoff and Jonathan Haidt.
Intellectuals and Society (2009) by Thomas Sowell
Thomas Sowell examines the influence of intellectuals in forming public opinion, regardless of how right or wrong, they are.
Intellectuals and Race (2013) by Thomas Sowell
In a companion to Intellectuals and Society, Sowell discusses how intellectuals at both ends of the political spectrum tend to think about race. In addition, it examines the harmfulness of some of these ideas and how it manifests in our culture.
Meditations (1634) by Marcus Aurelius
Former Roman emperor and philosopher Marcus Aurelius, the most famous of the stoics, discusses his philosophy.
San Fransicko: How Progressives Ruin Cities (2021) by Michael Shellenberger
How has homelessness become such a significant problem in cities? Michael Shellenberger attempts to answer this question and primarily puts the blame on progressive politicians.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics and Religion (2012)by Jonathan Haidt
As it turns out, liberals and conservatives have several values in common, albeit we prioritize them slightly differently, leading to division.
The Red Book: Liber Novus (2009) by Carl Jung
Jung gives his account of his examination of his own unconscious mind to a hallucinogenic and archetypal effect.
Wired To Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2015) by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn Gregoire
What can we learn from creative people to become more creative ourselves? The authors answer this question and provide examples of how to dislodge from creative blocks.
The Parasitic Mind by Gad Saad
Saad examines ideas he believes are harmful, permeating through university campuses' and making their way into the mainstream through social contagion.
Collective Illusions by Todd Rose
When the private opinion of individuals, who are part of a group, are not shared, they lead to Collective Illusions, which have dangerous implications for democracy.
Why We're Polarized (2020) by Ezra Klein
Ezra Klein examines recent trends and attempts to comprehensively evaluate why political polarization persists in our culture.
The Constitution of Knowledge (2021) by Jonathan Rauch
This book explores the war on reality and makes a case for objectivity being worth defending.
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail (1994) by John Gottman, Ph.D.
Relationship therapist John Gottman describes how communication can break down amongst couples and how to reestablish a stronger connection.
Active Listening by (1957) Carl R. Rogers and Richard E. Farson
This short book lays out the central tenets of how psychotherapists tend to have a higher propensity for being good listeners and how you, the reader, can also learn these skills.
A Matter of Death and Life (2021) by Irvin D. Yalom and Marilyn Yalom
In this memoir, a husband and wife cope with the knowledge of one partner's decline in physical health—a compelling portrait of grief after sixty-five years of marriage.