Book Review // March 2022
“The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Jane Goodall
I always knew Jane Goodall as the chimp lady. She had warm eyes and a kind soul. Reading her book about hope made me consider when I’m hopeful or when I get depressed. Between Covid-19, racial reckoning in the USA and now Russia invading Ukraine there are days where it feels like hope is dead. Through 90+ years of stories, Jane shares how she cultivates hope. For indeed, even in the darkest of times, that small flicker of hope is still there.
“Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink In A Culture Obsessed With Alcohol” by Holly Whitaker
In 2019 I made a decision that radically impacted every facet of my life: I decided to change my relationship with booze. Reading this book was a bit like looking into the past (although I never had multiple DUIs and $100K+ in credit card debut like the author) and I probably should had read this 4 years ago. Still, this is a great reference book if you’re hoping to change if / how booze fits into your life.
“Move: The Forces Uprooting Us” by Parag Khanna
Humans are on move, that’s not new. We move for environmental and political reasons and that will continue. This is a fascinating read about what the future could hold and how environmental refugees could change what countries look like and how people interact with their “neighbors.” Cities will be under water, we’ll need to get to higher ground and taking our culture and ideas with us. More than anything, this was a book about empathy.
“These Precious Days” by Anne Patchett
This is the 3rd book by Anne Patchett that I have loved. And this is a collection of essays on a variety of topics. Her work greatly resonates with me: she doesn’t drink or eat meat. She loves to read and loves dog. She doesn’t have children and handled skepticism about this decision. I love her writing style and feel inspired by her to write more. I love been enjoying the short story and essay formats more lately, perhaps you have as well? My favorite book this month!
“Stillness is the Key” by Ryan Holiday
A few gems came out of this book but not my favorite. The author quotes ancient poets / philosophers and a few modern days folks but mostly it’s a bunch of dead white dudes. He talks a bit about Tiger Woods finding stillness only to share what a jerk Woods is (which we knew already). Surely there could have been better and less patriarchal examples of using stillness as a means for self-development. I would have preferred a more diverse group of examples on how stillness can impact a person’s life. There are better books on similar topics that you could enjoy, pass on this one
Monthly Book Total: 5
Yearly Book Total: 15