The End of Average is a book with a radical theory. That the idea of an average life or an average person is nonsense. In a short, but fascinating book, he sets out to tackle the myth of average and what we should focus on instead. This seems like counterintuitive advice. Averages are so entrenched […]
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The Jungle summary
The Jungle looks at the meatpacking industry in the United States during the early 20th century. The novel depicts an immigrant family’s struggles as they try to make a success of their lives in America while depending on the industry for their employment. Four months after Sinclair wrote the book in 1906, the United States […]
Doughnut Economics summary
Doughnut Economics is an interesting book that takes a different look at the economic paradigm we live in. Today, free-market capitalism rules the roost. Multinational corporations are the big economic drivers of our economy which is primarily based on extraction. The drivers of economic growth involve drilling and extracting fossil fuels from the ground. Coal, […]
On Tyranny summary
On Tyranny is a short but powerful book that looks at how democracies can turn into tyrannical regimes. The book, by eminent historian Timothy Snyder, is a guide and warning as to how easy it is to slip into tyranny. Snyder wrote the book in response to the election of Donald Trump. After the insurrection […]
The 48 Laws of Power summary
The 48 Laws of Power is perhaps Robert Greene’s most famous work. It’s the book that put him on the map. The premise of the book is simple. Greene lays out the rules you need to heed if you wish to hold and keep positions of power. All of these laws have some basis in […]
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich summary
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of the most harrowing books I’ve ever read. As the title suggests, the book looks at a day in the life of a prisoner in a Russian gulag in Siberia. The book was written by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, who experienced the gulag himself when he was […]
A Clockwork Orange summary
A Clockwork Orange follows the life of Alex, a fifteen-year-old who enjoys random acts of violence, which include breaking and entry, assault and rape. As the novel progresses, Alex’s luck runs out and he is caught by the authorities. After a fight with another cellmate, Alex is selected for a special treatment to rid him […]
Humankind Summary
Humankind is a book that questions whether humans are as mean-spirited and governed by self-interest. It’s a belief a lot of us have internalised, but is there any truth in it? Are we as negative toward one another as we think? Rutger Bregman examines this narrative in this fascinating book, which questions what it means […]
Fooled By Randomness summary
Fooled By Randomness is the first book in Nassim Taleb’s Incerto series, which deals with asymmetries in life. His books are among the most intriguing I’ve come across and I always feel like I learn something new even if I read 20 pages, never mind the whole book! Taleb looks at the fallibility of human […]
Skin In The Game summary
Skin In The Game is the final part of Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s five-book Incerto series. This book takes a look at hidden asymmetries in life and shows how we can make better decisions based on how much skin in the game someone, or we, have. The book is not as groundbreaking as The Black Swan, […]