Tag: history
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The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath by Leslie Jamison
Part engrossing addiction memoir, part meticulously researched profiiles of historical and literary figures, The Recovering is an unforgettable and transformative read.
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A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall
In A Day in the Life of Abed Salama, Nathan Thrall uses a tragedy as a launching point for an incredible history lesson. It’s unforgettable
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The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb is one of the most difficult and rewarding nonfiction books I’ve ever read.
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Challenger by Adam Higginbotham
Challenger is essential reading. As much about human tragedy as about institutional hubris and corner-cutting.
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When the Clock Broke by John Ganz
When The Clock Broke is an engaging and enlightening bit of history. It does a great job of showing how little has changed in the past 3 decades.
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Music is History by Questlove
Questlove’s history lessons fall pretty flat.
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Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman
Bergman’s history of extrajudicial killings by Israel’s government is essential, gripping and alarming.
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Some People Need Killing: A Memoir of Murder in My Country by Patricia Evangelista
Part memoir, part political history and part English lesson (I’m not kidding, I learned a bit about language from this). Evangelista is a reporter for a news outlet in the Philippines, and she details the historical, political and cultural context during the lead up to Duterte’s election, and the unbelievable number and brutality of state-supported…
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The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires by Tim Wu
Having read Wu’s books in the reverse order of publication dates, this book felt a bit underwhelming. What’s interesting is how clearly the seeds of his follow up work are here. It’s a history of ‘information empires’ which includes telephone, radio, film and television. Wu is clearly trying to draw some parallels that can predict…