November 2022 Reading List
Hi friends,
Late in sending this out, apologies about that. I read an eclectic selection of books last month. Three of them were fascinating while I found the other baffling and it kind of put me off reading anything more by the author.
Seeing as this is late, I’ll get into and you can see what I make of the books I read in November.
False Dawn – A brilliant book by one of the most interesting philosophers alive today, John Gray. It’s crazy to think this book was written in the late 90s and predicted the coming crash in 2008. It’s interesting reading despite it being an old book and is still relevant today, with recessions looming in parts of the world. Gray is an uncompromising thinker and his writing can leave you feeling bleak. But his thought processes in this book are sound and anyone who wants to know how the financial crash of 2008 happened, should read this book.
Civilization and Its Discontents – This is one of Sigmund Freud’s most famous works but I was left disappointed by what I read. I think that’s because I had high expectations which weren’t met. A lot of the book, unsurprisingly, veers into psychoanalysis which is used to explain the strife humanity faces. While there’s truth in this, the way Freud explains didn’t resonate with me. It’s only a short book but if you haven’t read Freud it might be better to start with something else, lest it put you off reading him for good!
River Kings – This was an enjoyable book about the Vikings and how they were much more proficient traders than we thought. The book tracks how they navigated rivers throughout Europe and Asia, trading with various peoples and settling in a variety of spots. A carnelian bead that came into the possession of the author is what sparked the book, as it originated in the middle east, yet it was found in a Viking burial site. I learnt a lot about the Vikings and how, despite being portrayed as a hyper-masculine group, there may have been more feminine influence than we realised.
King Cnut – The famous Danish King of England who tried to push back the waves. This is what he’s most known for in the UK, and this great little biography from the Penguin Monarchs series goes some way to providing more background on Cnut and his reign. He lived an interesting life and his reign was a consequential one as he was the last ‘Viking’ king as his successors failed to secure his legacy. Was he as bad a king as history has made him out to be? Maybe not.
I hope you get around to reading a few of these selections. Whether you read them in the next month or year, I’m not bothered. The idea of my reading lists is to encourage you, the reader, to read more.
If more of us read, and read books outside of our comfort zone, the world would be a better place. You don’t know what you don’t know. Reading is one of the best ways to fill in those gaps in your knowledge.
If you have any comments about the books, maybe you’ve read one before. Or if you have some recommendations for me, I’m all ears. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Until next time,
Tom