September Reading List 2021
Hi friends,
A little late with last month’s reading list, but here it is in all its glory. I managed to read a good few books this month despite travelling.
Whenever I fly, I always take a book or two with me to read on the plane. This is an ideal time to get some reading in and has the added bonus of making the flight go faster, or at least feeling like it’s going faster!
Here’s my reading list for September.
Numbers Don’t Lie - This is a fascinating book by the Czech-Canadian scientist Vaclav Smil, whose books Bill Gates loves. This one is a little different to his usual books. It’s more of an overview of different trends and important topics in the world and what the underlying numbers say rather than a focus on one specific theme. It’s an eye-opening read and will teach you a lot. Some of which is reassuring, others not so much. What I can say about Smil is that he’s a slayer of bullshit and places full trust in the numbers and that’s what makes the book such a great read.
The Power of Words - A book I read on the plane back to England from Malaga, it’s an interesting piece of work by the French philosopher Simone Weil. I didn’t know much about her before I read the book, but it’s a useful introduction to her views and sheds some light on France and democracy during her life. She wrote parts of the book during the Second World War, which makes it interesting to see her thoughts on democracy in the face of the Nazi totalitarian regime. I enjoyed the book and am keen to read more of Weil. She had a keen mind and certainly makes you think about things in a different manner.
A Confederacy of Dunces - This is one of the funniest novels I’ve ever read. The story of Ignatius Reilly and his exploits around New Orleans is an enthralling read. It really is a hilarious novel and some of the stuff Reilly comes out with will have you in fits and giggles. There’s a reason this book is now considered a classic and it’s due to the author’s ability to weave the plot together and create some truly original and unique characters. I can’t recommend this book enough, the only shame is that the author took his own life before it was published and before he had the chance to write any more works of art.
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