Five New Books To Read In November 2020
7 min read
1. A Promised Land - Barack Obama
What is it about?
“A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.”
Taken from the product description on Amazon.
Why I want to read it
I am an Obama fan and I find US politics endlessly fascinating, so this is a book I’m excited about. I read the brilliant Becoming by Michelle Obama earlier in the year, so it will be interesting to hear the story of the country’s first black president in his own words and get an insight into the events that shaped his time in office. - James
Release Date
November 17, 2020
Where to get it
2. The Practice: Shipping Creative Work - Seth Godin
What is it about?
“Based on the breakthrough Akimbo workshop pioneered by legendary author Seth Godin, The Practice will help you get unstuck and find the courage to make and share creative work. Godin insists that writer's block is a myth, that consistency is far more important than authenticity, and that experiencing the imposter syndrome is a sign that you're a well-adjusted human. Most of all, he shows you what it takes to turn your passion from a private distraction to a productive contribution, the one you've been seeking to share all along.”
Taken from the product description on Amazon.
Why I want to read it
I have always loved the way Seth Godin expresses himself as a writer and a speaker. He has a way of boiling large topics such as marketing down into simple ideas that make sense and inspire you to act. As someone who has spent hours and hours trying to make music, I know all about the challenges that can get in the way of productivity. I can’t wait to read Godin’s take on this subject. - James
Release Date
November 3, 2020
Where to get it
3. First Principles: What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country - Thomas E. Ricks
What is it about?
“The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author (Thomas E. Ricks) offers a revelatory new book about the founding fathers, examining their educations and, in particular, their devotion to the ancient Greek and Roman classics—and how that influence would shape their ideals and the new American nation.”
Taken from the product description on Amazon.
Why I want to read it
I’m not expecting this to be an easy read but I love the concept and I have always wanted to learn more about classic philosophical ideas and understand how the world we live in today is built upon them. I think the biographical aspect of this book will help to put these ideas in a practical context and I’m interested to read some of Thomas E. Ricks work for the first time. - James
Release Date
November 10, 2020
Where to get it
4. Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World - David Owen
What is it about?
"Our sense of hearing makes it easy to connect with the world and the people around us. The human system for processing sound is a biological marvel, an intricate assembly of delicate membranes, bones, receptor cells, and neurons. Yet many people take their ears for granted, abusing them with loud restaurants, rock concerts, and Q-tips. And then, eventually, most of us start to go deaf.
Millions of Americans suffer from hearing loss. Faced with the cost and stigma of hearing aids, the natural human tendency is to do nothing and hope for the best, usually while pretending that nothing is wrong. In Volume Control, David Owen argues this inaction comes with a huge social cost. He demystifies the science of hearing while encouraging readers to get the treatment they need for hearing loss and protect the hearing they still have.
Hearing aids are rapidly improving and becoming more versatile. Inexpensive high-tech substitutes are increasingly available, making it possible for more of us to boost our weakening ears without bankrupting ourselves. Relatively soon, physicians may be able to reverse losses that have always been considered irreversible. Even the insistent buzz of tinnitus may soon yield to relatively simple treatments and techniques. With wit and clarity, Owen explores the incredible possibilities of technologically assisted hearing. And he proves that ears, whether they're working or not, are endlessly interesting."
Taken from the product description on Amazon.
Why I want to read it
I am an avid music fan my whole life and have always loved listening to music. I often wonder at the amazing variety in sound that the human ear is able to pick up. To recognise voices, to distinguish notes, to pick out different sounds… yet it is something I think so many of us take for granted and only when something goes wrong do we suddenly appreciate what it is to hear. This book seems to fit exactly and how many people accept loss of hearing as part of life. Two of my sons also suffer from some hearing loss and they do wear hearing aids. This is also a motivation to read this book to understand more about what they are going through and what potential solutions may be available in the future. - Adam
Release Date
Technically a rerelease but Nov 1st 2020
Where to get it
5. How I Learned to Understand the World - Hans Rosling
What is it about?
"It was facts that helped him explain how the world works. But it was curiosity and commitment that made the late Hans Rosling, author of worldwide bestseller Factfulness, the most popular researcher of our time.
How I Learned to Understand the World is Hans Rosling's own story of how a young scientist became a revolutionary thinker, and takes us from the swelter of an emergency clinic in Mozambique, to the World Economic Forum at Davos.
In collaboration with Swedish journalist Fanny Härgestam, Hans Rosling wrote his memoir with the same joy of storytelling that made a whole world listen when he spoke."
Taken from the product description on Amazon.
Why I want to read it
Hans Rosling dealt in facts and in this day and age sometimes facts are in short supply when they could be really needed. By looking at facts he was able to bring a clear point of view on many topics. He also spent much of his life in poorer parts of the world helping stem disease outbreaks using his research. I don’t know too much about his story though which is exactly why I want to read this book. Talented people who use their skills for good always fascinate me. - Adam
Release Date
5th November 2020
Where to get it
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