Cannonball Read 14

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Why Are We Okay With Just Two Days Off?

Overtime: Why We Need a Shorter Working Week by Will Stronge & Kyle Lewis

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Best for: Workers. In a nutshell: Stronge and Lewis make a simple, elegant, and frankly pretty difficult to refute case for shortening the work week to four days or fewer. Worth quoting: “[B]eing able to relax, spend time with loved ones, pursue self-directed activity and have freedom from a boss are all essential parts of what it means to be human. Time is life after all.” Why I chose it: Verso books had a sale 😀 Review: When I really think about it, is is […]

Two books about the brain (kinda)

Unthinkable: An Extraordinary Journey Through the World's Strangest Brains by Helen Thomson

This Is Your Brain on Parasites: How Tiny Creatures Manipulate Our Behavior and Shape Society by Kathleen McAuliffe

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I’ve had a couple of brain books sitting on my shelf for a little while, one (Unthinkable) courtesy of a local Little Free Library, and one (This Is Your Brain on Parasites) courtesy of my husband wanting to qualify for free shipping on an online order. I decided to do a “brain dump” in January, and while neither of these books exactly blew off my Bombas, both contained enough interesting information that I would recommend them if you’re in the mood for some light science. […]

We Need Each Other

The Care Manifesto: The Politics of Interdependence by The Care Collective

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Best for: Those interested in a new way to think about society and community. In a nutshell: The Care Collective makes the case for a re-framing of our priorities, putting care at the top, and organizing society around that. Worth quoting: “The inherently careless practice of ‘growing the economy’ has taken priority over ensuring the well-being of citizens.” “One of the great ironies surrounding care is that it is actually the rich who are most dependent on those they pay to service them in innumerable […]

Good advice to start the new year: Workers, unite! Take a break! Relax! Read a book!

In Praise of Idleness by Bertrand Russell, with Bradley Trevor Greive

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Bertrand Russell is considered one of the finest academic minds of the 20th century. He was a true polymath who excelled in philosophy, mathematics, and logic. Born an aristocrat (an actual Earl, for heaven’s sake)  and educated at Cambridge, Russell nevertheless championed social causes such as pacifism and rights for homosexuals. In 1935, he published In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays, in which he argues for, among other things, a four-hour workday. The essay “In Praise of Idleness” is barely 5000 words long. However, […]

Better Use of Space

Feminist City by Leslie Kern

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Best for: Urban planners, geographers, feminists. Women who live or desire to live in a city. In a nutshell: Feminist Geographer Kern shares her thoughts on on how we can improve urban spaces to the meet the needs of people who aren’t just white men. Worth quoting: “The provisions made for ‘bubble dining domes’ while homeless people’s tents were violently dismantled illustrates the stark divide over who we believe should have access to public space.” “It’s clear that the time has come to decentre the […]

Caste – A book that may change how you view society

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

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There are books one reads for pleasure or diversion. There are books one will read for school or for work. Then, there are some books one reads because they are important and can provide new insights into the world. Caste falls into the latter category. I read this because a close friend asked me to do so, she was putting together a group to discuss the book and asked me to join (and I honestly felt flattered by the request, considering the intellects of the […]



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