TW: suicide The subtitle of Jenny Lawson's book Furiously Happy is: A Funny Book About Horrible Things. Nothing I can say in this review will match that perfect, succinct description. I don't tend to read memoirs, nor do I gravitate towards humorous books. I heard about Lawson's Furiously Happy on another blog, though, and was sufficiently intrigued. [...]
Category: Non-Fiction
The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla (Book Review)
I always have a book list several pages long. The Good Immigrant, which is a collection of essays on what it means to be 'other' in the UK today, had been on my list for some time before I finally read it. In the end, I read it quickly. Too quickly, in fact. I wanted [...]
The Assault on Reason by Al Gore (Book Review)
I have a lot of time for Al Gore. He may be best known nowadays for his climate change activism, but it is his vast political experience that shines through in his book, The Assault on Reason. His years of experience in Congress and later as vice president during the Clinton administration have given him [...]
Patrice Lumumba: May Our People Triumph (Book Review)
Patrice Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Considered a dangerous threat to colonial and international interests, he was assassinated in 1961. The collection Patrice Lumumba: May Our People Triumph contains some of his speeches, interviews and letters. The second half is devoted [...]
The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer (Book Review)
This short and accessible book by bioethics expert Peter Singer certainly gives the reader food for thought. Singer does not mince his words and is clear in his beliefs. The average person, he opines, can and should be playing a part in reducing extreme poverty around the world, and the rich have an even heavier [...]
Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo (Book Review)
I am a big fan of global economist Dambisa Moyo. Something about her cool, calm yet determined demeanour appeals to me. More than that, she has something to say, and she's not afraid to say it. Her book Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa was published [...]
Good Morning, Mr Mandela by Zelda la Grange (Audiobook & Book Review)
I read this memoir by Nelson Mandela's former secretary, Zelda la Grange, at the end of last year. Or, to be more accurate, I listened to it on audiobook. In Good Morning, Mr Mandela, la Grange provides a uniquely human account of this icon of the modern age during his presidential and later years. It [...]
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari (Book Review)
Where to start with this fantastic book? If you're looking for a quick, easy read, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari is not for you. I say that not because the book is particularly arduous. In fact, given the relatively complex and profound subject matter, the book is surprisingly easy to [...]
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