Help for Understanding The World We’re In
Andrea writes:
Connie Ogle, a writer for the Miami Herald, posed a question on Facebook after the devastating events in the U.S Capital on January 6th. She asked: “I need help. But what books can help me now? I don't mean frivolous nonsense to take my mind off what happened in the U.S. Capitol yesterday. I mean books that will explain to me what happened, where we're going, what we should do, how to make sense of it all.” Here is a selection of the books that were suggested in answer to her question. I hope you find these helpful in making sense of the world we are in.
Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
The National Book Award winning history of how racist ideas were created, spread, and deeply rooted in American society.
Wilmington's Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy by David Zucchino
From Pulitzer Prize-winner David Zucchino comes a searing account of the Wilmington riot and coup of 1898, an extraordinary event unknown to most Americans
The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump
by Michiko Kakutani
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning critic comes an impassioned critique of America's retreat from reason.
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century
by Timothy Snyder
A historian of fascism offers a guide for surviving and resisting America's turn towards authoritarianism.
The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels
by Jon Meacham
In this timely and revealing #1 New York Times bestseller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham helps us understand the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in our history when hope overcame division and fear.
Fascism: A Warning by Madeleine Albright
A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today's world, written by one of America's most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state.
Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
by Anne Applebaum
A Pulitzer Prize–winning historian explains, with electrifying clarity, why elites in democracies around the world are turning toward nationalism and authoritarianism.