This year I started reading reading again. Not that I was wasn't reading before, I just read a lot more this last year than I had in the past several years. This is largely due to me starting to use goodreads late last year, which essentially gamified reading for me. Turns out there are few things in life as motivating as keeping score.
These are all the books I read this year along with a really short description and review. They're listed chronologically, with the most recent one listed first.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Probably one of the most impactful books I've read this year, The Omnivore's Dilemma is all about our relationship with food. Through brilliant storytelling, Michael Pollan takes us through the corn industry, factory farms, sustainable agriculture, and the practice of hunting and gathering, all to illuminate how deeply the way we eat is connected with the natural world.
Longitude by Dava Sobel
This is a great short book about the problem of determining longitude at sea and the work of John Harrison to solve it. I had really no idea about the history of this problem and it was fascinating to hear about the competing approaches at solving it.
The Big Picture by Sean Carroll
If you're interested in the intersection of Phyiscs and Philosophy then I highly recommend this book. Carroll is an expert at explaining difficult concepts without dumbing them down. The book can be a bit dense at some points, but absolutely worth pushing through.
Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
This is a must-read for those interested in the development of civilization. Written as a response to the generally racist theories of why certain cultures have advanced faster than others, Diamond expertly explains the dramatic influence that geography and ecology had on the development of civilization.
A Crack in Creation by Jennifer Doudna & Samuel Sternberg
A massive shakeup has occurred in biology in the last 5 years with the introduction of CRISPR gene-editing. One of the women leading this revolution is Prof. Doudna. This book gives an introduction to the history and science behind CRISPR and begins to tackle some of the thorny ethical questions surrounding gene editing that humanity will have to face up to sooner than we're ready for.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Carl Sagan was probably the best science communicator of the 20th century. In this book, the basis of the popular TV series of the same name, Sagan takes the reader through a lively history of physics and astronomy from ancient to modern times.
How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan
The last decade has seen a resurgence of research into the amazing potential of psychedelic compounds to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions, from PTSD to depression. In this excellent book, Michael Pollan introduces the reader to the major players in this resurgence, as well as describing a few first hand experiences he sought out to better understand this phenomenon that's once again being studied by scientists around the world.
Educated by Tara Westover
Educated is the true story of a girl who grows up in an isolated survivalist family, never setting foot in a classroom until the age of 17, and her eventual journey into mainstream society. Its full of unbelievable anectodes and is captivating the whole way through.
Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance
This is another popular memoir of someone growing up in very difficult circumstances and eventually achieving mainstream success. Vance provides a window into the life and values of his hillbilly family from Eastern Kentucky. The stories range from touching to horrifying but humanizing above all.
Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen
Jungle of Stone tells the story of a pair of American and English explorers who unearthed an enormous number of Mayan ruins in central America, turning the West's conception of human history on its head. Great if you like biographies and tales of exploration.
Lost in Math by Sabine Hossenfelder
In this book, Dr. Hossenfelder argues that the search for beauty has led theoretical physicists astray. There has not been an experimentally confirmed major breakthrough in theoretical physics in several decades, and group-think, confirmation bias, and a reliance on subjective qualities like beauty and elegance appear to be major culprits of this stagnation. I found it to be an eye-opening read, but it probably wouldn't be too interesting for non-physicists.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
This is essentially a collection of essays on the looming challenges facing humanity in the upcoming century, including things like artificial intelligence, fake news, and globalization. The book was interesting but frankly I found it somewhat forgettable, especially compared to his other book Sapiens.
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn
A must read for any students of science. This classic book on the philosophy of science argues that scientific progress is characterized not by slow and steady advancement, but by radical paradigm shifts that come around only once a generation.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens is a concise history of humanity from the first homonids right up to the 21st century. Its main thesis is that humans are unique in our ability to create and believe in myths. Religions, countries, corporations, etc. all exist only in our imaginations but allow us to form complex organizations that have resulted in us dominating the Earth. Its a captivating and worthwhile read.
The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
One of my favorite books of the year, The invention of Nature is a biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the greatest scientist and explorer you've probably never hear of. Humboldt is largely responsible for our modern conception of a unified and connected natural world, and was enormously influential on many other scientists and naturalists like Charles Darwin and John Muir.