The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman
Fantastic read about the opening months of World War I and how an assassination started a global chain reaction. Tuchman reveals how inflexible alliances dragged their members into war, and how individuals, hellbent on empire-building, rushed into battle, plunging their nations into war and killing millions of people.
Full review here.
Rejection, Tony Tulathimutte
I read an article a few months ago in which the author asked David Sedaris what he was reading. His answer was this book, saying he laughed out loud. I figured if it was good enough for David Sedaris, it’d be good enough for me. So I picked up a copy and I laughed too. A lot.
Rejection is a collection of six short stories, each a satirical meditation on the theme of rejection. In each story, we see how it’s not rejection itself, but rather the internalization of that rejection, that sends these characters spiraling. So good.
Stillness is the Key, Ryan Holiday
The first time I “read” this book, it was the audiobook version, which doesn’t count as “reading.” So. I’ll call this a first-time read. I’m a fan of Holiday’s work so it’s no surprise that I enjoyed this book. I especially enjoy the realization that you can have peace and calm in your life without your life being boring. I can live in Midtown Manhattan with all the horns blaring and the too many people, but I can still find stillness when I walk among them. More tactically, this book teaches you how to find stillness in everyday situations. When someone dumps gossip in your lap, you don’t have to pass it on. When someone cuts you off on the road, you don’t have to honk, or even roll your eyes. You can let go.
