One of the greatest philosophers of our time, Dr. Seuss, once said: “the more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” He was right. Reading and knowledge have perhaps the most intimate relationships any two things can have; those that don’t read, as a rule, tend to know less things. In an age where a lot (read: most) of our time is consumed by technology and social media, putting aside a few hours a day to immerse yourself in a book seems unconscionable. Unconscionable, perhaps, but absolutely necessary. After all, “read” was the first word of revelation given to our beloved Messenger, peace be upon him.
With that said, here are five books I recommend everyone crack open this summer. In keeping with the second half of Dr. Seuss’ brilliant maxim (“the more places you’ll go”), I’ve chosen five books that deal with five different parts of the world. I’ve included three novels, though, on balance, I’m partial to well-written non-fiction. Enjoy.
1) King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild (non-fiction) – King Leopold’s Ghost is a moving historical account of Belgian colonization of the Congo. Hochschild, a frequent contributor to The New Yorker magazine, focuses not squarely on the relationship between the two countries, but also with the mounting international pressure against Belgian imperialism. For anyone with an interest in serious non-fiction with a strong narrative voice, this book is an excellent read.
2) An Outline of the Republic by Siddhartha Deb (fiction) – An Outline of the Republic follows the life of journalist Amrit Singh, a reporter at a major daily in Calcutta, India. The novel traces his pursuit of a story along India’s troubled border, where he finds himself in the middle of a volatile, three-way political struggle between a separatist militia, a development agency, and ineffective local government.
3) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (fiction) – Often described as the “great American novel,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is, for my money, one of the best books ever written. Though fictional, it provides for incredibly sharp commentary about the American upper class, putting the whole notion of “the American Dream” in a critical light. Plus, you’ll be hard pressed to find a serious reader who hasn’t read this book at least once.
4) The Black Jacobins by CLR James (non-fiction) – A historical account of the Haitian revolution in 1804, The Black Jacobins has a renewed significance, considering the recent earthquake in Haiti. Though it focuses squarely on the events leading up to the revolution, the book gives the reader an understanding of why, even today, Haiti is so poor. Like King Leopold’s Ghost, the book doesn’t read like a dry, factual document; it has been described by some as a “non-fiction novel.” It’s the best book I’ve read this year, for sure.
5) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (fiction) – Another classic, I’ve included Brave New World on this list to hopefully scare everyone, especially those of us that are far too reliant on technology. The book is set in the London of the future, where babies will be born in laboratories and governments will have the ability to suppress our emotions. Written in 1932, the book predicts a future where we’ll be indoctrinated to the point that it will be impossible to have individual ideas. If the ideas seem radical, that’s fine – the book is well-written enough to be enjoyable whether you agree or not.
With that said, here are five books I recommend everyone crack open this summer. In keeping with the second half of Dr. Seuss’ brilliant maxim (“the more places you’ll go”), I’ve chosen five books that deal with five different parts of the world. I’ve included three novels, though, on balance, I’m partial to well-written non-fiction. Enjoy.
1) King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild (non-fiction) – King Leopold’s Ghost is a moving historical account of Belgian colonization of the Congo. Hochschild, a frequent contributor to The New Yorker magazine, focuses not squarely on the relationship between the two countries, but also with the mounting international pressure against Belgian imperialism. For anyone with an interest in serious non-fiction with a strong narrative voice, this book is an excellent read.
2) An Outline of the Republic by Siddhartha Deb (fiction) – An Outline of the Republic follows the life of journalist Amrit Singh, a reporter at a major daily in Calcutta, India. The novel traces his pursuit of a story along India’s troubled border, where he finds himself in the middle of a volatile, three-way political struggle between a separatist militia, a development agency, and ineffective local government.
3) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (fiction) – Often described as the “great American novel,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is, for my money, one of the best books ever written. Though fictional, it provides for incredibly sharp commentary about the American upper class, putting the whole notion of “the American Dream” in a critical light. Plus, you’ll be hard pressed to find a serious reader who hasn’t read this book at least once.
4) The Black Jacobins by CLR James (non-fiction) – A historical account of the Haitian revolution in 1804, The Black Jacobins has a renewed significance, considering the recent earthquake in Haiti. Though it focuses squarely on the events leading up to the revolution, the book gives the reader an understanding of why, even today, Haiti is so poor. Like King Leopold’s Ghost, the book doesn’t read like a dry, factual document; it has been described by some as a “non-fiction novel.” It’s the best book I’ve read this year, for sure.
5) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (fiction) – Another classic, I’ve included Brave New World on this list to hopefully scare everyone, especially those of us that are far too reliant on technology. The book is set in the London of the future, where babies will be born in laboratories and governments will have the ability to suppress our emotions. Written in 1932, the book predicts a future where we’ll be indoctrinated to the point that it will be impossible to have individual ideas. If the ideas seem radical, that’s fine – the book is well-written enough to be enjoyable whether you agree or not.
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