WSIR # 8: Non-Fiction to Understand Other People
If you're into that sort of thing.
One of my favorite, favorite, favorite genres of book is cultural non-fiction, by which I mean non-fiction about a certain group of people that helps us understand ourselves as well.
Roughly ten million years ago when I had to choose a college major, I had no specific career goals nor any aptitude for the sciences, so I ended up choosing cultural anthropology mostly because I didn’t want to be an English major (I think? It’s kind of hazy.)
But here’s the thing: it was not only fascinating but an incredibly useful foundation for life because it’s the study of human behavior. Why humans behave the ways they behave and what we can learn about each other, especially those who are different from us. I’m still drawn to content like this, and in the year of our lord 2021, I think we can all benefit from cultivating more personal and cultural curiosity and empathy, yes?
All this to say:
This genre is as close as I will get to ever recommending “business books” because geez, you probably spend hours a day on your actual business mechanics. Switch it up by reading about actual humans, why dontcha! (Also I don’t read business books, so …)
Below are a few terrific non-fiction books about humans, and human behavior, that have stuck with me, and maybe you will be moved by them too!
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family came out last year and was on so many “Best of …” lists for good reason. This tackles schizophrenia, its causes, treatment, and impact, through the lens of a family in the 50s and 60s where *six of the twelve children* ended up developing the disease. It’s a sensitive but frank telling of the impact to the family, how the parents and siblings coped, and the challenge of mental illness.
Far From The Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity is, at 962 pages, admittedly a commitment, but it. is. FASCINATING. It’s comprised of chapters on people who develop specific identities separate from their parents, and how the parents and children work to accept each other. There are chapters from the Deaf community to transgender children, from children who are prodigies to parents of children who commit horrific crimes. Truly, I cannot recommend this enough as a lens of reflecting on belonging and empathy.
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief is a meticulously researched book about the building of and adherence to a modern religion, and what actually constitutes a religion vs a business, or a cult. There has been a lot of content this year about polarized thinking and cults - some lurid, some thoughtful - and what strikes me over and over is how smart people come to develop and rationalize counterintuitively strict beliefs. I can’t get enough.
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior is an oldie but a goodie and yes, this is also technically about animals. FINE. But! It’s written by Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has had a distinguished career in animal behavior, including the humane treatment of livestock, because her neuroatypical perspective gives her insights into how animals view the world. Beyond being just a great read (Who knew dolphins were such Bad People?) I often think of this book to remind myself that my fellow beings are all seeing the world in unique ways - so what am I missing or assuming in my own view?
Bonus: My Absurd 2021 Reading Goal!
I don’t really do New Year’s resolutions, but for a few years I’ve been toying with reading the complete works of William Shakespeare (well, not the poems, gah.) My friend Spencer pointed out that it would only require 3.5 pages per day to accomplish so … I started. Will I regret this? Undoubtedly. Anyway, until I abandon it in a huff, follow along on this fool’s errand!
Week one: started with The Tempest, only 99.9% left to go in Bill’s oeuvre!
Do you have any less ridiculous reading ambitions for 2021? Lemme know!