Nonfiction Books That Are Meant To Be Read Together: Some Curated Lists, by Subject
mini-syllabi for understanding how it is, and how it got that way
The lists of nonfiction books below are sorted by topic—curated!—and specially selected for the extra information value that’s added when the material is read together. I recommend reading the books in order. They all address specific practical concerns, not ideology or other abstract matters. (Unless one views the topic of equal rights for people of every ancestral heritage as per se an “ideological” matter, I suppose. I recommend that people who hold such opinions read the Civil Rights book list anyway, to test the accuracy of that opinion.)
I had originally planned to follow the standard format when presenting book lists: offer them along with a capsule review, to give prospective readers some idea of the content and its quality. I’ve decided to try something different on this page: no reviews, no spoilers. At least, not yet. I’m simply going to put these lists out there, as books of particular value for readers on a quest to “do their own research.”
The only point I have to make in that regard is that in order to obtain the maximum benefit, the reader pursuing a given topic of their personal interest must read all of the books thoroughly, from cover to cover. I’m not interested in assigning letter grades for reading diligence and the increased comprehension that results; obviously, I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to, which I don’t. There’s no need to read the book all the way through from front to back the first time; it’s fine to skip around. I often start by skipping around when reading books like these. The important thing is that in order to get the most educational result, the reader eventually needs to get around to reading every page of every book under a given topic subheading.
Not necessarily by next Tuesday, or next month—or even by the end of the year (although by year’s end would be a reasonable request, if this were formal academia.) Take your time. I don’t care to monitor your reading habits- and wouldn’t know how, eh? This is an open study course. As of now, the only review I’m providing is my opinion that these books work as a synergy when read together.
It should go without saying that I’ll never know which of my readers has read which book recommendations. I’m your Internet rando mentor, not a college professor or human resources department. You can always click out. I won’t even know if you’re gone, imagine. But I think you’re best off viewing me like one of those gym rat physical fitness coaches. You’re potentially in a position to reap benefits that you haven’t even imagined. But you have to pay your dues. These lists are only an introduction, but they are not slacker routines. It’s like online fitness coaching. Either you did those 100 pushups per day for six months that were recommended, or you didn’t. Either you got on the pull-up bar until muscle failure twice a week for six months, or you didn’t. If you’ve followed the instruction, you’ll notice the benefits. (The first three weeks are the worst. Get over the hump, and you can fly.) And unlike the effect of gravity in physical exercise, you get to argue with the books. You don’t only get to argue, it’s what you’re supposed to do. But you also have to admit when you stand corrected. The challenge is there, for those who dare.
In a few months, I may eventually add brief reviews to the books on this list. I should have comments open by then, so if you’ve read the books and you don’t like my take, we can discuss it. In the meantime, you get to form your own opinions, without the interference of my nudges.
I have read all of the books listed below, sometimes more than once. I have most of them in hard copy form on my bookshelves. I’ve often retained them for their reference value; many of them contain a treasure trove of hard data, metrics, and telling details of historical chronology.
Modern War, Modern Weapons
Aftermath: The Remnants Of War, Donovan Webster, 1998
The Bitter Road To Freedom, William I. Hitchcok, 2008
The Pentagon’s Brain, Annie Jacobsen, 2016
Critical Mass, William E. Burrows and Robert Windrem, 1994
Operation Desert Storm: The US Invasion of Iraq
The Occupation of Iraq, Ali A. Allawi, 2008
How America Lost Iraq, Aaron Glantz, 2005
The Good Soldiers, David Finkel, 2009
Modern Consumerism and Waste
Garbage Land, Elizabeth Royte, 2005
Junkyard Planet, Adam Minter, 2013
Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Katherine Boo, 2012
Overfishing The Oceans
The End Of The Line, Charles Clover, 2004/6, 2017
Four Fish, Paul Greenberg, 2010
Bottomfeeders, Taras Grescoe, 2008
United States History: The Systems of Injustice after the Era of Enslavement, Post-1865
The Strange Career Of Jim Crow, C. Vann Woodward, 1960, latest ed. 2001
Self-Taught, Heather Andrea Williams, 2007
The Warmth Of Other Suns, Isabel Wilkerson, 2010
Why We Can’t Wait, Martin Luther King, Jr., 1964
The Savage City, T. J. English, 2011
The Other Wes Moore, Wes Moore, 2010