Svetlana Alexievich: Second-hand Time
Second-hand Time is a collection of voices, stories, fragments and witness accounts. They tell of the individual and collective experience of existence in the grinding jaws of history.
The Best Books of 2014
A selection of the best books I read in 2014 in various categories, from best fiction and best non-fiction to most fashionable, most eye-opening and the best book about Wittgenstein that is(n't) about Wittgenstein.
The Best Books of 2013
A selection of the best books I read in 2013, including the best books I wish I had read years ago, the best book about Claude Lévi-Strauss and the most disappointing books.
Laurence Smith: The New North. The World in 2050
An excellent, well-written analysis of the four mega-trends that will shape the future: demography (population growth and aging); the growing demand on natural resources; globalization and climate change. A fascinating read and highly recommended if you like to read beyond today's headlines.
The Best Books of 2012
A selection of the best books I read this year, which this year includes a number of books I wish I had read years ago.
Frank Dikötter: Mao's Great Famine
Frank Dikötter chronicles the consequences of Mao's Great Leap Forward, one of the most devastating man-made catastrophes in history.
Daniel Yergin: The Prize. The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power
I know that I'm late to the party, but this is an excellent book and required reading if you want to understand 20th and 21st century history.
Edward Glaeser: Triumph of the City
In Triumph of the City Edward Glaeser presents a refreshing analysis of cities.
Michael Lewis: The Big Short
A great journalistic narrative. It reads like a thriller.
Guy Deutscher: Through the Language Glass
Languages differ in what they must convey, not in what they may convey.
Logicomix. An Epic Search For Truth
Logicomix, a graphic novel about mathematics and logic, is a pure delight.
Misha Glenny: McMafia
On the cover of my copy of McMafia it says that “anyone with even the smallest interest in how the world really works should read this book”. I’m not really sure whether this really is how the world really works, but it sure is an eye-opener.