Since I forget to do this every month, let’s just cut a few books from the shortlist here and there whenever the idea pops into my head, shall we?
In no particular order, here are a few books that failed to make my final three along with the one big idea I took from it last year.
January - Small Is Beautiful by Ernst F. Schumacher
A great book to ‘check in’ on every couple of years to make sure I’m on track with some basic life principle. But on the other hand, I already do this annually on Patriot’s Day with Maniac Magee!
Parting thought: Without education, organization, and discipline, nothing sustainable is developed.
May - Epitaph of a Small Winner by Machado de Assis
One of the most enjoyable reads of the year, this book was notable for reshaping how I put TOA together. Highly recommended for the reader looking to get off the beaten path (unless, I guess, TOA is what you consider 'the beaten path').
Parting thought: There are a million ways to write something worth reading.
June - The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes
Taubes comes under fire for many different reasons but let’s all step back for a minute and acknowledge the basic fact – the guy thinks all this sugar is killing us and he thinks sugar companies are complicit in it. Relative to his beliefs, I actually think writing several books filled with research and reasoning is a fairly calm and understated way to present his case.
I wonder if the first anti-cigarette crusaders were put under the same public scrutiny…
Parting thought: Seventy pounds of sugar per capita - or roughly 87 grams per day - seems like a rough cutoff point for diabetes prevalence to sudden increase in a population.
