Good Reads & Views

Caste: The Origins of our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
Nonfiction

What it is: Racial disparities and racism in the United States are skillfully reframed as a classic caste system in this fascinating, well researched history lesson. Pulitzer Prize winner Wilkerson (The Warmth of Other Suns) compares America's caste system with the one that operated in Nazi Germany and the one still operating today in India. 

Want a taste? “Caste is structure. Caste is ranking. Caste is the boundaries that reinforce the fixed assignments based upon what people look like. Caste is a living, breathing entity.”

Reviewers say: "This is a brilliant book, well timed in the face of a pandemic and police brutality that cleave along the lines of a caste system” (Booklist); “A memorable, provocative book that exposes an American history in which few can take pride” (Kirkus Reviews).

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The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Author Larson tells the story of Winston Churchill’s first year as Prime Minister of Britain with suspense and attention to detail. Using journals and letters of those close to Churchill, he draws a picture of May 1940 - May 1941 when Germany was conducting regular bombing raids on Britain in preparation for an invasion. Larson shows equally Churchill’s leadership and quirky personality as he tells the story of “their finest hour.”

Reviewers say: "While the story of Churchill’s premiership and the Blitz have been told in greater historical depth, they’ve rarely been rendered so vividly. Readers will rejoice" (Publisher’s Weekly); "A captivating history of Churchill's heroic year, with more than the usual emphasis on his intimates" (Kirkus Reviews); "Larson's distinctive history of Britain's 'darkest hour' offers a new angle for those already familiar with this era, while attracting readers who wish to learn more about the notable leader" (Library Journal).

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The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
Nonfiction 

What it’s about: The Zookeeper's Wife is an astonishing story of the courage and selfless actions of the people of Warsaw during the Second World War who rescued and hid, at great personal danger, the hundreds of Jews who were hunted by the Nazis.

Why you might like it: The Zookeeper’s Wife is a true story set in Warsaw, Poland at the onset of WWII, and is both a horrifying and endearing story.

You might also like: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. 

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The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
Nonfiction

What it’s about: From 1915 to 1970, nearly 6 million Black Americans moved from the South to the North in search of a better life. This poignant book follows three people who made this migration, and the author interweaves their individual experiences into the broader fabric of the time period.

Why it’s significant: The Great Migration was an important part of 20^th century American history, and this book blends history and personal experiences -- so you get to learn about this time frame while also gaining insight into the lives of a few of the people who made the journey. Wilkerson’s beautiful writing and evocative detail make The Warmth of Other Suns an absorbing read. If you enjoy reading narrative nonfiction that reads like fiction, this book is for you.

Book buzz: This book won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named one of the 10 best books of the year by The New York Times, Amazon, and Publishers Weekly.

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Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Nonfiction

What it's about: A presidential historian looks at 4 presidents and asks, are leaders born or made? Goodwin looks at Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt and Lyndon B Johnson, examining their early lives, dramatic reversals of fortune each experienced early in adulthood, and shows how they proved equal to the crises of their time.

Why you might like it: If you enjoy U.S. history, particularly learning new things about our presidents, give this a try. Or pick this up if you want a study in leadership qualities that is easily and compulsively readable.

You might also like: Presidents of War by Michael Beschloss if you're looking to read more about presidents and their times. Or try Dare to Lead: Brave work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts by Brene Brown if you're looking for more on leadership.

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Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Nonfiction

What it is: The history of an ordinary substance, the only rock humans consume. Throughout civilization, salt has been used as currency, influenced the establishment of trade routes, financed wars and secured empires. And flavored our food, of course.

Want a taste? “The Romans salted their greens, believing this to counteract the natural bitterness, which is the origin of the word salad, salted.” “It takes two years for the salt to reach the center of a wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.”

Reviewers say: “Throughout his engaging, well-researched history, Kurlansky sprinkles witty asides and amusing anecdotes. A piquant blend of the historic, political, commercial, scientific and culinary, the book is sure to entertain as well as educate” (Publishers Weekly).

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They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
Nonfiction 

What it’s about: George Takei and his family were taken to an internment camp during World War II. Although young George looked at the trip to the camp as an adventure, he also saw in hindsight how stressful the situation was for his parents. He discusses how they coped during the war and afterwards, how they struggled as a result of losing their home, their dry-cleaning business, and nearly their citizenship.

Why you should read it: This is an eye-opening look at the experience of an American family and the racism they endured because of other people’s fears after Pearl Harbor. It’s also a poignant study of the love the Takei parents had for their children, making the best they could out of a dreadful situation.

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The Food Explorer by Daniel Stone
Nonfiction

What it’s about: The true adventures of one David Fairchild, 19th-century botanist and food explorer, who was responsible for the introduction of various crops to the American marketplace, ranging from avocadoes and mangoes to seedless grapes and pomegranates.

Why you might like it: This adventure story reads like fiction and provides lots of “did you know…” tidbits, like who the Myer lemon is named after and why there are all those avocados being grown in California.

Reviewers say: “An erudite and entertaining historical biography of a food pioneer with particular interest for gastronomes and agriculture enthusiasts” (Kirkus Review).

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Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves
Nonfiction

What it’s about: Travel guru Rick Steves encourages travelers to go outside their comfort zone and engage with the places they travel in a more meaningful way – talking with local people, discussing local news and historical events, and becoming aware of other points of view and other ways of living.

Why you should read it: As he’s done with Mona Winks, his guide to European art museums, Steves gives world history lessons in small and enjoyable doses. He makes the case for travel as a way to better engage with the world rather than just sightsee and draws upon his own experiences to show how travel has changed his ways of thinking.

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Milk!: A 10,000-Year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky
Nonfiction

What it’s about: The history of one of the world’s major foods, and how its consumption changed and adapted over the millennia. Lots of recipes included (some that you definitely may NOT want to replicate).

Why you should read it: Whether you love “cow juice” or hate it, this book has so many interesting tidbits that it is a pleasure to read; it also gives a lot of food for thought, pardon the pun. Did you know that milk as a beverage on its own was relatively uncommon? The Romans thought consumption of milk by the Northern people was “barbaric.”

A sample of chapters: Going Sour in the Fertile Crescent, Buttery Barbarians, The Cheese Heads, Cows and Truth, and Trouble in Cow Paradise.

Reviewers say: “Kurlansky's charming history of milk brims with excellent stories and great details” (Publishers Weekly).

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