Democracy for the Few
On how US political and economic systems serve a narrow elite under the guise of democracy
Africa Must Unite
A call for African unity and pan-African socialism as the path to liberation and development
To Kill a Nation
On the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
Second Avenue Subway
On the century-long saga to build the Second Avenue Subway in NYC, documented in photographs and detailed graphics for public infrastructure nerds like myself
The Great Railroad Revolution
On the rise and unfortunate fall of railroads in America
A History of the Upper Guinea Coast, 1545–1800
On the impact of the Atlantic slave trade and European contact on coastal West African society between the Gambia and Cape Mount
The Condition of the Working Class in England
On the Industrial Revolution and the living conditions endured by the working class, focusing on cities like Manchester and Liverpool
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
On "modern" American urban planning, including advocating for diversity, small blocks, sidewalks, as well a critique of the "towers in a park" model
The Wretched of the Earth
On decolonization and revolutionary violence
Brüsel
On a fictional, retrofuturistic Brussels
Orientalism
On how Western scholars, artists, and writers construct the global south as an exotic, backward other and how that is used to justify colonial domination
The Color of Law
On how US housing policy is designed to prevent Black families from building generational wealth
Going Long
On training for Ironman-distance triathlons
Shattered Lands
On the five major partitions of the Indian Empire, resulting in the creation of twelve modern nations
We Are Cuba!
On Cuba's struggle for survival in a post-Soviet world
Black Marxism
On how capitalism is inherently racialized (critique of western Marxism)
The State and Revolution
On the necessity of proletarian revolution and a critique of bourgeois democracy
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa
On the impact of european colonialism in Africa
Neo-Colonialism
On how colonial powers extort capital and influence without physical force
The Golden Road
On the far-reaching cultural influence of India through ancient trade networks
Cobalt Red
On the human rights abuses in the Congo's cobalt mining operation
On Cuba
On Cuba's revolutionary transformation under Castro and the crimes of the US in effort to overthrow it
Washington Bullets
On the bloody history of US imperialism
The Displaced
On the refugee experience: displacement, identity, and the search for belonging
The Power of Geography
On how geography shapes politics with a focus on Australia, the Sahel, Greece, Turkey, the UK, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and Spain
City of Djinns
On the story of Delhi
Prisoners of Geography
On how physical landscapes impact geopolitics
Journeys North
On the Pacific Crest Trail
The Anarchy
On the rise of the British East India and how it transformed from a trading company into a colonial power
The New Silk Roads
On China's rising economic and political influence
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
On Hmong refugees from the American war on Vietnam
Bengali Harlem and the Lost Histories of South Asian America
On the little known history of South Asian immigration into the US, focusing on two waves of Bengali people
Mountaineering: The Freedom Of The Hills
On the fundamentals of mountaineering. This book was my guide when I was training for climbing 6000m peaks in the Andes
Educated
On growing up in a survivalist Mormon household in Utah
Full Tilt
On the journey of a solo woman cycling from Ireland to India
The Question Of Palestine
On Palestinian struggle in the context of colonialism and orientalism. Nearly 50 years old but it still rings true
Between The World And Me
On race in America
They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky
On three Sudanese boys fleeing the civil war in Sudan and their fight for survival
Bend In The River
On an Indian trader's life growing up in the DRC
The Silk Roads
On the history of ancient trade routes across Eurasia
The Jakarta Method
On US cold-war era anti-communist interventions supported mass killings in the Global South, focusing on Indonesia and Latin America
Survival In The Killing Fields
On surviving the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia
Ghost Wars
On the CIA's covert involvement in Afghanistan from the Soviet invasion to the formation of al-Qaeda
Islamic Art In Cairo
On the architectural design and decoration of monuments in Cairo
Islamic Design
On the genius geometric patterns of craft traditions in the Islamic world
The Movie Art of Syd Mead
On the movie concept art of Syd Mead, the visual futurist behind Blade Runner
How To Hide An Empire
On US imperialism and how the US commits grave crimes against humanity while selling itself as an egalitarian democracy
King Leopolds Ghost
On the forgotten history of Belgium's brutal exploitation of the Congo
The Latehomecomer
On a Hmong family's foced displacement from the mountains of Laos to the US
The End Is Always Near
On historical events that almost ended in societal collapse
Lost Enlightenment
On the golden age of Central Asia
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
On the history of the world viewed through the lens of what people were drinking at the time (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, cola). A bit of a western-centric, anti-communist bent but still a fascinating read
The River Of Lost Footsteps
On the history of Myanmar, from its royal past, colonial rule, and the civil wars that followed
Endurance
On the true story of Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
On Frederick Douglass’s journey from enslavement to freedom
Robot Dreams
On human-robot relationships
Vagabonding
On how slow, open-ended, budget-conscious travel can reshape our perspectives on work and freedom
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!
On Richard Feynman’s unconventional life as a physicist
When Breath Becomes Air
On mortality through the lens of a neurosurgeon confronting terminal cancer
The Design Of Everyday Things
On how human psychology and good design principles shape how everyday objects are designed
Permanent Record
On how a sysadmin with a high clearance exposed global surveillance programs
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