Fear and loathing in Zimbabwe
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the NPR program Fresh Air. Thanks to them, over the years I’ve discovered countless great nonfiction books like Wide as the Waters, The Murder Room and Lost...
View Article2013 Middle East Reading Challenge
Over the last several years Helen, one of my favorite book bloggers, has hosted the Middle East Reading Challenge. Not only has her reading challenge been a fun and intellectually stimulating...
View ArticleCousin K by Yasmina Khadra
As we all know, the Most Interesting Man in the World doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers Dos Equis. Therefore, in keeping with that spirit of singular exception, I don’t always...
View ArticleThere is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan
After decades of civil war, the small African nation of South Sudan finally achieved independence in July of 2011. One would think that a nation so young could not inspire a literary anthology. Well,...
View ArticleAfrica Reading Challenge: The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski
A few years ago, Kinna hosted the Africa Reading Challenge. As one would probably guess, its purpose was to inspire people to read books about Africa, set in Africa and or by African authors. Knowing a...
View ArticleAbout Time I Read It: Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
Why oh why did I wait so long to read Black Hawk Down? Published in 1999, Mark Bowden’s book received critical praise and was a commercial success, in addition to inspiring a 2001 motion picture...
View ArticleBooks About Books: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
A book entitled The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts has got to be a bibliophile’s dream. About a year after seeing reviews of Joshua...
View ArticleAbout Time I Read It: Strange Days Indeed by Francis Wheen
The President of the United States is an uncouth, unhinged bigot prone to late night diatribes against the media, minorities and political rivals. In the wake of his recent electoral victory, rumors...
View ArticleThe Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World by Maya Jasanoff
I’ve never read any Joseph Conrad, but like a lot of people I was unknowingly introduced to his writing thanks to the wonders of Hollywood. I was exposed to Heart of Darkness courtesy of Apocalypse...
View Article20 Books of Summer: War on Peace by Ronan Farrow
When chosing a book to read I usually take backcover praise with a grain of salt. But when Ian Bremmer says it’s a “must-read” I take notice. That’s all it took for me to grab a copy of Ronan Farrow...
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About Time I Read It: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
When it comes to book recommendations, never underestimate the value of word of mouth. Had it not been for a friend’s recommendation, I might never have read great books like Special Topics in Calamity...
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About Time I Read It: An Appetite for Wonder by Richard Dawkins
Some staff member at my favorite local library must be a fan of Richard Dawkins because for weeks a copy of the esteemed scientist’s 2013 memoir An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist had...
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About Time I Read It: The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan
I love books that make me fundamentally rethink how I understand the world, specifically how we got here and even where we’re going. The first of these kind of books I read was probably Europe: A...
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About Time I Read It: Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden
Why oh why did I wait so long to read Black Hawk Down? Published in 1999, Mark Bowden’s book received critical praise and was a commercial success, in addition to inspiring a 2001 motion picture...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Books About Books: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
A book entitled The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts has got to be a bibliophile’s dream. About a year after seeing reviews of Joshua...
View ArticleClik here to view.
About Time I Read It: Strange Days Indeed by Francis Wheen
The President of the United States is an uncouth, unhinged bigot prone to late night diatribes against the media, minorities and political rivals. In the wake of his recent electoral victory, rumors...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Dawn Watch: Joseph Conrad in a Global World by Maya Jasanoff
I’ve never read any Joseph Conrad, but like a lot of people I was unknowingly introduced to his writing thanks to the wonders of Hollywood. I was exposed to Heart of Darkness courtesy of Apocalypse...
View ArticleClik here to view.
20 Books of Summer: War on Peace by Ronan Farrow
When chosing a book to read I usually take backcover praise with a grain of salt. But when Ian Bremmer says it’s a “must-read” I take notice. That’s all it took for me to grab a copy of Ronan Farrow...
View ArticleClik here to view.
About Time I Read It: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
When it comes to book recommendations, never underestimate the value of word of mouth. Had it not been for a friend’s recommendation, I might never have read great books like Special Topics in Calamity...
View ArticleClik here to view.
About Time I Read It: An Appetite for Wonder by Richard Dawkins
Some staff member at my favorite local library must be a fan of Richard Dawkins because for weeks a copy of the esteemed scientist’s 2013 memoir An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist had...
View Article