Why Buddhism is True - Robert Wright

Awesome. Approaches the meditative benefits of buddhism with unflinching scientific inquiry, with a side of personal anecdotal evidence that feels inspiring and yet achievable. Made me incredibly motivated to give meditation a real chance, and incorporate it into my life as much as possible.

Uncanny Valley - Anna Wiener

Resonated with me so hard! Great literary look and perspective at the cultural aspects of SV which are so hard to fully wrap your head around, especially as an outsider (in this case, a woman). Small representative detail: loved how she didn't use company names and contribute to common mythology, but stripped things down to their most basic (and absurd) cores.

Why We're Polarized - Ezra Klein

I love Ezra Klein so much and this further reinforced that! Great mix of analytical, systems thinking mixed with values of curiosity and humanity that really resonate. Has really fundamentally shaped how I think about American politics in a way that I am really grateful for - I'm now able to much more effectively drown out the noise and think about why things happen the way they do.

In the Dream House - Carmen Machado

Beautiful prose, really connected me with queer identity. Such a quick & easy read, which is surprising for its intense subject matter of domestic abuse. I really appreciated the quirky chapter format for its unassuming depth and the way it deftly straddles the line of taking itself seriously and not too seriously at all.

Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Stunning book. Made me remember why I love fiction so much. It's hard for me to even put a description into words (there's a good quote in there expressing annoyance at people asking what a novel is 'about'), but there is so much beautiful attention given to race, culture, love, identity, and life. It's just so enjoyable to get sucked into the characters of Ifemulu and Obinze, and to linger over Adichie's effortless words.

Venus Envy - Jon Wertheim

A re-read for No Challenges Remaining book club. Takes a deep look at the 2000 WTA season and is chock-full of amazing anecdotes and player access that doesn't seem possible in today's world. Despite the cringey title, this is a really good summary of why women's tennis can be so exciting, as well as a good primer on the structure of the tours. I wish that a version of this book was written for every single year of the tour, because the twists and turns are better than any Netflix show out there.

10 Arguments For Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now - Jarod Lanier

Quick, thought-provoking book from an eccentric Silicon Valley thinker. Seems to get a lot of things right, particularly about why the manipulative targeted advertising business model at the core of Facebook & Google is the source of many of their problems. It worked reasonably well to focus in on this group of "BUMMER" companies, despite not discussing other SV problems (which do exist, e.g., monopoly). Even as they all run together, some of the arguments ("social media hates your soul", "...is destroying your capacity for empathy", "...is making you an asshole") are particularly eye-opening. Overall, a sharp information-framer that made me (at least) continue to severely restrict my use of social media. Particularly motivating to take control of my own life during this uncertain time, and refuse to cede to feudalism!