2021 Book Review

I ended my 2020 Book Review saying that I was going to aim to listen to 52 books in 2021. I haven't quite met that challenge, only managing 50, but a round number is better. Full list at the end.

My Top 3

The top 3 this are:

Adults in the Room - Yanis Varoufakis

A horrifying account of how the EU works behind the scenes. Exposes its pure free market, Chicago school approach to capitalism, a million miles from any left wing credentials held by some of elected politicians within the EU or some of its policies it champions to keep the populations happy and supportive.

Permanent Record - Edward Snowden

Another horrifying story that should be a work of fiction, a modern day 1984 that sends shivers down your spine as you think "at least its not real" but unfortunately, this is real, this is the world we live in. Nothing is private, even turning your phone off doesn't stop Governments using it to see or hear you. And the US government is recording and storing everything all the time. Just because you have nothing to hide does not make this right.

Snowden exposes some of it, and he's the criminal. Funny world.

Utopia For Realists - Rutger Bregman

Others which could have easily been in Top 3 in any other year:

Reimagining Capitalism - Rebecca Henderson

A good book, that takes a real moving and unexpected twist in the last 15 minutes which I found really moving. So much so I recorded it here:

Doughnut Economics

Brilliantly explains how we need to make our capitalist system better for all of us.

Sex Robots & Vegan Meat

An unexpectedly good book telling separate stories about meat that doesn't involve animals, the development and use of realistic robots and babies without pregnancy. Fascinating stories, all which may feature heavily in our near future.

1984

Orwell is such a clean and simple writer. There is almost nothing that dates his writing bar the fact that we now realise that he under estimated the scale of the surveillance and how the state privatised it to companies rather than do it themselves.

This Land

Owen Jones insider view of the infighting within the Labour party and probably the reason its unable to get itself together to present a decent opposition party.

Environmental

On the environment, the XR book was far better than I was expecting, Greta's book was good as was Naomi’s (thats what I call her). I didn’t want to enjoy it but Bill Gates book on climate change but it was good. He is a clear communicator and not an environmental scientists so can frame things in a clearer language as I explained

Alan Partridge is essential listening for me for a small minded petty, middle aged gammon like me, and I was listening and Loling at all his books.

Marcus Aurelius musings were brilliant, and Mythos by Stephen Fry was far more engaging and interesting than I was expecting.

The full list: