The Robinson Reading Report is back for the July edition! It certainly is getting hot, at least where I am, as we’re in the midst of summer. I like to “cool off” my mind by reading some good books, which I will Here’s a quick rundown of the RRR for those of you just tuning in.
Similar to Gabe’s Reading List, the Triple R will list my favorite books I read during that month. The RRR will come out on the last day of the month, and Gabe’s will come out on the first day of the next month. That way, we have both reading lists on separate days.
The Robinson Reading Report is, for all intents and purposes, my version of Gabe’s Reading List. It will list my top picks that I read, along with the book cover and the Amazon link. And that’s about it. Just a quick head’s up, I don’t read a lot of novels or fiction, but mainly educational-related, facts/trivia, or nonfiction. Also, all books listed below were rated at least 4/5 by me, with one Six Star book at the end. With that, let’s get started with the July edition of the Robinson Reading Report!
Prisoners of Geography | Tim Marshall
I was recently in my “geopolitics phase” and I wanted to find a book that suited my interests. Many people recommended Prisoners of Geography, and after reading it myself, I can definitely recommend it. Marshall’s no-nonsense writing makes the book easy to understand. The book lists 10 major regions of the world, with 10 maps to accompany them, and Marshall explains the geography of each region and how that influences the politics there. From Crimea, to the contested South China Sea, and even to the Arctic. Marshall explains in detail the history of each place on earth and the current events and tensions that relate to them. Critically acclaimed by many, Prisoners of Geography is heralded as one of the best books on geopolitics, and I definitely recommend it.
Cars: Freedom, Style, Sex, Power, Motion, Colour, Everything | Steven Bayley
Many of us use cars every day, from getting to work or school, or grocery shopping, or meeting with other people. But have you ever pondered the design of your car, or other cars, for that matter? That’s what Bayley aims to do in his book. With a fairly lengthy but interesting introduction, Cars jumps into the design, origin, history, and reception of numerous cars, from the Ford Model T in 1903 all the way to the BMW in 2003. With excellently-photographed pictures of not of the car’s general design but also the inside and the many components, coupled with writing from a man who truly loves automobiles, Steven Bayley shows us how cars can truly represent the best things in life.
The Tipping Point | Malcolm Gladwell
We all remember certain trends and fads in our lives; one of the more prominent ones a few years ago being fidget spinners. A lot of us “hop on the bandwagon” and follow these trends, but it is interesting to see how they start. Gladwell’s acclaimed book takes us through just that. Emphasizing the need for every successful trend to have three main people (Mavens, Connectors, and Salesmen), The Tipping Point shows how “social epidemics” reach the Tipping Point. Gladwell describes concepts such as the Law of the Few and the Stickiness Factor to measure how well a trend catches on, as well as real life examples where those concepts are seen and put into practice. Chronicling many famous trends and fads, The Tipping Point provides new insight to the world of social epidemics.
Succeed on your own Terms | Herb Greenberg & Patrick Sweeney
A lot of us want to be successful in a lot of things, whether it be with money, a house, a car, social life, or the like. But we must first define what success is, and the truth is that the definition of success is up to us. This great book by Greenberg and Sweeney reveals that to us. Starting with an account of Greenberg going blind and how he overcame that, the book interviews many people in fields such as business, health, sports, and government, highlighting character traits that are found in many people we consider successful. Their stories are revealed to us in an easy to understand manner, and with accounts of how they fought their battles, we can get new insight in how to fight our battles. Succeed on your own Terms is a fantastic book, and I believe we can all use it to refine our definition of success.
Brave New World | Aldous Huxley
I wanted to read this timeless classic by Huxley, about a society where humans are genetically engineered to serve a ruling “World State”, a world where love is forbidden and where society is strictly ordered into different social classes. While this book is no doubt a good book that I believe everyone interested in it should read, I was disappointed by the lack of gripping elements in it. I found myself sometimes having my mind wandering around or thinking about other things while I read the text, which I feel sometimes wasn’t completely clear at some points. It might just be me, but I feel that Brave New World was a little disappointing. But it is no doubt a classic book about a society that might not be too far away, and I recommend it.
Conspiracy Theories
Conspiracy theories, whether you believe in them or discount them, are nonetheless interesting to read (well, except for the completely absurd ones). There are many famous ones, as well as some lesser known ones, and Conspiracy Theories explains them all. From events such as the Kennedy assassination, to the Loch Ness Monster, to the September 11 attacks, this book has them all. Neatly divided into sections for your reading pleasure, it covers other topics such as royal mysteries, strange aerial occurrences, and deaths that we still investigate today. Conspiracy Theories explains these mysteries in brief passages, and with many illustrations and pictures, I recommend it,
Cold War | Taylor Downing & Jeremy Isaacs
History is a fascinating subject, and one I particularly enjoyed in school. While there are countless periods in history, one of the more famous ones is the Cold War, a standoff between the East and the West that fortunately didn’t culminate in nuclear war, but it did leave many people dead and in poverty. But this book by Downing and Isaacs chronicles the Cold War, starting from the Russian Revolution to get some context, and ending all the way in the 90s with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The book describes the many crises, wars, and events that occurred during the Cold War, and with little tidbits described in more detail along the way, this book by Isaacs and Downing is a great piece of literature for anyone wishing to learn more about history.
*Six-Star Book*
Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer
I’ve heard of mysterious cases and disappearing people before, but I’ve never heard a tale so strange as Christopher McCandless, the main subject of Into the Wild. The book follows McCandless’s rambunctious and ultra-adventurous journey through life, trekking through the desert, surviving on just rice and water, and meeting countless people along the way. McCandless’s life eventually culminates in his decision to hitchhike to Alaska (which he did successfully), and his desire to live out in the wild. He did for a while… until his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. With a very gripping writing style, and an attention for detail not found in many books, Krakauer does a fantastic job of chronicling the life of this mysterious fellow, and this book is well deserving of the Six-Star status.
The Congressional Report 