Books: March 2020 Update
Here are some more book reviews. This batch was full of some great reads:
Doing Good Better
MacAskill's explanation and justification of effective altruism is another book that will make my list of the most important books I have read while in Senegal. Effective altruism is the process of donating your time and money in a way so as to help the largest number of people. The most effective charities are hundreds of times more effective than a typical (or "average") charity. This means that by carefully choosing which organizations we give our time and money we can do an incredible amount of good, even with limited resources. In addition to providing a common sense framework to evaluate charities, MacAskill discusses how to evaluate our consumer choices (Fair Trade, sweat shop clothing), career choices (NGO work, politics, earning to give), and choice of which cause to support (global poverty, climate change, etc.) in order to make the biggest difference in the largest number of people's lives. If you regularly donate any money to charity, put this month's donations on hold until you pick up this book and learn a new perspective on how to donate your money most effectively.
The Goal
Echoing the praise on the book's back cover, if you told me that this book about the operations of a manufacturing plant would keep me up late at night, I would have said you were crazy. I finished this 330-page paperback in about a day and a half, even bringing it into my bed at night to read with a flashlight (this is pretty high praise from me, as I usually only read my Kindle in bed to avoid the inconvenience of positioning both a flashlight and a book).
The Goal is a book about the Theory of Constraints, a method for optimizing the production of a manufacturing facility (incidentally, the ToC can also be applied to many other types of problems, as we see in the novel). Though it is clear that the "plot" of this novel is a thin veil constructed for the explicit purpose of explaining the application of the ToC to a variety of situations, its fictionality makes it all the more believable. Written as a textbook, this story would have been sleep-inducing rather than a detriment to my resting. I wonder if this book is required reading for very many (or any) Industrial Engineering programs. If no, it surely should be.
The Two Towers
I remember this movie being the least exciting of the three Lord of the Rings, but the book does not mirror this sentiment. The first part of The Two Towers follows Merry and Pippin as they escape their orc captors and flee to Fanghorn, the forest of the Ents. They eventually reunite with Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli's party, who have helped the men of Helm's Deep defend their turf from an oncoming hoard, after defeating Saruman. Gandalf, mysterious as ever, returns to the group just in time for th action. Part two describes Frodo and Sam's journey toward Mordor. There are plenty of captivating events throughout The Two Towers that did not appear in the movie. True to his style, Tolkien shrouds some aspects of Middle Earth in just enough mystery to make me want to learn more. I don't think I will be able to hold off reading The Return of the King for very much longer.
The Color Purple
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel set in the American South in the first half of the 20th century follow the lives of two sisters as they go through a series of discoveries about race, sexuality, and family. At times heartwarming--but more often heart-wrenching--Walker's novel well deserves its prize. The diction of the narration and dialogue was a little tough to get used to, but it perfectly fits the various characters and their difference in education, gender, and backstory. I will leave out any discussion of plot here because the book is short and had a few unexpected twists that I do not want to spoil. I found The Color Purple much easier to read than other novels with similar themes (Beloved, Their Eyes were Watching God) that I read in high school (granted, I am much older now, so those others deserve another read). This book will also make my list of top books in Senegal. It should be required reading for every American, especially those of us who are not black and did not grow up in the South.
Murder Must Advertise
A British mystery novel about an advertising firm, a cocaine supply chain, and an undercover detective whose task continues to grow as he learns what he has gotten himself mixed up in. Surprisingly readable (other than a little bit of British slang) despite being written in the 1930's. This book that I randomly picked up in the Dakar Peace Corps transit house had an interesting plot and lived up to its Britishness--for what piece of English literature would be complete without afternoon tea and a cricket match?
The Razor's Edge
This wonderful novel by W. Somerset Maugham follows the story of Larry, a young man who travels the world to search for meaning in his life after flying in WWI. We hear about Larry's life through his interactions with the narrator (the author) and with his love interest, whose family is extremely wealthy and part of all the right circles in Paris, London, and Chicago. In the middle of the action is Elliott Templeton, a snobbish art dealer whose character, despite his arrogance, is lovable because of his genuine concern and care for his family. Larry's introspection sheds light on the importance (or lack thereof) of keeping up with the "important" people in society. I highly recommend this novel if you have an interest in post-WWI high society or are looking for a relatively light-hearted book that discuses the search for meaning in life.
The Street Lawyer
Another great legal thriller from John Grisham; this one centers around lawyers who work on behalf of the homeless. If you are new to Grisham, start with The Partner--I found its plot twists more exciting than those in The Street Lawyer.
Doing Good Better
MacAskill's explanation and justification of effective altruism is another book that will make my list of the most important books I have read while in Senegal. Effective altruism is the process of donating your time and money in a way so as to help the largest number of people. The most effective charities are hundreds of times more effective than a typical (or "average") charity. This means that by carefully choosing which organizations we give our time and money we can do an incredible amount of good, even with limited resources. In addition to providing a common sense framework to evaluate charities, MacAskill discusses how to evaluate our consumer choices (Fair Trade, sweat shop clothing), career choices (NGO work, politics, earning to give), and choice of which cause to support (global poverty, climate change, etc.) in order to make the biggest difference in the largest number of people's lives. If you regularly donate any money to charity, put this month's donations on hold until you pick up this book and learn a new perspective on how to donate your money most effectively.
The Goal
Echoing the praise on the book's back cover, if you told me that this book about the operations of a manufacturing plant would keep me up late at night, I would have said you were crazy. I finished this 330-page paperback in about a day and a half, even bringing it into my bed at night to read with a flashlight (this is pretty high praise from me, as I usually only read my Kindle in bed to avoid the inconvenience of positioning both a flashlight and a book).
The Goal is a book about the Theory of Constraints, a method for optimizing the production of a manufacturing facility (incidentally, the ToC can also be applied to many other types of problems, as we see in the novel). Though it is clear that the "plot" of this novel is a thin veil constructed for the explicit purpose of explaining the application of the ToC to a variety of situations, its fictionality makes it all the more believable. Written as a textbook, this story would have been sleep-inducing rather than a detriment to my resting. I wonder if this book is required reading for very many (or any) Industrial Engineering programs. If no, it surely should be.
The Two Towers
I remember this movie being the least exciting of the three Lord of the Rings, but the book does not mirror this sentiment. The first part of The Two Towers follows Merry and Pippin as they escape their orc captors and flee to Fanghorn, the forest of the Ents. They eventually reunite with Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli's party, who have helped the men of Helm's Deep defend their turf from an oncoming hoard, after defeating Saruman. Gandalf, mysterious as ever, returns to the group just in time for th action. Part two describes Frodo and Sam's journey toward Mordor. There are plenty of captivating events throughout The Two Towers that did not appear in the movie. True to his style, Tolkien shrouds some aspects of Middle Earth in just enough mystery to make me want to learn more. I don't think I will be able to hold off reading The Return of the King for very much longer.
The Color Purple
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel set in the American South in the first half of the 20th century follow the lives of two sisters as they go through a series of discoveries about race, sexuality, and family. At times heartwarming--but more often heart-wrenching--Walker's novel well deserves its prize. The diction of the narration and dialogue was a little tough to get used to, but it perfectly fits the various characters and their difference in education, gender, and backstory. I will leave out any discussion of plot here because the book is short and had a few unexpected twists that I do not want to spoil. I found The Color Purple much easier to read than other novels with similar themes (Beloved, Their Eyes were Watching God) that I read in high school (granted, I am much older now, so those others deserve another read). This book will also make my list of top books in Senegal. It should be required reading for every American, especially those of us who are not black and did not grow up in the South.
Murder Must Advertise
A British mystery novel about an advertising firm, a cocaine supply chain, and an undercover detective whose task continues to grow as he learns what he has gotten himself mixed up in. Surprisingly readable (other than a little bit of British slang) despite being written in the 1930's. This book that I randomly picked up in the Dakar Peace Corps transit house had an interesting plot and lived up to its Britishness--for what piece of English literature would be complete without afternoon tea and a cricket match?
The Razor's Edge
This wonderful novel by W. Somerset Maugham follows the story of Larry, a young man who travels the world to search for meaning in his life after flying in WWI. We hear about Larry's life through his interactions with the narrator (the author) and with his love interest, whose family is extremely wealthy and part of all the right circles in Paris, London, and Chicago. In the middle of the action is Elliott Templeton, a snobbish art dealer whose character, despite his arrogance, is lovable because of his genuine concern and care for his family. Larry's introspection sheds light on the importance (or lack thereof) of keeping up with the "important" people in society. I highly recommend this novel if you have an interest in post-WWI high society or are looking for a relatively light-hearted book that discuses the search for meaning in life.
The Street Lawyer
Another great legal thriller from John Grisham; this one centers around lawyers who work on behalf of the homeless. If you are new to Grisham, start with The Partner--I found its plot twists more exciting than those in The Street Lawyer.
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