The stories of ordinary citizens of the former USSR, who went through multiple political upheavals, which shaped their minds and lives. From idealism to just wishing to escape the system, people had different hopes. Quite a brutal read, but well worth it.
The world has seen five big extinctions in the last 500 million years, each of which led to the decimation of more than 75% of the species. But for the first time in history, we have a species which is capable of not just causing an extinction but being aware of it as well. I loved the book for the curiosity it evoked and adding a sense of romanticism in science.
A very interesting set of perspectives about living and being, referencing the thoughts of everyone from Nietzsche and Dostoevsky to Milton and Jung. I might not agree with a bunch of perspectives, but it did give me an opportunity to question my own value system and beliefs.
In Guns, Germs & Steel, Jared Diamond showed how and why civilisations unfolded differently across the globe. In Collapse, he uses a five-point framework to analyse why different civilisations collapsed. He cites examples from the past and then examines modern societies, their challenges and what leads civilisations to make disastrous decisions. Not an easy read, and the depth of research sometimes overwhelms, but an insightful read.
24 stories that showcase the power of imagination. Stories that include magic, science fiction, twisty fairy tales, and ghost stories. And a fair warning – “Many of these stories end badly for at least one of the people in them. Consider yourself warned”