Digital Sextant

I read a bunch of nonfiction this year; here are the best of the bunch:

How To Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking for a New Age, by Theodore Schick

I don’t usually like to read text books for fun, but I really enjoyed Schick’s book.  He and his co-author do a great job explaining the role that critical thinking and skepticism play in the process of assessing claims and understanding the world.  The book is infused with humor and jaunty writing, and tackles serious things like evolution and vaccines, but also things like UFO sightings and ghosts.

History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier, by Deborah Lipstadt

Few things are more awful than Holocaust deniers, and Lipstadt’s book chronicles her trial in London after she wrote a book on the subject.  The story makes you feel angry and righteous, to revel in the glory of someone stading up for what’s right and kicking ass.  Plus, there’s a long court-room scene, and we all know how awesome those are.

Sway: The Irristable Pull of Irrational Behavior, by Ori Brafman

Brafman’s book explains many of the strange elements that influence our decision-making processes.  My favorite observation is the one that notes that the parts of the brain that assess altruism and finances can’t operate at the same time, so when you offer someone money for doing something altruistic, they’re less likely to do it.  The book also reminds us that we’re often willing to cut off our own noses to spite our faces.  An interesting book, with lots of neato tidbits.

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible, by A.J. Jacobs

Jacobs documents a year of exploring the challenges of Biblical minutae.  It’s genius.  There’s a delightful sequence in which Jacobs buys a portable chair so that he can be sure he’s not sitting in the same seat occupied by a woman who is menstruating (the Bible suggesting women are unclean during that phase of the month).  His wife, in a bit of pique, gives him some hassle by sitting on every chair in the house one evening.

More Information Than You Require, by John Hodgman

Like Hodgman’s earlier book, More provides a delightful cornucopia of knowledge that you didn’t know you needed.  Hodgman continues his path to WORLD DOMINATION through CAREFUL CAPITALIZATION.