Well Read Four graduating students share books that resonated with them during their college career.
Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer
The Lost Wolves of Japan by Brett L. Walker
The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit
Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World by Timothy Ferriss
Author Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, explores how faith in ghosts, aliens and other phenomena — even by scholars — persists in the post-Enlightenment age. Even as Shermer debunks illogical claims, he notes that skeptics and believers share one trait: hope in the face of uncertainty, vulnerability and fear. He says, “This hope is what drives all of us — skeptics and believers alike — to be compelled by unsolved mysteries, to seek spiritual meaning in a physical universe, desire immortality and wish that our hopes for certainty may be fulfilled.”
The modernization of Japan had disastrous consequences for one of the country’s most worshipped animals. For centuries, wolves were considered protectors and valued for fending off wild boars and deer from crops. Indigenous people created charms in the creatures’ image to ward off disease or bring fertility to couples. But in the 18th century, as Japan moved toward modernization, people began to view wolves as threats. By 1905, as a result of poisoning and over-hunting, the animals were extinct. Author and scholar Brett L. Walker examines the historical, cultural and environmental elements behind the loss.
According to one reviewer, the latest book by recognized author and activist Rebecca Solnit offers “exactly the quality of thinking that has been missing in American civic life this past election cycle.” Through humor and sharp analysis, Solnit’s follow-up to “Men Explain Things to Me” explores the gender binary, rape jokes and how sexual violence thrives in silence. “My suggestion is to read Solnit as though you are thirsty and her book is a glass of water,” says one reviewer. “Then go out and talk to some of the women you know about what you read and ask them what they think. And then listen to them.”
Recommended by Jose Fausto ’18, international studies major, who says the book “opened my eyes to the importance of advocating for sustainability.”
Recommended by Megan Hinzdel JD ’18, who says the book addresses “the power of the words we speak and the stories we tell.”
Losing loved ones can turn life upside down — and push you to find what matters most. After several people close to him died in one year, New York Times bestselling author and podcast star Timothy Ferriss wanted to navigate his life better. So, he asked the world’s top actors, sports stars and entrepreneurs 11 critical questions and collected the answers. More than 100 people, including Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz and Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova, offer their secrets to success, happiness and meaning. Among them are the best purchases of $100 or less, how to overcome failure and bounce back towards success, and how to achieve clarity on your purpose and assess your priorities.
Recommended by Sierra Wilson ’18, pre-health major, who read it during her College Colloquium class with Professor Roberta Bigelow.
Recommended by J. Connor Maloney ’17, MBA ’18, who describes it as “a cookbook of success stories.”
Illustration by Jane Mount 34
SPRING 2018