In no particular order:

Steven Pinker – Enlightenment Now:

An astonishingly interesting book, detailing (with copious data to back it up) all the reasons to think positively about the progress made by humanity as a result of the intellectual revolution known as The Enlightenment. It is so refreshing to read something that focuses on the immense rises in human flourishing over the past few centuries, rather than on the perceived nightmare world that we commonly think ourselves to inhabit as a result of media saturation. This is a heavy academic tome, so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to everyone, but if you’re willing to put in the work, this is one of the most rewarding books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

Christopher Hitchens – Hitch 22:

As with most autobiographies, you won’t get as much out of this book if you’re not already a fan of Hitchens, although it seems inarguable that he lead an incredible life. As for me, he remains one of my all-time intellectual heroes, and I consider him one of the greatest orators and polemicists of our age, so I liked it a lot. Any student of the English language stands to gain a great deal from this work. His legendary way with words shines through on every page, and it’s fascinating to hear from the man outside of his regular range of mostly adversarial settings. He name-drops a lot and recommends a lot of good reads. I plan to read his books on Clinton and Kissinger next.

Vincent Bugliosi – Helter Skelter:

I thought I knew what the Manson murders were all about, until I read this book. Written by the actual prosecutor of the criminal case against the Manson family, it goes into infinitesimal detail about every aspect of the case and yet somehow manages to stay a page-turner. The incredible cultural significance of the event is portrayed beautifully, as well as the minutia of the horrific crimes at its centre. Somehow managing to keep its sense of humour amid such gripping detail as well, it really is impressively written. I would recommend this volume to everyone.

George Carlin – Last Words:

Another of my heroes, George Carlin, was a phenomenally interesting man. I would recommend his stand-up comedy to absolutely everybody, and this book to anybody that likes it. He goes into great depth in examining his upbringing, relationships, tribulations, and the honing of his craft throughout his entire life, and he does it with a brutal honesty that is characteristic of everything we’d expect from a person such as him (as if there were any other). A really interesting read, giving a true glimpse into the mind of a once-in-a-generation comedic genius.

Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt – The Coddling of the American Mind:

Like most people these days, I’m fascinated by the societal currents and events that influence our collective psychology, such as the effects of social media, the transformation of Western education, and the ways that political division seeps ever further into the cracks of our everyday relationships. This book does a wonderful job of approaching these subjects with a data-based, evidential lens, and creating an easily understandable framework through which to view the changes that our society is experiencing. It doesn’t overreach, but it covers all these important topics with a depth and breadth that is highly impressive. It’s comforting to know that there are people out there, such as these authors, putting in the legwork to parse these difficult subjects in a non-partisan and intellectually honest way.

Jonathan Haidt – The Righteous Mind:

Similarly to the above title, this book aims to explain some of the psychological phenomena that govern our actions, words, and thoughts. The focus of this book is on the relationship between reason and emotion, the conscious and unconscious minds, thought, action, and truth. It gently guides the reader to some fascinating conclusions which, if we’re honest with ourselves, we already knew, somewhere behind our egoistic notions of how right we are about everything. The author shows how most reasoning most of the time is not performed in the search for truth (as we would like to think), but rather as a post-hoc justification for the conclusions we would prefer to reach based on our emotional state, political and social allegiances, and personality type. It is a book that anyone with strong opinions should read, as we all need to be reminded to question our own righteous motives from time to time.

Dominic Frisby – Daylight Robbery:

I was first introduced to Dominic Frisby through his Youtube channel and clips of his stand-up comedy. He’s really funny. So it was cool to discover that he’s also an expert on money, markets, and taxation (some of which he discusses in his videos). This book is a deep dive into the history of taxation and the ways in which its many permutations and iterations have shaped humanity’s world and destiny. The story is told with great humour and irony, but I also learned a lot. I’d recommend this read to anyone who’s curious about state power and the subtle and surreptitious ways in which it is exercised.

Hunter S. Thompson – Hell’s Angels:

I’m a big fan of drugs. And so, like most of us in that clique, predictably, I’m also a fan of Hunter S. Thompson. That’s not to say that his content can only be enjoyed by the buzzed mind. I’m also a huge fan of counter-culture, of non-conformity, of intellectual and artistic mavericks, and of excellent and entertaining writing. Hunter is an iconic exemplar of all these things. Hell’s Angels is a gnarly journey following the growth and vicissitudes of the motorcycle club movement in America. Through Thompson’s trippy lens, we’re introduced to many colourful and often vicious and upsetting characters on both sides of that cultural divide, and the wild anecdotes he tells provide a real potent taste of the culture in that time and place. After finishing it I feel like I’ve gained a new level of understanding of that world, deeper even than shows like Sons of Anarchy (which is really good) can provide.

Hunter S. Thompson – The Rum Diary:

I’m also a big fan of drinking! This book differs somewhat from the previous one, in that it’s more of a novel. Hell’s Angels reads like an investigative news report delivered by a wasted wordsmith. The Rum Diary is a little more like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in that it’s hard to tell exactly how much of it is autobiographical and how much pure fiction. I can totally believe that the mad drunken exploits that take place in the book were lifted directly from Thompson’s real life, but it’s hard to say. Either way, I really enjoyed it! As with everything he writes, the comic timing of his storytelling shines through here, and throughout the book he wonderfully paints a sweat-drenched, manic picture of a beautiful place at a turbulent time. I also watched the movie and liked it quite a lot. Johnny Depp as Hunter (Paul Kemp, but you know, basically just Hunter) is an incredible performance as it was in Fear and Loathing.

Philip K. Dick – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep:

This is one of those novels that I knew the same one thing about that everybody else knows: it’s the book that Blade Runner is based on. I’d already read a couple of Dick’s (tehe) other novels, so I knew I’d enjoy this one… and I did! I was surprised by how different it is from the movie series. I wish they’d left in all the stuff about owning electronic pets. As with his other works, it’s a bit of a head-fuck in places, but that’s why we read him isn’t it? All in all, a really solid entry into the catalogue of Dick.

Philip K. Dick – The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch:

Speaking of head-fucks – this one is a whole-ass trip through and through. I really enjoyed the high-concept sci-fi nonsense in this book, with mind-melding, astral projection, timey-wimey shenanigans; it has everything! It was kind of hard work to understand what was happening in places, but that doesn’t bother me. If you’re already a fan of Dick (lmao), or generally of complex techno-future world-building, give this one a go.

Philip K. Dick – Our Friends From Frollix 8:

I really imbibed a lot of… Philip this year, huh. A friend of mine wrote his undergrad dissertation on this author, and since then I’ve been a fan. Along with Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, Isaac Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke, Dick’s novels are exemplary of the type of Science Fiction that I enjoy. Frollix is another really solid sci-fi-y, world-building-y, future-y, outing, rich in imagination and whacky concepts. In my opinion, slightly less memorable than The Three Stigmata, but maybe that’s just because I read them back to back. Either way, again, if this sounds like your cup of space goo, I’d recommend you give it a try.

Haruki Murakami – Norwegian Wood:

This is one of those really novely novels, you know? Know what I mean? Like the writer already knew that the book had a place in the literary canon before they’d even finished writing it. A strange kind of super-self-awareness that seeps through the page. I always felt that way about Ian McEwan for some reason. Something almost too deliberate and planned about it. I did really like it though! This is my first read of Murakami’s stuff. I’m going to read Underground next. Apparently this one is more reserved than some of his others. It’s a straight up love story, except it’s a triangle, and also everyone’s really angsty and suicidal. I wouldn’t say it was a particularly fun book, but the characters were charming and the relationships sensitively handled, and some of his descriptions truly awed me with how powerfully their imagery was conveyed. A palpable cascade of emotions radiates from this story throughout, and the beautiful use of language made it a really rewarding read.

Gad Saad – The Parasitic Mind:

Professor Saad is another character I first encountered on Youtube. He has a lot of interesting things to say about the hypocrisies that abound in our society, the proliferation of faulty ideas, and the nitty-gritty of why our public sphere is such an incredibly kazuistic and inauthentic place. I must say, though, that I don’t think this work properly conveys the seriousness of his positions. I was a little disappointed at the salty tone and shortage of citations, despite agreeing with most of his analysis. I suppose he was aiming for a mainstream audience, and his public persona is quite a confrontational one, and so he felt that he needed to write in a more sensational and ranty fashion. Whatever the case, I would recommend other books on similar topics before this one. The Madness of Crowds by Douglas Murray and 12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson are both good (not perfect, mind you. Chill).

Charles Bukowski – On drinking:

I bought this book, not realising that it isn’t actually a single book written by Charles Bukowski. It’s a collection of his quotes and poems on the subject of drinking. It was still pretty cool, but without context it was a bit of an unsatisfying read. I should have done my research and just bought the separate works from which the quotes were taken.

Charles Bukowski – Ham on Rye:

So I did! Ham On Rye is a fascinating novel. It tells a gruesome (I think mostly autobiographical) story about growing up in the lower echelons of a depraved society and doing life-long battle with the darkness that it ingrains in you. The stark descriptions of the mostly nasty and unsympathetic characters in the novel are given with a fantastically fatalistic wit, which prevents the book from becoming too depressing. As any second year uni stoner in a dark incense-filled room with scant furniture and a guitar with 3 strings can tell you, Bukowski is a strange and enigmatic figure, a misunderstood genius, equal parts a poet and a punch in the face, an eager martyr to the gods of booze and the life of flow. This one was long overdue, and I definitely intend to read more of his stuff soon.

Terry Pratchett – Discworld books 1-4:

I’ve embarked on a hell of a journey by starting this series, but on the bright side each novel is a self-contained adventure and very enjoyable on its own. Apparently they can be read in any order, but I’m going in the order of publishing (as I presume the author intended). The whimsical and happy-go-lucky nature of the world and characters, and the fun-steeped tone of the narration make these books really enjoyable. They remind me a lot of Douglas Adams’ novels, which are very dear to me, in terms of their humour, wholesomeness, and heart. I’ll get through the next thirty or so books eventually, but probably not before next year’s list.

Alan Watts – The Way of Zen:

Alan Watts truly is one of my favourite people, living or dead. I’ve spent countless hours listening to his collected speeches and lectures online. The Wisdom of Insecurity is one of my favourite books of all time. It would be accurate to describe me as a mega-fan. This book is a thorough and meditative analysis of the history, practices, symbols, and lessons of Zen. It wonderfully guides the reader to a better understanding of that enigmatic way of life, while doing the best job possible of elucidating the more counter-intuitive and mysterious aspects of the worldview at the heart of Zen. I would recommend it to anyone who’s willing to put a bit of work into understanding the nuance and subtlety of this topic.

Alan Watts – The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are:

This book is a little broader and more modern than the previous one. It encapsulates one of the salient truths of Watts’ philosophy, the idea that we are all laboring under a powerful illusion distorting our self-regard. It carefully separates the concept of the self from the self itself (you follow?). The naturalistic flow-state of one who is not overly concerned with the idea of themselves as a stand-alone entity, who recognises the illusory quality of the boundary between what is inside and outside their own skin, is differentiated from the stilted existence of those who spend their lives confusing money for wealth, miles for distance, status for fulfillment, measurement for measured, and on and on. This is an important distinction not only on a personal level, but a societal one too, and I would recommend this book to everyone with a bit of curiosity in them about the deeper nature of consciousness and the human experience.

Lawrence M. Krauss – The Physics of Climate Change:

Oh boy, there was a lot of physics in this book. Lawrence Krauss is an incredibly smart man. I’ve watched his lecture, A Universe From Nothing (available on Youtube), many times, and each time I feel like I’m following along while he’s speaking but shortly afterwards can’t seem to remember any specifics. Maybe I’m just not that smart. I went into this book expecting a layman-friendly explanation of the broad-strokes of climate science, and I suppose that is what I got, but it was still a lot heavier than I was prepared for. I very much appreciated the non-condescending tone, the evidence based conclusions, and the neutral smug-free voice that the book employs. As with so many important issues which have unfortunately been subsumed by the ubiquitous culture wars these days, I completely agree with the mainstream scientific positions on climate change but can’t stand the patronizing, histrionic, and sanctimonious cadences which tend to accompany them. Thankfully, those aspects are completely absent here, and I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the topic. But be warned, it will require you to think (shock-horror!).

Yuval Noah Harari – Sapiens:

More popular science! This one a little more sociology and anthropology (so, much less thinking required. Sue me). This is a book with a somewhat loose thread running through its many pages, that of the history of the development of our species. I call it loose because Professor Harari does a fantastic job of weaving into it a massively diverse range of topics which have at various points intersected humanity’s journey to the current day (next year I intend to read the follow up, Homo Deus, which explores the potential twists and turns that that journey will take in the future). He explores the actual evolutionary process that lead to our sub-species becoming dominant, the various stages of pre- (and just plain old) history ramping up to modernity, and the challenges that our contemporary societies face. I’d describe it as a very comfortable read – nice and deterministic. It tells a mostly straight-forward narrative about humanity’s progress and comes to some fairly satisfying conclusions about our destiny. Definitely worth your time.

Michel Houellebecq – Atomised:

I read many books at uni. The week when I was supposed to read this one, I partied instead. Ten years later, I have finally righted this wrong. Are you proud, Dr. Leeson? Anyway, I thought it was pretty good. I previously read Submission by the same author (you can find my full review of it on this blog). I preferred that one, to be honest. Atomised was even more stark and depressing, its two protagonists even more pathetic and depraved. It was a bit of a difficult read, although very darkly humorous in places. I did really enjoy the ending section which blasts off into complete absurdity but delivers a surprisingly cohesive conclusion to the story. On the whole, though, there wasn’t enough to keep me fully invested throughout.

J.R.R. Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings Trilogy:

Amazing! Obviously! I read the hobbit as a kid, and I’m a big fan of the Peter Jackson movies (not so much the Hobbit trilogy). I gave up on Rings of Power after 2 episodes but will probably go back and finish it at some point. I’ve heard some people say that the books are a heavy read and a bit overly wordy. I didn’t find this to be the case, but then again if you’ve read any of my other writing you’ll know I’m a little verbose myself. The world building and depth of lore in these books is truly incredible. The arc of the story stretching the three novels is awe-inspiring in its pure archetypal brilliance. It’s no wonder that the legacy of this trilogy can still be felt in all of Western fantasy fiction. I loved the characters, the setting, the history, everything… even some of the songs.

Fyodor Dostoevsky – Notes From Underground:

Ooo so edgy! This one was a strange experience. I read Crime and Punishment when I was a young teenager, and found it to be brilliant. I’ve heard great things about The Brothers Karamazov and intend to read it next year. This story was of a different class than those. It’s an exploration of a troubled mind like Crime and Punishment, but it doesn’t have much of a plot in the same way. It reads to me as very much of its time. It’s a character study of a lonely, bitter, self-absorbed and vengeful man, but I felt like I had gotten the point after the first few pages, and from there not much happened. I imagine it was much more of a novelty to a contemporaneous audience. It was well written and introspective, but I did find it a bit of a slog.

Stephen Fry – Mythos, Heroes, and Troy:

Amazing! Fantastic! Sensational! Stephen Fry is, of course, a national treasure, and just an all-round wonderful human being. From Fry & Laurie, to Jeeves & Wooster, to Blackadder, To QI, to his various film roles, to even his rare and eloquent debate appearances, he has ever been a warm presence in my life. Similarly, the mythology of the ancient Greeks has always been there for me. I had some version of the stories of Hercules, Persephone, Prometheus, Icarus, Jason and all the rest on audiotape as a kid. The movie adaptations are many – Troy, and Disney’s Hercules are my personal favourites – as are the video games, such as God of War, Spartan: Total Warrior, Hades, and others. And so, in this series of books two incredibly potent forces of wonderment, high-fantasy, historical literacy, and the joy of knowledge that are close to my heart come together in a most excellent fashion. The stories are woven together in an extremely digestible way, with the author’s signature wit and clarity, without losing any of their original complexity, depth or potency. And he’s not done! The Odyssey is expected to be published next year. Absolutely everyone should read this series.

Jimmy Carr – Before and Laughter:

Aaand finally… This book takes an interesting approach to its content, aiming to be both autobiography and self-help. Jimmy uses his own journey from marketing drone to comedy legend to illustrate to the reader the lessons he’s learned along the way and to try and distill from them some universal advice for achieving success (whatever that is). It’s a noble effort and I admire it, but as someone who’s read a lot more self-help books than autobiographies, it fell a little flat for me. As a comedy book, it’s great, full of the hilarious taboo-crossing one-liners that the author is known for. As an autobiography, it’s alright. He goes into a fair amount of detail about his childhood, his mother, his two careers, and the processes of comedy, but I was still left with a feeling that he had held a lot back. As a self-help book, it’s admirable but quite disorganised and lacking a central thread. It’s made up of 1-3 page sections, which seem like they could have been assembled in any order, and the rapid-fire conclusions that he comes to feel a little bit token and rushed. That said, I’d still recommend it if you’re a fan of his comedy (or you can just watch him on a podcast and get basically the same experience).

Also a bunch of comic books and graphic novels which I can’t be bothered to review:

The Boys, Invincible, The Sandman, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, From Hell, and Maus were all really good. The League of Extraordinary Gentleman was kinda weird (I actually quite like the Sean Connery movie though. Sue me again).

Written and published – December 2023

Photo by Gülfer ERGİN on Unsplash