bnfbc

[bnfbc]

The Wager - by David Grann - November 2024 - selected by Jachles

Gabe: "Decent, but kind of blurs with all the other stories of shipwrecked/cannibalism/18th-century seafaringness." B

Paul: "Grann, you've done it again. This was page-turning narrative non-fiction at its absolute best. Once the action took to the seas, it was really captivating stuff, culminating in the absolutely wild details of the in-fighting on the island and the miraculous escapes. From the Typhoid outbreak, to the scurvy and starvation, all the way to the eating of the seal blubber shoes, the grisly details are rich, vivid, and pretty much nonstop. In the hands of a gifted researcher and storyteller like David Grann, this material really lifts off." A

GPA: 3.50

[bnfbc]

Working - by Studs Terkel - October 2024 - selected by Gabe

Gabe: "I thought this book was pretty good. I really liked the broad array of professions Studs included, and often found myself forgetting that the job being described was from 50 years ago and not today. That, or realizing how obsolete some of the jobs are. My knock on the book would be how most of the interviews didn’t get into the meaning of the job for that particular person. I wanted more of that, because what there was was great." A

Paul: "Hugely influential when it first came out and still surprisingly relevant and enjoyable today. This hefty oral history doesn't have any of the qualities of a traditional page-turner, but there were many moments where I found myself binge-reading interview after interview in a strange 1970's-average-joe-induced trance. There are plenty of meaty themes to explore - the meaning of work, how we spend our time, race and gender dynamics, capitalism, people complaining about hippies - and I thoroughly enjoyed the exercise of looking for these themes among hundreds of loosely organized interview transcripts. Studs had a gift for getting people to speak their truth, and while his direct words are rarely on the page, this book still gives you a sense of his unique ability to connect with people. And if you're still not convinced to go snag a $130 copy of this book, maybe listen to my good friend Lin-Manuel Miranda, who somehow wrote two songs for a reboot of Working the Musical (how does this exist??)." A

GPA: 4.00

[bnfbc]

How to Catch a Mole - by Marc Hamer - August 2024 - selected by Krebs

Gabe: "Meh. I didn’t love the poetry or the poetic writing about moles and mole-catching, but I liked when he talked about aging and what that meant for him." C+

Paul: "I'm all for Marc Hamer's worldview (appreciation of nature, slow down, embrace aging), but as a book this really didn't do it for me. The poetic musings often felt pretentious and slapdash, and there wasn't much in the way of narrative storytelling or coherent scientific info. Respect to Marc for finding an audience for his unique style of nature writing, but it was a miss for me." C

GPA: 2.17

[bnfbc]

The Country of the Blind - by Andrew Leland - June 2024 - selected by Andy

Gabe: "This book was okay. I found the most interesting parts to be when the author was describing the different organizations and support systems that exist to help blind people, as well as their history and dynamics. I didn't love his philosophizing on what losing his vision might mean. Okay overall." B+

Paul: "First of all, Krebs and I listened to this entire book on bluetooth speakers while biking through rural Vermont. There was something magical about blaring a nonfiction audiobook on max volume while cruising through picturesque rural landscapes, so my overall impression of this book is probably slightly enhanced. It was a touch navel-gazey (even by memoir standards), but once I got into the flow, I really appreciated how thoughtful and analytical Leland was in telling the story of his own experience going blind. The interwoven big-picture historical context was helpful for the flow, and the details of the feuding American blindness organizations was particularly fascinating. There were moments that felt a little too summer 2020 (excessive use of intersectionality, many covid references, etc.), but there was also plenty of humor to offset some of the self-seriousness, as well as many legitimately touching moments, especially in the sections that explored how blindness affected his relationship with his son. Lastly, a quick bonus review from Jane Kriegler, whose husband is blind, and who also read this for her book club.

Me: What'd you think of the book?

Jane: Meh

My grade, however, is a..." B+

GPA: 3.33

[bnfbc]

Zero - by Charles Seife - May 2024 - selected by Tommy

Paul: "Props to Charles Seife for occupying the infinitesimal middle section in the Venn diagram of people who know enough math to write this book and people with a clear and lively writing voice who can actually bring it to life. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, which focused on the history of different mathematicians' and cultures' understanding of zero and infinity. The physics stuff was fascinating too, but even with some seriously admirable attempts to put things in simpler terms and provide clear diagrams, I was still pretty lost. And maybe at the end of the day, that's kind of the point?" B+

[bnfbc]

Wasteland - by Oliver Franklin-Wallis - April 2024 - selected by Paul

Andy: "Definitely thought provoking. I don't think most people think about their trash. The fact that we don't see where it goes isn't a good thing. I like how he talked about his realization about reduce, reuse, recycle. That it should actually be done in that order." B+

Gabe: "I really liked this book. I thought it was well organized, and that the author did a great job of pointing out the nuance in the world of waste. As in, not everything is cut and dry good or bad. My only knock was there felt like too much data out of context. But overall, a great book that left me feeling morally confused, which I liked." A-

Paul: "Fascinating look at what happens to our waste once it leaves our hands. Franklin-Wallis has a conversational writing style from his men's magazine days, which made this a lively and quick read. He also did admirable legwork to actually visit all of the places he reported on in the book, introducing us to a memorable cast of experts and freegan weirdos. There are no easy answers here, which can certainly feel disheartening, but reading this book was a great reminder of the power of simply buying less. So next time someone tries to shame you for wearing a 25-year-old Brighton lacrosse pinny, throwing your food waste in hole in your backyard, or licking a plate clean at a restaurant, just know that you are absolutely doing the right thing." B+

GPA: 3.44

[bnfbc]

The White Death - by McKay Jenkins - March 2024 - selected by Jachles

Andy: "This was an enjoyable read for me. It didn’t feel like it dragged on too long and the author did a good job setting the scene. I felt I was in Glacier National Park with the rescuers. I enjoyed that background on avalanches which I didn’t know much about." B+

Gabe: "I liked this book." B+

Paul: "This book tells the tragic story of five teenage mountain climbers who were killed in one of the worst avalanche disasters in American history, while also weaving in a scientific and cultural overview of avalanches in general. Jenkins does a good job of respectfully honoring the legacy of the climbers by telling their story in a very human way. The best parts of the book for me were the philosophical and poetic musings about man's relationship with mountains, and while I left this book feeling absolutely no desire to ever go mountain climbing, it provided a fascinating and empathetic look into the psyche of people who feel a spiritual calling to climb." B+

GPA: 3.33

[bnfbc]

How to Hide an Empire - by Daniel Immerwahr - February 2024 - selected by Gabe

Gabe: "I generally liked this book. I thought it was pretty interesting and covered a topic I knew little about. It did feel like the author spent too long on the history of the Philippines and Puerto Rico without ever really getting into the current situation there, but I thought the part about standards was awesome and super eye opening to think about." B+

Paul: "Well-written, insightful, and funnier than a 400-page book about American Imperialism had any right to be. Immerwahr has a lively writing style that made this fresh perspective feel even fresher. I found the first half a bit more engaging, as it followed a chronological timeline and provided surprising detail and context that definitely wasn't covered in Mr. Lutterbein's AP American history class. The second half consists of more standalone chapters, many of which were quite interesting (shoutout to the crowd-pleasing chapter about standardization), but I found it lost some momentum towards the end." B+

GPA: 3.33

[bnfbc]

Nature's Best Hope - by Douglas Tallamy - January 2024 - selected by Krebs

Paul: "I've been on the anti-lawn train for years, so this book was really preaching to the choir, but it was some damn good preaching. By replacing our lawns with native plants that encourage biodiversity, we can help the environment, save money, and bring the joys and beauty of nature to our doorstep. Seriously, what's stopping us!? Tallamy is a clear and concise science communicator, and his passion for nature came through on just about every page. I particularly enjoyed the FAQ section, where Tallamy seemed to shed his gentle environmentalist persona, unleashing some savage clapbacks on his (hypothetical?) haters." B+

GPA: 3.33

[bnfbc]

2023 Year in Review

Books by GPA

The Perfect Mile - 3.47

Huey Long - 3.33

California Burning - 3.13

Pale Horse Rider - 3.07

The WEIRDest People in the World - 3.00

Beaverland - 2.53

Fight Like Hell - 2.33

The Gray Lady Winked - 2.13

Andy's Top Three

The Perfect Mile

Pale Horse Rider

Huey Long

Gabe's Top Three

The Perfect Mile

Huey Long

The WEIRDest People on Earth

Jachles's Top Three

California Burning

Pale Horse Rider

Huey Long

Paul's Top Three

Huey Long

The Perfect Mile

Pale Horse Rider

Tommy's Top Three

The Perfect Mile

The WEIRDest People on Earth

California Burning

Non Book Club Books and Articles We Enjoyed in 2023

Andy:

You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy

Finding Ultra by Rich Roll

Attention Span by Gloria Mark

The Self-Driven Child by William Stixrud and Ned Johnson

Gabe:

The Last Action Heroes by Nick de Semlyen

Billionaire Wilderness by Justin Farrell

Labyrinth of Ice by Buddy Levy

Jachles:

Did Demolition Man Predict the Millenial? by Kabir Chibber from The New York Times

Paul:

Stay True by Hua Hsu

How to Read Nancy by Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik

Wail: The Life of Bud Powell by Peter Pullman

The Number Ones by Tom Breihan

Left Back by Diane Ravitch

Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith

The Garden State Parkway's Jon Bon Jovi Rest Stop is Playing Fast and Loose With Famous Quotes by Dan McQuade from Defector

Tommy:

Helgoland by Carlo Rovelli

Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter

We're all Stochastic Parrots by Goutham Kurra

Why AI Will Save the World by Marc Andreesen

A Pointed Angle by Meera Subramanian from Orion Magazine

[bnfbc]

The Perfect Mile - by Neal Bascomb - November 2023 - selected by Andy

Andy: A

Gabe: "I thought this was a pretty good book overall. I liked how it bounced around between the three main guys, and appreciated how it gave a window into sports of that era. The book did feel repetitive in structure, but I get how that added to the dramatic tension of who would break the 4-minute mark." B+

Jachles: B+

Paul: "Well-written, entertaining, and (mostly) uplifting story of the race to break the four-minute mile barrier. The biographies of the three men are interwoven with dramatic recaps of the key races, which Bascomb skillfully narrates with drama and excitement. He talks a lot about this particular moment marking an end to the "amateur era" of sports (for better and worse), and I think the writing style is also evocative of the pre-TV era of sports, when a sportswriter's primary objective was to make you feel like you are in the stadium, soaking up the sights and sounds." B+

Tommy: B+

GPA: 3.47

[bnfbc]

The WEIRDest People in the World - by Joseph Heinrich - October 2023 - selected by Tommy

Andy: B

Gabe: "I thought this book started pretty slow, and found the first 40% or so quite repetitive. Once he made the transition to exploring how the church’s marriage and family policies grew into our WEIRD society, though, I thought the book really took off. Great discussion, too." B

Paul: "When I first picked up this book, looked at the title, and began reading the introduction, I totally thought it was a thinly veiled argument for white supremacy. After reading the book, it's clear that that was never Heinrich's intent, and he does eventually acknowledge all the horrible things that western cultures have done in recent history. But there is a certain tone-deafness in the introduction of his thesis - "hey you, you're WEIRD! Isn't that crazy!" - that I could never quite shake. The argument itself is quite compelling, and I ended up feeling pretty convinced that the western way of thinking is highly unusual and has had a tremendous impact on the world, for better and worse. Was it necessary to include literally hundreds of scatter plots involving cousin marriage to convince me of this thesis? Maybe! Did the scatter plot about blood donations vs. cousin marriage lead me to immediately make an appointment to donate blood? Absolutely!" B

Tommy: B

GPA: 3.00

[bnfbc]

Pale Horse Rider - by Mark Jacobson - August 2023 - selected by Paul

Andy: A-

Gabe: "I liked this book quite a bit at first, as it was fun and interesting to read about aliens and JFK and the rise of Bill Cooper into pop culture. I lost interest as the book went on, though, as it became clear that mostly the book was a paraphrasing or cliff notes version of Behold a Pale Horse and not much of anything in the way of analysis. Foiled again by a subtitle." C

Jachles: B+

Paul: "I learned of this book a few years ago when a man on the street roped me into a 20 minute lecture about numerology, hidden messages in dollar bills, and (according to him) the ultimate source of truth - William Cooper's Behold a Pale Horse. When I got home and googled it, Mark Jacobson's New York Magazine article about Cooper's influence on hip hop culture was the first thing to pop up, and I quickly devoured it. Similar to the article, this book is a whirlwind of pop culture, history, sociology, and just plain weirdness. In a single paragraph, Jacobson may bring up Ol' Dirty Bastard, ancient Babylonian texts, and secret government files about aliens. Cooper himself comes off as a troubled and tragic figure, but it was fascinating to think about his influence on the current landscape, where misinformation and conspiracy theories run rampant." B+

Tommy: B

GPA: 3.07

[bnfbc]

California Burning - by Katherine Blunt - June 2023 - selected by Jachles

Andy: B

Gabe: "I found this book to be a bit of a miss. The author breezed over very complicated parts of PG&E or energy regulation, and was then repetitive in unnecessary ways. I appreciate that it gave me a more nuanced understanding of my local utility, though, and how it got to where it's at today." B-

Jachles: A-

Paul: "The scary thing about this book is that it didn't seem like the people at PG&E were doing anything particularly malicious. The combination of outdated infrastructure, climate change, and the limitations of relying on capitalism to provide basic human needs, has sadly resulted in tragedy for California. While it's tempting to say that this is a uniquely Californian problem, it seems like it's only a matter of time before these types of events become common elsewhere. The writing is crisp and journalistic, but attempts to build human drama fell a bit flat for me. Definitely worth reading as a strong warning about a problem that's not going away any time soon." B+

Tommy: B

GPA: 3.13

[bnfbc]

Huey Long - by T. Harry Williams - May 2023 - selected by Gabe

Andy: A-

Gabe: "I loved learning about Huey, as I knew nothing about him before this book. It was incredibly detailed, and I felt like it did a good job capturing his personality. What was missing for me, though, was an overarching retrospective analysis of him, his actions, and his policies/beliefs. The ending - where I expected to find that - was incredibly disappointing, in that the book rapidly ended with his death. I was left wanting more, which I'm not sure is a sign that overall this was a good book or not." B

Jachles: B+

Paul: "This was our first foray into the world of extremely thick, old-school biographies NOT written by Robert Caro. While T. Harry certainly doesn't have the story-telling chops and flair for dramatic that make Caro's 1000-pagers so zesty, there's still a lot to like here. First of all, Huey is a fascinating figure. T. Harry opts for a pretty straightforward narrative approach, but there are rich thematic elements to unpack in Huey's life, and it made for a great discussion. The writing style felt old-fashioned and dry, but luckily there were enough outrageous moments like the iconic Long Island Urinal Incident to provide us some zing. Lastly, reading a behemoth of a book like this always results in a sense of accomplishment, and while it didn't end well for Huey (spoiler alert - he dies!), reaching the final pages of this book gave me a feeling of satisfaction I haven't felt since the Caro days." A-

Tommy: B

GPA: 3.33

[bnfbc]

Fight Like Hell - by Kim Kelly - March 2023 - selected by Krebs

Andy: “This book didn't do it for me. There was too much information and it felt very redundant. Kelly should have focused more on certain people to build up interest. I did find at the end of the book it picked up steam when it was talking about people with disabilities as well as the sex industry.” B-

Gabe: “I didn’t absorb any details at all from this book, but appreciate the reminder of how many people worked so hard for so long to secure union rights in their respective industries. I also thought it was intriguing to think about prisoners and sex workers unionizing. Overall too repetitive in structure and shallow in depth to really enjoy it, though.” B-

Jachles: C

Paul: “Kim Kelly, who famously lives on the same block as my friend Sarah AND the chicken man, set out to document the history of labor through the lens of marginalized groups like women, people of color, queer and trans people. The purpose is admirable, and there were some very interesting stories and chapters (flight attendants, prisons, sex workers, etc.), but it did not make for a particularly engaging or enjoyable book. Particularly in the early chapters, it reads like a Buzzfeed list of “Top 200 forgotten labor heroes,” where each story is only given about 2 pages before we’re introduced to brand new people and events. This structure made it tough to build momentum while reading and rendered many of the individuals forgettable simply due to the lack of depth.” B-

Tommy: C-

GPA: 2.33

[bnfbc]

Beaverland - by Leila Philip - February 2023 - selected by Andy

Andy: “Fascinating creatures. Not an amazing author. The parts that interested me the most were when she was writing about the ecological impact beavers have. Some of the history around trapping was cool too.” B

Gabe: “I was really disappointed by this book. It felt merely beaver-adjacent, and very little of it seemed like it was actually about beavers or their natural history. Not a worthwhile read, in my opinion.” D+

Jachles: C+

Paul: “Pretty similar to Robbing the Bees, this is another attempt at an overview of a fascinating creature and its relationship to humans. While not quite as good as it could have been, once again the subject matter was so compelling that I found this to be a pretty enjoyable read. I particularly liked the parts about the history and modern-day practice of fur trapping and the ecological implications of beavers as they re-emerge in big numbers. I wish there had been a more thorough examination of the events that led to the near-extinction of the beaver, and while this didn’t quite get into the heady territory of Of Wolves and Men, it certainly ranks above The Soul of an Octopus in the BNFBC animal book power rankings.” B+

Tommy: B-

GPA: 2.53