From 1942 to 1945, Viktor Frankl survived four Nazi Concentration Camps by finding meaning in each moment. By discovering a steady source of meaning, Frankl transcended suffering and sustained his will to live. After WWII, Frankl returned to his psychiatric practice and helped individuals fill their ‘inner emptiness’ with meaning to eliminate despair and activate …
History
The Anglo-Saxons (2021) is a history of the Germanic warriors and settlers whose arrival in Britain in the sixth century changed the course of the island’s history. Beginning with the collapse of Roman rule, it charts the rise of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, their conversion to Christianity, and the gradual unification of the country that became known …
Science writer Mary Roach made a name for herself by examining the hidden, the unappreciated and the forbiddingly unappetizing. For this report, she embedded herself in obscure US Army research labs to learn seemingly mundane yet potentially lifesaving particulars of military science. Roach grants readers an overview of – and appreciation for – the enormous …
Foragers, Farmers, and Fossil Fuels (2015) argues that the values we hold most dear stem from one fundamental source: energy. While anthropologists have spent centuries attempting to understand differences between cultures, few have attempted to explain those differences. These summaries do just that. Introduction: Investigate the source of our most fundamental values. Where do our …
Ancient Egypt (2021) is a succinct introduction to the history and culture of one of humanity’s oldest civilizations. It touches on different aspects of Ancient Egyptian society and covers topics such as religion and mythology, the hieroglyphic writing system, and Egyptian ideas about death and mummification. Who is it for? Students of archeology or Egyptology …
Abortion and the Law in America (2020) offers a comprehensive legal history of abortion rights in the US. It highlights the social and cultural shifts that have contributed to the abortion debate and looks closely at the types of arguments invoked by both sides. Introduction: Learn how the abortion debate in the US has changed …
At the beginning of the 20th century, working-class women joined the glamorous radium-dial industry, eager to make the best wages of the day. But when these women began to experience mysterious illnesses and painful deaths, they never guessed that their dazzling new profession might be to blame. In this book review of The Radium Girls, …
The 1619 Project (2021) is an anthology of essays investigating the origins of the slave trade in America, and how it has shaped what the country would become. It’s also an exploration of how we create history, and how these stories shape our political present. The essays are accompanied by fictional excerpts and poetry, bringing …
Indigenous Cultures in an Interconnected World (2000) examines how globalization and new technologies are affecting indigenous peoples. It provides an analysis of the many opportunities and threats that globalization entails for indigenous societies, along with success stories of how indigenous activists are using technology to benefit their communities. The book’s chapters present the perspectives of …
Adrift (2022) argues that the United States is flailing, despite all its success and global dominance since World War II. It’s a country struggling to adapt to revolutionary changes in technology, facing deep economic and political divisions and threats of extremism, and quickly losing ground to rivals like China. Despite all of this, Scott Galloway …
