Books For Humanity

There are books you love for yourself, the ones that weave stories to your liking, with characters to whom you form a bond, perhaps a series whose whimsical story got you through a dull period of life.

Then there are the books that you love for humanity. You love that they exist because they spread a message so valuable that you wish everyone on earth would read them. These aren’t simply your favorite books. These are your best books. The following list is comprised of books like this, books whose content I think give everyone a keen and unique lesson. I’m sure this list will update over my life (if it doesn’t, I’m doing something wrong), and it’s very possible that I’m forgetting some, in which case I’ll bolt upright in bed later this week and stress about if, further delaying a peaceful sleep. C'est la vie. But, for now, these are the books I’ve read that left a lasting impression on me, and whose content gives readers a fresh lens on some misunderstood, overlooked facet of life:

1. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

   This memoir is told through the eyes of the author, a man working in Montgomery as an attorney for inmates on death row who have been wrongly accused. It’s easy to sit back and feel comfortable that there is a justice system in place that reviews evidence, makes objective decisions, and punishes criminals. The book taught me just how much scrutiny we must keep that system under. It’s rife with prejudice, politics, coercion, selfish interests, and unspeakable wickedness. To read this is to understand just a fraction of the horrors faced by a man sentenced to death for a murder he didn’t commit. Stevenson includes a few other stories of similar miscarriages of justice. It’s a heavy read. It hurts to accept that this all took place in my home state in the 1990’s. Though, why does the year matter? An attempt to steal a man’s life from him is as evil in 1993 as it is in 1393. This book serves as an important reminder that left unchecked, a justice system will not be just.

2. 1984 by George Orwell

   Yes, this one gets quoted all over Twitter every time the government decides to hire a new custodian. It’s tough to put our identity politics aside these days, but if you can, you’ll see this book is simply excellent in its warning against authoritarianism. Its use of clever concepts such as doublethink evoke reflections on cognitive dissonance. Its display of the manipulation of truth is as relevant today as it was when written, and its last line offers a chilling look at the reality of a governing body being both feared and loved.

3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

   I’m not alone in seeing this as a sort of literary counterpart to the rigid authoritarianism of 1984. Where Orwell’s book sees a power that relies on brainwashing, strict laws, and fear, Huxley’s sees one that uses assimilation, programmed social norms, and creature comforts. The people in power dose the masses with so much pleasure and comfort that they would never try to pull a fast one on their government. It rings truer today than most imagined dystopian futures. The use of soma, a feel-good drug that erases anxiety and discomfort, is doled out to the people. Something got you down? Pop a soma. Feeling a little nervous about something? Pop a soma. Angry? Stressed? Bored? Soma. Sounds a bit like a comforting scroll through Instagram to fill those few seconds of boredom, or a stiff drink to mask any feeling of stress or sadness. We’ve got more addictive comforts today than we can count, and it isn’t without reason. After all, “give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.”

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

   Taking a hard pivot from authoritarian dystopia, this coming-of-age story is told through the eyes of Charlie, a troubled, caring, deeply perceptive boy, as he navigates his first year of high school. I can’t say exactly what you’ll get out of it, but for me, it’s a discerning look at friendship, selflessness, honesty, and trauma. If anything, it helped me to understand what it’s like to be someone who suffers in ways different than I do. In fact, it’s the best book I can think of that has allowed me to see from another’s point of view. It’s a beautiful, painful, endearing novel.

5. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

   This book is fascinating. In typical Gladwell fashion, he draws on stories from real human experience, with a healthy dose of expert insight, to craft a fresh perspective. I love his books, because they make me question stuff I didn’t even realize was questionable. Blink helps me to understand the way the human brain operates under pressure, the way it thinks and processes stimuli, and frankly, why the hell it decides to do something. If you have a human brain, you’ll love this book.

6. The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel

   What a fun read. Housel makes the topic of personal finance so digestible that you’ll be turning pages faster than you could imagine any self-help book could have you do. I don’t even feel like I’m reading a book on personal finance. I feel like I’m reading expert perspectives on the human psyche. It’s the type of reading that exposes me to thoughts I haven’t had in depth, but that seem so obvious after reading. It’s entertaining, enlightening, and full of unique insights and helpful stories from a guy who understands wealth, and the schoolyard game we all play without realizing it.

7. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

   Knowing nothing of this book, I randomly stuffed it into my backpack before leaving for a solo trip abroad. Little did I know that the main character travels to many of the same cities in which I found myself. The book played a large part in my decision to explore Morocco. Perhaps that amplifies its remarkable importance to me. Nonetheless, I think most people will find value in it. It reads like a fairy tale of old. It’s mysterious and mythical. For anyone who has lost touch with the more spiritual side of the human condition, I recommend this book. Coelho spins a tale of hardship, triumph, and self-discovery that often left me in what felt like an altered state of consciousness. I’m one of those people who loves to see a good book turned into a movie, but if this one is, I may have to skip. There’s something so intangible about the otherworldly, esoteric feel of the story that I feel trying to pull it off of the pages would be the artistic application of Hemingway’s line, “you’ll lose it if you talk about it.” Of course, I’m open to being wrong.

So that’s the list, for now. If you have any that you think fit this bill, send them my way. Like I said, the list needs adding, or I’m doing something wrong.