me.micahrl.com books

Machine Vendetta (The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies Book 3)

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Reynolds, Alastair

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2026

Elysium Fire (The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies Book 2)

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Reynolds, Alastair

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

Aurora Rising (The Prefect Dreyfus Emergencies Book 1)

Fri, 26 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Reynolds, Alastair

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Erving Goffman

ISBN

9780140135718

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

This book was recommended as a follow-up to Impro. It was interesting, but much drier than Impro and harder to get through.

Drink Your Way Sober: The Science-Based Method to Break Free from Alcohol

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Katie Herzog

ISBN

9781637747407

Book Data

Google Books

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

Really enjoyed this book. Part interesting personal stories, part science journalism. Recommended even if you aren’t in the market for a way to quit drinking.

The Trauma Myth: The Truth About the Sexual Abuse of Children – and Its Aftermath

Sun, 02 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Susan A Clancy

ISBN

9780465016884

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

A heavy subject, but was intrigued by the surprising premise. Linked to this book via this post.

Selfish Reasons to Have More Kids

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Bryan Caplan

ISBN

9780465023417

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

I read this book for the subtitle: “why being a great parent is less work and more fun than you think”. It’s permission to chill out about making sure your kid gets into an accelerated preschool or whatever.

Unwanted Advances

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Laura Kipnis

ISBN

9781788732581

Book Data

Google Books

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2025

Pale Fire

Sun, 23 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Vladimir Nabokov

ISBN

9780679723424

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Tags

vgbc

Read

2025

I loved this. It was high enough art that I could tell I was missing some references, but good enough art to be immensely enjoyable on an unfamiliar read. The kind of book you shouldn’t read much about without spoiling anything.

The Art of Insubordination

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Todd B. Kashdan

ISBN

9780593420898

Book Data

Google Books

Buy

Amazon

Read

2025

Not what I expected from the title. More focus on building agreement and staying true to your values, with the actual act of dissenting as almost an afterthought. Last chapter was probably a bit provocative for 2021. Unnecessarily cheesy throughout. I’m skeptical of much of the social science it cites.

Angelology: A Novel (Angelology Series Book 1)

Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Trussoni, Danielle

ISBN

9781101189986

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Tags

vgbc

Read

2025

Read this in our book/game club. It was too silly for me, but it met the requirement of being easy to read after The Iliad.

Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Keith Johnstone

ISBN

9781136610455

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2024

Everyone is right about this — especially the first section on power dynamics is really amazing.

Rise and Kill First

Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Ronen Bergman

ISBN

9781400069712

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2024

Getting Things Done

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Author

David Allen

ISBN

9780143126560

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2024

The Iliad (Wilson)

Sat, 26 Oct 2024 09:46:00 -0500

Authors

Homer
Emily Wilson - translator

ISBN

9780226470382

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Tags

vgbc

Read

2024

I bought both the Kindle and Audible versions so I could read where possible and listen in the car to stay caught up. The audio version was a lot more compelling and easier to get into.

The reviews are right: the translation is modern and easy to read compared to others. It doesn’t feel like reading ancient prose.

On the Iliad itself: it was hard to appreciate as a layperson. I’ll lean more heavily on guides or textbooks the next time I read something this unfamiliar.

See also:

Author page

Blackletter: Type and National Identity

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Authors

Peter Bain
Paul Shaw

ISBN

1568981252

Book Data

Open Library

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Paul Shaw - Wikipedia

Read

2024

See also:

Paul Shaw Letter Design Shop Page

The World Turned Upside Down: A History of the Chinese Cultural Revolution

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Authors

Yang Jisheng
Stacy Mosher - translator
Guo Jian - translator

ISBN

9780374716912

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Abandoned

2024

I started reading this to understand the Cultural Revolution, but as I progressed I realized it wasn’t helping. The motivations of the regular people are utterly opaque to me, and the book describes intense violence with the passion of Levitical dietary requirements.

Unfinished so far. It does describe the motivations of the high level players like Mao and his subordinates well. I might come back to it later.

The Anxious Generation

Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Jonathan Haidt

ISBN

9780593655030

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2024

Radical Chic and Mau Mauing the Flak Catchers

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Tom Wolfe

ISBN

9781429961189

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2024

See also:

The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind

Mon, 01 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Julian Jaynes

ISBN

9780618057078

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2024

See also:

The Canceling of the American Mind

Sat, 09 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Authors

Greg Lukianoff
Rikki Schlott

ISBN

9780241645574

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Greg Lukianoff - Wikipedia

Read

2023

You Must Remember This

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Kat Rosenfield

ISBN

9780063207417

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Elsewhere

Read

2023

Inhibitor Phase (Revelation Space)

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Reynolds, Alastair

ISBN

9780316462778

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2023

I Never Thought of It That Way

Fri, 14 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Mónica Guzmán

ISBN

9781637740330

Book Data

Buy

Amazon

Read

2023

The Lifestyle Investor

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Author

Justin Donald

ISBN

9789390441358

Book Data

Google Books

Buy

Amazon

Read

2023