An impressive reading list! I've heard of most of them, read excerpts from several, but only read a few from the list (I have been in a book-reading slump).
A few recommendations (1) as a companion to the rationalism books I'd recommend _Superforecasting_ by Gardner and Tetlock. It's slightly older (and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other books reference it), but mostly about the process of deciding how and when to change one's mind (the recommend being willing to make frequent small adjustments. So that, if you think "A" is likely to be true you don't want until you get to the point of saying, "I now think A is unlikely to be true" to register that you've changed your mind -- try to identify the points at which you think "I now think A is less likely to be true" than I did before.
I also recommend _High Conflct_ by Amanda Ripley. It has so much overlap with the topics you've been interested in, it might feel familiar, but worth reading. I've also heard recommendations for _Conflict Is Not Abuse_ by Sarah Schulman, but haven't read it myself.
Also, two slightly more off-the-wall recommendations. You might like _Maybe You Should Talk To Someone_ by Lauri Gottleib. Very readable (even bingeable; I read it on a short trip and it was perfect), it threads together her own experience going through a life crisis with stories of some of her best work as a therapist; it's a compelling description of the power of listening (to others and to oneself).
I should note, that I'm not religious, and have almost no religious education so you should take my recommendation with many grains of salt. It was easy for me to come to it. "as if I was reading it for the first time," so his style worked well for me, but I also think he's a very good writer.
A couple notes on the books you mention that I have read. I liked _Why We're Polarized_, and have recommended it to people, and I think you misrepresent it slightly with your summary:
"Klein makes the claim that Republicans are uniquely motivated by racial resentment (aka racism) and the rising tide of non-white immigrants. As I’ve explored previously, I feel like this is overly simplified and a major blindspot for Democrats, of which Klein is unapologetically one. This blindspot leads Klein to wrap the book by basically saying, 'well, if our choice is polarization or racism, I guess I’m picking polarization.'"
Klein doesn't arrive at a choice between racism and polarization because of the current debates between Democrats and Republicans (though I'm sure it was on his mind). The book presents that as an central historical thread -- racism was one of the major factors _reducing_ polarization in the mid-century (with racists and liberals in both parties), and one of the major costs of the low-polarization environment was that it often built a consensus by excluding racism as a topic of discussion.
I found _Lies That Bind_ interesting, and the major thing I found myself thinking about, after reading it, were how frequently movements for social change often contain both a reformist thread that want to fix existing social categories to make them function better and a radical element that wants to blow up some of the existing categories. For example, second wave feminism includes both a celebration of femininity (women are good, strong, and should be re-centered) which reinforces the idea of "woman" as an important category, along with more radical critiques.
I appreciated all of the examples that Appiah pulled together of people complicating binary identities (and I think that's an important point to make) and I also found myself thinking about the flip side of many of stories are people saying, "I believe in this identity and I want to make it fit better, or function better."
That thought doesn't lead me to a specific conclusion, except that I think that's also part of appreciating human connection and diversity.
I enjoyed cultish very much too. She did use “BIPOC” somewhere in there and I can’t remember off the top of my head but there were a couple other tells, as you say. I really wish she’d had the audacity to do a little exploration down that alley.
I’m wondering if you have a top 3, or 5? An idea of which of these books you’d recommend first/most highly.
I love the King quote, and it makes me likely to tackle that one first (after I finish a couple of books dealing with my primary obsession: movies).
I’ve read both Scout and Ghettoside and heartily agree with your recommendation of them. And though I haven’t read the Haidt or McWhorter books, I’ve read so much of those gentlemen online that I feel I may already have the gist. Really enjoy both.
So glad you’ve surfaced again. I’m curious about whether (or how) you “consume” books. Did you read any physical books on your list & if yes how did that alter your perception?
I enjoyed this review and appreciate that it included books written from a variety of perspectives. I often read or listen to podcasts for pleasure, so my reading/listening tends to become slanted to particular viewpoints. But you rightly highlight that we should listen to the "other side" sometimes to challenge and refine our thinking.
An impressive reading list! I've heard of most of them, read excerpts from several, but only read a few from the list (I have been in a book-reading slump).
A few recommendations (1) as a companion to the rationalism books I'd recommend _Superforecasting_ by Gardner and Tetlock. It's slightly older (and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the other books reference it), but mostly about the process of deciding how and when to change one's mind (the recommend being willing to make frequent small adjustments. So that, if you think "A" is likely to be true you don't want until you get to the point of saying, "I now think A is unlikely to be true" to register that you've changed your mind -- try to identify the points at which you think "I now think A is less likely to be true" than I did before.
I also recommend _High Conflct_ by Amanda Ripley. It has so much overlap with the topics you've been interested in, it might feel familiar, but worth reading. I've also heard recommendations for _Conflict Is Not Abuse_ by Sarah Schulman, but haven't read it myself.
Also, two slightly more off-the-wall recommendations. You might like _Maybe You Should Talk To Someone_ by Lauri Gottleib. Very readable (even bingeable; I read it on a short trip and it was perfect), it threads together her own experience going through a life crisis with stories of some of her best work as a therapist; it's a compelling description of the power of listening (to others and to oneself).
Finally, your mention of the Rezla Azlan, makes me think you might enjoy Andrew Rilstone's blogging the Gospel of Mark: http://www.andrewrilstone.com/2019/03/the-gospel-according-to-st-mark.html
I should note, that I'm not religious, and have almost no religious education so you should take my recommendation with many grains of salt. It was easy for me to come to it. "as if I was reading it for the first time," so his style worked well for me, but I also think he's a very good writer.
A couple notes on the books you mention that I have read. I liked _Why We're Polarized_, and have recommended it to people, and I think you misrepresent it slightly with your summary:
"Klein makes the claim that Republicans are uniquely motivated by racial resentment (aka racism) and the rising tide of non-white immigrants. As I’ve explored previously, I feel like this is overly simplified and a major blindspot for Democrats, of which Klein is unapologetically one. This blindspot leads Klein to wrap the book by basically saying, 'well, if our choice is polarization or racism, I guess I’m picking polarization.'"
Klein doesn't arrive at a choice between racism and polarization because of the current debates between Democrats and Republicans (though I'm sure it was on his mind). The book presents that as an central historical thread -- racism was one of the major factors _reducing_ polarization in the mid-century (with racists and liberals in both parties), and one of the major costs of the low-polarization environment was that it often built a consensus by excluding racism as a topic of discussion.
I found _Lies That Bind_ interesting, and the major thing I found myself thinking about, after reading it, were how frequently movements for social change often contain both a reformist thread that want to fix existing social categories to make them function better and a radical element that wants to blow up some of the existing categories. For example, second wave feminism includes both a celebration of femininity (women are good, strong, and should be re-centered) which reinforces the idea of "woman" as an important category, along with more radical critiques.
I appreciated all of the examples that Appiah pulled together of people complicating binary identities (and I think that's an important point to make) and I also found myself thinking about the flip side of many of stories are people saying, "I believe in this identity and I want to make it fit better, or function better."
That thought doesn't lead me to a specific conclusion, except that I think that's also part of appreciating human connection and diversity.
Thank you 😊💗
Glad to see Haidt on here. IMO the top book on this list.
I enjoyed cultish very much too. She did use “BIPOC” somewhere in there and I can’t remember off the top of my head but there were a couple other tells, as you say. I really wish she’d had the audacity to do a little exploration down that alley.
Thank you, Marie, good to hear from you again.
I’m wondering if you have a top 3, or 5? An idea of which of these books you’d recommend first/most highly.
I love the King quote, and it makes me likely to tackle that one first (after I finish a couple of books dealing with my primary obsession: movies).
I’ve read both Scout and Ghettoside and heartily agree with your recommendation of them. And though I haven’t read the Haidt or McWhorter books, I’ve read so much of those gentlemen online that I feel I may already have the gist. Really enjoy both.
So glad you’ve surfaced again. I’m curious about whether (or how) you “consume” books. Did you read any physical books on your list & if yes how did that alter your perception?
I enjoyed this review and appreciate that it included books written from a variety of perspectives. I often read or listen to podcasts for pleasure, so my reading/listening tends to become slanted to particular viewpoints. But you rightly highlight that we should listen to the "other side" sometimes to challenge and refine our thinking.