Feeding the Ghosts by Fred D'Aguiar

This book is a historicization of the Zong disaster. While its perspective shifts among several of the participations, the most memorable character is Mintah, the woman who climbs back aboard the ship after being thrown over. The book explores what happens when we commodify the human body--the abuses and indignities that humans are willing to perpetrate on one another in the name of getting a good return on an investment. It also explores the role of literacy and the power it confers.

Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination by Neal Gabler

This biography provides a comprehensive account of Walt Disney's life from his boyhood in Marceline, Missouri and Kansas City to his death in Los Angeles. I thought it was especially good on his work. At least according to this book, Walt was often the guiding force behind novel ideas, but it really wasn't his skill as an animator that launched the Disney empire--it was his ability to see the cultural potential for animations. I particularly liked the accounts of Disney's collaborations with Leopold Stowkowski and Salvador Dali. The book also portrays Disney as restless: once he achieved something, his interest often turned to doing something new instead of simply repeating his success (which is not, of course, to say that his companies didn't often try to capitalize on and reproduce these successes!). I have read that the Disney family (and particuarly Diane Disney Miller) disagree with the author's characterization of Disney (especially in his relationship with his wife), but I thought the book made sense and gave a persuasive reading of Walt's life and its meaning in the midst of the American Century.

Steal This University: The Rise of the Corporate University and the Academic Labor Movement edited by Benjamin Johnson, Patrick Kavanagh, and Kevin Mattson

This collection of essays proposes that American universities are changing in ways that harm them because of the rise of corporate interests, which focus on lowering labor costs as much as possible without worrying about the effects these changes will have on the laborers themselves or the quality of education they are able to provide. The book shows how the casualization of academic labor harms faculty and provides accounts of attempts (both successful and not) of various employees (including graduate students) to unionize and negotiate for better working conditions. Even though this book was written about a decade ago, it still feels very relevant and its arguments still managed to persuade me.

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

This book is organized as a series of letters from Balram Halwai--a self-described entrepreneur--to the Premier of China. Although Balram started out life in a poor village, he eventually becomes a driver--and most of the book focuses on his relationship with Mr. Ashok, his employer. A lot of the book's value comes from Balram's astute observations and quick, if dry, wit. I really enjoyed the complexities of Balram's relationship with Mr. Ashok, especially since such a master-servant relationship feels so outdated compared to what I have experienced. This relationship really drove a lot of questions about what our humanity is worth and what can be bought and sold. Booker award winner, 2008.

The System of the World by Neal Stepheson

The final volume in the Baroque Cycle is easily the best and most entertaining of the trilogy. Here, all the various strands of the plot pay off and come together in a thrilling conclusion. The action seems more directed, there's lots of excitement, and hints of greater things than we knew through history. Stephenson does a great job setting the mood of the period, from his language use to the scientific debates (Newton against Leibniz is a huge part of this) to the changing system of the world (in which currency becomes increasingly important). Although I understand the series is fictional, it really helped make that period of British history more real and exciting. Even though the first two books were frustrating at times, I am so glad that I finished this series.

The Adventures of Sally by P.G. Wodehouse

This book features a young heiress whose good sense carries her through despite some bad luck (including an unfaithful fiancé, a brother who squanders her investment in his theatrical company, and an unpleasant, but successful man who shocks her with a proposal). The plot developments were not surprising: I always knew who was going to show up next, or what would happen with a given play, but despite the lack of true surprises, it was an enjoyable story.

Arthur Mervyn by Charles Brockden Brown

This book recreates the complicated story of Arthur Mervyn, a young man from the country who comes to Philadelphia and immediately finds himself embroiled in its corruption--first commercial and then physical. I am particularly interested in the ways that Haiti simmers below the surface of this novel. While the plot is hard to follow at first, by untwisting it the reader discovers the full extent to which the slave trade supports enterprise in early America.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

This book tells the story of Kamila Sidiqi, a young woman whose studies to become a teacher were interrupted by the arrival of the Taliban in Kabul. Instead of rolling over and accepting their strictures, Kamila developed a dressmaking business to provide for her family. The story read like fiction (the prose was fairly smooth), but the drama was all in anticipation--it seemed like Kamila and her family basically were able to run their business without major setbacks. It's a very powerful story, but I'm not entirely convinced that the way it's told was the most effective or best choice.

The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman

I was a little surprised when September 11 appeared in the midst of this book (although given the time line, there's absolutely no reason why I should have been). The story is marvelously plotted, and I enjoyed reading about the dot-com bubble. Perhaps the romantic ends of the book are a bit transparent, and the historical ends are obvious, but I enjoyed the plotting and the attention to social relationships. Still, I find it a little unsettling to read about September 11, perhaps because it's an historical event I remember.

Give Smart: Philanthropy That Gets Results by Thomas J. Tierney and Joel L. Fleishman

I have the feeling that this book is aimed at people who have a lot more money to give away than I will ever hope to make. It's mostly a set of questions that you can ask yourself in order to make your philanthropy as effective as it can be, in addition to a series of stories (sometimes cautionary) and case studies about philanthropists and their works. The book is very invested in the idea that philanthropists are only accountable to themselves for excellence (which makes it very hard to achieve) and that it is worth paying good overhead to get the right kind of people so that the philanthropy works (as opposed to bad overhead for fancy cars or whatever).

Legal Handbook for Photographers by Bert Krages

This book presented legal challenges that might face photographers from a variety of perspectives (i.e. from taking pictures, to publishing them, to defending copyrights) in a level-headed and informative way. The main messages I will be taking away from this book are that it's important to understand your rights, it's better to explain clearly what you're doing (and often to ask permission first), and that if you can avoid legal recourse, it's often cheaper and better than taking someone to court.

Globish by Robert McCrum

This book tells the history of the English language and contends that in its many forms, it is now Globish, the new lingua franca, but one with more staying power than Latin or any previous language because of its openness to change, its use in business, and the role of technology in propagating it. The book is a fascinating read, and I can tell the author feels passionately about the language--as the book is full of examples of English at its most eloquent and powerful.