The World Until Yesterday: What Can We Learn from Traditional Societies? by Jared Diamond

This book compares traditional societies (which have dominated the vast majority of human history) to state societies like the United States in order to think about the ways in which we can learn from traditional societies in the Western world. While Diamond acknowledges that we may not want to return to many aspects of traditional societies (particularly their approaches to war and strangers), we might adopt (or re-adopt) some of their practices selectively, such as bilingualism, forms of conflict resolution, and forms of child-rearing, and pay attention to other practices in order to modify our lives for the better (for example, we could cut back on the salt and sugar in our diets to reduce illnesses like hypertension and diabetes). I found the book very entertaining (although the main argument was repeated so many times in similar form that it got a little repetitive).

Sugar in the Blood: A Family's Story of Slavery and Empire by Andrea Stuart

This book makes a passionate case for remembering and preserving the histories of exploitation and oppression hidden by the wealth created by sugar, a case localized and directed by a history tied to Barbados, and the Ashby family in particular (the author's family). With a combination of genealogical research, historical commonalities, and clear prose, the author makes unimaginable statistics vivid, real, and personal. The book focuses on three eras: that of the first known Ashby migrant to Barbados, that of the planter who solidified the family's holdings (on the brink of emancipation, as it turned out), and that of the family the author knew personally. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of the Americas.

The New Mind of the South by Tracy Thompson

This book reminds me of both Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz. There's the personal aspect--as if it's a memoir, but there's also the observer aspect--like many other books about the South, it's author has one foot in and one foot out. I found the writing clear and the thinking on questions Southern (such as: what does history mean? what are the costs of maintaining certain kinds of memory? what things do we falsely assume about the South?) engaging.

In the Basement of the Ivory Tower: The Truth About College by Professor X

This book grew from a pseudonymous article in The Atlantic, also titled "In the Basement of the Ivory Tower." It chronicles one man's journey into adjuncting college writing and literature classes to supplement his income after buying a house just before the housing bubble crashed. Professor X is cynical of the idea that college is the way to wealth for most of his students and argues that we (as a nation) should re-evaluate our college system. While Professor X has come under a lot of attack for giving up on his students (attacks that he meets head-on later in the book), I think the book works as a call to look at our colleges. While I think that anyone could benefit from writing more clearly, I think Professor X is right to question the "go to college or else" mandate and to think about how much remedial work is possible in one semester. The memoir part of the book strikes me as a little bland at times (we bought an expensive house and then we couldn't afford it very well, so we fought about it).

Bonobo Handshake: A Memoir of Love and Adventure in the Congo by Vanessa Woods

This book is part memoir of Vanessa Woods's time at Lola Ya Bonobo, a bonobo sanctuary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, part account of bonobos (a species of ape closely related to humans and chimpanzees), and part recent history of the region. Woods passionately makes the case for why we should protect and study bonobos: their inherent, peaceful response to stressful situations and their tolerance for one another can help us understand human altruism and cooperation, and may help us deal with our inherent impulses towards violence (impulses that chimpanzees share). In her story Woods conveys the dangers and the triumphs of life at the sanctuary and makes a strong case for the right kind of academic research.

A Life by Elia Kazan

This autobiography recounts Kazan's life, in detail until the end of his film career, and then in sketches (mostly focusing on the death of his second wife and friends) until the late nineteen eighties. The tone of the book suggests that Kazan isn't holding anything back (not always true, as he himself admits), although he tends to speak forthrightly about most subjects (it seems the people he wants to impress, or at least not to scandalize, are his children, despite their relatively small parts in the book itself). There's a bit of back and forth--the story doesn't always go strictly chronologically, especially where Kazan's Congressional testimony in 1952 is concerned. It does give Kazan's take on that testimony in fairly straightforward rehearsal of his side of those events. Overall, the book is enjoyable--definitely an entertaining read. It explains a lot about Kazan's behavior, his choices, and his methods of directing, even if its subject is not always sympathetic (the womanizing without apology, in particular, struck me as egregious).

The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead

This collection of essays is part travel writing, part memoir, and part creative non-fiction. It gives a beautiful blazon of New York: a portrait in parts. The writing at times is descriptive and at times is in dialogue with its reader, who is always a both a visitor to and resident of New York. I was impressed by the spatial reasoning that this book displays.

Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season by Stewart O'Nan and Stephen King

I enjoyed this book, especially for its love of baseball. Its record of the season is detailed, meticulous, and loving. We follow the hopes and the fears of fans throughout the ups and downs of the season. The book really evoked the feeling of baseball for me; it made me want to be at the ballpark. Now I'm not a Red Sox fan, so I wasn't as invested in the team itself as I might be (in some senses, these guys are the enemies). Some of the circumstances of the book's production make for the most interesting reading. To start with: Scribner commissioned the book before the season started from King and O'Nan, both writers. They are mostly writing as well-informed fans. But at times they get press privileges, either as favors or related to the book. Overall it's a great piece of baseball history.

Don't Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales from an Allergic Life by Sandra Beasley

In this memoir Sandra Beasley focuses on how her allergies have affected her life. She covers some of the scientific aspects of food allergies (and the distinction between an allergy and an intolerance), but mostly it's a series of personal (both her own and other people's) experiences navigating a world that's not particularly aware of or set up to cater to food allergies. I enjoyed the stories, and I enjoyed the style of the writing.

Every Day by the Sun: A Memoir of the Faulkners of Mississippi by Dean Faulkner Wells

This book is an intriguing hybrid: not quite fully a memoir (Wells is only interested in her life insofar as it intersects with her family--we don't even learn her first husband's name, and her life story stops abruptly after Faulkner's death) and not a family history either (although Wells does do a nice job of citing her sources and clearly labeling stories as family legend or based on some other source, it's definitely more personal than just a history of the Faulkners). If you're looking for anecdotal stories about the Faulkner family, look no farther: this book will leave you feeling like you know William and his mother Maud (and the rest of the family to a lesser extent). Altogether an enjoyable read.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

I enjoyed this book, which is part memoir and part cultural history of the 1950s, immensely. There's a lot of Bryson's trademark humor, and while he doesn't shy away from the things we might critique about that decade today, his attitude is generally upbeat--you really feel his nostalgia for the era and his belief that he was growing up in the best time ever. The book gave me a new appreciation for Des Moines Iowa.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

This book offers a rollicking good time. Not only is Fey hilarious (and that's no surprise for anyone who's seen her on SNL or 30 Rock), but she also provides a lot worth thinking about in terms of sexism, the relationship between politics and entertainment, stand up comedy, and leadership. You can easily understand why Fey has had such success as a writer after reading this book: she moves gracefully from one incident to another, not always keeping a strict chronology, but always entertaining and writing well. Just another reason to keep watching 30 Rock. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

In this book Maya Angelou recounts her childhood. We get to see the Great Migration at work--Maya's parents moved to California, and sent Maya and her brother to live with their grandmother in Arkansas after their divorce, though the children make trips north during their childhoods. I particularly liked the portrait of Maya's grandmother, whom she called Momma, and the portrayal of family life.

The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas by Gertrude Stein

This book is the fourth and final chunk of the first volume of the Library of America edition of Gertrude Stein's writings (I didn't re-read the second chunk, Three Lives). It's a very strange book: although it purports to be an autobiography, Stein has written it (as she admits in the very last sentence, comparing herself to Defoe). It's especially strange as Stein always refers to herself as Gertrude Stein. The book covers the relationship between Stein and Toklas obliquely rather than explicitly (in the book, Stein ventriloquizes Toklas as saying she sits with the wives of geniuses), and shows Toklas as the person who takes care of all the pesky, bureaucratic things that Stein would rather not bother with. I was particularly interested in the account of their work driving an ambulance during World War I, and her description of post-war Paris (full of artistic American expatriates). This book is less experimental on the level of the sentence than Three Lives and many of the writings collected in the third part of this volume.

I'm a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson

This book contains a series of essays written as a weekly column for a British magazine during Bryson's first several years back in the United States after twenty years in England. Although they're not linked by a narrative arc, it's endearing to follow the progress of several years through the essays (in an almost Walden-like way), and they're all quite funny. There's also a fair amount of trenchant commentary on the United States and its culture and the practices of its citizens. This book would be a great occasional book--the kind of thing you would keep by your bed and pick up when you can't sleep.

Negroes with Guns by Robert Franklin Williams

This book recounts Robert Williams's experiences in Monroe, NC, where he helped organize African Americans to respond to white racists with violence when they threatened lawful NAACP organization. The book is a radical call for increased goals (Williams contends that while bus boycotts and sit-ins accomplish worthy goals, the real change that needs to happen is economic) and an attempt to hold whites responsible for administering the justice that the Constitution promises. Written in a clear style, this book offers a clear social vision and an alternative that can work with non-violent methods as a means of achieving racial justice.

Sing Me Back Home: Love, Death, and Country Music by Dana Andrew Jennings

This book is part casual (i.e. not academically foot-noted) history of country music from 1950 to 1970 and part memoir. The style made it easy to read. Jennings's main arguments about country music were that it is primarily a working-class music (especially for the working class that still felt the lingering effects of the Great Depression after the Second World War), that it is not just a white, Southern phenomenon, and that country music (as opposed to what Jennings calls meta-country, or country music produced in Nashville about country music), because it is a product of given economic circumstances, is dying out. Jennings was fairly convincing, though most of his argument was based on anecdotal evidence. Still, you can feel his affection for the music and the people, and I found myself buying a selection of songs on iTunes immediately after reading this book.

On Writing by Stephen King

This book is part memoir and part writing handbook. I found the memoir section very interesting--in part because in some ways it continues throughout the book. According to King, he had written this part (entitled "C.V.") and was just getting into the part on how to write when he was hit by the van. He closes with some reflections on the accident. I agreed with a lot of the writing advice King offered (especially the write every day part). I also liked the idea of setting aside a manuscript for six weeks before going back for revisions. I think I would have agreed even more heartily but for two things. First, King is a strong believer in the Strunk and White school. I think Strunk and White are helpful, and often correct--but once you get past basic proficiency, it's more a question of developing your own style. Second, King's style felt patronizing at times, even when I agreed with him. This quibble may be nothing more than a grouchy reading on my part, but there you have it. I do think King offered a lot of great (and practical) advice. He's dead on about his primary point: if you want to be a good writer, you have to write a lot and read a lot.

Cleaving by Julie Powell

This memoir confirms the niggling sense I got from Julie and Julia, namely, that Julie Powell has a selfish streak a mile wide and an overinflated sense of her self-importance. I found the parts about the craft of butchering really intriguing, I was pleased to find recipes in the book, and I even enjoyed most of the parts about traveling. Unfortunately, the narrator's character in this book is utterly irredeemable. I don't necessarily mean as a person, although she consistently shows no respect for her husband, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, or even herself (while she is justifiably proud of her butchering and cooking skills, I don't think someone who likes herself could treat one, much less two, men with such cruelty). Instead, while the book, I think, is striving to show how Julie learns to live with herself, flawed and all, Julie doesn't experience any growth as a character. I can't say that I'm disappointed, because my expectations weren't high to begin with, but neither can I recommend this book.

A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Hapned in Virginia Since the First Planting of that Colony, which is now resident in the South part thereof, till the last returne from thence by John Smith

In this account of what happened in Virginia's early history, Pocahontas's famous rescue of its author, John Smith, is nowhere to be found. The text, however, reveals more than it means to about the author's captivity. Its tone is justificatory, and Smith appears to be lying or exaggerating in several places. This piece is enjoyable both in its place in the (self-constructed) Smith legends and in the process of filling in the gaps and lacunae in the text.