2024 the best books in the world review
Price: $30.99 - $24.04
(as of Oct 18, 2024 06:13:12 UTC - Details)
A delightful, inspiring, and idea-rich selection of fifty-two of the best, most important short nonfiction works of all time—from Plato to Michael Pollan and Dante to Joan Didion—chosen by historian, lifelong reader, and bestselling author of Don’t Know Much About History.
From ancient times to the present day, The World in Books offers a wide-ranging historical education through pleasure reading—and a fantastic introduction to some of the most thought-provoking, profound, and interesting nonfiction works of all time. From Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to bell hooks’s All About Love, as well as such recent classics as Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists, Davis’s guide suggests a world of nonfiction books and explains just why they’re so historically meaningful and culturally relevant today.
The perfect guide for the modern-day reader, these fifty-two selections provide an ideal way to explore some of the most enduring, influential books ever published, introducing us anew to world-shaping historical figures, events, and ideas.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Scribner (October 8, 2024)
Language : English
Hardcover : 464 pages
ISBN-10 : 1668015595
ISBN-13 : 978-1668015599
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 6 x 1.5 x 9 inches
Reviewer: Lindsey B.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A wonderful book about books!
Review: In undergrad I double majored in History and English Literature, as such, The World in Books was an absolute pleasure to read and resulted in the addition of multiple books to my to-be-read list. By laying out the 'rules' governing his choices, the reader was able to better understand the reasoning behind which books were included and which were not. There are so many incredible and influential works in existence, yet it's obvious they could not all be included - though I greatly appreciated the addition of a 'What To Read Next' section at the conclusion of each entry, as well as the "52 More of the Great Short Books that Make Us Think" appendix at the end. To avoid spoiling the fun I won't go into any of the specific works chosen, but I will say that they cover a wide range of topics and extend from B.C.E. to modern day, therefore truly encompassing some of the most significant and thought-provoking nonfiction books throughout the world's history.In terms of formatting, Davis did a wonderful job of structuring the book so that you progress through the centuries alongside the works, starting in ancient times and bringing you right up into the 2020s. Each entry is also subdivided into five sections - Opening Words, Summary, About the Author, Why You Should Read It, and What You Should Read Next, which breaks up the text is a lovely way. By including these subsections, Davis is able to provide a significant amount of information about each work and it's author, without giving too much away about the actual book, thus largely leaving the experience of reading and interpreting the work to the reader themselves.For a book about books, this never felt dry or drawn out, and each entry was as long as it needed to be to convey the information it needed to convey. Well written and well paced, this is one of those books that reminds me why I love nonfiction, and I'm so very pleased for having been given the chance to read it.Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Reviewer: Michael (Private Last Name)
Rating: 2.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Democrats will like this. Republicans will see it as propaganda.
Review: I like Davis as a writer, but the introduction shows his blatant bias and political narrative. I was very disappointed when he accused Republicans of book burning, simply because they want to limit the types of books seen by young children in school. Extremely disingenuous to start. I'm glad I know where we stand in his world.