Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization
★★★★★
Sand, salt, iron, copper, oil, and lithium. The six fundamental raw materials which have shaped humanity and the world we live in. This book takes an in-depth look at each.
Chip War: The Fight for the Worlds Most Critical Technology
★★★★★
A well-researched and detailed account of the battle for control of what has emerged to be the most crucial resource in the world:- microchip technology
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End
★★★★★
Medicine has leapt forward in recent times, with several new drugs and procedures which have reduced the life-threatening to minor inconveniences. But the goals of medicine often run counter to the needs of the patient. The author explores all sides.
The Man-Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures
★☆☆☆☆
A first-hand account of the hunt for two lions which terrorized the crew building a railway line in Eastern Africa.
Into Thin Air
★★★★★
A personal account of the Mount Everest disaster of 1996 by one of the climbers.
The Diary of a Young Girl
★★★★★
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.
Guns, Germs and Steel
★★★★★
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a national bestseller, this book explores the rise of civilization in humans and how the world came to be the way it is, today.
The God Delusion
★★★★★
A book that is as brutal and honest as its title. This is like a handbook of reference for any atheist for the range of illogical, childish or even intelligent theist arguments that might be addressed to him.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
★★★★★
It's like a common man's version of Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. But where Diamond's book is a scientific treatise, this one has a more narrative structure along with some insightful conclusions
Bad Science
★★★★★
Medical doctor Ben Goldacre disassembles some of the biggest bullshitters supposedly sharing medical, health and/or nutrition theories or even cures at best just placebos, or at worse harmful, who in many cases have their voices amplified by the media.
The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan
★★★★☆
Whiskey! Tango! Foxtrot!
The Perils of being Moderately Famous
★★★☆☆
Does a pea under the mattress really bother a princess?