Suggestions From a Nerd happy holidays 2021 edition
By Wisley Lau
If you want to read a book that gives you a blast to the very near past… read Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa!
Picture this: you are the top general of the United States. Your boss, the president of the United States, has incited an insurrection in his own government. On the other hand, your adversary's general is deeply concerned about what is going on in your country, what would you do?
Turns out, it isn’t fiction, it literally happened! From this book Peril, the two authors reveal a lot about Donald Trump’s attempts to claim victory in a fair and square election which he lost. Many details of the January 6th Capitol assault and aftermath were exposed and the authors gained access to the first few months of the Biden administration.
It is a refreshing look back to what happened over the last couple of months.
If you are interested in this book, check out Bob Woodward’s previous books about Trump: Fear and Rage.
If you want to read a book that solves your biggest questions… read Frequently Asked Questions About The Universe by Jorge Cham and Daniel Whitson!
Have you ever wondered why I can't travel back in time? Or have you ever thought about the science we know, and how to turn a cat into a dog? Frequently Asked Questions About The Universe is the weird and funnier version of Neil DeGrasse Tysons’s cosmic queries. With a PHD roboticist turned cartoonist and a physics-plus-astronomy professor as your guide, armed with funny illustrations and comics, the quirky questions about the universe can be solved or at least, your curiosity can be fed!
If you are interested, check out their previous work We Have No Idea.
If you want to read a book that gives you cultural and historical perspectives… read The Matter Of Black Lives, edited By Jelani Cobb And David Remnick!
An anthology series from The New Yorker, comprising articles written by Toni Morrison, Jelani Cobb, James Baldwin, and Malcolm Gladwell, and featuring timely and timeless articles dating from the 1960s to as recently as 2020. This book captures the complex story of being black in America with essays ranging from personal thoughts to reflections on historical events, from the civil rights movement to the present with Black Lives Matter and the George Floyd protests. It is an insightful and perspective look to the past and present, culturally and politically.
If you want to read more anthologies from The New Yorker, check out The Fragile Earth, a book focuses on the environment and climate change.
If you want to read a book that gives you some hope in humanity… read A Shot To Save The World By Gregory Zuckerman!
If you are like the author, chances are you probably already have taken the COVID-19 vaccine jab, but have you ever wondered how that happened: how did scientists create a vaccine to an unknown disease that started in late 2019 ready for global use in 2021? Turns out it requires a fabulist businessman, questionable scientists, lifelong processes of work, and several drug companies infamous for playing the bad guys. With access to top secret laboratories, corporate meetings and government negotiations, this is the most comprehensive view of the journey from the lab to your body!
If you are interested in medical science and biology and want to learn more about vaccines, check out the book below!
If you want to read a book that has the same clarity as Kurzgesagt context wise and art wise... read Immune by Philipp Dettmer!
If you are any familiar with Kurzgesagt In A Nutshell videos, you are probably interested in its videos for the scientific content and amazing art. The creator and head writer of the channel, has specifically written a comprehensive book on the immune system with features on the components, the inner workings, and the challenges the immune system faces every day.
There are also comprehensive writings on vaccines, HIV & AIDS, how stress and cancer affect the immune system, and the coronavirus pandemic. You can watch the first two chapters of the book here.
For further information, you can watch this video and that video.
If you want to read a book that reassures or worries you about the coming year 2022... read The World Ahead 2022 by The Economist!
As a politics nerd, The Economist’s predictions on the coming year are definitely something you will not want to miss. The Economist predicts next year there will be a battle between democracy and autocracy as both China and the US flex their power, the coronavirus pandemic might become an endemic, a new tech-lash will occur, extending from the original one from 2021, while travelling, space races, and political footballs are all things to pay attention to. With features from politics to business, economics, science and culture, no matter what subject you’re into this is great reference material for what will come up next.
If you want more magic 8 balls, read The Wired World In 2022 and Bloomberg Businessweek’s version of a yearly forecast.