5 (ish) Books I read in 2018
First of all, let’s pretend that I wrote this in 2019 …because I am writing this like its still 2019…thank you!
Once again, following in the footsteps of my MCM (made some questionable statements earlier this year but remains an MCM nonetheless), I decided to disturb you guys with my second annual (pops champagne) post talking about some of the books I read in the previous (see above) year.
For my 2017 literary journey, I tried to make it a point to read more African literature, focusing specifically on books written by African (most were Nigerian tbh) authors. I continued that in 2018 because African authors are crazy talented and they are producing a lot of amazing content. Almost every book I have read by an African author has been incredible, and I’m not being disingenuous. I’m not sure if it is due to the familiarity of the stories or he relatability of the characters and their experiences, probably both. It could also be that it is a lot more difficult for an African author to get published, so the ones that do get their work out there most likely have produced above-average (read: stellar) content. Some of the books I read in 2018 by African authors included: Akwaeke Emezi’s truly riveting debut novel Freshwater (their sister is also immensely talented..W/GNB-CE’s), Chimamanda Adichie’s (it’s ridiculous how good of a storyteller she is) book of short stories The Thing Around Your Neck, Nnedi Okorafors African fantasy Who Fears Death, Yaa Gyasi’s dazzling Homegoing, Teju Cole’s relatable and poignant Every Day is For the Thief; African authors kept me engaged.
Last year I tried to expand my knowledge on religion as well and I will go into Reza Aslan's terrific book on Islam further down. I also got a chance to read Dan Brown’s new novel Origin, continued on my quest to read everything Lee Child writes (his Jack Reacher series..incroyable), read Nir Eyal’s enlightening book on product development, among others.
Most of the books I read this year were great, except a couple that I found tedious. However the five(four tbvh, the last one was…you’ll see) I expand on below were either books that resonated with me on a deeper level, enlightened me more than others or were books that I would want people to read, ….or all the above.
The five books are highlighted below with a brief(ish) description of the book including some excerpts (Uh, *includes legal protections*) that I found particularly interesting.
Enjoy! — Links included
1. No god but God
This was one of the more enlightening books I read last year. As I mentioned before— I wanted to expand my knowledge of world religions and Islam is a religion that was of particular interest to me. The desire to know a bit more is partly due to the animus towards the religion in the US (especially in political discourse) as well as the sociopolitical impact and standing Islam has in Nigeria, and around the world.
I first came across Reza Aslan, the author of the book, in a viral clip in which a newscaster asked why he, a Muslim man, had written a book about Jesus (Zealot, another book on my never-ending “to-read” list). In response to the ridiculous question, he explained that he is a scholar of religion with two decades of experience studying the origins of Christianity, four degrees in the field, and fluency in biblical Greek — who also happens to be a Muslim. I did some research on the author, saw that he had also written a book on Islam, and thought — who better to learn from than a religious scholar who was also a practicing Muslim. The book is about the “Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam” and the author truly does takes you on that journey through all three phases. Starting with pre-Islamic Arabia, Reza takes you from the inception of the religion with Prophet Muhammad and his successors, to the development of pre-modern and modern Islamic theology and concludes with his views on the Islamic Reformation and the future of Islam. He touches on the effects of colonialism; Islam’s relations with other religions; and the origins of Sufiism, Shi’ism, and Khomeinism along the way. This is an expertly written book. It was exhaustive and engaging. You could tell that the author made it a priority to make this book one that would truly enlighten — by providing historical facts and infusing the book with his expert theological academic opinion.
An excerpt that stood out to me.
As the Quran suggests over and over again and as the constitution of Medina explicitly affirms, Muhammed may have understood the concept of the Umm al-Kitab to mean not only that the Jews, Christians and Muslims shared a single divine scripture but also that they constituted a single divine Ummah. As far as Muhammad was concerned, the Jews and the Christians were “People of the Book” (ahl al-Kitab), spiritual cousins who, as opposed to the pagans and polytheists of Arabia, worshipped the same God, read the same scriptures, and shared the same moral values as his Muslim community.
Another one
But one thing is certain: the past, and the idealized, perfected, and totally imaginary view of it wrought by those puritans and fundamentalists who try to recreate it, is over. The next chapter in the story of Islam will be written solely by those willing to look forward, to confront whatever lies ahead, confident in the knowledge that the revolution launched by the Prophet Muhammad fourteen centuries ago to replace the archaic, rigid and inequitable structures of tribal society with a radically new vision of divine morality and social egalitarianism still continues to this day.
One more:
As the French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in signing the ban into law, “In our country, we cannot accept that women be prisoners behind a screen, cut off from all social life, deprived of all identity.” Of course, at the heart of this argument is the profoundly misogynistic belief that no Muslim woman would freely choose to wear the veil, that she must be forced into her hijab by her husband or her father or by the societal restrictions placed on her by her religion — that, in fact, Muslim women are incapable of deciding for themselves what they should or should not wear, so it must fall to the state to decide for them
After reading this I came away with a much better understanding of Islam, its history and its position in modern society. I was also able to draw some interesting parallels between the modern changes/discussions being had with regards to modern Christianity — Catholicism in particular — and to what the author described as the “Islamic Reformation”. I think this book and others like it are very important — definitely would recommend!
2. Freshwater
Freshwater is probably one of the more emotional books I have ever read — it probably holds my “put the book down for a bit and stare at the ceiling” record. It’s one of those books that takes you on a metaphorical roller-coaster, slowly building toward a point and then crashing with an increasing series of twists and turns, made all the more gut-wrenching with the realization (took me a minute tbh) that the novel is semi-autobiographical. . I first came across Akwaeke’s work in an incredible essay (also semi-autobiographical) about one of their transition procedures that described some of the parallels between being non-binary trans and the ogbanje spiritual phenomenon (an Igbo traditional, often malevolent, reincarnating spirit). The essay was a sort of precursor to their debut Novel, Freshwater.
The story follows the main protagonist, Ada, from her early days into adulthood. She grows up with rather non-invasive but omnipresent spirits as part of her being. Trauma and certain life experiences lead to other more malevolent spirits vying for control of her ‘spirit and flesh’ — some of them with distinct physical manifestations. The book is written in the different identities ' points of view.
Freshwater is raw, emotional, and oftentimes unsettling. Akwaeke is an amazing wordsmith, and it really does read like they poured their heart out into this book. I find it incredibly brave to be this raw and vulnerable — in any format. So I think it is doubly courageous to be able to pen such emotions in a book that will be read by the public. I also think this story is an important one to tell. The topic of identity in Nigerian culture is seen as important but it is rarely explored in regards to the individual and their selves . Most of the discourse involves the individual's identity being part of a larger group (tribe, religion, etc). Freshwater is also a terrific modern translation of Igbo identity and spirituality, a difficult task that Akwaeke pulled off. Highly recommended.
A particularly gripping excerpt:
“By the time she (our body) struggled out into the world, slick and louder than a village of storms, the gates were left open. We should’ve been anchored in her by then, asleep inside her membranes and synced with her mind. That would’ve been the safest way. But since the gates were open, not closed against remembrance, we became confused. We were at once old and newborn. We were her and yet not. We were not conscious but we were alive — in fact the main problem was that we were a distinct we instead of being fully and just her”
Another :
“Ada
I don’t even have the mouth to tell this story. I’m so tired most of the time. Besides, whatever they say will be the truth version of it, since they are the truest version of me. It’s a strange thing to say, I know, considering that they made me mad. But I’m not entirely opposed to madness, not when it comes with this kind of clarity. The world in my head has been far more real than the one outside — maybe that’s the exact definition of madness, come to think of it. It’s all a secret I’ve had to keep, but no longer, not since you’re reading this. And it should all make sense; I didn’t want to be alone, so I chose them. In many ways, you see, I am not even real”
Last one:
“ Oh I realized, of course. I should have recognized them — the brothersisters, children of our first mother, ndị otu. A spike of exhilaration shot up through me and I laughed. These are the mischief-makers, you see, the tricksters; they were like me. They didn’t give a shit about humans, they enjoyed causing pain — they were me and I was them. It was the best visit I’ve ever had in the marble, a thousand times better than having Yshwa show up with his sanctimonious nonsense”
3. Love Does Not Win Elections
What is a zero-sum, winner takes all system with a sprinkle (pour) of corruption, tribalism, violence, and — as is expertly chronicled in this book — misogyny?….Nigerian politics. Love Does Not Win Elections is a chronicle of the author’s foray into Nigerian politics and the lessons she learned from that experience.
Ayisha Osori is a lawyer with a wealth of experience in human rights advocacy and public policy… A wonderful candidate if I ever saw one. The people of AMAC/Bwari would have been lucky to have her represent them in Nigeria’s Federal House of Representatives. Ayisha has made it part of her life’s work to increase women’s representation in politics in Africa, and this, in part, motivated her to run for office. She contested in the 2014 PDP HOR primaries and failed to secure the party’s ticket in what turned out to be a highly flawed contest. I got a headache reading about some of the hoops she had to jump through during the primary campaign, only for everything to ‘turn to rough’ on the actual primary day. Some of the things she documented: “Mandatory Gifting” $1000 to the local party chairman for access, using over half of the money she raised in ‘engaging’ delegates, the issue of indigenization and the problems that arise as a consequence, the ways parties used policies that were supposed to be “pro-women” to later disqualify them from the process, potential betrayal by her fixer, a last-minute change to the voting process that all but ensured a flawed primary. The title is apt — love truly does not win elections
I actually had the good fortune of meeting and having a little side chat with Ayisha at one of her book events in Abuja (yktv). Listening to her speak, you really got the sense that her experience gave her a clear understanding of the particular issues plaguing Nigeria’s current political system and, to our collective benefit, some solutions to them as well. During her talk, she made an impassionate plea to the audience not to become desensitized by the current sociopolitical conditions, but to get even more engaged in the process in order to try and catalyze political change — something she echoed in her book. She stressed the need for young people, especially, to become more involved. Seeing her in person and hearing how clear and spirited she was about the need for a better political process, and the potential for better leadership as a result, made her ordeal all the more painful to read. She mentioned that she did not plan to run again in the future and that she would instead redouble her efforts towards improving politics across Africa; advocating for more inclusion and better processes. Her community’s loss is our collective benefit.
This book is fantastic for anyone who wants to get an in-depth look into the Nigerian political/election process. Her epilogue breaks down the issues and potential solutions in brilliant detail. Highly recommended
A particularly compelling excerpt:
“My funds went a bit further because I got a discount. The PDP waived nomination form fees for female candidates, so my total in assorted charges came to 2 million naira less than my male aspirants had to pay. I feel like a hypocrite because theoretically I was against waiving fees for women. In too many stories I had heard, this concession ended up working against female candidates, who were sometimes ordered by their parties to give away to male rivals precisely because they did not pay the full amount. This could happen even when the woman was the more popular candidate. It was as if a woman’s ambitions and aspirations are only as valid as the naira she paid.”
Another one:
“Jamilu had one last idea. People love humility; my frequent phone calls to delegates and chairmen to find out how they were doing and constant appeal for their support had apparently been effective. What we needed now was one final act of being the people’s servant. Would I be averse to kneeling down as I give them their envelopes? “Really?” I asked. “Would that make much of a difference?” People like to be begged, Jamilu argued. That I could not disagree with. Nigeria’s politics, like it’s roads, was littered with people begging, kneeling and prostrating the way into office or out of paying for their reckless driving”
Last one:
“The problems with our political culture, electoral process, and lack of commitment to good governance on the part of elected officials are mutually compounding. A host of ills plague the country, for which they are accompanying excuses. We know some of what it will take to change the negative practices that acompany politics and elections in Nigeria and improve the legitimacy of our elections. Yet we are unwilling to make the necessary changes to the Constitution and our electoral laws and regulations. There are also small measures that the parties and the electrical commission could take on their own to improve transparency and legitimacy; but the people who benefit from current structures and processes have no incentive to change anything.”
4. Homegoing — Yaa Gyasi
This book is incredible. Yaa Gyasi, the author, is brilliant — I, Chima, can be quite dull. It took me about three or four chapters to realize that this book chronicled multiple generations of descendants of one Asante woman, Maame. The book followed these descendants from 1700’s Ghana through to the height of the transatlantic slave trade to Jim Crow era America and rounded off with two of her descendants making their way back to Ghana. I remember thinking to myself as I was reading, “why do these names sound familiar? This character’s mom’s name was the name of the child of the subject of the last chapter”, etc. Luckily for me, Yaa, in anticipation of the inability of people like me to grasp certain things, provided us with a family tree — which I had skipped over in my eagerness to get to the main content.
Homegoing. The title is a perfect encapsulation of the story’s main theme. A family is torn apart and, through generations of struggle and pain (more of that on one side of the family than the other), ends up back where it started — “home”.
Yaa Gyasi really did something incredible, sewing together multiple interconnected story-lines and resolving them in a way that paid homage to each of the characters. Through the eyes of each character, we are able to get a picture of the times and are provided with just enough context for the reader to truly empathize with the current subject.
Amazing writing, compelling characters, fantastic story.
A particularly gripping excerpt:
“Effia had passed by the Cape Coast Castle only once, when she and Baaba ventured out of their village and into the city, but she had never been in it before the day of her wedding. There was a chapel on the ground level, and she and James Collins were married by a clergyman who had asked Effia to repeat words she didn’t mean in a language she didn’t understand. There was no dancing, no feasting, no bright colors, slicked hair, or old ladies with wrinkled and bare breasts throwing coins and waving handkerchiefs.”
Another:
“ “Hoo, hoo!” the pit boss said. “Looks like we’ll have to teach this one some manners. How much you want for him?”
“Twenty dollars a month,” the deputy said. “Now, you know we don’t pay more than eighteen, even for a first-class man.”
“You said yourself he’s a big one. This one will last you awhile, I bet. Won’t die in the mines like the others.”
“Y’all can’t do this!” H shouted. “I’m free!” he said. “I’m a free man!”
“Naw,” the pit boss said. He looked at H carefully and pulled out a knife from the inside of his coat.He began to sharpen the knife against an ironstone he kept on his desk. “No such thing as a free nigger.” ”
Last one:
“Instinctively, Marjorie raised her hand to the necklace. Her father had given it to her only a year before, saying that she was finally old enough to care for it. It had belonged to Old Lady and to Abena before her, and to James, and Quey, and Effia the Beauty before that. It had begun with Maame, the woman who had set a great fire. Her father had told her that the necklace was a part of their family history and she was to never take it off, never give it away. Now it reflected the ocean water before them, gold waves shimmering in the black stone.”
5. The Righteous Mind
This piece is the best thing you’ve read all year, correct? …No? …Let’s agree to disagree then. Alternatively, you can shove your opinion … jk jk.
It often seems like in this hyper-polarized modern society, people cannot see eye to eye on a number of very important issues. Healthcare, criminal justice, climate change, basic economics (If I speak…), the list goes on and on. This lack of cohesion manifests strongly in politics and religion. Why are people divided by politics and religion? That is the question Jonathan Haidt, a professor of ethical leadership at NYU, tries to answer in this book. He explores polarization along the lines of moral psychology.
The book is divided into three parts covering three major principles of moral psychology: Part one — Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning second. This section delved into the relationship between intuitions and reason. It included a really fascinating experiment (p.18) that tested individual preconceptions. Part two — There’s more to morality than harm and fairness. This section talked about the underlying factors (environment, upbringing, etc) that influence our concept of morality using a taste receptor metaphor. Part three— Morality blinds and binds. This section talked about the way morality evolved as we did and how our selfish nature and need for connection coexist.
The author uses the metaphor of a rider(reasoning/rational thinking) and an elephant(intuition/emotional thinking) to explain how we think and behave. Just to get an idea of what he means by this, he writes — “The rider is our conscious reasoning — the stream of words and images of which we are fully aware. The elephant is the other 99 percent of mental processes — the ones that occur outside of awareness but that actually govern most of our behavior…The elephant is where most of the action is in moral psychology…Elephants rule but are neither dumb nor despotic. Intuitions can be shaped by reasoning”. The interaction between them — “ the rider’s job is to serve the elephant”.
This was a quote on inherent bias:“…But the bottom line is that when we see or hear about the things other people do, the elephant begins to lean immediately. The rider, who is always trying to anticipate the elephant’s next move, begins to look around for a way to support such a move”
My somewhat (very) unsophisticated interpretation of this rider- elephant metaphor: Your intuition and preconceptions affect your decision making more than reasoning. Reasoning, under some circumstances, can affect those initial preconceptions and subsequent decisions. *inserts shrug emoji*
This is one of those books that can a bit hard to get into at first because of the abstract nature of the topic and the abrupt use of metaphors — but it ends up being a pretty good read. The author helped make the book more palatable by briefly summarizing each chapter at its end and including an overwhelming amount of supplemental info. I won’t say that I learned anything particularly groundbreaking from reading this book — and I definitely did not agree with all of the author’s conclusions (He might probably think a bit differently about certain conclusions if he witnessed the current state of partisanship, for example.) — but viewing disagreement and division from the lens of morality and psychology was definitely thought-provoking.
The author stresses the need for ugly reactions brought about by moral preconceptions to be replaced by a thoughtful appreciation of differences and willingness to listen to what the other side has to say. He wants people to wait until they have found some commonality, or established trust, before bringing up morality — in an effort to improve discourse. I am of the opinion that some views are abhorrent no matter how they are spun, but I can't disagree with the conclusion that there needs to be a deeper level of understanding among differing groups — to try and overcome the progress hindering disconnect (political, social, etc) that seems to be in place today. Definitely an interesting read.
Here is an excerpt that stood out to me:
“But the bottom line is that when we see or hear about the things other people do, the elephant begins to lean immediately. The rider, who is always trying to anticipate the elephant’s next move, begins to look around for a way to support such a move” — Inherent bias
Another:
“Many of us believe that we follow an inner moral compass, but the history of social psychology richly demonstrates that other people exert a powerful force, able to make cruelty seem acceptable and altruism seem embarrassing, without giving us any reasons or arguments.”
Another:
“If you really want to change someone’s mind on a moral or political matter, you’ll need to see things from that person’s ankle as well as your own. And if you do truly see it the other persons way — deeply and intuitively — you might even find your own mind opening in response. Empathy is an antidote to righteousness, although it’s very difficult to empathize across a moral divide”
Last one. *eyes the two places I call home*:
“Moral communities are fragile things, hard to build and easy to destroy. When we think about very large communities such as nations, the challenge is extraordinary and the threat of moral entropy is intense. There is not a big margin for error; many nations are failures as moral communities, particularly corrupt nations where dictators and elites run the country for their own benefit. If you don’t value moral capital, then you won’t foster values, virtues, norms, practices, identities, institutions, and technologies that increase it.”
Lastly, I want to mention some of the books I hope to read in 2019: Sapiens, Machete Season, The god of small things, the Sellout, Fortunes of Africa...
If you have any other recommendations feel free to comment or DM or whatever. Thanks for reading!
