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Faites-les Lire! par Michel Desmurget
Nul ne sera surpris d’apprendre que je défends avec grande ardeur la lecture comme activité intellectuelle de premier plan. Non seulement j’enseigne à des enfants (de 6 à 9 ans) qui sont en plein dans le processus d’apprentissage de la lecture, du décodage à la compréhension, mais ce présent article est publié sur un blog…
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The Once and Future World, by J.B. Mackinnon
Like many, I’ve been dealing with some form of eco-anxiety for the past few years. Not surprising, since we’re constantly bombarded with apocalyptic news about the state of the environment, whether it’s global warming, deforestation, mass extinction of species or any other similar subject. Usually, any book that dabbles in these issues can be hard…
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Three Ring Circus, by Jeff Pearlman
I don’t usually write about sports books on this blog, even if they’re a staple of my reading habits. It’s a very niche genre and your average reader is not going to be interested in them, even sports fans. However, this one hit a bit different for a few reasons. First, while the book’s title…
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2024 Year in Review
Here’s a quick recap of the 72 books I’ve read in 2024. Some stats were picked on Goodreads, and from a quick peek they seem a bit incomplete, but it’s still a good summary of the year. As far as rankings go, I’ve decided to exclude re-reads. Non-Fiction books : 45 Fiction books : 27…
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Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande
One of the most vivid childhood memories I have revolves around death. Not the death of a loved one or a pet or anything dramatic. One day, at 8 years of age, I simply became aware of the concept of death. I won’t go into the details, but I can tell you it was extremely…
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Origins : How Earth’s History Shaped Human History, by Lewis Dartnell
It’s easy to look at the title of that book and think “Well that seems like a rather obvious statement of fact” and go on your way. In some respect, it is. No sane person will disagree that our planet and its physical characteristics have influenced humans in many ways. A quick look at a…
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Think Again : The Power of Knowing What We Don’t Know, by Adam Grant
“Knowing what you don’t know.” Those few words were all I needed to want to read this book. As someone who absolutely LOVES to learn about anything and everything, I’ve always been fascinated by the process of learning, how knowledge can evolve, the value of questioning and doubting. In other words, I am the perfect…
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Troy, by Stephen Fry
The legendary story of Troy, from the gigantic wooden horse to the (almost) invincible Achilles, is a classic case of a well-known story that is actually not well-known at all. We can usually recall the main plot points fine. A young prince from the city of Troy – Paris – takes Menelaus’ wife, the beautiful…
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Cosmos, by Carl Sagan
By now you’ve figured out that I really enjoy the work of science communicators. The teacher in me appreciates how some experts manage to explain complex subjects in a clear and accessible vocabulary. For a lot of people, the term science communicator is synonymous with Carl Sagan, who delighted the generation before mine with the…
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Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
This book was had been in my bookshelf for over a decade. I bought it in 2012, when it was re-released as a movie tie-in when Lincoln came to theaters, as you can see from the picture above. Yet I’ve never read it before this year. Maybe I was just swept by the marketing behind…
I Read Many Things 