October

 

Book 40: A Colony in a Nation

In A Colony in a Nation, author and news anchor Chris Hayes explores America’s criminal justice system’s history and its persisting disparities. I attended a discussion on race and criminal justice featuring Hayes a few weekends ago, and I purchased a signed copy of this book from him.

 

Book 41: Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy

We think of the algorithms “running our lives” as fair and unbiased. But what if that’s not true? I love technology and typically view it positively. I’m reading Weapons of Math Destruction to get a different, hopefully not alarmist, perspective on the dangers of over-relying on big data and models.

 

Book 42: Al Franken, Giant of the Senate

In Giant of the Senate, SNL alum Senator Al Franken discusses his unlikely campaign for the US Senate and his time in office. I recently attended a keynote with the senator, and he was hilarious. I received a free signed copy from Senator Franken, and I’m excited to read it.

 

Book 43: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

Persepolis is the true story of a young girl who grew up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. It is the first graphic novel I will have read in 2017. My friend Hannah has been recommending Persepolis for years. I recently became more interested in it because I’m reading a book about Iranian immigration for a university course.

 

Book 44: An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became a Big Business and How You Can Take it Back

The American healthcare system is a mess. It’s inefficient and way too costly. In An American Sickness, Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal explores how we got here, and gives us practical solutions to navigating the system’s many problems.

 

That’s it for this month. I hope you’ll be reading with me!