And the book never lets you be comfortable. You watch Leiya escape the village only to hit a different kind of ceiling in the city. You see Siyue build a career in private tutoring, finally getting somewhere, and then the government suddenly dismantles the entire industry overnight. You read about Sam’s activism—and watch her face real danger for that choice.

These are stories about ambition and resilience, sure. But they’re also brutally honest about the real human costs and consequences of such a change. Many of the specifics may be about China (and fascinating for the outsider), and others are more generally relevant to such periods of massive change.

Yang brings real credibility to this—she’s a Financial Times correspondent who witnessed press freedom decline in China firsthand, and she spent years embedded in these women’s lives through their diaries and personal narratives. The book is simultaneously intimate and deeply structural. You feel what it’s like to be Leiya or Siyue or June or Sam, and you understand the forces shaping their options.

This connects directly to something we’re exploring this spring: What does it look like to live through historical transformation—whether that’s colonialism arriving in your society, rapid economic restructuring in your country, or deliberate choices you make to transform yourself? Each of our three books this term looks at that differently, in different centuries, different continents, from different angles.

Join us Tuesday, February 17 at 8pm UK time to discuss Private Revolutions.

Register here — you’ll receive additional curated resources when you sign up.

If you haven’t read the book yet but are curious, here are a few ways to get started:

Watch (10 min): Book excerpt read by the narrators – hear Yang’s voice and get a sense of the book’s tone

Listen (22 min): Standard Issue Podcast interview – Yang talks about left-behind children, parenting pressures, and how this work led her to stand for Parliament

Read (8 min): “We’re All Trained to Be Good Obedient Children” – overview of the book’s themes and Yang’s perspective as someone bridging Chinese and Western contexts

This is the middle book in our spring term exploring Living Through Historical Transformation. We’re reading across centuries and continents—from Chinua Achebe’s portrayal of colonialism arriving in Nigeria in January, to Yang’s China in February, to Gandhi’s autobiography in March. Each offers wisdom about what’s possible when transformation arrives (invited or uninvited), and how we maintain agency within forces beyond our control.

Please do join me in this exploration!

Richard @ Not Another Book Club

Then colonizers arrive, and his entire value system becomes worthless overnight.

What Achebe captures is the moment when strength becomes irrelevant, when standing firm feels like the only honourable choice and also the path to destruction.

Achebe’s 1958 novel is narrated from inside Igbo society as British colonialism arrives in 1890s Nigeria. It doesn’t romanticize pre-colonial Africa or endorse colonialism. Instead, it asks something harder: What happens to a community when external forces systematically dismantle their institutions? What does it cost to stay human—to preserve what matters—when everything changes?

For leaders navigating organizational or societal transformation, Okonkwo’s story is unsparing. What strengths become liabilities? When does conviction become rigidity? How do we distinguish between standing on principle and refusing reality?

These are big questions - let’s discuss them!

When: Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 8pm UK time
Duration: 60 minutes
Where: Zoom (link will be in the calendar invite)
Sign up here - You’ll receive a calendar invite and additional resources directly to your email

Context for our spring reading

We’re exploring Living Through Historical Transformation this spring—three books, three different angles on how individuals and communities navigate when the ground shifts beneath them. Things Fall Apart opens that conversation by showing transformation imposed from outside. If you’re joining us for all three books, they deepen each other in unexpected ways.

Resources to Get Started

• BBC Audio: Achebe’s Revolutionary Book (9 min) — Achebe’s daughter on how this novel changed world literature​

• Achebe on Why Africa Must Tell Its Own Stories (15 min) — Reflecting 50 years later on what he set out to accomplish​​

• 1964 Interview with Achebe (23 min) — Speaking with Wole Soyinka just six years after publication​

• LitCharts Study Guide — Chapter-by-chapter companion if you want structured support while reading​

Questions? Do get in touch…

Looking forward to diving in together with you!

Richard @ Not Another Book Club

When the ground shifts beneath us, it helps to learn from others who’ve navigated similar territory. Our Spring 2026 selection of books explores three distinct experiences of living through huge change: a Nigerian community encountering the collision of worlds in the 1890s, four Chinese women coming of age during decades of breathtaking transformation, and Gandhi’s experiments with truth during India’s independence struggle. Each offers wisdom about maintaining agency and meaning when history accelerates around us.

I hope you’ll join me in seeking perspectives from these books that may help us make sense of the changes currently afoot:

• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - Tuesday 13th January 2026, 8pm UK time

• Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China by Yuan Yang - Tuesday 17th February 2026, 8pm UK time

• The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi - Tuesday 24th March 2026, 8pm UK time

→ Sign up for our discussions here
(You’ll receive suggestions for additional resources when you register for each discussion)

If you’re interested, here is a guide to ethical consumption of books.

Wishing you a thoughtful close to 2025, and looking forward to exploring these remarkable books together in the new year.

Richard @ Not Another Book Club

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/6103/things-fall-apart-by-chinua-achebe/

Achebe’s masterpiece shows us what happens when transformation arrives uninvited. Set in pre-colonial Nigeria, it chronicles how Okonkwo’s Igbo community encounters British colonialism—not as background history, but as lived experience of a world coming apart. This is transformation imposed from outside, revealing how communities respond when familiar structures collapse and new orders demand accommodation. What does it take to preserve dignity and identity when the ground shifts this dramatically?

Watch: Achebe Discusses Africa 50 Years After ‘Things Fall Apart’ - PBS NewsHour (8 min)
Read: Proverbs in Things Fall Apart - Republic Magazine (~5 min)

Private Revolutions: Coming of Age in a New China by Yuan Yang

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/private-revolutions-9781526641951/

Yang follows four Chinese women navigating forty years of breathtaking transformation—from the Cultural Revolution’s aftermath through China’s economic miracle and into today’s uncertainties. Through intimate access to their diaries and lives, we see how massive systemic change plays out in individual choices about education, work, relationships, and identity. This is transformation experienced from within: how do ordinary people maintain agency and meaning when society transforms around them faster than they can process?

Listen: Yuan Yang Explores the New China - Standard Issue Podcast (22 min)
Read: Delving into the Inner Lives of Women in Neoliberal China - The Conversation (~8 min)

The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mahatma Gandhi

https://www.gandhiheritageportal.org/mahatma-gandhi-books/the-story-of-my-experiments-with-truth

Gandhi’s autobiography reveals transformation as deliberate practice. Written as “experiments with truth,” it shows how one person systematically tested principles of non-violence, simplicity, and authentic living during India’s independence struggle. This is transformation as conscious choice: what happens when someone decides to become an instrument of change rather than merely responding to it? Gandhi offers a manual for personal integrity during collective upheaval—perhaps exactly what we need when navigating our own historical moment.

Read: Reading Gandhi Reading - Los Angeles Review of Books (~12 min)

It’s irreverent and counterintuitive—a philosophy professor making the case that philosophy isn’t about thinking harder. This feels safe (Rowlands clearly knows his stuff) and stretching (it is philosophy after all!). And as we close out our trilogy of books around resilience , it makes me think that perhaps part of resilience is simply noticing and appreciating the good things available to us, rather than getting stuck in loops of thinking and reflecting (shock horror; reflection is a big part of what I do professionally!).

There’s still plenty of time to track down a copy (wherever you are!) and give it a read before our discussion on Tuesday 25th November—the third conversation in our autumn trilogy exploring aspects of resilience.

In September with Lessons in Chemistry, we explored resilience as keeping your integrity intact while navigating flawed systems—and recognizing the unexpected allies along the way. In October, Slow Productivity reframed resilience as sustainable rhythm: choosing quality and steady craft over the exhaustion of constant output. The Happiness of Dogs completes the trilogy, turning to what might be the most fundamental form of resilience: staying present to what’s actually here.

--> Sign up for the discussion here - 8pm UK time on Tuesday 25th November (and I’m excited to road-test a new sign up system; you’ll also get a sneak peek at upcoming books too):
https://airtable.com/apphn3WLs3BjxlVsR/pagiyZXDHxzYjwUf3/form

If you’d like to get a feel for this book’s themes before diving in:

Quick read: University of Miami interview - Rowlands explains the core ideas in 5-7 minutes

Short listen: RNZ Radio conversation - 15-minute interview on what dogs can teach us about loving life

Deep dive: The One You Feed podcast - Extended 50-minute conversation exploring meaning, reflection, and why dogs might be natural philosophers (referencing the author’s follow-on book)

I’d love to hear what you think of the book, or any ideas you have for future discussions.

Happy reading and speak soon,

Richard @ Not Another Book Club

Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity arrived as a reminder of what most of us already know: that this constant motion isn’t getting us closer to good work—or to ourselves. He argues that we have never developed a good sense of what individual productivity actually means for the kinds of work that happen in words, images, ideas, and teams. It’s not as simple as counting widgets produced; emails per hour is a disastrous measure of professional effectiveness.

Newport’s suggestion sounds simple: do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and focus on quality. But in practice, this is both radical and really hard.

Radical because it’s difficult to measure and evaluate real productivity in knowledge work, so these suggestions imply a radical change in levels of trust and autonomy.

And it’s hard because there’s a system of behaviours that feeds off itself — busyness begets busyness. If a boss can’t tell who is actually productive, then who’s going to get the promotion? Telling your boss that your task list is full for the next two weeks sounds nice in theory, but would take some guts to put into practice in this context

This sets up a prisoner’s dilemma: the rational choice for any individual is to out-hustle everyone else, even though we’d all be better off if everyone slowed down.

And perhaps we have internalised this workplace culture — stillness can feel unsafe. If the emails and messages stop, how long is it before we start feeling like we’re irrelevant and disappearing? Out of the loop? Can we get through an afternoon of deep work without scratching our inbox itch?

So, if we could re-design work, what would we do to make it more human, meaningful and go with the grain of our psychology rather than against it?

To open up this question, we drew on our own experiences of making space for creativity. The limiting factor was rarely time - it was the right conditions: information, materials, briefing, mental clarity, freedom from distraction.

Often, our work habits work against us: The personal systems we build for managing our work matter as much as organisational ones. How do we handle our inbox? Track tasks? Allocate attention? These aren’t trivial housekeeping questions — they’re foundational to knowledge work, yet rarely given serious thought.

One of the areas we explored was around rhythm and texture in our work. Newport’s suggestion of “work at a natural pace” feels almost luxurious - and certainly better than cycles of zoom fatigue, burnout and rehab. Some of his tactics — longer time blocks, corralling admin, strategic calendar use — might help. But they have all been around for a while and on their own feel like marginal gains against a systemic problem.

We weren’t entirely satisfied. We wanted more of the big vision — how a modern workplace could be fundamentally different when designed around human effectiveness and wellbeing. We wanted bolder experiments, not just sensible adjustments. Above all, we wanted him to inspire us, grant permission, even start a movement.

But the most important part of our conversation was triggered by Newport’s instruction to “obsess over quality”. This struck us as deliberately provocative (obsession normally isn’t encouraged). We were more drawn to caring deeply about quality, which led us into thinking about what really matters in our field - what does quality really mean? We made distinctions between perfectionism and striving for excellence. The deliberately developmental process that refines taste and judgement.

This is the timeless wisdom this book reminds us of: the steady accumulation of excellence in your craft is an important form of productivity — one that is satisfying, meaningful, and very human. Perhaps that’s worth slowing down for.

If this resonated, here are some ways to explore Cal Newport’s ideas further:

• It’s Time to Embrace Slow Productivity (New Yorker article) — The essay that laid the groundwork for the book (paywall)

• Cal Newport: The Secrets of Slow Productivity (video interview) — 1-hour conversation with Ali Abdaal introducing the three principles

• Slow Productivity visual summary (Sketchy Ideas) — Book overview using sketches by Chris J Wilson

• The Surprising Math of Doing Less (video) — The author giving a 13-minute explanation of why doing less means achieving more

On the surface, “Lessons in Chemistry” delivers exactly what you’d expect from a bestseller: an entertaining story about Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant 1950s chemist who ends up hosting a TV cooking show after workplace discrimination derails her research career. The dog’s perspective, the satisfying moments when Elizabeth dismantles pompous men, and the chemistry puns make it genuine entertainment.

But a bit like “Supper at Six” - the TV cooking show intended to bulk out the difficult afternoon TV schedule - this book is not just entertainment. It sneaks in some profound questions while you’re on the ride and doesn’t patronize the reader with simplistic answers, but trusts in the reader’s intelligence to form, and act on, their own view.

Why does authenticity feel so refreshing in fiction yet take such courage in real life? What is it that we might not be saying that needs to be said?

Elizabeth’s matter-of-fact directness felt simultaneously off-putting and liberating to us. She simply says what she sees, unfiltered by social niceties - “everything is just chemistry to her.” What struck us was how this kind of straight talk, which we might stereotype as more “male” behavior or characteristic of somewhere on the autistic spectrum, becomes Elizabeth’s way of cutting through societal absurdities.

Do we have allies who we might not see or appreciate? And who might we reach out to with an offer of support even if the fit feels awkward?

Despite Elizabeth’s talents, she couldn’t succeed alone - and her supporters came from unexpected places - including a number of men despite this being a world in which gender discrimination is rife. She also did not ask for support, but rather accepted (sometimes reluctantly) the support that was offered. In fact, while she started the book with no family or friends, she developed a relationship with this rather unconventional group that felt more like “family” to her than her own family ever was.

We read with our identities, so what can we learn about our own identity when we hear how a story resonates differently with someone else?

Each of us experienced the book differently. A female perspective might include head-nodding moments and sisterhood vibes, while a male reaction might be disgust at workplace predation and cheering for Elizabeth’s victories over unfairness. This made us curious about how the same story might resonate differently across generations, cultures, or other backgrounds. Elizabeth’s very literal worldview becomes a lens for exposing our own hidden assumptions.

What’s the alternative to accepting a flawed system or tearing it down?

Elizabeth doesn’t try to revolutionize television or overturn laboratory hierarchies - she uses what’s available and pushes boundaries from within. Perhaps she didn’t have any alternatives, but she finds a way to do what feels right to her within the (very significant) constraints in which she operates. Of course this is fiction, but it points toward an alternative to passive compliance and destructive rebellion - an alternative that might be worth considering in the many societal challenges we currently face.

How might we roll with difficult circumstances rather than fighting them?

Elizabeth never had a grand plan - she simply made the best of the circumstances that arose. Kicked out of the lab, she took the cooking show job because she needed the money. Given a platform, she didn’t preach, but educated in the same way she did at home with her daughter (and dog). This felt like a different kind of resilience than the “grit and determination” narratives we often hear. She didn’t always bounce back or overcome her challenges - she was at times overwhelmed, and it took an external event to get her moving. Elizabeth’s success seemed less about having a master plan and more about knowing what she stood for and hanging in there even when things were tough.

How far have we come? And how far is there still to go?

The book’s 1950s setting throws contemporary issues into sharp relief. We may be grateful we didn’t live then, but today’s societies and workplaces still have echoes of many of the issues the book touches on - in fact, a male colleague taking credit for the author’s work was her trigger for writing the book.

And beyond gender, where might our systems today be revolting to future generations? What might we be able to do about that?

We found “Lessons in Chemistry” enjoyable and rich - there’s plenty to cheer for, some genuine laughs, the occasional shock. How did the book sit with you? Did you see yourself in any of the characters? What resonated - and what didn’t?

As always, the best part of Not Another Book Club is how each of us brings a different viewpoint, adding a community element to our reading. Feel free to share your own reactions, perspectives, or favorite moments below. (What did you think of Six-Thirty?)

And if you really can’t bear to pick up a book, or even listen to one, you can always watch the series on apple TV.

Looking forward to meeting again next month to discuss Slow Productivity, which promises to be a very different book!

"One of my favourite reads of 2023" says NABC member Julia.

There's still time to pick up or download the book and digest it before our discussion in a couple of weeks. I'm very much looking forward to seeing you there!

This is the first of our autumn trilogy themed around resilience:

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - Tuesday 23rd September 2025

• Slow Productivity by Cal Newport - Tuesday 21st October 2025

• The Happiness of Dogs by Mark Rowlands - Tuesday 25th November 2025

--> Sign up for our discussions here:
https://calendly.com/setforth/notanotherbookclub

As we settle into autumn and these conversations about resilience, I'm pleased to share that the migration of NABC to Substack is proceeding well. This will give us a proper home for our community and serve as a growing library of our discussion write-ups.

You can explore and subscribe for free at www.notanotherbook.club

I'll be transitioning all communications to Substack by year-end, so please do subscribe there to stay connected with our community reading ideas, and upcoming discussions.

Your thoughts, comments, suggestions and book ideas are ever welcome - please do keep them coming!

Happy reading and speak soon,

Richard @ Not Another Book Club

I do hope you're enjoying a wonderful summer!

Many people have told me how worn down they feel by world events and the relentless news cycle. So, when I was thinking about which books to suggest for our Autumn reading, I chose "Resilience" as an organising theme. I hope you find some interest and inspiration here - whether in the books themselves or in the reviews and podcasts I have linked to. And I hope to see you on one of our calls over the coming months.

The books we will be discussing are:

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - Tuesday 23rd September 2025

• Slow Productivity by Cal Newport - Tuesday 21st October 2025

• The Happiness of Dogs by Mark Rowlands - Tuesday 25th November 2025

--> Sign up for our discussions here: https://calendly.com/setforth/notanotherbookclub

If you're interested, here is a guide to ethical consumption of books

And the first two titles are available on audiobooks, for which, please consider xigxag if you're looking for an alternative to Audible/Amazon

You can find more information about these books here (and at the end of this email)

And the full set of books we have discussed here.

In other news, I am (very slowly) moving Not Another Book Club across here to Substack to have a home for the write-ups of our discussions and a better way to communicate with everyone. Thank you for subscribing. If you are also on the email list you may receive this information twice.

Wishing you a restful and regenerative remainder of your summer - happy reading and speak soon!

Richard @ Not Another Book Club

.............

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

https://www.bonniegarmus.com/lessons-in-chemistry

This novel explores multiple dimensions of resilience through Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who rebuilds her life after professional setbacks, personal loss, and societal barriers in 1960s America. The book combines humour with serious themes about gender resilience, career pivots, and single parenthood, offering a perfect balance of entertainment and substance.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/apr/19/lessons-in-chemistry-by-bonnie-garmus-review-the-right-comic-formula
https://pagesandcoffeecups.com/2023/12/27/review-lessons-in-chemistry/

https://www.weareegg.co.uk/podcast-episodes/bonnie-garmus-lessons-in-chemistry
........

Slow Productivity by Cal Newport

https://calnewport.com/slow/

This book explores resilience by advocating for a sustainable approach to work that combats burnout through three core principles: doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over quality. Newport's focus is on long-term accomplishment without overwhelm, and he offering strategies that enhance mental and relational resilience while critiquing modern hustle culture.

https://curtismchale.ca/2024/06/04/slow-productivity-review/
https://tim.blog/2024/02/21/cal-newport-slow-productivity/

........

The Happiness of Dogs by Mark Rowlands

https://granta.com/products/the-happiness-of-dogs/

This book offers a fresh philosophical approach to resilience by exploring how dogs live fully in the present moment without the burden of existential anxiety that plagues humans. Rowlands combines personal memoir with rigorous philosophical inquiry, examining how our canine companions approach suffering, joy, and mortality with a wisdom that could transform our own relationship to life's challenges.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/sep/11/the-happiness-of-dogs-by-mark-rowlands-review-a-masterclass-in-canine-philosophy
https://entertainment-focus.com/2024/09/05/mark-rowlands-the-happiness-of-dogs-why-the-unexamined-life-is-most-worth-living-review/

Our recent Not Another Book Club discussion of Atul Gawande's "Being Mortal" quickly moved beyond medical critiques to something far more personal and urgent: the essential conversations about aging and end-of-life that many of us are all too keen to avoid.

Conversations That Matter

What struck me most from our discussion wasn't Gawande's critique of medical systems (though that's certainly valuable), but rather his implicit plea for families to start talking - openly, honestly, and early - about what really matters when time grows short.

These are conversations that many of us tend to avoid, or think "we'll talk about this when the time is right" - only to find that such a time never seems to arrive

These conversations matter because:

• They help clarify values and preferences before crisis hits

• They reduce the burden on family members who might otherwise have to guess what their loved one would want

• They create space for meaningful connection before cognitive and physical decline start to get in the way

• They give the space for the more nuanced type of planning that contributes to preserving dignity and autonomy when things get more difficult

Why Are These Conversations So Hard?

We explored a number of the challenges around having these kinds of conversations - drawing on our own experiences and trying to get beyond our shared discomfort of discussing death with someone for whom it is approaching:

• These are typically multi-stakeholder, multi-layered conversations with high levels of uncertainty, about consequential decisions, and with lots of emotional baggage

• As if this weren’t hard enough, they often require adult children to initiate difficult conversations with parents - inverting traditional family dynamics

• We typically have little practice in navigating such conversations, and frequently lack the language for them too

• There’s never the “right” time - too early seems unnecessary, during a crisis means there is little bandwidth, and afterward is too late

Starting the Conversations That Matter

Despite these barriers, we shared our experiences and discussed ideas from the book that we have found helpful in approaching such discussions:

• Start early and iteratively: Rather than one big talk, we found this made more sense to us as an ongoing conversation that evolves over time. Each discussion builds on previous ones, making the topic gradually more comfortable.

• Focus on what matters now: Instead of abstract long-term plans, Gawande suggests asking questions like “what’s your understanding of your situation” and "what is most important to you?" These simpler questions can act as doorways to deeper dialogue.

• Look for natural openings: When someone mentions a friend's health crisis or a news story about aging, these can provide gentle entry points for related conversations.  The more we talk about these topics, in any setting, the easier they become

• Consider family dynamics honestly: Recognise what combination of people might be best positioned to initiate or participate in these conversations and where we might be best able to contribute

• Build shared vocabulary: Books like "Being Mortal" can provide language frameworks and points of view that make these discussions more approachable. Consider sharing sections with family members as conversation starters.

Waiting for the "perfect moment" often means waiting too long.  A bit like planting the proverbial tree, the best time for it is probably a while ago, and the second best time is now.  These conversations are only likely to get harder the more they are postponed.

Finding Our Way Forward

What I value most about our book club discussions is how they apply the ideas in the books we discuss to our personal circumstances, and we drew heavily on our own recent experiences in this conversation. 

How about you? Have you had conversations about aging and end-of-life care with your family? What approaches helped make them productive? If you haven't had these talks yet, what would help you feel ready to begin?

For me, having read “Being Mortal”  I find I have more nuanced thoughts around the circumstances of my elderly relatives, and feel better equipped for these conversations, whether that’s with those elderly relatives or other members of my family system. 

Ideally we would be building more capacity in our families, societies and institutions for these types of conversations, and this book is a great starting point.  And if we need help along the way, as well as seeking out medical practitioners experienced in end-of-life care, there is an emerging profession (“death doulas”) who offer help and support to individuals and families who are navigating this final stage of life. 

Above all, though, the strongest message we took away from this book is to start having these conversations!

Resources

Author's website: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande

Excerpt from the book

Short conversation with Atul Gawande on CBS

PBS documentary on Being Mortal

Podcast with Atul Gawande on global health

Having lived most of my life in stable democracies, the concepts of international law, crimes against humanity, and genocide often felt distant to me - not particularly relevant to my safe and comfortable everyday existence.

It was when these terms appeared much more frequently in conversation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the attack on Israel by Hamas with the subsequent IDF response, that I realised how little I knew of them. This led me to the incredibly moving East West Street by Philippe Sands.

In this book we witness the birth of the legal concepts of Crimes against Humanity and Genocide through three parallel family histories woven together during the horrors of the Holocaust and Nazi occupation of Poland, Austria, and Ukraine.

The book’s two main characters each develop and champion one of these concepts, campaigning tirelessly for their inclusion in the Nuremberg trials, where senior Nazis faced justice. I was gripped by this narrative which filled the dry subject of the law with the personalities, motivations and histories of the fascinating people involved, all meticulously researched by Sands.

And through his narration, the author gives a deeply compassionate and sensitive account of the Holocaust, including the systematic use, by the Nazis, of national law to put in place, bit by bit, the conditions for mass murder of Jews and other minority and vulnerable groups.

I didn’t realise this: It was actually legal under Nazi law at the time.

And until 1945 there was nothing higher than national law - there was no legal mechanism to say that this extermination of millions was wrong, or to hold anyone to account for these acts.

This is why the Nuremberg trials were so important - they established the process of International Law, which sits above national law. And the crimes of Genocide and Crimes against Humanity - protections for groups and individuals respectively.

While it might seem distant from everyday life, this book has convinced me that international law, however slow and imperfect, is a hugely important and under-appreciated structure in today's world, often overshadowed by the headlines of geopolitical posturing and deal-making.

And beyond its legal role, the workings of international law create a forum and framework in which some of the most horrific events in recent history can be recorded, recognised and acknowledged - an important part of commemorating, grieving and living with terrible things that have happened - things which can never be undone or put right.

Thank you Philippe Sands for sharing your story, and for bringing home to me how hard-fought and hard-won our international legal structure is. It is something to cherish, even with all its current flaws. And something to keep building upon for the benefit of future generations.

Subscribe now

Review:
- https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/mar/11/invisible-women-exposing-data-bias-by-caroline-criado-perez-review

Podcast with the author:
-

Video
-

For further exploration: Book reviews: - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/02/red-pill-by-hari-kunzru-review-timely-and-intelligent - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/01/books/review/hari-kunzru-red-pill.html

Podcast with the author: - https://podtail.com/en/podcast/rival-radio/red-pill-and-conspiracy-culture-with-hari-kunzru-c/

Video with the author: -

#TheMythOfNormal #GaborMate

https://drgabormate.com/book/the-myth-of-normal/

Podcasts: - Dr Mark Hyman's Doctor's pharmacy podcast: https://drhyman.com/blog/2022/09/14/podcast-ep599/

- Tim Ferriss show podcast: https://tim.blog/2022/09/07/dr-gabor-mate-myth-of-normal/

For further exploration:

https://www.kateraworth.com/doughnut/

Podcasts:

Videos: https://www.ted.com/talks/kate_raworth_a_healthy_economy_should_be_designed_to_thrive_not_grow

👉This adds an additional dimension to topics like representation and equity. The book makes a compelling case for the importance of these topics in creating a legitimate and just future that we can work towards collectively.

In the meantime, the inertia in our current political and economic systems risks creating the conditions for extreme measures (violence, intimidation, corruption, etc.) from both advocates for change and defenders of the status quo. 🔄

And the book didn't delve into the climate situation’s potential to add more fuel to the rise of populism, nationalism, and widespread civil unrest (and their geopolitical implications). 🌐

My greatest takeaway from this book is how intertwined climate change is with economics, politics, sociology, and psychology. A narrow focus on "climate" is not enough.  👉 We must work across ALL of these domains in order to build a future we will be proud to leave to our great-grandchildren.

This will be hugely challenging, with uncomfortable trade-offs requiring a heavy dose of pragmatism and masses of good will, especially amongst those in leadership positions. I can think of few things more important—let's get to work!

With thanks to Reem Akl, Debra Broadhurst 💎 and Pete Trainor for creating a brilliant dynamic in which to explore these topics.

What's your favourite climate-related book? Share your thoughts below! 👇

In our upcoming meetings, we'll explore economic systems further with "Doughnut Economics" by Kate Raworth and delve into the impact of modern society's values with "The Myth of Normal" by Gabor Mate. Stay tuned for more enriching discussions! 📚💡

hashtag#BookClubDiscussion hashtag#ClimateChange #FutureChallenges#Sustainability hashtag#EngageWithBooks

For further exploration: Reviews - https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/of-course-they-would-on-kim-stanley-robinsons-the-ministry-for-the-future/ - https://www.gatesnotes.com/The-Ministry-for-the-Future https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-ministry-for-the-future-interview-kim-stanley-robinson-1101738/ - https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/the-ministry-for-the-future-interview-kim-stanley-robinson-1101738/

Podcast with the author (not directly talking about the book) - https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-ezra-klein-show-2/episode/best-of-a-weird-wonderful-conversation-with-kim-stanley-robinson-303146043

For further exploration: Podcasts - https://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/will-macaskill-what-we-owe-the-future/ - https://www.econtalk.org/will-macaskill-on-longtermism-and-what-we-owe-the-future/ -

Other - Author's homepage:

https://www.williammacaskill.com

Reviews - https://www.gatesnotes.com/The-Rosie-Effect (includes brief video of conversation with the author) - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/jan/05/rosie-project-graeme-simsion-review Podcasts - Part 1: https://play.acast.com/s/the-osher-gunsberg-podcast/273.1writingabest-sellingbookwithgraemesimsion - Part 2: https://play.acast.com/s/the-osher-gunsberg-podcast/273.2writingabest-sellingbookwithgraemesimsion

Book Link: https://untetheredsoul.com/untethered-soul

Podcasts
- https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a39956732/michael-singer-interview-oprah/
- https://www.tonyrobbins.com/podcasts/do-you-want-to-be-happy/
Video interview with author
-

Book Reviews:
- https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/may/12/humankind-a-hopeful-history-by-rutger-bregman-review
- https://traditionsofconflict.com/blog/2020/12/13/book-review-humankind-by-rutger-bregman
Podcasts:
- https://thepanpsycast.libsyn.com/episode-80-human-nature-with-steven-pinker-and-rutger-bregman-part-i-humankind#
- https://thepanpsycast.libsyn.com/episode-80-human-nature-with-steven-pinker-and-rutger-bregman-part-ii-further-analysis-and-discussion
- https://futurespodcast.net/episodes/25-rutgerbregman