Category: Book Reviews
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Book Review: The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan
Quote of the book “We think of globalisation as a uniquely modern phenomenon; yet 2,000 years ago too, it was a fact of life, one that presented opportunities, created problems and prompted technological advance.” 5 key points Review It is impressive to be able to provide an overview of global history in a single book,…
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Book Review: Bullsh*t Jobs by David Graeber
This book is not a list of every type of pointless job. Instead, it provides a breakdown of why society has pointless jobs, how we got to this stage, and what we can do about it. It is deeply honest and revealing, sharing unspoken truths about the human condition, ultimately asking how we can reach…
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Book Review: This is London: Life and Death in The World City by Ben Judah
What side of London do you never get to hear about in general media? This book is a literary masterpiece, as journalist Ben Judah takes the reader on a tour around London, meeting the people who make the city live and move and who are usually ignored (literally – bus drivers, the homeless, shop keepers…
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Book Review: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain
What is your personality type? How can you be an inclusive leader? These are only a couple of the questions that Susan Cain addresses in this empowering book. Cain dispels myths about having an introverted personality type to change society’s perception of what it means to be introverted.
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Book Review: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
This book explored on a deeply philosophical level, what really matters at the end of life? How can we have a good death? By cleverly combining the science of medicine with the philosophy of life, Gawande explores how modern medicine has changed over time.
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Book Review: Do No Harm by Henry Marsh
This book is written by Henry Marsh who shares his unconventional journey into neurosurgery after studying medicine as a second degree. The title of the book is reminiscent of the first hippocratic oath, which is an oath often taken by medical physicians: “first do no harm”.
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Book Review: A Woman of Firsts by Edna Adan Ismail
This book would be very suited to someone who wants to read a book about female empowerment, or is interested in medical memoirs, FGM, or international aid. Overall, this book has two particular strong points. Firstly, her story is inspiring as a strong-willed woman who relentlessly pursues what she wants, fighting against societal norms.
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Book Review: We Crossed a Bridge and It Trembled: Voices from Syria by Wendy Pearlman
The book is a collection of first person stories of Syrians who have shared their experiences at different stages of the Syrian revolution. This book would be interesting to anyone who cares about human rights, the refugee crisis, the Middle East, and forced human migration. It is accessible to all audiences.
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Book Review: The Ungrateful Refugee by Dina Nayeri
Nayeri fled Iran with her mother and brother when she was eight years old. In Iran, her mother was a doctor and they fled their relatively comfortable livelihoods in order to protect their lives. She spent some time in refugee camps in Italy, where she describes how stories became the backbone of their existence.
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Book Review: Dear Life: A Doctor’s Story of Love and Loss by Rachel Clarke
Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor, who worked as a journalist before retraining as a doctor. She shares her personal and professional journey with the reader through this transition and her eventual specialisation in palliative care.
Preeti Kaur 