Books to Get You Blocked and Reported
Eight controversial books – and why you should read them
I’ve built up quite a collection of “books that cause outrage” to those on the internet. And this list isn’t all of them, or even ones considered the most outrage-y. I find such books enormously interesting to read. I don’t agree with all that is in them them. I don’t disagree with all that is in them. But each of them has something worthwhile in them.
And plus, isn’t the whole point of reading and inquiry more generally to explore the bounds of our own knowledge and challenge our assumptions about the world? If we read only books that fit our preconceived views and align with what we already know then we’re not doing much thinking at all.
This month I bring a collection of books that have – to many – controversial takes. Sex is real. Religion is fundamentally incompatible with science. Higher education is a waste of money. Adults should do drugs in their pursuit of happiness. And more.
Happy reading!
On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century
By Timothy Snyder | Published 2017 (Crown) | Read my review
Are we descending into tyranny here in the U.S.? Many believe so, but at least an equal group doesn’t think so. But when you read On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder it’s hard to deny that what is happening now is anything but what he is describing. What’s more frightening is that this book was written at the start of Trump’s last term. Read it and decide for yourself whether we’re on the track to tyranny.
Good Reasons for Bad Feelings: Insights from the Frontier of Evolutionary Psychiatry
By Randolph M. Nesse | Published 2019 (Dutton)
The mental health crisis is, well, a crisis. Anxiety and depression afflict most people at this point. But why? Is it the phones? Capitalism? The economy? Probably a lot of things, but those common reasons are relatively superficial. They don’t get at the underlying cause. Randy Nesse, however, approaches the common mental health problems from an evolutionary perspective to explain why we experience depression, anxiety, and the like. If you’ve ever suffered from these conditions, you should read it.
Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible
By Jerry A. Coyne | Published 2015 (Viking)
At one point in time, science and religion were one in the same. Our understanding of the world was based on religion. But then came the scientific revolution. People all over the world started discovering that their observations of the world didn’t align with what this other book said. Fast forward to today and it’s clear that modern science is fundamentally distinct from what religion says. Jerry Coyne makes a strong case that, no, you cannot reconcile religion with science, and specifically evolution. There is no compatibility. No matter where you’re at on that spectrum, read it.
The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America
By Coleman Hughes | Published 2024 (Thesis) | Read my review
The last decade has been dominated by race. Everything – every discussion, problem, feeling – is about race. But what if it wasn’t? Coleman Hugues, a prominent public intellectual, has been critical of the hyperfocus on race for the good of our society and specifically for the good of black Americans. He argues that America must return to the colorblind roots of The American Civil Rights Movement and ditch the current ‘anti-racist’ ideology that is brewing resentment, fear, and paranoia across America. He makes a strong case to stop making race the center of the U.S. universe.
The Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money
By Bryan Caplan | Published 2018 (Princeton University Press)
I believe higher education should be fully federally funded and radically focused on education. I also believe you should read Bryan Caplan’s book on why the US higher education system doesn’t teach students anything and is a waste of money for our country. Why? Because it’s a fantastic argument filled with data. Multiple things can be true at once. Higher ed is inefficient and not focused on teaching well. That can be changed so it is no longer a waste of money. But either way it does pay for you the individual to go to college. So many paradoxes for you to ponder while you read.
Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear
By Carl L. Hart | Published 2021 (Penguin Press)
Growing up is realizing that a lot of fully functioning, well-educated, very successful adults do “hard” drugs recreationally. Carl Hart makes the case that it should certainly be that way. Making drugs illegal only creates an unregulated, dangerous market for them, stigmatizes their use, and infringes on one’s right to the pursuit of happiness. Bold! Some argue this is a privileged take. But it doesn’t make it a bad one. Think you disagree? Give it a read.
Discrimination and Disparities
By Thomas Sowell | Published March 2019 (Basic Books)
Discrimination and disparities are enormous problems in our society. But the solutions are far from clear. Sowell is one of the best data-driven public writers of our time. He presents many counter-intuitive takes on disparities in our society that many from the left of center would think preposterous and outright wrong. Most days I think I disagree with him too until I look at his arguments – and well, it’s hard to argue with them! He’s written tons of books (literally over 90 I think?) and this is my favorite of the few that I have managed to read.
T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us
By Carole Hooven | Published July 2021 (Henry Hold and Co.)
Oh the great controversy of sex in our society. Today, many progressives will argue sex isn’t real – it’s all a construction. Biology doesn’t matter, it’s all about gender. But as an evolutionary scientist, I flat out disagree. Biology is enormously important to understanding sex and behavior. Carole Hooven and her takes on sex have been harassed for years, but it doesn’t mean she’s wrong. Her book on testosterone is really a book on the biology of sex. And it’s great and you should read it.
Interesting to see Nesse’s book on this list. Recently interviewed him for my substack Psychiatry at the Margins: https://www.psychiatrymargins.com/p/why-did-evolution-leave-us-vulnerable