Vote on our next Numlock book club books!
Hey! There are eight options for the new books! Read the descriptions, and then figure out which books you’d be game to read, and then vote here. All the books that break 50 percent approval will get added to the queue. We’ll have a schedule before Christmas, because that week between Christmas and New Years is always pretty clutch for some reading. Voting will conclude end of the week.
There are a whole lot of fun ones in this batch, I hope you like them!
The Secret Life Of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket
Insider look inside an industry very much in the news these days. From the description:
In this page-turning expose, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on the highly secretive grocery industry. Combining deep sourcing, immersive reporting, and sharp, often laugh-out-loud prose, Lorr leads a wild investigation, asking what does it take to run a supermarket? How does our food get on the shelves? And who suffers for our increasing demands for convenience and efficiency?
What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia
by Elizabeth Catte
Belt Publishing is a very cool indie publisher, and this book is excellent counterprogramming for the Hilbilly Elegy Oscar bid. From the description:
In 2016, headlines declared Appalachia ground zero for America's "forgotten tribe" of white working class voters. Journalists flocked to the region to extract sympathetic profiles of families devastated by poverty, abandoned by establishment politics, and eager to consume cheap campaign promises. What You Are Getting Wrong About Appalachia is a frank assessment of America's recent fascination with the people and problems of the region.
No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram
By Sarah Frier
Deeply reported book about the founding and evolution of one of the most important and influential social media apps, plus palace intrigue into Facebook. From the description:
Frier draws on unprecedented access—from the founders of Instagram, as well as employees, executives, and competitors; Anna Wintour of Vogue; Kris Jenner of the Kardashian-Jenner empire; and a plethora of influencers worldwide—to show how Instagram has fundamentally changed the way we show, eat, travel, and communicate, all while fighting to preserve the values which contributed to the company’s success.
How to Become a Federal Criminal: An Illustrated Handbook for the Aspiring Offender
The book by the endlessly entertaining @CrimeADay guy. From the description:
A hilarious, entertaining, and illuminating compendium of the most bizarre ways you might become a federal criminal in America—from mailing a mongoose to selling Swiss cheese without enough holes—written and illustrated by the creator of the wildly popular @CrimeADay Twitter account.
Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World
by Olga Khazan
Fun book all about the concept of weirdness and how it can drive success. From the description:
Growing up as a Russian immigrant in West Texas, Olga Khazan always felt there was something different about her. This feeling has permeated her life, and as she embarked on a science writing career, she realized there were psychological connections between this feeling of being an outsider and both her struggles and successes later in life. She decided to reach out to other people who were unique in their environments to see if they had experienced similar feelings of alienation, and if so, to learn how they overcame them. Weird is based on in-person interviews with many of these individuals, such as a woman who is professionally surrounded by men, a liberal in a conservative area, and a Muslim in a predominantly Christian town.
The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks
by Ben Cohen
The science of the hot streak, looking at if and how success breeds success. From the description:
In The Hot Hand, Wall Street Journal reporter Ben Cohen offers an unfailingly entertaining and provocative investigation into these questions. He begins with how a $35,000 fine and a wild night in New York revived a debate about the existence of streaks that was several generations in the making. We learn how the ability to recognize and then bet against streaks turned a business school dropout named David Booth into a billionaire, and how the subconscious nature of streak-related bias can make the difference between life and death for asylum seekers
Losers: Dispatches from the Other Side of the Scoreboard
Edited by Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas
This is a collection of essays from several different writers on the theme of losing, would be a new format for us but this kind of anthology book I’ve always enjoyed. From the description:
As sports journalists Mary Pilon and Louisa Thomas argue, losing is not a phenomenon to be overlooked, and in Losers, they have called upon novelists, reporters, and athletes to consider what it means to lose. From the Olympic gymnast who was forced to surrender her spot to another teammate, to the legacy of Bill Buckner's tenth-inning error in the 1986 World Series, to LeBron James's losing record in the NBA Finals, these essays range from humorous to somber, but all are united by their focus on defeat.
Murder and the Movies
by David Thomson
A history and cultural critique of killing people on screen, review have been great and the topic’s to die for. From the description:
When we see a murder played out in the movies, we become participants. When artfully crafted, murders become insidious invitations that are nearly impossible to resist. With his encyclopedic knowledge of film and sardonic wit, celebrated film critic David Thomson explores how murders are presented on screen.