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Five Books to Rethink Everything
Stuck on autopilot? As humans we can get stuck in our own thought patterns. While some traditions stand the test of time, often innovation springs from rethinking our expected ways of doing things. Each of these books takes a preconceived notion --- the ubiquity of social media, of cars, of megacorporations --- and turns it on its head. If you have ever wondered if the world could look differently, the answer is in one of these books.
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Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier
Written pre-pandemic and pre-Trump 2.0, this small book tackles the big assumption that we cannot live a connected and valuable life without our social media accounts. In fact, Lanier argues that social media algorithms and dopamine feedback loops are responsible for many things that plague our society. Platforms that rely on ad revenue find ever more pervasive ways to track, categorize, and market you. They even manipulate your emotions to drive further engagement and profit. Lanier writes from his experience as "the father of virtual reality" who realized that these tools, in the wrong hands, have enormous power to harm.
Blueprint for Revolution by Srdja Popovic
Totalitarianism thrives on the powerlessness that everyday people feel when it comes to changing the world around them. Srdja Popovic draws upon his experience with the Serbian resistance organization Otpor to show how their nonviolent tactics created the morale and framework that made regime change possible. As proof, the book is filled with Otpor's lessons and anecdotes that they have imparted to activists around the world. As Popovic tells it, activists often have reasons why Otpor's tactics will not work for them, but they find that the desire for positive and joyful change is universal. From the Maldives to Syria to the US, Popovic and his veteran activists have encouraged those who wish to speak to power. Learn the importance of bringing together diverse audiences, picking battles you can win, and using humor to lift up your fellow activists while getting a taste of the hope that Otpor has spread around the world.
How to Resist Amazon and Why by Danny Caine
Any book lover can tell you about how Amazon came on the scene and took over the market. But it takes a bookseller like Danny Caine to dive into what else Amazon hopes to control (everything), and how (by any means possible). Caine intersperses deep discussions into Amazon's policies with short stories of real-world impacts and implications of its growth. At the center of this small book is a series of simple questions: What is the true price of convenience, who pays it, and is it worth it? This book is a must-read for anyone who got a Prime Day package this year while Jeff Bezos was gutting the Washington Post.
Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives by Melissa and Chris Bruntlett
This book is an appeal from two urban mobility advocates who see a path forward for greater pedestrian and cycling infrastructure all around the world. The Bruntletts moved their family from Canada to the Netherlands, a cycling paradise. Curbing Traffic makes the case that common sense road reform is possible outside of the Dutch city of Delft, and that the benefits of taking cars off of majority residential roads far outweigh opposing concerns. Whether it be for the good of children, mothers, health, environment, economy, equality, or safety, you'll find a reason to look at cars a little differently.
Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring it Back by Marc J. Dunkelman
America built the interstate highway system but struggles to construct light rail. We created Social Security and then have let it flounder. We built dams and power grids and yet now struggle to greenlight new energy projects. So what gives? What was different back then?
Dunkelman sheds light on the progressive paradox: give institutions the power to make change, and they often step on the little guy. Give the little guy the power to fight back, and you tie the institutions with their hands behind their backs. Throughout America's history, change agents have struggled to navigate the narrow middle area by which societal progress is made with as few disruptions to individuals as possible. What would it take to build high speed rail, or fix our crumbling bridges? Do you think we need more power or more vetos? By the end of this book you will have a greater appreciation for what it takes to get things done around here.
About the Author
Zac Jones Gomez is a writer and reader originally from Kentucky, who now calls Cleveland Park home. A grant writer by trade, Zac is currently working on a short story collection and poetry collection. He writes a weekly newsletter called The Tactical Urbanist, featuring topics such as transportation and food justice that make up the cities we live in. Since giving up social media, you can likely find him reading out and about on Metro.