MP Dastan Bekeshev is a real bookworm who annually reports on the books he has read. This time there are a lot of interesting modern and not very works on his list.
Kaktus.media decided to learn more about the books. The deputy determined the top 5 books that will be useful to all officials of Kyrgyzstan, and especially to employees of the mayor’s office.
1. Charles Montgomery. “Happy city. How urban planning changes our lives”
Charles Montgomery “Happy City. How urban planning changes our lives.”
What do we need to be happy? Urbanist and journalist Charles Montgomery finds answers to questions at the intersection of urban design and the science of happiness. He travels to the most dynamic cities in the world and shows their experience. Take, for example, the visionary mayor of Bogotá, who introduced a “charming” bus to defuse tensions in the city; here is an architect who brought the achievements of a medieval city from the hills of Tuscany to modern New York, here is an activist who turned Parisian freeways into beaches, here is a legion of American suburbanites who design streets and neighborhoods with their own hands.
New data from psychology, neuroscience, and Montgomery’s own urban experiments are collected in this book. It shows how cities can shape our thoughts and behavior. And ultimately encouraging: by modernizing cities and our own lives for the sake of happiness, we can solve many problems. A happy city can save the world and we can all help build it.
2. Stefano Mancuso. “Plant Revolution”
Stefano Mancuso “The Plant Revolution”.
Mancuso’s book is dedicated to the unique and unexpected possibilities of plants. Life in extreme conditions, protective disguise from predators, movement without energy consumption, and finally, manipulation of animals and people – these are just a few of what the talented scientist talks about.
The book is filled with stunning color illustrations of the characters themselves!
“This book can be read by employees of the mayor’s office and the Ministry of Natural Resources,” Bekeshev recommended.
3. Paul Dolan. “Happy Ever”
Paul Dolan. “Happy ever.”
Get a decent upbringing, higher education, a good job, marry someone who is in no way worse than you, have a big salary, a car, your own apartment or house, communicate with the right people, give your children the best, become respected human… Why do many people dream about it and struggle to make their dreams come true? Because in our society there are a number of well-established ideas about the ideal life, to which everyone is obliged to strive. But is it true happiness? Professor Paul Dolan argues that we do not achieve success and peace of mind because we follow outdated social patterns.
“And this book is recommended to be read by everyone who is already tired of generally accepted patterns,” the people’s deputy explains his choice.
4. Yuval Noah Harari. “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind”
Yuval Noah Harari. “Sapiens: A Brief History of Mankind”.
100,000 years ago, Homo sapiens was one of at least six human species that lived on this planet, an unremarkable animal that played no more role in the ecosystem than gorillas, fireflies or jellyfish. But about 70 thousand years ago, a mysterious change in the cognitive abilities of Homo sapiens turned him into the master of the planet and the nightmare of the ecosystem. How did a reasonable person manage to conquer the world? What happened to other kinds of man? When and why did money, states and religion appear? How did empires rise and fall? Why did almost all societies put women below men? How did science and capitalism become the dominant creeds of the modern era? Have people become happier over time? What future awaits us?
Yuval Harari shows how the course of history has shaped human society and the reality around it. His book traces the connection between the events of the past and the problems of the present and forces the reader to reconsider all the established ideas about the world around him.
5. Yuval Noah Harari. “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow”
Yuval Noah Harari Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.
“Homo Deus” continues the logic of the first book, answering the question: we are the crown of creation. So, what is next? We organized to meet basic needs. Now we are striving for bliss and immortality.
Here lies the main provocation of Harari. Should we strive for this? Harari proves that absolute happiness, immortality and godlikeness will not necessarily be a boon for the human race. The author paints the following picture of a possible future: the elites will improve themselves and their lives through biotechnologies and genetic engineering and create a god-like species of Homo Deus; artificial intelligence will appear that “knows us better than we know ourselves”; god-like elites and super-intelligent robots will eventually decide that the existence of the rest of humanity does not make sense.
Harari does an excellent job of showing us how we can get to this life and what it means for us. A Brief History of the Future is being written right now, and we are active participants in this process.
And what books do you read?