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Reviewlettes: New September Nonfiction You Should Read

Despite what felt like a pretty slow month of reading in September, I actually finished three excellent new nonfiction releases. Here are some thoughts!

The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero

In The Class, journalist Heather Won Tesoriero spent a year following “a visionary high school science teacher and his award-winning students” through their academic and personal pursuits. The teacher, Andy Bramante, is a former corporate scientist who left his job to teach high school science. He leads the science research program at a Connecticut high school, where students work on projects to bring on the competitive science fair circuit. This book was so incredibly charming. The students are the best possible kind of nerds, their teacher is dedicated but totally human, and the storytelling really brought all of them to life. I loved this one.

I Should Have Honor by Khalida Brohi

Khalida Brohi was born in tribal Pakistan, a place where arranged marriages were common, even expected, and women were expected to always behave with honor. After her beloved cousin was killed in a traditional “honor killing,” Brohi became a young activist, trying to change minds and traditions in rural Pakistan. I Should Have Honor is the story of her coming-of-age as an activist and how her activism affected her relationship with her family. Reading this book reminded me a lot of I Am Malala, and not just because both women are young Muslim activists. I thought the writing style was similar — very conversational and personal — and offered a powerful glimpse into cultures I hadn’t gotten to see before. It’s a very good book.

The Personality Brokers by Merve Emre

I think personality tests are fascinating, so of course I was going to pick up a book all about the history of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Turns out, it’s not nearly as scientifically rigorous as one might think! The Personality Brokers tells the story of Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, a mother-daughter pair of “homemakers, novelists, and amateur psychoanalysts” who designed the test to bring the ideas of Carl Jung to the masses, then how the test has permeated culture today. I thought the first half the book, the story of Briggs and Briggs Myers, was really strong, but that the narrative petered out a bit near the end. I think I wanted a bit more about contemporary personality testing than I got, but overall it was an interesting read.

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  • Trisha October 21, 2018, 8:42 am

    I Should Have Honor is on my short list for next semesters non-fiction read for Intro to Lit.

  • mae October 23, 2018, 6:53 am

    It seems so fitting that a so-called personality test is sort of bogus, especially after it’s been used by so many corporations. If you’ve ever had anything to do with corporate personnel policies, this isn’t surprising. I haven’t read the book but I read a much more detailed review of the book. And it didn’t surprise me!

    best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com

  • Vasilly October 28, 2018, 4:22 pm

    Hi, Kim! The Class sounds like the perfect gift to give a friend who’s going to school to become a science teacher. I’ve heard a lot lately about the Briggs-Myers test and how it’s not as scientific rigorous as we’ve been made to think. I’m glad I never bought into it. What’s next on your tbr list?