6 Books to Read to Understand the World a Little Better

If the state of America and the world have you wondering how we arrived at this point, it’s time for a history lesson. One of the best ways to learn about our world is through literature. Given the centuries of context to consider, we’ve rounded up some books to read to understand the world a little better. 

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

When it comes to understanding race dynamics in the United States, Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness is a must-read. Written by a civil rights lawyer, advocate, and legal scholar, the book exposes how the U.S. criminal justice system now operates as a tool of racial control.

Alexander delves into the inner workings of the American criminal justice system and the challenges of escaping once involved. She also explores the broader context of mass incarceration, going far beyond the criminal justice system itself and extending into laws, rules, and policies.

She discusses how the end of slavery and Jim Crow led to changes in legislation, but not ideology. She says that, “in the era of colorblindness, it is no longer permissible to hate Blacks, but we can hate criminals. To be a Black man is to be thought of as a criminal.” (pg. 198-199)

The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T.R. Reid

If you live in the United States, you or a loved one has probably faced serious frustrations with the country’s healthcare system. In The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care, T.R. Reid examines this system in contrast with other healthcare systems in wealthy nations. 

The book opens with an examination of the American healthcare system in 2010. Reid highlights some disheartening stats from more than a decade ago: 20,000 people die every year from preventable causes because they can’t afford necessary treatments, and 700,000 people go bankrupt from health issues due to inadequate insurance coverage. 

He travels to a number of countries, including Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada, to explore how their healthcare systems work. Reid discovers that all of his examined countries have guaranteed coverage for all, most have longer wait times than the U.S., and none of them have for-profit healthcare companies. 

As the U.S. healthcare crisis continues, this book is a necessary read for anyone who wants to better understand what’s behind our system. 

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Indigenous wisdom and plant science come together in Braiding Sweetgrass, an incredible book by Citizen Potawatomi Nation member Robin Wall Kimmerer. 

Kimmerer dives deep into the symbiotic relationship between humans and the land around them, with a focus on botany and traditional Indigenous knowledge. The author says of her book, “I wanted readers to understand that Indigenous knowledge and Western science are both powerful ways of knowing, and that by using them together we can imagine a more just and joyful relationship with the Earth.”

Too often, Indigenous knowledge is considered completely separate from the scientific world. Kimmerer does a beautiful job of tying the two together and highlighting their reciprocal relationships. 

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Given the heavy nature of many of the book recommendations in this list, Braiding Sweetgrass is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them through beautiful words, stories, and nuggets of wisdom. 

Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe by Antony Loewenstein

 A sobering book by Antony Loewenstein, Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe, explores how systems of capitalism profit from disaster, poverty, and catastrophes. 

This book doesn’t focus on the United States but offers plenty of great insights that can be applied to America’s capitalist system. Loewenstein travels across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Greece, Australia, the United States, and other countries to see how companies can profit from privatized detention centers, militarized private security, destructive mining, and aid profiteering. 

Loewenstein saw firsthand how disaster capitalism worked in post-earthquake Haiti and witnessed the ways that international mining corporations got rich off the extraction boom in Papua New Guinea. 

While enraging, this book is an eye-opening exploration into the ways that companies see disasters as opportunities to profit at the expense of real human lives. 

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis 

A fascinating collection of essays, interviews, and speeches, Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis is a must-read for anyone seeking a clearer understanding of the world around us. 

Activist and scholar Angela Davis draws connections between state violence and oppression across the world in this book. She covers Black feminism, intersectionality, and abolitionism while contrasting the past struggles ranging from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid efforts. 

Connecting state struggles from Ferguson to Palestine and beyond, Davis opens readers’ eyes to the ways that fights for freedom have and always will exist. She also emphasizes the importance of knowing the many different struggles of the past and present and standing in solidarity with those actively fighting for their own freedom. 

Davis is a renowned feminist, political activist, philosopher, author, and much more. She’s well-known across social justice circles as a necessary voice in the fight for a better world. As such, her book is a must-read for anyone looking to better understand the times we’re living in and how they connect to our past struggles. 

READ: These Top 5 Books About Cannabis Are Totally Worth the Read

How To Be an Anti-Racist” by Ibram X. Kendi 

If you’re looking for a book with actionable ways to change your thinking and worldview, Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Anti-Racist is an excellent read. Written in memoir form, this book combines history, science, law, and ethics with his own personal experiences.

Kendi effectively helps readers rethink their style of thinking and re-examine the way we see and move through the world. He utilizes a new theme per chapter to keep the reading engaging and compelling as he examines the ways racism is deeply intertwined with capitalism and the patriarchy. 

This is not a comprehensive list of all the books that can help you better understand the world, but it is a good starting point. We hope that this helps in your own fight for a better understanding and a better world.