{"id":40586,"date":"2025-12-16T06:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=40586"},"modified":"2025-12-16T13:09:57","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T18:09:57","slug":"6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Books to Read to Understand the World a Little Better"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the state of America and the world have you wondering how we arrived at this point, it\u2019s 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\u2019ve rounded up some books to read to understand the world a little better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to understanding race dynamics in the United States, Michelle Alexander\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She discusses how the end of slavery and Jim Crow led to changes in legislation, but not ideology. She <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/canatx.org\/can-equity-blog-book-review-the-new-jim-crow\/#:~:text=Alexander%20posits%20that,pg.%20198%2D199)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">says that,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201ci<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n 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.\u201d (pg. 198-199)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-40589\" src=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/books-to-read-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"books \" width=\"943\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/books-to-read-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/books-to-read-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/books-to-read-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/books-to-read-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/books-to-read.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 943px) 100vw, 943px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care by T.R. Reid<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you live in the United States, you or a loved one has probably faced serious frustrations with the country\u2019s healthcare system. In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> T.R. Reid examines this system in contrast with other healthcare systems in wealthy nations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adventures-with-alex.com\/br159-the-healing-of-america-book-review\/#:~:text=T.R.%20starts,for%20better%20care.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">book opens<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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\u2019t afford necessary treatments, and 700,000 people go bankrupt from health issues due to inadequate insurance coverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He travels to a number of countries, including Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Canada, to explore how their healthcare systems work. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/adventures-with-alex.com\/br159-the-healing-of-america-book-review\/#:~:text=T.R.%20goes,has%20in%20place.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reid discovers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facs.org\/for-medical-professionals\/news-publications\/news-and-articles\/bulletin\/2025\/february-2025-volume-110-issue-2\/us-healthcare-system-is-in-crisis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. healthcare crisis<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues, this book is a necessary read for anyone who wants to better understand what\u2019s behind our system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indigenous wisdom and plant science come together in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Braiding Sweetgrass, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">an incredible book by <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Citizen Potawatomi Nation member Robin Wall Kimmerer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/botanic-garden.bristol.ac.uk\/2024\/02\/09\/staying-connected\/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20wanted%20readers%20to%20understand%20that%20Indigenous%20knowledge%20and%20Western%20science%20are%20both%20powerful%20ways%20of%20knowing%2C%20and%20that%20by%20using%20them%20together%20we%20can%20imagine%20a%20more%20just%20and%20joyful%20relationship%20with%20the%20Earth%E2%80%9D.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">says of her book<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given the heavy nature of many of the book recommendations in this list, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Braiding Sweetgrass <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them through beautiful words, stories, and nuggets of wisdom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><b>Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe by Antony Loewenstein<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0A sobering book by Antony Loewenstein, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Disaster Capitalism: Making a Killing Out of Catastrophe, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">explores how systems of capitalism profit from disaster, poverty, and catastrophes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This book doesn\u2019t focus on the United States but offers plenty of great insights that can be applied to America\u2019s capitalist system. Loewenstein travels across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Greece, Australia, the United States, and other countries to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Disaster-Capitalism-Making-Killing-Catastrophe\/dp\/1784781150#:~:text=He%20discovers%20how%20companies%20cash%20in%20on%20organized%20misery%20in%20a%20hidden%20world%20of%20privatized%20detention%20centers%2C%20militarized%20private%20security%2C%20aid%20profiteering%2C%20and%20destructive%20mining.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">see how companies can profit<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from privatized detention centers, militarized private security, destructive mining, and aid profiteering.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Loewenstein <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/antonyloewenstein.com\/us-magazine-alternet-reviews-disaster-capitalism\/#:~:text=Loewenstein%20continued%20his%20reporting%20in%20post%2Dearthquake%20Haiti%2C%20where%20he%20got%20to%20witness%20disaster%20capitalism%20in%20real%20time.%20He%20also%20saw%20how%20international%20mining%20corporations%20are%20raking%20in%20cash%20on%20the%20extraction%20boom%20in%20Papua%20New%20Guinea.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">saw firsthand <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40587\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40587\" style=\"width: 880px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-40587\" src=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Angela_Davis_in_a_half-length_portrait_by_Bernard_Gotfryd_-_crop-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"Angel Davis in a half length portrait by Bernard Gotfryd\" width=\"880\" height=\"1234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Angela_Davis_in_a_half-length_portrait_by_Bernard_Gotfryd_-_crop-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Angela_Davis_in_a_half-length_portrait_by_Bernard_Gotfryd_-_crop-768x1078.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Angela_Davis_in_a_half-length_portrait_by_Bernard_Gotfryd_-_crop.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40587\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: Bernard Gotfryd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><b>Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fascinating collection of essays, interviews, and speeches, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">by Angela Davis is a must-read for anyone seeking a clearer understanding of the world around us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Activist and scholar Angela Davis draws connections between state violence and oppression across the world in this book. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Freedom-Constant-Struggle-Palestine-Foundations\/dp\/1608465640#:~:text=Reflecting%20on%20the,Ferguson%20to%20Palestine.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She covers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Black feminism, intersectionality, and abolitionism while contrasting the past struggles ranging from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid efforts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connecting state struggles from Ferguson to Palestine and beyond, Davis opens readers\u2019 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Davis is a renowned feminist, political activist, philosopher, author, and much more. She\u2019s 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\u2019re living in and how they connect to our past struggles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>READ: <a class=\"sc-keVmGr gFomhY\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/these-top-5-books-about-cannabis-are-totally-worth-the-read\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">These Top 5 Books About Cannabis Are Totally Worth the Read<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><b>How To Be an Anti-Racist&#8221; by Ibram X. Kendi\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking for a book with actionable ways to change your thinking and worldview, Ibram X. Kendi\u2019s <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to Be an Anti-Racist <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is an excellent read. Written in memoir form, this book combines history, science, law, and ethics with his own personal experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If the state of America and the world have you wondering how we arrived at this point, it\u2019s 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\u2019ve rounded up some books to read to understand the world a&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":40588,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17911,254],"tags":[15669,18836,3540,18834,18835,15024,104,18838,18833,113,18837,5727,18832,5998],"class_list":["post-40586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-lifestyle","tag-activism","tag-angela-davis","tag-books","tag-capitalism","tag-global-issues","tag-healthcare","tag-history","tag-ibram-x-kendi","tag-indigenous-wisdom","tag-inequality","tag-michelle-alexander","tag-racism","tag-reading-list","tag-social-justice"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v26.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>6 Books That Help You Understand the World Better<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover 6 powerful books to understand the world, covering race, healthcare, capitalism, Indigenous wisdom, activism, and global justice.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"6 Books to Read to Understand the World a Little Better\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover 6 powerful books to understand the world, covering race, healthcare, capitalism, Indigenous wisdom, activism, and global justice.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cannabis Central\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-16T11:00:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-16T18:09:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-books.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Macey Wolfer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@veriheal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@veriheal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Macey Wolfer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Macey Wolfer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/522d1c2b3f8475e7be2a0a10a8027221\"},\"headline\":\"6 Books to Read to Understand the World a Little Better\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-16T11:00:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-16T18:09:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/\"},\"wordCount\":1122,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/6-books-to-read-to-understand-the-world-a-little-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-books.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Activism\",\"Angela Davis\",\"books\",\"capitalism\",\"global issues\",\"healthcare\",\"history\",\"Ibram X. 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