2/24

A Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

One of those books I was thrilled to have on Kindle because I could continue reading even while in the shower. Last 250 pages are especially captivating.

Zealot by Reza Aslan (first half)

I really need to read the Bible. Maybe.

This is a history book about Jesus the man, not Jesus the Christ. It is exceedingly difficult to separate the two, but he tries.
Captivating and informative, but perhaps not the game changer Aslan wanted it to be.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah (first half on 3/2)

I stumbled upon this at a neighborhood bookstore (Shakespeare on the Upper West Side in NYC) and it was a great complement after the Mandela autobiography. I recommend reading them together —> move from Mandela’s POV as a person of power and consequence to the life experience of Trevor Noah, growing up in what was evolving.

Trevor Noah’s incredibly entertaining voice allows readers a window into South Africa during Apartheid —> which, I think, can be an effective way to encourage people inside the US to think about racism without mentally shutting down. I would love to learn from anyone else’s thoughts here.