Guns, Germs and Steel

The reason why I read this book is because of the podcast Hello Internet, hosted by CGP Grey and Brady Haran, both of whom are educational Youtubers. They discussed this book on a recent podcast, mainly spurred on by the fact that Grey did a video on Americapox, and why the Native Americans were wiped out by disease when Europeans arrived, and not the other way around. You can see that video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEYh5WACqEk

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

This is the novel written by Jean-Dominique Bauby about his life after a stroke, which left him suffering locked-in syndrome. This meant that Bauby could only blink a single eye, turn his head, and some facial expressions voluntarily. And yes, that means that this entire book was blinked out, letter-by-letter. Which is just incredible to begin with. The patience and effort that that took is astounding.

“My diving bell becomes less oppressive, and my mind takes flight like a butterfly.”

The Broken Years – Australian Soldiers in the Great War

So this one is completely different to all the other books I’ve reviewed here previously. Firstly, it’s non-fiction, and that hardly ever is read by me (beyond textbooks…), I think I’ve read two biographies/autobiographies, and that’s it really. Which I actually find unusual for me, I’m very inquisitive and enjoy learning new things, but nonficition has just never found it’s place in my life, like fiction has. Anywho, this book, I’m more than glad entered my radar, and I was able to find it. As you can predict from the title, it is a war book. Something, I haven’t read previously, and used to think I would have very little interest in. But, this book was really good.