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Remember when every YouTuber was tier ranking random things? I got sick of tier ranking videos. I couldn't hide them from my feed fast enough. Since I hated that stupid trend so much . . . I'm going to participate in it. That's right. I'm going to tier rank all the nonfiction books I've read this year (so far).

You can count on me to find a way to make tier ranking pretentious.

If you have no idea what I'm blathering about, here's a Wikipedia page about tier lists. Reading it is not worth your time.

Okay. Let's go.

My Year In Nonfiction

(Tier Ranked To Make Me Feel Relevant)

I'll Allow It

These books are fine. I learned stuff. I'm glad I read them.

The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation by Rosemary Sullivan: It's about a team of investigators who use modern police technology to discover who told the Nazis where the Frank family was hiding. An astounding amount of research and dedication went into the investigation. I was impressed with everybody involved. It's a fascinatingly complicated story. Living in Nazi-occupied Europe during WWII would be terrifying because you couldn't trust your family or neighbors. The story is interesting, but the book's structure is a bit tedious. The book is easy to put down because it doesn't flow very well.

Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The FBI by David Grann: I've read a few of David Grann's nonfiction books, and this one is my least favorite so far. I didn't dislike it. I just didn't find the people as compelling as the other people he writes about. The writing style is rather dull. It did spark my interest in the Osage murders. I would like to read another book about how the Osage were defrauded and murdered by powerful people. It's a disturbing historical event that deserves more attention.

Careless People: A Cautionary Tale Of Power, Greed, And Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams: I was underwhelmed, which isn't the book's fault. There is so much hype and controversy about this memoir. I was on the library waitlist for months. I probably over-hyped it in my head. I've read a few books about social media companies, and this one doesn't stand out from the crowd for me. We all know that social media sites put profit ahead of people. They have the ability to make the world a happier place, but they choose outrage because it's more profitable. There isn't much in Careless People that we don't already know.

Feel The Fear . . . And Do It Anyway: Dynamic Techniques For Turning Fear, Indecision, And Anger Into Power, Action, And Love by Susan Jeffers: A book I read on my quest to find a self-help book that actually helps. As a chronically anxious person, I have mixed feelings about this one. It tells you to push through fear because it'll never go away. If you're not scared, you're not growing. You have to learn to live with it. But, what happens when you're so exhausted from pushing through fear that you don't want to live anymore? The book didn't go far enough for me, but I recommend it to people who struggle to make decisions. It can help with that.

You're Not Listening: What You're Missing And Why It Matters by Kate Murphy. It's about listening (obviously), and it was good. It wasn't quite what I was looking for, which isn't the book's fault. I want to be a better listener. This book is about the importance of listening. I already know it's important! That's why I want to be good at it! This is not the how-to book that I require. It's still pretty interesting, though.

How To Be Perfect: The Correct Answer To Every Moral Question by Michael Schur. It's a philosophy book (obviously), but it's not a tedious philosophy book! I love the structure. The author asks a moral question at the start of each chapter and then examines how different famous philosophers would answer the question. Some of the questions are pretty straightforward. Then they become more complicated. It's an engaging way to structure a book because each philosopher has different answers to the questions.

Recommended Reading

These books are great. They gave me thoughts. I want to reread them because I think I'll get more out of them the second time around.

 Accountable: The True Story Of A Racist Social Media Account And The Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater. It's a true crime book about a cyberbullying case that became several court cases. The author perfectly captures the fear of being forced to attend school with people who want to injure and humiliate you. I put the book down a few times because it's stressful! The author also did an amazing job of examining the bullies' motives and the culture of teenage boys. Every boy wanted to be the funniest, the wildest, the most outrageous kid in the friend group. It's easy to see how bullying can get out of control when teenagers are always encouraging each other to push boundaries.

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad: The author is a journalist who Tweeted: "One day, when it’s safe, when there’s no personal downside to calling a thing what it is, when it’s too late to hold anyone accountable, everyone will have always been against this." That's what the book is about. The author discusses hypocrisy and how we reframe historical events to make ourselves look like heroes who acted in self-defense. It's a short and intriguing book. I'm going to reread it because I'm unsure of my opinion. It's just too short!

How To Know A Person: The Art Of Seeing Others Deeply And Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks: I'm on a quest to find a self-help book that actually helps. I suspect this one might help, but I need to reread it before I decide for sure. It's about how to become a better listener. It's less philosophical than other self-help books. I'm too stupid for philosophy and too cynical for pretty quotes. I need a to-do list. I appreciate that this book gives actionable steps that I can take to become a better listener.

Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt For The Lost Franklin Expedition by Paul Watson. It's exactly what the title says. In 1845, Sir John Franklin and his crew went to the Arctic on two ships to map the Northwest Passage. The trip went poorly. None of the men made it home. The two ships were missing until 2014. This book is the story of all the people throughout history who attempted to find Franklin's lost ships and discover what happened to the men. I was completely fascinated by the different attempts to locate Franklin. His wife never gave up on him. It's sad that she died from old age without leaning what happened to her husband. The families of Franklin's crew also had to live with the mystery. I don't think I could have done that. It would have made me insane.

Required Reading—Don't @ Me

If I made a college class syllabus, these books would be on it. I will hear no objections. They are required and will be on the final exam.

Being Mortal: Medicine And What Matters In The End by Atul Gawande. The author is a surgeon who works with cancer patients. He talks about his personal experience with people who are at the end of their life, and he shares his research on nursing homes and other options for people who can no longer live independently. I love this book because it's relevant to every reader. We'll all die eventually. The author argues that medicine isn't always the answer to every health problem. Medicine has advanced so much that we can keep people's bodies alive long after their brains are dead. Should we be doing that? Are we prolonging life, or just prolonging suffering?

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us And A Grander View Of Life by Ed Yong. I spend more time than I'd like to admit thinking about "bad" microbes. I don't give much thought to the others. This book is about the others! Have you ever been curious about the microbes that live on (and in) you? Why are they there? What do they do? It turns out that they kind of do everything. They make up part of your immune system and help you digest food. They can even influence your behavior. Humans aren't the only ones who rely on microbes to stay healthy. Microbes are in plants, animals, dirt, and the air we breathe. Everything is an ecosystem. For a biology book, it's extremely accessible. You won't need Google to understand what the author is talking about. I learned a ton from this book.

Which nonfiction books are on your required reading list?