Books To Read – March 2011

The Warmth Of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration By Isabel Wilkerson

I stumbled across this book thanks to Amazon’s recommendation engine.  This book re-tells the story of three Americans as they migrated themselves and their families from the segregated, oppressive South to the more free, less oppressive North.  Their stories are simply amazing.  It is hard to believe, as someone who grew up in the Northeast the conditions that existed into the 1970’s in the South.  The three stories in this book start in the 1930s and progress forward to modern day America.  It is one thing to read about the treatment of black people as a group.  I have found it quite another to read the personal stories of tragedy and triumph detailed in this fantastic book.  It is my March Must-Read.

Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell

Beat the Reaper is the fictional story of a Jewish kid who grows up in the shadow of the Italian Mafia in New Jersey.  Peter Brown is raised by the Locanos, a mob family, after his grandparents are murdered.  Peter becomes a hit man for the mob, but eventually wants out.  He becomes a doctor courtesy of witness protection and is living a happy life until he treats a mobster, who rats him out to the family he was once a part of.  The story spirals out of control from there, and is a very enjoyable read when you need a break from real life.

Evil Plans by Hugh MacLeod

I am an unabashed Hugh MacLeod fan.  I love his cartoons, and his first book Ignore Everybody was one of the books I read on the way to making the decision to starting my own company.  If you are stuck in a bit of a rut, I recommend both this and his first book, as well as subscribing to his daily cartoon feed at GapingVoid.com.  You will get the shot in the arm you need to just go do something.

Broken Music: A Memoir by Sting

I read this book a few years back.  I enjoy, as a general rule, reading about people who ended up doing what they love to do and the road that took them there.  Sting’s retelling of his childhood, the formation of the Police and the good and bad times that followed are an interesting read, particularly if you are a fan of the band and / or Sting.  It’s an easy read, and a good one to pick up when you don’t want to invest a lot of mental energy in a book.

There you have it.  My recommendations for the month of March.  I hope, as always, that you enjoy the books and hope you will share your thoughts on these as well if you get the chance to read them.

Happy reading!