In terms of reading, I read less, but this year’s reading list is mostly nonfiction. Instead of 93 physical books plus several digital readings like 2023, I only read 43 physical books (and counting). No matter, as long as I am reading.

Although, noticeably, there weren’t a lot of women’s writing in 2024 reading list. But that would be the mistake I am willing to correct for next year reading list.

2024 has been a lot. It’s a lot busier for me professionally. Although I spent almost earlier half of the year being unemployed 😆. That doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything. I wrote, and in the span of 6 months I had my 7 writings published on media, and more at this home. That very output stems from the reading I’ve chewed this year. Although the output significantly dropped once I got the full-time gig. Wonder why.

The nonfiction I read grounds me more to the place of ideas. Working makes you a lot more pragmatic, finding comfort in idealistic plane is what I prefer to do. Life throws me almost away from the academic path. These books then, are also a silent hope of being more intellectually affluent enough to re-join academia.

Safe to say, these five.5 books are what I think best sums up my nonfiction reading journey! Take it as a recommendation, if you will. Add a grain of salt, though:

5. Astrofisika untuk Orang Sibuk by Neil deGrasse Tyson

I read Carlo Rovelli’s Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (2014) in 2022 and I don’t think I have read a popular science book that is able to top that since. Not even popular scientist and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson, but I can see why he’s such a popular science advocate from his writing. The book hit the marks, a science explanation for people who don’t have that much to dig deeper into the existential dread that is in physics. It’s not at all as poetic as Rovelli’s writing; but deGrasse Tyson capable of putting things in perspective in a brief texts. I put deGrasse Tyson on this list because compared to other popular science books I have read this year—from Wired‘s quantum computing stuff to New Scientist‘s particle physics brief epistemological history—, Astrofisika untuk Orang Sibuk was the best-written. It hits the mark, aptly putting things into perspective, nonproblematic paradigm, and brief as it is written for busy people.

---

4. The Reset: Ideas to Change How We Work and Live by Elizabeth Uviebinené

I don’t read a lot of business development books and I think Walter Isaacson is a good publicist but a really shitty journalist. All business development books says about the same thing; a repetitive slogan of momentum, management, going extra miles, and sometimes acknowledging luck. Some of them even evangelical in nature, whatever the religion it’s based on. It’s repulsive and frankly, borderline exploitative. Only Mark Cuban who has been frank and outspoken in the public about the nature of most capitalist.

Yet, The Reset, man. I think this is the best business development book I have ever read. It stated the obvious—that is, already explained in Das Kapital almost two centuries ago—supported by recent post-COVID statistical evidence and interview. The unique thing about this book is that instead of acting as economic studies like Thomas Piketty books, it cleverly disguises itself as mandatory reading for upper-management as the book points out the systematic and structural fault within business organization. I am liking this book because I love how it dumbs down the cause of inequality and lack of work ethics—because most upper-management just couldn’t see!

---

3. Sejarah Estetika by Martin Suryajaya

Don’t be intimidated by the sheer size of the book. This book is incredibly digestible, shows that Martin Suryajaya, despite it’s notoriety since Kiat Sukses Hancur Lebur, is capable of writing comprehensive sentences accordingly. I was breezing through the pages like it was a very good essay piece. Each chapter is clear, interconnected, showcases Suryajaya’s vast knowledge of the history of philosophy.

My only complain is that it mostly covers the Western philosophical tradition. That complain is my main complain towards most of the Indonesian philosophers approach, though. Not a lot of post-colonial thoughts put into their writings. Wonder why.

---

2. On Getting Better by Adam Phillips

Much like how I despise business development books, I also despise self-help books. Those books pander to one’s ego, the go-to media for borderline fascist people who identify as such and such. The growth within self that those books encouraged lack of self-reflection towards the systematic issue. Constantly looking inward, with controlled habits that diminishes individuality and distracts them from the problematic outward and privileges. I loathe this kind of book.

Since my therapy, I have been thinking a lot about what ‘growing’ means. I always ended up on philosophy and psychoanalysis. Sometimes, seinen manga like Vagabond and Homunculus. The current conclusion: to grow is to be more kind. But people see kindness as an extreme: whether you are kind, or you are not. Kind people are not allowed to have anger and disgust, and that’s simply untrue. Kindness should be violently ruminative. This book is surprisingly just that. It helps me to understand further what is kindness and what kind of kindness that I want. It’s surprisingly contemplative and philosophical, considering how the title is straightforward-ish-ly self-help.

---

---

1. Marx’s Literary Style by Ludovico Silva

It’s actually hilarious seeing Left intellectuals scrambling and defending themselves when Alan Sokal came up with the hoax. Sokal displayed the intellectual laziness of the bunch; and seeing the trend these days, I couldn’t agree more. It started how surprisingly few Left intellectuals actually read Karl Marx. Or, how surprisingly Marx’s word being twisted in most post-modern narratives. Or, how Marx’s words being dumb-ed down into some kind of weaponry in culture wars armory.

Silva—with some degree of hilarity—pointed out on how Marx’s writings has been misunderstood and twisted. As Marxian scholar, Silva successfully backtracked the literary style and influence that shapes Marx’s writing and distinguishes the metaphor and the analysis. I love him so much.

---

That’s all!

I am taking a resolution for 2025, for I have to read more well-researched books around language and cognition in hope that I get to enroll in one of my dream school to take a Master degree!

Also more Other’s writings, as best as I can.