Rocannon's World

Rocannon's World by Ursula K. Le Guin is a brisk sci-fi/fantasy novella, the first in her Hainish Cycle universe. It reads like The Lord of the Rings and Ender's Game, if both texts were mashed up and played at triple speed. My entry into Le Guin's fiction was in the same universe but written later: The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed. Those two novels are masterpieces, fully realized worlds that invite multiple reads and analysis. They were both written at the height of her career. In comparison, this book felt like a blueprint, an outline. 

It was still enjoyable. The title itself is a complicated reference to colonialism. While some of the alien creatures and humanoid civilizations felt cartoonish and silly, others were haunting and poignant. The planet's climate and yearly rotation felt big and cold and real. Most of the offhand references to myths or political factions were interesting, making me want to know more. Rocannon's World is clearly the early writings of a great genius finding her voice. Like a good band's first demo tape, it's undercooked and uneven, while pulsing with exciting raw potential.

The Righteous Mind

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt is a fascinating work of moral psychology. Drawing from convincing international research and evolutionary biology, the book explains why deeply held values direct tribal groups, much more than reason or argumentation. The best metaphor is the rider and the elephant. Our minds are made up of a rider (reason, logic) on an elephant (emotions, instinct, intuitions). The elephant is mostly in charge, but the rider can mildly direct the elephant. Most often, the rider backtracks and rationalizes the decisions the elephant makes. With several clever examples, Haidt demonstrates this in the most skeptical readers (provided the reader isn't a psychopath). It's a wild journey. 

More than that, it's a helpful read if you're frustrated with our polarized society. In fact, I recommend pairing The Righteous Mind with Ezra Klein's Why We're Polarized. The latter focuses on structural division; the former on instinctual human nature. Both books are light on possible solutions, but there is some comfort to be taken in their clear-eyed assessment of the problem. At a basic level, they demystify the seeming madness of the other side. Notably, both writers are liberal. (I have not heard of a conservative writer that attempts to accomplish what Haidt and Klein are getting at.) That said, both--and especially Haidt--are generous in their understandings of those big, right-leaning swathes of our populace. 

Emperor of Rome

 Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World by Mary Beard is an interesting, readable history of the titular dynasties between Julius Caesar and Alexander Severus. It's told thematically rather than chronologically, exploring topics like dining, travel, apotheosis, and court life. I'm a man who thinks a lot about the Roman Empire. I'd read another Beard history--SPQR--and enjoy them both. It's easy to see why Beard is the most popular current classicist: she's honest, funny, humble, and learned.