Hello, friends,
Summer is finally, officially upon us. And with the longer days and shorter nights, we at The Markup have discovered that many of us have been looking to old-fashioned analog books for distraction from our Zoom- and screen-focused pandemic-constrained lives. Accordingly, our office (virtual) chatter has increasingly turned to book recommendations.
So in typical Markup style, we created a spreadsheet of what we are reading to inspire each other. And I thought it would be fun to share some of our recommendations with you, our readers, in case you need some books to add to the pile next to your bed this holiday weekend. (My pile is dangerously high and close to toppling over.)
Just to be clear, we don’t make any money from these suggestions.
And so, without further ado, here are some staff recommendations:
On the Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane
by Emily Guendelsberger
“This is an easy read—an updated version of Nickel and Dimed—that shows how computers are everyone’s bosses now.” —Adrianne Jeffries, Investigative Reporter
Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
by James C. Scott
“Data collection is a powerful tool of the state. It abstracts the complex lives of humans into simple, ‘abridged maps’ that can ‘enable much of the reality they depict to be remade.’ The book gets into the ways that planned social order often neglects key aspects of reality, leading to disaster.” —Maddy Varner, Investigative Data Journalist
by Angela Davis
“Timely and a great introduction point as abolition enters mainstream conversation. Davis writes clearly, and the book is incredibly understandable. At just over 100 pages, it’s a quick and essential read that sets the stage for current demands we are seeing from activists.” —Mia Sato, Audience Engagement Editor
The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power
by Shoshanna Zuboff
“I was a little intimidated by the heft of this one, but it’s turning out to be a page-turner: sharp analysis of how privacy has radically changed.” —Colin Lecher, Reporter
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
by Patrisse Khan Cullors and Asha Bandele
“This memoir, of longtime organizer and the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, lays out, in very personal terms, how the criminal justice system has wreaked havoc on Black communities—and the level of commitment and stamina it takes to advocate for change.” —Rina Palta, News Editor
Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension
by Samuel Arbesman
“Eye-opening book about how computer systems today are too complicated for any human being to actually understand, which makes unintended negative consequences inevitable. It shifted my thinking away from, ‘The problem is that people are designing systems to do harm,’ and toward, ‘Maybe it’s impossible for a sufficiently complex system not to have myriad unintended consequences.’ ” —Aaron Sankin, Investigative Reporter
How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
by Jenny Odell
“The first book I picked up after joining The Markup. Jenny Odell unpacks surveillance capitalism and subversion in a way that’s approachable for a normie like me, new to the beat.” —Annie Gilbertson, Reporter
Hope you have a relaxing weekend.
Best,
Julia Angwin
Editor-in-Chief
The Markup