2017 Top 10's - Books

An average year for book reading I'd say, quite busy at work so not a huge amount of spare time but I managed to get through a few hefty tomes and learnt some stuff into the bargain, here's my list...

1. The Strange Death of Europe - Douglas Murray's book about the predicament that Europe finds itself in currently, immigration, popularism and militant Islam all feature prominently in this engaging book. This is a book that hardened lefties and militant relativists are going to rail against but it's hard to find fault in Murray's logic.

2. The Greatest Story Ever Told, so far - Lawrence Krauss at his story telling, analogizing best. Science, cosmology, quantum theory and physics fascinating and mind boggling in equal measure.

3. Mikkeller’s Book of Beer - Danish beer magician and gypsy brewer Mikkel Borg published this book a while ago now,  but I received it as a gift in 2017 It contains a precis of his brewing philosophy, techniques and a really decent set of recipes that I'm gradually working my way through, they're excellent.

4. Secularism - A small manageable book by Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association about Secularism; easy to digest and a must if secularism interests you, I learnt a lot reading this.

5. Everybody Lies - An eye-opening book about the stark reality of our Human existence in that we all lie to each other all the time about pretty much everything except when we're running Google searches. The data from which could form the basis of the most important (honest) data-set on Human behaviour ever assembled, fascinating.

6. Science of the Soul - Latest in the series of Richard Dawkins biographies, as always a really easy read, finished in no time at all and leaving me wanting to know more.

7. The Open Society and its Enemies - Not a new book but new to me in 2017, Karl Poppers classic on liberal democracy; I must confess that I haven't finished this book yet but I'm loving it (hard going in parts though!)

8. Strategy - Sir Lawrence Freedman, more a book about the history of strategy; fantastic range and depth, took me months to get through this and when at the end realised that I'd probably need to read it again several times to really do it justice.

9. The Curry Guy - I had to include a cook-book, this one contains the best curry base-sauce recipe I've yet encountered. If you like to make your own curries then you MUST get this book.

10. The Road to Wigan Pier - Another classic book new to me in 2017; Orwell in his role of social justice warrior (not of the modern gender police kind!) an eye-opening read, short but dense, not sure why it took me so long to get to this.