Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading from August 26 to September. 1

This week we have a biography about young Louis Braille and an in-depth examination of the rise of the biomedical industry to power.

Fiction

The Clue is in the Call

‘Call for the Dead: A George Smiley Novel’
By John le Carre

Le Carre was the spy-master novelist of the 20th century. The introduction to le Carré and George Smiley is “Call for the Dead”. The novel by the ex-intelligence agent of Britain is both detective fiction and a spy thriller.

Penguin reprint, 2012, 176 pages

A funny read on a spirited heroine

‘Cold Comfort Farm’
By Stella Gibbons

This comic English novel features Flora Poste. She is a newly orphaned socialite and goes to live in rural France with her relatives, the Starkadders, who are as loony as any bunch of people you will find anywhere. Flora, the epitome of calm and perseverance is on a mission to restore civilization to this farm’s crumbling inhabitants. Flora plans, plots and insinuates to help Starkadders become their best selves. She brings laughter to the readers and some sanity on the farm with her attempts.

Must Have Books, 2019, 192 pages

A Comppassionate Look at the Sad Little Man

‘Pnin’
By Vladimir Nabokov

Timofey PNin, a Russian emigrant who is now a professor at an American college. He is soft-hearted, earnest and a victim of his ineptitude. He attempts to hold on to his job and forge a relationship with his ex-wife, her son, while healing the wounds from his past. Although the silly Pnin may be the subject of many jokes and quips, his past has been filled with hardships. He was affected by the Holocaust as well as the Russian Revolution. This novel is beautifully written and will inspire a passion for humankind in the readers.

Vintage reissue, 1989, 208 pages

Biography

A clearer view of the King

‘The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III’
By Andrew Roberts

Andrew Roberts, a best-selling historian takes an in depth look at King George III who fought for the American colonies. The author uses unpublished materials from the Royal Archives to show a wiser leader than is almost commonly believed. He also details achievements that are rarely acknowledged. This fair-minded view shows the lost king of the colonies who then became mad and is restored as a noble, troubled soul.

Viking, 2021, 784 pages

Nonfiction

Medical Authorities Managing Our World

‘The New Abnormal: The Rise of Biomedical Security State’
By Aaron Kheriaty

Digging deep into his vast expertise, Dr. Kheriaty describes a society hobbled by fear and groupthink–increasingly on a technocratic, dehumanized path with an authoritarian bent. He offers practical advice and a framework that can help to prevent the dystopian future he observes. This book is essential reading for those living in the post-COVID era.

Regnery Publishing, 2022, 256 pages

Biography

The Last of the Great Chiefs

‘Plenty-Coups: Chief of the Crows’
By Frank B. Linderman

The last hereditary chief of the Crow Indians, Plenty-Coups (1848-1932) befriended Western writer Frank Linderman and shared stories about the raids against the Lakota Sioux, fighting on the side of the U.S. Army, and working always on behalf of his people. With Linderman’s explanations and asides, the chief provides a vivid account that draws the reader in to the dangers and excitement of those skirmishes. There are photos in the book, as well as a “Afterword .”

” that provides useful information.

Bison Books, 2002, 204 pages

For Kids

The Blind Teaching the Blind

‘Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille’
By Russell Freedman

More than 200 years ago, a 15-year-old French boy, blind since the age of 3, began developing a system of raised punches on paper to teach the sightless to read and write. His light brought light to their darkness. This book is for readers aged 10 to 12.

Clarion Books, 1999, 96 pages

Color-Mixing Mice

‘Mouse Paint’
By Ellen Stoll Walsh

Three mice in white hide from the cat by hiding on a piece of white paper. They eventually find three paint jars with primary colors. The simple and joyful introduction to color elements, “Mouse Paint”, will be requested again and again.

Harcourt Inc., 1995, 30 pages

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