We’re ending the year with one of our best collections of new books, and this time we’re bringing you some of the non-fiction that resonated in 2024.
Perfect for reflecting and learning about the changes that are driving us toward a different collective mindset.
All in Her Head, Elizabeth Comen
Non-fiction
Published: 2024
Pages: 368
Author’s nationality: USA
Women have been consistently overlooked in modern medicine. So in this book, oncologist Elizabeth Comen, explores how our voices have been silenced in medical care, scientific studies and the narrative of our own bodies.
An enlightening text on how to reclaim our position in science and set aside once and for all the social stigmas still present that only lead to misinformation and mistreatment.
Who’d like this?
It is an essential book for women, but also for men; if you are not a woman, you still have women in your life (mom, friend, wife).
This is a good read to avoid ignorance, shame and abuse of women’s bodies. Comen offers a scientific and feminine voice to a social problem that can’t continue in future generations.
Quotes
- “Women remain underrepresented and overlooked in medical research, even though many treatments interact differently in a female body than in a male one.”
- “A man with high testosterone, it was understood, was virile, a warrior, a stud. A woman with too much estrogen, on the other hand, was just crazy.”
Readers say
- “Simultaneously enlightening and horrifying! Thought-provoking, research based, surprising and oh so true. Read this book if you care about women’s medical care at all,” says an Amazon user.
- “The stories are striking and really allow us to understand the present and move into the future,” says an Amazon user.
The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt
Non-fiction
Published: 2024
Pages: 400
Author’s nationality: USA
In a society where children no longer play with toys, mental health has plummeted. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt conducted extensive research on adolescent mental illness in recent times, relating it to phone-based childhoods (meaning a shift from the real world to the virtual one).
His findings show the effect on children of the decline of both play and independent exploration, which interferes with neurological and social development – resulting in problems of loneliness, sleep deprivation, perfectionism, addiction and social comparison.
Who’d like this?
An important book for every parent, caregiver or teacher. Haidt not only gets to the root of the problem, he also proposes measures that can be taken by governments, families, schools and communities to protect the mental health of future generations.
Quotes
- “My central claim in this book is that these two trends—overprotection in the real world and underprotection in the virtual world—are the major reasons why children born after 1995 became the anxious generation.”
- “Experience, not information, is the key to emotional development.”
Readers say
- “The Anxious Generation is one of the most important nonfiction books I have read this year, perhaps in several years,” says an Amazon user.
- “I’m so thankful I read this book prior to the birth of my daughter,” says an Amazon user.
The Conscious Style Guide, Karen Yin
Non-fiction
Published: 2024
Pages: 304
Author’s nationality: USA
The way we communicate is changing — and editor Karen Yin brings us a guide to communicating with compassion.
The evolution of language is tied to cultural and social norms that can be contradictory and confusing, but Yin shows us a timeless path based on respect, inclusion and equity.
Who’d like this?
Everyone who wants to write or speak consciously, without fear of offending, should read Yin’s words. The book is key to identifying biased language and working through differences with sensitivity.
Quotes
- “How to speak up… Your cisgender boss makes a transphobic remark, and everybody laughs. You hear a stranger mock someone’s appearance… What can we do? Should we say something?”
- “Conscious language is simply an extension of everyday mindful language. You may be conscious of your own self-labels… Many of us adapt to each situation instead of giving cookie-cutter responses. That is everyday conscious language.”
Readers say
- “Rather, the conscious style guide is akin to having a wise, gentle and thoughtful friend who reminds us to pay attention to how we interact with our fellow humans when using words,” says an Amazon user.
- “This is one of the most important books I’ve ever read. It’s important to me as a writer and editor. But also as a person who cares about doing right by people,” says an Amazon user.