This week, we suggest books on the state of journalism and identity politics in the United States, as well as classics about love and redemption.
Nonfiction
American Journalism Gone Woke
“Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy”
By Batya Ungar-Sargon
Many books have been written about the failed state of journalism but Ungar-Sargon broaches the subject from a perspective that is accessible to a wide spectrum of political views, addressing how the elite, woke media have abandoned the working class. A fantastic book.
Encounter Books, 2021, 234 pages
The Myths Driving Identity Politics
“The Plot to Change America: How Identity Politics is Dividing the Land of the Free”
By Mike Gonzalez
Everything today is a war of words. As identity politics dominate the discourse in America, it’s important to understand that cultural Marxism is laser-focused on creating division and disunity. Certain groups and politicians are manufacturing narratives about race and identity to drive wedges between people for their own political goals.
This book is a valuable tool to understand the myths that have perpetuated identity politics in America, what’s taking place, and offers a strategy to change course.
Encounter Books, 2020, 224 pages
Fiction
An Ancient Myth Resurrected
“Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold”
By C.S. Lewis
In this 1956 retelling of Cupid and Psyche, we are guided by Orual, Psyche’s bitter and possessive older sister, who mistakes love for control and dominance. She despises Cupid, the god of love, for taking Psyche from her, and ruins Bardia, her confidant at court, by working him to death. Soon she sets out on a spiritual journey and issues a complaint against the gods themselves and discovers we cannot meet the gods “till we have faces.” A remarkable book with profound lessons about love.
Hartcourt, 2006, 313 pages
History
The Legacy of a Millenium-Old Culture
“The Viking Heart: How Scandinavians Conquered the World”
By Arthur Herman
Herman takes readers on a journey on the figurative Viking longboat through the world of the Scandinavians, covering nearly 1,200 years, from the time that Vikings struck the island monastery of Lindisfarne in England in 793, to the contributions of Scandinavians in modern times. Discover their larger-than-life heroes, how they conquered the world, and how their indisputable work ethic and ingenuity continue to impact the world.
Mariner Books, 2021, 512 pages
Careers
Finding Your Dream Job
“From Paycheck to Purpose: The Clear Path to Doing Work You Love”
By Ken Coleman
As an unexpected consequence of the pandemic and the ensuing public health measures, many people are reevaluating their work. For those looking to take their careers in a different direction, Ken Coleman offers a guide on getting clear, getting qualified, getting connected, and getting started, in order to find work that they love.
Ramsey Press, 2021, 272 pages
Classics
Immorality and Redemption
“Crime and Punishment”
By Fyodor Dostoevsky
This masterpiece speaks to the moral confusion of our own age. Here the author puts an impoverished Russian student and murderer, Raskolnikov, under a microscope, giving us insights into his troubled soul, his justifications for killing a pawnbroker, and his mood swings between thinking himself above any moral code and feeling enormous guilt for what he has done. Saved from himself in part by Sonya, a simple girl driven by poverty to prostitution, Raskolnikov confesses his crime and discovers that “love had raised them from the dead.”
W.W. Norton & Company, 2018, 576 pages
For Kids
Hate Is the Enemy
“The Bronze Bow”
By Elizabeth George Speare
This 1962 Newbery Medal winner features Daniel, a Hebrew youth who vows vengeance on the Romans for killing his father. He realizes his hatred is eating him alive after meeting Jesus of Nazareth. Highly relevant for our troubled time.
HMH Books, 1997, 254 pages
Secret Wishes and Christmas Miracles
“The Story of Holly and Ivy”
By Rumer Godden
A great family read-aloud book about a Christmas doll and the orphan girl who fell in love with her through the shop window. This story from 1958 is full of delightful happenstance to foster the belief in miracles at Christmas time.
Penguin, 2006, 32 pages
