Review: On Immunity: An Inoculation

On Immunity: An Inoculation by Eula Biss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Written in the wake of the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic just over a decade ago, this is obviously still extremely pertinent and relevant today - particularly with the Covid-19 vaccine currently being rolled out. Biss writes extremely clearly and intelligently, acknowledging her own ignorance and privilege, whilst bringing in her own concerns about vaccines as a mother to a young child in order to dismantle the arguments of anti-vaxxers.

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Review: Whites: On Race and Other Falsehoods

Whites: On Race and Other Falsehoods by Otegha Uwagba
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thoughtful, powerful and intelligent essay, filled with anger and honesty. A call for meaningful anti-racism from liberal white privileged allies, rather than the "Black Square" platitudes rife earlier in the year - white readers will probably find it somewhat discomforting and challenging, but Uwagba is undoubtedly bang-on throughout in her analysis. Short but vital, I read it all in one go and strongly recommend to all.

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Review: Steps Towards a Small Theory of the Visible

Steps Towards a Small Theory of the Visible by John Berger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Didn't love all the essays but at his best, Berger can make you see the world in a whole new light.

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Review: On Connection

On Connection by Kae Tempest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wise and thoughtful musings on creativity, human connection and life. The conclusion could be viewed as somewhat mushy, with a call for being more mindful and in the moment, but it was exactly what I needed to hear on reading after a long year.

Tempest's narration of the audiobook is excellent too, their honesty really coming through.

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Review: Snowden's Box: Trust in the Age of Surveillance

Snowden's Box: Trust in the Age of Surveillance by Jessica Bruder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this, an interesting and unique view on the Snowden leaks from a pair of people right at the centre whilst still being completely at the periphery of the action - the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of leaking NSA secrets. There's plenty of new information here even for people like me who've read essentially everything related to Snowden, and looking at the still thrilling events through the lens of trust is a useful perspective.

It does feel a little stretched out, even for a short book, with a somewhat superfluous chapter on privacy and the surveillance state breaking the flow. However, for people interested in the Snowden leaks this is an essential read.

Also, Glenn Greenwald still sounds like an absolute tool.

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Review: What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo: Essays on Sex, Authority and the Mess of Life

What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About #MeToo: Essays on Sex, Authority and the Mess of Life by Joann Wypijewski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting set of essays, decrying the moral hysteria triggered by many high profile sex scandal. Wypijewski comes across like a defence lawyer, forensically analysing the cases and pulling apart the arguments - not so much letting the accused off the hook, but more stating how these cases don't exist in a vacuum and scapegoating doesn't do anything to help the wider situation in a messy and nuanced world where judgements are meted out by outrage rather than due process. Wypijewski almost never talks about in detail about the victims in these cases and can appreciate criticisms that she doesn't really appreciate the nature of all abuse, but there are definitely questions opened up here which are worth exploring and will lead to a more useful end state than the current framework.

The title is a bit of misnomer, the focus on #MeToo is somewhat limited (there's probably 4 times the space devoted to abuse within the Catholic church) so bear that in mind if that's your main interest. The structure is repetitive too with each essay structured almost identically, which makes it a bit of a slog at times - maybe one more to dip in and out of.

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