1. The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt. Poggio Bracciolini picked up the manuscript and with his heart beating faster realized what he held in his hands. It was the last surviving manuscript of “On the Nature of Things” by Lucretius, an epic poem that contained ideas dangerous to the powers of the time. Many believe the rescue of that manuscript was instrumental in the rise of the Renaissance and later influenced Galileo, Freud, Darwin, Einstein and others. Greenblatt weaves historical facts with Poggio’s discovery.

3. What It Is Like To Go To War by Karl Marlantes. As with his award winning first book, Matterhorn, Marlantes succeeds in giving a comprehensive and harrowing look at what it is like to live continuously in imminent danger of losing your life through violent and sudden means. His shows the consequences of war for young warriors, to provide guidance for the warrior and those who send them to war.

5. With Liberty and Justice for Some by Glen Greenwald is an important and timely book. Greenwald makes the case that the rule of law in the USA is being destroyed and in its place is a legal system that favors a political and business elite. He sites elites avoiding serious consequence for a variety of serious crimes up to and including the frauds committed leading to the financial crises of 2007.

7. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz paints a complete picture of John Brown, a man who was viewed before the Civil War as both a Freedom Fighter and a Terrorist. Even today there is disagreement over which label fits and he can be both compared to current terrorists and lauded for helping bring down slavery.

9. In The Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson is a fascinating account of the rise of Hitler and the German threat to Europe, and specifically to the Jews as the world increasingly turned a blind eye to the looming oppression and terror to come. William Dodd was a University of Chicago professor who wanted an easy, quiet government job, he became US Ambassadorship to Germany in 1933.

Honorable mention to The Good Book by AC Grayling, a humanist Bible and guide to living a moral life.