10 Thought-Provoking Books Everyone Should Read - FabFitFun

25 Of The Best Thought-Provoking Books | Book Riot

The narrative revolves around a deeply personal letter to a 15-year-old boy from a 40-year-old man. Instead of a conventional storyline, the narrative delves into the man's life-long thoughts and emotions, which are generally conveyed chronologically, but occasionally interspersed with non-chronological anecdotes. The focus is less on specific occurrences, instead centered around the transformation of his perspective and beliefs over the years.

The narrative commences with a television interview where the man is asked about his understanding of losing his body, to which he responds with his in-depth life learnings. He talks about his upbringing in West Baltimore's ghettos, where he first feels the divide between his Black world and the white suburban world. He shapes his thoughts by reading Africana books owned by his father, formulating a belief system similar to Malcolm X and objecting to non-violence. He attends college where his beliefs change drastically with constant reading, studying, and questioning. He reads Chancellor Williams' The Destruction of Black Civilization, which significantly influences his thoughts. He moves to Delaware with his pregnant girlfriend and starts a career as a freelance writer.

The narrative takes a grim turn when a college acquaintance falls victim to a police shooting, with the officer remaining uncharged. The man begins to write about this incident, growing increasingly furious with the police and white America. Post the 9/11 attacks, he finds it difficult to sympathize with the victims, viewing them as part of the system that facilitated his friend's demise. The man, now a father, grapples with his son's imminent struggles as a Black man. A trip to France opens his eyes to life beyond America, and he gains a better understanding of his place in the larger world context. The narrative ends with a visit to his deceased friend's mother, which prompts him to rethink his views on non-violence. He advises his son about the impending struggles associated with being Black, emphasizing that he isn't responsible for convincing white people about this struggle. He discerns that white America's exploitation is not limited to Black bodies but extends to the environment.

Between the World and Me

Entre el Mundo y Yo

42 Powerful Books That Make You Think Differently | The Uncorked Librarian

The Origins of Our Discontents

Los Orígenes de Nuestro Descontento

Caste

Casta

21 Thought-Provoking Books That Will Stay On Your Mind For Days

El Cuento de la Criada, Libro 1

Offred is a Handmaid living in a totalitarian regime, succeeding the United States. Handmaids are women assigned to bear children for elite couples with fertility issues. Offred's duty is to the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy, a previously renowned gospel singer. The Commander conducts a monthly ritual of attempting to impregnate Offred. Women's freedom in this society is heavily curtailed - they can only leave their houses for errands, their rooms cannot be fully enclosed, and a secret police force monitors their every move.

Offred often reverts to her past, revealing her previous life. She once had an affair with a man named Luke, who divorced his wife to marry her. They had a child together. A dramatic increase in violence against women, coupled with the prevalence of pornography and declining fertility rates due to pollution and chemical spills, led to a military coup. The new regime stripped women of their rights, leading to Offred and Luke attempting to flee with their daughter to Canada. They were separated, and Offred hasn't seen her family since. She was then sent to a re-education center to prepare her for her role as a Handmaid. 

Once assigned to the Commander's house, Offred's life becomes monotonous. Her routine is disturbed when her doctor offers to impregnate her, claiming the Commander might be sterile. She refuses, fearing the consequences. She later starts visiting the Commander in secret, playing forbidden games like Scrabble. Meanwhile, her shopping partner, Ofglen, reveals herself as a member of an underground rebellion. After Offred fails to conceive, Serena suggests she sleeps with their driver, Nick. Offred reluctantly agrees, leading to a clandestine affair. However, her quiet life is upended when she is rescued by members of the rebellion, leaving her uncertain about her future. The narrative concludes in 2195, with a lecture discussing Offred's story, which was found on cassette tapes, suggesting she may have escaped or been recaptured.

The Handmaid's Tale

El cuento de la criada

Stories from a South African Childhood

Historias de una Infancia Sudafricana

Growing up in South Africa amidst the racial segregation era known as apartheid, a young boy of mixed race experienced life as an oppressed individual. Born in the mid-80s by his black single mother Patricia and Swiss father Robert, who defied the laws criminalizing interracial relationships, his life was fraught with complexities. Patricia and Robert had to keep their son's existence a secret due to his mixed heritage, as public knowledge of his existence was perilous.

South Africa had been colonized by the Dutch in the 1600s, who seized lands and exploited black African tribes like the Zulu, Xhosa and Sotho, using them as farm slave labor. The descendants of these colonizers, known as Afrikaners, continued the racial subjugation under apartheid law until the mid-1990s. The boy, a product of interracial mingling, belonged to the "colored" racial group, often experiencing rejection from both black and white cultures. Despite the end of apartheid in 1994, navigating South African society remained challenging for him.

Patricia encouraged her son to educate himself and think critically, fostering in him a proficiency in several of South Africa's official languages. This linguistic dexterity enabled him to interact with various racial and cultural groups, despite feeling alienated in many instances. He leveraged his skill in language to run a profitable illicit CD business in Johannesburg's township, Alexandra, and build a career as a DJ. Despite several run-ins with the law, he recognized his privilege compared to his peers. His mother's effort to prepare him for a harsh world bore fruit when he stepped up to cover her medical bills after she survived a shooting incident at the hands of her abusive husband, Abel.

Born a Crime

Nacido un Crimen

A Memoir of (My) Body

Una Memoria de (Mi) Cuerpo

Hunger

Hambre

On (Not) Getting By in America

Sobre (No) Sobrevivir en América

In the late 90s, a mature female journalist and activist decided to get a closer look at the struggles faced by America's low-income workers. She took on the roles of unskilled, minimum-wage jobs in three US cities, while hunting for budget-friendly accommodation. To portray an accurate picture, she didn't mention her Ph.D. or extensive skills on applications, ensuring that she was considered for only the most basic positions. She did, however, use her personal funds to guarantee she always had a car, food, and wasn't homeless.

Her journey started in Florida, where she found a low-cost apartment thirty miles away from work. She anticipated earning $7 per hour, but her waitress job paid less due to tips being included in the salary. Despite her camaraderie with colleagues, she struggled due to her inexperience. When she realized that her current wage would not cover living costs, she tried to juggle a second job but found the physical demands too high. She then moved on to housekeeping at a hotel but eventually left due to a disagreement with a supervisor. She then moved to Maine where she found a small affordable flat and took on two jobs. One was with a cleaning service where she was part of a team cleaning affluent homes. This physically demanding job led to her developing a skin condition. She found that the cleaning methods used were more about aesthetic appearance than actual cleanliness. She was also unsettled by the disparity between what customers paid and what she earned. Her second job was at a nursing home, serving food to Alzheimer's patients. The interaction with the residents was enjoyable, but the cleanup after meals was taxing due to equipment breakdowns.

Her final destination was Minnesota, where finding affordable, safe, and decent housing was a real challenge. After being advised to stay in a shelter, she accepted two job offers. One at a hardware store which she left before the first shift due to poor working conditions. The other was at a retail clothing store. The work environment was not conducive, from the ongoing store rearrangements to the customers leaving items all over the store. She found herself becoming bitter and decided to quit after advocating for a union at an employee meeting. Reflecting on her experiences, she concluded that minimum wage jobs in America were not sufficient to live on without multiple jobs and zero unexpected expenses. She also noticed that employers withheld wage information from their employees and dehumanized workers through techniques like random drug tests. She further observed class and racial prejudices in managerial attitudes. She recognized that medical and childcare benefits were too costly even for the middle class, let alone minimum wage workers. Her hope was that one day the working poor would demand change, leading to a better nation.

7 Best Thought-Provoking Books of All Time

Between the World and Me

Caste

The Origins of Our Discontents

The Handmaid's Tale

Born a Crime

Stories from a South African Childhood

Hunger

A Memoir of (My) Body

Nickel and Dimed

On (Not) Getting By in America

The Vegetarian

A Novel

Sources

What To Read Next

7 Best Thought-Provoking Books of All Time

Between the World and Me

Caste

The Origins of Our Discontents

The Handmaid's Tale

Born a Crime

Stories from a South African Childhood

Hunger

A Memoir of (My) Body

Nickel and Dimed

On (Not) Getting By in America

The Vegetarian

A Novel

Sources

What To Read Next

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