Light or quick reads for your enjoyment and enlightenment: Let It Bang, How to Do Nothing, A Knock at Midnight, The Gifts of Imperfection, & Bad Blood.

Let It Bang: a Young Black Man’s Reluctant Odyssey into Guns by RJ Young

                What to do when your white, rancher father-in-law only has eyes for guns? You accept his offer to buy you a Glock, of course. You may even join the NRA, but only to get discounts on their classes and work to be a certified instructor. Guns may help get RJ close to those around him, but where will the radicalized fear from our institutional forces end?

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell

                Our values used to show by where we placed our time and effort. Today, with more entertainment and education options than ever before, our values show through where we focus our attention. Those trying to save anything – wilderness, culture, historic buildings – invariably experience “sadness, fascination, and above all a wish to attend to the past in the name of the future.” Online or off there is more to see than we can ever accomplish in a lifetime. Spend a day recharging and wander regularly.

A Knock at Midnight: a Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom by Brittany Barnett

                Many of the victims in the war on drugs were African Americans trying to better their lives. In Sharanda Jones’ case, Brittany saw many connections to her own mother’s incarceration. Fighting for justice in Sharanda’s case led her away from corporate law and into social justice. Brittany had a brief, successful career in corporate law and went on to found many nonprofits that are dedicated to overturning life sentences for non-violent federal drug offenses. Hear the stories of Sharanda, Mike, Genice, Donel, Corey, Alice, Robert, and Chris as they serve time throughout the United States of America; rolled over by a justice system focused on easing the fears of white citizens instead of serving “we the people.”

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown audio & ebook available

                One of the original wholehearted, mindful, living in the present books, there is good advice in this thin title for anyone. Even New Yorker Franklin Roosevelt’s famous the “only thing we have to fear is fear itself” quote would feel at home. Embrace living an authentic life of life of honest beauty – a perfectly imperfect life.

Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou large print, audio, & ebook available

                Theranos had a gifted female founder, Elizabeth Holmes, who was focused on being a billionaire from a young age. She created novel ways to approach blood testing and recruited PhDs and Apple employees to attempt creating the iPod of healthcare. She was also single-minded in her pursuit of money and willing to do anything to make Theranos prototypes appear perfect. Truth was simply another obstacle to be overcome. Those who disagreed were quickly fired and she ruled over Theranos with an iron fist. Step inside but think twice before investing.