Book Reviews – Non-Fiction

Books: Non-Fiction, Fiction, Self-Help | Films | Games
Last updated: Apr 20, 2026

Non-Fiction

RAuthorTitle★readpub.TagsLnotesShort Review:
Acheson, David1089 And All That820042002Science, Math, Children’sENgood
Akerlof, George A. & ShillerAnimal Spirits420102009EconomicsEN
Anissimov, MichaelA Critique of Democracy220152015Politics, NRxEN
Anomaly, JonathanCreating Future People820232020Philosophy, HBD, EthicsENgood
Aschenbrenner, LeopoldSituational Awareness820242024Futurism, H+, AIENgood
Assange, Julian et al.Cypherpunks520132013PoliticsEN
Baudrillard, JeanSimulacra and Simulation420041995PhilosophyENunread
Bostrom, NickSuperintelligence920152014Futurism, AI, X RisksENbest
Bostrom, NickDeep Utopia720242024Futurism, AIENunread
Bronze Age PervertBronze Age Mindset520182018PoliticsENunread
Caplan, BryanThe Case Against Education820182018EconomicsENgoodAccording to libertarian GMU economist Caplan, a college degree primarily serves to signal that a certain individual is sufficiently intelligent, conscientious, and conformist to finish a four year degree. Meanwhile, the gains in actual human capital are modest to non-existent (as the author flippantly notes, while anyone can come in and sit in at most college lectures, access to university gyms is tightly controlled). Consequently, promoting and subsidizing mass higher education is a huge misallocation of resources.
Caplan, BryanOpen Borders620252019Economics, Open BordersENunread
Chang, Ha-JoonKicking Away the Ladder [2009]720092002EconomicsENreviewedChang is a South Korean proponent of strategic trade. Adopting Friedrich List’s arguments for the early 21st century, he argues that American free trade rhetoric is largely for foreign consumption.
Chomsky, NoamManufacturing Consent720131988Politics, MediaENunread
Chua, AmyWorld on Fire520062002Sociology, HBDEN
Cohen, Stephen F.Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives620122009Politics, RussiaEN
Cordeiro, José & WoodThe Death of Death420242023Science, GerontologyENunreadBrief review at Goodreads:

“The Death of Death” is a concise but comprehensive guide to the science of aging and transhumanism, a survey of business opportunities in the field, and a clarion call to action to make death optional. The authors have an impressive pedigree. José Cordeiro is an engineer who became Latin America’s foremost life extension activist, alighting rooms and conference halls across the world with his infectious enthusiasm (“Immortality!”), and David Wood is the OG of the London futurist and transhumanist communities. Few are more qualified to write such a book.” ….
Dawisha, KarenPutin’s Kleptocracy820182014Politics, RussiaENgood
Dawkins, RichardThe God Delusion820082006Theology, AtheismENgoodThe past 1-2 decades have seen a massive retreat in religion – not just in the US, but in most of the rest of the world. I suspect much of this is driven by YouTube atheists, but where did many of them get their ideas from? Objectively, I think this may be one of the most influential books of the 21st century.
Deffeyes, KennethBeyond Oil620092006Energy & ClimateEN
Donovan, JackThe Way of Men420122011SociologyEN
Drago, Luke & LaineThe Intelligence Curse820252025Futurism, Economics, AIEN
Dutton, Edward & WoodleyAt Our Wits’ End720192018HBDEN
Finlayson, CliveThe Humans Who Went Extinct620152010AnthropologyEN
Fish, StevenDemocracy from Scratch320101995Politics, RussiaENunread
Ford, MartinRise of the Robots720152015Economics, FuturismENSuperb overview of the role of automation on the future of leisure and employment – already reverberations of that with 2016 candidacy of Andrew Yang.
Friedman, GeorgeThe Next 100 Years [2009]520092009Geopolitics, FuturismENreviewedChina and Russia to fall apart (how convenient). Polish superpower. Mexican superpower. The coming war with Japan. Why does anybody take Friedman seriously?

THAT SAID, I do have to acknowledge that Stratfor played a pretty important role in my original thinking about geopolitics, so for that reason, I’m giving this book a star by way of proxy.
Fukuyama, FrancisThe End of History and the Last Man920081992GeopoliticsENbestThis is one of the two “foundational” books of the post-Cold War geopolitical order (the other is Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations). The geopolitical ascent of China and the rise of populism in Europe would appear to refute this Panglossian, fin de siècle vision of universal liberal democracy. Or would it? The “Alt Right” of today are more liberal than the American men who stormed the beaches of Normandy.
Gaddy, Clifford & HillThe Siberian Curse720192003Economics, RussiaEN
Gershenzon, Mikhail et al.Vekhi520161909Politics, RussiaEN
Gladwell, MalcolmThe Tipping Point520052000SociologyEN
Gray, JohnFalse Dawn220061998EconomicsEN
Greene, BrianThe Elegant Universe520051999Science, PhysicsENunread
Greene, RobertThe 48 Laws of Power720111998PoliticsENunread
Greer, John MichaelThe Long Descent620092008CollapseEN
Greer, John MichaelOur Ecotechnic Future620092009CollapseEN
Grey, Aubrey deEnding Aging520142007Science, GerontologyEN
Hanson, RobinThe Age of Em820162016Futurism, AI, H+ENbest
Heilbroner, RichardThe Worldly Philosophers820091953Philosophy, Political EconomyENgood
Hitler, AdolfMein Kampf220041925Politics, Nazi GermanyEN
Hobbes, ThomasLeviathan620091651Philosophy, Political EconomyEN
Hoffman, DavidThe Oligarchs720122001Politics, RussiaENunread
Huntford, RolandThe New Totalitarians520101971Sociology, SwedenENunread
Huntington, SamuelThe Clash of Civilizations820061996GeopoliticsENbestThis is one of the two “foundational” books of the post-Cold War geopolitical order (the other is Fukuyama’s The End of History). Huntington argues that future conflicts will center around ancient cultural and religious identities, which are especially likely to occur in “cleft countries” that contain large demographic blocs identifying with separate civilizations. This was borne out in the Ukraine in 2014.
Hutchins, Chris & KorobkoPutin620112011Politics, RussiaEN
Ilyin, IvanOur Tasks620171956Politics, RussiaRU
Isaacson, WalterElon Musk820252023Biography, BusinessEN
Jack, AndrewInside Putin’s Russia520042004Politics, RussiaEN
Jensen, ArthurThe g Factor1020141998HBDENbest
Jones, GarettHive Mind720172015HBD, EconomicsEN
Joshi, VijayIndia’s Long Road620232016Economics, IndiaEN
Kaczynski, TedIndustrial Society and Its Future520051995PoliticsEN
Kahn, HermanOn Thermonuclear War620091959Geopolitics, MilitaryENunreadThe inspiration for Dr. Strangelove, this is – in reality – an attempt to objectively analyze the costs of nuclear war (devastating, but survivable) and the most cost-effective way of mitigating it.
Kaplan, Robert D.Asia’s Cauldron520162014GeopoliticsENunread
Kennedy, PaulPreparing for the 21st Century720051993Geopolitics, FuturismEN
Klebnikov, PaulGodfather of the Kremlin720082000Politics, RussiaENunread
Klein, Ezra & ThompsonAbundance620252025Politics, USAEN
Klein, RichardThe Human Career620151999AnthropologyEN
Kokatajlo, Daniel et al.AI 2027720252025Futurism, AI, X RisksEN
Kornai, JanosThe Socialist System620131992EconomicsENunread
Kotkin, StephenArmageddon Averted620122003Politics, RussiaENunread
Kroeber, Arthur A.China’s Economy [2019]720192016Economics, ChinaENreviewedComprehensive and very readable overview of Chinese economy from a China expert, with especially useful discussions on Chinese SOE’s, financial system, and the validity of Chinese economic statistics (spoiler: They’re fine). Learned some interesting new things from it, despite having already read a considerable amount on this topic over the years. However, there are some rather questionable takes that prevent me from giving it a full five stars.
Krugman, PaulPeddling Prosperity520061994EconomicsEN
⠀Krylov, KonstantinBehavior [2009]420111997Politics, RussiaRUreviewed
Kunstler, HowardThe Long Emergency220092005CollapseEN
Kurzweil, RayThe Singularity is Near1020062005Futurism, H+ENbestThe necessary disclaimers: Yes, I think Kurzweil’s method of willy-nilly exponential extrapolations are weak. Actually my criticisms go even deeper, since I view technological progress as being driven primarily by literate “smart fractions,” whereas Kurzweil models it as a function of existing technology.

Moreover, the reality test: As of 2017, it is clear that he was overoptimistic on timelines.

Still, when I read this in 2006 (straight out of high school), this was all extremely new and interesting to me.

And ultimately I remain a “singularitarian,” in the sense that I view the concept of a “technological singularity” and “transhumanism’ as both feasible and something that it worth striving towards (not least because the alternates are grim).
Land, NickThe Dark Enlightenment520182013Politics, NRxEN
Lee, Kai-FuAI Superpowers520202018Geopolitics, China, AIENunread
Leonard, MarkWhat Does China Think?620102008Geopolitics, ChinaEN
Levitt, StephenFreakonomics720082005EconomicsEN
Limonov, EduardThe Other Russia520092004Politics, RussiaRU
List, FriedrichThe National System of Political Economy720111841EconomicsEN
Liu, XinThe Otherness of Self [2013]120132001Sociology, ChinaENreviewedGood sedative. Only read/reviewed this because it was assigned in college.
Lovelock, JamesThe Ages of Gaia620061988Energy & ClimateEN
Lovelock, JamesThe Revenge of Gaia420072006Energy & Climate, FuturismEN
Lucas, EdwardThe New Cold War220082008Politics, RussiaEN
Lynas, MarkSix Degrees720062007Energy & Climate, FuturismEN
Lynn, RichardRace Differences in Intelligence720142006HBDEN
Lynn, RichardThe Global Bell Curve820142008HBDENgood
Lynn, RichardIntelligence620152012HBDEN
Lynn, RichardRace Differences in Psychopathic Personality [2020]620202019HBDENGlobal survey of racial differences in psychopathic personality confirms the standard Rushtonian pattern of Negroids < Caucasoids < Mongoloids on the r/K life history scale.
Lynn, RichardMemoirs of a Dissident Psychologist720202020Memoirs, HBDEN
MacDonald, KevinThe Culture of Critique320162013Politics, HBDENunread
Marx, KarlCapital120081867EconomicsENunread
Marx, Karl & EngelsThe Communist Manifesto420081848EconomicsEN
McGregor, RichardThe Party820112010Politics, ChinaENgoodSome takeaway from this deep analysis of the world’s largest and most powerful political organization:
(1) China remains a thoroughly “Leninist” (or NEPist) state; its largest corporations, including nominally private ones, are connected by “red telephones” to Zhongnanhai.
(2) The overweening role of the Organization Department in choosing cadres.
(3) The CPC has a much tighter grip on both the military and regional branches than the CPSU did in the late USSR.
Meadows, Donella et al.Limits to Growth: The 30 Year Update [2010]820102004Energy & Climate, FuturismENgoodSummary of the case for overpopulation. It was an interesting read, and influenced me quite heavily at the time; however, the problem is that “doomers” have consistently underestimated technological growth, and so their predictions fell wide off the mark (we should be well into the industrial collapse as of 2024 according to its models).
Meier, AndrewBlack Earth720052003Politics, RussiaEN
Miller, ChrisChip War720232022Geopolitics, Tech, AIENunread
Moldbug, Mencius (Curtis Yarvin)A Gentle Introduction to Unqualified Reservations420162009Politics, NRxENunreadWill admit I found the foundational text of “neoreaction” to be rather underwhelming. The HBD was obviously not new to me, he seems to believe that supporting Britain in the American Revolutionary War is some great taboo (is that really so?), and engages in long-winded regurgitations of conservative talking points about the supposed global warming hoax.
Moore, MichaelStupid White Men420042001Politics, USAEN
Murray, CharlesComing Apart820172012Sociology, HBD, USAENgood
Murray, CharlesHuman Diversity720202020Sociology, HBDENunread
Murray, CharlesFacing Reality720212021Sociology, HBD, USAENunread
Murray, Charles & HerrnsteinBell Curve920131994HBDENbestThis blockbuster of a book establishes the validity of g, its sociological relevance, the B/W gap in the US and its apparent intractability, and social consequences thereof.

As Steve Sailer and Charles Murray himself point out, twenty years on, the predictions made in Bell Curve have all panned out and the trends identified in it I don’t think it’s possible to conscientiously read this text and come away with the impression that IQ is an invalid or irrelevant concept, which is what the book is ultimately mainly about (even though the race/IQ chapter is what it has become infamous for, regardless of Murray & Herrnstein’s dozens of pages of disclaimers about it).

Quite apart from the IQ/sociology nexus, it is also my opinion that this is one of the key books you need to understand American society, along with David Hackett Fischer’s Albion’s Seed.
Myers, B.R.The Cleanest Race720122010Politics, North KoreaENConvincing argument that Best Korea is more of an ultranationalist state than a Marxist-Leninist one.
Naughton, BarryThe Chinese Economy520122006Economics, ChinaENIntroductory textbook to the Chinese economy. Couple of observations:
(1) Chance of dying on the job under Maoism than getting fired;
(2) Perhaps uniquely for any major economy, there were zero positive returns to increasing education until ~1990.
Nietzsche, FriedrichOn the Genealogy of Morality720101887PhilosophyENunread
Orlov, DmitryReinventing Collapse520112008CollapseEN
Papagianni, Dimitra & MorseThe Neanderthals Rediscovered520152013AnthropologyEN
Parshev, AndreyWhy Russia Is Not America [2009]520021999Economics, RussiaRUreviewedClassic of Russian protectionist literature, with all the flaws that implies. However, I was admittedly influenced by it at the time.
Pearce, FredWith Speed and Violence520062008Energy & ClimateEN
Pearce, FredWhen the Rivers Run Dry420062008Energy & Climate
Pillsbury, MichaelChina Debates the Future Security Environment520102000Geopolitics, ChinaEN
Pinker, StevenThe Blank Slate920162002Sociology, HBDENbestunread
Pinker, StevenThe Better Angels of our Nature820132011World, AnthropologyENgood
Pinker, StevenEnlightenment Now720182018WorldEN
Polanyi, KarlThe Great Transformation520101944EconomicsEN
Preston, RichardThe Hot Zone720151994Science, EpidemiologyEN
Putin, Vladimir et al.From the First Person420122000Politics, RussiaRU
Randers, Jorgen2052620122012Energy & Climate, FuturismEN
Rees, MartinOur Final Hour420062003Futurism, X RisksEN
Reich, DavidWho We Are and How We Got Here820252018PopGen, HBDENunread
Reid, T.R.The United States of Europe520042005Politics, EuropeEN
Ricon, Jose LuisBack in the USSR720172017Economics, Communism, USSREN
Rindermann, HeinerCognitive Capitalism820192018HBD, EconomicsENgood
Ritchie, StuartIntelligence: All That Matters620182015HBDEN
Rosefielde, StevenRussia in the 21st Century420092004Geopolitics, RussiaEN
Rushton, J. PhilippeRace, Evolution, and Behavior720122000AnthropologyENgoodThis is still, perhaps, the book about the validity of HBD theory.

In this book, a huge mass of data (the endnotes comprise a substantial percentage of the overall text) is marshalled in support of r/K selection theory applied to the three great races of mankind.

When I read it sometime around I was already somewhat “redpilled” on this issue, but this book raised my confidence in the HBD view of reality from “likely” to “almost certain.”

There are several other good essentially “HBD” books – The 10,000 Year Explosion by Cochran and Harpending, or Wade’s A Troublesome Inheritance for those hesitating about… wading into this subject, but this is the book I read first so as it’s the most influential so far as I’m concerned.
Sachs, JeffreyThe End of Poverty520042005EconomicsEN
Sakwa, RichardThe Crisis of Russian Democracy720132010Politics, RussiaEN
Sakwa, RichardFrontline Ukraine620152014Geopolitics, RussiaENunread
Shafarevich, IgorRussophobia820181982Politics, RussiaRUgoodunread
Schimpfössl, ElisabethRich Russians720202018Sociology, RussiaRUunread
Schwab, KlausThe Fourth Industrial Revolution320212016Futurism, EconomicsENunread
Singh, SimonFermat’s Last Theorem720061997Science, MathEN
Singh, SimonThe Code Book720061999Science, MathEN
Smil, VaclavGlobal Catastrophes and Trends [2009]620092008Futurism, TechnologyENreviewedQuite a unique thinker.
Smith, AdamThe Wealth of Nations720111776EconomicsENunread
Smith, Arthur H.Chinese Characteristics [2013]820131894Sociology, Travel, ChinaENgoodreviewedOne of the best travelogues ever written.
Smith, Laurence C.The World in 2050620102010Geopolitics, Futurism, ArcticEN
Solomon, StevenWater520102010Energy & ClimateEN
Srinivasan, BalajiThe Network State820232022Politics, Libertarianism, CyberpunkENgood
Stager, CurtDeep Future820162011Energy & Climate, FuturismENgood
Steyn, MarkAmerica Alone [2009]420092006GeopoliticsENFunny writing style, appeals to American vatnik types, ultimately nonsensical but who cares.
Strahan, DavidThe Last Oil Shock420092007Energy & ClimateEN
Taleb, Nicholas NassimThe Black Swan820122007EconomicsENgood
Tegmark, MarkOur Mathematical Universe820162014Science, PhysicsENgood
Thiel, PeterZero to One920212014Economics, BusinessENbest
Todd, EmmanuelThe Explanation of Ideology820141985Sociology, HBDENgood
Treisman, DanielThe Return820112011Politics, RussiaENgood
Trenin, DmitryShould We Fear Russia?520172016Geopolitics, RussiaEN
Trubetzkoy, NikolayEurope and Mankind [2009]820091920Politics, RussiaRUgoodThe originator of multipolarity discourse, and far more insightful than its current adherents.
Trump, DonaldThe Art of the Deal520161987Memoirs, BusinessEN
Turner, Jonathan AdairJust Capital920052001EconomicsENbest
Turok, AlexanderPosthumanity820242018Futurism, IQ/accENgoodunread
Wade, NicholasA Troublesome Inheritance720152014Anthropology, HBDEN
Ward, PeterUnder a Green Sky520102007Energy & ClimateEN
Ware, TimothyThe Orthodox Church720121963Theology, ChristianityEN
Wegren, Stephen et al.After Putin’s Russia520102009Politics, RussiaEN
Weisman, AlanThe World Without Us620092007CollapseEN
Wolff, MichaelFire and Fury520182018Politics, USAENunread
Yang, AndrewThe War on Normal People [2019]620192018Politics, Futurism, AI, USAENComprehensive case for UBI.
Zhavoronkov, AlexThe Ageless Generation520192013Futurism, GerontologyENunread
Zygar, MikhailAll the Kremlin’s Men720172016Politics, RussiaENunread

History

RAuthorTitle★readpub.TagsLnotesShort Review:
Arnove, Robert & GraffNational Literacy Campaigns620141987Economics, LiteracyEN
Baker, Chris & Pasuk PhongpaichitA History of Thailand 4e620262023History, SEA, ThailandEN
Beevor, AnthonyStalingrad520041999Military, WW2EN
Bellamy, ChrisAbsolute War720122007Military, WW2EN
Bloom, HowardThe Lucifer Principle [2010]820101995World, HBDENgoodreviewedEvolution isn’t nice.
Brogan, HughThe Penguin History of the USA420081985History, USAENunread
Bryson, BillA Short History of Nearly Everything720022003Science, Children’sEN
Burleigh, MichaelThe Third Reich720052001History, Nazi GermanyENunread
Chanda, NayanBound Together420082007Economics, WorldEN
Clark, ChristopherIron Kingdom720242006History, GermanyENunread
Clark, GregoryA Farewell to Alms820142008Economics, HBDENgood
Clark, GregoryThe Son Also Rises720162014Economics, HBDENunread
Cochran, Gregory & HarpendingThe 10,000 Year Explosion720142009World, HBDEN
Dartnell, LewisThe Knowledge820162014Science, TechnologyENgood
Diamond, JaredGuns, Germs, and Steel [2009]820031997World, AnthropologyENgoodreviewedQuibble if you want, it’s a well deserved classic.
Diamond, JaredCollapse520072005World, Anthropology, CollapseEN
Doyle, WilliamThe Oxford History of the French Revolution420041990History, FranceEN
Dunham, WilliamJourney through Genius820071991Science, MathENgood
Dupuy, Trevor N.A Genius for War820151977Military, WW2ENgood
Durocher, GuillaumeThe Ancient Ethnostate720222021Ancient, HBDENunread
Emmerson, CharlesThe Future History of the Arctic720102010History, ArcticEN
Ferguson, NiallEmpire520082003History, BritainEN
Ferguson, NiallColossus520082004History, USAEN
Ferguson, NiallThe War of the World320092007History, WW2EN
Ferguson, NiallThe Pity of War820061998Military, WW1ENgood“The Pity of War: Explaining World War I” does justice to its subtitle, boldly reinterpreting most of the standard narrative through vivid statistical argumentation.

For instance, the claims that there was widespread enthusiasm for the conflict at the outset seems to be pretty much false. This was also the book that introduced me to the work of Dupuy et al., who have calculated that the Germans were consistently much more combat effective than the Anglo-French forces; conversely, he also very effectively shows why the war was lost for Germany after the end of the Spring Offensive.

One need not always buy into his arguments – ironically, I am rather skeptical of his “Anglophobic” thesis that it was England most at fault for making WW1 into the carnage it was – but his counterintuitive takes strike home sufficiently frequently to justify this as a must-read in addition to the more conventional histories.
Fischer, David HackettAlbion’s Seed920181989History, USAENbestYou have to read this book to understand America.
Gat, AzarNations720172012WorldENunread
Grass, GunterPeeling the Onion720102006Memoirs, Nazi GermanyEN
Gumilev, LevFrom Rus’ to Russia520082008History, RussiaRU
Harris, WilliamAncient Literacy620141989Economics, Ancient, LiteracyEN
Harrison, Mark et al.The Economics of World War II720171998Economics, WW2ENunread
Harrison, Mark et al.The Economics of World War I720172005Economics, WW2ENunread
Hart, MichaelUnderstanding Human History420132007World, HBDEN
Jones, E.L.The European Miracle720141981Economics, Medieval, EuropeEN
Keegan, JohnThe Face of Battle520021976MilitaryEN
Keegan, JohnThe First World War620041998Military, WW1EN
Kennedy, PaulThe Rise and Fall of the Great Powers1020031987World, GeopoliticsENbestCovering 500 years of history in 500 pages, the historian Paul Kennedy exhaustively argues that the root of military and geopolitical power is heavily dependent on economic power, which supports the munitioning potential to equip gunpowder armies. From the Third Years War to the Cold War, it has been deeper pockets, not military elan or morale, that have won.

This seems pretty obvious and self-explanatory, but many people don’t seem to get it. Although there are now many things I would quibble with it – I read it sometime around 2004 – its basic framework is still one I use when thinking about Great Power geopolitics.

I can also say that this book formed the wellspring of my interest in economic history. Statistics about pig iron production in 1910 seem pretty boring until you start imagining it going into Dreadnoughts and Krupp guns.
Khlevnyuk, OlegStalin: Life of a Leader720202015BiographyRUunread
Korotayev, Andrei et al.Introduction to Social Macrodynamics [2009]920092006World, CliodynamicsENbestreviewedMost people think of history as a narrative of names and dates interlinked with “happenings” that historians try to explain and contextualize. But there has been very little progress on the methods of history since Thucydides. The cliodynamicists are to history what Alfred Marshall was to economics – they want to start modeling history.

Although the best known name in this field is Peter Turchin’s, I was more influenced by Korotayev et al’s Introduction to Social Macrodynamics, a very short but formula heavy book that laid the framework for how I have thought about pre-industrial Malthusian societies ever since. Here is my main review of it.

One of my very long-term ambitions is to try to integrate psychometrics with cliodynamics models.
Landes, DavidThe Wealth and Poverty of Nations720081998Economics, WorldEN
Malia, MartinRussia under Western Eyes720092001History, RussiaENunread
Martin, JanetMedieval Russia, 980-1584820201995History, Medieval, RussiaENgoodunread
Martin, TerryThe Affirmative Action Empire620182001History, RussiaENunread
Matthews, OwenOverreach620222022Geopolitics, Russia, Ukraine WarENunread
McMeekin, SeanThe Russian Revolution720182017History, RussiaEN
McMeekin, SeanStalin’s War320222021History, Russia, WW2ENunread
Menzies, Gavin1421220052002History, China, ConspiracyEN
Merridale, CatherineIvan’s War720162005Military, WW2, RussiaENunread
Mitterauer, MichaelWhy Europe?620152010Economics, Medieval, EuropeENunread
Morris, IanWhy the West Rules–For Now720142010WorldEN
Morris, IanThe Measure of Civilization720142010WorldEN
Murray, CharlesHuman Accomplishment920142009Science, HBDENbest
Overy, RichardWhy the Allies Won820061995Military, WW2ENgood
Overy, RichardRussia’s War720061997Military, WW2EN
Parker, GeoffreyGlobal Crisis720252013Big HistoryENunread
Pomeranz, KennethThe Great Divergence [2011]820112000Economics, World, ChinaENgoodreviewedInfluential economic history book, but I no longer considered its core arguments – that China was ahead of Europe up until 1800 or so – to be justifiable. The gap opened up a lot earlier.
Roberts, JohnThe New Penguin History of the World620062007WorldENunread
Robinson, PaulRussian Conservatism720192019History, RussiaEN
Schama, SimonCitizens820041989History, FranceENgood
Schrad, MarkVodka Politics720162013History, RussiaEN
Schwartz, BenjaminIn Search of Wealth and Power [2013]720131963History, ChinaENreviewedLate Qing era and Republican debates on how to respond to the European challenge.
Scott, JohnBehind the Urals [2009]520091941Memoirs, USSRENreviewedChequered but occasionally insightful US socialist’s account of life in the Stalinist USSR.
Sheehan, James J.Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?620042008History, EuropeEN
Shirer, William L.The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich820041960History, Nazi GermanyENgood
Slezkine, YuriThe Jewish Century820112004History, JewsENgoodunread
Spengler, OswaldThe Decline of the West720101918HistoryENunread
Tainter, JosephThe Collapse of Complex Societies [2018]720091988History, Anthropology, CollapseENJoseph Tainter argues that the root cause of civilizational collapse is because of over-investment into and declining marginal returns on complexity. Societies invest in complexity to solve their problems and typically need to expend ever more organizational and physical energy to maintain that level of complexity; eventually, this expenditure undermines their material base, opens up a large potential gap where they could reap the exact same benefits but at a lower level of complexity (and cost), and the likelihood of collapse converges to one.
Tombs, RobertThe English and Their History720172015History, BritainENunread
Tooze, AdamWages of Destruction920172015Economics, Nazi Germany, WW2ENbestTHE book on WW2 economic history. Demolishes important myths, e.g. that Germany was “late” to mobilize its economy, or underemployed women for ideological reasons.
Treadgold, WarrenA History of the Byzantine State and Society720241997ByzantinesENunread
Tuchman, BarbaraThe Guns of August820091962Military, WW1ENgoodThis may not be the most groundbreaking WW1 book, but it may well be the best from a literary perspective. Seriously, just read her opening paragraph:

So gorgeous was the spectacle on the May morning of 1910 when nine kings rode in the funeral of Edward VII of England that the crowd, waiting in hushed and black-clad awe, could not keep back gasps of admiration. In scarlet and blue and green and purple, three by three the sovereigns rode through the palace gates, with plumed helmets, gold braid, crimson sashes, and jeweled orders flashing in the sun. After them came five heirs apparent, forty more imperial or royal highnesses, seven queens – four dowager and three regnant – and a scattering of special ambassadors from uncrowned countries. Together they represented seventy nations in the greatest assemblage of royalty and rank ever gathered in one place and, of its kind, the last. The muffled tongue of Big Ben tolled nine by the clock as the cortege left the palace, but on history’s clock it was sunset, and the sun of the old world was setting in a dying blaze of splendor never to be seen again.

Whether one agrees with her thesis that it was Germany that was overwhelmingly culpable or not – though I suppose it helps that I do – her skill at bringing the increasingly agitated diplomatic activity in the buildup to the war and the military maneuvers in its first few months is unrivalled. This is history that reads like fiction, and I mean that in a good sense.
Turchin, PeterWar and Peace and War [2010]820102006World, CliodynamicsENgood“Warre bringeth ruine, ruine bringeth poverty, poverty procureth peace, and peace in time increaseth riches, riches causeth statelinesse, statelinesse increaseth envie, envie in the end procureth deadly malice, mortall malice proclaimeth open warre and bataille, and from warre again as before is rehearsed.“
Turchin, PeterUltrasociety820172015World, CliodynamicsENgood
Turchin, PeterAges of Discord520172016USA, CliodynamicsENunread
Turchin, Peter & NefedovSecular Cycles920122011World, CliodynamicsENbestunread
⠀Werth, AlexanderMoscow War Diary [2009]520091942Memoirs, WW2, USSREN
Zhuchkovsky, Alexander85 Days in Slavyansk720182018Memoirs, Ukraine War, RussiaRUunread
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