I read 41 books this year, all via audiobook. Below are my reviews for my 13 favorite reads out of the 41 books I read.
If you enjoy audobooks, I recommend switching from Audible to Libro.fm (that’s a referral link). Audible has some pretty slimy business practices (noted in my 2024 audiobooks post).
Books about World Betterment
These 7 books are on immigration, economics, sociology, and welfare overall. They’re all on the topic of making the world a better place for all of us.
“The Upswing” by Robert D. Putnam with Shaylyn Romney Garrett
The Upswing is probably the most important book I read in 2025. This book is about moving society away from individualism to and back toward communitarianism: moving from “me” to “we”.
I watched the Join Or Die documentary (it’s on Netflix) before reading this book. The two are different and I would recommend both.
“Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans” by Sherry F. Colb
From the title Mind if I Order the Cheeseburger, I assumed this would be a snarky book written for vegans. It is not snarky and it’s not primarily for vegans.
This book is for non-vegans who have questions about veganism. It’s fairly plainly written and easy to understand.
I found myself taking issue with some of the arguments in this book but I also found myself admiring some of the arguments and analogies. There were more than a few issues I had never even considered before.
If you’re curious about veganism but hoping to avoid descriptions of the specifics of animal suffering, this is a pretty good book to start with. The author kindly lays out her reasoning without delving too deep into the specifics of factory farming.
Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success by Ran Abramitzky and Leah Boustan
Streets of Gold is a book on immigration written by economists in a way that is fairly easy for non-economists to understand. I’m somewhat surprised that such a book exists.
I wish all immigration skeptics read this book and considered the data referenced and the arguments made.
The Case for Open Borders by John Washington
I assumed The Case for Open Borders might be focused on the economic case for open borders. It partly focused on that, but it didn’t primarily take an economic angle. I found this interesting and thought-provoking.
If you are skeptical of the idea of radically increasing US immigration, this is the first book I would probably recommend reading.
Under The Influence by Robert H. Frank
Under The Influence feels like an economist applying economics to sociology. I found it really interesting. I really enjoyed Robert H. Frank’s Success and Luck. This book is quite different from that one.
I enjoyed the many comparisons of regulation versus taxes, but I especially enjoyed the discussions about what is socially feasible. An idea in theory doesn’t do much good if it won’t work in practice.
In This Economy?: How Money & Markets Really Work by Kyla Scanlon
In This Economy? may be my new go-to recommendation for a book on the importance of economics and economic thinking for the average person (folks not already into economics).
Unfortunately, it doesn’t drive too deep into economic thinking but it does discuss the current state of money and markets in the US in a relatable way.
I am still on the lookout for a great “here’s why economics is so important” explainer book.
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
On Tyranny was quite short. I really enjoy a good short read.
Here are some quotes I wrote down from the chapter on “being kind to our language”:
Think up your own way of speaking, even if only to convey that thing you think everyone is saying.
Politicians in our times feed their cliches to television, where even those who wish to disagree repeat them. Television purports to challenge political language by conveying images, but the succession from one frame to another can hinder a sense of resolution. Everything happens fast but nothing actually happens. Each story on televised news is breaking, until it is displaced by the next one, so we are hit with wave upon wave, but never see the ocean. The effort to define the shape and significance of events require words and concepts that allude us when we are entranced by visual stimuli. Watching televised news is sometimes little more than looking at someone who is also looking at a picture. We take this collective trance to be normal. We have slowly fallen into it.
Staring at screens is perhaps unavoidable, but the 2 dimensional world makes little sense unless we can draw upon a mental armory that we have developed somewhere else. When we repeat the same words and phrases that appear in the daily media, we accept the absence of a larger framework. To have such a framework requires more concepts and having more concepts requires more reading.
Books about Self Betterment
The line between world betterment and self betterment isn’t always clear but to me, all 3 of these books felt a bit more focused on how the reader could better their own life.
You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy
You’re Not Listening was more interesting than immediately actionable, but I can’t complain. This was a fascinating meandering through the world of communication as studied by researchers and as put into practice by hostage negotiators, salespeople, focus group facilitators, etc.
This book was a fairly quick and easy read and I feel it was well-thought and well-edited.
Two takeaways I wrote down:
- Carl Rogers (who coined “active listening”) says “listening to opposing viewpoints is the only way to grow”
- Good listener know understanding is not binary: your understanding can always be improved.
I didn’t really take notes, but I wish I had.
Hope for Cynics by Jamil Zaki
Hope for Cynics is all about an idea I think is greatly needed today: how to turn cynicism into hope and productive action toward making a better world.
Most people, myself included, at some point despair to the point of complacency with politics, the climate, etc. This book is meant to inspire action instead.
I really liked the idea of hopefully skepticism as a level-headed replacement for cynicism. I was glad that Robert Putnam’s The Upswing was also discussed toward the end.
Vegan for Life by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina
The nutrition advice in Vegan for Life is similar to Harvard Medical School’s Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy but it’s targeted specifically to those eating vegan. If you’re concerned about your health as you switch away from animal-based products, read this.
Fiction Books
I didn’t read a lot of fiction this year. Of the bit of fiction I did read, Hank Green’s An Absolutely Remarkable Thing is the book I’d most recommend. I’d also recommend the sequel. They both made me think and made me have big feelings.
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing was a really fun book. I read the sequel immediately after I finished this.
I think I enjoy Hank Green’s fiction more than John Green’s.
I don’t want to spoil the book, so I’ll just say that if you think you’d like thoughtful fiction where a big thing happens that changes the world, I’d recommend this book and its sequel.
The Pioneer by Bridget Tyler
The Pioneer is a young adult sci-fi novel which I found to be a pretty easy read. There is some “what is personhood”-style grappling (to counter the typical alien xenophobia) that’s slightly reminiscent of Octavia Butler’s Dawn (which I love).
I did find myself slightly frustrated that in this book humanity ends up with faster-than-light travel and yet we still harm creatures that feel pain for very little benefit to ourselves. I don’t regret reading this and ended up reading the sequel as well.
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
“We’re going on an adventure.” (you’ll get this quote stuck in your head)
There’s even more going on in Children of Ruin than the first one (Children of Time). There were definitely moments where I thought “wait who is this person, what species are they, and where are they in the universe”. I think if it hadn’t been a couple years since I read the first book, I would have had an easier time following the plot. Overall, I really enjoyed this sequel.
Recommendations From Past Years
To read my audiobook recommendations from past years see:
I’ve listened to over 300 audiobooks over the past decade and I’m always looking for new books to listen to. If you have recommendations for me, please comment below, message me on social media, or email me.
