Introduction

I do not naturally gravitate towards non-fiction novels. I have used books to escape from the world, not dive deeper into it. As I got older, I realized the non-fiction genre has power in the book community. Non-fiction is an influential storytelling tool. In January 2024, I made it a New Year’s goal to read at least five non-fiction books. This goal stemmed from my desire to become more educated about the world that I live in. I did not want to live in ignorance, so I picked books on topics that genuinely interested me or sparked my curiosity. I blew this goal out of the water because I have read fifteen non-fiction books so far this year! In each of them, I developed my understanding of an important topic. Today, I want to share the five that have been the most impactful and the lessons I have learned from them. 

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?

Yes, you did read that title correctly! To answer the question: yes, because they will be starving if you die and no one feeds them, although it will take them a couple of days to get to that point of hunger. I think that it is natural for humans to fear death. It connects to our fear of the unknown, which is an adaptive mindset from our ancient ancestors (hint: so much of our psychology connections to evolution – much more than I think that we understand right now, to be honest). We have this fear because it kept our ancestors out of unfamiliar environments or doing risky things that might result in death. Death is the one thing that I cannot work my brain around. Strangely, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? has brought me a lot of comfort about death. Through her knowledge as a mortician, Doughty candidly and compassionately answers many common questions about what happens to bodies after death. By defamiliarizing death through a medical lens, Doughty confronts our shared fears as a species around death. The biggest thing I learned from this novel was that we cannot allow ourselves to be so consumed by our fear of death that it stops us from living our lives. Doughty encourages her readers not to allow their fears to control their lives because death is a part of the human experience. Death is something that touches every person. It is unavoidable and inevitable. So, we should use that information to live our lives to the fullest not to sink into despair about death. Now, at times, I was kind of grossed out, but that might be because I have a weak stomach when it comes to human bodies (why did I think I could be a doctor again?). At the same time, I promise that it is a worthwhile read for anyone who has any strange questions about death and what it means to truly be alive! 

Men Who Hate Women

This was probably one of the hardest books I have read in a while. Not because of the writing style but because of the content. This book literally made my stomach hurt at times because of the horribly disgusting things lurking online. Men Who Hate Women examines the rise of extremist communities that venomously hate women enough to take their online comments to offline actions. Bates goes undercover to give readers a comprehensive view of the way that the darkest corners of the internet begin to pop up in mainstream media, governments, and even our own homes. Bates created the term “manosphere” to describe this dark part of the internet that includes groups like incels. The biggest lesson I learned from this book is that women and men both have a large role in solving misogyny online and in real life. Bates does a wonderful job highlighting that these online forums do not just harm women. She discusses how many young men fall prey to these groups’ coercions due to mental health disorders, lack of positive male friendships, and devastating personal challenges. By highlighting the impact on men, Bates makes the issues of the manosphere something that negatively impacts everyone. She also highlights so many of the positive male groups that are actively combatting misogyny and offering real resources to boys and men who need them. Men Who Hate Women encourages us to take a deeper look at the ways that misogyny impacts our lives and the lives of our loved ones, even our fathers, brothers, boyfriends, and husbands. This is not a problem that women can solve on our own. We cannot group all men together. We must invite them to join our fight because it is their fight, too. 

White Robes and Broken Badges

As someone who has worked with new students and their families at WashU, the most asked question I get is, “How unsafe is St. Louis? I read about what happened in Ferguson”. It is always how “unsafe” St. Louis is because there is an assumption that, because of what happened in Ferguson, the entirety of St. Louis is now unsafe. I have talked about Ferguson in a past blog post because it is near and dear to my family’s heart. I have very faint memories of the unrest in Ferguson in 2014 and 2015. I was only ten years old although I knew that my city would never be the same. I feel myself tearing up every single time I write about it (even right now). I also teared up when Ferguson was mentioned in this novel. White Robes and Broken Badges follows Moore as he goes undercover and infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan two times. He is viewed as one of the most influential uncover agents in the FBI because it is through him that the government and the public know so much about the inner workings of the KKK. The biggest lesson I learned from this novel was the importance of understanding your city’s history, even the dark parts. It is hard talking to students about the fears they have about moving to St. Louis. It is because I love St. Louis so much, and it can be hard to admit that the place you love is not perfect. However, you cannot truly love something if you only view it through rose-colored glasses. It is important to understand the role of white supremacy in the unrest in Ferguson. It is important to learn how, even ten years later, Ferguson is still haunted by the ghosts of its past. It is important not to be complicit or passive in the fight for justice in St. Louis. Moore encourages his readers to stand up and take action. This is a call that we all must answer. That is what living through Ferguson has taught me. 

Cultist: The Language of Fanaticism

As a society, we have a strange obsession with cults. I bet that as you read the word “cult” in that last sentence, there were a couple of cults that flashed in your mind’s eye. Maybe it was Jonestown. Maybe it was Scientology (one that I am very familiar with since one of their buildings is super close to my college campus). Maybe it was SoulCycle… but probably not. In this novel, Montell argues that all that is needed to get someone to join a cult is language. She coins the term “cultish” to describe communities that utilize language that is historically attributed to cults to reveal that this fanatical language is everywhere. From our 20-minute barre Peloton workout classes to the make-up products we buy in Sephora, Montell highlights how language influences our behavior and encourages us to believe in certain things. Sometimes, it comes at a cost. The biggest lesson I learned from this novel was that we can control whether or not we fall prey to this language. Throughout Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, Montell gives her readers the tools to detect when this type of language is being used against them. For example, it is not a bad thing that your workout instructor is using certain buzzwords to push you through a hard workout. However, it is when a conspiracy theorist online is attempting to get you to believe lies about government figures. This book teaches you how to take back control so that you do not fall for someone’s manipulations. If you want to learn more about the power of language on human’s psychology, I recommend you give book a try! 

Sociopath

One of my favorite Psychology classes at WashU was my class on psychopathology, also known as the study of “abnormal psychology” or mental health disorders. One of the units that stuck out to me the most was the one on personality disorders, especially sociopathy (also known as antisocial personality disorder). I was drawn to this novel because I desired to learn more about sociopathy. In her memoir, Gagne breaks down her experiences as a sociopath, from her very earliest memories to her current life as a therapist working to help fellow sociopaths. She has done some groundbreaking research into the relationship between antisocial personality disorder and anxiety as an attempt to figure out treatment plans for sociopaths. This book is truly eye-opening because Gagne openly talks about her inner world, a world that can feel so foreign to outsiders. The biggest thing I learned from this novel was the role of shame in so many mental health disorders. As a Psychology minor, I find that there are certain mental health disorders that students feel more comfortable talking about, studying, and treating. I believe that this might be due to the push coming from my generation to normalize mental health struggles. Most people feel comfortable talking about depression or anxiety. However, there seems to be a discomfort in talking about a lack of empathy or struggling to control impulsive behaviors. Gagne talks about how the shame surrounding these symptoms is what stops so many sociopaths from reaching out for help. We need to take a look at ourselves and figure out why (as a society) we tend to validate certain mental health disorders and not others. 

Conclusion

I am always striving to be the best version of myself. A large part of that is my dedication to being a life-long learner. It can be easy, especially as a student, to let your education end when you walk out of class. It is up to each of us to decide to learn more about both the good and the bad parts of the world. Ignorance is a choice; it is one we make every day. You can decide to live your life without understanding people who have different life experiences than yourself, not take a look at the way that the dark parts of our world have personally influenced us, or live in fear. You can also choose to develop a better understanding, analyze your own life, or confront your fears. Like most choices, it is not easy, however, it is oh-so worth it. I encourage everyone to pick up at least one non-fiction book before 2024 ends. It can be one of the ones I have written about here or one that sparks your unique interests. Who knows what you might uncover in its pages? 

Bibliography

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? by Caitlin Doughty

Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates

White Robes and Broken Badges by Joe Moore

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Sociopath by Patric Gagne