Category Archives: Non-fiction

Alan Sepinwall is today’s major television critic; in this book, he uses his unique position to publish a fascinating look into the writing rooms of the modern breakthrough dramas: Oz, The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Lost and more. If you enjoy television, you need to read this book.  Sepinwall smartly traces the creative decisions and cultural history of the past thirty years that have transformed the medium of television from the “idiot box” to something brave and new.  I read this over two straight days, and I was just as enthralled by the chapters about shows I have no intention of seeing as I was by the chapters concerning my favourites. One chapter covers one show, so you can easily avoid spoilers for the programmes you haven’t had a chance to see yet.  (submitted by NE)

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Here’s a book by Christopher Zara that I can highly recommend. It features interesting 3-4 page biographical sketches of traumatized actors, musicians, etc. – very humorous, but well-researched and concise.  It sure inspired me to check out a few biographies. (submitted by JS)

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I very much enjoyed this book by Stéphane Hessel, a former resistance fighter and diplomat. He has been an inspiration to youth protest movements in Spain, which in turn influenced the Occupy movement and the Arab Spring. Worth reading!  (submitted by SF)

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Caroline Taggart’s book design is reminiscent of an old school primer, which is fitting considering the content is a bit old-fashioned in promoting the joys and virtues of general knowledge.  There’s a lot I don’t remember from when I was in school. Once in a while a subject will come up in the news or elsewhere and I’ll have a nagging sensation that I once had some familiarity with the topic, or as the author would say an “I Used to Know That” moment. This is a great little reference book for people who need a refresher on topics that were covered, or should have been covered, in grade school.  At a slim 175 pages, this is not a book to develop expertise in a particular subject, but to refresh some basic concepts that many people learned (or endured) during their schooling and have probably long forgotten. Once you have “refreshed” on a subject you enjoy you are free to delve deeper into that subject on your own; however, this book offers a great head start. (submitted by AM)

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A very enjoyable book by Charles Duhigg. Here’s what I want to remember from it: habits/routines are powerful and fragile, they can be overwritten but they never disappear. Change keystone habits for greatest impact in other (seemingly unrelated) areas. Write down plans (which I’ve always done), deliberately design willpower habits and build self-regulatory strength, and remember that willpower is a muscle.  There is a lot of power in a crisis to change habits/routines, habits are truces in the workplace, major life changes make people the most vulnerable to marketing interventions, our brains seek familiarity, the power of weak ties.  (submitted by JF)

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Loved this book!  Wonderfully accessible and practical look at a handful of not-quite personality disorders – learn how to recognize and handle people who drain you. For example, emotional vampires never grow up/they are immature, they are not connected or empathetic (you exist to serve their needs) or fair.  They take, they are selfish, and they do not follow social rules.  They cannot be at fault, they won’t wait for what they want, and things have to be their way. They have no insight and no guilt. They thrive on secrets and your shame. Forget about punishment: the opposite of a reward is no reward. (submitted by JF)

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I really enjoyed reading this book.  Part memoir, part 80s nostalgia, and tons of music references, this is CBC’s Jian Ghomeshi writing his first book about growing up in an Persian/Iranian-Canadian household in Thornhill, Ontario – focusing particularly on the year 1982.  I was impressed.  (submitted by SF)

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