What We Are Reading Today: ‘Why We Sleep’

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Short Url
Updated 24 August 2024
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Why We Sleep’

Photo/Supplied
  • He elaborates on the latest research data on sleep functions, revealing how it can enhance memory, strengthen the immune system and improve innovative thinking

Author: Matthew Walker

In “Why We Sleep,” Matthew Walker discusses the significant role of sleep in our physical and mental health.

Writing about the results of decades of research, Walker, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California and director of the San Francisco Center for Human Sleep Science, reflects on common myths about sleep and makes appealing arguments for its importance.

The spread of sleep deprivation in modern life has become alarming. Many people may not be aware of its long-term consequences, which is one of the main ideas that Walker emphasizes in this book.

He presents scientific evidence explaining how chronic sleep loss leaves devastating impacts not only on health but also our on cognitive function and longevity.

From the risk of developing serious health issues such as cancer to the lack of ability to make decisions and emotional regulation, he argues that people should not neglect the need to sleep.

Walker’s ability to translate complex concepts into understandable, compelling stories is impressive; whether explaining the complex neural mechanisms underlying sleep or the fascinating evolutionary history of the sleep-wake cycle, his writing style is clear, effective and engaging.

He also elaborates on the latest research data on sleep functions, revealing how it can enhance memory, strengthen the immune system and improve innovative thinking.

Walker also sheds light on the mysterious world of dreams, suggesting that they might play a major role in emotional processing and problem-solving.  

By emphasizing the vital importance of sleep in our lives, Walker encourages his readers to prioritize this important aspect of their health.

Whether you are a sleep-deprived student, a busy employee, or someone interested in the depth of the human mind, “Why We Sleep” is informative and helpful.

 

 


What We Are Reading Today: Buried Treasures

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Updated 22 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: Buried Treasures

Photo/Supplied
  • In “Buried Treasures,” Zipes describes his special passion for uncovering political fairy tales of the 19th and 20th centuries

Author: JACK ZIPES

Jack Zipes has spent decades as a “scholarly scavenger,” discovering forgotten fairy tales in libraries, flea markets, used bookstores, and internet searches, and he has introduced countless readers to these remarkable works and their authors.

In “Buried Treasures,” Zipes describes his special passion for uncovering political fairy tales of the 19th and 20th centuries, offers fascinating profiles of more than a dozen of their writers and illustrators, and shows why they deserve greater attention and appreciation.

 

 


What We Are Reading Today: Republics of Knowledge

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Updated 21 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: Republics of Knowledge

Photo/Supplied
  • Miller identifies how public exchange of ideas affected policymaking, the emergence of a collective identity, and more

Author: Nicola Miller

The rise of nation-states is a hallmark of the modern age, yet we are still untangling how the phenomenon unfolded across the globe.

Here, Nicola Miller offers new insights into the process of nation-making through an account of 19th-century Latin America, where, she argues, the identity of nascent republics was molded through previously underappreciated means: the creation and sharing of knowledge.

Drawing evidence from Argentina, Chile, and Peru, Republics of Knowledge traces the histories of these countries from the early 1800s, as they gained independence, to their centennial celebrations in the 20th century. Miller identifies how public exchange of ideas affected policymaking, the emergence of a collective identity, and more.

 


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Climate Dynamics’ by Kerry H. Cook

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Climate Dynamics’ by Kerry H. Cook
Updated 20 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Climate Dynamics’ by Kerry H. Cook

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Climate Dynamics’ by Kerry H. Cook

“Climate Dynamics” provides an essential foundation in the physical understanding of Earth’s climate system.

Assuming no previous introduction to the climate system, the book is designed for all science, math, and engineering students at the advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate levels.

This second edition includes updated and expanded information on hydrology, the cryosphere, observed contemporary climate change, and climate prediction.

 In addition, the illustrations are expanded and now in full color.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’
Updated 18 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

What We Are Reading Today: ‘California Amphibians and Reptiles’

Authors: Robert Hansen & Jackson D. Shedd

California is home to more than 200 species of reptiles and amphibians that can be found in an extraordinary array of habitats, from coastal temperate rainforests with giant redwoods to southeastern deserts offering dazzling wildflower displays each spring.

“California Amphibians and Reptiles” covers every species and subspecies in this biodiverse region of the United States, with outstanding color photography and in-depth species accounts that draw on the latest findings on taxonomy and distribution.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘There Are Rivers in the Sky’

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Updated 18 February 2025
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘There Are Rivers in the Sky’

Photo/Supplied
  • Narin is a Yazidi girl surviving genocide in 2014 Iraq, her spirit as unyielding as the ancient lands she is forced to flee

Author: Elif Shafak

This historical novel by Elif Shafak, “There Are Rivers in the Sky,” was published in 2024 and is a meditation on life, loss and love.

Anchored by the Tigris and Thames rivers serving as motifs, the story drifts across centuries, stitching together fractured lives bound by intimacy, trauma, and the quiet power of water.

There are three characters at the heart of this story.

Arthur is a 19th-century linguist whose passion for Mesopotamia’s ruins eclipses his ability to connect with the living.

Narin is a Yazidi girl surviving genocide in 2014 Iraq, her spirit as unyielding as the ancient lands she is forced to flee.

And then there is Zaleekhah, a hydrologist in modern London, drowning in family secrets until she learns to swim toward redemption.

Their stories collide, ripple and reshape one another. Water is not just a metaphor here, it is a character. The rivers breathe life into memories, erode pain, and carry the weight of history.

Arthur’s obsession with the “Epic of Gilgamesh” mirrors his own loneliness as a man chasing immortality through dusty texts while real love slips through his fingers.

Narin’s resilience, rooted in Yazidi traditions, becomes a lifeline in a world determined to erase her people.

As for Zaleekhah, her journey from guilt to grace feels like watching a storm clear — messy, cathartic, and utterly human.

Shafak’s writing is lush, almost tactile. You can taste the silt of the Tigris, feel London’s rain, and ache with the characters.

But here is the catch: this book demands your attention. The timelines —switching between Victorian letters, wartime horror, and modern angst —are a high-wire act.

While the layers add depth, some readers might stumble over dense historical nods or Yazidi cultural nuances. (A glossary would have been a welcome raft.)

Yet, even its flaws pulse with intention. The same complexity that overwhelms also rewards.

This is not a book you breeze through. It is one you wade into, letting the currents tug you into deep, uncomfortable places.

The pacing does drag at times, and Shafak’s ambition occasionally outruns clarity.

In the end, Shafak asks: Can we ever truly outrun history? Or do we, like rivers, carve new paths while carrying the scars of where we have been?

This novel does not answer so much as invite you to sit with the question, long after the last page turns.