正在找一本夏天读的书？试着从这五本里选一本吧
每当我准备好去度假的时候，我总喜欢挑几本书带上。通常情况是，我带的书超过了在一趟旅行里能读完的数量。但我有我的原则：宁愿一次旅行读太多，也不要发生不够读的情况。
如果你像我一样，你或许正在琢磨今年夏天应该读点什么，而下面这几本书都是我大力推荐的。
这些书里没有一本是大多数人认为的消遣读物。除了一本之外，其它几本都涉及到破坏的概念，但我指的不是技术圈的人通常谈到的“破坏”概念。我最近发现自己很喜欢读关于剧变的书（这个词甚至是其中一本的书名），无论是刚刚发生过布尔什维克革命的苏联、战争时期的美国，还是我们经济系统的全球性重整。
如果你想找一本更为典型的夏季读物，我向你推荐格雷姆·辛浦生（Graeme Simsion）的《罗茜结果》（The Rosie Result, 中文名暂译）。（如果你还没读过罗茜三部曲中的前两本，这个暑期正是开始的好时机！）我也没法不向你推荐梅琳达的新书《提升的时刻》（The Moment of Lift, 中文名暂译）。我知道我有点偏心，但这是我今年读过最棒的书之一。
以下是我今年的夏季书单：
《剧变》（中文名暂译）
[美] 贾雷德·戴蒙德 著
我是贾雷德所有书的忠实读者，他最新的这一本也不例外。本书探讨了不同社会在经历危机时刻时是如何反应的。他用了一系列吸引人的例子，展示了国家如何处理各自存在的挑战，例如内战、外敌威胁或普遍的萧条。这听上去有一点沮丧，但读罢这本书，我对我们解决问题的能力甚至比开始时感到更加乐观。
《九品脱血》（中文名暂译）
[英] 罗斯·乔治 著
如果血液会令你感到恶心，这本书恐怕并不适合你。但如果你像我一样觉得血液很奇妙，你就会喜欢上这本书，它的作者是一位英国记者，她个人与血液这个主题有着特殊的联系。我很喜欢深入挖掘某一个话题的书，因此《九品脱血》（书名指的是平均每个成年人体内的血液量）正合我的胃口。书中充满了非常有趣的事实，将给你留下一个对血液的全新认识。
《莫斯科绅士》
[美] 埃默·托尔斯 著
好像所有我认识的人都已经读过这本书了。在我姐夫送给我一本之后，我终于加入且很庆幸地加入了这个俱乐部。托尔斯的小说描写了一位被判终身监禁的伯爵，他在莫斯科的一家酒店里服刑，为人有趣、聪明且令人惊叹的乐观。即便你不像我这般喜爱俄国的文学作品也没问题（我读过陀思妥耶夫斯基的所有著作），《莫斯科绅士》会是一个让任何人都能爱上的精彩故事。
《战时总统》（中文名暂译）
[美] 迈克尔·贝斯克罗斯 著
对越战各方面的浓厚兴趣促使我拿起了这本书。在我读完的时候，我不仅学到更多关于越战的内容，而且对美国在20世纪初到70年代之间参与过的其它八个主要冲突增加了许多了解。贝斯克罗斯宽广的眼界，使你从总统领导力中吸取到可以跨领域应用的重要教训。
《资本主义的未来》（中文名暂译）
[英] 保罗·科利尔 著
科利尔的最新著作以一种发人深省的视角，看待一个如今许多人头脑中第一时间想到的问题。虽然我并非同意他的所有观点——我认为他对问题的分析好过他提出的解决方案——但作为一名发展经济学家，他的背景给予他一个智慧的洞察力，从而看清资本正在流向何处。
Looking for a summer read? Try one of these 5 books
I always like to pick out a bunch of books to bring with me whenever I get ready to go on vacation. More often than not, I end up taking more books than I could possibly read on one trip. My philosophy is that I’d rather have too much to read on a trip than too little.
If you’re like me, you’re probably starting to think about what’s on your summer reading list this year -- and I can’t recommend the books below highly enough.
None of them are what most people think of as a light read. All but one deal with the idea of disruption, but I don’t mean “disruption” in the way tech people usually mean it. I’ve recently found myself drawn to books about upheaval (that’s even the title of the one of them) -- whether it’s the Soviet Union right after the Bolshevik revolution, the United States during times of war, or a global reevaluation of our economic system.
If you’re looking for something that’s more of a typical summer book, I recommend Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Result. (And if you haven’t read the first two books in the Rosie trilogy, summer vacation is the perfect time to start!) I also can’t resist a plug for Melinda’s new book The Moment of Lift. I know I’m biased, but it’s one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.
Here is my full summer reading list:
Upheaval, by Jared Diamond. I’m a big fan of everything Jared has written, and his latest is no exception. The book explores how societies react during moments of crisis. He uses a series of fascinating case studies to show how nations managed existential challenges like civil war, foreign threats, or general malaise. It sounds a bit depressing, but I finished the book even more optimistic about our ability to solve problems than I started.
Nine Pints of Blood, by Rose George. If you get grossed out by blood, this one probably isn’t for you. But if you’re like me and find it fascinating, you’ll enjoy this book by a British journalist with an especially personal connection to the subject. I’m a big fan of books that go deep on one specific topic, so Nine Pints (the title refers to the volume of blood in the average adult) was right up my alley. It’s filled with super-interesting facts that will leave you with a new appreciation for blood.
A Gentleman in Moscow, by Amor Towles. It seems like everyone I know has read this book. I finally joined the club after my brother-in-law sent me a copy, and I’m glad I did. Towles’ novel about a count sentenced to life under house arrest in a Moscow hotel is fun, clever, and surprisingly upbeat. Even if you don’t enjoy reading about Russia as much as I do (I’ve read everything Dostoyevsky wrote), A Gentleman in Moscow is an amazing story that anyone can enjoy.
Presidents at War, by Michael Beschloss. My interest in all aspects of the Vietnam War is the main reason I decided to pick up this book. By the time I finished it, I learned a lot not only about Vietnam but about the eight other major conflicts the U.S. entered between the turn of the 19th century and the 1970s. Beschloss’s broad scope lets you draw important cross-cutting lessons about presidential leadership.
The Future of Capitalism, by Paul Collier. Collier’s latest book is a thought-provoking look at a topic that’s top of mind for a lot of people right now. Although I don’t agree with him about everything -- I think his analysis of the problem is better than his proposed solutions -- his background as a development economist gives him a smart perspective on where capitalism is headed.