Sekar Writes
A Collection of (Mostly Nonfiction) Books Review and Personal Notes
Welcome!
Take a look around my blog, where I bring you book reviews filled with knowledges and favorite quotes. Alongside my literary explorations, I share personal stories and some side projects.
Me, More or Less
These lists are pretty much describe me in a nutshell.
Latest Nonfiction Book Reviews
Check out my nonfiction book reviews, featuring thoughts, summaries, and favorite quotes.
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Review: The Anthropocene Reviewed
Is humanity a masterpiece or a catastrophe? John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed explores our impact with wit and wisdom.
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Review and Summary: The Utopia of Rules
Is bureaucracy quietly ruling our lives? David Graeber’s The Utopia of Rules exposes the absurdities and why we may never escape it.
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Review: Inquire Within
I never thought poetry was for me until Inquire Within changed everything. These poems left me speechless.
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Review and Summary: Your Brain on Art
Art changes your brain in ways you never imagined. Your Brain on Art uncovers the science behind creativity and well-being.
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Review and Summary: Rewire
Most self-help books tell you to believe your brain can change. Rewire shows you how it actually works and the tools to make it happen.
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Review and Summary: The Sirens’ Call
Is your attention truly yours? The Sirens’ Call reveals how it’s being bought, sold, and manipulated in the modern world.
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Review and Summary: Unreliable
Ever wondered what it’s really like in biomedical science? Unreliable reveals the truths and real-life challenges behind the lab doors.
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Review and Summary: The Paradox of Democracy
Democracy relies on communication. But could it also be its undoing? The Paradox of Democracy explores the hidden risks shaping our future.
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Review and Summary: The Chaos Machine
The Chaos Machine exposes how social media’s hidden algorithms fuel fear, division, and misinformation to keep us hooked.
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Review and Summary: Erasing History
How do authoritarian regimes rewrite history to stay in power? Erasing History reveals its impact on democracy and education.
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Review and Summary: All Through the Night
We’ve misunderstood darkness for too long. All Through the Night shows how light pollution steals our connection to nature and the night sky.
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Review and Summary: The Success Myth
The Success Myth challenges the flashy idea of success and offers a refreshing reminder to focus on what truly matters.
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Review and Summary: Getting Back to the Table
Struggling with negotiation? Getting Back to the Table reveals why we fail and how to bounce back stronger.
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Review and Summary: Superbloom
How has technology changed the way we connect? Superbloom explores the impact of communication on our thinking, relationships, and society.
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Review and Summary: How Economics Explains the World
How does economics shape people and history? How Economics Explains the World reveals the hidden forces behind our choices and society.
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Review and Summary: On Freedom
What does freedom truly mean? Timothy Snyder’s On Freedom challenges us to rethink this overused yet misunderstood concept.
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Review and Summary: Beyond Anxiety
Is anxiety a symptom of deeper societal issues? Beyond Anxiety unpacks its roots and guides you toward rediscovering creativity and balance.
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Review and Summary: The Trouble with Ancient DNA
A bold take on the hype, warning against trusting DNA to define history. A must-read for anyone questioning the mainstream DNA narrative.
From Facts to Fiction
Nonfiction teaches me about the world, but fiction helps me feel it.
Every review comes with the quotes I saved.
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Review: The Bright Years
The Bright Years looks like a sweet love story at first, but it hides addiction, secrets, and a family falling apart underneath.
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Review: On Earth as it is Beneath
On Earth As It Is Beneath is set in a Brazilian prison built on hidden bones, where inmates are hunted each month in a brutal survival ritual.
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Review: Demon Copperhead
Demon Copperhead, forced to grow up too fast amid poverty, addiction, and a broken foster system. A rich retelling of a Dickens classic.
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Review: And Every Morning the way Home Gets Longer
A grandfather is forgetting his memory. His son and grandson are left holding onto what’s slipping away in this short, aching book by Backman.
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Review: The Answer Is No
Meet Lucas, a man happy in his own world, until a frying pan changes everything in The Answer is No, Fredrik Backman’s witty short book.
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Review: The Trouble with Happiness and Other Stories
Some people always want more from life than life will hand them. The Trouble with Happiness is about that ache, and the homes it wrecks.
Browse Nonfiction Books by Specific Genre
Have a specific book topic in mind?
You’ll likely find it in these categories!
- Biographies and Memoirs (33)
- Biology and Life Sciences (12)
- Child Development and Parenting (13)
- Climate Change (2)
- Cooking and Culinary (3)
- Critical Thinking and Research Skills (15)
- Data and Statistics (8)
- Economics (6)
- Education and Learning (10)
- Essays (27)
- Evolutionary Biology (6)
- Fitness and Human Performance (23)
- Health and Medicine (30)
- Leadership and Career (8)
- Life Transitions (11)
- Linguistics (4)
- Literature (2)
- Luck and Chance (3)
- Mathematics (2)
- Mindfulness (3)
- Nature (21)
- Neuroscience (13)
- Poetry (15)
- Politics and Society (41)
- Productivity (25)
- Psychology and Behavioral Science (49)
- Science (44)
- Self-Development (80)
- Technology and AI (10)
- UI/UX (2)
- Women's Studies (6)
- Writing (9)
Life in the Margins
Here’s what else you’ll find on this blog.
Reading Life
- Snapshots of my reading life: the habits, the tracking, and everything around books.
Journaling
- Writing is how I make sense of things. A look at my journaling practice: how I do it, why I do it, and what it’s given me.
Fresh Flower Care
- Looking after fresh flowers asks me to slow down and be present. Here are my personal notes on keeping them beautiful and alive for longer.
Home Gardening
- There’s something grounding about growing things at home. Follow along with my notes as I watch things grow, season by season.
Life in Helsinki, Finland
- Living in Helsinki has shaped how I read, think, and move through the world. A little window into my life in the north.
Hi, I am Sekar!
My passion for reading (at least) one book a week fuels my love for books and drives me to share the insights with others.
Medical science by training, curious about everything else. Here I share my hobbies and the things life teaches me.
Feel free to reach out and join me in celebrating books and all the small joys that make life fuller.
Books let us know we’re not the center of the universe; the universe has many centers.
Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie