Whether organizing protests or disseminating fake news, social media is both a powerful and dangerous tool that allows instant connections and viral communications. With firsthand observations, insightful interviews, and thorough researches, Tufekci provides compelling analysis into the roles of the social networks, including blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, that had changed political outcomes around the world. A must-read, and the typesetting in beautiful Scala makes it pleasurable to dive in.

In her compelling memoir, Barbara Freinman Todd reveals the craft of ghostwriting: “Writing other people’s live is a bit silly, like playing dress-up, clomping around in your mother’s pumps that don’t quite fit, but it also lets you have a momentary sense of what it’s like to be someone else.” She began her career as a copy aide at the Washington Post, advanced to be a researcher for Bob Woodward in the investigative unit, and became ghostwriter for high profile politicians in Washington. Her work for the First Lady Hillary Clinton led to mistreatment from Clinton herself who refused credit her for ghostwriting It Takes a Village and the betrayal from her mentor Woodward. A fascinating read.

Sedaris is a keen observer of the world around him. Through his dairy, spanning from 1977–2002, he recorded many incidents including racist remarks, domestic violence, and personal struggles. Through dark humors and compelling storytelling, Sedaris found his own voice as a writer. Reading over 500 pages of his entries inspired me to keep writing on my blog for personal recollection.

In his new memoir, Franken reveals his journey of how a successful satirist became a sophistic senator. To prove that he was serious about politics, Franken and his team had built a DeHumorizer. Fortunately, the humors never left him and they have made their way into this book. He had plenty jokes for politicians, and the best one is reserved for Ted Cruz. Despite the funny moments, the politics became robotic, especially in an almost 400-page book. The content probably could have been cut in half.

When my first son was two, I tossed him a ball while he was standing on top of the playground. He took a few steps backward and fell down. If I had thought ahead about the possibility, I could have prevented the accident. When my second son was three, he pulled out the drawers and climbed up. The dressers tipped over and the heated humidifier fell down. He lost control and sat on it. His butt burned. If I had turned off the humidifier, I could have prevented the accident. Then again, I did not read Casner’s Careful, an informative guide explaining the psychology of safety. The stories and statistics on accidents presented in this book are terrifying. Fortunately, we can prevent them by thinking ahead. After reading this book, you’ll think twice about driving and texting, leaving your kids at the pool by themselves even for a split second, carrying your knife around, letting your children sleep on bunk beds, speeding in traffic, and engaging in countless absent-minded haphazards that could lead to serious injuries.

In his concise yet insightful memoir, Levy reveals the strategic success behind Pixar. As the chief financial officer, Levy worked closely with Steve Jobs, renegotiated its deadlocked contract with Disney, nurtured the creative team, and looked out for its employees. His contribution played a major role in transforming a potential-yet-unprofitable startup into an iconic animation studio that balances storytelling and technology. A required read for business students.

In her thoughtful memoir, Stamper sheds the light on the life of a lexicographer. From the complexity of defining a simple word to the controversy of adding a new word to the challenge of reviewing an existing word, she provides eye-opening insights into the process of producing a dictionary. It’s a fun and fascinating read that will make you appreciate the art, the science, and the hard work invested into the lexicon.

In her new book, Senator Warren is outspoken against Donald Trump, the Koch brothers, big banks, Wall Street, and the top one percent. To build a better future for our country, she urges the government to invest in education, infrastructure, and research. Despite the devastating lost of the 2016 presidential election, she is ready to fight bigotry, build opportunity, and demand democracy. Except for a few personal accounts, which had been told in her previous book, Warren’s writing is engaging and inspiring. I can’t wait to see her taking out the incompetent president in 2020.

Do you use passive voice, jargon, and weasel words in your writing? If your answer is yes, Bernoff’s practical guide will help you stop wasting the reader’s time and cut to the chase. A good reference for business writing.

Michael Ian Black and Marc Rosenthal have written and illustrated an essential book on Trump. Just in case you’re from another planet, here’s a brief description:

The beasty is called an American Trump.
Its skin is bright orange, its figure is plump.
Its fur so complex you might get enveloped.
Its hands though are, sadly, underdeveloped.

If you are curious about the 45^th President of the United States, this book is all you need. I promised myself not to read any book on Trump, but I made this exception. It’s an enjoyable five-minute read.