Over the past year, most of us shut-ins binge-watched whatever movies and streaming videos we could find. I imagine we had to recharge our Kindle more than usual and may even have discovered Audible.com as a source of entertainment.
Now that it appears COVID-19 is receding into the past, I imagine people will be venturing out more and more into the great outdoors, allowing their TV sets some downtime. But just in case the shut-in world of COVID has awakened a newfound appreciation for the pleasures of streaming and reading, here are my picks for summer reading, viewing, and listening.
Two of my favorite films this last year were “Honeyland,” a Macedonian documentary film about beekeeping, and “My Octopus Teacher,” another documentary about the truly unique relationship between a free diver and an octopus. Both of these films are extraordinary in their own ways and now rank among my favorite films of all time.
As for streaming, I highly recommend the HBO miniseries, “The Investigation.” Based on the real-life investigation into the 2017 murder of a Swedish journalist, which became known as the “submarine case,” I found this series absolutely riveting, especially the diving scenes. Interestingly, those scenes are on boats and not underwater.
I’m amazed by all the great detective series coming out of Scandinavia. In fact, I feel like I’m beginning to think in Danish. One of my favorites of that genre was the Finnish series, “Deadwind,” especially Season 1. It’s worth it just to see the 1993 BMW 850 CSI that the two detectives drive. I love that car!
I was blessed this year to read or listen to many great books. As for stem-related subjects, I enjoyed reading “E=mc2,” a biography of the world’s most famous equation by David Bodanis. This little book actually gives one a user-friendly knowledge of Einstein’s equation and explains in lay person’s terms how it changed our world.
Another science-related book is John M. Barry’s “The Great Influenza.” Although this book was written before COVID-19 hit, I found it amazingly prophetic and also heartbreaking that almost everyone ignored its lessons about how to better prepare for pandemics.
Those of you who have followed my other summer book recommendations know that I’m a great fan of David Sedaris. His commentaries on the absurdities in life in “The Best of Me” are extremely funny and sweetly edgy. To get its full effect, you really need to hear David’s hysterical narration on Audible.com.
My favorite autobiography this year is Gary Paulsen’s “Gone to the Woods.” This harrowing coming-of-age story is beautifully written. Be prepared for the scene when he leaves his Aunt and Uncle’s farm. It’s a scene I’ll never forget.
During a time when our nation’s founding principles are being reexamined, Russell Shorto’s “Revolutionary Song” is an enlightening reading experience. This engrossing work presents new and original insight into our nation’s founding by examining the life of six disparate but oddly connected individuals who lived through the thick of it.
A great book about a person’s personal vision and how it was made into a reality is “Disney’s Land” by Richard Snow. This book about Walt Disney and his quest to build Disneyland is a great book about leadership, especially as it relates to creativity and tenacity. This book should be required reading for all of us who grew up in the shadow of Disneyland. And even though Chicago’s my hometown, the global impact of Walt Disney’s vision means that I, too, grew up in Disneyland’s shadow.
Another book about leadership set in Southern California is an autobiography by a local hero of mine—Ron Simon. His book, “Tell Me Why I Can’t,” explains how his American-based manufacturing company beat the Chinese in the competitive battle for market supremacy. In the process, not only did Ron Simon’s leadership create jobs and livelihoods for thousands of people, but he also invested his profits in the Simon Scholars Program. This visionary program provides a proven pathway for underserved kids to graduate from college and become future leaders of our nation. Besides all
that, the book is a loving and very funny portrait of a really neat mensch.
Hope one or more of the above resonates with you. In any event, I’d love to know what you think. So, keep those cards and letters coming.
Editor’s Note: Jim Doti is president emeritus and professor of economics at Chapman University.
