Inspiration for giving presents, Part I
Book tips for under the Christmas tree
Four books that are not only worth reading, but also worth giving as a gift.
The holidays are approaching. So that you don't have to spend the last days of Advent on nerve-wracking trips through the shops, “Finanz und Wirtschaft” presents some gift ideas – including a recommendation as to who in your life the present is best suited for.
Shipwreck, betrayal and complicated court cases
The British Navy ship “HMS Wager” sails from England with 120 men on board to explore the Pacific. But in May 1741 it was shipwrecked off the coast of Chile. More than six months later, a sailing boat strands in Brazil with thirty men on board who describe themselves as the only survivors of “HMS Wager”.
But another six months later, three castaways land in Chile and accuse the thirty men of mutiny and murder. A British court martial must now decide who is lying and who is telling the truth. David Grann tells a gripping story of guilt, loyalty and betrayal based on historical files.
Ideal gift for: Adventurers and sailors as well as everyone who would like to be one but prefers to follow the arduous journey and its spectacular consequences from the comfort of their own home.
Food for thought and something to talk about
“The Message” is causing a sensation in the USA. It is the latest book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, one of the country's most important writers. It is about his travels to three current conflict hotspots: Dakar in Senegal, Columbia in South Carolina and various cities in the Middle East.
The book, which consists of three essays, is part memoir, part travelogue and part writing guide. Coates includes excerpts from his biography in each essay, but always returns to the lessons for writers. He undertook these trips to experience for himself how the stories we tell – and the ones we don't tell – shape our reality.
It is the last and longest essay in which he reports on the reality of life in Palestine that brings the critics to the fore. But read for yourself, because if the book teaches one thing, it's to make your own judgments.
Ideal gift for: Friends of beautiful writing and discussions about socio-political issues – there is plenty to talk about at the Christmas party.
A trip to the end of the world
In his latest work, Richard Powers skillfully weaves together multiple storylines and seemingly unrelated themes to bring them all to a brilliant climax in the second-to-last chapter.
Even before that, the descriptions of the underwater world that Evie explores provide joy and amazement when reading. In contrast, developments on a remote Pacific island are shocking.
The effects of the friendship between the unlikely boys Todd and Rafi have long been unclear: both are extremely clever, but while one wants to reshape the world with computers and thus become richer than many nation states, the other first takes refuge in books and later from his former one best friend at the end of the world.
Ideal gift for: Concerned people who view humanity's influence on nature with skepticism but would rather read a wonderfully written novel instead of another depressing non-fiction book on the subject.
Beauty and business in book form
The era of the “girl boss” is over. The young, photogenic founders have withdrawn from the public eye and handed over their companies to other hands or closed down completely. The exception: Glossier.
Started as a beauty blog, Emily Weiss was one of the first to capture how reviews and consumer involvement are central to selling products when it comes to mascara, shampoo and face cream. The journalist Marisa Meltzer shows the – not always straightforward – path of how the digital platform resulted in her own cosmetics brand.
In 2019, or five years after the first products were sold in a minimalist light pink design, Glossier reached a valuation of more than a billion dollars. “Glossy” not only brings together the history of the company and its founder, but is also a portrait of the business, online and marketing world of the 1900s – and what the story means for the Glossier of the future.
Ideal gift for: Makeup enthusiasts, marketers and millennials.
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