Reading room

Is it a little pretentious to propose a reading list? I'm certainly neither important nor influential enough to justify it, but nonetheless here are some books and articles which I have found particularly thought-provoking. I felt I needed some kind of criteria when starting this list, so I've based in on books I've read which were published since 2020. I have called this page reading room in a nod to my grandfather's fondness for that section of his local library.

Title	Author	Published	Nick's notes
Against identity: The wisdom of escaping the Self	Alexander Douglas	2026	I have sometimes wondered about studying philosophy, after trying to understand aspects of this book it is perhaps best that I did not. That is to note my limitations rather than those of this excellent text. Douglas notes that it is impossible to escape adopting an identity, but his book does provide the critical thinking to understand why we should all be more circumspect of the identity we create for ourselves and how we engage with those who choose a different identity definition.
The return of the great powers	Brendan Simms	2026	In a way, this book was not quite what I expected from the title. There is a canter through the history of the great powers, the aspiriant challengers and the principle of what contsitutes such a status. It is a highly accessible context setting for the geopolitical dynamics of today and the near future. It includes reason for some cautious optimism about the role Britain continues to play.
We are not machines: The fight for the future of work	Sarah O'Connor	2026	A nuanced assessment of the challenges posed to the future of meaningful and rewording work in the accelerating world of artificial intelligent told in a very human way.
Alone in Japan: A journey into the future	Tom Feiling	2026	Since a holiday in Japan in 2025, I have read a lot about what is good about that country. This book captures what makes Japan special, but roots it in the context of the demographic challenges with which it is wrestling. While Japan is at the forefront of this unprecidented societal shift, developed and, now even, developing countries are following closely behind. Thus what is relevant to Japan today, is informative for policy makers the world over in the near future.
Big Dunc: The upfront autobiography	Duncan Ferguson	2026	By the end of reading this entertaining book, I couldn't decide between whether I wanted Ferguson managing a football club or leading a government inquiry into prison reform. A riotus story from an Everton icon told with such openness.
Logging off: The human cost of our digital world	Adele Zeynep Walton	2025	There were points within this book where I felt a diveregence of perspective and reference point between the author and myself, I suspect in part through age and in part through political outlook. I cannot recall any points where I disagreed, but more where I thought a specific point had a wider relevance than the author attributed to it. However, in some ways reading a different perspective on the digital world is precisely one of the steps that is required. This book invited me to take a look from a safe distance into a different algorithm.
Can we be great again? Why a dangerous world needs Britain	Jeremy Hunt	2025	An uplifting and well-evidenced read that reminds us not to be too down on Britain's current performance. Crucial questions remain as to how more people in the country can feel the benefit of our international soft power, but there is no doubt that the UK punches (softly) above its weight in international affairs. We should not take that for granted.
Baltic: The Future of Europe	Oliver Moody	2025	One of the highlights of studying international relations was writing an essay about the Estonian political economy and so it was a no-brainer for me to try this book. It provides a vivid picture of an increasingly important but often under-reported part of Europe. I do, though, wonder, if the sub-heading should have had a question mark because the book focuses more on what has happened in the Baltic which might present a context for the future of Europe, rather than directly making the case that Europe's future is going to be Baltic.
Liverpool and the unmaking of Britain	Sam Wetherell	2025	This book would work well as a simple history of labour and society in Liverpool, but it goes beyond that by citing the experiences of the city as a microcosm of the challenges which have faced the post-war economy of Britain at large. It concludes with an era of encouraging renaissance in the city, albeit one that requires some caution due to amount of land and property ownership which is held outside Liverpool and thus not necessarily boosting the economic circumstances of the people as much as it could be.
Less: Stop Buying So Much Rubbish: How Having Fewer, Better Things Can Make Us Happier	Patrick Grant	2025	A genuinely transformative book. While, this might not come as a surprise to you, I am not particularly familiar with the world of fashion, there is so much within this book which resonates and feels relevent. At points, it is hard to pin down whether one is reading a self-help book, an essay on political economy or a nostalgia piece for a Britain seemingly long gone. It is all three, but with a sense of mission too. That mission quickly hits up against some stark societal realities, but in its coherence it at least empowers the individual to make a change for the better.
Going infinite: The rise and fall of a new tycoon	Michael Lewis	2024	Crypto is one of those things which seems to be second nature to some and utterly baffling to others. In this book, Lewis tells the story of the dramatic surge and collapse of an exchange with colourful insights into the people involved.
Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro	Andrew Martin	2024	A delightful book to provide a flavour of Paris told through its metro system and released to coincide with the city hosting the Olympics.
Unruly: A history of England's kings and queens	David Mitchell	2024	A very funny canter through the history of English monarchs with multiple entertaining tangents along the way.
Hidden Japan: An astonishing world of thatched villages, ancient shrines and primeval forests	Alex Kerr	2023	When an author references one of his favourite calligraphers, you know they must have an appreciation of detail. Kerr's book ends with a section tying together his travels in the remoter corners of Japan with a philosophy about responsible and sustainable tourism. However, this is by no means a lecture. Reading the detailed descriptions of hamlets and wildernesses produces a vivid image while your mind is relaxed.
Covenant: The New Politics of Home, Neighbourhood and Nation	Danny Kruger	2023	Few would argue that the right of British politics has changed markedly in the past decade. However, it can easily be seen as simply a rejection of 'progressivism' and a longing for a rose-tinted history which never quite existed. Even where authors have sought to explain the shifting view, it is rare to find a coherent narrative setting out a different vision for Britain.
The Premonition: A pandemic story	Michael Lewis	2022	Lewis has a widely acknowledge ability to make the seemingly hard to untangle or opaque into an engaging narrative. Here he tells the story of those who attempted to alert the world to a coming threat, often against the wishes of those they were seeking to influence.
Stolen Focus: Why you can't pay attention and how to think deeply again	Johann Hari	2022	The problem of our seeming loss of attention has been widely noted. This book rigorously goes into the reasons, challenges and proposes an alternative way forward.
The Mediterranean Wall	Louis-Philippe Dalembert	2021	A powerful novel rooted in the harrowing story of those seeking refuge by travelling from their home across land and sea with the risks and dangers that entails.
Hello, Stranger: Stories of connection in a divided world	Will Buckingham	2021	A thought provoking read about our need for human interaction, the surprising benefits it can bring, how we should seize the opportunities it offers and how we shouldn't take it for granted.
How Iceland changed the world: The big history of a small island	Egill Bjarnason	2021	Quite a pitch and delivered with humour. An enjoyable accompaniment to my holiday in Iceland.
Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse	Nina Schick	2020	An account of deep fakes and the prolifferation of disinformation which has only been proven to be increasingly prescient in the years which have followed.