Coronavirus lockdown has seen the reluctant acceptance of the digital age, with businesses and workers across the world forced to accept working from home to combat the spread of the deadly virus. Even the infamously archaic institution of parliament has seen a swift shift towards digital committees, despite muttered expletives of MPs struggling with their tech now filling the pages of Hansard.
Yet the explosion of Zoom and Google Hangouts for replacing our face to face lives has seen the surprise resurgence of paper and ink, with politicians and commentators showing off their book collections to prove their credentials as serious, intelligent people.
Lockdown provides the opportunity for Britons to expand their own book collections and prove their intelligence by strategically placing the thickest books at eye level. But which books are must reads to prove how big your brain is the next time you are on a Zoom call into the BBC.
The Age Of Surveillance Capitalism, Shoshana Zuboff
One of the most frequently spotted books on the oak shelves of ‘clever people’ has ben Shoshana Zuboff’s The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. A frequent spot on Bookcase credibility, Zuboff delves into the new age which has seen the explosion of ‘big tech’ companies using data to make a profit.
Zuboff unpacks the business model of Google and Facebook looking at how these companies came to pass and the implications for your personal data. It is a compelling but frightening account of the new age of capitalism and Zuboff eloquently lays out the implications for our economy and our society.
All The Laws But One, William H. Rehnquist
Former Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Rehnquist provides a compelling insight into the balance between law and liberty during periods of crisis. Starting by examining Abraham Lincoln’s suspension of Habeas Corpus, the book outlines a compelling debate that has reared its head again during Coronavirus.
His judicious conclusions to the debate do not render it a difficult read and it expertly draws you into a debate of how to balance the suspension of freedom and individual liberty during a time when a curtailment of rights may be necessary.
With Liberty And Dividends For All, Peter Barnes
Another book brought to the fore by Coronavirus, Peter Barnes provides a compelling insight into the potential benefits of Universal Basic Income. Barnes’ analysis of historical trials of basic income is meshed effectively with the potential benefits when applied across a wider society and attempts to show how a bottom-line income can support capitalism and provide a more effective safety net.
Especially relevant with America’s experiment with cash handouts during the Coronavirus and the recent ascendancy of Andrew Yang and his promise of a Freedom Dividend, it provides a compelling account for how a Universal Basic Income could benefit society.
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Down And Out In Paris And London, George Orwell
No lockdown bookshelf is complete without some of the classics, but a lesser appreciated work of the author of 1984 and Animal Farm is that of Down and Out. The slightly sensationalised account of the authors time in poverty and homelessness in the late 1920s.
Although published 87 years ago, the reader will easily draw parallels between Orwell’s experiences and those of modern-day poverty. The account is compelling and page turning, giving an insight into Orwell’s mind like few other writings can. A sure way to gain bookshelf credibility.
Our Man In Havana, Graham Greene
No bookshelf can claim credibility without some light fiction and Graham Greene’s writing is exceptionally readable. Set prior to the ascension of the Castro regime, the comedy provides the perfect escape for those learned individuals looking for an enjoyable read.
Our Man in Havana is a comedy that pokes fun at the British Intelligence Service and without wishing to reveal too much is easily the most readable book recommended in this article. It is light-hearted and difficult to put down, the perfect read for some lockdown escapism and to show off on your bookshelf.
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Calum Paton is a History and Politics student at the University of Warwick. His writing predominantly focuses on American and British politics. Twitter: @Paton_Calum
