Memoir Fever

Recently, I've read two books that I feel are worth recommending.

The first is called The Guinea Pig Diaries by A.J. Jacobs. I've talked about Jacobs before. This book is a compilation of several short experiments that he has put himself through over the past few years. I'm amazed at what I've learned about the human mind and relationships as I've read through his experiences. There is one experiment in which he chooses to abandon all multi-tasking for a full month. In another, he relinquishes all decision-making ability to his wife, which she refers to as the best month of their marriage. This is one of the most interesting and entertaining books that I have read.

The second book is a memoir by Mishna Wolff called I'm Down. It's hard to explain what makes this a good book, but it is. In her own description of her upbringing, she describes being one of the only white kids in a mostly predominant African-American neighborhood and living in the home of a white single father who desperately wanted to be black himself. If you're looking for a good memoir, I recommend this one.