26 books that moved curious minds to action

Hello dear curious minds and book lovers!

For this year's Weekly Filet Book Club, I asked you to share a book that moved you to action — one that didn't just tickle your brain, but nudged you to change or do something.

I knew it was a slightly trickier prompt than in previous years, but once again, I think we've got a wonderful collection of recommendations, along with some personal notes (from first crush to near-death experience).

As you go trough the recommendations, here's who you are getting these from:

A business owner in Tokyo, a Slavic transplant in the US, a middle-aged Australian worried for the future. An eclectic rebel, a financially stable homeowner. An aspiring cyclist, a future husband, an eternal student. A dad, a struggler, a writer (one person). A retired librarian, a nature photographer, a farmer. An ambitious explorer and an «automotive engineer who puts smiles on people's faces». And probably my favourite self-description in 6 words or fewer this time: «I'm not really sure».

With that, let's dive in. If you prefer a plain overview, you'll find it on the Weekly Filet Book Club page, including all previous years.

On the world we could build

Distant View of a Minaret, by Alifa Rifaat

«Reading Rifaat made me realise how much the world shies away from Arab feminist perspectives because they don't fit the white colonialist mold. It validated the alienation I've felt whenever I read Western takes on feminism, and gave me a newfound appreciation for the many forms feminism can take.» — K

Climate Wars, by Gwynne Dyer

«It illuminates the real risks of armed conflict, population displacement and mass migration that come with the current trajectory of global warming, if it isn't sufficiently mitigated. It prompted me to become a more vocal advocate for climate action.» — MJ Brown

Eating Animals, by Jonathan Safran Foer

«You will never look at a piece of meat the same way again. This book is solely responsible for turning me vegetarian.» — Romain

Doughnut Economics, by Kate Raworth

«The first economics book I read end to end — maybe the first one ever. Not just because it's surprisingly engaging for a book on economic theory, but because the case it makes — the necessity of balancing human well-being and planetary well-being — simply makes profound sense. Economic activity has to be in service of our and the planet's survival, not the other way round.» — Karin Aue

I Eat the Stars, by Sarah Wilson

«To be truthful, I haven't finished it yet — but I've listened to Sarah's podcast for a long time, and this book is a culmination of her interviews with various people on the topic of collapse.» — JB

The Invisible Doctrine: The Secret History of Neoliberalism, by George Monbiot

«A concise explanation of how democratic politics has been hijacked by the rich — and what we can do about it.» — Phil

From fiction to action

Ben liebt Anna, by Peter Härtling

«Seriously. It was the first book I "had" to read in school. It got me going because I finally understood what it meant to be "in love" — and I worked up the courage to talk to my first crush (and got my first rejection, in third grade :D). Much later I understood the book's deeper meaning, and a simple truth it taught me: We're all human.» — Benjamin B.

Miss Benson's Beetle, by Rachel Joyce

«It is 1950. In a devastating moment of clarity, Margery Benson abandons her dead-end London job and advertises for an assistant to accompany her on an expedition to New Caledonia, to search for a beetle that may or may not exist. Enid Pretty, in her unlikely pink travel suit, is not the companion Margery had in mind. And yet together they're drawn into an adventure that exceeds every expectation. As much about taking chances, heartfelt friendship and emotional courage as it is about trekking through dangerous terrain.» — Ruth B.-M.

Vernon God Little, by DBC Pierre

RP put this one forward without a reason why. We'll have to trust them on that one.

What to do with the hours we have

How To Do Nothing, by Jenny Odell

«I've taught a class named for Odell's book since soon after it came out, and over the years it's only felt more pressing. Her work can be heady — an extended artist's statement, a philosophical exploration of 'doing nothing' — but the urgency of bioregionalism and the radical commitment to where we are, and to one another, remain prescient and vital.» — Amy C

Four Thousand Weeks, by Oliver Burkeman

«A thoughtful explication of life's immutable confines. Mine has never been the same after reading it.» — Drew Kugler

On the Shortness of Life, by Seneca

«Seneca's core argument is that life feels short not because it actually is, but because most people squander it through distraction, busyness, the pursuit of status and deferred living ("I'll really start living after…"). He draws a sharp distinction between merely passing through time and actually inhabiting it with intention. Guard your time as fiercely as you would your money. A person who has lived thoughtfully for fifty years has, in Seneca's view, lived far longer than one who has sleepwalked through eighty.» — JBB

Meditations for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman

«The internet is full of productivity hacks and perfectionist ideals. This book reframes everything: accept imperfection, focus on what matters, ignore the noise. Written as a four-week meditation, it's a rare productivity book that encourages you to slow down — then move forward.» — GJ

Knife, by Salman Rushdie

«I had a near-death experience in November 2023 and spent the next year processing it. I read the books you'd expect — psychology, grief, trauma. Then this came out. While my experience had nothing to do with an assassination attempt, Rushdie's descriptions of sensing impending death, of being in one's body, of the mundane aspects of being brought back from the edge, were all imminently relatable and helpful in understanding what I went through.» — Kevin

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

«Finding meaning by giving yourself to a purpose, a task or a person struck a chord I already intuitively knew — basing your decisions on what feels meaningful.» — Judith

How to Live a Meaningful Life, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

«It's helping me improve the quality of my work life, especially when I feel more stressed than usual.» — Roy

Huh, I never thought of it that way!

Factfulness, by Hans Rosling

«I followed up by testing what I thought I knew on the Gapminder website and found I was misinformed on an issue important to me. Since then I've been building up my critical thinking skills — and teaching my school-age child too, in age-appropriate ways.» — Vanessa Hunter

Sprache und Sein, by Kübra Gümüşay

«It comprehensively illustrates how language defines, broadens and limits our understanding of the world. It made me realise that my image of the world, and of myself in it, could be entirely different if I spoke a different language.» — Evelyne

Alle Zeit, by Theresa Bücker

«You will gain a new perspective on what equity means.» — David Suhr

1000 True Fans, by Kevin Kelly

«Actually not a book but an article — one that changed the way I think about how music artists should be rewarded and supported by their fans.» — Paul Saunders

Getting nudged to change a thing or two

The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron

«Cameron has a reparenting voice that identifies and overcomes inhibitions like no one else. It brings me back to myself every time.» — Curieuse

Art and Fear, by Ted Orland and David Bayles

«One of the clearest, most thoughtful explorations of what it means to be a full-time artist — the motivations, the concerns, the passages we all experience in the studio. I turn to it constantly for inspiration and reflection. Even non-artists would enjoy it as a portrait of how, and why, artists think and work.» — Daniel Sroka

I Will Teach You to Be Rich, by Ramit Sethi

«I wasn't bad at money, but this book set me up for the long term and gave me the principles I now teach my kids. I read it in my late 20s and, step by step, fixed what needed fixing and set up the few things one really needs to be financially stable.» — financially stable home owner dad

Atomic Habits, by James Clear

«It changed the way I see life and how I can improve it.» — Are

Can't Hurt Me, by David Goggins

«Not all of its ideas are for me, but: if you're determined and ready to entertain some mind-over-body thinking, a lot more is possible. Every time I exercise, hit a work problem, or just face a challenge, the book comes to mind. And usually, it moves me to action.» — MA

The only book named twice

Getting Things Done, by David Allen

«At age 26, about a year into a project management job in the automotive industry, I ran straight into burnout — waking up at 2am in cold sweat, heart pounding so hard I thought it was a heart attack. I found this book, ordered it within days, read it within two, and started using the method on day two. It solved most of my work problems, saved my career, and still works incredibly well over ten years later.» — Thomas

«It was the first book that showed a genuine insight into the mess of, well, getting things done. Particularly the psychological aspects of it. I keep using its advice many years after having read it.» — Roberto Gejman

I'll see you next week with a regular issue of the Weekly Filet. Until then: happy reading!

– David