Best non-fiction books: The WELT best list for November 2023

2023-11-01 13:14:25

The monthly recommendation list with the greatest distribution in German-speaking countries appears here. Media partners are “Die Literarische Welt”, RBB Kultur, “NZZ” and Radio Österreich 1. Experts from an independent jury select ten non-fiction books of the month from the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and economics. In November it’s worth:

1. Saul Friedlander:

Looking into the abyss. An Israeli diary. Translated by Andreas Wirthensohn. CH Beck, 237 pages, 24 euros

Buy “Look into the Abyss” online now

Friedländer is one of the most renowned historians of the Holocaust. Contrary to what the book title suggests, his diary was completed before the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th. In his notes, Friedländer, who now lives in Los Angeles, takes a critical look at the rule of law reforms of the Netanyahu government, which kept the State of Israel in suspense before the current confrontation.

2. Thomas Meyer:

Hannah Arendt. The biography. Piper, 528 pages, 28 euros

Buy “Hannah Arendt” online now

There is no shortage of books by and about the Jewish philosopher Hannah Arendt. But this biography, written by the editor of Arendt’s works, contains some new, previously unknown facets. Arendt worked for children and youth Aliyah during his exile in Paris. She gave Jewish refugees options to emigrate to Palestine. Arendt’s relationship to Zionism is thus presented in a new light.

3. Iris Murdoch:

The sovereignty of the good. Translated by Eva-Maria Düringer. Suhrkamp, 148 pages, 17 euros

Buy “The Sovereignty of Good” online

The British author Iris Murdoch (1919 to 1999) was previously best known in German-speaking countries for her novels (such as “The Black Prince”). The philosopher can now also be discovered with three essays that were originally published in the 1960s. Murdoch asks who we humans are before we decide anything. This has nothing to do with fashion awareness.

4. Verena Moritz / Hannes Leidinger:

Lenin. The biography. A reassessment. Residence, 656 pages, 38 euros

Buy “Lenin” online now

The publisher announces this book as a new standard work on the Russian revolutionary. Ultimately, it is up to the historians to decide whether this is the case. In any case, one can study Russian thought in the 20th century with any biography of Lenin. The Austrian author duo is documented in contemporary history.

5. Peter Sloterdijk:

Lines and days III. Notes 2013 – 2016, Suhrkamp, 598 pages, 34 euros

Buy “Lines and Days III” online now

For the third time, Peter Sloterdijk provides detailed insights not only into his philosophical and political thinking, but also into his private life. Why doesn’t he leave out even very intimate things? This is also explained by Germany’s most famous philosopher. Read a detailed review here.

6. Deborah Feldman:

Jew fetish. Luchterhand, 272 pages, 24 euros

Buy “Jew Fetish” online now

Do Germans have a “Jewish fetish”? This is what bestselling author Deborah Feldman says. “I just wanted to be a person among people,” said the American Jew. Instead, she met impostors in Berlin who bragged about being circumcised. Many characters in her report remain encrypted, and some names are mentioned. Read a detailed review here.

7. Lucy Cooke:

Bitch. A revolutionary look at sex, evolution and the power of the feminine in the animal kingdom. Translated by Jorunn Wissmann and Susanne Warmuth. Malik, 430 pages, 22 euros

Buy “Bitch” online now

Evolutionary biologists who explain human and social phenomena in the animal kingdom have been popular for years. In this book, the British zoologist takes a feminist look at the biological norm.

8. Christina Morina:

A thousand departures. The Germans and their democracy since the 1980s, Settlers, 400 pages, 28 euros.

Buy “A Thousand Departures” online now

The historian, who was born in Frankfurt an der Oder in 1976 and now teaches in Bielefeld, analyzes the German-German understanding of democracy. The GDR also claimed to be “democratic”, but only practiced a pseudo-participatory system. The “people’s democratic” ideal, according to the book’s thesis, still has an impact today.

9. Madita Oeming:

Porno. An outrageous analysis. Rowohlt Polaris, 256 pages, 20 euros

Buy “Porn” online now

The cultural scientist Madita Oeming, born in 1986, wants to educate people about pornography and take films out of the taboo zone. Read an excerpt from the book here.

10. Volker Demuth:

Meander. 17 posts on curved living. Matthes & Seitz, 180 pages, 15 euros

Buy “Meander” online now

Aristoles already preferred straight-line thinking. Reason seems undistracted and straightforward, but thinking is often crooked, chaotic, meandering. This book is an essay that is a meandering reflection on thinking in the best possible way.

The extra recommendation

In addition to the ten tips from the jury, there is a recommendation from a guest every month. This time from Prof. Volker Perthes (Foundation Science and Politics). He recommends:

Sabine Fischer: The chauvinistic threat. Russia’s wars and Europe’s answers, Econ, 283 pages, 24.99 euros.

“Chauvinism, Sabine Fischer explains to us, is the combination of aggressive nationalism, sexism and autocracy. And that, according to the author, is what determines the character of Russia under President Putin. The wars that Russia has waged since it took office both underline and reinforce this. Fischer’s view of Russia goes beyond traditional analytical approaches in international politics and may therefore be a bit disturbing at the beginning, but becomes coherent as the book progresses. She points to the clear connection between the oppression of women and the state’s use of violence internally and externally.

This is not the only reason why Europe’s response to the “chauvinist threat” must also include a feminist perspective. Above all, however, for European and especially German politics, it is about strengthening both our own liberal democracy and military resilience and taking greater notice of our Eastern European neighbors in Eastern European policy. A necessary, easy-to-read contribution to the debate about Germany’s relationship with Russia and Eastern Europe.” (Volker Perthes)

The jury for the non-fiction books of the month:

Tobias Becker, “Spiegel”; Natascha Freundel, RBB Culture; Eike Gebhardt, Berlin; Knud von Harbou, journalist, Feldafing; Prof. Jochen Hörisch, University of Mannheim; Günter Kaindlstorfer, Vienna; Otto Kallscheuer, Sassari (Italy); Petra Kammann, “FeuilletonFrankfurt”; Jörg-Dieter Kogel, Bremen; Wilhelm Krull, The New Institute, Hamburg; Marianna Lieder, freelance critic, Berlin; Lukas Meyer-Blankenburg, SWR 2 Wissen; Prof. Herfried Münkler, Humboldt University; Gerlinde Pölsler, “Falter”; Marc Reichwein, WELT; Thomas Ribi, “NZZ”; Prof. Sandra Richter, German Literature Archive Marbach; Wolfgang Ritschl, ORF; Florian Rötzer, “Krass & Konkret”; Norbert Seitz, Berlin; Anne-Catherine Simon, “Die Presse”, Vienna; Prof. Philipp Theisohn, University of Zurich; Andreas Wang, Berlin; Harro Zimmermann, Bremen; Stefan Doubt, Switzerland.

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