The calendar says June, and although the weather has been quite typically “Danish summer weather” so far, the summer holidays are undeniably approaching quickly.
And is there anything that whispers summer holiday like opening a book and immersing yourself in it? Hardly. That’s precisely why we’ve put together a list of our book recommendations—both non-fiction and fiction—for you, so you can be inspired for some peaceful and immersive reading breaks during the summer holiday.
Happy (summer) reading!
- ‘Altings begyndelse’ (The Dawn of Everything) by David Graeber and David Wengrow
- ‘Kunstig intelligens – hele tidem mere intelligent’ ‘(Artificial Intelligence) – Always Getting Smarter’ by Stefan Buijsman
- ‘Menneskelig blindhed og livets betydning’ (‘Human Immortality and the Meaning of Life) by William James
- ‘Kong Arthurs død’ (The Death of King Arthur) translated by Kajsa Meyer
- ‘Aforismer og andre efterladte skrifter’ (Aphorisms and Other Writings) by Franz Kafka
Recommended by Majken Juel Heskjær
‘Altings begyndelse’ (The Dawn of Everything) by David Graeber and David Wengrow
They examine from an archaeological perspective look at power, oppression, and ‘organisation’ They do an excellent job of debunking many myths about how we transitioned from being ‘free wild’ with a chieftain to being socialized and civilized, even with democracy. In their view, this is a completely incorrect historical narrative. What I find most interesting is their interpretation of prehistoric societies where people lived together in large numbers. Besides being both gatherers/hunters and farmers, there is no evidence of centralized power. Or power in general. They lived in an absolutely flat society. They also point to a pattern that it is much easier to work and live in a flat-organized society if it is large, whereas smaller communities show signs of more oppression. Whether you agree or not, it’s worth reading as it shakes old notions and provides new perspectives.
Recommended by Andreas Lindemann
‘Kunstig intelilgens – Hele tiden mere intelligent’ (Artificial Intelligence – Always Getting Smarter) by Stefan Buijsman
When it comes to artificial intelligence, I used to nod along, acknowledging that it was an extremely exciting and inevitable development. However, I felt that to participate more actively in the debate, I needed to know more about what AI actually is—from the ground up. I stumbled upon the book “Artificial Intelligence – Always Getting Smarter” published by Samfundslitteratur (Social literature). Initially, I had some apprehensions about the content, given its somewhat dry exterior and the fact that it is written by mathematician and philosopher Stefan Buijsman. But it turned out to be a goldmine of good, concise and very everyday explanations of what artificial intelligence actually is—both simple algorithms and complex neural networks—and how they work and are integrated into all parts of our lives. Written in a way that even I can understand. I think it’s the kind of book that can only be written by someone who is extremely knowledgeable about the subject and can remember what it was like not to know anything about it. However, as a reader, you also need to find it interesting to learn more about the construction and logic of artificial intelligence. In return, I feel incredibly well-prepared to continue the debate on how we can anchor artificial intelligence in daily practice.
Recommended by Klaus Bakdal
‘Menneskelig blindhed og livets betydning’ (Human Immortality and the Meaning of Life) by William James
This is a transcript of two lectures delivered back in 1899. The text provides the finest introduction to American pragmatism: always striving for effect. Not just in the classic practice-action sense, but also on behalf of our concepts, feelings, perception—the whole shebang. Beautiful language and plenty of nuanced storytelling.
‘Kong arthurs død’ (The Death of King Arthur) translated by Kajsa Meyer
The final part of the great romance cycle about King Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, Morgana la Fay, the Lady in the Lake, the Holy Grail and the Knights of the Round Table. In a way, “the mother of all novels,” originally written back in the 12th century. Only this part is available in Danish, but in a modern translation.
Recommended by Kim Gørtz
‘Aforismer og andre efterladte skrifter’ (Aphorisms and Other Writings) by Franz Kafka
236 text pieces in the form of aphorisms, “octavo notebooks,” prose texts and diary entries.
It’s utterly Kafkaesque! The notion of a simultaneously stiflingly realistic, pedantic, bureaucratic, opaque and absurd world that fills one with a sense of powerlessness. As stated in the preface: A minor literature that depicts human vulnerability, as foreign and isolated, dealing with liberation and creating one’s own life. A worship of symptoms of a fundamental and timeless split in the world; written by a free man who had disentangled himself from the net he was caught in and was almost happy; striking a deeply resonant chord that continued to sound until his death. He circles around sparks of light and the depths of darkness, the great abyss, and “the filthy cells,” living in the reality and existential sphere of imprisonment.
Here are six strikingly meaningful aphorisms to start your summer with:
- “How can one take delight in the world unless one flees to it for refuge?” (Aphorism 25)
- “There is no having, only a being, only a being that longs for its last breath, for suffocation.” (Aphorism 35)
- “He who seeks does not find, but he who does not seek will be found.” (Octavo Notebook G, 30)
- “That our task is exactly as great as our life gives it a tinge of infinity.” (Octavo Notebook G, 34)
- “Writing, a form of prayer.” (Late Aphorisms, 23)
6. “No more about it, through the words come remnants of light. (Late Aphorisms, 35)
