The 300s, "Sociology," is where we find the familiar "fuzzy studies," or soft sciences: political science, economics, education, and, sadly that this is necessary, military science. The task of 300-309 is to introduce these topics, and it's a lot to cram into 10 little digits.
306, just to pick a random example, ricochets from pop culture to regional culture to the culture wars to consumerism to work to slavery to retirement to the media to... well, you get the idea. I picked the embarrassingly titled Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs because its author, Chuck Klosterman, is having a moment right now. Klosterman is a very funny guy: "breakfast is just the time for chewing Cocoa Puffs and/or wishing you were still asleep." But ultimately, a little of him and his excessively abrasive language was enough for me.
I also selected The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, by Alain de Botton, because, oh my gosh, that title! I got it on audio, because I thought it would be superawesome to be driving to work listening to some kind of pep talk about how it's worth it. But no. As it turned out, it seemed to be about different people's jobs, just, you know, what's involved in catching a tuna or making a biscuit. Which could also be interesting in its own way, but proved(possibly due to the performer rather than the author) to be dangerously soporific. After I arrived at my destination in an audiobook-induced stupor not once but twice, I realized public safety demanded I give up on this one.
James Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son was in 305, but, Langston Hughes' recommendation notwithstanding, I just couldn't. Something about the writing style that I just couldn't get through. I could see myself having better luck with Rich Benjamin's Searching for Whitopia, a sort of Black Like Me with an actual person of color, except that it was just so sad to realize that I myself might be part of the problem. See, my dream retirement home is in Ocean City New Jersey. The beaches... the jolly families... the beautiful homes and gardens... the strong church heritage and influence on the city's vibe... and the 92% white population. 92%! Maybe I will stay landlocked...
As noted last time, 290-299 included books about what Muslims believe, but 305 offered me at least one book about what it's like to be a Muslim: Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, by Zarqa Nawaz. How could I pass up that title? And when I found out she was the creator of "Little Mosque on the Prairie," that charming sitcom about Muslims in Saskatchewan, I was all in. The book is full of incidents that illuminate as they entertain... for example, in the process of telling us about how she self-arranged her marriage, I have learned that a Muslim can be an atheist and that if you believe the Qu'ran but not the Hadith, that's a dealbreaker. This one, I'll see through to the end.
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