What impactful book did you read recently? (Jan 2022)

This question is not limited to business books!

I'll start:

I recently read a book called "Achilles in Vietnam" by Dr. Jonathan Shay. It's a very interesting work. Dr. Shay is a psychiatrist who has spent his career working primarily with Vietnam veterans suffering from PTSD. Throughout the book, he discusses the core features of PTSD, with many (horrifying) explanatory quotes from veterans. Then, in a unique twist, he draws parallels to the experience of soldiers (and specifically the Greek hero, Achilles) as depicted in Homer's "The Iliad". His purpose is to demonstrate the persistence of combat trauma throughout the ages.

Ultimately, this book elucidates the tragic, chronic, and heartbreaking phenomenon of PTSD in a way that should, I think, engender deep compassion from the reader for the warriors who experience it. The truth is that war takes a devastating toll on the men and women who fight it. I believe that, in an ideal society, war would never be waged, but we may be a long way off from that day. In the meantime, if we ask members of our society to go to war, we should also take steps and provide care to ensure that they can return to a state of health and wellbeing afterwards.

Now it's your turn!

Tell us:

1. Name of the book and author
2. What you learned that made it impactful