[Atrocities: The 100 Deadliest Episodes in Human History](http://amzn.to/2icfAG3) by Matthew White
I read this book a few years ago under its original title of The Great Big Book of Horrible Things. I’m re-reading it now because it’s oddly comforting to see how bad things have been in ages past.
Somehow, humanity made it to 2017, so there’s a good chance we’ll make it through.
[Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker](http://amzn.to/2jqwbH5)
I am probably the last podcasting nerd in the world to have gotten on the AeroPress bandwagon, but here I am. Our apartment in Paris came with a Nespresso machine that makes only so-so coffee and has ecologically-unsound pods.
The AeroPress is really simple, and makes one cup of very good coffee. That’s all I need.
Now to destroy any coffee credibility I’ve built up by finally getting an AeroPress: have you tried instant coffee lately? It’s not *good,* but it’s substantially better than you remember. I’m drinking instant decaf in the afternoon, and it’s perfectly acceptable. It’s pre-measured and foolproof.
[Skyrim: Remastered](http://amzn.to/2j3VuSH)
Why play a digitally-upgraded version of an old game when there are new ones out there like The Witcher 3? Because I really liked Skyrim, and it’s fun to be able to try all the DLC content that wasn’t in the game when I played it the first time.
[Rubik’s Cube](http://amzn.to/2iAMbX0)
My big accomplishment of 2017 is that I finally learned [how to solve the Rubik’s cube](https://how-to-solve-a-rubix-cube.com). It’s oddly satisfying once your fingers start doing it without conscious thought.