The Social Construction of Reality

The book that put the phrase into circulation: how habits become institutions, institutions get explained by legitimating stories, and the resulting order is then absorbed by the next generation as simply the way things are.

Why it’s on the list: Named in the replies to @SpencrGreenberg asking what non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world really works — a crowd-sourced list Kyle recovered by hand and saved. A direct answer to the question as asked.

Where I saw it: In the replies to @SpencrGreenberg asking “What non-fiction book taught you the most about how the world (or how humanity or society) really works?” (June 5, 2025). Kyle recovered the reply list by hand and saved it to his “Books To Read” Apple Note; the full transcribed list lives on A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet).

Connections

• A question for you — What non-fiction… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
• Language of Discourse — the portfolio idea this sits closest to.