Some books I've read lately...

	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini It seems like everyone and their mother is reading this book right now; if it's being mentioned in mainstream network sitcoms, then there's something weird going on. It's a great book, about the life of an Afghan refugee as he grows up in Afghanistan, emigrates to the U.S., and eventually returns to make things right.
	The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq by George Packer A very interesting book that gives the historical, political, military, and cultural background on the present U.S. war on/in Iraq. The author is very critical of the Bush administration, but ultimately supports action against Saddam Hussein. A year after the book's printing, the question remains: when and how will it all end?
	The Underdog by Joshua Davis This is a funny and amazing story about a couple of years in the life of Josh Davis in which he becomes a bullfighter, a sumo wrestler, and a backwards runner. Hilarious book!
	What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke Great book about food science, along the lines of Alton Brown and Shirley Corriher. Some good recipes inside, too.
	The Vineyard: The Pleasures and Perils of Creating an American Winery by Louisa Thomas Hargrave This is the story of the Hargraves, who opened the first successful european-style vineyard and winery on Long Island 30 years ago. Having spent all my summers as a child on the North Fork, it was a real pleasure to read about the history of the area, which now boasts an established and growing wine industry. As a "college-educated suburbanite" like the author, it was easy for me to identify with her and her family's desire to live closer to the land, but also be engaged intellectually and socially. Probably my favorite aspect of this book is the author's integrity, which is ever-so-subtle, but clearly a contributing factor to her success as a viticulturist and woman.
	Life of Pi by Yann Martel This is a cute novel about an Indian boy named Pi, whose zookeeping family emigrates from India to Canada. When their ship sinks halfway across the Pacific in a freak accident, Pi ends up being the only survivor, trapped in a lifeboat with a tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan. It's a fascinating read, and ties in a lot of nice religious imagery (Pi considers himself a devout Hindu, Catholic, and Muslim), but didn't grab me the way it obviously did so many gushing critics.
	The Perfect Store: Inside eBay by Adam Cohen Having just joined eBay as an employee, it was fascinating to read this book about the company's "early days" (as if we're not still in them), and to read about the philosophy and paranoia behind her founding. Although eight years have passed since the first item was put up for bid on AuctionWeb (eBay's original name), I'm happy to report that the same sense of urgency, the same concern for the community, and the same paranoia prevail. The book provides hundreds of great examples of how the world's marketplace was built, and while well-researched, the writing leaves something to be desired.
	The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown This novel is an absolute thriller -- the whole story takes place within a span of 24 hours, and you'll want to read it all within the same period. A curator at the Louvre, also the head of a secret religious society, is murdered by a member of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic group. Robert Langdon, a Harvard historian, is brought into the murder investigation, which quickly goes awry. The author presents some radical views on traditional Christianity which some people might be uncomfortable with... relax, it's just a book.
	The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon This is the epic story, spanning continents and decades, of two cousins who begin as strangers and end up with unbelievably intertwined lives. Josef Kavalier, a magician's apprentice from Prague, joins his underachieving cousin Sam Clayman in Brooklyn after escaping the Nazi regime, and the two take the nascent comic book industry by storm. But that's just part of the story -- the rest has to be read to be believed. Chabon writes with unbelievable eloquence and sometimes overwhelming detail. The result is a work of history, humor, drama, and tragedy. It's simply fantastic.
	Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis This book, which began as a series of radio broadcasts to distressed Britons during World War 2, is one of the most accessible and reasonable discussions of faith that I've read. The book starts with a basic argument for God, then moves on to an argument for Christianity and ends with a discussion of morals and doctrine. Lewis goes back and forth between reason and faith to define Christianity, in a very personal and non-denominational way. I highly recommend it.
	Lead Us Into Temptation by James B. Twitchell Another non-religious book cloaked in a quasi-religious title. In this book, the author argues that the desire to acquire objects and use them to define our identity is not only natural, but important to our modern culture. Consumerism, in the author's opinion, replaces now outdated methods of identity and status previously handled by religion, ancestry, and social class. Whether you agree with the author's argument or not, he analyzes and explains the consumer landscape with great insight and excellent examples.
	Second Nature: A Gardener's Education by Michael Pollan This is the second Michael Pollan book I've read (with a third on the way), and he has not yet failed to win me over with his combination of scientific knowledge, insight, and humorous anecdotes. In "Second Nature", he takes the reader through the entire cycle of the seasons at his Connecticut farm, discussing such topics as the merit of lawns, the (self-)importance of compost, and the trickery of seed catalogs. It's a great book for someone who is just getting into gardening (like myself), or an experienced gardener who might be interested in some of the philosophy behind the practice of gardening.
	The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan Michael Pollan is the Alton Brown of gardening -- in this short book he goes in-depth with four plants which fulfill four basic desires in humans: apple (sweetness), tulip (beauty), marijuana (intoxication), and potato (control). He starts off trying to take the plant's point of view, talking about how plants use their desirable traits to lure humans into propagating them, but by the end of the book he's pretty much dropped that approach. There is some interesting discussion in the marijuana chapter about its criminalization (the causes, the pros/cons), and some great discussion in the potato chapter on genetic engineering. It is short, well written, and extremely accessible. This is a great book for gardeners who have an interest in botanical anthropology.
	Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle Thanks to Michael Guevara for introducing me to this book, a novel about the differences between rich yuppies and destitute migrant workers in southern California. The narrative jumps back and forth between the gated community existence of Delaney Mossbacher and the story of Candido Perez and his young pregnant wife, camping illegally in Malibu canyon and barely scraping by. It addresses a lot of the issues facing soCal (if not our whole nation), and in a way that isn't sugar-coated, nor is it too biased in one direction or another. Great (quick) read.
	The Art of Innovation by Tom Kelley My Stanford major summarized into 307 pages. This is a great book because, like IDEO itself, the author is prolific with his ideas for what makes a great company. This book has lots of great history, examples of great design, ideas for building a good company, and is just very readable. It will inspire you to be a better designer and worker.
	Imperial San Francisco: Urban Power, Earthly Ruin by Gray Brechin I bought this book looking for a basic history of San Francisco, and got a lot more than I was expecting. The book, written as a PhD dissertation at Berkeley, takes as its thesis the idea that, like most other cities, San Francisco has become successful at the expense and destruction of its surroundings. The author tells of the ecological and economical destruction of surrounding Northern California at the command of a few ruling families, and harshly berates those responsible. Brechin gives us a whole new way of looking at "everyone's favorite city" -- I highly recommend it.
	Why Do Catholics Do That?: A Guide to the Teachings and Practices of the Catholic Church by Kevin Orlin Johnson This is a great book for Catholics who are interested in learning more about their faith and the Church. To be honest, I wasn't particularly interested in the first few sections on faith, but I was absolutely riveted by the chapters on the more technical aspects. The calendar, the funeral, the rosary -- these are some of the items that I was just never explained and I found to be quite interesting. There are even chapters on (seemingly) obscure items, like incense, and numerology in the Church. It's a short book, and the author writes fluidly and with a good deal of humor (which always helps, especially when it comes to religion).
	Jihad vs. McWorld: How Globalism and Tribalism are Reshaping the World by Benjamin R. Barber A lot of people assume that this is just another author riding the coattails of the September 11th tragedy for personal gain. It probably did get a spike in sales as a result of our increased interest in the middle east and the concept of "Jihad", but this book was written in 1995, and uses the word "Jihad" to represent the struggle of unique tribal cultures clashing against "McWorld" -- the ruthless modern forces of capitalism that drive us towards certain global homogeneity. The author points to examples in Europe and North America where the forces of Jihad are just as destructive (and sometimes understandable) as they are in the Arab world. The text is very academic and often dry, but it is a message worth understanding. I believe that achieving balance between these forces is crucial to our survival as a planet.
	God's Last Offer: Negotiating for a Sustainable Future by Ed Ayres Reading this book is a bit like eating your vegetables -- it doesn't taste very good, but you know it's good for you. Contrary to my mother's assumption, this book isn't about religion at all. The author, Ed Ayres, is the editorial director for Worldwatch magazine, a publication that concerns itself with the sustainable development of the planet. He warns about four major environmental threats: the dramatic increases in extinction of species, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, human population growth, and consumer behavior among humans. He paints a dismal picture of our future if these are not reversed or at least leveled off. Despite the horrible consequences to our apathy that the author sees, he also offers advice and reasonable (albeit difficult) solutions to them. If you're at all concerned about the future of our natural environment, you should read this book.
	Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser This is one of the most engaging books I've read in a long time. Probably because as Americans we all have such strong first-hand experiences with fast food. The author gives the history of fast food, the business side, a study of fast food employees, the impact on farming, meat production, and fast food's role in shaping America's personality during the second half of the 20th century. Makes you think twice about how good that Big Mac and fries really is.
	The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists by Michael Brower, Warren Leon Rather than giving readers "50 ways to save the earth," this book tries to prioritize the decisions that we all make as consumers with regard to their impact on the environment. The author also shows how we're sometimes misled by small issues; for example, the book addresses the "disposable vs. cloth diapers" debate, ultimately deciding that both choices have equal (albeit different) impact on the environment. The bottom line: if we continue consuming product at current levels, our earth will soon become uninhabitable.
	Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt This is the true story of Savannah, Georgia society people and a crime that rocked their world. The author is an outsider from New York, behaving more as a travel writer than anything else. He writes all the characters so well that you'd think he'd created them himself -- it's hard to believe that this is a work of non-fiction. After reading the book, be sure to see the movie.
	Upsizing: The Road to Zero Emissions, More Jobs, More Income and No Pollution by Gunter Pauli This is an excellent book for anyone who's interested in the environmental consequences of industrialization and development. I had never heard of the author or his organization (ZERI: Zero Emissions Research Institute), but it's all described in this book, and it's a fascinating proposition. It's going to take a lot to make the world understand and realize the goals this book proposes, but eventually it will have to.