NEW!
I was recently introduced to www.goodreads.com - a site to discuss and share books. You can keep up with my book descriptions I've placed there as well (you can see book covers there too).  

I read mostly non-fiction books, and in some years, quite a few of them.  Over the past few years I have compiled this list of short reviews and descriptions.  In an ideal world, I would use the information I learn from these books to write essays, or a column that is compelling and interesting.  I have no column, and it is less stressful to create art than to write persuasive tomes for publication; so this is the best you will get right now.

Blue Latitudes(2005) Tony Horwitz
I didn't know that I would be so interested in the British explorer Captain Cook.  But I couldn't put this book down.  It follows Cook's voyages through the author's present-day adventures through the Pacific.  Horwitz combines the most interesting factoids and historical accounts of 18th Century British sailing with modern travel writing and journalism concerning Pacific Islands and their current social conflicts and economic struggles. (Also see Confederates in the Attic)

* What's the Matter with Kansas(2004) Thomas Frank
An excellent book investigating the political climate of Kansas, and how it relates to the rest of the country.  Frank tries to understand the ingenious way the Republican party has combined the laissez-faire economic interests of the wealthy with the social agenda of poor and middle class conservatives.  Frank is an astute observer and provides welcome insight about politics in the US and their lack of an honest dialogue on business and the economy, in favor of cultural/social "wedge" issues. (Also see One Market Under God)

Krakatoa: the Day the World Exploded, August 27, 1883(2003) Simon Winchester
Winchester weaves a mix of social and natural history in his lead-in to an account of this major volcanic eruption from the end of the 19th Century.  This book is satisfying in its coverage of geology, and of the Dutch colonial history in Southeast Asia.  I read this upon a reccomendation from someone else who also enjoyed it.

* The Devil in the White City (2003) Erik Larsen
Where to start?  This book is a work of non-fiction, and was researched extensively, although it is written in many places like a novel.  Ever since I started studying the American Guilded Age, and the rise of industrial cities, I have been fascinated by the importance and the spectacle of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.  This book describes the process of building the fair, the efforts of the architects instrumental in pulling it off in very little time, and the details of the fair itself, visited by 29 million people in its 6 months of operation.  Think that is interesting?  Every other chapter describes the developments in the life and career of Dr. H. H. Holmes, a psychopath/sociopath serial killer who managed to kill dozens of people, many of them visitors from out of town who came to Chicago to see the Fair.  Quite absorbing.

Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003) Mary Roach
Entertaining, disgusting, educational - yes.  This book contains many fascinating facts and vignettes about the assorted careers of dead human bodies.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and feel newly enlightened.

Coal: A Human History (2003) Barbara Freese
This book looks into the rise of coal as a fuel and heating source, focusing on the British Isles and the United States.  The story of coal mining and use, and its relationship to forest timber and to urbanization and industrialization is very interesting indeed.  I was really captivated by Freese's research of historical descriptions of coal and coal pollution in British and US cities.  The imagery is striking - and it is hard to imagine how anyone kept his/her clothing clean and managed not to have asthma or lung disease in those times.  Later in the book Freese discusses current issues with coal which are relevant, but not as captivating as her historical accounts of black raindrops, dark skies, and slurries of soot-water on the streets of London and Manchester.

Boob Jubilee- Salvos From the Baffler (2003) Thomas Frank and Dave Mulkahey, Eds.
The subtitle is the cultural politics of the New Economy.  More essays from the Baffler's late '90s through 2002 issues.  Some essays/articles are better than others, but there are some real gems in here, both informative and entertaining.  I particularly like T. Frank's essay "The God that Sucked" and some of the essays about interns and about credit.

Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World(2003) Greg Critser
More on the topic of American culture, food, and health.  Spells out several explanations for the increasing epidemic of obesity and type II diabetes in America, as well as health problems associated with obesity.  Explanations include decrease in physical exercise across all age groups, poor diet, increased consumption and availability of low-quality processed foods, and the imbalanced effect of these on the poor and underpriveledged groups.

Ultimate Fitness (2003) Gina Kolata
A mixture of a history of ideas about fitness and exercise in the US, including the rise of the Fitness Industry, and descriptions of scientific studies on various fitness-related topics.  I'm not an obsessive exerciser, but the book has a lot of interesting tidbits about fitness and exercise fads, myths, and truths.  This book won't appeal to everyone, and the author's personal interest in Spinning, specifically, gets tiresome, but it's worth a look for anyone interested in learning more about health and fitness history and theory (this sort of complements other readings on diet and food history).

*War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning(2002) Chris Hedges
This is an incredibly powerful book about the reality of war, written by a former war correspondent.  Hedges discusses the myth and reality of war, the reality of the presence of death, desecration and disrespect of the living and the dead in war, the victimization of innocents and those who attempt to be moral, and the jingoism of the press that usually covers up these horrible realities.  Hedges also describes the draw toward war he and others have felt for its excitement and risk.  The book discusses many examples from the former Yugoslavia conflict of the early 1990s, the first Gulf War in Iraq, the Palistinian-Israeli conflict, the El Salvador conflict in the 1980s, and several other wars.  This book will shock and depress one's mood, but I recommend it highly for those who can weather it.

*The Nose: a profile of sex, beauty, and survival(2002) Gabrielle Glaser
This book is very interesting and a lot of fun to read.  I tackled it over a long weekend.  Glaser takes the reader through the mysteries of chronic sinusitis, pheremones, the condition of smelling nothing, and the role of smelling and of smells in human/cultural history.  You might not think you care about these things, but this book contains so many interesting topics you wouldn't probably learn of elsewhere that you will be pleasantly surprised.  Highly recommended.

*Reinventing the Bazaar: A Natural History of Markets(2002) John McMillan
Economic issues in plain English, and well written.  I found this book easy to read, very interesting, and informative about issues of (economic) market design.  McMillan is a pragmatic economist who leans neither left nor right in his economic theory, instead describing economic issues from observing what has/does work and what hasn't/doesn't.  McMillan describes many examples of markets: how they evolved, how they succeeded or failed, etc.  Definitely worth checking out.

Wealth & Democracy (2002) Kevin Phillips
This book is full of information about inequality and extreme wealth in the United States.  Some chapters go into more detail than I needed (for example, detailing the origin of great fortunes and the names of the top wealth owners in Britain and the United States in the 18th-19th centuries), but I can't hold it against the author, the book is, after all 400+ pages long.  Phillips discussion of wealth inequality, and the relationship between money and political power is timely and fascinating.  His comparisons between the modern US economy and previous great economic powers (Spain, Netherlands, Britain), show parallels between our current economy and other historical periods (of decline).

Skipping Towards Gomorrah(2002) Dan Savage
A fun and thoughtful book.  Savage, the syndicated "Savage Love" sex-advice columnist, takes it upon himself to examine and celebrate the "seven deadly sins" as they are manifested in American culture.  He looks into gambling, sexual swingers' culture, attends a convention of a fat acceptance group, smokes pot, shoots some guns, attends a gay pride parade, and even rents "escorts" (to interview them, not for sex).  Although not every line of this book is a masterpiece, as a whole it is entertaining and thought provoking for sure, and I recommend it for anyone with an open mind and a resentment of those annoying and hypocritical right-wing, conservative "scolds."

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal (2001) Eric Schlosser
A look at the fast food business—from the massive organization of the agriculture of potatoes and meat, to the processing of ingredients, including livestock, to the labor conditions of factory workers and minimum wage restaurant employees.   Well written, and not an animal rights book like many exposés on "meat", but rather an investigation of all aspects of this industry and its history and impact.

*Nickel & Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America (2001) Barbara Ehrenreich
Interesting and very humerous in places, Ehrenreich delves into the world of low-wage jobs by working as a waitress, Wal-Mart clothing department employee, cleaning service maid, etc.  In addition to her own experiences, she provides research on the economy and the situation of class in the US.  Entertaining and accessible work on the serious matter of class inequality in this country.

The Divine Right of Capital (2001) Marjorie Kelly
The first half of this book is Great.  It compares the economic and political positions and priviledges of today's stockowners to the aristocracy of earlier centuries, and compares today's un-invested laborers/employees to yesterday's feudal serfs.  The thesis is an interesting and fresh interpretation.  The second half isn't as compelling to me; it takes up the "what we should do about this" angle.  Since I have no power to change policies in stocks and corporate structure in my current position, I couldn't pay attention.  Still, recommended.

* The Battle for God (2000) Karen Armstrong
Another excellent and eye-opening book by Armstrong.  She discusses the impact of scientific and enlightenment philosophies that have moved away from or completely rejected traditional religions, and the growth of fundamentalist movements as a modern reaction to the increasingly secular world.  Fascinating to read, even for the nonreligious.

* One Market Under God: Extreme Capitalism, Market Populism, and the End of Economic Democracy (2000) Thomas Frank
A very witty and enjoyable exposé of the marketing theories and economic mumbo-jumbo of business writing gurus.  Frank critiques the idea of "market populism" and the libertarian mentality of market cheerleaders.  He predicted, and explained the bursted stock market bubble before it blew out.  Frank explains how h istory shows this kind of market mania has happened before, and will happen again.  Armed with Frank's entertaining book, you can see it coming all the better next time.

 * The Little Ice Age: How Climate Changed History (2000) Brian Fagan
A great look at a relatively short period during the Mideival period with unsually cold weather and its major impacts on agriculture and human society in Europe.  Very interesting in relation to global warming worries of the present.

Credit Card Nation: the Consequence of America's Addiction to Credit (2000) Robert D. Manning
I know, this sounds a bit dry, BUT especially the first few chapters were very informative, as they laid out the historical rise of debt in the 20th century, as it has been manifested by national debt, corporate debt, and personal consumer credit debt.  Manning explains to some degree the impact of a large national deficit, and the impact of corporate mergers on debt.  Manning even takes on the rise in student debt and student credit card use, the declining real wages for the lower / lower-middle class, and stagnated wages for the middle class, growing class inequality, and the marketing practices of the credit card corporations.  Very useful critique / analysis for economics/history nerds like me.

* When Corporations Rule the World, 2nd Edition (2000) David C. Korten
Invaluable resource for understanding the activities of the WTO, IMF, World Bank, and international development and trade policies.  Describes the historical development of these aid agencies and the global financial market (globalization), and some of the wrong turns they have taken.  Korten also discusses people-centered aide and the pro-democracy movements that are forming in the developing world and the Industrial nations.

No More Prisons (2000) William U. Wimsatt
Second eclectic book by Wimsatt covering a variety of topics including examples of "progressive philanthropy" by progressive minded people who have inherited money.

Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong (1999) James Loewen
This book reads less like a book than an encyclopedia.  It is a series of 95 2-5 page essays on over 100 historic sites, markers, monuments, and homes across the United States that discuss the difference between the history represented by the sites and the "whole story".  By picking apart the wording and claims at historic sites Loewen is able to discuss a very wide spectrum of issues in American history.  Loewen does a satisfying job dispelling and rebuking myths and outright falsehoods claimed at sites.   Sadly, many Americans are afraid of the complexity of history and of showing any "weakness" by revising blatantly bigoted or erroneous markers, which leads most people to feel bored and misled by the overly rosy and one-sided picture history they encounter. 

The Devil's Cup: A history of the world according to coffee (1999) Stuart Lee Allen
This is a travel narrative in which Allen follows the spread of coffee from its orginins in Africa, to the Middle East, Europe and then the United States.  Some of the history of coffee is humorous and odd, and so are some of Allen's travel experiences.

* The Year 1000:What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millenium, an Englishman's World (1999) Lacey, Robert & Danny Danziger
This is a short book with lots of interesting history about the British Isles a millenia ago. Having not studied much British history, this was a good and easy read that expanded my knowledge of that area.

Conquests & Cultures: an International History (1999) Thomas Sowell
Definitely a thought-provoking book which covers the history and legacy of conquests and the impact on societies made by the cultural exchanges that conquests create.  Sowell discusses the conquest of Britain by the Roman Empire, and later England's conquests the peoples of the British Isles; the conquests of Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Americas.  The most interesting idea Sowell discusses is the concept of "cultural capital" which is passed down and shared within cultures, and can have as strong an impact on the success of peoples as financial capital.  Definitely not light, entertainment reading, but quite interesting and well written.

* Confederates in the Attic (1998) Tony Horowitz
This book is a lot of fun to read.  Horowitz hangs out with Civil War reenactors, Daughters of the Confederacy, and others who are obsessed with the Civil War in the contemporary South.  An interesting and sometimes humerous investigation of the lingering mark of that war and era.  Also see Blue Horizons.

A Sense of Place (1998) Alan Durning
If you can get past Durning's frequent digressions into his own personal life experiences, this book is a decent read.  Creative non-fiction style, Durning approaches the question of whether being rooted in a geographical place, and having a commitment to a place and community is more valuable than the freedom to move around and feel attached to nothing.

The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need (1998) Juliet B. Schor
This book is worth reading overall, although it is biased toward a discussion of the spending habits of the middle and upper middle class.  I think the book could have covered its topics in much more detail, but the research findings within are still interesting.  It makes me feel good to know I am not at all like some of her examples: women who buy $25 tubes of designer lipstick to look high class when they apply makeup in public, shopaholics with houses full of mailorder goods they never even open, parents who think buying generic clothes for their kids would be "bad parenting."  Who are these people?

Commodify Your Dissent- Salvos From the Baffler (1997) Thomas Frank and Matt Weiland, Eds.
Witty essays pulled from the Baffler literary journal of cutural criticism, on a variety of topics.  

Data Smog (1997) David Shenk
All about our current predicament of having too much information thrown at us in this society.  Using a lot of interesting statistics, Shenk refutes the technophile point of view in the 1990s (and still today?) that more information, regardless of its usefulness or quality, would make our society better.

* The Mojave (1996) David Darlington
A creative non-fiction travel through the Mojave Desert and all its quirks and the weirdos/eccentrics that like to live there.

Into the Wild (1996) John Krackauer
This is a non-fiction story all about a kid who went off to live in Alaska and "rough it" dying of food poisoning from eating wild plants, five miles from civilization.  That doesn't sound that interesting, but it actually is.

*The Death of Money (1996) Jonathan Kurtzman
Very interesting discussion of the workings of the stock market and its various money "products."  Kurtzman also discusses the change from gold-standard-linked money to electronic money based on faith alone, and its effects, good and bad.

* Water: A Natural History (1996) Alice Outwater
I loved this book.  It is well written and unique, blending events and developments in American history with their impact on the natural environment as it pertains to water.  Outwater shows how beaver-hunting effected river ecosystems, the shift from buffalo to cattle changed prarie water supplies, discusses dams and flood controls, and ends with wastewater treatment.

* Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong (1995) James Llowen
More "New-History" to right the wrongs of all the misleading and false reporting of historians of the past.  The book is as its sub-title explains, and very satisfying.  Everyone should read this.

*Against Empire (1995) Michael Parenti
Concise and easy to read description of American Imperialism.  Parenti spells out how American foreign policy and domestic policy serves the interests of global capital and the wealthy political-economic elite through global economic imperialism.  He argues that the empire of the American state is controlled and gained at the expense of the American people and our republic, with nothing gained for the common citizen.  His argument is effective, and this book is a great addition to other texts about globalization and class inequality around the world.

Beyond Growth (1995) Herman Daly
Discussion of "growth" and alternatives to the "GNP" index to measure economic well-being.  Daly talks about environmental capital, unhealthy economic growth/spending, and challenges the sacred cow of "growth" itself, as it is currently seen by mainstream economists.

* Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community (1994) Wendell Barry
Great essays on the above topics from the conservative, but at the same time progressive farmer-philosopher-environmentalist.  Very well written and well developed ideas, and stimulating, unexpected arguments.  Berry is an unusual and refreshing writer and thinker.

Bomb the Suburbs (1994) William U. Wimsatt
An eclectic mix of essays on the virtues and assetts of the inner cities, hip hop and punk culture, and DIY youth movements.

*The Stone Age Present: how Evolution has Shaped Modern Life.. (1994) William F. Allman
Allman considers puzzling human behaviors and habits in light of anthropological research on human evolution.  People who think a person is a blank slate with behaviors completely controlled by society and environment won't like this book, but I think behavior is dictated by some of both biology and environment, and so I found this book quite intriguing.  A similar (longer) book has been written by Paul Ehrlich called Human Natures, that I haven't read yet.

Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America (1994) Joshua Gamson
All about the culture of celebrity, including the inner workings of the media business that creates celebrities and the reactions of the society to celebrities.  This was written by an academic in the field of sociology, but it's not a bad read.

A History of God: The 4,000 Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (1993) Karen Armstrong
Fascinating and thorough description of the historical development of these three major religions.  Armstrong has reverence for all religions, but is not afraid to explain actual historical mutations and changes in religious traditions.  Her work shows the impact of history and context on the development of these religions. (Also see the Battle for God)

* Geography of Nowhere: the Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape (1993) Howard Kunstler
A history of the automobile, roadbuilding, and suburbanization in the US.  Kunstler explains why pedestrian-unfriendly urban planning makes us feel bad and ruins our civic environment, among other things.  This book clarifies the malaise that most of us feel but cannot always verbalize about ugly and alienating urban/suburban design. (Also see Home from Nowhere)

* You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (1993) Howard Zinn
Memoir of Zinn's personal experiences and involvement in WWII, the Civil Rights movement, and in dissenting against the Vietnam War.  An invaluable look at social change, and why and how it is actually accomplished.

Assembling California (1993) John McPhee
Creative non-fiction style essays about the geologic and human/cultural history of California.  I always enjoy John McPhee's writing, whatever the topic.

The Unreality Industry: the Deliberate Manufacturing of Falsehood and What it is Doing to Our Lives (1993) Ian Mitroff and Warren Bennis
All about media, advertising, and "news" practices that deceive and create "unreality."  Includes some discussion about the infotainment trend in news and the conflict of interest of advertising and real information.

Paradox of Plenty (1993) Harvey Levenstein
Sequel to Revolution at the Table, discusses food policy during the Depression and changes in American foodways through the 20th Century.

How Much is Enough? Consumer Culture and the Future of the Earth (1992) Alan Durning
This is getting a little dated, but it is packed with interesting statistics, still relevant today, about overconsumption by the developed world as compared with the underconsumption by the poorest nations.  Puts things in perspective, and reminds us about American consumerism.

Ishmael (1992) Daniel Quinn
A fictional novel about a giant gorilla who can communicate with his mind and has a long dialog with a man about the behavior of humans toward nature and other life.  Very philosophical, and an easy read.

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (1992) Neil Postman
Another book about the danger of trusting too fully in technology.  Postman's argument encourages us to keep those low-tech ideas and solutions that still work (better) and view technology with reason, looking for that which truly benefits us as humans, rather than embracing technology that degrades us.  (For similar writing, read Wendell Berry also.)

Beyond Beef: the Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture (1992) Jeremy Rifkin
Very well-written history of the beef cattle industry.  The book covers the environmental impacts of the beef industry, health concerns, and modern meat processing in addition to historical developments. 

*Hunting Mister Heartbreak (1990) Jonathan Rabin
A lighter read than usual, but still (supposedly) non-fiction.  Raban travels from England to America on a frieght ship, lives in an apartment in NYC, moves to the deep South, and to Seattle, WA, and finally ends in the Florida Keys.  His take on the US, as an Englishman, is entertaining and insightful.  Raban has a gift for literary language, as he is also a writer of fiction.  The title of the book is in reference to Crevecoeur, an immigrant who also wrote about the US, in an earlier century.  (Also see Badland)

*What are People For? (1990) Wendell Berry
A book of essays by the great conservationist/environmentalist/essayist Wendell Berry.  A couple of the essays were less interesting, but several were excellent, thought provoking.  Berry has excellent things to say about community in America, about consumerism, and values.  This is getting old, much of it written in 1988, but it is highly recommended anyway.

The History of Sex (1989) Reay Tanahill
An interesting read about the cultural attitudes toward sexuality, and sexual behavoir in all major cultures of the world, through history.

* The Control of Nature (1989) John McPhee
Several essays (in creative non-fiction style) discussing failures and slim triumphs of humans' attempts at controlling natural forces.  Describes mudflows in the Sierra Nevadas, lava flows in Iceland, and flooding on the Mississippi River.

Revolution at the Table (1989) Harvey Levenstein
History of food and agriculture topics from colonial times to the 1930s Depression in the US.

Food in History (1988) Reay Tanahill
For anyone as interested in the history of food, diet, and how it relates to history, this is a dense but interesting read.  It took me a while to make it through the 370 pages but I learned about nomads in the Gobi Desert who sustained themselves on horse blood, agricultural revolutions, the food eaten on ships in the era of exploration, and even attitudes about "digest wind" in mideaval Europe.

* Legacy of Conquest: the Unbroken Past of the American West (1987) Patricia Limerick
New-Historian history of the western US, that doesn't play sides.  Limerick discusses the impact of conquest on Native Americans and on the settlers equally.  Very well-written, discussing all major events and periods in the westward expansion.  I read this for a history course in college, and it made a lasting impression for its content and scholarship.

Never Satisfied: A Cultural History of Diets, Fantasy, and Fat (1986) Hillel Schwartz
Discussion of the idea of dieting and cultural perceptions of fat, weight, and health from the 17th Century to present (1980s).  Offers a discussion of the shift from fatness as a status symbol of health and wealth, to thinness as that same symbol today.

Food and Drink in America: A History (1983) R. Hooker
-A chronicle of the changes in food tastes and choices from colonial times to the present in America.

In Suspect Terrain (1982) John McPhee
More typical McPhee.  This book waxes and wanes in interest, but covers Midwest and Mid-Atlantic region geology and related cultural history, including some talk about the historical scientific understanding of the Ice Ages.  Best for geology nerds like me; the beginning and end are most interesting.

* A People's History of the United States (1980) Howard Zinn
A must-read companion to your prior education in American History.  Zinn covers all major events and periods in American history and discusses the things traditional historians didn't mention or skewed in favor of the powerful classes in the society.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) Robert M. Persig
It took me some time to get into this book, but once I made it through the beginning,  I found it to contain a very interesting meditation on technology and philosophy.

Postwar America 1944-1973 (1973) Howard Zinn
Mid-century history from the socially progressive perspective.  Discusses the Korean War, US interference in the Greek civil war, other minor wars and involvements, as well as Vietnam.  I can't remember what else, I read it 10 years ago.  Some but not all of the information is covered in A People's History of the US.

* Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered (1973) E. F. Schumacher
Points out the priorities that we should have when providing economic help to poor nations, and the priorities we should have in our own.  Stresses simple solutions and economic stimulus that enhances the human community, and improves the human condition.  A great philosophical view of economics that is completely relevant today.

* The Sand County Almanac (1949) Aldo Leopold
I usually find nature writing to be tiresome, but this is a total exception.  Leopold weaves philosophy of the importance of land and nature in with descriptions of his natural environment.  His ideas about the environment were ahead of his time and still hold their own today.

Capitalism and Slavery (1944) Eric Williams
Explanation of how the North was dependent on slavery in the South to develop its economy and to industrialize.  Also discusses the complicity of North and South in the Triangle Trade between West Africa, the Carribean, and the US during the centuries of slavery in America.

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