My grand plan to recommend everything from books to music to movies to web sites has fallen by the way-side. Books though - that's easy enough.
(quick links to jump down to the particular section)
The Transparent Society, by David Brin
Beyond Fear, by Bruce Schneier
Labyrinths, by Jose Luis Borges
Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card
Ender's Game is a classic sci-fi novel that I somehow missed in my younger years, when I attempted to read the entire genre. After seeing this book mentioned recently in a number of different places, I was happy to borrow it from Elissa (a family friend) when she coincidentally mentioned her current obsession with Orson Scott Card.
The novel takes place in a future where the West and the Soviet Bloc have temporarily put aside their differences to combat the alien threat: the buggers, a (bug-like, as you might have guessed) race of aliens have come twice to our solar system; we cannot establish communications; the buggers attacked and were only barely repelled. For the past hundred years, the world has been breeding super-intelligent kids, with the hope of finding 'the one' who will be able to lead the human fleet to victory. They're hoping Ender's the one. It's a fairly engaging, if somewhat predictable read, and Card does a good job of presenting Ender as a complex and multi-faceted character (click here for a couple of additional, less directly relevant thoughts).
I would recommend Ender's Game to all Sci-Fi buffs. If your not that big Sci-Fi all that much, you'll probably get more enjoyment out of one of Stephenson's books, such as Snowcrash or Cryptonomicon, or one of William Gibson's books, such as Neuromancer (albeit a bit dated now, but another classic), Idoru, or his latest, Pattern Recognition. Or even Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, my latest favorite (reviewed below)
Globalization and Its Discontents, by Joseph Stiglitz
I wrote a much longer review over on In Theory. I've included only the concluding paragraph here, since I don't think the topic (or the book) is really of general interest.
Stiglitz does at least bring a different perspective to a number of the IMF's actions in the 1990's. However, I have to agree with the Economist review - this is not about globalization. It is about the IMF and its response to the crises of the nineties, with an emphasis of what Stiglitz would have done differently. It is not about the benefits from the freer flows of trade and information, and from the necessary transition of much of the world from an agricultural to an industrial and eventually service economy. While Stiglitz likely believes that all of these things are ultimately beneficial, he really only expounds on the negatives of the IMF 'rushing' things. So if you want to learn more about globalization, read Against the Dead Hand. But if you are interested in the arcane economic and political details of how the IMF functions and how it impacts the world, read Globalization and its Discontents. But read Rogoff's rebuttal first.
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, by Cory Doctorow (also available online for free)
One reviewer called Down and Out "as much fun as Snowcrash", and since that's more or less the reference sci-fi novel among my friends (and definitely among my non-sci-fi friends) it seems like a good comparison. Down and Out doesn't have the sweeping scope of Snowcrash - no-one's aiming for world domination - nonetheless, like Stephenson, Doctorow envisages a radically different society shaped by easily imaginable (and quite likely) technological advances.
Jules, the main character, has taken up permanent residence at Disney World, in a future where everyone is online all the time, and the only scarcity is reputation points, called 'Whuffie", which come and go based on other people's gratitude or dismay. When Jules is murdered (and then recovered from the backup he had done just minutes before the murder), he gets on edge, and things spiral down from there.
I would recommend Down and Out to anyone interested in a likely highly accurate portrayal of the near-future. Highly Recommended.
(Although I do recommend actually purchasing the book - it's definitely worth it - it is a quick enough read to be managable on-screen should you have some free time at the office.)
A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East, by David Fromkin
This sweeping book, more relevant to current affairs by the day, details (as you might expect from the title) the shaping of the modern Middle East, which took place primarily during and after World War I as a result of the fall of the Ottoman Empire. The Brits, and specifically the ignorant and bigoted officials of the 'Cairo office', were the main culprits in the eventual mess that ensued - Britain started the war with colonies in Egypt and India, and 'protectorates' in Afghanistan and Iran, and they thought they knew how to manipulate events to their benefit, initially with a goal of extracting themselves after the war, and later (after a change of government) with a goal of taking over more or less the entire region as the spoils of war.The French, with whom the British made some early agreements on the matter, felt that their historical 'parental' role in the Middle East, based on their forts and missionary activities dating back to the Crusades (yes, THOSE Crusades), required their continuing presence in the area. It turned out that the Turks and Arabs had ideas of their own.
A Peace to End All Peace is an intriguing look at how the actions of a small group of British officials, over a relatively short period of time, had an incredibly long-lasting impact on what is today the most volatile part of the world. Highly recommended.
Spaceland, by Rudy Rucker
Ever read 'Flatland'? I haven't. Maybe you saw the Simpsons episode where Homer becomes 3D? Same idea. Spaceland is an updated version of Flatland. The protagonist starts in our three dimensional world and then comes into contact with some four-dimensional beings who have some new technology for him that they want him to commercialize. The year is 1999 and he's in Silicon Valley, so things proceed from there are one might expect...but of course everything is not quite as it seems, even taking the extra dimension into account. Highly recommended for scifi and math/physics buffs. Others may enjoy but have been warned.
Botany of Desire, by Michael Pollan
Pollan looks at four plants that he sees as satisfying four key elements of human desire: The apple (sweetness), the tulip (beauty), marijuana (intoxication), and the potato (control). The book is separated into sections which discuss each of these plants - the first section on the apple focuses on Johnny Appleseed, the second on Tulipomania, the third on intoxification throughout history and its dependence on plants and relation to religion, and the last on agriculture, specifically monoculture, as was initiated with the potato and continues today.
While the author and reviewers make much of the idea that 'plants are influencing us as much as we are influencing them', I think this gives plants a bit too much credit for the process of natural selection. Nevertheless, the book is filled with fascinating stories and historical tidbits (for example, the apple originated in the Kazak forests, where to this day there are apple trees up to three hundred feet tall).
Lastly, the discussion of organic farming vs. monoculture has definitely made me more a fan of organic- even if it's not cheap enough to feed the world's poor, it seems worth it for those who can afford it. Highly recommended.
Against the Dead Hand, by Brink Lindsey
This brilliant book, which Knowledge@Wharton refers to as "an extension – even a continuation – of the work of Nobel Prize-winning economist Friedrich Hayek," analysize the current state of globalization. While Lindsey is bullish on the progress of globalization and hopeful that the process will continue, he certainly does not believe that it has been the overwhelming success alleged by both most proponents as well as opponents of globalization.
Lindsey refers to the massive centralization that occured over the past century as 'the Dead Hand'. The theory and vast appeal of centralization began around the time of Marx and reached its apogee sometime mid-century. Since then we have seen a gradual return to decentralized markets, mainly prompted by the overwhelming economic and political failures of communism and, to a lesser extent, socialism. Lindsey argues that many of the failures attributed to globalization are in fact the result of countries dismantling only one part of the centralized economy, for example by liberalizing trade without privatizing state-owned enterprises or otherwise liberalising labor markets. The resulting interactions are frequently negative and almost always seen as a fault of globalization, when in fact the problem is the remaining vestiges of centralized planning.
Knowledge@Wharton calls this book "arguably the most important of all the books that have recently been written about globalization" and I wholeheartedly agree. To the extent that I am religious, my religion is the free market, and Against the Dead Hand is my new bible. Highly Recommended.
Natural Capitalism, by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins
Natural Capitalism starts with the premise that we are not properly taking into account all of our natural capital. In other words, we are using up all of the world's resources in an unsustainable fashion (a rather common perspective amount environmentalists). Not only will many of the resources run out, at which point we will have to come up with some other way of servicing our material society's needs, but taking these resources out of the ecology of the planet is doing permanent damage that may result in significant changes to the ecosystem of the planet and its ability to support life as it exists today.
Around this premise, the book claims to describe business opportunities for entrepreneurs instead of policy prescriptions. I found this claim to be lacking; much of the book, for better or worse, is devoted to analyzing the current state of policymaking as related to natural resources and suggesting alternatives, and then describing potential business opportunities within that alternative policy structure. That said, I found a number of the arguments if not convincing than at least intriguing, and there are indeed at least a few ideas for how business can capitalize on the seeming market inefficiency. A perspective worth exploring.
The China Dream, by Joe Studwell
The China Dream is a surprisingly readable and exciting (given the seemingly dry subject matter) history of the ongoing attempts by Western businesses to break into the China market and of the perpetual 'dream' of 'just selling each person one [insert product here]'. Studwell focuses primarily on the 1990's, starting with Deng's liberalization efforts and continuing up through 2001. He focuses particularly on the escapades of a small number of Western firms including McDonnel-Douglas and GM that poured hundreds of millions into China with nothing to show for it. GM, for example, predicted sales of a million cars a year by 2000, but instead has barely crossed the 50,000/year line (oops). Highly recommended for anyone interested in business in China.
Toast: And Other Rusted Futures, by Charles Stross
I bought on the recommendation of Cory Doctorow (can't find the particular post). This is a collection of pre-singularity sci-fi stories, they start out very strong, but get weaker as the collection goes on. Charlie also has a great short story called Lobsters, available online at Asimov SF. Now that is definitely worth reading.
(btw, if you've never heard of the singularity, it's time to pay google a visit.)
Getting Things Done, by David Allen
Hundreds of messages in your inbox? Piles of papers on and around your desk? This book is for you. Allen outlines and then details an easy-to-follow process for organizing all of the 'stuff' in your life and then keeping it under control. I found it very helpful and have adopted virtually all of his suggestions.
Ramayana, the Buck version
Along with the Mahabharata, these are the two defining books if the Hindu religion. I read Ramayana in preparation for our trip to Cambodia. It's like reading 400 pages of Greek myths. Strange but interesting stuff. A difficult read though.
Lords of the Rim, by Sterling Seagrave
Recommended by Aaron - fascinating book that traces the history of the Overseas Chinese from the early Chinese Empires and their distate for businesspeople through the present day. Great anecdotes, including the evil eunich brought a deer into the imperial court and pretended it was a horse - everyone else played along as well and the Emperor abdicated because he concluded he was hallucinating. The 20th century information is very enlightening and interesting - the hard working and extremely family loyal Chinese have dominated the economies of every country in East/S.E. Asia for centuries - but the 'informal' economy may have finally hit a wall. Some high level parallels with The Mystery of Capital.
[Update: I have been informed that Seagrave has some factual issues and tends to exagerate the importance of the village networks. Something to keep in mind, still worth reading though.]
Down Under, by Bill Bryson
A must read for anyone going to Australia or wanting to learn more about the country/continent. This book, also known as In a Sunburnt Country, was recommended to me by Mike Mill of SMEloan immediately before my trip to Australia. I read it while there, and it enhanced the trip immeasurably. Highly Recommended.
The Mystery of Capital, by Hernando de Soto
Radical look at a previously 'undiscovered' problem of the poor in the third world. Another must-read, this one for anyone who wants to see capitalism succeed for the rich and poor alike in the developing world. de Soto argues that the informal economies of the poor are actually very advanced and they have developed quasi-legal systems to settle disputes amongst themselves - when he looked into the history of the US and Western Europe, he found that there were lots of quasi-legal systems in the past, especially during the Western push and also the gold rush, and that over the course of a couple of hundred years, we integrated all of the quasi-legal systems into an overall legal framework, thus 'democratizing', in a sense, capitalism, and thereby laying the ground work for the massive growth we have seen in the 20th century
(I also think there are parallels to the current IP debates, i.e. SSSCA/CDTPA/RIAA/etc- we are again at a point where we need to re-evaluate the system of property ownership - the government can adapt to the new order or become irrelevant.)
The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell
Quick and easy read on how trends start. See more on Malcolm Gladwell below, he is a great storyteller.
The Coming Collapse of China, by Gordon Cheung
A convincing account of the state of business and government in China and a scary conclusion that the current government is likely headed for collapse.
Take the Cannoli : Stories from the New World, by Sarah Vowell
Vowell is another This American Life contributor, her book is in the TAL tradition, funny stories of growing up and whatnot. Good travel reading.
Shogun , by James Clavell
Recommended by Gary Baker. Very long but fascinating book about Japan the 17th century. Highly recommend.
The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size, by Tor Nrretranders, et al
I actually read this book a few years ago but forgot to put it on the list below, and it is really an amazing book on consciousness and the brain. The title comes from the fact that your conscious mind actually receives input from the world half a second later than it occurs - your unconscious mind spends that half a second processing the information and then places it back in time when it send it to your consciousness. Think about that for a bit.
John E. Mueller
Capitalism, Democracy, and Ralph's Pretty Good Grocery
Mueller believes that people's expectations for democracy are far too high, and that their expectations for capitalism far too low. If people better understood how both of these institutions worked, they would not be perpectually expecting more voter participation, more effective leadership, etc. from democracy, and they would not see capitalism as based on greed.
While I certainly agree with Mueller's premise and did so even before reading the book, he really does present a simple, clear argument in a very readable text. Unlike most books on political/economic subjects, this is an easy and fast read that presents the argument and supporting information without getting bogged down in theory or empirical evidence.
Michael Patrick MacDonald
All Souls: A Family Story from Southie
Michael grew up in South Boston in the seventies, when Whitey Bulger and the FBI conspired to create a massive wasteland of drug abuse and crime. This book is a true story about his life growing up poor in Southie. The reader watches sibling after sibling, friend after friend, succumb to the drug trade, and, almost without exception, to a young and unnecessary death. Very moving story opening a window into a world we can barely imagine. Will likely make you very, very angry with the FBI.
Philip Gourevitch
We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
Another amazing non-fiction book, this time about the genocide that took place in Rwanda just a few years ago, out of site and out of mind of the rest of the world. The Hutus took over the radio station and broadcast their intention for weeks - and no-one did anything. So they did what they said they would do, and killed all of the Tutsis they could.
Michael Lewis
The New New Thing: A Silicon Valley Story
Michael Lewis is a great writer. His Slate dispatches on the Microsoft trial (which they seem to have removed from the web, unfortunately) were spectacular. The New New Thing is the story of Jim Clark, Netscape, and the beginning of the Internet bubble. Netscape was a pioneer, the first IPO of an unprofitable company, and the reason why Netscape went public so early was because Jim Clark saw someone's ninety foot sailboat, and he wanted one that was bigger and better. Clark is a real-life caricature, an incredible guy, and this is his story.
Neal Stephenson
Everyone who reads this book loves it. Takes place in present day and also WWII, the story shifts back and forth between the two timeframes. The focus of the book, not surprisingly, is cryptography, but Cryptonomicon appeals to people who don't even really know what cryptography is.
Cyberpunk novel about the near-future. People spend lots of time plugged into the 'Metaverse', a 3D fully interactive version of the Internet. World domination plot by a religious/media mogul. Excellent book- very highly recommended.
Another Cyberpunk novel, this one a big further in the future, where nanotechnology is highly developed, and the world has devolved into a matrix of civilization networks. Members of the 'elite' civilization live at the top, both literally and figuratively, and travel around the world from enclave to enclave. Not quite as good as the other two books, but still one of my favorites.
Early contributor to This American Life. Apparently, Ira Glass (the producer of TAM) was David's ticket to fame, as Ira Glass mentions in this speech - while Ira was working on NPR's Morning Edition, he used the 'Santaland Diaries' (which I highly recommend) for a Christmas special.
Hilarious laugh out loud book of short stories about Sedaris's childhood and other experiences.
Includes the written version of the Santaland diaries, Sedaris's experience working as an elf at Macy's for a couple of years.
His most recent collection, including stories from Paris, where he is currently residing. As good as the first two...
David Eggers
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
His only book to date.. It has received rather stellar reviews overall, which I feel are fairly well deserved. A funny and moving story. He is now the publisher of McSweeneys, which is basically web-avoiding. While this is certainly a negative, I did break down and subscribe to the printed version. The last issue was a binder filled with individually bound short stories. Alicia was quite pleased with the whole thing.
David Brooks
A good book from someone with whom I otherwise, in general, disagree (Brooks is one of the editors of the Weekly Standard, a very conservative washington magazine). Bobos in Paradise profiles the new elite - the 'Bohemian Borgeois' as Brooks calls them, 'bobo's for short. It's the melding of the sixties with a borgeois ethics.
Robert Cialdini
Influence : The Psychology of Persuasion
Excellent book discussing the various methods of persuasion that sales people, charitable organizations, and many others uses very effectively every day. Also presents some fascinating material on the phenomenon of group behavior - for example, if someone on the street falls over and appears injured, a person walking alone is many times more likely to stop and help than a group of people. Highly recommended.
John King Fairbank
Recommended by Tim Young, it is definitely the most readable history of China that I have attempted so far. I previously attempted a couple of books, including The Concise History of China, which is to be avoided at all costs. The Great Chinese Revolution covers from 1800 through present day, starting towards the end of the Chi'ing (Manchu) dynasty, right around when the British came on the scene, and just before the Taiping rebellion.
Chris Patten
East and West: China, Power, and the Future of Asia
Chris Patten, as you may be aware, was the last British governor of Hong Kong (he is now the British representative to the EU, I believe, or some such thing). I read his book on the recommendation of Paolo Picazo. Another excellent read, East and West recounts Patten's experience negotiating with the Chinese over the future of Hong Kong, as well as many other aspects of his tenure in HK and his general thoughts on 'the Asian way', etc.
And other stuff (columnists, authors, radio personalities, web pages, etc)
Ira Glass ( Contentville, Yahoo)
Host and creator of This American Life (there it is again), which was my favorite show on public radio. He gave a graduation speech at Berkeley School of Journalism in June 2000 which gives you a good understanding for how TAM came about.
I actually came across Gladwell in this "What I'm Reading Now 7/11/2000" column by Ira Glass. In fact, Six Degrees of Lois Weisberg and The New-Boy Network, both recommended by Ira, are actually excellent articles, although there is overlap with The Tipping Point. I believe the book is, in fact, in storage in the US. Perhaps I will purchase again at some point, once I make it through the twenty unread books on my bookshelf, and then fifty or so more I have on my list to read...
Postrel is the former editor-in-chief of Reason Magazine, one of my favorite magazines (its slogan is "Free Minds and Free Markets"). Reason is a libertarian magazine, but not to be confused with the Libertarian Party, which doesn't necessarily share the same views (the LP is much more political than Reason Magazine, which is more like a thinktank journal- and in fact, the magazine is supported by the Reason Public Policy Institute, which is a thinktank).
Postrel is the author of The Future and its Enemies: The Growing Conflict over Creativity, Enterprise and Progress. Postrel sees the political environment shifting from left wing vs. right wing to stasists vs. dynamists: those who wish to see things stay the same against those who are in favor of constant change and progress. The far left and the far right suddenly share the same view on political issues such as globalization, GMO's, etc. A very compelling argument for the new politics and for freedom and choice.