Worthy Reading Recently

Bernstein; The Birth of Plenty – How the Prosperity of the Modern World Was Created.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=mHu1TRylOS&isbn=0071421920&itm=1
About 1820, after a few thousand years of relative economic stagnation, something happened to change everything. In the author’s words: “…my task…is to uncover the cultural and historic factors that came together during the early nineteenth century and ignited the great economic takeoff of the modern world…” Bernstein tells the story well.

Huntley; Eight Days in Provence.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=mHu1TRylOS&isbn=097118691X&itm=1
“And in the darkness there was the uncomplicated comfort found only in the arms of a stranger…” A love story.
Gordon; An Empire of Wealth – The Epic History of American Economic Power.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=mHu1TRylOS&isbn=0060093625&itm=1
“…For while the United States has only 6 percent of the land and people, it has close to 30 percent of the world’s gross domestic product, more than three times that of any other country…” Gordon tells why. Lots of surprises and interesting characters in this story. For the best sweep, read Gordon’s Empire then Bernstein’s “Birth.”
Applebaum; Gulag: A History.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=mHu1TRylOS&isbn=1400034094&itm=1
The author noticed that Western tourists in Prague bought lots of Soviet military paraphernalia, but would not have worn Nazi badges and pins. She adds: “…the lesson could not have been clearer: while the symbol of one mass murder fills us with horror, the symbol of another mass murder makes us laugh.” Applebaum explains why. Read only when in a good mood.
Tufte; Envisioning Information.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=mHu1TRylOS&isbn=0961392118&itm=1
A revolutionary bible of how to better present and evaluate data of all kinds. Elegantly produced volume.