Book-A-Day

I'm sure you as my massive reading audience greatly enjoyed my month in books (not that I'm suggesting that you, dear reader, are personally massive). This will be my last post until my next Book-a-Day month, at a yet to be determined point in the future. Here are my December awards: Book of the Month Award - Arabian Nights and Days , by Naguib Mahfouz Honorable Mentions - Homage to Catalonia , by George Orwell; The Atom Station , by Halldor Laxness; The Spy Who Came in from the Cold , by John le Carré Worst Book Award - The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mystery and Suspense , by Joyce Carol Oates Dishonorable Mention - Into the Wild , by Jon Krakauer And here are some of the things I learned over the month of December: If you choose to read a book a day, pick a month other than December to do it, even though you'll be out of school. The holidays really screw with the reading time. Avoid trying to read a short story collection in a single day. Write in your blog immediat...

December 31, 2009 Book of the Day: Homage to Catalonia , by George Orwell Grade: A First published: 1938 1-word review: Civility 8-word review: It's preferable not to be shot at all. George Orwell goes to Spain in 1936 to report on its civil war. He ends up joining a militia, the Workers' Party of Marxist Unity (POUM), and becoming an active fighter in the struggle against Franco. Despite joining a group with communist sympathies, Orwell finds much to criticize in the practical application of communism as a political philosophy, although he finds POUM's anti-Stalinist stance more palatable than some of the other Marxist groups active in the Spanish Civil War. He ends up leaving for England after surviving being shot in the neck. Spain spent decades under fascism before becoming the relatively liberal democracy it is today. Learn from this, Idaho! Shrug of the propagandists of the right and aim for the light of freedom! What have you gained from blindly following a sin...

December 30, 2009 Book of the Day: The Theory of the Leisure Class , by Thorstein Veblen Grade: A- First published: 1899 1-word review: Conspicuous 7-word review: It's all pecuniary conspicuity, you materialistic bastard. This is an interesting, sometimes funny, frequently profound, take on our consumer culture. There's a certain desire to achieve material success just to show others that we have achieved material success. Furthermore, our motivation comes from seeing the success of others. These factors lead to what Veblen calls "conspicuous consumption." We like other people to notice our stuff. Then there are those who try to try to wow you with their stuff when their stuff isn't all that impressive. Veblen refers to these people as "Boise State fans." Just a little love tap.