Another Word for Nerd

A *good* book. It started out slow, but sucked me in about halfway through. The premise boils down to “about 90% of people’s first instincts or gut reactions are correct, but we don’t know exactly why”. Some of the examples are great - my favorite was comparing traders on an exchange floor with generals on a battlefield.

I actually read this about six months ago; it’s the precursor to “Blink”. I remember reading about how little things can affect an entire market - almost like “The Butterfly Effect”. Good, but I liked Blink better.

Evan was an “embedded” reporter with one of the first Marine forces to enter Iraq in Operation Iraqi Freedom. An excellent report, and it shows what the troops “over there” are going through. A followup with a current-day occupation force dealing with Iraqi insurgents would be nice.

Swofford’s memoir of going into the Marine Corps, becoming a sniper, and being sent to Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in the early 90s. There are a few “urban legend” tales presented in the book as fact, but overall it was an entertaining read (I finished it in a single sitting). Swofford clearly had issues with being in the Marines, and lets it show.

I’d heard good things about this book, and wasn’t dissapointed. Where else are you going to read about the financial operations of a major crack dealer and why he still lives at home with his parents?

I’d heard about Sedaris, but never read him before. I picked this up because I was bored, and it turned out to be one of the funniest “personal stories” books I’ve read in a long time. I’ll be picking up “Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim”, the sequel, soon.