Samer wrote: (1) If you had to recommend *one* 'must-read' book for people to read over the summer--on its own merits, independent of its usefulness to QB--what would you recommend (and, if you like, why would you recommend it)? I'd probably pick ~Guns, Germs, and Steel~ by Jared Diamond, for those who haven't read it already. It's an excellent explanation of how the interactions of biology and geography may have shaped human cultures, presenting an alternative to the xenophobic attitudes that have been all too common for millennia. Since the book doesn't take any particular political stance, it should be accessible to readers across the political spectrum. Close runners-up (each is a few years old): ~Consilience~, by E.O Wilson, and ~Song of the Dodo~, by David Quammen. (2) If you had to *dis*recommend one book, what would it be (and, if you like, why)? [In other words, what's the worst 'general-audience' book you'll admit to having read? :)] Well, I dunno -- that one's harder. Do Jack Chick tracts count as "books"? :-) (3) What was the last book you read because you _wanted_ to read it? [It's OK if it was required reading, so long as you ultimately enjoyed it.] For sheer escapist fun, I recently read Dave Barry's "Big Trouble". It's exactly what you'd expect from a crime farce by Dave Barry. It's out in paper, and you can knock it off in one afternoon at the beach. Julie
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