reading

I'm not sure what took over me, but April was non-fiction reading month.

Susie visited a month ago and, as usual, one of our stops was the local Borders. We hit the "Buy 2 Get 1 Free" table and I picked up Anna Seierstad's The Bookseller of Kabul. The book chronicles a period in the life of a well off (in comparison to everyone else in their town) Afghanistani family post 9/11 after the Taliban were driven away. I didn't know much about that part of the world and after reading this book it made me appreciate the freedoms we enjoy in this country even more. The chapters that focused on Sultan's younger sister and his son were the most moving.

I finished the Bookseller of Kabul mid-commute so I dropped in Kramers and perused their non-fiction trade paperback table. I remember Tim Harford's The Undercover Economist selling well so I decided to give it a try (if I didn't like I could always return it as long as I didn't dog ear the pages.) It was Economics 101 in book form. Now I know why Starbucks charges what they charge for a cup of coffee; why so many countries grow coffee; why some countries have improved the countries' financial stability while others continue to have the lowest GNPs; why supermarkets charge different prices in different locations for the same item; and how Amazon targeted their prices to individual shoppers.

There were many mentions of globalization which led me to read Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains The World. Chris, my BFF, is a hard core soccer fan ... hardcore. I've heard him talk at length about AC Milan, Arsenal, and Chelsea. Foer's book delves into their inceptions, how they compare to other teams, and how their successes or failures depended on their countries government policies, religious fervor, and cultural differences. Now when Chris babbles about Ronoldo, Shevchenko, and Baros, I'll know which hottie he's referring to, what country they're from, and who they play for.