The Undercover Economist Strikes Back: How to Run -- or Ruin -- an Economy by Tim Harford
I enjoy books about economics, and while I've read probably 10+ books on issues related to microeconomics, I've only read a few macroeconomics related books. However, of those that I've read, this is the best macroeconomics book. It is very readable and easy to understand due to the creative question and answer format of the book, and it is written from a fairly balanced perspective. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about macroeconomics. Grade: B+
Love & Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality by Edward Fenkel
This book is about 50% autobiographical: telling the story of a Jewish mathematician growing up in the USSR. This autobiographical half of the book is very interesting. The other 50% of the book is a summary of Fenkel's mathematical research and the Langlands program. This half is also interesting, but pretty difficult to digest. I've learned and taught a lot of mathematics -- I'm basically at the level of a graduate student, but I did not understand all of the presented information. An interesting book, but the math is a little overwhelming at times. Grade: B-
Sycamore Row by John Grisham
A classic John Grisham novel with a recurring character from his very first book -- A Time to Kill. This isn't his best book -- I still put A Painted House as his best book, and it won't be his best selling, but it still one of his 10 best -- maybe even in the top 5. It is a little slow at times, but it is also an incredibly moving story at times. Grade: B
