Adult

I include this book because Stephen Krashen tells me that this is one of the most purchased and least read books. I know that I began reading it because I thought it would make me sound intelligent at cocktail parties. Unfortunately, it bored me after 30 pages. Tell me if you get through it.

Authors of the wonderful Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes, this book comes long just in time for the election. Democrats and Republicans, Libertarians and Visigoths will all enjoy this terrific look at how politicians from all time periods and ideological backgrounds use words to deceive and confuse.  

This is the type of book that will interest anyone in science. It was a bestseller a few years back, but I am always surprised by how few people I know have ever heard of this gem. Back in the early 18th century, determining longitude was as big of a problem as discovering a cure for cancer is today. Thousands of seamen lost their lives because of man’s inability to accurately determine an east-west position. Then along came a country carpenter by the name of John Harrison whose skill at clock-making changed the fate of the world. Were it not for King George III in 1773, though, nobody would have known of Harrison’s contribution. And I am not even telling you the most appealing and appalling parts of the story.

So I subscribe to Entertainment Weekly, and I often read Gillian Flynn’s pieces. Nothing, however, prepared me for this gripping horror/suspense. Flynn has written a frighteningly memorable debut novel that left me eager to purchase her next effort.

I figured that I should include at least one positive motivational book for those who want to make good on some of their New Year’s resolutions. I cannot say there is anything new here, but I am a believer in reading positive messages repeatedly, and Ford does a good job of pointing out the power of visualization before action.

This one reads like a college freshman version of The Catcher in the Rye. A clever satire that blends laughs and tears, joys and fears. I enjoyed how this novel captured a contrarian perspective of the early college experience.

I love to travel. Ever since my wife and I had the kids, though, we find our travels constrained within America’s borders. Fortunately, there are plenty of great travel books out there that capture the imagination. If you do not come away from Goldberg’s tribute to Prague wanting to purchase a plane ticket, you probably are destined to live out the rest of your days griping from your armchair about how you never get to go anywhere. While Goldberg’s writing style might not capture your imagination, Prague will. Click here to read a brief blog of my thoughts on Prague (taken from my unpublished book.)

I teach a class entitled “Language Learning,” so it makes sense that I am interested in linguistics. Sadly, most linguistic books are so dry that they cause most to lose any interest in the subject. McWhorter’s history of English is readable and filled with cool insights and anecdotes. Give it a shot.