THE ELISSON BOOKSHELF

Or, What I’ve Been Reading Lately.

It’s been ten months since I’ve posted about the Old Book Pile d’Elisson. As I said last time I did so, putting up a list of the books I’ve been reading is nothing more than another great big Exercise in Self-Indulgence, right up there along with my Friday Random Ten. But, of course, that won’t stop me...

So: What has Old Uncle Elisson has been reading over this last couple of months, anyway?

March

• On The Wealth Of Nations - P. J. O’Rourke
  
  The premier conservative humorist deconstructs the Founding Document of Western-style capitalism in his inimitable style.
  
  
• Here Comes Civilization: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn, Volume II - William Tenn
  
  
• Immodest Proposals: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn, Volume I - William Tenn
  
  A two-volume retrospective featuring one of the great (and underappreciated) science fiction writers of the twentieth century. Tenn is insightful and sharp-witted in this collection, a must-read for any serious SF reader. Needless to say, I read Volume II first, since I had to jump through hoops to find a copy of Volume I.
  
  

April

• Eat What You Want and Die Like a Man: The World's Unhealthiest Cookbook - Steve H. Graham
  
  The author is none other than blogdom’s own Steve H., proprietor of Hog on Ice and Roller Coaster of Hate. This book, originally published using the tried-and-true vanity press route, will shortly be coming to a bookstore near you, courtesy of a Real Publisher. I recommend it more for Teh Funny than the recipes, which are devastatingly tasty-sounding but which will stop your heart.
  
  
• Nasty Bits, The: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable Trim, Scraps, and Bones - Anthony Bourdain
  
  More Cheffy Fun from the author of Kitchen Confidential.
  
  
• Good, the Spam, and the Ugly, The: Shooting It Out with Internet Bad Guys - Steve H. Graham
  
  Steve H. takes on Nigerian internet spammers. Hilarity ensues.
  
  

May

• Rollback - Robert J. Sawyer
  
  What happens when the aliens finally start communicating with us? And how do we establish a dialogue when each message takes thirty-two years to reach its recipient? That premise is intriguing enough, but it’s just the backdrop to the real story: What if you and your True Love of a lifetime can have your youth back...and what if the treatment only works on one of you?
  
  
• Platinum Pohl - Frederik Pohl
  
  An anthology of some of Fred Pohl’s finest short stories.
  
  
• The Yiddish Policemen’s Union - Michael Chabon
  
  A noirish-Yiddish detective novel set in an intriguing alternate world, a world in which the Jewish homeland is established, not in Palestine, but in Alaska - an idea that actually was considered for a brief time following World War II.
  
  

June

• America Alone: The End Of The World As We Know It - Mark Steyn
  
  A humorous look at a serious subject in the vein of P. J. O’Rourke, this book examines the decline of Europe and the ascendancy of Islamic “Eurabia,” a shift in civilization driven by birthrates, religion, and politics.
  
  
• Enchanter Completed, The: A Tribute Anthology for L. Sprague de Camp - Harry Turtledove (editor)
  
  A collection of SF and fantasy stories honoring the late author L. Sprague de Camp, writer of Lest Darkness Fall and numerous other tales.
  
  
• Einstein: His Life and Universe - Walter Isaacson
  
  A detailed and eminently readable examination of Einstein’s life and his contributions to 20th century physics - contributions that have not only changed the way we look at the world, but that have changed the world itself.

What have you been reading lately?