February Books...

Babylon By Bus:
The true story of two college dropout hipsters who invented the “Yankees Suck” T-Shirt, making a small fortune in the process, decide to travel the world, making increasingly extreme travel adventures until ultimately traveling by bus from Amman Jordan to Baghdad Iraq, where they land jobs coordinating NGO’s for the Coalition Provisional Authority in the middle of the Iraq War. I was expecting outrageously tales of warzone hijinks, surreal experiences, and lots of heavy drug use which I got- what I didn’t expect was such a coherently written book that also strongly analyzed the current situation in Iraq. Jeff and Ray do have crazy adventures, but also detail the massive blunders and shortsightedness that had lead to the ever declining quagmire in Iraq, but do it without oversimplified anti-war rhetoric. Great as an adventure story, great as a warzone tale, and incisive and educational about many of the reasons why things have gotten so bad, this one I’d recommend on all counts- except for the kind of crappy writing.

The Ruins: Scott
Great travel horror novel by the author of A Simple Plan. Recommended beach or airplane reading.

The Places In Between: Rory Stewart
A much more interesting, funny, and well written book about Afghanistan than the kite runner. Written by a british historian who literally walked across the country after the fall of the Taliban. Amazing dry wit, astute cultural observations and keen political understanding.

Off The Books- The Underground Economy of the Urban Poor- Sudhir Venkatesh
Somewhat reminiscient of “nickel and dimed” about the working poor, but really tackles race and gender as well as class in an academic (but accessible) sociological/economic study of one neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. This is also the writer cited in “freakonimics,” which I really enjoyed. Its about the off-the-books work that people who are unemployable by the mainstream do- some of which is drug dealing and prostituion, but much of which is informal off the books, childcare, counseling, and other entrepreneurial jobs in order to make ends meet. Also explains the symbiotic roles of community leaders from pastors to gang leaders, and why neither are entirely what they seem. The only problem issue is making sure that it is read and thought over carefully to understand nuances and lack of choices available to people outside of white middle class America, because it could almost just as easily perpetuate negative stereotypes about people in the inner city.

Islam: Karen Armstrong
The origins and early history were fascinating, and then it really started to slow down in the middle. The last part picked up steam again as it discussed Islam’s struggle to move into modernity, and explained the historical forces that push to move the religion forwards and backwards.