Archive for the ‘Nonfiction’ Category

Blindsided by KC Joyner Is the left tackle position overrated? Are the ’85 Bears the best defense ever? Is the NFL a capitalist democracy or a socialist state? Who is the best wide receiver ever? What Hall of Fame nominees that have been denied multiple times should have been inducted by now? Is a superstar [...]

The Progress Paradox: How Life Gets Better While People Feel Worse by Gregg Easterbrook Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Gregg Easterbrook’s writing. Some of the articles he has written for The Atlantic, Slate, Wired, The New Republic and others are some of the most interesting and down-to-earth stuff I have consistently read [...]

Candy Girl: A Year In The Life Of An Unlikely Stripper by Diablo Cody Humor and eroticism are two things that are highly subjective. Unlike performing arts or music wherein you can defend something with the “classic” card (i.e.-you may not like Bach or Raphael but because you cannot deny their impact, you have to [...]

Guns, Germs, And Steel: The Fates Of Human Societies by Jared Diamond A few years ago I read a book about Poland and when I was done with it all I could think of was one thing: location means everything if a country is to thrive. It goes without saying that I love living in [...]

’77: Denver, The Broncos, And A Coming Of Age by Terry Frei Before John Elway made his way into the hearts and souls of Broncos fans and the citizens of Denver, the Broncos fielded an odd collection of players in 1976 and made a Super Bowl run into 1977 before ultimately falling at the hands [...]

Strange Bedfellows: How Late-Night Comedy Turns Democracy Into A Joke by Russell L. Peterson While comedy and politics have always been intertwined, something strange happened in our culture over the last forty years: political humor became more and more pervasive yet the messengers eagerly declared that they held no political allegiance and that, c’mon folks, [...]

The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup by Susan Orlean It is probably the goal of many a journalist or writer (or documentary producer) to take seemingly mundane people or events and dig around until something remarkable is discovered. It is probably the most difficult task to accomplish in any media because the end result may, in [...]

The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean I have never bought any orchids nor have I ever attempted to grow any in my spare time. The only time I went to Florida was to go to Disney World when I was in the fifth grade. I have never seen an alligator and I have never walked [...]

Pictures At A Revolution by Mark Harris In 1967, five movies were released and nominated for Best Picture–Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Doctor Dolittle, In The Heat Of The Night, and Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. Pictures At A Revolution, the first book from Entertainment Weekly‘s Mark Harris, gives you the back story of all [...]

Can I Keep My Jersey? by Paul Shirley Can I Keep My Jersey? is a deceptively good book. The introduction is written by Chuck Klosterman who, in my opinion, is one of the funniest writers currently taking up residence in the United States. The introduction is very funny as per usual but it arrives at [...]