What I’ve Been Reading

1. Steven Teles, The Rise of the Conservative Legal Movement.  It covers the Federalist Society, GMU School of Law, Institute for Justice, among other institutions.  The material rang true to what I know; Orin Kerr comments.

2. Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters.  This one blew me away; you don’t even have to like poetry, it is more like reading letters.  You do need to know a little about his life with Sylvia Plath to appreciate it.  A modern masterpiece, highly recommended.

3. 2666: A Novel, by Roberto Bolaño, you can pre-order it here.  So far I’m only reading the Amazon site every few days or so, thinking about when the book will come.

4. Francisco Goldman, The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?.  Maybe the best book on why Guatemala is such a mess but also on why there is hope.  Make sure you read the dissenting reviews on Amazon.

5. Hubble: The Mirror on the Universe, revised and updated, by Robin Kerrod and Carole Stott.  Stunning.  Most smart people make the mistake of not reading enough picture books.  It’s not just that the pictures are good; the text must concentrate on what is truly essential.