What I've been reading

With winter break, I tend to stay busy but shift my work load.  The breaks give me the opportunity to read a few books.  Some are more for entertainment, while others more for work.  Here's the list:



1. Double Down.  Game Change 2012.

The authors are leftists, but once you get beyond that its pretty good.  The story of how all the Republicans who could have seriously challenged Romney (and/or Obama) decided not to run was quite interesting.

2. The Bet

A fascinating book telling the story of a population-control advocate and an economist.  The population control advocate thought that science would stop advancing lead to mass-starvation.  He was a Malthusian, basically (called neo-Malthusians in the book).  The economist disagreed.  The Malthusian echoed many of the wolf-cries you still hear today from the left.  (If we don't do something now, in just five years things will be terrible.)  Of course, this story started in the late 1960s, which puts some well-needed perspective on the cry-wolf mentality of many today.

3. College Unbound

An outstanding look at the current state of higher education with thoughts on what will happen in the future.  Susquehanna University is mentioned in the list of schools that are doing something extra-special to give students who attend value.

4. The Assumptions Economists Make

Boring, dry, and not that useful.  The author is sometimes successful at showing how assumptions might be unrealistic.  However, I am not at all convinced that we should reach an alternative conclusions.

5. Inferno

An entertaining book, although coincidentally, the main antagonist is also a population-control nut job.  

6.  Ship it Holla Ballas!

An absolutely wonderful book for any poker fan and probably for others who just enjoy a good story..  The author describes the lifestyle of a group of young poker players as they discovered they could do well with Internet poker.  It's a fun and quick read, and - unlike many other poker books I know - seems 100% consistent/true based on stories I've heard/read.