Books

I guess I've been reading a lot more lately because there are three books I've finished since my last post. Although, I was already most of the way through two of them.

• Fast Food Nation - I thought this was a very interesting read providing lots of insight into the history and goings on of the fast food industry. It was definitely eye-opening, and I highly recommend it. What I found particularly pleasant was that the author, Eric Schlosser, does not write it as an attack on the industry, per se; he is merely presenting some interesting information to the reader, leaving the judgment to us. Mind you, the information presented is largely negative, but it's written in a way such that it doesn't feel like the author's agenda is being shoved down your throat like many documentaries do. Of note, there is a film adaptation of Fast Food Nation that is set to release in a few weeks.
  
  
  
• Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - Another non-fiction book that I found to be interesting. I didn't enjoy this one as much largely because I was skeptical of a lot of what was said. This is an auto-biographical book by John Perkins where he claims to have indirectly worked for the U.S. Government as an economist where his job was to fabricate economic forecasts for countries in order to gain favorable positions with them. His stories reach from foreign policy in Venezuela and Panama to arrangements made with the House of Saud to avoid another "oil crisis" that crippled the U.S. economy in the 1970s. Definitely an interesting read.
  
  
  
• The Catcher in the Rye - The classic story by J.D. Salinger of Holden Caulfield. I just finished reading this about an hour ago. Interesting characterization, but I have to admit: I didn't "get" it. This is so many people's favorite book including one of my best friends (which is the main reason I wanted to read it), but I just didn't see the big deal. Perhaps a book like this about teenage angst would've been more meaningful when I was younger.