Interesting books

Things to read, on the 8th day of the week.

-The Undercover Economist, Tim Hartford
This book applies basic economic theory to such modern phenomena as Starbucks' pricing system and Microsoft's stock values.

-Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change From Hawaii to Iraq, Stephen Kinzer
Beginning with the ouster of Hawaii's monarchy in 1893, Kinzer runs through the foreign governments the U.S. has had a hand in toppling, some of which he has written about at length before (in All the Shah's Men, etc.)

-The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick

-A Twist of the Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals With Ingredients From Jars, Cans, Bags and Boxes, Nancy Silverton

-At the Same Time: Essays and Speeches, Susan Sontag
Literature and politics are inextricably intertwined and unified by moral purpose in this powerful collection of pieces (a couple not previously published in English or at all) by iconic critic and novelist Sontag (Regarding the Pain of Others), who died in 2004.

-A Letter from Japan: The Photographs of John Swope, Ed. by Carolyn Peter
Even before Japan’s official surrender in 1945, the photographer John Swope (1908-79) traveled around the country taking pictures that documented the war’s effect on the people and the land. The 144-page letter he wrote to his wife about his experience is included here, along with several essays about his work. Above, the city of Hamamatsu, Sept. 6, 1945.

All summaries from the Times Book Review, unless otherwise noted