Your Medical Mind by Jerome Groupman, M.D. and Pamela Hartzband, M.D.

This is a must read for patients interested in making informed decisions, and for doctors wo want to help them decide. Very interesting and practical and helpful.

The Big Short by Michael Lewis

Unbelievable but true. Greed built a house of cards and a few people saw that it would fall and made millions. Plenty of blame to pass around. Many bought houses they couldn't afford, many helped them do it. Others bundled bad loans and bundled the bundles in other bundles and made collateral for bigger loans.

Locked On by Tom Clancy and Mark Greaney

Fun if formulaic, atom bomb, countdown clock, Glocks, Berettas, torture. None of Clancy's characters have any self-doubt.

V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton

After a wait, the next mystery is here with a wild and diverse cast of characters. One of the better of her tales. Lots of fun and excitement. Surprisingly good writing.

Bonhoeffer by Eric Metaxas

This was an interesting, well-written but perhaps poorly edited book. It is about spiritual courage, devotion to Christ and God's word. It is challenging and convicting. It presents a Bonhoeffer who is devout and loving and very insightful. He saw Nazi evil for what it was from the beginning. The book gave me an entirely different more positive view of Barth.

I am the Only Running Footman by Martha Grimes

A fairly obscure mystery that mostly deals with a series of murders, many suspects and only in the last few pages solves everything. Features a crusty Scottish inspector who doesn't seem to do anything, is disliked by everyone, and in the end others solve the case and he purports to have known it all along to the complete impatience of this reader. The author has a good reputation but probably not from this book.

Surprised by Hope by N. T. Wright

It is hard for me to overstate the importance of this book. For me it seemed to tie a lot of loose ends. Reading this book is a series of "so that's what those verses mean", and new ways of looking at verses that make them fit better with the whole fabric of the gospel. The thesis of the book is that when Jesus comes he is bringing his kingdom to earth and will recreate the new earth and heavens, not destroy. This world is not a test to go to the next world, there is a radical continuity, Jesus the resurrection King will set all things right. Read this book!

My Life and Work by Henry Ford

A public domain autobiography. I enjoyed this very much because my reading coincided with the death of Steve Jobs. Remarkably, there were interesting parallels: early failure, strong opinions, long-range vision, focus on product over profit. Ford's view of the purpose of business, work, stockholders, and speculation, debt, investors is very refreshing and extremely timely. The current recession and doubts about capitalism make Ford's views very interesting. He seemed to care about workers, definitely believed in a living wage, and thought if management did what they should, unions were superfluous. Except for a brief vague reference to Jews in business, this book is food for thought and solid points of view still relevant today.

Julia by Shelley L. Houston

A mystery novel by a close friend. I was drawn in by the story and enjoyed the local references. A good read. Looking forward to a sequel.

Hidden Moon by James Church

Another Inspector O novel set in North Korea. Another inscrutable plot but O is just as enjoyable. One gets more of a flavor of North Korea than any real information. Everyone is being watched by each other and shadowy characters abound.