I read several books at a time. I'm just silly that way.

Designing Web Usability by Jakob Nielsen -- One of the best books on usability I've had a chance to read. Like many usability gurus, Mr. Nielsen can get bogged down by dogma from time to time, but his approach is nonetheless fascinating. This is a must read for anybody working with the web, as well as anybody interested in usability design in general.

To The Best of My Ability edited by James M. McPherson -- a wonderful Christmas gift. This is a survey history of the Presidency of the United States, up through the Clinton administration. Because each of the historians happens to be a specialist for his/her respective President, each tends to be a bit more enthusiastic/supportive of his/her subject and a little less critical than I would have expected or wanted. The result is a series of essays that tend to lob more softballs at their subjects than I prefer. Where's the hard-edged evaluation of the foibles as well as of the successes? Despite the fact that the essays are, well, Statist (and, for that matter, Presidentist) in their approach, it's nonetheless an excellent primer for getting acquainted with each of the men who have held the office. Makes me interested in pursuing more critical study before too long...

The Well of Sacrifice by Chris Eboch -- a "young adult" novel written by a friend of mine. I'm not familiar with the genre, but the story is interesting and the Mayan culture is obviously well researched and vividly presented. I'm enjoying it. Hey, Anita! Check this book out and tell me what you think! It's got death and disease and war and nose piercings and human sacrifice and all that wonderful stuff. :)

The Ways of White Folks by Langston Hughes -- a collection of short stories, the likes of which we used to be forced to read in grade school. Kinda like the way we used to be forced to listen to dull classical music and to go to stuffy old art museums. Alas, now that I am older, I have more of an appreciation for "Litracha". Why didn't anyone ever tell us that some of this stuff is actually *good*? The first few stories were sorta okay, but I arrived at the story entitled "Home", and now I am completely hooked. Very compelling. Daunting. Sad. Angry. Wow.

Assorted Foxtrot by Bill Amend -- because too much Litracha and history and science and stuff can hurt your brain. Alas, alack, this is a good collection so far, but the formula is getting a little stale. Hey, Bill! Try to freshen this strip up, okay?