George Lukács   George Lichtheim
Excellent overview of the thought and works of the 20^th-century Marxist aesthetician who was such a strong influence on the Frankfurt School and critical theory. Well written, succinct, and very informative.

The Lecturer’s Tale   James Hynes
Delightful, bizarre, imaginative send up of the machinations in an English department at a major university. Strange, interesting characters, a little fantasy and horror, and a lot of fun in a moral tale based on 18^th-century literature. Couldn’t put it down.

The Intellectual Construction of America: Exceptionalism and Identity From 1492 to 1800   Jack P. Greene
Excellent history of how the American colonies were viewed and portrayed during this period, especially the British colonies of North America. Lots of good information, especially about the first half of the 18^th century. Not so interested in the concept of American exceptionalism, at least how it’s used in the 21^st century. Well worth it.

Why Read Moby-Dick?   Nathaniel Philbrick
Engaging and insightful analysis of the greatness of Melville’s classic. Well-written with good examples and extensive reference to the text, full of good critical information. Brief, but very useful.

Brown Dog   Jim Harrison
Finally a collection of the five previous Brown Dog novellas and a sixth. All of them are exquisite. B. D. is a wonderful character, Harrison’s prose is captivating, as always, and B. D.’s escapades and worldview are delightful. Couldn’t put it down. Hope there are more.

Books   Larry McMurtry
Disappointingly dull memoir of McMurtry’s nearly life-long experiences as a bookseller. I love books and bookstores, but I still got bored. The colloquial prose was fine, but his method, and what he talks, about were surprisingly uninteresting. Too bad.

Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life   Robert B. Reich
Reich’s thesis that democratic capitalism, the thing that made America great, has become super capitalism, that is unmaking America. He claims that the separation between capitalism and political democracy has broken down, and democracy is being destroyed by uncontrolled capitalism. No kidding. Well written, good historical background, but I was a little uncomfortable with how much he likes business. Not bad.

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern   Stephen Greenblatt
Deeply enjoyable and informative intellectual history of the re-discovery of Lucretius’ On the Nature of Things and its influence on western culture. Very well written and researched. Really enjoyed it.

The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code Margalit Fox
Enjoyable, well-written, and informative intellectual history of the process of deciphering the linear class B script used by the Mycenaean civilization in ancient Greece and Crete. Really enjoyed it, but sad that Alice Kober died so young.

Hop Alley   Scott Phillips
A sequel of sorts, this novel is Bill Ogden’s further adventures in the 1870s, now in Colorado working full-time as a photographer. Nicely written and engaging storytelling. I’m really going to miss Bill.