Richard Nixon: Speeches, Writings, Documents
by Richard Nixon



350+ pages of Nixon in Nixon's own words. You know you want to. Even the people who made the book call him "America's most controversial president". And it includes "schoolboy letters". I can't imagine "Nixon" and "schoolboy" together without laughing and thinking of a cartoon character. Reminds me of the time I was at Richie's house and his mom told him to make dinner, and he just turned around and said, "Mom, I am not a cook". Dix was like that. Wild that way.

Zimbabwe's Guerrilla War: Peasant Voices
by Norma J. Kriger



A real peasant should be seen but not heard. That's what my grandfather always said. He owned an African diamond company and was butchered in his sleep by two of his slaves. Until he died, though, he was a wise man.

Literature and Dictatorship in Africa and Latin America, 1958-1987
by Josaphat Bekunuru Kubayanda



Words to free and repress by. This is a cool topic, though, seriously. I can't be snappy about it. But I can be snappy about the author's name: Josaphat Bekunuru Kubayanda. Here, say it again: Josaphat Bekunuru Kubayanda. Imagine that guy driving the lane and dunking on Lebron James. That's what I thought. Rezpek da Josaphat! Rezpek!

Narrative Of A Voyage To The Northwest Coast Of America: In The Years 1811, 1812, 1813, and 1814
by Gabriel Franchere



Nothing beats paying new-book prices for something written 200 years ago. But, dammit, old travel narratives are awesome. Nowadays, people just use Google Earth.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
by Haruki Murakami



What I Talk About When I Talk About Murakami: a strange Japanese novelist who's now written a memoir about propulsing the ground with greater-than-normal conviction by quickly moving his legs. Uh oh! My spell checker suddenly tells me that "propulsing" is not a word. I'm pretty sure it is, and I probably used it wrong, but, even if it's not, it should be. Roundabout: I want to read this book.

Brilliant Orange
by David Winner



Brilliant Orange, my ass. Losing in the quarter-finals to Russia. B'ah! If you want to read about Dutch footy, read about Dutch footy in the 1970s. Mmm, Cruyff...

My Life with Che: The Making of a Revolutionary
by Hilda Gadea



Like he did at most things he ever tried, Che failed at marriage, too. That's why some dude named Ilan Stavans can write that "Che Guevara is our Jesus Christ". I'm assuming that means he's an idiot, so when, a few sentences later, he writes that in the book we "come across a Che that is, at once, small and larger-than-life", his humorous pun is an accident. Incidentally, a good title for a Che book: The Red Star of Courage.

Violence: Big Ideas/Small Books
by Slavoj Zizek



In the words of Steven Poole of The Guardian: "[Slavoj Zizek] stares out, disheveled, from the page and dares the reader to disagree." Well, I disagree. Brush your hair, you bum, and stop staring; it's not polite! Oh, wait, I forgot: a normal-haired, polite Zizek wouldn't be interesting anymore. Well, then, whatever it takes to market yourself, Slavoj. It's hard out there for a philosopher.

Inside Defense: Understanding the U.S. Military in the 21st Century
by editors



Essays on the American military: perpetual Miss Understood or alluring, deceitful femme fatale? I'm sure this book will tell me. I'm kind of interested to know what the miltary does, too. Baked goods? Is it baked goods? I bet it's baked goods. I hear McArthur made a mean peanut butter cookie.

Libya since 1969: Qadhafi's Revolution Revisited
by Dirk Vandewalle



I'll be honest: even though I've read the name Qadhafi over and over again and I know where Libya is, I don't know a g'damn thing about it. That's why I'm interested in reading this book. According to the description, if I do I will learn about two things: "the rise of the military in Libya, the impact of its self-styled revolution on Libyan society and economy." I guess Libya's been pretty dead since 1969.