Q1 Reading List

Here is a link to my book list for 2012 so far. The BG declined another contest, but I do have my 2011 number to aim at. I've also added short reviews within the space constraints of the "Note" field in Google Books. Best of the lot: Darkness Visible, 1493 and Guns, Germs and Steel, although I also want to call attention to Abundance and The Rational Optimist. People have always been predicting the demise of civilization and they have always been wrong. What exactly is different this time?

NCAA Tournament

I can still win the family pool if Kentucky loses (both Gs have the Wildcats winning it all). The cat's strategy of alphabetic handicapping went awry when Alabama went down early. Anthony Davis is the only player I've seen who looks like a star at the next level, although, given the few games I've watched this year, that is largely an indictment of the UNC guys.

Sunday Papers

Friedman on Why Nations Fail
A Quantum theory of Mitt Romney
The President cannot control gas prices
Abundance review
Voice-activated everything

Ode to the Joy

Although it has its critics, and lacks the inimitable voice of Irma Rombauer, as the photo attests, the 1997 edition of the Joy of Cooking is my go-to cookbook. That said, I found the recipe for Alfredo sauce--a BG favourite--unacceptable; too much butter, and the sauce didn't hold together. I experimented last night with more of a bechamel type approach, and all (except the OG, who prefers her pasta tout simple) were pleased.

I served this alongside a grilled porterhouse, with steamed green beans (raw for the BG). If you cook the pasta in a saucepan, my preferred method of late, the whole thing can come together in 20 minutes, including time for the grill to heat up.

Here's the recipe for the sauce. The steak I just sprinkled with a little kosher salt and grilled. The beans I steamed in one of those rubber baskets, which I love. I think I bought mine in Chinatown a few years ago.

Melt 2tbs butter in a saucepan. Mix in 2tbs flour and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 pint of whipping cream (you could use half and half or milk, and I ended up thinning the sauce with milk at the end, so I think I'd use the half and half next time). Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, whisking out any lumps). Throw in 1/2 cup of grated fresh parmesan and stir until cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, adding more liquid or cheese if necessary for the right consistency.

Hasta la pasta!

To boldly go where traditionalists fear to venture

Time to loosen the noose of the split infinitive. From the Economist's Style Guide:

"Happy the man who has never been told that it is wrong to split an infinitive: the ban is pointless. Unfortunately, to see it broken is so annoying to so many people that you should observe it."


Johnson encourages everyone to break the rule, but be prepared to follow it if you come to work for his newspaper.

Why Nations Fail

I've been scrambling to finish Why Nations Fail before I release my quarterly book list at the end of the month. I've got about a hundred pages to go, but so far what had surprised me is how little economics the book contains. It is more of a survey of history used to support the principle that "inclusive" institutions that allow for competition and creative destruction are the necessary elements of economic growth and prosperity. That strikes me as an insight not worth a 500-page investment, but if you're interested in the Rise of Venice or the Dutch East India Company, among others, it's worth a look, although I suspect there might be better sources.

Here is a review of the book by William Easterly. Here is an enjoyable interview with one of the book's authors.

Talking NASCAR

Getting my hair cut the other day, I decided to initiate some conversation with my barber, a guy in his late sixties who started cutting hair after 20 years on the state patrol. How could I go wrong talking tourney:

Me: See any basketball this weekend?

Ray: No, I went to the race at Bristol this Sunday. That track ain't been the same since they resurfaced it.

Me: Um, yeah.

Turns out, before Bristol was resurfaced a couple seasons ago it was a one-groove track that required liberal use of the front bumper. Since the resurface, it has opened up the track for multiple grooves and side-by-side racing. Apparently, it's a big deal.