I was on a roll with my reading over Christmas, but hit a bump in the road when the power went out where we were staying near Santa Cruz and then a lot of basketball and meetings. But – I have gotten through a bunch of books, some good, some not-so-good.

First, I read Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience which opened my eyes to new ways to think about happiness and fulfillment. If you want to better explore that feeling of “being in the flow” and when time flies, I reccomend this book.

Next up was the best book I’ve read in a long time – Clinton & Me was a hilarious romp through the life of Clinton’s humor speechwriter. I laughed out loud many times at both the jokes and the process through which Clinton and Al Gore wrote their humor speeches. Highly reccomended for people who like laughing and politics.

After reading a positive review of Hackers & Painters I grabbed a copy. I read and loved Paul Graham’s essay on essays (and blogged about it here). His compilation of essays is pretty good, some more interesting than others. If you like his online stuff, you’ll probably like this book.

Steven Pinker’s The Language Instinct only slightly scratched my itch of curiosity on the wonders of language and how our mind processes language. I decided to pass on the 400 pages in btwn the intro and conclusion because the writing was boring.

Keith Yamashita’s Unstuck is a quick read that had some useful tips for trying to get “unstuck” from a tricky business situation. I’ve always been intrigued about the attention this guy has gotten vis-a-vis his work with HP. Unstuck doesn’t tell that story as much as present a workbook that you can use in a very practical manner.

My most recent read has been one of the best – How Would You Move Mount Fuju? Microsoft’s Cult of the Puzzle. I’ve heard about Microsoft’s interviews and brain teasers and this book sheds light on this increasingly popular practice. In addition to outlining some fun (but hard!) puzzles and answers, it had some great tips in interviewing candidates, being the interviewee, and also some random bits on problem solving in general.

Now, time to get to the periodical reading stacked on my bedside table. David Brooks recently published his top non-NYTimes articles from 2004 a few of which I have printed out and will read. Among the more interesting articles include Faculty Clubs and the Pews, The Global Baby Bust, World War IV, High Prices: How to Think About Prescription Drugs, and An Argument for New Liberalism. They’re sure to be thought-provoking.

My first two reads this break were Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy and Socratic Citizenship. I have been really intrigued by the whole notion around an “examined life” and asking difficult questions despite, as Cornel West says, our “anti-intellectual, market-driven civilization preoccupied with comfort, convenience and contentment.”

I recommend Socrates Cafe as an entry level book for one who doesn’t know a lot about philosophy and philosophers. The author tells his story as he traveled around the country setting up Socrates Cafes in community centers, coffee shops, libraries, etc. where members of the community came and asked deep questions. It’s a quick and fun read, though the repetition of his stories at all the various stops gets a little tiring. If you went a refresher or intro to Socrates and the Socratic method, or if you are thinking about setting up a Socrates Cafe in your neighborhood or office as a way to relax and think deeply, check out this book.

Socratic Citizenship is dense and academic and I only recommend if you have some general background information on the five political thinkers he dissects – John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Nietzsche, Max Weber, Hannah Arendt, and Leo Strauss. The introduction really captivated me. He presents the tired idea that good citizenship has to do with turning away from the false gods of materialism and toward the more meaningful life of community or political engagement. He presents his skepticism of how giving time and energy for a “cause,” having a rich associational life (churches, charities, etc), and doing active service for something bigger than the self, all mean you are a good citizen. Fundamentally, the idea of this book is that you can be both skeptical and morally serious, even though this form of negativity is often dismissed because moral seriousness is often identified with a positive conviction of political causes or positive moral doctrines. After a great intro, his detailed chapters and analysis of the various thinkers completely lost me. I’ll put this book in the “Read in 5-10 years category.”

I’m still looking for a great book on morals and citizenship, so I’d love recommendations in this area.