8. Et tu, babe. Mark Leyner. One of the fastest books I've ever read. Is Monthy Pyton on steroids. free from any plot, convention or sensorship, the only aim is to cram as many possible wild images and extravagant concepts as possible, in such density and rapid succession that there is room for nothing more. The only theme is the megalomania of the main character.
Perhaps not a fantastic book, but very entretaining, very original, and very wild; it makes Vicente Huidobro seem composed.
9 (audio) Outliers. Malcom Gladwell. Nod to Gladwell: grew up in Ontario and graduated from History from University of Toronto, Trinity College (blocks from my previous appartment, and one of the nicest areas of the campus); named in 2005 one of the 100 most influential people in the planet by Time magazine. Gladwell translates well into audiobook, I've heard also "Blink" and "the tipping point".
Now, the book: It is as good as the previous 2, which is: clear, insightful, thought provoking, superb. Starts with junior hockey players and the concept of compounded advantages (I don't recall the term he uses), as some circumstances result in the development of talent beyond others, and this in result puts the individual on a completely different enviroment (access to practice, resources) which in turn develops further the ability to a point where the difference between him and the original group is gargantuan.
Nordic countries have managed to atenuate this by not having merit based separation before age 10. Very interesting his analysis of the 100 wealthiest people on history, and the desproporcionate representation of XIX century americans.
His analisys of jew immigrants working as tailors as apredecesor for the success of the next generation on law and medicine doesn't quite hold water for me, but there is something in the data that deserves a close look. Also fascinating the case of the old town where people simply didn't have hearth attacks all due to strong community sense.
During my trip to Vancouver led Frutas to start reading it on a quite likeable cofee house in Kitsilano.
