Recommended Reads, 18th in a Quarterly Series

Stuff I've read lately that I'd recommend:

My Thoughts Be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry That Led to the Assassination of Abrahan Lincoln (Titone).  We all know the name of John Wilkes Booth, but this book delves into how the dynamics between him and his more famous brother and father factored into his fateful decisions.

Working at Play: A History of Vacations in the United States (Aron).  A dry but fascinating look at the evolution of Americans through the lens of the who's, how's, and where's of vacationing.

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food (Lee).  Ubiquitous yet mysterious, Chinese restaurants are delved into in this delicious account.

Beethoven: The Universal Composer (Morris).  A well-written and concise account of the story behind this stormy genius.

The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window to Human Nature (Pinker).  Pinker is at it again, toying with language to delve into humanity and the many ways we express ourselves.

Plastic: A Toxic Love Story (Freinkel).  An informative and sometimes gloomy account of a now ubiquitous substance and what it means for our world.