My Life Decoded by Craig J. Venter

If you want a book that will blow your mind while spelling out what exactly is "biotechnology" and how it all came into being than this is the book for you. Venter is a controversial figure indeed, as is anyone who has huge ambitions and actually carries them out.

No matter where you stand on the "Gene wars", I can't recommend this book enough. Venter's account is personal, detailed, and compelling. You can tell he is a guy who genuinely cares about the science, and cares about changing the world.

I think this youtube video does a pretty good job of capturing some of what you can expect to read.

Model Behavior by Jay McInerney

Model Behavior is a novel which gives us the inside look of what an artists life might be like living in New York City. The narrator and hero of the story is a "casualty of privilege" trying to make a living as a celeb magazine writer --which he hates-- while also patching together a relationship with a model.

I found the book interesting for its fast paced dialogue that was often viperous or alluded to irony. These weren't idiots talking. And it was clearly a world that McInerney knows and is bringing to us.

When the novel ended, I felt happy, like I knew what it would be like living the high social life in New York city, and that I wasn't really missing that much...maybe more a factor of my current age than anything though.

We Yes You No

Prey by Michael Crichton

Prey is a novel that re-opened my eyes to the potential of biotechnology and also re-opened my mind to thinking in evolutionary terms.

Typical of Crichton, Prey is an exciting book that incorporates the sciences effortlessly. A good read if you are interested in nano technology, biotechnology, corporate startups in the bay area, and evolution.

A Creative Explosion

Parasol Magazine is a creative explosion.

It is one of the most well produced, most information packed things I have seen on the net in a long time.

Even if you are not in art and design it will inspire you.

Go download this free magazine now.

http://www.parasolmag.com/

now.

In other news I read about Maximalism today

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximalism

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World by Niall Ferguson

Another book that could be a blog?

While Niall Ferguson's book does present some interesting history on how a system of money and finance came into existence, it is probably something that could be better read in a condensed format somewhere else.

This book is peppered with self-aggrandizing comments, and "I-called-its", that makes it a bit tough to believe, and would probably work better in an informal personal blog than a formal history. It is true that no history is completely objective, but the author should at least have that intention.

As one final note the book lacks consistency. It jumps from one event to another with no set reason, and seems to accelerate to current times (1990-2008) and stay there for over half the book. Any explanations of financial products, like puts, options, swaps, bonds, etc...are not easy to understand, and might as well be left out.
In closing, save your credit and just google blogs on the financial crises, or finance history, you will find much the same material, and at least you will have visual aids.