Those who know me well know I enjoy reading. When people ask me what I've read recently, however, I always draw a blank. I generally read about two to four books a month, and after a while the list grows so large I can't recall any of them. So I'm going to attempt to keep a catalog of reviews. Here is a list of pretty much everything that I've read in 2005 to date.

Malcolm Gladwell's two books, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking were magnificent. They are both rather short (200-300 pages) but jam-packed with mesmerizing detail and story. Both books discuss the impact of studies in psychology. In The Tipping Point, the focus is on the psychology of marketing and advertising. Blink reviews the psychology of rapid cognition, those first few seconds of the "first impression", and how that impacts our relationships, our athletic and academic performance, and our views on race. Both are great, and I highly recommend them. (Rating: 5/5)

"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't" (Jim Collins). Gladwell's books got me on a business book kick. I picked this book up from a friend. I enjoyed it, but it was little too much for me. Maybe when I'm a CEO I'll enjoy this more. For now, I give it a so-so rating. (Rating: 3/5)

"Bobby Fischer Goes To War: How The Soviets Lost the Most Extraordinary Chess Match of all Time" (David Edmonds, John Eidinow). I just finished this book. I was disappointed for several reasons. First, I had no idea that Bobby Fischer was such an insufferable prig. Second, I wanted more discussion of the chess between Fischer and Spassky. Instead, all I got was chapter upon chapter of how Fischer was an insufferable prig. The book was well-written, but when I began to detest the person, it was hard to enjoy the book. (Rating: 2/5)

The Know-It-All : One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World I have already reviewed. (Rating: 4/5)

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. A hilarious read that chronicles the life of a cadaver from immediately after it becomes such. This is a morbidly fascinating and hilarious read, full of great facts and details. I always enjoy eating while I read, but I would not recommend it with this book. Consider yourself warned. (Rating: 4/5)

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. This series of 10 fantasy novels tell the story of a young man, Rand, who slowly comes to realize his special powers as he gets caught up in world events. He soon discovers that he is "The One" (sound familiar?), marked to save the human race from destruction in The Last Battle. The first five books in this series are some of the great fantasy novels I've read. The last few aren't worth your time, mainly because the series still hasn't ended yet, and what's worse, it doesn't look like it's anywhere close to ending. The author seems content to milk as much money as he can by writing as many books as he can. The taste in my mouth after reading the last four soured my memories of the first five. (Rating: 3/5)

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke. This was marketed as an adult "Harry Potter", but nothing could be a less accurate description of this novel. While the Harry Potter juggernaut is unsufferably dull, Strange is a delightful and exquisite read. The prose reminded me of the genteel scholarly tone present in Tolkien's works. It is the story of two magicians who come of age in England in the 1800's after centuries of decay in the magical arts. (Rating: 5/5)

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. This book won the Pulitzer Prize a few years ago. I highly recommend it. It is the story of two young Jewish boys (a writer and illustrator) in New York who invent a comic book character in the heyday of comics. I loved this book. (Rating: 5/5)

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. A well-written book. I still remember the phrase on the first page that prompted me to read the book. Describing those paradoxical moments when your brain fails you as you stare at simple words like 'cat', the author writes. "As with any word you stare at until it resolves itself into a string of dead letters...". (Rating: 4/5)