opening the xbox (2002)

Opening the Xbox: Inside Microsoft's Plan to Unleash an Entertainment Revolution (Dean Takahashi)

another niche book that may provide interest only to those in a certain industry. since i have a love (and a professional experience) with video games, i found this xbox book to be very interesting. however, george read it and didn't like it much. so i guess it depends on if you're a gamer eh? the author has a follow up book too, about the xbox 360.

here's an interesting complementary article about how sony is losing "the war" to xbox.

tales to astonish (2004)

Tales To Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and the American Comic Book Revolution (Ronin Ro)

if you're into comics -- especially marvel ones -- you'll find this book fascinating. while there are probably many books focusing on the origin of (marvel) comics, this is the first one i've read on the topic and i found it to be very informative. however, the style of the book isn't exactly engaging; especially for anyone who isn't a comic book reader and already a fan of the topics discussed.

collapse (2004)

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed (Jared Diamond)

if you've read diamond's popular "guns, germs, and steel," you're ready for more of the same. with a gripping writing style and anecdotes and examples aplently, jared diamond is academic yet accessible -- and a few notches more scientific and educational than fare like "the tipping point" and "freakonomics." if you're unintimidated by the length of the book, read on and enjoy. for those of you not inclined to read so many words, here's the take home message: "we're (humans) fucking shit up."