Lim uses statistical modelling and interviews to back up his central thesis that presidential rhetoric has been becoming increasingly simplified to the point of meaninglessness by the time G.W.Bush slithered into the oval office. Wonderfully acerbic, rather insightful and very enjoyable.

Cory Doctorow is a fantastic writer. This is a novel for young adults about worker's rights and online gaming and social justice. I loved it. You can have a read of For The Win free online, if you want to get a sense of what its like before/instead of buying.

Star Maker is a sort of very dry Gullivers Travels in space with mystical religious overtones. The whole history of the universe is told in highly teleological stylee. Its heavy going,Å­t contains lots of interesting ideas that were way ahead of their time for 1937 - dyson spheres, emergence, network intelligence and so on. The notes at the end were actually my favourite part of the book. I preferred Stapledon's reflections on the subjects about which he was writing to the actual writing itself. The book was full of philosophical depth, and exciting ideas, but the linear ideas of "progress" and inevitability seemed rather old fashioned to me (in contrast to the scientific ideas which were way ahead of their time).

This was a beautiful and accessible introduction to post and decolonialist ideas. It starts off relatively straightforwardly and manages to avoid straying into incoherence more than often happens when talking about the subject.

Another Xmas book from my sister and her feller. Another brilliantly funny one; this one collecting silly pics with good slogans.

My sister got me this. Its an hilarious collection of ostensibly real answers to exam questions along the lines of these ones.