The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn

• This novel explores how an arrangement for a short-term open marriage plays out.
• The characters seem realistic and relatable.
• The ending isn't as tidy as I expected.

Richistan by Robert Frank

• Published moments before the most recent recession, this books is a snap shot of the rich in a boom time.
• There are two things Frank doesn't take into account: inflation and population growth. Staggering numbers about the increasing number of million and billionaires are presented.  These statistics are not analyzed in regard to monetary inflation or population growth.
• The book combines descriptions of overall trends with stories of specific individuals making a highly-readable and compelling book.

Giant of the Senate by Al Franken

• I highly recommend the audiobook of this.  It is like Al (or in my case Stewart) is telling you a story.
• This is a book that is best suited for those that like or at least don't mind politics.
• After reading this book, I have more respect for Franken as a politician.

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

• I loved the first half of the novel.  For me, it lost steam later on.  Having already invested so much time into the novel I pushed myself to finish it.
• I enjoyed the international travel and cultural interactions in the novel.
• Additionally, the main character is in her first year of college as the novel begins.  I enjoy books about characters just becoming adults, so this was a good pick for me.

The Mountain Story by Lori Lansens

• Lansens weaves a story traveling between present day and the past.
• The narrator is a strong, fallible, and endearing character.
• This novel strongly focuses on character development.

The End of Advertising by Andrew Essex

• Essex explores what the development of advertising-evasion technologies mean for the advertising industry.  Essex mostly focuses on ad-blocking software.  The ability to skip commercials with DVRed television content is also mentioned.
• The book feels like a very long essay obsessed with ad-blocking software.
• All the focus on ad-blocking software effectively delivers Essex to his argument for meaningful and thoughtful advertising (e.g. Citi Bank's Citi Bike program).

How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson

• Johnson explores how inventions and discoveries are interconnected.
• One of the most notable take-aways is that discoveries are rarely independent. He demonstrates how many discoveries are simultaneous with several people making the same discovering at about the same time.
• Until this book I had underestimated the importance of glass in modern society.