Summer book club

As I'm sure you know by now, I am interning for the DNR this summer. Because the DNR is a statewide operation, I have to live someplace awfully boring, so therefore I have more time than usual to read. I have finally recovered from the school year, so I've started picking up books on random subjects that I don't normally read about. I've decided to write about a few of the books I've read this summer and what I thought.

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"Don't Swallow Your Gum!" by Aaron Carroll MD and Rachel Vreeman MD is an amusing book about random health myths and FAQs. Ever wonder if you really do eat spiders in your sleep? This is the book for you. For how informative it is, it's actually a quick read. It's light and fun, and I grabbed a copy off of Amazon to bring back to school for my sorority's bookshelf we are putting together. (Every girl is supposed to bring a book back to school with them on an assigned topic to be put on our house bookshelf. Mine was health.)

I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

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"A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn is a fantastic read even for people who are allergic to books about history. It tells the history of the United States from the perspectives of people who aren't white, rich, and Protestant. (Not that I have a problem with those people, but I've read enough books about them.) Women, minorities, slaves, immigrants, the poor, Native Americans, you name it. It's kind of a cool yet depressing look at history from a perspective we don't always hear about, but at the same time it's not whiny. Caution: it's long, and I think he has certain pet subjects that he likes to go on about...

Because some sections were kind of slow I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

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"The Book of the Moon" by Rick Stroud is an excellent overview of the moon. It's not particularly deep, and if you have a strong background in science you might get bored, but it's a nice introduction. The book outlines the history of exploration, myths, astronomy, art, and other human connections to the moon. I did a large project on the geology, origin, and exploration of the moon for a geology class, but I still learned some things about the social aspects of what the moon has meant to mankind throughout the ages. A good book if are curious about the moon and don't want to read a really heavy, scientific work. (There is still good information, it's just presented in a manner that won't bore those of you who aren't science majors.)
It was a quick read and I liked the style for the most part, but it does like to repeat itself a lot to make sure you get it, so I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

How about you guys? Have you read any good books this summer? I'm definitely looking for ideas. I don't tend to read fiction, but this summer might drive me to it.