My guilty pleasure this summer has been watching Storage Wars on A&E and Auction Hunters on SPIKE. Both programs have similar themes: storage units are auctioned off and then we get to see who finds treasure and who buys a load of crap. Of the two shows, I like Auction Hunters better. Allen Haff and Ton Jones travel around the country going to storage unit auctions. They seem to find an awful lot of guns. But they also find plenty of odd curios like rare coins, jewelry, and antique toys. Storage Wars follows four bidders who are in competition with one another. Many times, one of the bidders goes home buying nothing. I’m amazed at what these people find in these storage lockers. One of the bidders made $29,000 on a storage locker full of vending machines! Storage Wars is the top rated program on A&E right now. SPIKE has ordered 26 more episodes of Auction Hunters so clearly there’s an audience for this kind of reality show.

Eric Greitens’ story of how he became a Navy SEAL with tours in Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Kenya, and plenty of “hot spots” is enlightening and frightening. Greitens’ description of SEAL training and “Advanced Combat Training” was an eye-opener for me. If you’re interested in reading a thoughtful account of a citizen-soldier who has strong views on war and peace and the role of citizens in defending their country, The Heart and The Fist presents insights you’re not going to find elsewhere. GRADE: A

Nothing makes recovery from major surgery go faster than watching some Doctor Who episodes. I found this set at my local public library and enjoyed it immensely. David Tennett, the 10th Doctor, is rapidly becoming one of my favorite actors. His blend of comedy and drama is impressive. These specials display some of the best of the Doctor Who series. The first, The Next Doctor, features the always treacherous Cybermen. The Waters of Mars serves up several surprises: the Doctor claiming inflated powers and a shocking ending. The End of Time (a 2-parter) gives David Tennett plenty to work with as the Time Lords are restored. Yes, you can make the case that these low-budge SF episodes are silly, but I’m captivated by the quality of the acting and the above average plotting. GRADE: A-

Alan Jacobs’ slim little book explores the fate of reading in the 21st Century. Ebooks, multi-media, the current publishing crisis, and the multi-tasking of Blackberry, iPad, and laptop users are changing the way people think about reading. Jacobs writes about how reading has evolved over time, how writers changed their writing styles, and how the reading public’s tastes changed. Yes, Jacobs deals with Stephen King and J. K. Rowling as well as Tolstoy and Faulkner. I found Jacobs’ analysis thought-provoking. GRADE: B+

With the U. S. Government teetering on default, Basic Economics is a book that could bring sanity to this bogus crisis.

I’m a firm believer that we would have a much better government and economy if we made one little change: require that any candidate for U.S. Congressman, Senator, or President prove they passed a basic economics course. So much of the political rhetoric today displays flagrant violations of basic economic principles. Cutting government spending (thus causing more unemployment) during a recession is current example. Or spending a billion dollars firing cruise missiles into Libya and enforcing a “no-fly” zone while closing schools and laying off teachers. Economics is not about solutions, it’s about trade-offs. If you’re going to spend money fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, you might not have enough money for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security (and we don’t). Thomas Sowell’s latest edition of Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy doesn’t have any charts or graphs or equations. Reading Basic Economics is like reading a collection of enlightening essays. If you want to learn about unions and the effects of collective bargaining on the economy, it’s here. If you want to know about the impact of investing in the stock and bond markets, it’s detailed here, too. You can read Basic Economics cover to cover (like I did) or you can dip in and discover how globalization works. This book is the clearest introduction to economics I’ve read. GRADE: A

Cowboys & Aliens is one of those high concept movies Hollywood approves after five or six martinis. Somehow, Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford signed on to this mishmash of elements. Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man, brings the same special effects expertise to this western/SF hybrid. I found this movie lame, but for many movie fans this is the kind of mindless summer movie they crave. GRADE: C+

William Ard wrote 32 books in a decade. Ard died in 1960 from cancer. He was 37. Ard’s private eye novels gained praise from Anthony Boucher and other critics. Ramble House is now embarking on an ambitious project to reprint all of William Ard’s crime novels. The first volume, Perfect .38 presents two Timothy Dane private eye novels: The Perfect Frame and .38 (aka, This is Murder/You Can’t Stop Me). Francis M. Nevins’ Introduction outlines Ard’s short, prolific career. If you haven’t read any of William Ard’s fine crime fiction, this book is the perfect place to start.

Southside Johnny & The Ashbury Jukes played a concert in Madison, Wisconsin in the mid-1970s and I’ve been a fan every since. Later, I figured out why I liked Southside Johnny’s music so much: Stevie Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen wrote most of songs! I like the heavy use of brass in these songs. It’s sound that didn’t survive into the 1980s when music went more towards synthesizers. Hearts of Stone is Southside Johnny’s third album. The sound is great on this remastered release. If you’re a Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band fan, you’ll love this music. I’m including my favorite Southside Johnny song (written with Bruce Springsteen), “Trapped Again,” below.
TRACK LIST
1 Got to Be a Better Way Home 3:23
2 This Time Baby’s Gone for Good 3:28
3 I Played the Fool 3:29
4 Hearts of Stone 4:30
5 Take It Inside 3:23
6 Talk to Me 4:01
7 Next to You 3:39
8 Trapped Again 4:21
9 Light Don’t Shine 4:35

John Donohue collects 21 essays and recipes from guys who cook for their families. A project like this would never work unless Donohue had some Big Names to carry the book. How about Stephen King? And Mark Bittman (from The Minimalist in the New York Times). And novelist Jim Harrison. After that, the Big Names shrink fast. The template of the essays is the author writes about their relationship with food. Some insights into cooking for the family involve comedy. Then the author provides a sure-fire recipe. Man With a Pan is a nice celebration of guys who like to cook. I found this book fun to read and I’ll be trying some of the recipes in the next few weeks. GRADE: B+

Masterpiece Theater broadcast these episodes a few years ago. I found this set of DVDs at BJ’s Warehouse for under $15. The cast is excellent: Judi Dench, Julia McKenzie, Imelda Staunton, Lisa Dillon, Deborah Findlay, and Sir Michael Gambon. Set in 1842 in a small English town, Cranford captures the essence of small town life with its drama and secrets. Based on Elizabeth Gaskell’s three novels about Cranford, this mini-series presents the highlights of the books with deft accuracy. If you haven’t seen these episodes, they’re worth seeking out. And, if you’re interested in owning the DVDs, the price is right for nearly 300 minutes of excellent acting. GRADE: A