Introverting and Reading

I made two New Years Resolutions this year, and somehow, they seem to be reinforcing each other.  The first was to go to the gym 15 times a month.  The second was to read 2 books a month.  Since I read on the treadmill or elliptical, I've managed to read quite a bit more than that.  2 months in, and I've read 13 books so far.  And been to the gym 38 times. Feeling pretty good about this, and kind of psyched to see how these goals have reinforced each other.

Figured it might not be a bad idea to write up my impressions of these books, if not so much to have non-Trump things to write about, but also record my thoughts in case I want to recommend books to people. So, I'll be posting a bit in the coming weeks.

Starbuckin'

Considering the rate through which I am plowing through books, one may conclude:
1) I seriously have nothing else to do
2) Am such a genius that 400 page tomes on breweries are no match to my superior intellect.
3) I read really easy books.

I fear the 3rd is the real reason, assisted by number 1.  Yet, here I am with the third book of the year completed and its only the 4th day.  I read Starbucked by Taylor Clark, a look at the founding and growth of Starbucks followed by a number of the criticisms of Starbucks as a force in the global marketplace.  It's a couple years old, being published in 2008, but it's not like the history of the founding of the company is going to change.  However, I did realized that anything written before the economic crisis of 2008 sounds false and ingenuine.  Everyday luxuries sounds decadent, not an occasional measured splurge for hard-working office drones.

So here I am, writing this post in a Starbucks in a pretty liberal college town.  Looking at the stickers on the laptops of those who have set up shop here, it seems that few are really worried about buying a cup of coffee here and what this means about the homogeneity of the global marketplace.  I can't help but laugh that I'm seeing stickers that spell out "Capitalism" in Coca-Cola scrall and an image of Che wearing Mickey Mouse ears.  In Starbucks.  Starbucks, who just announced that they were starting coffee shops in Vietnam.

As I take another sip of my Pike Place drip coffee with a pound of espresso roast beans in my bag (sitting next to this book that I need to return to the library), I found that the only thing this book really made me reflect on is my own preferences on roasted coffee and why I detest the freeze-dried instant coffee that my mom drinks.  Robusto beans are evil and must be destroyed.  But other than that, I'm not going to fret about buying coffee from a company that lets me park in a comfy chair for an hour and potentially use their internet to write scathing reviews of their company.  Nor will I pick up one of the trendy reusable coffee cups that they are trying to schill (I have my own).  The white and green cup described in the book is no longer a status symbol, but rather a fixture... something that says "I haven't really woken up yet, so don't talk to me about anything too important."  It'll have to do until Caribou Coffee makes its way eastward.

Also, I now know more about the Tully's Coffee chain that Patrick Dempsey just bought. 

Economics and Baseball!

I finally got around to reading a book that I've wanted to read for a while now.  Just finished "Moneyball: The Art of Winning An Unfair Game" on the advice of my economics professor, who seriously modeled a couple lectures on the Chicago Cubs.  Who am I to complain when it appears that he had unlocked the reason for 104 years of futility due to lack of organizational focus and misplaced efficiency wages?  At least it's not because I didn't want it enough.

Wait, the Cubs overpay for players?  You have GOT to be kidding me.

What I loved about this book is the way that economics theory is casually introduced throughout the book.  Prices for players decrease as supply increases around the trading deadline?  LOVE!

Book #2 done... 48 more to go for the year.

Bitter Brew

One of my New Years resolutions is to read 50 books this year that are not assigned for class.  So here's to number one.  Or, as my husband noted, how the hell did you finish that book already when you started it last night?

I finished reading Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's King of Beers by William Knoedelseder.  Not sure why I picked up the book, as I don't drink Busch products, and Budweiser never sits well in my stomach.  However, having a father who grew up over the river from St. Louis, I do have the memories of a cousin who worked for the Busch family, the clydesdale horse magnets and knicknacks, and the annual Budweiser calendar gifts.  Plus, I do like beer. 

Ironic, because at 15 IBU, Budweiser is really not bitter.

I won't spoil the read.  Just imagine a bunch of kids in St. Louis with instant name recognition and access to tons of alcohol and money.  You can almost see where this is going.  Now add a baseball team.

One thing I did find surprising: Harry Carey was rumored to be having an affair with his boss' daughter-in-law.  If you grew up watching Harry call games, you can see the heavy-drinking and heavy-partying that is described in the book.  But, sex scandals?  What?