In Defense of Flogging

In Defense of Flogging by Peter Moskos is an okay book. The author's argument is that prisons are cruel and ineffective and that for many criminals we should give them the option of being caned and released. He doesn't go into much depth on why he thinks flogging is great, but does write an interesting history of prisons and their past and current problems.

Berlin at War

Berlin at War by Roger Moorhouse is an amazingly well-written account of the everyday life of Berlin citizens during World War II. Each chapter touches on a different aspect of life-- food rationing, the bombings, the use of radio, etc. The accounts are very engaging, full of excerpts from diaries and interviews with survivors. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone with even the slightest interest in WW II.

The Soul of Medicine

The Soul of Medicine: Tales from the Bedside by Sherwin B. Nuland is a collection of various doctors' stories that the author retells and then sometimes reflects on. The stories run the gamut from weird cases (e.g. a young man with lungs full of stool) to mistakes that doctors have made to special doctor/patient relationships. It was a quick read and I'd recommend it, especially if you have an interest in medicine-- which, looking back at the books I've read, I guess I do :)