The Undercover Economist, by Tim Harford

The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford

This is a terrific book. It's so easy for people to bemoan the cost of things from gasoline to hotel rooms to a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but few ever pause to ask themselves: why are things priced this way? Does a conspiracy theory make any sense? How does a market-based economy operate? Is government intervention necessarily the best solution? Taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, Harford also brings up questions such as, why are rich countries rich and poor countries poor? How is it that some countries have managed to change their situation dramatically in a short time while others haven't? What is the most efficient way to deal with pollution? What does fairness mean in an economic sense?

I have never taken an econ course (thought they were bird courses, a waste of my tuition fee and my time), but I had no difficulty in understanding every concept described in the book. It's so well written and presented that anyone who is willing to apply logic, not emotions, will find it a joy to read. Of course, when it comes to our wallets or human lives, how many of us can keep our emotions completely out of it?

On and Off the Field, by Ed Smith

On and Off the Field by Ed Smith

I'm reading a cricket book! Must confess that I'm not all clear on the lingo, but having watched lots of cricket on TV plus one live match during our Down Under trip, I at least do know about test matches v. one-day ones, wickets, stumps, bails, overs, batsmen, bowlers, centuries, etc. Besides, I love baseball. If I could find an analytical, unsentimental, introspective account of a Major League season written by an educated baseball player who is also introspective, erudite and witty, I'd be the first one to read it. Ed Smith happens to be the cricket-equivalent of such a person. Reading the book makes me wish that we'd get some cricket coverage on TV here. The World Cup is coming up in March. Unfortunately, the Canadian team is so weak...

Snowboarding in Utah

It was time for my annual snowboarding pilgrimage. Stella and Scott were spending a few days at Snowbird Ski Resort, outside of Salt Lake City, so we arranged a while back to meet up in Utah.

I'd been to Salt Lake City many times, mostly for snowboarding. In Utah, they brag about having "the greatest snow on earth" as if the words came straight out of the Bible. The reality is not too far off (although the locals don't usually mention that the mountains are not quite the greatest even in the West). The westerly wind picks up moister from the Great Salt Lake, and dumps champagne power in the mountains. On a fresh power day, riding down the slopes gives one the sensation of floating on air.

I arrived two days earlier than Stella and Scott, and went boarding at Brighton and Park City. That's one nice feature of the Salt Lake City area. One can base oneself in the city, and decide each morning where one would like to ski because most of the resorts are only an hour's drive away. Over the years, I'd been to almost all of the resorts except for Snowbird, Deer Valley and Alta, the last two being nasty places that to this day don't allow snowboarders. I got rather excited thinking about going to Snowbird for the first time.

Thanks to modern communication, I found Stella and Scott at the bottom of the gondola. In the next two days, we had a fantastic time together. While there hadn't been any fresh snow recently, the conditions were still excellent. From time to time, we went into the trees. While coming down a trail, I had a picture taken by an on-site photographer. As it was the only "action shot" I had of me snowboarding, I paid the exorbitant charge and got the digital file. Now, it's one of my most treasured photos.

The Code of the Woosters, by P.G. Wodehouse

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse

I loved the last Wooster story so much that I got myself another one of these. It's more of the same --- and more of the same fun. I know I'm not gaining anything by reading this, but I can't help myself.