Al's Picks

Volker Kutcher is able to depict what 1933 Germany was like, while his main character, Gereon Rath, is pursuing the murderer of a W.W.I veteran. Politics and intrigue add to the atmosphere of this detective story.	Eric Weiner explains, in very understandable terms, the philosophy of some of our greatest thinkers, while creating a travelogue of the places that influenced their lives.	How does a Vietnamese immigrant make his way in his new home of America? Why, of course! He reads the classics and listens to punk rock music. A very original coming of age memoir.
Traitor or hero. This comprehensive biography will help you draw your own conclusions.	Eric Weiner travels the world in search of the country where the inhabitants are the happiest. You'll be surprised at what he discovers.	If you only have time in this life to read one Russian novel, this would be the one. It has everything. Not the epic like Tolstoy. But at least you don't have so many character's names to remember.
Schur tries to answer the question, "what makes a good person?" This is not a difficult read. Using the wisdom of some great philosophers and his own everyday humor, he explores some of the more difficult questions of our time.