The Audacity of Hope by Barak Obama. In an effort to get some insight on the man who may be our next President, I figured this would be worth a read. And it is! It’s a great look at all of the things that are wrong with politics and politicians and with the direction in which America is headed. It’s also a look at what is good about politics and politicians. Of course, it’s also details Barak Obama’s plan to right the wrongs and restore the people’s faith in the President. Not finished yet, but it’s a good read.

The Happiest Toddler on the Block. Yeah, it’s another book about parenting. This once came recommended by our pediatrician. There are some great ideas from the author of The Happiest Baby on the Block in this follow-up. Sure, speaking “Toddlerese” makes one feel pretty silly, but it’s kind of fun and does seem to get some response from my kids. I rented the DVD from Netflix as well, but it’s really too short to get into the meat of the book. I’m sure there are some helpful tips that I’ll retain.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto by Michael Pollan. I find that I’m really into these books about food and eating that began with Fast Food Nation a few years back. This is Pollan’s follow up to The Omnivore’s Dilemma which I have yet to read (it’s super popular and is always checked out when I go to the library). In dissecting the modern “Western Diet”, the author explains that we no longer eat food per se, but nutrients that come from various, mostly processed, stuff available in grocery stores today. It totally makes sense and presents a strong argument. The hardest part is looking at one’s own diet and figuring out how to get out of this rut. Obviously, I’m not there yet.

Ninjutsu: The Secret Art of the Ninja by Simon Yeo. Haven’t gotten to this one yet, but I had to add it to my collection.

Ninja Volume 6: Secret Scrolls of the Warrior Sage by Stephen K Hayes. A new addition to the venerable Ninja series by SK Hayes. It’s a look at the Bujinkan from Hayes’s point of view. Interesting….

Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai the long awaited “training manual” from Hatsumi sensei. As I’ve been saying “it’s all there.” If you buy this book, you will have, in your hands almost all of the unarmed kata from the main schools of the Bujinkan. Of course, なればなしーなければあり　(“if there is something, there is nothing – if there is nothing, there is something”) so you probably aren’t getting much besides a cool reference manual and the usual great insights and photos from Sôke.