The Forest People -- Colin Turnbull. One of the most delightful books I've ever read, return to it every few years for soul nourishment. Anthropologist manages to to befriend wary pygmies and lives with them for months, seeing behind the veil of obscurity into their touching, playful nomadic lives. Great little story in there about a magic trumpet. The Oblivion Seekers -- Isabelle Eberhardt. Got hipped to this by Zeena Parkins "Isabelle" (which, in turn, I bought at the e-yard sale of somebody on this list). Easy to see why Paul Bowles was so attracted to her writing -- similar bag and setting. Adventurer! Desperate Voyage -- John Cromwell. Page turner, first-person account of a guy whose first outing in a sail boat was a trip from Panama to Australia in a 19 footer. Funny and harrowing both. Where We Once Belonged -- Sia Figiel. A charming coming of age story about a girl in a typical Samoan village. Very insightful into this unique culture, and the perfect book to be reading as I landed on Samoan shores. The Portable Promised Land -- Toure. Short stories, stylized and cute, from the hood, somewhere between Amira Baraka and Tom Robbins. Fun read. Blue Note Records -- Richard Cook. Any jazz junkie will probably make it easily through this volume about various sessions and the general history of Lion and Wolff. But I agree with whoever (Lundvell?) said it is wanting for more anecdotes. Guitarists: The king of electric guitar is Jimi. Period. Two other favorites I haven't seen mentioned are Egberto Gismonti and Charlie Hunter, the former falling in inactivity, the later having fully arrived in his unifiying bass and guitar into a single instrument. Quite different proponents of added-strings guitars. Honorable mention to Skip Heller, who I've yet to hear live but whose new live "Battle in Seattle" is an often manic stream-of-consciousness flow of his diverse stylistic interests (Beatles, R&B, rockabilly, jazz) into a swinging organ trio. Recommended! Martin