I recommend

A short post today as I try and give my arms time to recover from paddling my way through the ocean all weekend.

First - sea kayaking. Not for faint-hearted. Because when the tide shifts and the wind picks up and its really not fun anymore, you're still in the middle of the damn ocean and the only way you're getting home is you and your paddle. But for those with an adventurous spirit and some serious deltoids, it is a load of fun as evidenced by the following photo:

Look at those two fools!

Second - Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach. Roach has written an engaging and lively book about many of the efforts undertaken by serious men of science over the last hundred years or so to prove the existence of life after death. The topic is fascinating, the gullibility of some of the scientists Roach discusses is astounding, and Roach keeps the whole enterprise interesting throughout. My only quibble is that her tone veers towards the unnecessarily glib at points, and I would have preferred a bit more bibliographic rigor. But then again, when you're writing a book about, among other things, nineteenth century mediums who tried to pass of gauze they produced from their vaginal cavity as ectoplasm from the great beyond (Honest to God. I'm not making this up), how much room for rigor is there? A great leisurely read.

Third - The episode of This American Life on NPR entitled "The Giant Pool of Money." If you're not a regular This American Life listener, then shame on you. It has got to be one of the most informative and genuinely entertaining programs on the radio today. Matt and I had a This American Life marathon on our drive cross country from Georgia to Washington state this past February, and we were never disappointed in an episode. But "The Giant Pool of Money" has got to be one of the most fascinating episodes I've ever heard. It details, quite lucidly, the exact change of events that led to the current mortgage crisis in the United States. It's phenomenally well-produced, and it should be mandatory listening for anyone preparing to make a home investment. Remember, kids: Just because they'll loan you the money doesn't mean you can actually afford to borrow it. For folks who'd like to donate $20 to This American Life, you can get a CD of the program for free. Otherwise, I think you can still download individual episodes from ITunes for 99 cents a pop. Either way, you won't be disappointed.