A Concise History of the Crusades
I thought this was an excellent read. Not overbearingly in-depth, but still a good source to learn the history of the Crusades and why the common belief that it was about power and prestige is not true. For most, it truly was seeking to do the will of God and free the Holy Land for Christians.


Taking Sex Differences Seriously
Another interesting read. At times even made me laugh out loud. It's a book that should be common sense, but it's written to respond to the current thinking in the more radical feminist circles and we should know better than to expect common sense from them.


Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power
I'm only about a quarter of the way through right now, but it's provided good discussions of why a small island was able to become the most powerful empire in the world through good financial systems and heady realpolitik. It's also nice to see a British author acknowledge that the American Revolution wasn't just a bunch of greedy rich men against taxes; it truly was a revolution of ideas.