Why We Make Mistakes (Joseph Hallinan)

This interesting book on psychology explains a number of the common mistakes people make. Some are very scary (pilots flying a plane right into the ground because of a distraction over a malfunctioning light bulb; long-distance truck drivers sending and receiving emails on the road). Others are silly (why do people believe that they'll be so much happier living in California than in Michigan?), but still have important effects on people's lives. The author not only discusses things like the overconfidence effect (we tend to believe we will be more successful than we are, because we remember having been more successful than we were), but also gives suggestions on how to remedy this problem (through prompt, clear feedback). Not the most scintillating writing, but clear and easy to follow, and covers some really important topics.

A Fire Upon the Deep (Vernor Vinge)

This is one of my very favorite science fiction books of all time. Vinge has created an amazing, mind-blowing universe, filled it with fascinating aliens, set up a truly epic battle between good and evil, and laid it all on the shoulders of characters, human and non-human, you really come to care about. There is action ranging from galaxy-wide cataclysms to up-close-and-personal betrayals. There is technology ranging from the literally unimaginably godlike to muzzle-loading cannon and wheeled carts. Highly recommended.