The Cluster Effect: The Big Sort

Another good and relevant read is Bob Bishop's new title The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart. I was especially interested in this book after developing an active interest in the notion of how, where, and why like-minded individuals cluster. The work of Richard Florida on the topic has been a favorite thing to ponder but one of the questions I remember asking after reading his Who's Your City was if there were any studies that actually dwelt on the negative effects of clustering.
The premise of Bishop's book is just that and, in my mind, it's what makes this not only a good read but also a relevant one. It makes one think of one's immediate community, how one relates to it, and why it looks and is the way it is.
Another reason why this is a relevant book is because it raises a question about which most of us do think quite a bit about, i.e.: Where to live?
A bit from the book says, "The lesson for politics and culture is pretty clear. It doesn't matter if you're a frat boy, a French high school student, a petty criminal, or a federal appeals court judge. Mixed company moderates; like-minded company polarizes. Heterogeneous communities restrain group excesses; homogeneous communities march toward extremes."
I recommend this. Informative and thought-provoking.
graph per amazon

Think Twice Before You Tip

Waiters work extremely hard for a living and the least a customer can do is, well, tip. Common sense tells one that it's what one needs to and should do.
If not, then according to Steve Dublanica, a former waiter himself and author of ‘Waiter Rant’: How to Avoid Spit in Your Food, you're leaving your culinary experience in the hands of a dissatisfied waiter. And, trust me, after reading this account, a whole new meaning will be added to the notion of good manners and etiquette.
graph per msnbc