The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obession in the Amazon.

Author: David Grann

Having spent time in the Amazon, this title caught my attention. The book deals with the true story of the disappearance of famed 20th century explorer, Percy Fawcett. Fawcett was last seen looking for the lost city of 'El Dorado' - a civilization said to be quite advanced and wealthy. Rumors abound about his fate, and some people think his son, who as with him, could still be alive although they dissapeared more than 80 years ago. The author also goes in search of Fawcett and 'Z' and he mingles his adventures into the story as well. To be honest, I really only enjoyed the part about Fawcett and didn't really care for the others. 2 out of 5 stars.

100 semesters: my adventures as student, professor, and university president, and what i learned along the way

Author: William M. Chance

This lively memoir about Bill Chance's career in academia proved to be an interesting, albeit a bit long, read. Chance chronicles his life from his undergrad days at tiny Haverford College, to his time as president of Emory University. Along the way he is a professor, administrator and astute observer of the university system. His experiences occur over a great period of change within academic institutions: the last 50 years. Many of his laments regard the new importance of school marketing and athletics. It is clear that he loves the institutions that we call universities, but he is also honest about their faults. It was a pretty good book - 3 Stars out of 5.