The most important and meaningful reading experience of my life so far has been Ulysses. It taught me to expand my understanding of what language can do and to consider carefully just what communication entails. More than that, Ulysses gave me a greater sympathy for those around me, exposing the many different levels of thought we all operate on at every moment. It made me appreciate both the high and low, the seedy and sacred. I truly believe Ulysses is the most human book that has ever been written.

Hey, you know what everyone loves? New books!! Here are a few of this week's releases including the paperback edition of The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis which will break your heart but also fill you with a sense of hope and pride. Sometimes the cost of being yourself seems too much a burden to bear but the rewards are always worth it.

Ever since I was a child I have been all but obsessed with ancient history and knowledge. While other kids were watching The Simpsons or MTV, I was glued to PBS's Nova and other historical documentaries. As a teen I watched The History Channel and Discovery. And through all this time, I mourned the loss of knowledge. From Ancient Greece, to Rome, to the Library of Alexandria. So much was lost, leaving us with the task of learning it all again. But as this book shows us, not all was lost. The Arab world experienced a golden age of knowledge in the midst of Europe's dark ages.