Books I'd like to see written

[Anacardo]

1) I think this whole country could benefit from a clear, incisive historical analysis of Germany & Japan vs. Vietnam & Iraq, in terms of the differences between the occupations of the two sets of countries, and why / how the former was willing to essentially roll over and assimilate, while the latter didn't / aren't. I certainly don't know enough about this subject, and I feel pretty confident that John Q. Doesntread could stand some education, too.

2) Here's one I would like to read, or ideally write, if I had the chops to do it. A genre of nonfiction that's risen to prominence lately: complex, from-all-angles analyses of seemingly simple, innocuous features of modern life. There's a book all about the IPod and what it means to American culture, for example. I'm out for one about the modern marriage of slutty teenage girls, semi-expensive webcams, and the hole-and-corner web industry that has been thus created. Especially interesting would be the economic data. How much are these girls making? What did nympho teenagers do for money before the Internet and spam email came along? Etc etc.