17. Stupid White Men - Michael Moore. In Wendy Morrison's Intro Micro class way back in 1997, I watched clips from Roger and Me. A work of art by this man. Last Thanksgiving, Kev and I watched Bowling for Columbine, also by Mr. Moore. I have to say, he is spot-on. He is a little bit verbose, though. I ought to remember that the category is political humour, which somewhat explains why the Despot-In-Chief and his stooges have not razed him yet.

18. Enchiridion - Epictetus. His wisdom is, in today's extremely sensationalised world, necessary to heed yet at the same time impossible not to ignore. True, it is not in my power to change the fates of either the Israelis suffering at the hands of Palestinians fighting for their freedom, in turn because they are struggling under the protracted policies of the politicians concerned - Israeli, Quartet, Palestinian. True, it is my opinion of this issue that chagrins me. However, it is not true that I should not be quickened by things that are not within my power to influence. It would be defeatist and in line with what the main religions preach, which I disagree with. Our fates lie in our hands. We are human, and we make and destroy.

19. Capitalism and Freedom - Milton Friedman. Heavy reading but insightful. I wonder, for those emergent economies such as Kenya's is, that have a preponderance of government involvement in every aspect of economic life, have key personnel read some of these works? If they have, how can they still be as involved in the stagnation? By this I mean, I am inspired to try to reduce the presence of government in the economy, and in turn, my life, and I would anticipate that after a meaningful ponderance of the issues Friedman raises, those in control may find government pervasiveness just as unacceptable. Perhaps I am oversimplifying the matter.

20. The Random Walk Guide to Investing - Malkiel, Burton G. I think each student graduating from College ought to read some book similar to this one. If not, then each young professional ought to. Simply presented and understandable, Malkiel outlines why index-tracking funds are the smartest component for those interested in equity investments as part of their portfolios. At least, given the focus on this matter, I gathered as much from this book. I ought to mention, however, that one's goals might differ from what it seems this man is focusing on. For the long-term component of a portfolio, index-tracking funds are, I admit, an appealing option. However, the younger one is, the riskier one's portfolio ought to be (to maximise possible returns in the interim). In a sense, then, for pre-midlife crisis investors his advice may be incomplete.
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