This and that

Steven Pressfield has a new book coming out called the Afghan Campaign. If you know Pressfield you can guess this is about Alexander's campaign, not the US, Russian or British Afghan campaigns. I've only read one of his books, Gates of Fire, but that one was great. It was an exciting historical novel about the battle of Thermopylae. He is also know for writing the Legend of Bagger Vance, a golf novel, which is a rather large jump in subject matter.

Ted Conover has a piece in the NYT magazine about the rise of a car culture in China. Like John McPhee, Conover can write about just about anything and make it interesting. If you like the article be sure to read Newjack, about which I will say little as it is one of Steve's faves.