Enigma of China

Qiu Xiaolong - Shanghai Chief Inspector Chen Cao series. Story of high official found hanged. Question whether was suicide or murder. Then the investigating police inspector is run over in a set up car accident. Neither is fully resolved. The real story is the present situation in Shanghai and China. Touches on high party corruption, control of media, internet usage to highlight and bring down corruption and how Internet is tried to be controlled by state. Interesting series as early books presented life of the pre-development era and through various stages of that process esp. the building and property boom which has led to explosive growth of riches for a very few but poverty for the masses.

Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds

Jim Sterba - details the conflict between animals and birds of nature and people of sprawl in suburbs and also rural areas and urban. Traces the great forest of the East coasts from early colonial times through its almost complete elimination by 1900 and then the gradual revival to present as New England now is over 75% forested. Along the way tells the story of the animals extirpation and renewal leading to the present conflicts. Traces the stories of beaver, deer, turkeys, geese and bear specifically and the problems associated with feeding birds, feral cats. Well done even handed reporting with no sides taken, just laying out the story.