Reading is my second favorite indoor sport. It's (late) summertime, and the book I want to talk about posits a world in which ordinary Americans confront extraordinary circumstances -- and as is apt to happen, do so with mixed results. It's called 1632, and the author is Eric Flint.

Some might call it science fiction; others might call it fantasy. I call it a rippin' good story -- and without being pedantic, it reinforces "the American way" as it was before 2000. The book isn't new -- it was written in 1998-99. Read more…