Home again after a 36 hour trip to Bentonville. Since my November trip (3.5 weeks ago), ground was broken and the walls are up on a new hotel just outside the airport. Remarkable!

One of the nice things about travel is the opportunity to read. I have stacks of books just waiting for some quiet time in the terminal or on the plane. During my November trip to Bentonville, I finished "Founding Mothers, the Women Who Raised Our Nation" by Cokie Roberts. "Founding Mothers" is a historical read about the women who participated in the early struggles to develop our nation. Cokie goes into detail about the founding mothers including stories about their upbringing, friendships, passion, drive and how they held their families together in the face of war and poverty. All this while their husbands, sons and fathers were away from home for months on end, laying the groundwork for our country. While this book is not a page turner, it is a book I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to another trip to Bentonville, I have just finished a book I could hardly put down, "The United States of Europe" by T.R. Reid. This book discusses the 26 + 1 countries that comprise the EU, the regulations and policies that hold this emerging super power together and how they came to be. Using a witty, informative style, Reid includes everything from the early roots of the EU to some of the mistakes the current administration has made in their efforts to assert dominance in EU affairs. He also talks about the emerging "Generation E," the youth of Europe who define themselves as citizens of Europe. He talks about Gen E's "Euroculture" their music and the effects of open borders in strengthening their alliances. Most interesting is the financial and commerce dominance of the EU who is all too happy to leave military issues to the US. This is a fascinating book that I would encourage anyone who is interested in international affairs to read. Happy reading...