I'm a little bit late with the write up... I hope my Secret Santa can seem past that, because I really love my gifts.

Mark Kurlansky is probably my favorite non-fiction writer. He's got this amazing way of taking topics that you'd think were mundane and blowing your mind. His well known classics are "Salt," "Cod," and "The Basque History of the World." On their faces, they may seem dull or odd, but they're amazing.

Imagine my surprise as I opened the package I received from my Secret Santa and saw one of his newer books "A World Without Fish." I've only just cracked it, but I can already tell I'm going to enjoy it. One of the best parts is that while his other non-fiction books have been these slightly more tome-like manuscripts, this one is written to be more accessible for a younger generation. My 9-year old and I are going to enjoy reading it together.

Included in the package was a black and white "anime-style" image. At first I was a little confused: I hadn't expressed any interest in anime, so I wasn't really sure what to make of this print out. That was until my wife said, "No, you idiot, this is hand-drawn!" I was filled with gratitude as I discovered that my Secret Santa had inked this (original?) artwork for me!! Thank you so much!