On a lighter note - I've just finished, or almost finished, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food. by Jennifer 8 Lee.
The book is an exploration of Chinese food - more specifically, of American Chinese food. From the origin of the fortune cookie (Japanese, did you know?) to a quick biography of General Tso (and why does he have a chicken?) to a more serious look at the Chinese restaurant business, from the suppliers to the workes and owners.
I found the book to be maybe two chapters too long, but that's okay as each chapter is self-contained and it's permissible to skip anything that doesn't interest you.
I have no idea what prompted me to pick this up at the library, aside from deep and abiding love of mu shu pork. The book covers a lot of territory, so it doesn't get into a lot of detail at any particular point. Light reading, but enjoyable -- especially if you pick up some take-out on the way home from the library.
