Books recently read:

How to Translate Egyptian Hieroglyphics. Say, did you know
that those deities aren't really Osiris, Isis, and Thoth,
but are more like Awsir, Awset, and Djehouti?

Mindfulness in Plain English, by the Venerable Henepola Gunaratna.
A clearly written guide to insight meditation.

The Films of Akira Kurosawa, by Donald Richie. All the stories 
behind all the films of one of my favorite directors. ("Ran"
is coming out on Criterion DVD this month - yay!)

The Essential Lotus, excerpts from the Lotus Sutra. A highly
cosmic story about the Buddha, but with a positive message.

The Friar and the Cipher, a book about the Voynich Manuscript and 
Roger Bacon. This was disappointing; it talks around the issues
for ages and doesn't really shed any new light on the subject.