For the U.S. I'd nominate and insist that George W. go as our valiant leader and Christian-Warrior supreme. Go Georgy! Lead your neo-cons down the path of righteousness to victory over the heathen scum. Kill! Maim! Slay!

(Push the button, Max!)

On a lighter, more cerebral note I recommend "Germinal" by Emile Zola. This books was written about 60 years before Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" but the topics are similar, namely fairness for workers. It was a great book but apparently it's one in a series of twenty. I don't know if I can handle 6,000 more pages but it's sure tempting considering the quality of writing. But, first, I want to finish the collected stories of Kafka. All I can say about Kafka is that he's so Kafka.