Book: "Gulag: A History" by Anne Applebaum
The often belittled story of the Gulags, the soviet concentration camps, has never been told with such piercing accuracy as in Anne Applebaum's "Gulag: A History." A 2004 Pulitzer Prize winner, Applebaum skillfully juggles her sources, raising arguments so precise and definitive that they're hardly arguable. This adroitly composed scrutiny of soviet homicide, is a must-read, and not just for history buffs. -- Mat Grudzien
MUSIC: "Cansei De Ser Sexy" by CSS (2006)
Full of raunchy Brazilian electro-rock music, CSS's "Cansei Der Ser Sexy" -- which means "I'm tired of being sexy" in Portuguese -- will get any dance party started, the dirtier the better. No time for the full experience? Put on "Let's Make Love and Listen to Death from Above," "Alala" or "Music Is My Hot Hot Sex" for some quick fun. -- Eve Ahearn
Movie: "The Prestige" (2006)
If you think that a bit of magic never hurt anyone, Prestige is a must-see for you. The seemingly idyllic realm of illusions and eye-wowing tricks collides with a world of brutal rivalry and struggle for gains, and the pivot of movie's storyline denies the common notion of stage wizards as the crafters of our childhood dreams. This tale of deception is topped with a startling finale. -- Mat Grudzien
TV: "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" FX Thursdays at 10 p.m.
FX offers us another wickedly ballsy show about horrible people and for horrible people. The show, done in the format of vignettes reminiscent of "Seinfeld," centers on the ownpers of a bar in Philly. The amoral, ignorant characters and their self-serving, illogical schemes reflect a generation with deteriorating values, and it couldn't be funnier. -- Divya Gunasekaran
