The Invite

Over the past week, I have been watching some films at the Nantucket Film Festival. The best I saw was The Invite, a dramedy about a couple (played by Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde) in a dysfunctional marriage who invite their neighbors (Ed Norton and Penelope Cruz) over for dinner. It is very funny and very poignant, often at the same time.

It will be out in theaters in the next few weeks. 

What I've been reading

If you want to understand wealth in America, a good place to start is The Everywhere Millionaire by Owen Zidar and Eric Zwick. It offers a fact-filled analysis of the role of pass-through businesses, where many

wealthy people make their millions. A great balance of illustrative anecdotes and comprehensive data. My only objection is when the authors depart from their mostly positive analysis and insert their normative judgments. (The call in the epilogue for national health insurance and a higher minimum wage, whether you agree or not, comes off like a non sequitur--as if the authors had suddenly admonished the reader to eat more vegetables.) But overall, the book is excellent. 

Thank you to Eric for getting me a pre-publication copy. The book comes out in September. Book review editors: Take note.