A question instead of a quote this week:

How many peanuts does it take to make a jar of peanut butter?Quote:

(There's so much going on in this week's email, so I'll be brief.)

Last week, mid-meeting, a peanut dropped from the sky between my gift rep. and myself. We both paused. I asked, "Did you just throw a peanut?" Silence. She replied, "No. Did YOU just throw a peanut?" And that's the whole story. There is no answer, I don't know where it came from, and I went back to ordering some new and amazing puzzles that will arrive in May. I do hope you enjoy many, many rounds of the "Found a Peanut" song running through your head today, and please teach it to as many children as you can this week, so that they too can experience the torment I put our family through by introducing it to our family.

Here's what's in this week's email:

Matt's Staff Picks
McLean and Eakin Merchandise Survey Results.
Favorite journal reviews from staff.
Your chance to vote in our March Madness Book Tournament.
Updated summer event information.
Teacher Wishlists.
The answer to how many peanuts it takes to make a jar of peanut butter.

Staff Reviews This Week From Matt:

James by Percival Everett

Let's just get it out of the way: James is the best book I’ve read this year, last year, or in several years.

It is a book that will make you laugh, make your heart race, make your heart break, give you hope, and then stomp all over that dream. PS: the ending is perfect.

Percival Everett’s new novel seamlessly merges his vision with Mark Twain's narrative, and the result is something very familiar, yet new and even revolutionary. Yes, James is the story of the man who was enslaved to Miss Watson and a dedicated companion to Huckleberry Finn. In Twain’s legendary book, he is known as Jim. James is a husband, a father, and property. He is also brilliant. Of all his burdens, it may be his brilliance that is his greatest, as he must both hide it and wrestle with it throughout the novel.

Even while juggling many heavy topics, Everett has not forgotten that it is also a tale of adventure, and you will find yourself on the edge of your seat often. James and Huck are repeatedly in danger, and everyone they encounter seems to be plotting against them. Like Twain, Everett has sweetened the medicine with humor and adventure. Yes there are many moments of satirical brilliance, but this book is much more than a work of satire. It is Everett's skill that balances the razor-sharp wit of James with its painfully enormous heart, and in doing so has created a masterpiece. Please, read it and give it to everyone you know, it is simply phenomenal!

Burn Book: A Tech Love Story by Kara Swisher

All industries have eccentric leaders as well as salacious scandals, and the tech industry is clearly no exception. Since the mid-nineties, Kara Swisher has made a name for herself by covering, and more often than not breaking, the biggest stories in tech. Her new book, Burn Book, is a history of Silicon Valley and the overall tech industry over the last quarter-century. It is also, thankfully, highly opinionated and SO MUCH FUN.

Through her roles in print journalism, live interviews, and conferences like “All Things Digital,” which she and her colleague Walt Mossberg created, Swisher made a reputation for herself for being shrewd and someone who would not tolerate BS. She famously made Mark Zuckerberg so nervous that he sweated through his hoodie during an interview. Her tenacity has also earned her more than one unhinged email from various tech CEOs, and yes, there is even wonderful dirt about Elon Musk. She’ll also make you surprisingly nostalgic for Steve Jobs and perhaps even a little sympathetic towards a titan like Bill Gates. But what I found most surprising and delightful were her insights into one of her first jobs, which was at the fiery round table of “The McLaughlin Group.” She does not pull any punches when it comes to John McLaughlin, and it is a hoot.

Burn Book is both illuminating and incredibly entertaining. Highly recommended for the tech-obsessed to the Luddite, there is something for us all.

Last week, we asked for your input on what you would like to see as McLean and Eakin merchandise.

Here are those results!

We Love Journals!

Karen B., Zach, and Katie all love the Rhodia Journals. Katie notes, "You can write AND draw in them which I love. Also the covers are very soft and are durable because I love to cram my notebooks into bags!"

Elizabeth - The Bruno Viscoti notebooks.

Sabrina - Sunflowers!

Maris and Alex- The Catstronauts Decomposition notebooks.

Leah - Book Journals to keep track of what I read.

Karen M. - Anything Moleskine!

Jessilynn - I can't pick just one. I love the new Bruno Visconti journals that have different pages in each section, and the Rhodia Goalbooks because the pages are numbered, there's a table of contents, and the paper is yummy-soft!

Julie E. - I really like the sketchbooks we have that are spiral bound and very nice with extra-nice paper. There are two, one is black and the other is white, each with a beautiful design. I’m starting to incorporate drawings in my journal, so these are super appealing to me.

Kelsie - I’m not really a journal-er, but I do love the decomposition notebook that has the cosmic coffees on it.T

Donna - My favorite journal is the Thankful Times Three Journal. It is something I try to fill out a page every night before bed. There are so many different prompts in there to make you think through some of the happier times of your life or your day. It's been super helpful especially if I've had a rough day.ext Link

If you haven't been following our March Madness Book Tournament on Instagram, now's your chance to weigh in on the final two!

Reply back to maris@mcleanandeakin.com to cast your vote, or vote in person when you're in the store!