"House Lust"

If you're interested in the psychology behind the recent housing boom (or bubble?), pick up a copy of the new book by Daniel McGinn, House Lust - America's Obsession With Our Homes. Written by a Boston-area Newsweek correspondent, it's an enjoyable overview of our country's recent infatuation with all things real estate, from the "McMansion" building boom to home makeover television programming to get-rich-quick investment schemes. When you're not laughing at some of the gross excesses that McGinn catalogs, you'll probably be cringing at how closely many of his observations hit to home.