Conquests and Cultures by Thomas Sowell.
The author points out that when a "higher" culture conquers a "lower" one, the "lower" culture is enriched. Examples given are the British taking over some African countries and establishing law and order. When a lower culture conquers a higher one, there is usually loss of, well, just about everything, as the barbarians destroy things. One example given: The Romans conquer Britain, and bring in roads, aqueducts, bricks, etc. The Romans leave and Britain falls apart into a plethora of warring principalities. Bricks were not made in Britain between Roman times and the 17th century - it took that long to regain the technology. He shows that civilization is a fragile thing. The author doesn't shy at examining many controversial topics and backs up his conclusions with meticulous research.

Superman: Earth One by J. Michael Straczynski. A new and different take on the Superman origin story. I'm not sure why they decided they had to change it. It's OK and it ends up with Clark Kent being Superman and also working at the Daily Planet with Perry, Lois, and Jimmy.
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