Welcome back to another edition of 10 blocks.

You probably don't recognize my voice.

I am Vanessa Mendoza.

I'm the Executive Vice President at the Manhattan Institute and a proud City Journal

Publication Committee member.

I've had the pleasure of getting to know your regular host, Brian Anderson,

for many years. And Brian, today we are going to turn the podcast tables on you. So welcome to

your own podcast. Thanks, Vanessa. So one thing that our listeners may not know, but certainly if you

work with Brian, you definitely know that Brian is a man of eclectic tastes.

If you walk into his office, you will find a well-c curated mini-library next to a bunch of

Marvel comic books, including several figures, next to 20th century exercise equipment,

next to architecture books, next to tens of brightly colored pencils. And Brian, if we were not always

working so hard, I imagine you'd also have a bottle of some very fine wine on your desk to top it off.

Did I miss mentioning anything important in your office? No, I think that covers many of my interests,

including the wine.

Well, I'm glad I've painted.

If you look hard enough, you might find a bottle in there.

I'm glad that I've painted the picture correctly.

Well, because you are a man of such varied tastes, every single summer, I bother you for your summer book list.

And it's always a good one.

And it's one that you actually don't really

put together until the end of July. Is that right? Usually, yes. I start thinking about August,

...