A bit of light summer reading for Utah politicians

Summer vacations are imminent, and we thought you'd want to know what Utah political types are reading this summer while lounging amid the brine flies on the beaches of the Great Salt Lake. Don't ask us how we learned this information, but we vouch for its accuracy. It's interesting how most politicos choose current best sellers or timeless classics.

Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will get cozy with "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" (Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner) which is a huge best seller explaining how sociological quirks can lead to important opportunities. Huntsman hopes he can learn how to promote economic development by leveraging Utah's unique dynamics: polygamy, multilevel marketing and high consumption of green Jell-O.

Congressman Rob Bishop will be reviewing "How to Talk to a Liberal If You Must" (Ann Coulter). Bishop has yet to encounter a true liberal in his district, but you never know when one might pop up at the beach and need talking to.

The Salt Lake City Council voted to require Mayor Rocky Anderson to memorize the popular manual "Self-Defeating Behaviors: Free Yourself From the Habits, Compulsions, Feelings, and Attitudes That Hold You Back" (Milton R. Cudney). They are disappointed their contribution to last year's reading list — "How to Win Friends and Influence People" — was never opened.

Eagle Forum president Gayle Ruzicka will be scrutinizing the newest Harry Potter novel — "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (J. K. Rowling) — for any references to black magic before demanding that it be banned.

Huntsman's chief of staff Jason Chaffetz will spend his vacation learning how to eliminate unneeded state employees by reading "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Oh, wait. That was a movie! Actually, he'll be reading "In Cold Blood" (Truman Capote).

Sen. Orrin Hatch will be rereading his favorite book — "Square Peg: Confessions of a Citizen Senator" (Orrin G. Hatch) — to relive his past glory and search for good lines for his re-election bid. He'll also study "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Robert Ludlum) to get some tips on how to end filibusters.

Susan Kuziak, executive director of the Utah Education Association, will be taking notes from "If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students" (Neila A. Connors) to learn novel ways to reduce class sizes.