The other day I was reading Marginal Revolution, and saw a recommendation for the Lonely Planet Bluelist. The book is a survey of the current state of tourism in most of the countries in the world. It has a bunch of fun lists, a lot of pretty pictures, and some useful information as well. I find the book to be incredibly inspirational, not just when it comes to planning possible vacations, but in feeling better about the human race as a whole. I spend a lot of my time ticked off at the state of mankind, but I am grateful to live in an interesting world filled with amazing places and fascinating people, and to live in a time when a lot of it is accessible to me, not just in person but online and in print. The Bluelist is a good reminder of just how grateful we should be. Lonely Planet also has a companion web site for the book, where you can publish your own “blue list” of travel recommendations.