The Lost Continent

I'm sure I noted this at some point or another, but I'm currently reading The Lost Continent, by Bill Bryson. In it, he sets out on a search of the mythical " typical American small town" that he remembers from childhood. I'm enjoying the book so far, as he's a great writer, but at some points, the descriptions he writes of the people and places he visits just seem to come across as mean spirited.
He's originally from Des Moines, Iowa, but previous to writing the book, spent 20 years in England. So, while he was born in the states, he had a good dose of European in him...which makes sense, as in his book there seems to be a hint of the arrogance and condecension particular to some Europeans when they talk about the U.S.
I'm Swiss and Austrian. I'm fairly critical of the U.S., too. However, I find that tone so bloody annoying, to the point where I totally embrace my inner American just to spite them. (A little window into my mindset: You know those anti-smoking Truth commercials? If I didn't find smoking such a nasty and unhealthy habit, I'd pick up smoking just because I find them so damn annoying too. But I digress.)
Overall, though, once I get past that, it's still a great book, and I've been reading it fairly steadily for the last few days. It's rather moving, as reality dusts over everything he viewed with nostalgia.
On another note, I'm getting some good reading ideas from a friend at work, the latest being Danny Wallace's "Yes Man." The short of it: the dude is lost in his life, and one day, he gets advice from someone he meets on the bus who says, "Say 'yes' more." So he does, to everything that comes his way, and hilarity, apparently, ensues. I think I'm gonna enjoy this one!
On yet another note, I was in the mall today, and what do I hear over the speakers? The Cure! OK, so maybe that's not too strange, but it wasn't the usual suspects like Just Like Heaven or Friday I'm in Love, but rather a fairly obscure song of their's called Primary from the early 80s. That kind of blew me away! Not what one would expect to hear at the mall.