Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
In ten words or less: Hawaii's history examined by NPR commentator Vowell.

Review: In 1898, America annexed Hawaii, which would in time become the fiftieth state. Vowell takes the reader through the history of the missionaries who came to christianize the islanders, the whaling and sugar industries that brought rough sailors and con men, and the last Hawaiian queen.

Why bother? Sarah Vowell combines her curiosity about history with a razor wit and a take-no-prisoners attitude toward the injustices committed by politicians, robber barons, and missionaries driven to impose their beliefs on others. I highly recommend her books.