I suggest reading A man without a country by Kurt Vonnegut. It is a great quick read and a pseudo-memoir of this american authors life. He gives details on existentialism and US foreign policy.
How beautiful it is to get up and go out and do something. We are here on Earth to fart around. Don't let anybody tell you any different.
It's funny that you focused upon this book, as I bought it from the Univ. Bookstore about a month ago for the exact purpose of reading it over break. That is some sort of crazy karma, or something. I was able to make it through the book in an hour or two, as it is a quick read, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.