What's New at the Library

Check out these and many more new releases on the "New Book" shelves at the library.

Arts Biography/Memoir Business Crime Education Food Health History Humor Literature

Money/Finance Pets Politics/War Religion Science Self-Help Social Issues Travel

General Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery Science Fiction/Fantasy

NEW IN NON-FICTION

A Lifetime of Secrets: A Post Secret Book
Frank Warren
“The award-winning PostSecret project's most profound and stunning postcards to date For the past three years Frank Warren has invited people of all backgrounds and nationalities to send him creatively decorated postcards bearing secrets they have never before revealed. He has shared these PostSecrets on his award-winning blog, www.PostSecret.com, in an internationally traveling art exhibit, and in three electrifying books: the bestselling PostSecret, My Secret, and The Secret Lives of Men and Women. Now, in his most extraordinary book yet, Warren again delves into our collective confessions, presenting a never-before-seen selection of provocative and moving PostSecrets. A Lifetime of Secrets lays bare our private fears, hopes, regrets, and desires, from people as young as eight and as old as eighty. From painful admissions of infidelity to breathtaking revelations and endearing sentiments, Warren's latest collection will shock and move readers of every age, revealing secrets that have haunted their creators for a lifetime.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Eaves of Heaven: a Life in Three Wars
Andrew X. Pham
“Starred Review. In a narrative set between the years of 1940 and 1976, Pham (Catfish and Mandala) recounts the story of his once wealthy father, Thong Van Pham, who lived through the French occupation of Indochina, the Japanese invasion during WWII, and the Vietnam War. Alternating between his father's distant past and more recent events, the narrative take readers on a haunting trip through time and space. This technique lends a soothing, dreamlike quality to a story of upheaval, war, famine and the brutality his father underwent following a childhood of privilege (And that strange year, the last of the good years, all things were granted. Heaven laid the seal of prosperity upon our land. We were blessed with the most bountiful harvest in memory). For those not familiar with Vietnamese history, Pham does an admirable job of recounting the complex cast of characters and the political machinations of the various groups vying for power over the years. In the end, he also gracefully delivers a heartfelt family history.” Publishers Weekly

Audition: a Memoir
Barbara Walters
“Breaking news: Barbara Walters wears fake eyelashes, is afraid to drive, gave up her black married lover to save her career (while his went down the tubes). These and other true confessions provide the tabloid interest through 600 pages of the network diva's new memoir, Audition. But it's her heartfelt candor that lifts this book above mere titillation. Finally we learn why Walters is so relentless. It's a question I've often pondered watching her on television after beginning my own TV news career 30 years ago. In this engaging and chatty look back at a life largely lived in public view, Walters provides the answer. As Walters explains it, relentlessness is what comes from a nomadic youth spent following her father's roller-coaster show business career from Boston to New York and Miami. Lou Walters's night club, the Latin Quarter, made him a Broadway legend, but he died in a Florida nursing home, leaving his wife and developmentally disabled adult daughter to be supported by Barbara, who was a single mom. Seeing her own career through the lens of show business, living "just one bad review from closing," Walters admits she always feared her hard-fought success would be taken away. Hence, for all her stellar achievements, we understand her compulsion to prove herself in a never-ending audition.” Washington Post’s Book World

A Wolf at the Table: a Memoir of My Father
Augusten Burroughs
“Amazon.com Significant Seven, April 2008: When I started reading A Wolf at the Table, I thought I knew what to expect. Augusten Burroughs captures intense experience with an inexplicably cool remove, imparting a stillness and purity to emotions that would likely run amok in anyone else's hands. I love this quality of his writing, and it's present in full force in this memoir of a childhood spent in thrall to a predatory and deeply unpredictable father. What I wasn't prepared for was the suspense--the dread-filled, nearly sonorous waiting for the worst to happen. An artful sort of bait-and-switch happens in the telling: Burroughs brings you to the brink of a terrible catharsis more than once, but the break in tension never comes. It is profoundly sad, remarkably tender, and fueled by a sense of love and reverence that only a child knows.” Anne Bartholomew

Touch and Go: a Memoir
Studs Terkel
“Starred Review. After a lifetime of interviewing others, Terkel finally turns the tape recorder on himself. At least, that's what he would have us think. Terkel's memoir is more a medley of all the extraordinary characters he's encountered through his career, from the adult loners of his youth in Chicago's Wells-Grand Hotel, to New Deal politicians. Terkel details his long journey through law school, the air force, theater, radio, early television, sports commentary, jazz criticism and oral history. Surprisingly, a 12-time author who has built a career on emerging media is a hopeless Luddite. Unskilled with his tape recorder, the bread and butter of an oral historian, Terkel modestly attributes his knack for getting people to open up about their lives to his own ineptitude and slovenliness. This memoir, however, is a fitting portrait of a legendary talent who seeks truth with compassion, intelligence, moxie and panache. Never one to back down from authority, Terkel cracks jokes in law school classrooms and filibusters FBI visits by quoting long passages from Thoreau and Paine. He pogos between decades, reminding the reader that knowing history doesn't mean memorizing chronologies so much as it does attending to the lessons and voices of the past. He laments the national Alzheimer's afflicting this country, and fears the consequences if we don't regain consciousness. Americans might get to know their collective past a lot better if all history lessons were as absorbing and entertaining as this one.” Publishers Weekly

Send Yourself Roses: Thoughts on My Life, Love and Leading Roles
Kathleen Turner
“Turner has starred in films as diverse as Body Heat and Romancing the Stone; she's had rave reviews for her stage performances in The Graduate and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Now Turner, with the aid of Gloria Feldt, bares her heart to readers in an upbeat account of her life and work. Turner discovered the theater when she was a teenager living with her Foreign Service family in London; from then on, she took every opportunity to study acting and to perform. Eventually, she landed the steamy lead in Body Heat. Playing such a sexually voracious female role might have typecast her, so she followed it with a comedy, The Man with Two Brains. As she discusses the other acting roles she's chosen, she's emphatic that the selection of material and characters I play reflects my values. She's also been deliberate in her offstage life—her decision to marry, to have a child and to divorce. With great candor, she details some of her worst struggles, battling both rheumatoid arthritis and alcohol. In the end, she's realized it comes down to taking the lead role in her own life. While she may indulge in swear words a bit much for some readers, Turner's vision of life's many possibilities—even as she gets older—is surely inspiring.” Publishers Weekly

The Lodger Shakespeare: His Life on Silver Street
Charles Nicholl
“In 1612, William Shakespeare gave evidence in a court case at Westminster and it is the only occasion on which his actual spoken words were recorded. The case seems routine—a dispute over an unpaid marriage dowry—but it opens an unexpected window into the dramatist’s famously obscure life. Using the court testimony as a springboard, acclaimed nonfiction writer Charles Nicholl examines this fascinating period in Shakespeare’s life. With evidence from a wide variety of sources, Nicholl creates a compelling, detailed account of the circumstances in which Shakespeare lived and worked during the time in which he wrote such plays as Othello, Measure for Measure, and King Lear. The case also throws new light on the puzzling story of Shakespeare’s collaboration with the hack author and violent brothel owner George Wilkins. In The Lodger Shakespeare we see the playwright in the daily context of a street in Jacobean London: “one Mr. Shakespeare,” lodging in the room upstairs. Nicholl is one of the great historical detectives of our time and in this atmospheric and exciting book he has created a considerable rarity—something new and original about Shakespeare.” Book Description, Amazon.com

I Walked the Line: My Life with Johnny
Vivan Cash
“A little-known prequel to the late great Man in Black's famous life is adoringly revealed by his first wife and mother of his four daughters. Before there was June, there was Vivian, the 17-year-old girl from San Antonio, Tex., who met Cash in the summer of 1951 as he was headed overseas in the army. Three years of ardent letter writing sustained them—indeed, a good part of this book consists of Johnny's aching letters from 1951 to 1954, revealing his attempts to keep himself away from drinking and loose women, while begging her to wait for him and pray together. Finally wedded, the couple set out for Memphis, where Cash worked as a door-to-door salesman. After Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two began to travel, Vivian, pregnant from year to year, moved with him constantly, sewed his performance clothes and scribbled lyrics for I Walk the Line as he drove in the car. By 1961, as Vivian Cash tells it, when Johnny was drinking and popping pills heavily, June Carter joined Johnny's tour and tenaciously pursued him. Johnny and Vivian divorced in 1966. Vivian, who died in 2005, has told her story candidly to TV producer Sharpsteen, disclosing myriad tender details and an affecting ability to forgive. Publishers Weekly "This book is the greatest part of my mother's legacy as a wife, a grandmother, a matriarch, a mother, and most important, a woman in love." -- Kathy Cash

Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt
Aida D. Donald
“In this brisk biography, Donald, former editor-in-chief of Harvard University Press, ascribes Teddy Roosevelt's popularity to his combination of charisma and substance; he was an electrical, magnetic speaker, according to one contemporary newspaper account, and he hit themes that resonated with ordinary folks, such as honesty in government and opportunity for all. In the White House, Roosevelt established a model of positive, active governance and insisted that the president was more powerful than any business tycoon. Donald pays particular attention to Roosevelt's pioneering conservancy efforts, and she suggests that one of his most important acts was to appoint Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. to the Supreme Court. Donald also touches on the personal: his grief when his first wife died, and his passionate love for his second wife, with whom he set a new standard for presidential domestic life, entertaining with a gusto unmatched until the Kennedys. The book is refreshingly slim, but sometimes—as in the brief discussion of Roosevelt's appointments of African-Americans to government jobs—one wishes for more. Indeed, there's not much here that readers won't find in other studies of Roosevelt, but Donald's swift prose makes this a satisfying read.” Publishers Weekly

If I Only Knew Then. . . . Learning From Our Mistakes
Charles Grodin
“Writer, activist, and actor Charles Grodin delivers a fascinating collection of more than eighty intimate and revealing stories from friends and colleagues in the worlds of entertainment, sports, journalism, politics, and business-inspiring, entertaining, and heartfelt accounts of mistakes they've made and the lessons they learned.Carol Burnett writes about an ill-fated meeting with Cary Grant. Rosie O'Donnell remembers her inability to express her love for a close girlfriend. Senator Orrin Hatch regrets voting against Martin Luther King Day. Goldie Hawn considers her last day on Laugh-In...and that's just the beginning! Alan Alda overprepares for an interview. Ben Stiller wonders whether he should have stayed in school. Kenneth Cole gets mixed up during an important speech. Lily Tomlin reconsiders a wardrobe choice. And what do Shirley MacLaine and Paul Newman regret? You'll have to read to find out.IF I ONLY KNEW THEN... is that rare book that could change your life. We aren't always aware we're making mistakes. These wonderful stories offer insights that could keep us from erring in the future. Don't make the mistake of not reading this book!All of Mr. Grodin's proceeds from this book will be donated to HELP USA, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to empower the homeless and others in need to become and remain self-reliant.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Sage-ing While Age-ing
Shirley MacLaine
“Over the course of ten international bestsellers including The Camino and Out on a Limb, Shirley MacLaine has firmly established herself as a fearless, iconoclastic thinker and seeker of truth. Now, as she confronts the realities and rewards of growing older, MacLaine reflects on where her journey has taken her and the greater understanding of her own place in the universe that her experiences have brought into her life. As she looks back across the remarkable professional and personal milestones she has experienced so far, MacLaine is able to recognize the profound power of synchronicity at work. Sage-ing While Age-ing explores a wealth of issues from health and nutrition, to spirituality, to life on other planets, to MacLaine's views about the greatest mystery of all: what happens to us after death. Filled with her trademark wit and candor, this is a powerful, provocative book that will delight and intrigue MacLaine's legions of fans and fellow travelers everywhere.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Glass Castle: a Memoir
Jeannette Walls
Starred Review. “Freelance writer Walls doesn't pull her punches. She opens her memoir by describing looking out the window of her taxi, wondering if she's "overdressed for the evening" and spotting her mother on the sidewalk, ‘rooting through a Dumpster.’ Walls's parents—just two of the unforgettable characters in this excellent, unusual book—were a matched pair of eccentrics, and raising four children didn't conventionalize either of them. Her father was a self-taught man, a would-be inventor who could stay longer at a poker table than at most jobs and had "a little bit of a drinking situation," as her mother put it. With a fantastic storytelling knack, Walls describes her artist mom's great gift for rationalizing. Apartment walls so thin they heard all their neighbors? What a bonus—they'd ‘pick up a little Spanish without even studying.’ Why feed their pets? They'd be helping them ‘by not allowing them to become dependent.’ While Walls's father's version of Christmas presents—walking each child into the Arizona desert at night and letting each one claim a star—was delightful, he wasn't so dear when he stole the kids' hard-earned savings to go on a bender. The Walls children learned to support themselves, eating out of trashcans at school or painting their skin so the holes in their pants didn't show. Buck-toothed Jeannette even tried making her own braces when she heard what orthodontia cost. One by one, each child escaped to New York City. Still, it wasn't long before their parents appeared on their doorsteps. ‘Why not?’ Mom said. ‘Being homeless is an adventure.’ ” Publishers Weekly

What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
Marshall Goldsmith
“Goldsmith, an executive coach to the corporate elite, pinpoints 20 bad habits that stifle already successful careers as well as personal goals like succeeding in marriage or as a parent. Most are common behavioral problems, such as speaking when angry, which even the author is prone to do when dealing with a teenage daughter's belly ring. Though Goldsmith deals with touchy-feely material more typical of a self-help book—such as learning to listen or letting go of the past—his approach to curing self-destructive behavior is much harder-edged. For instance, he does not suggest sensitivity training for those prone to voicing morale-deflating sarcasm. His advice is to stop doing it. To stimulate behavior change, he suggests imposing fines (e.g., $10 for each infraction), asserting that monetary penalties can yield results by lunchtime. While Goldsmith's advice applies to everyone, the highly successful audience he targets may be the least likely to seek out his book without a direct order from someone higher up. As he points out, they are apt to attribute their success to their bad behavior. Still, that may allow the less successful to gain ground by improving their people skills first.” Publishers Weekly

Facing Down Evil: Life on the Edge as an FBI Hostage Negotiato
Clinton R. Van Zandt
“Van Zandt, an early FBI specialist in hostage negotiation, shuns the fireworks his fictional Hollywood counterparts can't seem to avoid, yet veteran ghostwriter Paisner (Citizen Koch) has successfully converted his reminiscences into a surprisingly entertaining series of anecdotes. Despite the absence of gunplay, these nuts-and-bolts descriptions of bank robberies, dramatic prison riots, grotesque scenarios in which the offender yearns to die and exotic hostage dramas in foreign lands make for gripping reading. A standout is 40 pages on the 1985 siege of the Covenant, an armed survivalist cult living on a heavily defended rural Arkansas farm. Few Americans remember the outcome: a hundred men, women and children peacefully surrendered. Van Zandt also relates his autobiography, beginning as a poor youth with divorced parents whose dream was to become a G-man, which required overcoming obstacles such as failing courses in college. He describes himself as a deeply religious born-again Christian who, unlike colleagues, never subordinated family to career but who loves the FBI and America and holds a low opinion of criminals, America's enemies and liberals. This turns out to be charming and does not diminish the value of his stories, which could appeal to readers not normally drawn to such macho adventures.” Publishers Weekly

Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World
Lisa Lillien
“Do you want to eat burgers, chocolate cake, frozen margaritas, fudge, and French fries—and still fit into your pants? Is life not worth living without brownies and onion rings? Do you want a surefire way to tame your cravings? From breakfast ideas and chopped salads to guilt-free junk food and cocktails, Hungry Girl recipes taste great but are low in fat and calories. Check it out! • Eggs Bene-Chick: 183 calories • Bring on the Breakfast Pizza: 127 calories • Ooey Gooey Chili Cheese Nachos: 216 calories • Big Bopper Burger Stopper: 202 calories • Dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: 65 calories • Lord of the Onion Rings: 153 calories • Rockin’ Tuna Melt: 212 calories • 7-Layer Burrito Blitz: 277 calories • I Can’t Believe It’s Not Sweet Potato Pie: 113 calories • Cookie-rific Ice Cream Freeze: 160 calories • With easy instructions, simple steps, and hilariously fun facts and figures, Hungry Girl recipes are as fun to read as they are to make! And when you’re not in your kitchen, check out HG’s 10 mini survival guides, plus tips ’n tricks that’ll help you make smarter food choices anywhere, anytime!” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipies for a Healthy Life
Ellile Krieger
“She had me at the macaroni and cheese. Before I received Ellie Krieger's new cookbook, I had never heard of her or Healthy Appetite, the Food Network show she hosts. But in my preliminary flip through the book I stopped at the photo of Macaroni and Four Cheeses and knew I had found a healthful-eating philosophy I could embrace. Krieger's smart, sensible approach to diet uses healthful fats, whole grains and plenty of fruits and vegetables in recipes for beloved comfort foods.” The Baltimore Sun “Among the rash of "healthy eating" cookbooks appearing since New Year's, one stands out: Ellie Krieger's new book, "The Food You Crave". Krieger recognizes the stress and guilt baggage associated with diets; her book emphasizes the joy of eating. Although the title may seem to be the antithesis of a healthful diet, the "craved-for-foods" fit nicely with Krieger's two-part method: prepare old favorites in a healthier way, and follow the "Usually-Sometimes-Rarely" philosophy.” El Paso Times

Eat This, Not That: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More!
David Zinczenko
“Americans spend more than $400 billion a year eating out, and behind each burger, turkey sandwich, and ice cream sundae is a simple decision that could help you control your weight-and your life. The problem is, restaurant chains and food producers aren't interested in helping you make healthy choices. In fact, they invest $30 billion a year on advertising, much of it aimed at confusing eaters and disguising the fat and calorie counts of their products. All of that has changed with EAT THIS, NOT THAT!. This book puts the entire food industry under the spotlight, and arms you with the savvy tricks and insider information it takes to eat well no matter where you are. With EAT THIS, NOT THAT! you're the expert in every eating situation, from the frozen food aisle to your favorite fast food joint to your local sports bar. You control your food universe-and lose the pounds you want--because, unlike every other customer, you'll know the smart choices to make-instantly!” Book Description, Amazon.com

Why It Works: Insider Secrets to Great Food
Kevin Ryan
“Become a better, more confident and creative cook! “Have you ever discovered a dish you loved, found the recipe and prepared it with great anticipation—only to be disappointed? If so, this cookbook is for you. With the help of food doctor Kevin Ryan, it lets you in on simple cooking secrets and foolproof strategies that will enhance your cooking skills and help you get great results every time. “Inside you'll find 120 sumptuous recipes for breakfasts, snacks and starters, main dish family meals, special dishes for entertaining, tempting sides and great desserts. You can start the day with Cheesy Apple-Bacon Strata, munch on Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce, dine on Linguine with Caramelized Onions and Angry Tomato Sauce and serve Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes with Caramel Sauce for a grand finale. Each recipe has a "Why It Works" explanation about an ingredient or technique used in preparing it, so while you make something delicious, you'll discover something that will help you cook better. Learning never tasted so good!” (Book Description, Amazon.com.)

Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness
Kathy Freston
“From the New York Times bestselling author comes the ultimate guide to complete well-being-an instructive book on how to reach our highest level of health and contentment through small, focused changes.Featuring a foreword by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Mehmet C. Oz, Quantum Wellness will forever change the way readers approach healthy living. “KATHY FRESTON is the author of the New York Times bestselling The One: Discovering the Secrets of Soul Mate Love, and Expect a Miracle: Seven Spiritual Steps to Finding the Right Relationship. She has produced a popular series of guided-meditation CDs on relationships, healing the body, creating prosperity, losing weight, and destressing. Her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, HarperÕs Bazaar, Self, W, and Fitness, among other publications, and she has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The View, Good Morning America, and The Martha Stewart Show. She and her husband divide their time between New York and Los Angeles.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight and Gain Health
Dean Ornish
“First published in 1990, Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease presented scientific evidence that lifestyle changes alone can reverse even severe heart disease without surgery and medication. Subsequent research convinced Ornish that his program could be applied to other conditions with similar success. Ornish's philosophy has gained the respect of colleagues and patients, but critics say it is too difficult for many to sustain. Perhaps to counteract this notion, Ornish offers choices along a continuum of physical, mental and spiritual health. Marred somewhat by a defensive tone and repetition, the book shows readers how to tailor his recommendations to their needs, goals and preferences. Ornish's spectrum consists of nutrition (extremely low in fat, vegetarian), exercise (aerobic, resistance training and flexibility), stress management (yoga, meditation) and nurturing relationships, and he describes how they influence specific conditions. Recipes contributed by Oprah Winfrey's personal chef, Art Smith, ground Ornish's principles with dishes based on fresh, seasonal ingredients and ways to adapt them to a person's place along the spectrum. No doubt, putting Ornish's philosophy into practice is the best way to banish visions of the diet police. Given the research and heartfelt testimonials from patients reproduced here, the evidence is on Ornish's side.” Publishers Weekly

Deceptively Delicious
Jessica Sienfeld
“It has become common knowledge that childhood obesity rates are increasing every year. But the rates continue to rise. And between busy work schedules and the inconvenient truth that kids simply refuse to eat vegetables and other healthy foods, how can average parents ensure their kids are getting the proper nutrition and avoiding bad eating habits? As a mother of three, Jessica Seinfeld can speak for all parents who struggle to feed their kids right and deal nightly with dinnertime fiascos. As she wages a personal war against sugars, packaged foods, and other nutritional saboteurs, she offers appetizing alternatives for parents who find themselves succumbing to the fastest and easiest (and least healthy) choices available to them. Her modus operandi? Her book is filled with traditional recipes that kids love, except they're stealthily packed with veggies hidden in them so kids don't even know! With the help of a nutritionist and a professional chef, Seinfeld has developed a month's worth of meals for kids of all ages that includes, for example, pureed cauliflower in mac and cheese, and kale in spaghetti and meatballs. She also provides revealing and humorous personal anecdotes, tear–out shopping guides to help parents zoom through the supermarket, and tips on how to deal with the kid that "must have" the latest sugar bomb cereal. But this book also contains much more than recipes and tips. By solving problems on a practical level for parents, Seinfeld addresses the big picture issues that surround childhood obesity and its long–term (and ruinous) effects on the body. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, her book provides parents with an arsenal of information related to kids' nutrition so parents understand why it's important to throw in a little avocado puree into their quesadillas. She discusses the critical importance of portion size, and the specific elements kids simply must have (as opposed to adults) in order to flourish now and in the future: protein, calcium, vitamins, and Omega 3 and 6 fats. Jessica Seinfeld's book is practical, easy–to–read, and a godsend for any parent that wants their kids to be healthy for a long time to come.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Count Down Your Age: Look, Feel and Live Better Than You Ever Have Before
Vangini, Frederic J. and David Bunnell
Why worry about growing older when you can feel younger now? That's the brilliantly simple premise behind this amazing new lifestyle guide for men and women of all ages. Dr. Frederic Vagnini and Dave Bunnell, two of the top experts in the field of antiaging, have combined the latest breakthroughs in health, beauty, fitness, nutrition, and medicine to create a complete, customized, all-in-one program. • Features an interactive antiaging assessment that enables readers to evaluate their present lifestyle--and make improvements that will boost their overall health • Dr. Vagnini is a world-renowned cardiologist and coauthor of the New York Times bestseller, The Carbohydrate Addict’s Healthy Heart Program • Authors Vagnini and Dave Bunnell are living examples of the success of their plan: once overweight, they are now fit, trim, and healthy

The Blood Pressure Cure: 8 Weeks to Lower Blood Pressure Without Prescription Drugs
Robert E. Kowalski
“In 1978, at age 35, medical journalist Kowalski (The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure) suffered a heart attack and later underwent two coronary bypass surgeries. Here, he relates how he lost weight, quit smoking, managed stress, lowered blood pressure and cholesterol levels and avoided medications and their side effects. Kowalski recommends ways to monitor blood pressure, combat the metabolic syndrome that leads to heart disease and diabetes (abdominal obesity, high cholesterol and triglycerides, insulin resistance, inflammation, etc.) and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. He provides basic diet and exercise guidelines, details the components of proper electrolyte balance (sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium) and describes potent natural remedies, including arginine, pycnogenol and grapeseed extract. There are sections on children's health and risks and a review of current prescription drugs for those who must take them. Kowalski's use of clichés and case studies bogs down the text somewhat. Still, readers facing poor prognoses will gain a hopeful perspective on the future from the author's experiences.” Publishers Weekly

The Fiber35 Diet: Nature’s Ultimate Weight Loss Secret
Brenda Watson
“Bestselling author Brenda Watson shares the remarkable secret that helped her take charge of her health and change her life forever. Now you can do the same! The Fiber35 Diet will show you how to lose weight and improve your health by taking advantage of the extraordinary health benefits of fiber. In recent decades, a change has taken place in America. In contrast to the fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains once prevalent in our diet, we now consume an overwhelming number and amount of processed foods filled with refined sugars and harmful trans fats. As a result, we have almost completely stripped our diet of what is quite possibly the most beneficial nutrient on the planet. In addition to helping prevent many of the major diseases of our time -- including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer -- fiber helps to increase satiety, reduce hunger, and actually decrease caloric intake. The Fiber35 Diet will show you how getting 35 grams of fiber every day is the key to losing weight and staying healthy for life. Unlike many of the low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets that currently saturate the market, the Fiber35 Diet is based on scientifically verified techniques clinically proven to help you lose weight. Most important, this diet corrects one of the most dangerous falsehoods of our time: that carbohydrates are bad. The Fiber 35 Diet teaches you a lifetime eating system that helps you shed pounds safely and effectively.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Chiwalking: the Five Mindful Steps for Lifelong Health and Energy
Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer
“Unless you are unable to walk, you probably take walking for granted. To most people, it doesn't seem like an important physical activity or even a sport. Yet, according to Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer, some 80 million Americans consider walking their most important physical activity. For this sequel to their ChiRunning, the authors apply the principles of balance and energy from t'ai chi to create "ChiWalking." The 11 chapters follow their "Five Mindful Steps": "Get Aligned," "Engage Your Core," "Create Balance," "Make a Choice," and "Move Forward." Each chapter is filled with good black-and-white photographs illustrating the techniques discussed; pictures showing the best technique are side by side with pictures showing the worst technique. This book would be helpful for those interested in walking for their health.” Marge Kars, Bronson Methodist Hosp., Kalamazoo, MI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

How the States Got Their Shapes
Mark Stein
“Why does Oklahoma have that panhandle? Did someone make a mistake? We are so familiar with the map of the United States that our state borders seem as much a part of nature as mountains and rivers. Even the oddities—the entire state of Maryland(!)—have become so engrained that our map might as well be a giant jigsaw puzzle designed by Divine Providence. But that's where the real mystery begins. Every edge of the familiar wooden jigsaw pieces of our childhood represents a revealing moment of history and of, well, humans drawing lines in the sand. How the States Got Their Shapes is the first book to tackle why our state lines are where they are. Here are the stories behind the stories, right down to the tiny northward jog at the eastern end of Tennessee and the teeny-tiny (and little known) parts of Delaware that are not attached to Delaware but to New Jersey. How the States Got Their Shapes examines: • Why West Virginia has a finger creeping up the side of Pennsylvania • Why Michigan has an upper peninsula that isn't attached to Michigan • Why some Hawaiian islands are not Hawaii • Why Texas and California are so outsized, especially when so many Midwestern states are nearly identical in size Packed with fun oddities and trivia, this entertaining guide also reveals the major fault lines of American history, from ideological intrigues and religious intolerance to major territorial acquisitions. Adding the fresh lens of local geographic disputes, military skirmishes, and land grabs, Mark Stein shows how the seemingly haphazard puzzle pieces of our nation fit together perfectly. “ Book Description, Amazon.com

The Forgotten Man: a New History of the Great Depression
Amity Shales
“This breezy narrative comes from the pen of a veteran journalist and economics reporter. Rather than telling a new story, she tells an old one (scarcely lacking for historians) in a fresh way. Shlaes brings to the tale an emphasis on economic realities and consequences, especially when seen from the perspective of monetarist theory, and a focus on particular individuals and events, both celebrated and forgotten (at least relatively so). Thus the spotlight plays not only on Andrew Mellon, Wendell Wilkie and Rexford Tugwell but also on Father Divine and the Schechter brothers—kosher butcher wholesalers prosecuted by the federal National Recovery Administration for selling "sick chickens." As befits a former writer for the Wall Street Journal, Shlaes is sensitive to the dangers of government intervention in the economy—but also to the danger of the government's not intervening. In her telling, policymakers of the 1920s weren't so incompetent as they're often made out to be—everyone in the 1930s was floundering and all made errors—and WWII, not the New Deal, ended the Depression. This is plausible history, if not authoritative, novel or deeply analytical. It's also a thoughtful, even-tempered corrective to too often unbalanced celebrations of FDR and his administration's pathbreaking policies. 16 pages of b&w photos.” Publishers Weekly

Michael Gannon’s History of Florida in 40 Minutes
Michael Gannon
”In this creative and engaging project, the author of the widely popular Florida: A Short History, offers a brief, stirring invitation to the state's history in both audio and print formats. Gannon, a longtime researcher and teacher, packs thousands of years of history and change into a concise, authoritative 40-minute cruise through Florida's centuries. “From the Timucua to Disney, Spanish explorers to Canadian tourists, and indigo plantations to sun-drenched beaches, Gannon recalls the people, places, and key events shaping the longest recorded history of any of the American states. Presented in a personable, conversational style for all readers and listeners, Florida in Forty Minutesis entertaining history, suitable for classroom use or as a gift for anyone who loves, or ought to know more about, Florida history.” Amazon.com

Island of Seven Cities: Where the Chinese Settled When They Discovered America
Paul Chiasson
“In contrast to its epic title, this is a personal account of the author's own research into a stone road he found on his native Cape Breton Island, Canada. Chiasson, an architect, was driven by intellectual curiosity, his family's Acadian ancestry, and his awareness that he was living with HIV and might not have the time or energy to complete the project. Writing in a modest style, he describes his research into early sources (500 years of maps and written records), his visits to the stone road and ruins on the mountaintop of Cape Dauphin, and aerial photography, all leading him to the conclusion that the ruins are those of a Chinese settlement established during the Ming dynasty in the early 15th century, well ahead of John Cabot's European discovery of the island in 1497. He posits that the Chinese may have been in search of coal or gold. Realizing the magnitude of his hypothesis, he reviews his evidence again and again, comparing similarities in culture between Cape Breton's indigenous Mi'kmaq and the Chinese, highlighting the architectural features of the ruins, and identifying Cape Breton Island with the fabled Island of Seven Cities, supposedly inhabited and predating Columbus and Cabot. Finally, he met with Gavin Menzies (1421: The Year China Discovered America), who visited the site and concurred with Chiasson that it was a pre-European Chinese settlement. It remains for archaeologists and experts in Chinese history and culture to validate Chiasson's findings, but the book stands as a fascinating piece of historical detective work. Essential for readers of 1421, whatever their beliefs, and for lay readers in general.” Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

I Still Have It, I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It
Rita Rudner
In I Still Have It . . . I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It, Rudner writes with humor and candor about all of the small indignities and everyday absurdities that have become standard fare. From the perils of catalog-ordering addiction to the challenges of keeping up with the latest in electronics, lingerie, and reality television to the joys and worries of being an older mother to the long search for the perfect retirement house, Rita covers it all. So put on your bifocals and power up your sense of humor! Just don’t blame Rita when your laugh lines get visibly deeper. Refreshingly honest and undeniably hilarious, I Still Have It . . . I Just Can’t Remember Where I Put It is a laugh-out-loud look at the wonders and the surprises of life on the dark side of fifty. About the Author RITA RUDNER is a celebrated and award-winning comedian, actress, screenwriter, and author. Her past books include the bestselling Naked Beneath My Clothes and the novels Tickled Pink and Turning the Tables. She currently performs exclusively in Las Vegas. Visit her online at www.RitaFunny.com.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things (and how to do them)
Peter Sagal
“Somewhere, somebody is having more fun than you are. Or so everyone believes. Peter Sagal, a mild-mannered, Harvard-educated NPR host—the man who put the second "L" in "vanilla"—decided to find out if it's true. From strip clubs to gambling halls to swingers clubs to porn sets—and then back to the strip clubs, but only because he left his glasses there—Sagal explores exactly what the sinful folk do, how much they pay for the privilege, and exactly how they got those funny red marks. He hosts a dinner for three of the smartest porn stars in the world, asks the floor manager at the oldest casino in Vegas how to beat the house, and indulges in molecular cuisine at the finest restaurant in the country. Meet liars and rich people who don't think consumption is a disease, encounter the most spectacular view ever seen from a urinal, and say hello to Nina Hartley, the only porn star who can discuss Nietzsche while strangers smack her butt. With a sharp wit, a remarkable eye for detail, and the carefree insouciance that can only come from not having any idea what he's getting into, Sagal proves to be the perfect guide to sinful behavior. What happens in Vegas—and in less glamorous places—is all laid out in these pages, a modern version of Dante's Inferno, except with more jokes.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself
Alan Alda
“After actor Alda (Never Have Your Dog Stuffed) recovered from a nearly fatal intestinal obstruction, he decided to live as if he'd been given a second life. To make his new life as meaningful as possible, he wanted to remember those rare moments when a special stillness had come over him, the kind that hits you when you hear something that goes to the core of who you think you are. These were moments when he'd had some understanding about the meaning of his life, his reason for living—the central questions that Alda grapples with, as he looks back over his life. While poking good-natured fun at some of his earlier rhetoric (the ravings of a naïve Hollywood liberal) he shares highlights of the various commencement speeches and keynote addresses he's given to future doctors and physicists, or even to the odd group of Jefferson scholars. He phrases it differently for each audience, but the message is consistent: It's not what you do in life, but how you do it. Notice everything. Always be open to new ideas, new experiences. Alda is chatty, easygoing and humble, rather like a Mr. Rogers for grownups. His words of inspiration would be a perfect gift for a college grad or for anyone facing major life changes.” Publishers Weekly

Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: and Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom
Celia Riverbark
“In some 32 short essays on the ridiculousness of modern life, Rivenbark (Bless Your Heart, Tramp; We're Just Like You, Only Prettier) wanders through Tweenland at the mall, thinking a better name would be "Lil Skanks." She thinks that the Cruise/Holmes pregnancy has an "indescribably delicious" Rosemary's Baby feel to it and recalls that Monica Lewinsky hosted a TV dating show—in which she "didn't get the guy." Rivenbark riffs on America's crazier obsessions—the painful but obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World, the new attention to "buttocks cleavage," coffee makers calling themselves baristas, or those celebrity moms who have "bumps" instead of babies. Rivenbark describes herself as a "slacker mom" and reminds readers to learn something from men—"because no matter how slack a dad is, if he does the least little thing, people gush over him." This is a hilarious read, perhaps best enjoyed while eating Krispy Kremes with a few girlfriends.” Publishers Weekly

Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression
David Wallis, Editor
“Operating under the premise that it's fun to get a glimpse of something verboten, Wallis (Killed: Great Journalism Too Hot to Print) presents dozens of political cartoons yanked prior to publication. Functioning as both a compendium and history of political cartooning, the book is full of cartoons, each accompanied by a brief narrative describing why it was killed, and though some cartoons seem fairly innocuous, the background provides intriguing context. Perennially controversial cartoonist Ted Rall has several entries, including one from 1991 captioned "How Gulf War Veterans Like To Spend Their Summers," which features a kooky-looking guy burying beachgoers. It was inspired, Wallis writes, "by a report in Newsday that U.S. Gulf War veterans might be having some remorse about using tanks outfitted with earthmoving plows to bury Iraqi troops alive." Older cartoons are included, as well, like a David Low cartoon killed in 1937 that "skewered the imperialist ambitions of Fascist leaders in Spain, Japan, Germany and Italy." Catholicism gets spanked, too, as do a host of presidents, notably Clinton, Bush I and II and Reagan. With 100 illustrations, this is a commendable collection.” Publishers Weekly

Selected Letters of Martha Gellhorn
Martha Gellhorn
“Starred Review. Celebrated American war reporter Martha Gellhorn (1908–1998) was a prolific letter-writer, sharing with a circle of cherished intellectual friends her declarations against war and poverty; her frustrations in an almost exclusively male profession; her hopes for success as a novelist; and disappointments in love. Gellhorn's biographer organizes correspondence from 1930 to 1996, interspersing brief commentaries that place it in the context of Gellhorn's nonstop global assignments and various international domiciles. Gellhorn's tone is typically warm, forthright and full of spirited analysis. More guarded are letters to her former second husband, Ernest Hemingway, and letters to her adopted son, Sandy, with whom she had a troubled relationship. With Eleanor Roosevelt, a lifelong friend, she shared a passionate liberal outlook; letters to Leonard Bernstein attempt to convey her appreciation of his art. While Gellhorn's unswerving energy and work ethic impress, her love of fierce debate, hard drinking, male company and sunbathing, and her capacity to lose her head in romance render her thoroughly human. Particularly moving is Gellhorn's troubled passage into old age and isolation in the African bush, before being rediscovered as a grande dame of journalism by a young London literary crowd, in whose company she delighted. Gellhorn's letters sparkle to the very last.” Publishers Weekly

Crash Proof: How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse
Peter D. Schiff and John Downes
"The dot-com implosion proves that we all need Peter Schiff's vision of investing. His view is so global and so unique in its approach, and at a time when we all should be looking to crash-proof our portfolios, Schiff offers us this much-needed life-raft." —Liz Claman, Cohost, CNBC Morning Call "For those accustomed to America's economic dominance, Crash Proof is a frighteningly forthright wake-up call. But Peter Schiff is one Cassandra whose voice deserves your rapt attention. Devoid of the usual Wall Street spin, this frank and prophetic read will make you reconsider the very foundations on which your financial house is built." —Jonathan Hoenig, Portfolio Manager, Capitalistpig Hedge Fund LLC and FOX News Channel analyst

Women and Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny
Suze Orman
Money maven Suze Orman’s latest book, Women & Money addresses the complicated (and often dysfunctional) relationship women have with personal finance. Orman's direct, non-condescending style is perfect for this subject matter--she begins with the premise that "Women can invest, save, and handle debt as well and skillfully as any man" and then tackles the important question--"So why don't they?" Designed to educate and inspire, Women & Money also offers a "Save Yourself Plan," a five-month program that "delivers genuine long-term financial security."

For the Love of a Dog
Patricia B. McConnell
“Animal behaviorist, dog trainer, syndicated radio talk show host and prolific author on all things canine, McConnell (The Other End of the Leash) presents a compelling combination of stories, science and practical advice to show how understanding emotions in both people and dogs can improve owners' relationships with their pets. This is more than a simple dog-training book: much of what McConnell discusses concerns how dog owners can learn "the language" of dog by recognizing important signals and reading them correctly. She provides numerous helpful examples of how owners can observe dog behavior, especially differences in posture and facial expressions, in order to help dogs be better behaved and help dog owners to be better handlers; her discussion of the meaning of a dog's "tongue flicks" is alone worth the price of the book. Her overall goal is to help owners provide their pets with "a sense of calm, peaceful benevolence," and she skewers current dog-training fads that emphasize "dominance" over a dog. "Don't fool yourself: if you yell at your dog for something he did twenty seconds ago, you're not training him; you're merely expressing your own anger." Publishers Weekly

Dog Years: a Memoir
Mark Doty
Starred Review. “Award-winning memoirist (Firebird) and poet (School of the Arts) Doty explores, with compassion and intelligence, the complicated, loving territory inhabited by devoted dogs and their loyal humans. In 1994, when the author's longtime lover was dying of AIDS, beloved pet Arden kept the surviving partner afloat. A new adoptee, the rambunctious Beau, in his "sloppy dog way," becomes a part of the tribe and carries some of the burden of grief. Doty says Beau "carried something else for me too, which was my will to live." In a time of devastating pain, as well as in happier times, Doty's two dogs are the "secret heroes of my own vitality." The dog characters in the book are irresistible, and the arcs of their lives are delineated with the tenderness and passion of the truly smitten. Arden's quiet nobility and slow decline breaks the heart, while Beau's goofy enthusiasm peaks with youth and mellows in illness. With a marvelous ability to present the pain of mourning with a poet's delicate hand, and an irrepressible instinct for joy, Doty delivers a soulful love story which illuminates no less than the big human mysteries: attachment, death, grief, loyalty, happiness. The book nimbly sidesteps sentimentality and lands squarely on a philosophical, inquisitive tone as intellectually evocative as it is emotionally resonant.” Publishers Weekly

Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, and the United States
Trita Parsi
“In Treacherous Alliance, Trita Parsi makes a persuasive case that since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has consistently used ideology to achieve hardheaded national interest objectives, rather than sacrifice national interest on the altar of extremist ideological goals. This is an extremely important point to bear in mind as Iran''s relations with US and Israel deteriorate and the prospect of yet another Persian Gulf conflict looms. This work, based on extensive interviews with decision makers in three countries, contributes both to our historical understanding and our current policy debate.”—Francis Fukuyama, author of America at the Crossroads “A penetrating, provocative, and very timely study that deciphers how U.S. policy in the Middle East has been manipulated both by Iran and by Israel even as relations between these two oscillated between secret collusion and overt collision.”— The Honorable Zbigniew Brzezinski, former US National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter

A Nation of Sheep
Andrew Napolitano
In A NATION OF SHEEP, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano frankly discusses how the federal government has circumvented the Constitution and is systematically dismantling the rights and freedoms that are the foundation of American democracy. He challenges Americans to recognize that they are being led down a very dangerous path and that the cost of following without challenge is the loss of the basic freedoms that facilitate our pursuit of happiness and that define us as a nation. Judge Napolitano reminds readers what America is all about, that the purpose of government is to protect freedom, and freedom is the ability to follow your own free will and not the will of government bureaucrats. He asks the simple question, which are YOU, a sheep or a wolf? Do you blindly follow behind where you are led, or do you challenge the government at every pass, forcing it to make decisions that will protect our freedoms? “ Book Description, Amazon.com

The Idea That Is America: Keeping Faith with Our Values in a Dangerous World
Drew Weston
“A leading voice in global affairs calls us back to America's founding principles--and shows how they can guide us forward into the twenty-first century. When Army Captain Ian Fishback decided to blow the whistle on prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, he posed the central question facing America in the new century: "Will we confront danger in order to preserve our ideals, or will courage and commitment to individual rights wither at the prospect of sacrifice?... I would rather die fighting than give up even the smallest part of the idea that is 'America.'" But what is this idea? George W. Bush waged war in Iraq in the name of American values--liberty and democracy. His critics in the United States and around the world also use the language of values, and attack him for deceiving a nation to wage an unjust war. What are the values that America truly stands for? In The Idea That Is America, a preeminent foreign policy scholar eloquently reminds us of the essential principles on which our nation was established: liberty, democracy, equality, tolerance, faith, justice, and humility. Our ongoing struggle to live up to America's great promise matters not only to us, but also to the billions of men and women everywhere who look to the United States to lead, protect, and inspire the world. In The Idea That Is America, Anne-Marie Slaughter shows us the way forward.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation
Anne-Marie Slaughter
“This groundbreaking investigation by a renowned psychologist and neuroscientist proves it: We vote with our hearts, not our minds. Drew Westen, a Professor of Psychology at Emory University, is the lead investigator on a team of neuroscientists who have been studying how the brain processes political information. For two decades he has been advancing a theory of the mind that differs substantially from the more "dispassionate" visions held by most cognitive psychologists, political scientists, and economists. In this book he shows, through a bravura tour of American political leaders and how they have appealed to the electorate, that Americans don't vote with their heads but with their hearts, or guts, or neuroses. The Political Brain is a serious and groundbreaking investigation into the role of emotion in deciding the life of the nation. It looks at data across several Presidential elections from the 1950s through 2000, examines the evidence for the role of emotion in driving voting behavior, and provides a "clinical" view of a number of campaign ads, debate lines and personal profiles of the candidates who have sought to win our hearts. What's the matter with Kansas? Kansans are overemotional. And here's why... “ Book Description, Amazon.com

A Tragic Legacy: How a Good vs. Evil Mentality Destroyed the Bush Presidency
Glenn Greenwald
“On September 12, 2001, President Bush addressed the nation and presented a very clear view of what was to come—a view that can be said to define his entire presidency: “This will be a monumental struggle of good versus evil.” Based on his own Christian faith and backed by biblical allusions, Bush’s worldview was basic and binary—and everyone was forced to choose a side. Riding high on public support, Bush sailed through the early “War on Terror,” easily defining our enemies and clearly setting an agenda for defeating them. But once the war became murkier—its target unclear, its combatants no longer seen in black-and-white—support for Bush and his policies dropped precipitously. Glenn Greenwald brilliantly reveals the reasons behind the collapse of Bush’s power and a0pproval, and argues that his greatest weakness is the same rhetoric that once propelled him so far forward. Facing issues that could not be turned into simple good versus evil choices—the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, his plans for Social Security “reform,” and, most ironic, the failed Dubai ports deal—Bush faltered and fell. Now, Greenwald argues, Bush is trapped by his own choices, unable to break out of the mold that once served him so well, and indifferent to the consequences. A Tragic Legacy is the first true character study of one of the most controversial men ever to hold the office of president. Enlightening, powerful, and eye-opening, this is an in-depth look at the man whose incapability and cowboy logic have left America at risk.” Book Description, Amazon.com

A Power Governments Cannot Supporess
Howard Zinn
“Prolific author, WWII veteran and outspoken history/political science professor Zinn collects here almost three dozen brief, passionate essays that follow in the tradition of his landmark work, A People's History of the United States, taking up the cause of ordinary Americans fighting for social justice. Shunning conventional notions of American history, Zinn instead strives to decouple the country's history from its "mythology," in part by examining familiar contemporary concerns like class, race, civil liberties, immigration and the Iraq War. Indeed, this veteran's profound disillusionment with war suffuses the work, but a polemic against the Bush administration this is not; while Zinn scarcely shies from critiquing the governing elite, he prefers to focus on little-known or underappreciated historical episodes such as Revolutionary War soldiers driven to mutiny or 1999 World Trade Organization protestors in Seattle. He also revisits and reframes well-known events, including the Boston Massacre and the Holocaust, and invokes figures like union organizer Eugene Debs and Vietnam War protestor Philip Berrigan to point the way forward. Though his observations can be bleak, Zinn's belief that "history is powerful" and will "break down the credibility of the war makers" gives his book a great sense of hope. Readers seeking to break out of their ideological comfort zones will find much to ponder here.” Publishers Weekly

The Reagan Diaries
Ronald Reagan
“The diaries our 40th president kept while in office—edited and abridged by historian Brinkley (The Great Deluge)—are largely a straightforward political chronicle. Reagan describes meetings with heads of state and antiabortion leaders, reflects on legislative strategy and worries about leaks to the press. He often used his diary to vigorously defend his polices: for example, after a 1984 visit with South African archbishop Desmond Tutu (whom Reagan calls "naïve"), the president explained why his approach to apartheid—"quiet diplomacy"—was preferable to sanctions. Reagan sometimes seems uncomfortable with dissent, as when he is irked by a high school student who presents a petition advocating a nuclear freeze. And he often sees the media as a "lynch mob," trying to drum up scandal where there is none. Reagan's geniality shines through in his more quotidian comments: he muses regularly about how much he appreciates Nancy, and his complaints about hating Monday mornings make him seem quite like everyone else. Brinkley doesn't weigh down the text with extensive annotation; this makes for smooth reading, but those who don't remember the major political events of the 1980s will want to refer to the glossary of names. Reagan's diaries are revealing, and Brinkley has done historians and the broad public a great service by editing them for publication.” Publishers Weekly

The New American Story
Bill Bradley
“Taking advantage of his long and varied experience--and the credibility he earns because he's not running for office--Bradley appeals to Americans' better nature in a bid to recast politics. Lamenting the current cynicism that has divided the nation into red and blue states, Bradley aims to counter the conventional wisdom that the nation lacks the resources or the will to tackle problems. Recounting past national glories, Bradley proposes a new American story that focuses on the realities, not scare tactics or rosy political spin. He offers a specific agenda to help the U.S. find a place in the world that is not determined by military might but by a "civil religion" that works to improve common conditions for all nations. The current focus on the war in Iraq has distracted the U.S. from attending to growing tensions between Japan and China, the rise of anti-Americanism in South America, and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, among a host of other crucial developments. On the domestic front, Bradley advocates health care for every American, higher teacher salaries, lower employment taxes, and publicly funded congressional and presidential elections, among other policies. Bradley appeals to both Democrats and Republicans--and individual citizens--to seize the current moment to reshape the nation's direction. Bradley, former professional basketball player, U.S. senator, and presidential candidate, offers a thoughtful look at American politics for citizens of whatever political persuasion.” Vanessa Bush, Booklist

Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back
Frank Schaeffer
"A brilliant book, a portrait of fundamentalism painted in broad strokes with streaks of nuance, the twinned coming-of-age story of Frank and the Christian right. But this story moves in more than one direction: both coming-of-age narratives are pulled against the current by the tragedy of Francis Schaeffer, a man who let his children, biological and ideological, guide him down a path from which he'd spent his whole life struggling to get off." Jeff Sharlet, New Statesman "Memoir obviously demands introspection, and Schaeffer doesn't hold back...Schaeffer describes a life that was by turns happy, difficult, idyllic, and completely nuts...He's a world-class storyteller...He can make us laugh, make us wince, and make us really think about things, all at the same time." Christianity Today's Books & Culture

On God: An Uncommon Conversation
Norman Mailer
“A towering figure in American literature, Norman Mailer has in recent years reached a new level of accessibility and power. His last novel, The Castle in the Forest, revealed fascinating ideas about faith and the nature of good and evil. Now Mailer offers his concept of the nature of God. His conversations with his friend and literary executor, Michael Lennon, show this writer at his most direct, provocative, and challenging. “I think,” writes Mailer, “that piety is oppressive. It takes all the air out of thought.” In moving, amusing, probing, and uncommon dialogues conducted over three years but whose topics he has considered for decades, Mailer establishes his own system of belief, one that rejects both organized religion and atheism. He presents instead a view of our world as one created by an artistic God who often succeeds but can also fail in the face of determined opposition by contrary powers in the universe, with whom war is waged for the souls of humans. In turn, we have been given freedom–indeed responsibility–to choose our own paths. Mailer trusts that our individual behavior–always a complex mix of good and evil–will be rewarded or punished with a reincarnation that fits the sum of our lives. Mailer weighs the possibilities of “intelligent design” at the same time avowing that sensual pleasures were bestowed on us by God; he finds fault with the Ten Commandments–because adultery, he avers, may be a lesser evil than others suffered in a bad marriage–and he holds that technology was the Devil’s most brilliant creation. In short, Mailer is original and unpredictable in this inspiring verbal journey, a unique vision of the world in which “God needs us as much as we need God.” From The Naked and the Dead to The Executioner’s Song and beyond, Mailer’s major works have engaged such themes as war, politics, culture, and sex. Now, in this small yet important book, Mailer, in a modest, well-spoken style, gives us fresh ways to think about the largest subject of them all.” Book Description, Amazon.com

A New Kind of Normal: Hope-Filled Choices When Life Turns Upside Down
Carol Kent
Starred Review. Normal isn't a word that makes sense to Kent, a bestselling author and speaker whose only son murdered his wife's ex-husband in 1999 to protect his stepdaughters from suspected abuse. Kent's previous book, When I Lay My Isaac Down, powerfully recounted her family's dramatic and wrenching story of placing their son's life sentence and their shattered future dreams on God's altar as the biblical Abraham did with his son Isaac. Kent's latest writing continues this harrowing story of rebuilding life where no "normal" exists; where holidays and Sundays are spent in prison visitation lines, and where pleas for leniency go unheard. Kent and her spouse employ dynamic journal entries and soulful personal stories to recount the ongoing, sometimes debilitating, journey to hold fast to God's hope despite dismal circumstances. Kent's inner ache is transparent and her pain raw, yet she delves into trusting God when despair is overwhelming, relief is beyond reach, privacy is no option, and loss overpowers all other emotions. In the midst of the pain—more in spite of it—the Kents choose hope, every day, every hour. This is their message of triumph to all Christians who suffer yet continue to hold fast to God's promised provision.

Dancing Bones: Living Lively in the Valley
Patsy Clairmont
“We all want to live on a peaceful mountaintop where we can look down on the world below without getting hurt. With her trademark humor and style, Patsy Clairmont uses the story of "dancing bones" in Ezekiel to remind us that life in the valley can be pretty breathtaking, too. It's often in the valley that we learn and love the most. Rather than running from our troubles, Patsy says true "valley girls" find grace, freedom, and a sense of humor in the midst of turmoil. “ Book Description, Amazon.com

A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization
Jonathan Kirsch
“The question of how and when the world will end has captivated thinkers for centuries. Wars, natural disasters, social upheaval and personal suffering often send believers back to the writings of their prophets and seers, whose gift is to bring satisfying answers to such questions. The book most studied in the Western tradition is Revelation, the last entry in the Christian canon. Kirsch, an attorney and book columnist for the Los Angeles Times, takes the reader on a delightful 2,000-year journey as he explores a text he describes as "a romantic tale, full of intrigue and suspense" and shows how churches, philosophers, clergy and armchair interpreters have promoted their political, social and religious agendas based on their belief that the end was imminent. Some of this history can be quite sobering, as the powerful have waged wars and built societies based on their varying perceptions of Revelation's message. However, consistent with Kirsch's earlier literary efforts, in particular The Harlot by the Side of the Road, the author exercises great care while treating his material with both sobriety and a healthy sense of the ironic. Written clearly and for a general audience, this is a fine book that merits wide readership.” Publishers Weekly

Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
Spencer Wells
“The study of human prehistory has been revolutionized by genetic evidence. Here a leading researcher in genetic anthropology surveys the specialty. He warns that its promise could go unrealized because contemporary mobility is reshuffling the human genome, obscuring the DNA details by which experts can trace the geographic ancestry of contemporary ethnic groups. To rescue genetic information, Wells heads National Geographic Society's Genographic Project, which collects and analyzes DNA from volunteers to create a database of the human genome as it was before the Industrial Revolution. He relays the personal stories and ethnic lineage of five such volunteers while explaining both the DNA markers and the logic by which he and his colleagues can reliably place and date a person's ancestry. Even at this early stage, genomic discoveries about ancient migrations are astounding, and the potential of the NGS project to continue them is apparent from the open questions Wells poses in his epilogue. An informative and exciting picture of science in the making.” Gilbert Taylor

Einstein: His Life and Universe
Walter Isaacson
“As a scientist, Albert Einstein is undoubtedly the most epic among 20th-century thinkers. Albert Einstein as a man, however, has been a much harder portrait to paint, and what we know of him as a husband, father, and friend is fragmentary at best. With Einstein: His Life and Universe, Walter Isaacson (author of the bestselling biographies Benjamin Franklin and Kissinger) brings Einstein's experience of life, love, and intellectual discovery into brilliant focus. The book is the first biography to tackle Einstein's enormous volume of personal correspondence that heretofore had been sealed from the public, and it's hard to imagine another book that could do such a richly textured and complicated life as Einstein's the same thoughtful justice. Isaacson is a master of the form and this latest opus is at once arresting and wonderfully revelatory.” --Anne Bartholomew

Darwinism and Its Discontents
Michael Ruse
“Ruse, a well-known evolutionary historian and philosopher, defends Darwin from all comers, whether religious critics; those who, like Gertrude Himmelfarb, have accused Darwin of being a second-rate scientist; or postmodernist critics who say science is a social construction and not objective truth. Ruse (Can a Darwinian Be a Christian?) expounds on why he accepts evolution as fact. Though he doesn't buy the argument that all science is merely a social construct, he acknowledges that Darwinism holds a mirror up to the times and reflects contemporary thinking, and he looks at the forms Darwinism has taken in philosophy, literature and popular culture. Some readers may think that Ruse, who freely and frequently admits that he isn't a Christian, doesn't quite provide a level playing field on which to confront some of his intellectual opponents, in particular the Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga and the atheist scientist Richard Dawkins. Still, Ruse's agnosticism keeps him from being doctrinaire ("Perhaps there is a God on the other side... I do not know"). Some readers will struggle with Ruse's occasional philosophic density. Nevertheless, this should interest fans of the philosophy of science and readers caught up in the contemporary debate about evolution.” Publishers Weekly "The enemies of a thorough-going Darwinism are many: fundamentalists who think it a damnable doctrine; social-constructionists who would drain away its blood; and even some evolutionary biologists who balk at taking the last step. Over the years, Michael Ruse has engaged them all with scholarship, intelligence, and wit--his most potent weapon. Now in a more synthetic mode, Darwinism and Its Discontents brilliantly marshals these instruments to disarm the recalcitrant and convince the fair minded. The book displays a humane thinker who yet flexes muscle and moxie." Robert J. Richards, University of Chicago

The Last Lecture
Randy Pausch
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." --Randy Pausch “A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come. “ Book Description, Amazon.com

How to Be Useful: A Beginner’s Guide to Not Hating Work
Megan Hustad
“There's a lot of career advice out there. Much of it dumb. But what if someone read all the advice books -- over a hundred years' worth -- and put all the good ideas in one place? Could you finally escape the cube? Stop mailing things? Be happier? In How to Be Useful, Megan Hustad dismantles the myths of getting ahead and helps you navigate the murky waters of office life. Humorous yet wise, irreverent yet marvelously practical, this book will help you learn Why "just being yourself" is a terrible idea. How to be smart, but not too smart. Why you shouldn't be "nice." When not to be good at your job. How to screw up with grace and dignity. Why shoes matter. The right and wrong ways to talk trash about yourself. That ambition, practiced wisely, is a noble thing.” Book Description, Amazon.com

A Life at Work: the Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to do
Thomas Moore
“In this slender volume, bestselling spiritual guru Moore (Care of the Soul) says that finding the right work, finding one's vocation, is also part of the care of the soul. Often Moore proves astute; for instance, he urges people to think about having not just one but a variety of callings. His consideration of the pleasures and foibles of friendship in the workplace is especially insightful. Although confident that even the most mundane job can be enjoyable and life-giving, Moore sets the question of vocation in a broader frame, suggesting that it is best addressed as a part of fashioning lives that are organically whole and meaningful. Though still influenced by Jung, Moore draws inspiration from a delightful array of sources, including Yeats, Socrates, and Rapunzel. The book's governing metaphor, alchemy, is often apt; Moore notes that both alchemy and finding a life's work require patience through a long refining process, and both are about the process, not just the end result. Often the comparison works; at other times, it's heavy-handed, and Moore also lapses into clichés (take the past and own it). Nonetheless, this will be of use to many people who seek joyful work and integrated lives.” Publishers Weekly

Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction: a Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams
Jack Canfield and d. D. Watkins
“Long before co-creating the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Jack Canfield was already teaching the ancient principles of the Law of Attraction. Canfield has been consciously living in harmony with this universal law for more than thirty years, and his personal success is a testament to its power. Now, in Jack Canfield's Key to Living the Law of Attraction, he shares his knowledge and experience with you and offers you his proven tools and techniques for applying the Law of Attraction in your own life. This book is a simple 'how to' guide for using the Law of Attraction to create the life you desire. Within these pages, Canfield clearly explains not only what you need to know, but what you need to do in order to attract what you want in your life. Jack Canfield's Key to Living the Law of Attraction addresses the important issues of clarity, purpose, and action. This thought-provoking guide will take you step by step through the processes of defining your dreams, goals, and desires. Along the way, you will gain a greater understanding of yourselfa sense of who you really are and why you are here. Your journey begins right here, right now. You can change your life, increase your awareness, and empower yourself to create an amazing future: one that is filled with love, joy, and abundance.” Book Description, Amazon.com

How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better
Charla Krupp
“Forget getting older gracefully--This is the beauty and style bible every woman has been waiting for!HOW NOT TO LOOK OLD is the first--ever cheat sheet of to-dos and fast fixes that pay-off big time--all from Charla and her friends, the best hair pros, makeup artists, designers, dermatologists, cosmetic dentists and personal shoppers in the biz. Packed with eye-opening details on hair color, brows, lipstick, wrinkle-erasers, jeans, shapewear, jewelry, heels, and more, the book speaks to every woman: from low maintenance types who don't want to spend a fortune or tons of time on her looks to high maintenance women who believe in looking fabulous at any price. There's also too-old vs. just-right before and after photos, celebrity examples of good and bad style, shopping lists of Charla's brilliant buys in fashion and beauty products, coveted addresses of "Where the top beauty pros go," fun sidebars--and more. Known to national audiences from her ten years on NBC's Today show, style expert Charla Krupp dishes out her secrets in this "ultimate" to-do list for looking hip and fabulous -- no matter what your age.” Book Description, Amazon.com

What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage: Lessons for People from Animals and Their Trainers
Amy Sutherland
“While observing exotic animal trainers for her acclaimed book Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched, journalist Amy Sutherland had an epiphany: What if she used these training techniques with the human animals in her own life–namely her dear husband, Scott? In this lively and perceptive book, Sutherland tells how she took the trainers’ lessons home. The next time her forgetful husband stomped through the house in search of his mislaid car keys, she asked herself, “What would a dolphin trainer do?” The answer was: nothing. Trainers reward the behavior they want and, just as important, ignore the behavior they don’t. Rather than appease her mate’s rising temper by joining in the search, or fuel his temper by nagging him to keep better track of his things in the first place, Sutherland kept her mouth shut and her eyes on the dishes she was washing. In short order, Scott found his keys and regained his cool. “I felt like I should throw him a mackerel,” she writes. In time, as she put more training principles into action, she noticed that she became more optimistic and less judgmental, and their twelve-year marriage was better than ever. What started as a goofy experiment had such good results that Sutherland began using the training techniques with all the people in her life, including her mother, her friends, her students, even the clerk at the post office. In the end, the biggest lesson she learned is that the only animal you can truly change is yourself.” Book Description, Amazon.com Full of fun facts, fascinating insights, hilarious anecdotes, and practical tips, What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage describes Sutherland’s Alice-in-Wonderland experience of stumbling into a world where cheetahs walk nicely on leashes and elephants paint with watercolors, and of leaving a new, improved Homo sapiens.

One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dreams with the Help of a Simple Office Supply
Kyle MacDonald
“MacDonald is just a regular, sharp-witted guy on a quest for funtential, his coined word for the maximum potential for fun. In a casual, playful tone, his account begins as he stares past his computer screen and at the brick wall of his girlfriend's apartment in Quebec; he lives there, and she pays the rent. Wanting to contribute financially to the relationship, he recalls a childhood game, Bigger and Better, and begins looking for something to trade. He's drawn to the red paperclip holding together his résumé and cover letter. The rest of the book traces his exchanges from the red paperclip to a fish pen to a smiley-face door knob and culminates with a house in Kipling, Saskatchewan—all within a year. From the outset, MacDonald insists on making each deal in person, and these personal exchanges provide the book with a human interest that transcends any fascination with quirky material swaps. Trading a door knob for Shawn's camping stove, for example, becomes an excuse for the once strangers to chat over steak sandwiches and beer. So, while the trades are the unifying element of the book, it isn't really about getting a house; it's about people, relationships and living life to its fullest.” Publishers Weekly

The Daring Book for Girls
Vicki Payne
“The Daring Book for Girls is the manual for everything that girls need to know—and that doesn't mean sewing buttonholes! Whether it's female heroes in history, secret note-passing skills, science projects, friendship bracelets, double dutch, cats cradle, the perfect cartwheel or the eternal mystery of what boys are thinking, this book has it all. But it's not just a guide to giggling at sleepovers—although that's included, of course! Whether readers consider themselves tomboys, girly-girls, or a little bit of both, this book is every girl's invitation to adventure.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Easy Home Organizer: 15- Minute Step-by-Step Solutions
Andrea Buchanan
“Are things at home out of hand? Is the thought of putting things in order just…overwhelming? With these simple, quickly implemented solutions, life can become less stressful—and the messy habits of a lifetime will disappear along with the chaos. The focus is on the little things that make a big difference—like not having to search for the car keys at the last minute—and the book is as organized as the house will be when you’re through: it begins with advice on assessing the accumulated junk and eliminating the excess, and moves on to shopping for containers, applying clutter strategies, labeling jars and boxes, and creating a proper place for everything, room by room. The ideas are smart and attractive!” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Happiness Myth: Why What We Think is Right is Wrong: A History of What Rally Makes Us Happy
Jennifer Hecht
“Adding to the recent spate of happiness books, Hecht, author of Doubt: A History (2003), proves a beguiling writer blessed with a most agile mind. She skillfully confronts modern assumptions about what it means to be happy, investigating four factors frequently involved in happiness--drugs, money, bodies, and celebration--historically in sections on the wisdom of happiness through the ages, "good" and "bad" drugs and telling the difference, the relationship of money and happiness, the physicality of the body, and the ritual of celebration. There are three kinds of happiness, she maintains, those roused by a good day, by euphoria, and by a happy life. Not only different, they are often at odds. Her conclusions are often blunt (surprise! Money can buy happiness) and also practical. She offers suggestions that can conceivably help make a happier life, but her good judgment, common sense, and insightful commentary make the book a pleasure not only to read but also to ponder.” June Sawyers, Booklist

Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving and Hoarding
David F. Tolin
“Buried in Treasures outlines a scientifically-based and effective program for helping compulsive hoarders dig their way out of the clutter and chaos of their homes. Discover the reasons for your problems with acquiring, saving, and hoarding, and learn new ways of thinking about your possessions so you can accurately identify those things you really need and those you can do without. Learn to recognize the "bad guys" that maintain your hoarding behavior and meet the "good guys" who will motivate you and put you on the path to change. Features of this book include: -Self-assessments to determine the severity of the problem -Tips and tools for organizing your possessions and filing your paperwork -Strategies for changing unhelpful beliefs about your possessions -Behavioral experiments to reduce your fear of anxiety and fear of discarding. “ Amzaon.com

The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
“Starred Review. This refreshing book is yet another sign that the next generation of Buddhism is creative, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary. Born in 1975 in Nepal, the author is among the generation of Tibetan lamas trained outside of Tibet, and he's also a gifted meditator. His brain activity has been measured during meditation, earning him the enviable sobriquet of "happiest man on earth." He fuses scientific and spiritual considerations, explaining meditation as a physical as well as a spiritual process. Mingyur Rinpoche knows from experience that meditation can change the brain. He experienced panic attacks as a child that he was able to overcome through intensive meditation. If diligently practiced, meditation can affect the "neuronal gossip"—his imaginative rendering of brain cell communication—that keeps us stuck in unhappy behaviors. The meditation master offers a wide variety of techniques, counseling ease in practice to avoid boredom or aversion. Less is more; practice shorter periods more often, he says. His approach will be especially welcome for anyone frustrated by meditation or convinced they're "not doing it right." This book is a fresh breath from the meditation room, written with kindness, energy and wit. Three cheers for a cheerful contemplative.” Publishers Weekly

Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Gilbert
Do you know what makes you happy? Daniel Gilbert would bet that you think you do, but you are most likely wrong. In his witty and engaging new book, Harvard professor Gilbert reveals his take on how our minds work, and how the limitations of our imaginations may be getting in the way of our ability to know what happiness is. Sound quirky and interesting? It is!

I Feel Bad About My Neck: and Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
Nora Ephron
“With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck, a candid, hilarious look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself. “The woman who brought us When Harry Met Sally . . . , Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Bewitched, and the author of best sellers Heartburn, Scribble Scribble, and Crazy Salad, discusses everything—from how much she hates her purse to how much time she spends attempting to stop the clock: the hair dye, the treadmill, the lotions and creams that promise to slow the aging process but never do. Oh, and she can’t stand the way her neck looks. But her dermatologist tells her there’s no quick fix for that. “Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. She recounts her anything-but-glamorous days as a White House intern during the JFK years (“I am probably the only young woman who ever worked in the Kennedy White House that the President did not make a pass at”) and shares how she fell in and out of love with Bill Clinton—from a distance, of course. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as a woman of a certain age. “Utterly courageous, wickedly funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a book of wisdom, advice, and laugh-out-loud moments, a scrumptious, irresistible treat.” Book Description, Amazon.com

My Psychic Journey: How to Be More Psychic
Chris Dufresne
“In his vast experience of doing psychic readings for thousands of clients, Chris Dufresne recounts numerous examples of some of his most memorable and significant psychic consultations, along with many affidavits from past clients. Chris and his mother, world-renowned psychic and spiritual teacher Sylvia Browne, have always been firm believers that each individual comes into life with their own innate psychic ability; and this book provides you with instructions and exercises that you can use to further develop that unique ability, along with the responsibilities and ethics that should be followed in conjunction with this development.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Healing is a Choice: the Decisions That Will Transform Your Life and Ten Lies That Can Prevent You From Making Them
Stephen Arterburn
“Interspersing wise though basic advice with real-life examples, Arterburn (Every Man's Battle) offers a guide that could help many people progress farther along the path of emotional and psychological healing. Written at a simple level, the book's purpose is to break down the barriers that keep people from seeking the help they need. Arterburn challenges some obstacles to healing that are particular to the Christian community, such as the idea that believers should feel peaceful and happy all the time. Yet he also does a good job of addressing the more basic barriers to healing common to all people, e.g., denial of pain and lack of forgiveness. His examples from the lives of others are quite helpful, drawn mostly from his workshops on obesity and sexual addiction. But the glimpses he gives into his own life are the most engaging. He shares openly about the confusion, fear and shame stemming from his divorce, as well as the pathway toward healing he has had to take. Arterburn is very clear that the process of healing is often long and difficult, yet he still conveys a hopeful, encouraging tone to those in pain.” Publishers Weekly

Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence
Matthew Sanford
“Matt Sanfords life and body were irrevocably changed at age 13 on a snowy Iowa road. On that day, his familys car skidded off an overpass, killing Matts father and sister and leaving him paralyzed from the chest down and confined to a wheelchair. His mother and brother escaped from the accident unharmed but were left to pick up the pieces of their decimated family. This pivotal event set Matt off on a lifelong journey, from his intensive care experiences at the Mayo Clinic to becoming a paralyzed yoga teacher and founder of a non-profit organization. Forced to explore what it truly means to live in a body, he emerges with an entirely new view of being a whole person. Waking is a chronicle of that process. By turns agonizingly personal, philosophical, and heartbreakingly honest, this groundbreaking memoir takes the reader inside the body, heart, and mind of a boy whose world has been shattered. The author allows us to follow with him as he rebuilds from the ground up, searching for healing stories to help him reconnect his mind and his body. To do so, he must reject much of what traditional medicine tells him and instead turn to yoga as a centerpiece of his daily practice. The author finds not only a better life, but meaning and purpose in the mysterious distance that we all experience between mind and body. In searingly candid, frequently poetic language, Sanford pulls back the curtain on what it means to survive devastating trauma, from returning to a broken life to the uncertainty of finding sexual intimacy with a paralyzed body. But first and foremost the author offers a powerful message about the endurance of the human spirit, and of the body that houses it.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Debunked! Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends and Evil Plots of the 21st Century
Richard Roeper
“As he did in Urban Legends and Hollywood Urban Legends, and as he has done in dozens of columns for the Chicago Sun-Times over the last decade and a half, Richard Roeper lays out the basics of the conspiracy theory, quotes some of the true believers—and then tears the theory apart with his bare hands. 9/11 was an inside job. Lady Di and JFK Jr. were murdered. Heathens are winning the war on Christmas. American Idol is rigged. Barack Obama is a radical Muslim. The Secret will make you thin. The Virgin Mary is in the grilled cheese. That’s what it’s like to live inside the mind of the 21st-century conspiracy theorist, who believes that all you have to do is look at the signs and you’ll see what’s really going on. This book will appeal to the vast majority of readers who possess the common sense gene, as well as the vocal minority who believe they’re living in a world in which secret tribunals pull the strings and influence the outcome of everything from terrorist attacks to professional sporting events.” Book Description, Amazon.com

When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His Cult of Fear, and the Women Who Fought Back
Stephen Singular
“In When Men Become Gods, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Singular casts a light on a dark corner of religious extremism. He reveals a group of fundamentalists operating in the present-day United States, where teenage girls are kept in virtual bondage in the name of upholding the “sacred principle” of polygamy. As the leader and self-proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, a sect of Mormonism based in isolated southern Utah, Warren Jeffs held sway over thousands of followers for nearly a decade. His rule was utterly tyrannical. In addition to coercing young girls into polygamous marriages with older men, Jeffs reputedly took scores of wives, many of whom were his father’s widows. Television, radio, and newspapers were shunned, creating a hidden community where polygamy was prized above all else. In When Men Become Gods, Edgar Award nominee Stephen Singular traces Jeffs’s rise to power and the concerted effort that led to his downfall. It was a movement championed by law enforcement, private investigators, the Feds, and perhaps most vocal of all, a group of former polygamous wives seeking to liberate young women from the arranged marriages they’d once endured. The book offers new revelations into a nearly impenetrable enclave---a place of nineteenth-century attire, inbreeding, and eerie seclusion---providing readers with a rare glimpse into a tradition that’s almost a century old, but that has only now been exposed.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Lives They Left Behind: Suitcases from a State Hospital Attic
Darby Penney and Peter Stastny
“When New York's 120-plus-year-old mental institution Willard State Hospital was closed down in 1995, New York Museum curator Craig Williams found a forgotten attic filled with suitcases belonging to former inmates. He informed Penney, co-editor of The Snail's Pace Review and a leading advocate of patients rights, who recognized the opportunity to salvage the memory of these institutionalized lives. She invited Stastny, a psychiatrist and documentary filmmaker, to help her curate an exhibit on the find and write this book, which they dedicate to "the Willard suitcase owners, and to all others who have lived and died in mental institutions." What follows are profiles of 10 individual patients whose suitcase contents proved intriguing (there were 427 bags total), referencing their institutional record-including histories and session notes-as well as some on-the-ground research. A typical example is Ethel Smalls, who likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her husband's abuse; misdiagnosed and institutionalized against her will, she lived at Willard until her death in 1973. While the individual stories are necessarily sketchy, the cumulative effect is a powerful indictment of healthcare for the mentally ill. 25 color and 63 b&w photographs.” Publishers Weekly

Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can go with the Flow
Jim Hightower
In Swim against the Current, America's most irascible and hilarious curmudgeon turns a kind and benevolent eye toward the brave, hardy, and hardworking souls who have found ways to break free from corporate tentacles; redefine success in business, politics, and life in general; and blaze new pathways toward a richer and (dare he say it?) happier way of life. The people whose stories you will read in this eye-opening tour of "Other Ways to Live Your Life" didn't set out to be mavericks or revolutionaries. They are solid, productive American citizens who found it necessary to define their own kind of success, take charge of their own destinies, live according to their own values, and find ways to do well while doing good. Is it possible to operate a large and successful business without low-balling your suppliers, underpaying your employees, and kowtowing to your clients' demands for rock-bottom prices? You'll find the answer when you meet the farmers' cooperative that said "NO!" to Wal-Mart and thrived, the economists who got into the coffee business by accident and turned the entire industry on its ear, and the cab drivers who turned a dead-end job into a satisfying, lifelong career. What about breaking loose from politics-as-usual and building a new politics based on our democratic ideals and our desire to be self-governing? Hightower introduces you to a group of young Oregonians who set out to wrest control of their state legislature from the hands of corporate interests—and succeeded! You'll also meet people across the country who are fighting campaign-finance corruption through the Clean Elections movement, as well as the Minnesotans whose missionis to mentor people everywhere on how to get personally involved in politics on the local, state, and even national levels. And what about the rest of life? Are we condemned to a future of complacent consumerism as corporations and kleptocrats exploit our differences over abortion and gay marriage to distract us from what's really going on? Here, too, Hightower has good news. He reports on an astounding alliance between scientists and evangelical Christians to combat global warming, environmental destruction by mining companies, indiscriminate logging, and more. Complete with an extensive contact list to help you find your own path to a more involved and satisfying life, Swim against the Current is the one book that the CEOs, lobbyists, and bought politicians don't want you to read.

Schott’s Miscellany 2008: an Almanac
Ben Schott
“In the modern age, where information is plentiful but selection and analysis elusive, Schott’s Almanac presents a unique biography of the year: from Hillary Clinton’s and Barack Obama’s historic presidential runs to George Bush’s continued infatuation with “the Google,” from marriage and crime statistics to the incidence of shark bites worldwide, and from the Nobel Prize for Literature to the Bad Sex in Fiction award, Schott’s Almanac distills information and opinions critically, giving readers an accurate biography of the year past. Practical, entertaining, and utterly compulsive, Schott’s Almanac eschews endless lists and tiny type to present an elegantly designed and utterly compulsive selection of the year’s events." Book Description, Amazon.com

Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope
Jenna Bush
“First Daughter Jenna Bush worked as an intern with UNICEF throughout Latin America, and in her first book, she focuses on the life of a young woman she befriended during her travels. Infected with HIV/AIDS at birth, Ana loses both parents to the disease. After suffering abuse at relatives' homes, she finds a caring center for those living with HIV/AIDS, where she falls in love and eventually gets pregnant. Her child is born without the virus, and at the story's close, Ana has found a peaceful home where she can plan a new life for herself and her baby. The pace is brisk: chapters are only a few pages long, and the accessible language and simple sentences will pull reluctant readers. A few jarring passages point to Bush's outsider's view (a comparison between Ana and "the exotic subjects in Gaugin's Tahiti paintings" stands out), but the wrenching story, illustrated with a few photos, effectively sends an urgent message: too many children are unsafe and burdened by secrets. Classroom-ready resources include discussion questions and suggestions for volunteering.” Engberg, Gillian, Booklist

The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much?
Leslie Bennetts
“Many well-educated American women are giving up the struggle to balance career and motherhood and making the "willfully retrograde choice" of relying on men to support them and their children, Bennetts maintains. Financial dependency can jeopardize women's futures and those of their children, she warns. Drawing on interviews with hundreds of women as well as sociologists, economists, legal scholars, and other experts, Bennetts lays out the dangers of giving up careers. She looks at how new divorce laws have altered alimony, reducing the likelihood of a lifetime guarantee of support for stay-at-home mothers after divorce. She details the impact of a loss of income on medical and retirement benefits and weighs it against lifelong financial needs. Bennetts encourages women to consider a "fifteen-year paradigm," viewing their lives beyond the years of motherhood and asking themselves what they want from life when their children are grown and gone. Allowing women to tell their own stories of economic abandonment, Bennetts presents a cautionary tale for women pondering giving up economic independence.” Vanessa Bush, Booklist

Inside Deaf Culture
Carol Padden
New England Journal of Medicine : “This well-organized and clearly written book provides a fascinating inside look at the development of Deaf culture...Padden and Humphries's presentation of these marvelous insights into the history and development of the language and beliefs of the Deaf should be viewed as a welcome step in the quest to inform the hearing world of the rich and fertile culture of the authors' beloved community.” --Susan Waltzman Richistan: a Journey Through the American Wealth Boom and the Lives of the New Rich Robert L. Frank “When Frank, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, began noticing that the ranks of America's wealthy had more than doubled in the last decade, and that they were beginning to cluster together in enclaves, he decided to investigate this new society, where $1 million barely gets you in the door. The Richistanis like to consider themselves ordinary people who just happen to have tons of money, but they live in a world where people buy boats just to carry their cars and helicopters behind their primary yachts, and ordering an alligator-skin toilet seat won't make even your interior designer blink. But Frank doesn't just focus on conspicuous consumption. He talks to philanthropists who apply investment principles to their charitable contributions and political fund-raisers who have used their millions to transform the Colorado state legislature. He also meets people for whom sudden wealth is an emotional burden, whose investment club meetings can feel like group therapy sessions. It's only in the final pages that Frank contemplates the widening gap between Richistan and the rest of the world—for the most part, his grand tour approach never loses its light touch.” Publishers Weekly

Non-Violence: 25 Lessons from the History of a Dangerous Idea
Mark Kurlansky
“Kurlansky applies the microhistorical approach of his bestellers (Cod; Salt) to the loftier subject of nonviolence—which, he observes, is so "profoundly dangerous" to the powers that be that it has never existed as an idea in and of itself, only as the absence of violence. "Active practitioners of nonviolence are always seen as a threat," he says, and the conflict between authority and nonviolent resistance becomes a "moral argument" that, all too often, the nonviolent lose by abandoning their ideal in the name of self-defense. But as he studies the history of nonviolence from the dawn of Christianity to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Kurlansky can also point to prominent victories, like Gandhi's quest for Indian independence and the Eastern European resistance to the Soviets. There are plenty of missed opportunities, too; the American Revolution, he suggests, need not have escalated into war; "protest and economic sabotage" might have forced Britain to withdraw from the colonies. Sometimes, Kurlansky's impassioned rhetoric turns argumentative, and his "lessons"—e.g., "behind every war there are always a few founding lies"—offer scant practical guidance to those wanting to take up the nonviolent mantle themselves.” Publishers Weekly

Take This Job and Ship It: How Corporate Greed and Brain-Dead Politics are Selling Out America
Byron Dorgan
“In 1970 the largest U.S. corporation was General Motors, with employees who stayed with the company for most of their working lives. Today the largest U.S. corporation is Wal-Mart, which has a 70 percent turnover rate. Dorgan is concerned about the implications of that shift in employment status and stability for the standard of living in the U.S. He looks beyond the economic and philosophical arguments, using vignettes to describe the bottom-line competition of large corporations that has resulted in the loss of three million U.S. jobs in the last five years. He cites a long list of U.S. companies and brands that have moved operations overseas, including Fruit of the Loom, Fig Newton, and Radio Flyer. Dorgan cautions that American consumers are in denial about the cost of the cheap goods they buy in terms of job loss and the exploitation of overseas workers. After lauding a host of those who have spoken out on the issue, including Warren Buffett, Ross Perot, and Bill Moyers, Dorgan offers some suggestions, including repealing tax breaks for exporting jobs.” Booklist p>

The Greatest Story Ever Sold: the Decline and Fall of Truth From 9/11 to Katrina
Frank Rich
“New York Times columnist Rich offers few revelations, but the weight of all the things already published about the war in Iraq and the rationale for going to war provides a staggering indictment of the Bush administration's penchant for "truthiness" and public-relations glitter rather than substantive policy. Rich's analysis is acidly pointed as he reviews the litany of half-truths told by the Bush administration in the lead-up to the war and since then. Faced with the prospect of an FBI whistle blower disclosing the administration's incompetence in recognizing terrorist threats before 9/11, the administration launched a stream of PR distractions: Bush's Top Gun appearance on a carrier with a banner announcing "Mission Accomplished," the false packaging of Private Jessica Lynch, the blustering about uncovering administration leakers when Valerie Plame was publicly revealed as an undercover agent. Rich maintains that Bush himself was behind the leak. By the time Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the PR spin machine that had sustained the president since 9/11 was in undeniable tatters. Rich offers a time line of events and commentary that makes the case that the government has played fast and loose with the facts regarding Iraq for political advantage.” Vanessa Bush, Booklist

The Lemon Tree: an Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East
Sandy Tolan
“Starred Review. The title of this moving, well-crafted book refers to a tree in the backyard of a home in Ramla, Israel. The home is currently owned by Dalia, a Jewish woman whose family of Holocaust survivors emigrated from Bulgaria. But before Israel gained its independence in 1948, the house was owned by the Palestinian family of Bashir, who meets Dalia when he returns to see his family home after the Six-Day War of 1967. Journalist Tolan (Me & Hank) traces the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the parallel personal histories of Dalia and Bashir and their families—all refugees seeking a home. As Tolan takes the story forward, Dalia struggles with her Israeli identity, and Bashir struggles with decades in Israeli prisons for suspected terrorist activities. Those looking for even a symbolic magical solution to that conflict won't find it here: the lemon tree dies in 1998, just as the Israeli-Palestinian peace process stagnates. But as they follow Dalia and Bashir's difficult friendship, readers will experience one of the world's most stubborn conflicts firsthand.” Publishers Weekly

Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq
Stephen Kinzer
“Regime change did not begin with the administration of George W. Bush, but has been an integral part of U.S. foreign policy for more than one hundred years. Starting with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 and continuing through the Spanish-American War and the Cold War and into our own time, the United States has not hesitated to overthrow governments that stood in the way of its political and economic goals. The invasion of Iraq in 2003 is the latest, though perhaps not the last, example of the dangers inherent in these operations. In Overthrow, Stephen Kinzer tells the stories of the audacious politicians, spies, military commanders, and business executives who took it upon themselves to depose monarchs, presidents, and prime ministers. He also shows that the U.S. government has often pursued these operations without understanding the countries involved; as a result, many of them have had disastrous long-term consequences. In a compelling and provocative history that takes readers to fourteen countries, including Cuba, Iran, South Vietnam, Chile, and Iraq, Kinzer surveys modern American history from a new and often surprising perspective.” Book Description, Amazon.com

Tony Wheeler’s Bad Lands
Tony Wheeler
“Wheeler traveled through nine countries--or, if you prefer, bad lands--Afghanistan, Albania, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Some were selected because of their human-rights abuses; Libya because it has done absolutely everything wrong; Afghanistan for harboring terrorists; and Albania simply because it's an example of a little dictatorship that cut itself off from the outside world at considerable cost to its own people. Wheeler posits that his book is not an account of the Most Dangerous Places because he's "careful, cautious, and has a low tolerance for pain." He describes the weather, hotels, restaurants, shops, museums, and the people he meets. The author, Lonely Planet's cofounder, wrote his first guidebook in 1973 and since then has written or contributed to 30 more titles. Readers can join him traveling through some of the most repressive and perilous countries in the world without fear of being attacked.” George Cohen, Booklist

The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca
Tahir Shah
“Starred Review. When Shah, his pregnant wife and their small daughter move from England to Morocco, where he'd vacationed as a child, he enters a realm of "invisible spirits and their parallel world." Shah buys the Caliph's House, once a palatial compound, now heavy with algae, cobwebs and termites. Unoccupied for a decade, the place harbors a willful jinni (invisible spirit), who Shah, the rational Westerner, reluctantly grasps must be exorcised by traditional means. As Shah remodels the haunted house, he encounters a cast of entertaining, sometimes bizarre characters. Three retainers, whose lives are governed by the jinni, have attached themselves to the property. Confounding craftsmen plague but eventually beautify the house. Intriguing servants come and go, notably Zohra, whose imaginary friend, a 100-foot tall jinni, lives on her shoulder. A "gangster neighbor and his trophy wife" conspire to acquire the Caliph's House, and a countess remembers Shah's grandfather and his secrets. Passers-through offer eccentricity (Kenny, visiting 15 cities on five continents where Casablanca is playing; Pete, a convert to Islam, seeking "a world without America"). There is a thin, dark post-9/11 thread in Shah's elegantly woven tale. The dominant colors, however, are luminous. "[L]ife not filled with severe learning curves was no life at all," Shah observes. Trailing Shah through his is sheer delight.” Publishers Weekly

NEW IN FICTION

Painted Dresses
Patricia Hickman
“In this story of sisterhood and unexpected paths, Gaylen Syler-Boatwright flees her unraveling marriage to take refuge in a mountain cottage owned by her deceased aunt. Burdened with looking after her adult sister, Delia, she is shocked to find a trail of family secrets hidden within her aunt’s odd collection of framed, painted dresses. With Delia, who attracts trouble as a daily occupation, Gaylen embarks on a road trip that throws the unlikely pair together on a journey to painful understanding and delightful revelations. Steeped in Hickman’s trademark humor, her spare writing voice, and the bittersweet pathos of the South, Painted Dresses powerfully captures a woman’s desperate longing to uncover a hidden, broken life and discover the liberty of living authentically, even when the things exposed are shrouded in shame.” Book Description, Amazon.com

A Month of Summer
Lisa Wingate
“First in a new series from a national bestselling author whose ‘novels [are] like those of Nicholas Sparks and Richard Paul Evans.’”(Bryan-College Station Eagle) “For Rebecca Macklin, an ordinary summer brings about an extraordinary change of heart when she discovers that her aging father has been wandering the Dallas streets alone, and his wife, Hanna Beth, has landed in a nursing home. Now Rebecca must put aside old resentments and return to her childhood home. In this moving story of separation and forgiveness, two women will unravel the betrayals of the past and discover the true meaning of family.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Lazarus Project
Aleksandar Hemon
“In two collections of stories, The Question of Bruno and the NBCC-finalist Nowhere Man, Aleksandar Hemon has earned unmatched literary acclaim and a reputation as one of the English language’s most original and moving wordsmiths. In The Lazarus Project, Hemon has turned these talents to an embracing novel that intertwines haunting historical atmosphere and detail with sharp and shimmering—sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking—contemporary storytelling. On March 2, 1908, nineteen-year-old Lazarus Averbuch, a recent Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe to Chicago, knocked on the front door of the house of George Shippy, the chief of Chicago police. When Shippy came to the door, Averbuch offered him what he said was an important letter. Instead of taking the letter, Shippy shot Averbuch twice, killing him. When Shippy released a statement casting Averbuch as a would-be anarchist assassin and agent of foreign political operatives, he all but set off a city and a country already simmering with ethnic and political tensions. Now, in the twenty-first century, a young writer in Chicago, Brik, also from Eastern Europe, becomes obsessed with Lazarus’s story—what really happened, and why? In order to understand Averbuch, Brik and his friend Rora—who overflows with stories of his life as a Sarajevo war photographer—retrace Averbuch’s path across Eastern Europe, through a history of pogroms and poverty, and through a present-day landscape of cheap mafiosi and cheaper prostitutes. The stories of Averbuch and Brik become inextricably entwined, augmented by the photographs that Rora takes on their journey, creating a truly original, provocative, and entertaining novel that will confirm Hemon once and for all as one of the most dynamic and essential literary voices of our time.” Book Description, Amazon.com

School for Husbands
Wendy Holden
“Neil and Sarah are the ultimate happy couple. Until, that is, Neil’s new job leaves Sarah alone to juggle the baby, domestic drudgery, and her own career. When Neil fails to come home one night, Sarah rushes home to her mother, who has always wished that Sarah had married her childhood sweetheart, the fabulously rich lawyer Colin, who has coincidentally reappeared in her life. The stage is set for divorce, but Neil has other ideas. Distraught at the prospect of losing Sarah and recognizing what an idiot he has been, he enrolls in an experimental “School for Husbands,” a clinic aimed at helping hopeless spouses mend their ways. But will its intensive tuition in everything from emotional self-expression to putting the toilet seat down be enough to get Neil back together with his wife? Not if Colin and Sarah’s mother have anything to do with it.” Book Description, Amazon.com

The Queen’s Bastard
C. E. Murphy
“In a world where religion has ripped apart the old order, Belinda Primrose is the queen’s secret weapon. The unacknowledged daughter of Lorraine, the first queen to sit on the Aulunian throne, Belinda has been trained as a spy since the age of twelve by her father, Lorraine’s lover and spymaster. Cunning and alluring, fluent in languages and able to take on any persona, Belinda can infiltrate the glittering courts of Echon where her mother’s enemies conspire. She can seduce at will and kill if she must. But Belinda’s spying takes a new twist when her witchlight appears. Now Belinda’s powers are unlike anything Lorraine could have imagined. They can turn an obedient daughter into a rival who understands that anything can be hers, including the wickedly sensual Javier, whose throne Lorraine both covets and fears. But Javier is also witchbreed, a man whose ability rivals Belinda’s own . . . and can be just as dangerous. Amid court intrigue and magic, loyalty and love can lead to more daring passions, as Belinda discovers that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” Book Description, Amazon.com “C. E. Murphy vividly reimagines Renaissance Europe as a world both familiar and strange. Filled with intrigue and betrayal, her story is a chess game with six of seven sides, and I look forward to seeing what the next moves are.” –Marie Brennan, author of Warrior and Witch

The Night Following
Joss Morag
“Starred Review. Distracted by the daffodil-flocked Wiltshire countryside speeding past her, or perhaps by the condom wrapper she has found in her husband's car, the unnamed doctor's wife plows into the doomed bicyclist—shattering several lives and launching a haunting journey that should burnish the reputation of Joss (Half Broken Things, which won the CWA's Silver Dagger Award) as one of Britain's most original crafters of psychological suspense. The guilt-ridden hit-and-run driver becomes increasingly obsessed with the victim, recently retired English teacher Ruth Mitchell, and Ruth's devastated widower, Arthur. Providing emotional contrast are the notes Arthur leaves for Ruth and excerpts from The Cold and the Beauty and the Dark, the slow-paced multigenerational saga Ruth was bringing to her writing group on the fateful day. As the narrator finds herself irresistibly drawn to the Mitchells' home, a nightly witness to Arthur's decline, boundaries begin to blur. Increasingly, her flashbacks to her own family history begin eerily to mirror the clan in Ruth's manuscript. But, Joss asks provocatively, who are any of us apart from the stories we choose to believe—those we create and those we appropriate?” Publishers Weekly

The Senators Wife
Sue Miller
“Bestselling author Miller (The Good Mother; When I Was Gone) returns with a rich, emotionally urgent novel of two women at opposite stages of life who face parallel dilemmas. Meri, the young, sexy wife of a charismatic professor, occupies one wing of a New England house with her husband. An unexpected pregnancy forces her to reassess her marriage and her childhood of neglect. Delia, her elegant neighbor in the opposite wing, is the long-suffering wife of a notoriously philandering retired senator. The couple have stayed together for his career and still share an occasional, deeply intense tryst. The women's routines continue on either side of the wall that divides their homes, and the two begin to flit back and forth across the porch and into each others physical and psychological spaces. A steady tension builds to a bruising denouement. The clash, predicated on Delia's husband's compulsive behavior and on Meri's lack of boundaries, feels too preordained. But Miller's incisive portrait of the complex inner lives of her characters and her sharp manner of taking them through conflicts make for an intense read.” Publishers Weekly

The Memory of Water
Karen White
“The enduring ties between two estranged sisters drive the darkly engaging latest from White (Learning to Breathe). Marnie Maitland, an Arizona school teacher, returns to her South Carolina Lowcountry hometown after a 10-year absence at the request of Quinn, the ex-husband of Marnie's sister, Diana. Quinn believes Marnie can help Gil, the nine-year-old nephew she's never met, who has refused to speak since a sailing accident almost claimed Gil and Diana's lives. As Marnie begins to bond with Gil (and with Quinn), she instinctively senses that Diana's simmering anger toward her is tied to the childhood sailing accident that killed their mother but spared the two girls. Marnie remembers little of the accident, which is cloaked in mystery, as is Diana's obsession with the Maitland curse (related to a murky blasphemy from previous generations) and the mental illness that runs in the family. As Marnie tries to get at the truth, the first-person narrative is tersely handed among the four leads. Careful plotting, richly flawed characters and a surprising conclusion mark this absorbing melodrama.” Publishers Weekly