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My Picks of the Month
Two excellent biographies are available from Da Capo Press. Tamerlane: Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World by Justin Marozzi ($26.95) tells the story of the last great nomadic warlord. Tamerlane (1336-1405) hasn’t received the same kind of press as Alexander the Great, but in his lifetime, he ruled a vast empire. He was also famed for the brutality of his methods. Piles of human skulls were left on the battlefields as a warning to all who might resist. In the ruins of Baghdad, he left a pyramid of 90,000 heads. He would rule from the steppes of Asia to the Syrian coastline. The author gives us a part history, part travelogue as he follows the path of Tamerlane. England’s tragic queen, Anne Boleyn, has her story told by Joanna Denny ($26.00). The author gives us a new interpretation of Boleyn, offering a portrait that does not reflect the myth of an evil temptress. Married to Henry VIII for a decade, she was felled by court politics and Henry’s desire for a male heir. Denny is related to Sir Anthony Denny who was Henry’s closest servant in his last days, so she brings not only her academic credentials to the story, but a personal link. Garry Wills has established himself as a seminal thinker on topics of Christian and/or Catholic theology. He has written several books. For example, about "Saint Augustine" and "Why I Am a Catholic." Now he has written a fairly slim volume that may be the single book by which he will be most remembered. What Jesus Meant ($24.95, Viking) is a book that challenges much of what most Christians would recognize as the message of Jesus, albeit the author acknowledges that the ultimate message is the commandment to love. In this exegesis, Will argues that Jesus subscribed to no political program and did not adhere even to Judaism, the religion into which he was born. He was, Wills believes, an entirely radical figure in history, speaking out against power, the wealthy, and religion itself. For anyone seeking to understand the origins of Christianity and the message of the man who personified it, this book will prove to be an exciting intellectual and spiritual trip. For those of a philosophical bent, The Just War and Jihad: Violence in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ($29.00, Prometheus Books) brings together the views of members of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion, leading theorists who gathered at Cornell University. Edited by R. Joseph Hoffman, they explore "whether religions are viral forms of a general cultural tendency to violent action." Do they, in fact, "encourage violence in the imagery of their sacred writings, in their theology, and their tendency to see the world as a cosmos divided between powers of good and forces of evil?" The views expressed are very thought provoking. If you were among those who enjoyed Frances Mayes’ "Under the Tuscan Sun", either in the book or movie version, or if you like to travel, then you will surely enjoy A Year in the World: Journeys of a Passionate Traveler ($26.00, Broadway Books). Starting out from her beloved Tuscany, she ventures forth to Spain, Portugal, France, the British Isles, and throughout the Mediterranean to Turkey, Greece, and North Africa. She brings her curiosity to every place she visits and, in the process, evokes our own as we share her many interests. This is a writer with the ability to convey her personal experiences and make them the reader’s as well. For the armchair traveler, this book will prove especially satisfying. Italy is where the artist, Modigliani: A Life, was born. Jeffrey Meyers has written a very satisfying biography ($27.00, Harcourt) of the man who died in poverty and neglect in Paris in 1920 at the age of 34. He gained notoriety when his pregnant mistress, Jeanne Hebuterne, committed suicide the day after his death. In his short life he produced sculptures, portraits, and nudes that have since become a legendary element of the school of modern art. Ignored in his life, his works command the highest prices today and the public appetite for them is insatiable. He was a true bohemian, but that does not mean he was a particularly pleasant fellow to be around. He is, however, a virtual archetype of the bohemian artist and this biography will do much to satisfy those who want a full literary portrait of the man.
You’ve probably heard of the long line of "Chicken Soup" books filled with advice on, well, everything! But have you heard of the "Chopped Liver" series? The acknowledgement of the latest, Chopped Liver for the Gentle Spirit, ($14.95, Best-Seller Books, Burbank, CA) pays tribute to my friend, Irwin Zucker, the dean of Hollywood book publicists. It was Irwin who came up with the "chopped liver" sobriquet for the series. Four others have been previously published. This newest addition is a collection of 52 stories "about people who make a difference, turning adversity into achievement." Edited by Ernie Weckbaugh, this edition sports a foreword by Rose Marie, a show business legend long before the current generation arrived on the scene. Almost none of the contributors are "famous", but together they represent a book filled with the kind of experience, good humor, and a generosity of sharing that makes it great fun to read. Americans often seem obsessed with their health. I suspect billions are spent to maintain one’s health, not to mention the rising cost of health care that is cause enough to pay attention to eating property, exercise, and other options. Among the books being published on health topics is The Savvy Woman Patient ($20.00, Capital Books, Inc., Sterling, VA). Edited by Phyllis Greenberger, MSW, with Dr. Jennifer Wider, MD, this book addresses "how and why sex differences affect your health" and is self-described as "an A-Z health guide for women of all ages." From my perusal, I would have to say it appears to be a fact-filled guide with many distinguished contributors. Just about any ailment you can think of is included and, of course, the emphasis is on the way women encounter disease in ways that differ from men. Exercise is the subject of two interesting books. The No Sweat Exercise Plan is by Dr. Harvey B. Simon, MD, an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School ($21.95, Mcgraw-Hill). This is a book for someone who is serious about learning all the health aspects to losing weight, staying healthy, and living longer. This isn’t some lightweight book on the subject, but one that devotes considerable text to answer the key questions about exercise in terms how it affects the body and the mind. And not just one exercise, but the full range available, whether its cardiometobolic exercise, strength training, flexibility training, and much more. If there is one group that is seriously concerned with their weight, it’s girls in their teens. Some develop bad practices such as Bulimia Nervosa, the cycle of bingeing and purging. Until now I have not seen a book specifically devoted to this weight-conscious group, but Dr. Susan S. Bartell has written Dr. Susan’s Girls-Only Weight Loss Guide ($14.95, Parent Positive Press, Williston Park, NY) and I think any parent who wants to help their daughter learn the right way to lose weight, get fit and stay fit will want to pick up a copy of this book. As the author says, these are girl-tested strategies.
I must confess that I have taken a full range of vitamins and minerals every morning for years. I have no idea what they do, but I am inclined to believe that providing one’s body with a daily minimal dose is a wise and useful thing to do. Eat Right—Electrolyte: A Nutritional Guide to Minerals in Our Daily Diet ($28.00, Prometheus Books) is by Dr. W. Rex Hawkins, M.D. His interesting book explains that sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium are the primary electrolytes that regulate and preserve the health of body systems. Since these electrolytes come from our food as nutrient minerals, diet is the key mediator of electrolyte balance for the body. The author reviews the nutritional research that documents various aspects of excessive exposure or the neglect of sufficient nutrients. The research attributes many common, serious health problems such as hypertension, heart disease, osteoporosis, and others to a failure to maintain an appropriate balance. This book will help you avoid the many fad diets that are hyped and provide essential information to choose foods wisely to obtain optimal health. We are hearing a lot about Child Obesity these days and it is not surprising that there’s a new book on the subject by Dr. Goutham Rao, MD ($18.00, Prometheus Books softcover.) The book is written for parents who are concerned their child may be overweight. A nationally recognized expert on the topic, Dr. Rao identifies the five principal culprits for obesity among children these days and then provides a rational approach to helping your child achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Wisely, he notes that are no magic bullets or quick fixes, but a reading of this book will put your child on the path to good health. The Truth About Children and Divorce: Dealing with the Emotions so you and your Children can Thrive ($15.00, Plume softcover) is one of those titles that tells you everything you need to know. Every year more than a million children are affected by divorce and it’s almost always a painful ordeal. Dr. Robert E. Emery, Ph.D., has had his research featured in leading news magazines and other media. The good news is that children can recover from the trauma of divorce and the key is how parents handle their own emotions as they negotiate the settlement or begin new romantic relationships. For any parent going through a divorce, this book will help them deal with the problems their children will encounter as well. Working With You Is Killing Me by Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster ($22.95, Warner Business Books) addresses mental health in the workplace. If you wonder why people won’t just leave you alone and let you do your job, this book reveals who various types of personalities are that can drive you crazy. There’s the Empty Pit who sucks you into listening for their assorted problems or the Saboteur who praises you to your face and criticizes you behind your back. The Unpleasable Boss is another. Indeed, there is a whole range of people who can rob you of satisfaction and poison the workplace. Psychologist Crowley and management consultant Elster help you "unhook" from emotional problems at the office, how to manage even a difficult boss, and provide other advice to keep you sane. Julian Block and I have both been members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors for so long that I can’t recall not knowing him and reading his excellent advice on tax matters over the years. Julian has revised and expanded his book, The Home Seller’s Guide to Tax Savings ($19.95, AuthorHouse) and it is filled with money-saving information. For example, since 1997 sellers pay no taxes on profits of as much as $250,000 for single persons and $500,000 for married couples. There are many other ways to save money such as deducting for a home office, rules affecting divorcing couples, and increased deductions for casualty and theft loses due to Hurricane Katrina if you live in areas where it occurred. An attorney and former IRS special agent, Julian writes a monthly column, "Real Estate In-Depth", for the newspaper of the Westchester Country Board of Realtors, serving more than 7,700 realtors in New York’s northern suburbs. The book can be ordered from its website at www.wcbr.net. Americans, many of whom are in hock up to their eyebrows, are obsessed these days with holding onto and building on what money they have can find some help in a number of books that attempt to help them. For example, there’s The Net Worth Workout by Susan Feitelberg ($21.95, Amacom) touted as "a lifetime of financial fitness." The author lays out a course of action to get the reader on the path toward a more secure future. A financial advisor for J.P. Morgan Chase, she applies the language and core principles of physical health to the winning moves of money management. If you are seeking some peace of mind, some prosperity, and some confidence in managing your finances, this book should prove quite helpful. Another useful book along the same lines is He Said It! I Did It! Lessons From My Father on Mastering Personal Finance by Charles W. Buffington III and Charles W. Buffington, Jr. ($24.95, Orman Press, Lithonia, GA). Junior became a millionaire and his son is a living testament to the principles his father followed to break free from living paycheck-to-paycheck. Their book, based on the financial workshops they have hosted in churches teaches what everyone needs to know to understand financial affairs. One note; there is a religious theme to this book that Christians will identify with and which others will find different from other books on this topic. Ed Slott has written Parlay Your IRA into a Family Fortune ($15.00, Penguin softcover). His theme is that the longer your IRA is sheltered from taxes, the more it grows and accumulates wealth. He lays out a plan to show you have to do this step-by-step. It is jammed with excellent advice and I would think that anyone with an IRA would want to take the time to read this book. In a similar fashion, Invent Your Retirement: Resources for the Good Life by Art Koff ($16.95, Oakhill Press, Winchester, VA) addresses the concerns of the Baby Boomers who are now looking forward to a life expectancy of some 75 years of life and longer. The author is an expert on retirement and runs a website, www.RetiredBrains.com. He has written a book that is designed to help all those approaching retirement, but who intend to continue working or who want to create a new lifestyle for themselves in their senior years. As such, he discusses where and how you want to live, health issues that include buying prescription drugs, assisted living arrangements, and personal issues such as memory loss, as well as how to exercise your brain, continue to work, volunteer, go back to school, et cetera!
The Cato Institute, a Washington, D.C. think tank, has recently published Trapped: When Acting Ethically Is Against the Law by John Hasnas ($12.95). As this is being written, the trial of the Enron executives is in progress and its collapse in 2002 triggered a campaign in the federal government against white-collar crime. In doing so, the new criminal law has created a "Catch-22" in which businesspeople are forced to act either unethically or illegally. Bizarre as they may seem, this softcover book, written by a professor of business at Georgetown University and senior fellow at Cato, spells it out. "In creating white-collar criminal law, the federal government has eviscerated the liberal safeguards of the traditional criminal law to permit conviction for merely negligent or innocent actions and to circumvent the presumption of innocent, the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and the attorney-client privilege." Kid Stuff: Younger Readers and Children’s Books It’s been a light month for new children’s books, but some for older readers have arrived and are worth mentioning. A hilarious book, The Wizard, the Witch & Two Girls from Jersey, by Lisa Papademetriou ($8.99, Razorbill, an imprint of the Penguin Group) is ideal for girls aged 12 and up. Due out officially in May, I recommend you put an order in for this one at your favorite bookstore. The author has taken all the familiar elements of fantasy and added her own sense of humor to come up with a novel about the ancient land of Galma, filled with woe ever since the Queen of Twilight has begun her evil reign. The only one that can save the locals has been foretold by Landron the Sage. It is Princess Arabella. Or maybe it’s the two girls from Jersey who show up at the end of chapter two? This is a totally wacky story that serves up a wizard with no magic abilities, an elf-bakery reject, and a talking squirrel, who with the Jersey girls take on the evil queen. Let’s face it, Galma is doomed! I first came across the author when she wrote the highly acclaimed "Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me." Join her fan club. This one’s a winner! Also for the older "young" readers, aged 14 and up, there’s a paperback novel, Red Palms, by Cara Haycak ($6.50, Laurel-Leaf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books) that tells the story of Benita whose 14th birthday happens to fall just as the Great Depression has bankrupted her father, forcing him to sell their family home in Guayaquil, Ecuador. This exotic setting and distant past is bound to stir the imagination of the reader as Benita goes from living in a grand house to living in a shack as her father strives to start a coconut plantation on a primitive island call Paita. There’s not much about the island, bereft of electricity and running water, that has much appeal, but there is a handsome young islander named Raul. This is a coming-of-age story that will no doubt appeal to many young girls who read it.
For the very young who are either read to or are in the early stages of reading will enjoy A Frog Thing, a book and CD, written by Eric Drachman and beautifully illustrated by James Muscarello ($18.95, Kidwick Books, Los Angeles, CA). Idea for ages 3 through 7, it is the story of Frank, a little frog who yearns to fly. Flying, however, is not a "frog thing" and, despite his best efforts, it is clear he will never fly. But wait, here comes some bird friends who are grateful for his rescue of their little chick that has fallen from the nest into the pond. They take him on a trip so he can at least experience the sensation of flying. The CD takes the listener beyond the book with sound effects and a narration by the author and a whole cast of children and adults. There’s fun to be had in Hit the Ball Duck by Jez Alborough ($15.95, Kane/Miller) in which Duck and his friends, a sheep, a goat, and a frog, go out one afternoon for a game of baseball. When the ball and then the bat get caught in a tree limb, they have to work together to get them back. This, too, will work for those aged 3 to 7 and, when you’re done, you will probably want to pick up "Duck’s Key, Where Can it Be?" and "Duck in the Truck", both previously recommended by this fan of Duck. This age group, 3 to 7, will benefit from Melanie Watt’s Scaredy Squirrel ($14.95, Kids Can Press) that tells the story of a squirrel who is too afraid of the world beyond his nut tree to ever leave it. One day, trying to flee a bee, he discovers he’s a flying squirrel! And he discovers it is fun to explore the world beyond his nut tree. This is a good story for a parent to read to a young child who needs to develop some confidence. In a similar fashion, just out this month is Little Library Mouse by Stephanie Lisa Tara with wonderful illustrations by Alex Walton ($16.95, Brown Books Publishing Group, Dallas, TX). Filled with rhyming lines and eye-catching art, it tells of a little mouse who lives in a library and who comes out at closing time to roam around, imagining himself engaging in all sorts of adventures. Inviting readers to join him. I daresay there is not a child who would not be enraptured by the illustrations and entertained by the easily comprehended text. The usual flow of novels, hard and softcover, continues unabated, so let’s look at some of those that have arrived recently. Elizabeth Cunningham, descended from nine generations of Episcopal priests, has absorbed the Christian epic of Jesus and focused on the briefly mentioned Mary Magdalene to produce a novel The Passion of Mary Magdalen ($29.95, Monkfish Book Publishing Company, Rhinebeck, NY). She came to the task with five other novels to her credit and she just seems to be gathering up a good head of steam to produce still more. Surely, this novel will evoke howls of protest and praise as she spins the tale of Maeve, a feisty Celtic Madgalen who tells this story in her own words. We encounter her first on a slave block in Rome where she has traveled in her determination to meet her lost beloved, called Esus by the Celts this priestess and healer has left behind. There is just so much to this lusty tale to even begin to describe. Suffice it say, it is jammed packed with adventure, paralleling the story of Jesus, but taking it in directions only the most daring author would go.
From a publisher headquartered in Jamaica, New York, Q-Boro Books, come three novels that reflect life in New York’s urban ghettos, of gangs, drugs, and the tragedies that result. At $14.95 each, you have your choice of King of Spaces by Kiniesha Gayle, Ice Cream for Freaks by Dejon, and Gangsta Lean by Rochan Morgan. These authors authentically capture the reality of the lives of those for whom the world is a small and dangerous place, despite their big dreams and their efforts to find love. There is surely an audience for such stories though this world is as far from anything I have ever known. These novels are well written and rich in the kind of detail that can only be learned by having lived them. To learn more, visit www.qborobooks.com. For an old-fashioned thriller, there’s Descending From Duty by J. Ryan Fenzel ($12.95, Ironcroft Publishing, Hartland, MI). Just published this month, the novel takes place on the Great Lakes and up the west coast of Michigan, but has a broader quality to it as it tells of maritime suspense and political intrigue more usually associated with techno-thrillers on a global scale. One usually doesn’t associate submarines with the Great Lakes, but a band of mercenaries led by an embittered naval officer steal a fleet-submarine, the USS Silversides, from her berth at a naval museum on the shorts of Lake Michigan. What first seem to be random acts of violence soon sharpen into a campaign with a very precise purpose and Secret Service Agent, Dylan Reese, has to deal with the rein of terror as the Coast Guard searches for the sub. An interesting cast of characters and an unusual story combine for the kind of excitement that will remind you of Tom Clancy’s classic novel.
If you enjoy listening to a good story, there are some new CD audiobooks available from Harper Audio. The bestselling Janet Evanovich has her novel, Manhunt, read by C.J. Critt ($14.95). It is a very funny story of Alexandra Scott who has ditched a Wall Street job and fancy condo to go looking for a real man in Alaska. She finds him, but he is a confirmed bachelor! A very different story, one of an accidental redemption, is told in Brooklyn Follies, written and read by the author, Paul Auster ($39.95). Nathan Glass has come to Brooklyn to die. Divorced, retired, estranged from his only daughter, he seeks only solitude and anonymity. Then he meets a long-lost nephew, his boss, and a new circle of acquaintances that provide a reckoning with his past. Though a tad pricy, this audiobook is eight hours of pure listening pleasure. Black America as experienced by three best friends, Whitney, Taylor, and Charisse, is shared in Kimberla Lawson Roby’s Changing Faces ($29.95) as performed by Lynn Chavis, Audra Alisa Polk, and Delores King Williams. It’s six hours of mayhem as Charisse’s husband threatens to go public with a secret she hoped to keep hidden, especially from her interfering mother. She hits upon a very risky scheme to save herself. The question is how far will friendship go? As current as today’s headlines, Laguna by Michael Putegnat ($21.95, Synergy Books, Austin, TX) reflects the need for oil and natural gas and the role those energy resources have always played in Texas, a State whose budget has risen and fallen with the price of oil since the 1930s. The author, a fifth-generation native of Texas with extensive executive experience, has written an intriguing story about a ranching patriarch who is forced to transform an environmentally delicate coast bay, the Laguna Madre, into a natural gas field to keep his family from financial ruin. In the process, this takes him and his small town deep into Washington politics and New York investment banking circles. This reflects much of the author’s own experience and it greatly enriches an intricate story of personal, community and national objectives. One hopes this novel will emerge from among the many others being published these days to gain the kind of attention it deserves. I am in a quandary regarding self-published novels. A part of my brain tells me that few have any chance of acquiring enough readers, i.e., buyers, to make the effort worth it, but I do understand how frustrating it is to deal with the mainstream literary agents and publishers. Today, publishing your own novel is not that expensive and many firms exist to expedite the process. The problem for a reviewer is whether to devote the time and space to such books. Since I root for all authors to succeed, I am not inclined to just ban them from Bookviews. If you have an opinion about this, write me at acaruba@aol.com. Shadow of Turning ($28.95, iUniverse) is an example of a well-written, intriguing, self-published novel. Written under the pseudonym of Clayton Carpenter, it is set mainly in pre-Katrina New Orleans and in south Mississippi. The author tells me he’s gotten an exceptionally favorable local response to the novel and I believe it. It explores what happens to a man who has worked hard to reach success only to see his life destroyed by false accusations about his character. He watches as former, sometimes trusted, friends participate and slink away. He is left to rebuild his life from the shambles. In this case, the main character is consumed with anger and goes off to live in the backwoods, encountering a survivalist who teaches him how to live off the land. This is a novel of betrayal and revenge in which you will find yourself rooting for the man as he dispenses his own justice. That’s it for April! We are now fully into 2006 and the one thing on which you can count is that more new books are on the way. You can rely on Bookviews.com to let you know about the many excellent books that are not on the bestseller lists or being hyped on radio and television. Visit our Featured Books page to enjoy the pleasure of discovered a totally unique book among the many interesting titles on display there. Tell your friends about Bookviews and then come back in May! |
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Contact: Alan Caruba |
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If you read no other book this year, you should read Empire of Debt: The Rise of an Epic Financial Crisis by Addison Wiggin and Bill Bonner. (27.95, Wiley) "It is deeply unpleasant to consider the fact that the U.S. continues to rack up another $80 million of debt every hour, or that our trade deficit has hit an all time high of $725.8 billion. So we close our eyes. But the denial that comforts us today also keeps us from seeing the catastrophe that’s rushing toward us like the proverbial freight train." The authors are colleagues at Agora Financial, a leading financial newsletter company. They have concluded that, while an American empire exists, it also is facing the kind of decline past empires have encountered. They make a very good case for the view that Americans are living way beyond our means, have far too much personal debt, and that the nation will inevitably experience financial reverses that will burst our current bubble of spending and, indeed, our entire way of life. "Americans believe they can get rich by spending someone else’s money. They believe that foreign countries actually want to be invaded and taken over. They believe they can run up debt forever and that their debt-laden houses are as good as money in the bank." Those who read this book will benefit from its look at where America is and where it may end up if current trends are not reversed.
Ihave a weakness for clever books that bring together a body of facts that whet my appetite to learn more about the world. Does Anything Eat Wasps! And 101 Other Unsettling, Witty Answers to Questions You Never Thought You Wanted to Ask ($12.00, Free Press, a division of Simon and Schuster) is an international bestseller with more than 400,000 copies in print. As of this month, it is available in softcover. It is a hilariously entertaining collection of the best questions and answers ever submitted to the "Last Word" column of the internationally popular New Scientist magazine. The book offers fast, fun facts from the trivial to the slightly wacky to the downright strange. This is a great way to pass time on a commute or any time you want to briefly tickle your brain cells. Alex Boese styles himself an expert on hoaxes and has managed to attract a lot of publicity in the process. He has written Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S. ($14.00, Harcourt softcover). In truth, with the advent of the Internet and the means to alter photos and such, it seems to me that hoaxes are increasing exponentially. Boese has assembled thousands of examples of hoaxes, urban legends, spoofs, scams, advertising ploys, and political doublespeak to entertain and educate the reader in the many ways of being fooled these days. This is, for fans of such things, an amusing collection, but only if read in short takes.
Steve Lawrence contacted me recently regarding his self-published book, The Making of a Police State: The Socialist Agenda for America ($23.95. Trafford). I am not a big fan of self-published books and those with a particular political agenda often scream at you off the page no matter what their liberal or conservative orientation may be, but I maintain an open door policy here at Bookviews, so I said, yes, send me a copy. In terms of its production values, this is a most modest book, but the author has done some serious research to support his view that many of the freedoms built into the U.S. Constitution have been whittled away. Attacks on property rights and the indoctrination of children in our schools make headlines daily. The sincerity of Lawrence no doubt comes from his 22 years of service in the U.S. military where in lived in six different countries, sometimes observing what life is like without the freedoms we take for granted. If you have concerns about these trends, I think you will find Lawrence’s book of great interest. For more information, visit our 
A more recognizable type of exercise book is Core Performance Essentials by Mark Verstegen with Pete Williams ($27.95, Rodale). Verstegen has gained fame as a coach to many athletes. This is a book for anyone who may not have time to spend in a gym or run a few miles, but was perhaps athletic in their youth and wants to maintain their energy levels and feel good about themselves. Enhanced by many photos, the book provides exercises to develop fitness, advice on how to recover properly from workouts, and a balanced nutrition program. Shape Your Self by Martina Navratilova is another Rodale title ($27.95). The tennis star has written a no-nonsense book offering her 6-step diet and fitness plan. Extensively illustrated, Martina shares her philosophy that a fit body is the first step to a fulfilling life and demonstrates how anyone can achieve that goal. As someone who sees many fitness and diet books, I would have to give this one high marks.
Some useful books on running a business have also arrived in recent weeks. I thoroughly enjoyed Underdog Advertising: Proven Principles to Compete and Win Against the Giants in Any Industry ($24.95,Brown Books, Dallas, TX). Written by Paul W. Flowers, a Dallas advertising executive, it is directed at owners of small and midsize businesses who want to get the most bang for the buck from their advertising budgets. With a quarter century of experience under this belt, Flowers has mastered the art of helping small businesses compete and grow, based on successfully building regional brands to become national in scope and national brands get even bigger. Ironically, there’s a new book about business growth that is titled, Bigger Isn’t Always Better ($24.95, Amacom). Written by Robert M. Tomasko, the author points out that too often business growth is measured in sheer volume. How many employees there are, how big the product lines are, whether global expansion is a goal. He argues that actual value is the measurement and that "bigness" can bite back if an organization has not properly thought out how to scale up its success when it was smaller and leaner. In short, this is a very provocative book and, in particular, if your company is at the stage described, i.e., getting bigger and needing the proper focus to deal with it.
Mark J. Smiley debuts with A Journey Far Away ($13.95, Llumina Press) that puts together a group of strange characters that includes a misfit snake named Sammy seeking happiness, a super-intelligent robot, Alph, that has human emotions, a roguish rat named Larry, all of whom head out on a mission to explore the universe. Young readers, aged 9 to 11 or so, will gain some useful information and insights to the universe in the process of reading a very entertaining story. This is an intentionally educational story, but it is also a lot of fun to read. For more information, visit our 
Another Elizabeth, this time Elizabeth Crook, has written an interesting story, The Night Journal ($24.95, Viking) whose central character, Meg Mabry, must cope with a family history that has made them famous, starting with diaries kept by Hannah Bass in the 1890s of her life on the western frontier. Her daughter, Claudia, has built a reputation as a historian based on those diaries. Meg is her granddaughter and has steadfastly refused to read the journal, much to Claudia’s annoyance. When an unexpected discovery casts doubt on the diaries, Meg reluctantly agrees to accompany her grandmother to find out whether they are accurate or not. It is a tale of Indian ruins, majestic desert hotels, and the hardship and grandeur of frontier life as it fits seamlessly into modern-day story of loss, family secrets, and staggering truths that lie shrouded in memory. In short, a very enjoyable and readable novel. For a change of pace, pick up Eric Jerome Dickey’s latest novel, Genevieve ($14.00, New American Library softcover), the story of Genevieve Forbes, a beautiful, brilliant, and successful woman who fled her unhappy small-town life in Alabama and never looked back. Told through the eyes of her husband, everything is going great for her until a phone call from home interrupts her new life, forcing her to return to the South and the people she left behind. Her husband discovers some truths about her and is drawn into a steamy affair with her sister. This story sizzles! The South is the setting as well for Pieces of the Heart by Karen White ($12.95, New American Library softcover). To escape the stress of her all-consuming job as an accountant, Caroline Collier joins her overbearing mother at the family’s vacation home in the mountains of North Carolina. She is, however, still haunted by memories of her beloved younger brother who died when she was seventeen. It is the neighbors, a husband and daughter of one of Caroline’s childhood friends, that penetrate her cool reserve, giving her the courage to face her fears and reinvigorate her life.
I sometimes think that new publishing houses are popping up like mushrooms because I keep getting books from them. Unbridled Books of Lakewood, Colorado sent me the second novel by Susann Cokal, the author of "Mirabilis." After reading Breath and Bones ($15.95), I am already looking forward to her next novel. Cokal takes the reader back to the late 1800s and the fabled time of the western frontier. We experience it through the life of Famke Summerfugl, a hot-blooded Danish free spirit who begins life in a convent orphanage, falls in love with a painter, and sets sail at age 17 for America in hot pursuit of him. Her travels take her to American brothels, a brush with Utah polygamists, a bit of cross-dressing, the nascent labor movement, and a California millionaire, among the novel’s rich cast of characters. Full of twists and myths, the novel makes for lusty, entertaining reading.