|
|
|
|
Mirror of the Arab World by Sandra Mackey ($25.95, W.W. Norton) is one of those books you will want to read if you’re trying to understand what is occurring in that turbulent region, subject to political, social and religious instability. Since parts of the Middle East sit atop some of the largest oil reserves in the world and since it is undergoing a spasm of strife as parts of its Islamic population want to retreat to the past while the rest of the world wants it to modernize and connect with it, events and trends there have taken on great importance. No nation better represents this than Lebanon, once the "Switzerland of the Middle East", straddling between its Muslim and Christian populations and the benefactor of French colonial rule. Its story is compelling and revealing. It is a nation created by the winners of WWI, France and Britain, who divvied up the Middle East between. Lebanon’s government, in turn, was an agreement between its Christian and Muslim communities. A fifteen-year civil war that began in 1975 ended that. The author is sympathetic to Arabs and antagonistic toward Israel. Other than this caveat, she provides useful insights to the problems of the Middle East. In the event you can’t get enough of the story of the invasion and subsequent chaos that occurred in Iraq, there’s a big, fat book, No End in Sight: Iraq’s Descent into Chaos by Charles Ferguson ($17.95, Public Affairs) on which the 2007 documentary of the same name is based. It brings the movie up to date by evaluating the recent "surge" and current Administration policy. As events sort themselves out in Iraq following the initial disaster that ensued after the invasion, there is the possibility of better, modern nation after some three decades of dictatorship and Saddam Hussein’s warfare against both Iran and Kuwait. The book condemns the decisions made and the failures that ensued, but at best war is a messy business. Historians may be kinder, in hindsight, but for now the war remains unpopular and is likely to influence the actions of future administrations for good or ill. The death of William F. Buckley, the founder of The National Review, author, columnist, television host, and man of many talents marked an era in which he played a towering role in reviving and influencing the conservative movement in America. Serendipitously, Alfred S. Regnery, publisher of The American Spectator, has written Upstream: The Ascendance of American Conservatism ($26.00, Threshold Editions, div. of Simon and Schuster). It comes at a time when Republicans in particular (there are conservative Democrats too) are debating what it means to be a conservative. Surveys of American voters demonstrate that the majority identify themselves as "center-right" when it comes to their politics. Regnery’s book features numerous stories of some of the conservative movement’s best-known leaders, including of course, William F. Buckley, along with Ronald Reagan, Barry Goldwater, and others. He reveals how the opposition to Communism galvanized conservatives, how books by Buckley and Goldwater inspired people, along with the establishment of conservative periodicals. All elections hold the future of the nation in their grip. This one will be no different. Turn off the endless blather on the television news talk stations and pick up this book. It’s a gem. When I was growing up in the 30’s and 40’s of the last century, anyone passed 50 or 60 was considered old. If one was born at the beginning of the century, the average life expectancy was 43 years. Today it is around 78. The nations of the developed world have gained an average of thirty additional years of life during the 20th century, greater than had been attained during the preceding 5,000 years of human history. I can attest to that because both my parents lived into their 90’s. The Longevity Revolutions: The Benefits and Challenges of Living a Long Life by Dr. Robert N. Butler, M.D. ($30.00, Public Affairs) examines this phenomenon, noting that today’s old folks are often more robust and healthier. This change in the demographic life of our nation and others is forcing politicians, economists and others to reexamine previous assumptions and deal with unanticipated problems. The reason Social Security begins at 65 was because, when it began, people were not expected to live to 65 or much beyond it. For this any many other reasons, this book is well worth reading. To keep your brain well tuned, check out The Mammoth Book of Brain Workouts ($13.95, Running Press, softcover) with more than 400 puzzles, challenges, and exercises to train your brain. Edited by Gareth Moore, it is a fun way to work the most important muscle in your body!
Do you love horses or know someone who does? Then check out Horses by the photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand with text by Jean-Louis Gouraud ($25.95, Artisan, a division of Workman Publishing). The bond between humans and horses goes back to antiquity. The beauty of these creatures is undeniable. This small-size coffee table book captures that with marvelous full-color photos. The photographer, while traveling around the world, hit upon the technique of posing the horses and their human companions as if they were a family. The result is quite impressive. Also among the photos are those showing horses in action or simply by themselves. The personality of these creatures comes through in photo after photo. This one’s a keeper. Having visited New Orleans many times, I have a great fondness for the city. It is home to T.J. Fisher, the author of Hearsay from Heaven and Hades: New Orleans Secrets of Sinners and Saints ($25.00, Morgana Press). It is a totally unique book, filled with what she calls "French Quarterisms", a large collection of aphorisms that permits the reader to flip open to any page and delight, ranging from "The greatest instinct is survival" to "Rarely is one mistake fatal in itself." This is the kind of book you give to a young reader to stimulate their mind or a friend, a loved one, because it is a gift of love as well as life. The collection of thoughts that fill every page evokes the special spirit of life in the city where you can find a grand cathedral and a shop selling voodoo charms. Check it out at www.morganapress.com.
Some books just demand to be read. That was my thought when I received Are You Raising One of the Next Generation of Hoodlums? ($14.95, Publish America, softcover) by Prince O. and Dr. Joyce W. Teal. The authors no doubt wrote the book out of a concern for the problems incurred by urban Black families and other minorities. The fact is that this slim book is just chocked full of the kind of good advice that every parent should take, but some don’t receive by example or from outside the family. Most parents want their children to be well behaved and do well in school and life, but there are specific things they can and should do. The authors offer thirty short chapters to get everyone working for the success of their children. Books About Real People, Real Events Their family name has been etched into history thanks to 9/11. They are The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century ($35.00, The Penguin Press). Steve Coll describes the rise of the family from its beginnings with a young, illiterate Yemeni bricklayer, Mohamed Bin Laden, who became a pivotal figure as a contractor working with the Saudi royal family. It was the Bin Laden’s who would build that nation’s great mosques, highways, and other structures. In just two generations, the family would enjoy unimaginable luxury amidst a culture of extreme religious piety. One of its members would forsake his inherited good life to ultimately lead the most fanatical Islamist movement of modern times. If Coll’s book is the true story, but it could only occur in an era where Saudi Arabia was awash in petro-dollars. It is a colorful, shocking, entertaining, and disturbing narrative of global integration and its limits. Books by and about real people always interest me because at the heart of all history is the actions that people, famous and unknown, have taken. One such person is James J. Heaphey who has written Legerdemain ($24.95, History Publishing Co.) It is the true story of his days as a U.S. Air Force undercover operative during the days of the Truman administration when the U.S. was facing off with the Soviet Union, both having enough nuclear bombs to wipe the other off the face of the planet. The U.S. did not want France to know that the use of their Nousseur airfield in Morocco as a NATO ally included storing nukes there. As the Cold War grew more intense, the U.S. had to contend with national liberation movements and Heaphey was given the assignment to cozy up to Istiqlal, the Moroccan nationalist movement. That relationship had to be top secret. His book provides an understanding of the Islamist mind, insights into the workings of MI6, the CIA, the French Security Force, Mossad, and the KGB. It is a fascinating glimpse into the behind-the-scenes machinations occurring when a false step could have set off World War III.
It’s always interesting to discover people who have embraced lives outside our culture. A Chant to Soothe Wild Elephants is a memoir by Jaed Coffin ($16.00, Da Capo Press, softcover) who was raised in Maine, but went to Thailand at the age of 21 to become a Buddhist monk. His grandfather and uncles had all been monks there and it is a rite of passage. From the day he began his spiritual journey, he felt awkward, a "half-white child", but he tells how he became familiar with his mother’s native village and learned to speak and behave as a monk. Though he took a vow of celibacy, he also fell in love with a village girl in a chaste way. What he discovered, too, was that no matter what choices he would make, he would always feel caught between two cultures. This is his first book and marks what I believe will be an excellent career as a writer. The Storks’ Nest: Life and Love in the Russian Countryside by Laura Lynne Williams ($16.95, Fulcrum Publishing, softcover) tells the story of a wilderness conservationist and writer who journeyed to a remote Russian town of Chukhrai where she met and fell in love with naturalist and award-winning nature photographer, Igor Shpilenok. Born and bred as a typical American, her experiences provide a look into a very different place. This is a very satisfying memoir on many levels. The population of Chukhrai has increased to twenty-one with the birth of their second son. A very different kind of memoir is found in The Butterfly Garden: Surviving Childhood on the Run with One of America’s Most Wanted by Chip St. Clair ($15.95, Health Communications, softcover) in which he relates what occurred when he learned that the man he called "Dad" was an imposter, a child killer who had been on the run for nearly three decades. In January 1998, after turning his father in, he embarked on a quest for his true identity. This is a real page-turner, made all the more compelling because it is a true story. He has since devoted his life to advocating for abused children and fights to keep child predators behind bars. My Father’s Heart: A Son’s Journey by Steve McKee ($25.00, Da Capo Press) reflects that astonishing fact that annually, 1.2 million Americans will have a first or recurrent heart attack. About 452,000 will die. McKee was just sixteen years old when he witnessed his father, John, suffer a massive heart attack and die at the age of fifty. His paternal grandfather had also died of a heart attack at age fifty-three. His father had done nothing to prevent his early death, eating poorly, smoking and not exercising. McKee was determined to avoid that. Imagine his devastation when, at the age of fifty-two, he found out he had heart disease. His memoir chronicles his effort to discover who his father really was and to find himself in the process. It goes beyond the disease to explore the often-complex relationship between a father and son, and the emotional upheaval after a loved one’s death. Is it possible to make a reader laugh about cancer? It is if you are recovered comedian Robert Schimmel. In Cancer on $5 a Day: How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life ($22.00, Da Capo Press), this ribald stand-up had a great year in 2000, winning awards, having his own Fox TV show in the works, and much more. Then he discovered he had stage three non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It was enough that he and his former wife had lost a son to a brain tumor, but now he was facing a fight for his life. When she offered to care for him, he moved back in with his ex. This is a book for grown-ups because Schimmel’s humor is a tad gamy, but it also shows that a sense of humor, a lack of self-pity, and people who love you can save your life. This one is well worth reading. The New York Times bestseller, In an Instant, by ABC News anchor, Bob Woodruff and his wife Lee is now in a softcover edition ($16.00, Random House) in case you want to read how an injury he sustained while embedded with the military in Iraq caused a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him when an improvised explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. Both their lives were blown apart and then, through intense trauma and fear, were put back together with love. It’s an inspiring story. Getting Down to Business (Books) For those engaged in business, either as entrepreneurs, members of a corporate team, as active investors, or any other business activity, there are always new books coming along to help you get an edge in an ever-changing economy and world. We can always benefit from learning how others have achieved success and solvency. Make More, Worry Less by Wes Moss ($24.99, Financial Times Press), a certified financial planner, is addressed to people who are worried about paying credit card bills, sending their children to college, or saving for retirement. They want to make more money and, yes, worry less. I think that pretty much describes all of us! The author introduces the reader to 18 people from different industries and diverse backgrounds who overcame indecision and took control of their careers. This is about building real wealth and well worth reading. For fun, there’s The Texas Hold’em Guide to Winning in Business: No Limit by Donald G. Krouse and Jeff Carter ($19.95, Amacom). Televised poker tournaments feature the game and have become popular viewing. The authors show how people from Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Gates have applied the principles of poker to gain a competitive advantage, whether it was on the battlefield, in politics or in business. This book will appeal to risk-takers.
In iProperty: Profiting from ideas in an Age of Global Innovation by William Barrett, Christopher Price, and Thomas Hunt ($45.00, John Wiley and Sons) the authors address the ways in which globalization has changed the way companies play the intellectual property game. The re-envision the way intellectual property such as patents and trade secrets need to be seen in order to protect and profit from their ideas in the intensely competitive global marketplace. This is about global strategy and global execution. Obviously, this is not for everyone, but for those who must address such issues, this book is must reading. Many businesses are family owned and operated. Family, Inc by Larry and Laura Colin ($14.99, Career Press, softcover) identifies eleven familiar characters present in every family business and the common conflicts they face. The advice the authors give can save the business from disaster, and the family too! They examine the full range of family relationships that can wreak havoc on a successful business enterprise of any size. Larry Colin is a 37-year veteran of a 92-year-old family business with sales approaching $200 million. His wife, Laura, has an MBA and a background in investment banking and economic development. Anyone in a family business who reads this book will come away with the kind of insight that will prove invaluable. Given the constant temptation of television and video games, it’s a wonder that so many books for younger readers continue to be published, but there is clearly a market for them. Nothing trains the mind better than reading, so parents should take care to make books a part of their children’s lives. This is true as well as they grow into teens. Kids Can Press has a number of new books for all ages. Let’s start with books for the very young and move up the age ladder. It’s Moving Day ($16.95) by Pamela Hickman, illustrated by Geraldo Valerio, is a look at the way various animals and reptiles grow up and leave home or find a new one over the course of the seasons. It’s both fun and educational, geared for pre-schoolers and those beginning to read. Those kids who have discovered the fun of drawing, age 6 to 9 or so, will enjoy 1 2 3 I Can Draw and 123 I Can Make Prints ($14.95) by Irene Luxbacher as part of her "Starting Art" series. The beginner artist can learn the basics from what to draw with to the fundamentals of shapes and other options available. Melanie Watt is the author of the "Scaredy Squirrel" series and her latest is the very funny Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach ($15.95) in which the squirrel initially wants to avoid anything to do with a real beach and tries to create his own. Lacking the sound of an ocean, he decided to go to a beach to find a shell and discovers that it is fully of people! And that being at a real beach is not so scary as he thought. If you know a child who is reluctant to try new things, this book and series is ideal to instill a bit of courage and curiosity.
Perfectly attuned to today’s teen reader and their tech lifestyle, the good news is that the author of Cathy’s Book is back with Cathy’s Key ($17.95, Running Press) that comes off the press officially in May. The previous book has over 100,000 in print, combining the written word with internet and cell technology in a text that has the immediacy of instant-messaging as the reader follows the life of a high school student and artist trying to make sense of her life. Girls will grab hold of this book to investigate the story one step at a time, deciphering passwords that allow access to "private" character voicemails and websites. This is taking the written word to a new level in a technology-drenched world. The world of graphic novels has a winner in Grease Monkey by Tim Eldred ($19.95, Tor/Forge) selected as one of the American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults in 2007. It is a coming of age story set on a space station in the future. A mysterious alien attack has wiped out most of humanity and an interstellar race of benefactors has rescued the survivors, along with artificially "accelerated" gorillas who now life side-by-side with them. Every so often I receive a book for young adult readers that does not come from either a famous publishing house or author, but stands out from the stacks of books I am requested to consider for review. Making this even more interesting it that, here in April, the book has its genesis in Christmas as Giftbringer: The Story of Young St. Nicholas by Frederick Wiegand ($19.95, Tate Publishing, LLC, 127 East Trade Center Terrace, Mustang, OK 73064, [888] 361-9473, softcover). As the author notes, there is the St. Nicholas—Santa Claus—of myth, but there really was a St. Nicholas who lived in the days of the Roman Empire. Born to wealth, he became famed for his gifts to those less fortunate them himself. What might his youth been like? That question is answered in this collection of stories about his imagined youth and it makes this a book that can be read, not just at Christmas time, but any time. There is a Christian theme that runs through these stories, filled with many interesting characters. Read it for entertainment. Read it for inspiration, but read it. Christian themes are the subject of Believing in Narnia: A Kid’s Guide to Unlocking the Secret Symbols of Faith ($12.99, Thomas Nelson, softcover) by Natalie Gillespie. For ages 7 to 11, the book reflects the fact that the second movie based on the Narnia story will debut in May as The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. Parents who want to add this dimension to their children’s understanding of the film will find this book very helpful.
Bad Rats by Eric Drachman and illustrated by James Muscarello ($18.95, Kidwick Books, CD included) is not about pest control. It’s for kids ages 4 to 8 and tells a story of some very young rats who are told they are bad and must attend a class by a "professor" who tries to get them to stop singing, dancing, painting pictures, and generally being creative. He wants them to be furtive, but comes to realize that youth must be served—lovely artwork, fun music and narration on the CD. In all, a very entertaining book and one the publisher is for all ages. I think its appeal would be limited to those ages 7 to 10 or so. It teaches that children have to adapt to an adult world despite their personal feelings. I often say that just about everyone seems to be writing a novel these days. Stressed by school and influenced by his real-life experiences, high school senior Isamu Fukui wrote Truancy, ($16.95, Tor) his first novel at age 15! This is a young adult novel written by a young adult. Set in a dystopian society, it tells the story of a young teen and his sister who are torn between a dictatorial school system and a mysterious group of former students called the Truancy. It’s an adventure story, but also a penetrating look at the ills of the modern education system. A lot of teens will identify with this novel. Spring arrived officially last month and Spring is the time when publishers release their new books. This applies to novels as well and it is a gusher with dozens of new ones showing up at the Bookviews headquarters. Indeed, far too many for one person to read. Fortunately I have help, so we shall make our way through as many as possible in order to provide some choices for you.
Learnt by Edward M. Baldwin ($24.95, Jazlo & Lossi Publishing, Jacksonville, FL) is described by the author as a "classroom drama" about a rookie English teacher who’s ashamed of his dialect and an abused, white racist student learning the most valuable lessons of their lives in one of the worst schools imaginable. The student is a teacher’s nightmare and the teacher, a Black man, has his problems, too. How they work to resolve their problems makes for interesting reading and tells us a lot about just how bad too many of our schools are these days. Let’s move onto the host of softcover novels received of late. Consider The Book of Mom by Taylor G. Wilshire ($13.95, Nautilus Press), Mommy Machine by Kathleen McElligott ($19.95, Hiliotrope Press, Orland Park, IL), and No! I Don’t Want to Join a Book Club: Diary of a 60th Year by Virginia Ironside ($14.00, Plume). Notice a theme here? By women, about women. The first book is Wilshire’s second novel and it asks if there is room for me in Mommy? Tate is a stay at home mom and thoroughly burned out. Can she recover her lost self and regain her passion for life? With the help of a good therapist, a good friend, and her unfailing sense of humor, she makes it, but you get to go along for the ride. In McElligott’s book, a Chicago nurse navigates midlife with two demanding daughters, a grumpy boyfriend, and a very old house. This is a relationships book and the main character has a bunch of them, all of which have her yearning for a simpler life. Is she up to the challenges? You will have to read this engaging novel. Lastly, there’s a story about the later years as Marie Sharp turns sixty years of age and must contemplate retirement. Written with great humor, we go along as she takes on being a grandmother, discovering its joys, and how to hold onto her passion for life. Revell, a Christian book-publishing house, offers some good novels that won’t make your skin crawl. For example, there’s Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith ($13.99) about Joan whose older sister is starting a family and whose younger sister has a budding career. Joan is home with Mom and her aging grandmother. Not exactly a recipe for excitement or romance. When a handsome young doctor moves in next door, Joan sets out to catch his eye and his heart. This novel is Book 1 of the Sister-to-Sister series that combines romance, soul searching, and a healthy dose of sibling rivalry that is sure to make you smile. Summer of Joy by Ann H. Gabhart ($12.99) fits into the tradition of Southern fiction. Set in the summer of 1964, it involves a marriage proposal, wedding plans, and challenges to the relationship from the past when two people show up and spell trouble for the couple. If you like this one, try The Scent of Lilacs and Orchard of Hope, as it is a sequel to both.
From Midnight Ink of Woodbury, Minnesota, comes the first novel by Cricket McRae, Lye in Wait ($12.95), a charming mystery centered around—would you believe—soap making. Sophie Mae Reynolds is trying to get her life back on track. Meanwhile she makes homemade beauty products. Then she finds her handyman dead in her workroom, apparently having swallowed a glassful of lye. Things get out of hand very quickly. Though ruled a suicide, why would a man with a fiancée and some lottery cash want to kill himself? Good question. Read the novel and find the truth. The international bestseller, God’s Spy, by Juan Gomez-Jurado is a chilling tale of crime, conspiracy, and death in the Vatican ($14.00, Plume). In the aftermath of the Pope’s death, a cardinal is found brutally murdered at the alter of the Church of Santa Maria. Turns out he is the second victim of a serial killer loose in the Vatican. It is up to detective Paola DiConti to find the killer. Father Anthony Fowler, an American priest and former Army intelligence officer who is examining sexual abuse in the Church, joins her. A third victim, a person known personally by the detective, is found. The killer is closer than anyone first suspected. A desperate search ensues to find the killer before he strikes again. You will not put this one down until you’ve reached the end. The world of white collar, corporate crime is the setting for Vanishing Act by Todd McCormick ($14.95, Llumina Press) about a man who has looted the company’s pension fund, skipped bail, and vanished. Now he is being sought by a bounty hunter who specializes in catching rich and famous fugitives. This one, though, has tons of money with which to disappear and if word of his disappearance gets out, it will ruin the company. It’s a riveting suspense story that takes the reader along on a chase from a resort town in Mexico to the Eastern shore of Maryland, and from there across the open Atlantic. This one is a real page-turner. Colin Harrison has made a reputation for himself as a master of the literary thriller. Published a decade ago, Manhattan Nocturne is now in softcover ($14.00, Picador) and it mines the criminal depths of sexual obsession at a breathtaking pace. A Manhattan tabloid writer lives two lives. At home he is a dedicated husband and father. On the job he has an appetite for scandal. When a seductive stranger asks him to dig into an unsolved murder of her husband, he is drawn into a very nasty case of blackmail, one that threatens his job, his marriage, and his life. That’s it for April! Don’t forget to visit our Featured Books section to discover some very special fiction and non-fiction books that deserve a lot more media attention than they are receiving. See something you like? You can purchase it directly from the site. Tell your friends about Bookviews.com. This is one of the few websites that covers the full variety of books you won’t read about elsewhere, including the best in children’s books, top business titles, and others that are well worth reading. |
|
|
|
Contact: Alan Caruba |
To reprint, e-mail for permission. |
|
|
If you read no other book this year, read Robert Bryce’s Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusion of ‘Energy Independence’" ($26.95, Public Affairs). In my other life as 
Baseball fans are going to want a new book that comes with a DVD narrated by Reggie Jackson. It’s Yankee Stadium: A Tribute by Les Krantz ($29.95, HarperCollins). Host to unforgettable moments in its 85-year-history, it will close its doors forever when its replacement opens in 2009. Krantz has written a love letter to the great sports palace. From Babe Ruth’s 60th home run in 1927 to the first memorial service for the victims of 9/11, this one is a keeper! Just when you think you have seen every angle on the game of baseball covered, along comes a new one. Baseball fans, eager for the new season, may well find The Baseball Economist: The Real Game Exposed by J.C. Bradbury ($15.00, Plume, softcover) of interest. The author is a professor of economics and popular sports blogger. He says, "The economist’s job is to predict behavior based on the expected punishments and rewards. It is easy to predict what a play will do once we understand the relevant incentives." Since some of these guys are earning millions every season, that might be incentive enough, but Bradbury is a contrarian who points out that big city versus small city does not necessarily make outcomes lopsided and that steroids are not the reason behind all the homerun records being broken. Since baseball is a game of statistics, it’s the natural playground for an economist and anyone else that follows the game. Especially if you’re a Red Sox fan, you will enjoy Red Sox Rule: Terry Francona and Boston’s Rise to Dominance by Michael Holley ($25.95, Harper Entertainment). It tells the story of the Red Sox manager and how he quietly propelled the team to one of the greatest sports feats in recent years—dual World Series titles after an 86-year drought. This one will please any fan of baseball.
Are you planning a vacation trip to Florida? Check out Dave Hunter’s great travel guide, the 2nd edition of Along Florida’s Expressways ($24.95). It is available from all the usual online outlets, as well as 
As one is assailed by the tabloid coverage of today’s batch of Hollywood hotties, an earlier generation enjoyed the sexual misbehavior of some of its rich and famous. One of them was Evelyn Nesbit, arguably the nation’s first sex symbol as the most photographed woman of the early 1900s beginning at the tender age of 15. She became the center of a landmark court trail of her husband, the demented multi-millionaire Harry K. Thaw. When Thaw shot famed architect, Stanford White, who the author says raped her, a media firestorm ignited. Paula Uruburu captures the whole story in American Eve: Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White and the Crime of the Century ($27.95, Riverhead Books), officially due off the press in May. It marked the nation’s modern obsession with celebrity. Evelyn was a beauty and when her mother moved to New York, she rapidly became a sought-after model, chorus girl and actress. Men wanted her and women wanted to be her. Her rise and fall was classic. It makes for great reading. Show business frequently provides interesting life stories and the name Gary David Goldberg might ring a bell if I mention that he is the creator, writer, and producer of television series such as "Family Ties", "Spin City", and "Brooklyn Bridge." Sit, Ubu, Sit ($23.95, Harmony Books, a division of Crown Publishing) is his biography, elevating the typical Hollywood memoir as he relates how "Family Ties" was based on his own long marriage, two former flower children struggling to raise successful kids or paying homage to his grandmother Jenny in "Brooklyn Bridge." Talent runs in the family. One of his daughters went on to write and produce the hit television show, "Friends." This is a thoroughly enjoyable look at a man who contributed much to our popular culture.
A more serious approach can be found in Rules to Break & Laws to Follow: How Your Business Can Beat the Crisis of Short-Termism by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, PhD. ($29.95, John Wiley & Sons.) It is part of the Microsoft Executive Leadership Series and looks at the way a business can thrive or fail at the speed of sound in the Internet age where customers can share their experiences with millions of others and corporate hierarchies can be leaped with a single click. Harnessing the power of connected customers and networked employees is now the key to success and that’s what this book is all about. Pricing with Confidence by Reed K. Holden and Mark R. Burton ($29.95, John Wiley & Sons) will prove another one of those books that shows you how to win in a very competitive marketplace. It is a guide to creating value-based, competitive pricing strategies for finance, product, market, and sales managers. It is filled with good advice, the kind that can make the difference between success and failure. 
Finally, from Kids Can Press for the older crowd, ages 9 and up, there’s the return of two favorites of mine. There’s Martin Bridge in High Gear! Written by Jessica Scott Kerrin and illustrated by Joseph Kelly, ($14.95) it follows the adventures of Martin, his family and pals. Starting with a science fair and moving on to his first bike, Martin provides some good advice, along with the fun of trying new things. Time Twister: Journal #3 of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch ($14.95) explores how to tame a little brother Jonathan while constructing a time machine! Along the way he encounters the mystery of Black Holes in space. Sound offbeat? It is and it’s a world of fun for younger readers.
Thank heavens for little girls. For them there is the publisher, American Girl at 
Drawing on her own experiences, Alison Larkin has written The English American ($24.00, Simon & Schuster). She grew up with her English adoptive family and, at age 28, found that her birth month lived in Bald Mountain, Tennessee. She mined this to create the very British Pippa Dunn who meets her mother in Georgia and finds herself trying to integrate her English upbringing with what she learns about her all-American nature. This novel is receiving very favorable critical reviews and you add my recommendation to them. The Year She Disappeared by Ann Harleman ($24.95, University of Texas Press) is a harrowing story of a grandmother who takes her 4-year-old granddaughter when her daughter fears the girl may be being sexually abused by her father. She is, in effect, abducting her, but when she arrives in Providence, Rhode Island, things begin to go wrong. An old friend with whom she was to stay has vanished. Her daughter has disappeared. How she makes her way in a new place with no friends or money makes for some very compelling reading. One State over at the University of New Mexico Press, we have a novel, Ghosts of El Grullo by Patricia Santana ($24.95). It is about a young woman who escapes into literature to find space for herself in a family of nine children. Life throws a lot of obstacles her way. Her mother passes away. Her father decides to sell the family home. She and her sisters must care for the younger children. And she visits El Grullo, the Mexican village where her parents grew up. This is a window into a common Hispanic experience for those growing up in America and the author brings us into this world with understanding and a clear eye for its challenges. It is well worth reading for many reasons.
If suspense and mystery is your preference, there are plenty of new books to satisfy it. Fangland by John Marks ($14.00, Penguin Book) will have you believing in vampires if you don’t already. The former 60 Minutes producer has written a novel about an associate producer of a popular television newsmagazine who is sent to Transylvania (where else?) to scout out a story on a notorious Eastern European crime boss. She vanishes into a world darker and more hideous than she could have imagined. Back in New York her home office is filled with guilt and recrimination, but she is found later convalescing in a Transylvania monastery, but missing her memory. This is a very scary story.