It won’t be long now until a new year begins. I just received The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2007 ($32.99/$12.99, hard and softcover editions) and it has to be one of the best bargains around. Useful, of course, for a student or anyone who just needs to find basic information on a wide range of topics. For someone like myself who writes a weekly column on national and international events and trends, it is absolutely invaluable. Would you believe the Almanac has been around for almost 140 years since its first edition in 1868? It has long been a favorite reference and, among many other topics, the new edition can tell you all about the elections from George Washington in 1789 to George W. Bush in 2004. It is truly the world at a glance, filled with facts, plus many other interesting items like a time capsule look back at 2006, major sports records, and a first-ever news quiz to test how much of this year’s headlines you recall. My copy is always close at hand on my desk. Don’t wait. Get yours today.

It may well be one of the most important books published this year. It’s America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It by Mark Steyn ($27.95, Regnery Publishing). Steyn, whose writings appear in leading political journals around the world, has looked at demographics, the study of population growth and decline, to reveal that Europe’s and Russia’s native-born population is failing to reproduce in enough numbers to replace themselves and this is happening elsewhere throughout western nations, with the exception of the United States, to a point where Muslim populations are likely to be the dominant group. This is going to have a significant impact on whole aspects of life and does not bode well for America as the last outpost of values we take for granted. The West is losing ground to a seventh century religion whose resurgence is causing those who can to flee to places like Australia, New Zealand and Canada. This is occurring as the U.S. population reaches 300 million, a growing percentage of which represents illegal immigrants crossing our southern border, but not assimilating into our society. To understand the shift and what it portends for the future, not only for America, but the world, this book must be on your reading list.

For anyone who is closely watching the events involving the worldwide use of terrorism to advance the cause of the Islamic jihad, Steven Emerson and the Investigative Project on Terrorism have published Jihad Incorporated: A Guide to Militant Islam in the US ($28.00, Prometheus Books). Founded in 1995, the Project maintains the largest nongovernmental data and intelligence library in the world on militant Islam. It assists the White House, the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, and other government departments involved in counterterrorism activities. As 9-11 fades ever further from our memory, this compendium reminds us that current radical activities in the United States continue apace, describing the organizations involved, the Middle East organizations hostile to the US that support it, as well as the charities and foundations that provide cover and funding. The mere fact that this book is 535 pages long tells you how close the danger is and how vast.

An excellent way to remind oneself of just how lethal the Islamic Jihad is can be found in the form of a very amusing bobble-head figure based on a cartoon in a Danish newspaper. It served as an excuse to riot in the streets of several Islamic nations. Poor little Denmark fell all over itself apologizing. A clever fellow in Hawaii created a "Dashboard Mohammed" that is available from www.dashboardmohammed.com. If one could see the vile, horrid cartoons that depict Jews, the President, and others in the daily newspapers of the Middle East, the hypocrisy would be evident, but you can make a personal statement, refuting the Islamic Jihad with this bobble-head.

Earlier this year, I recommended Eric Shawn’s "The U.N. Exposed: How the United Nations Sabotages America’s Security." Now comes Nathan Tabor’s The Beast on the East River: The UN Threat to America’s Sovereignty and Security ($24.99, Nelson Current) and it is the best exploration of the way this utterly corrupt international institution has long been at work to undermine the way Americans think about their nation, securing control over iconic American landmarks, seeking financial independence through global taxation, and to become in every way a global government superceding our Constitution and the independence of nations around the world. Tabor documents how the UN has infiltrated our educational system, extended its control over our landmass with biosphere reserves, and the countless other ways its faceless, unaccountable bureaucracy works to expand its authority. Its failure to stop wars and curb genocides is well known. Its corruption is an open secret. Tabor connects all the dots, demonstrating the true agenda of the UN. For Americans less inclined to accept UN’s credibility or value, Tabor’s book is essential reading.

Every month an amazing variety of books arrive and occasionally one is so unusual it fits into no category. Such is the case of a slim volume, Atheists, by Bruce E. Hunsberger and Bob Altemeyer, two psychologists who conducted breakthrough research on a group of people that has not previously been examined to determine why they choose to cease believing in any religion ($20, Prometheus Books). The result is a book that will mostly interest psychologists, sociologists, and those studying religion, but it is filled with surprises. Atheists, the study reveals, come to their decision largely on their own and are driven to it by religion’s scriptures, teachings and history. They are, as a group, strong on personal integrity and non-authoritarian. They tend to object to abuses of power by government more than most people. Relatively unprejudiced, they have little use for any religion’s "fundamentalists". Overall, they represent only about three percent of the population, but they are joined by many who simply identify themselves has having no religious affiliation.

I have a friend who has been a psychoanalyst for 37 years, as well as a talented writer of both fiction and non-fiction with a dozen books to her credit. Dr. Alma Bond has written Old Age is a Terminal Illness: How I Learned to Age Gracefully and Conquer My Fear of Dying ($19.95, Universal Publishers, softcover). In the past five years, Alma lost five dear friends. When one of her closest friends committed suicide, she experienced a deep depression. She also encountered writer’s block. Everyone has to work through the grief that life provides and that includes psychoanalysts. How she came to grips with the inevitability of death, the loss of her loved ones and friends, is fascinating reading for anyone also engaged in this struggle and for those who are interested in the way Freud’s and Jung’s constructs unlock the secrets of the mind. Having kept a dream journal, Alma began to keep a death journal. Her discoveries are shared in this unique, fascinating book about why we cling to life until we no longer can.

Americans are laboring under the burden of ever-rising property taxes and one of the biggest expenses for which they are levied is education. At the same time, the quality of education in America has been in decline, if not free-fall, since the 1960s. Dr. Armand A. Fusco, Ed.D has written School Corruption: Betrayal of Children and the Public Trust ($24.95, iUniverse) and I recommend it to every taxpayer, parent, school board member, and legislator in the nation. Dr. Fusco’s resume includes beginning his career in education in 1958 and serving as superintendent of schools in Branford, CT until his retirement in 1992. This book is dynamite and, as Dr. Fusco notes, "For whatever reason, there are too many people involved with education dollars that feel they, rather than the children, are entitled to feast on and benefit from the education treasure chest." He has exhaustively researched and detailed the school systems from coast to coast that have cheated the system. He notes, too, that the U.S. Constitution makes no provision for federal involvement in education yet, today, controls the system throughout the nation. This is an important book that deserves far wider recognition.

The best-darned guidebook to the fabled area, The Ozarks, provides dozens of reasons to take a pass on Miami, Las Vegas, and Hollywood, and visit some of the most authentic places in the nation ($19.95, The Countryman Press, Woodstock, VT). Ron Marr has written a wonderfully entertaining guide that’s filled with tons of advice on what to see, what to do, where to stay, where to eat, the best places to shop and the special events of the area. Branson, Missouri, has made the Ozarks the destination of choice for countless people, but Marr tells you all about the other great places that can be found across Missouri and Arkansas, and as he does you will find yourself laughing out loud and planning your next trip there.

Millions of Americans are buying online these days and, most of the time, it is a fast, efficient experience, but there’s much to know to get the best out of this convenience and to avoid some of the pitfalls. Jacquelyn Lynn has written the Online Shopper’s Survival Guide ($19.95, Enterprise Press, softcover) and it is filled with some excellent ideas and advice on how to find what you want, do’s and don’ts of online auctions, what you should avoid buying online, buying from foreign countries, frauds and scams, and lots more. This book, especially for someone who prefers online shopping, will prove to be a great investment for the vast scope of information it provides.

Special Christmas Gift Books

This is the month we are on the prowl for special Christmas and Hanukah gifts so let me point you to Theories For Everything by John Langone, Bruce Stutz, and Andrea Gianopoulos ($40, National Geographic). I love history and I love science, and this book combines the two as it chronicles the world’s most vital discoveries and the great minds and methods behind them. Too many Americans are too lacking in any comprehension of how the technologies we take for granted today come to be. Moreover, the lack of understanding of the role of science, the known facts of how things work, from genetics to astronomy, leaves people at the mercy of those who would frighten them with bogus, "junk" science. This beautifully illustrated book introduces the reader to the likes of Aristotle, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Edison, Einstein and Hawking. There are so many elements of this excellent book that it will intrigue the reader for hours and they will be hours well spent.

There’s no telling how many Americans have tuned into the Grand Ole Opry over the years but it surely is in the millions. This show has become a uniquely American institution and anyone who counts it a favorite will love The Grand Ole Opry: The Making of an American Icon by Colin Escott with a foreword by singer Vince Gill ($24.99, Center Street, an imprint of Hachette Book Group USA). The performers who graced its stage in Nashville included Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, Minnie Pearl, Ernest Tubbs, and dozens of others thanks to WSM radio and a network that began to reach out coast to coast by the early 1930s. By 1947, some of its stars were playing Carnegie Hall, bringing country and western music to the East Coast. By the 1980s, stars like Reba McEntire, Lorrie Morgan, and Roy Clark were carrying on the tradition, but by then country and western was as popular as rock’n roll. This book is a trip down memory lane, filled with pictures, and a tribute to the wonderful talented people who were a part of its remarkable history.

While on the topic of music, the jazz enthusiast in your life will go bonkers over the 1,500-plus page eighth edition of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings by Richard Cook and Brian Morton ($30.00, Penguin Books, softcover) which is an extraordinary compendium of information on everyone who ever made their mark in the world of jazz including, of course, all the greats like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and a host of others from around the world who fell in love with this uniquely American artform. This encyclopedia has artist biographies, critical ratings, and all the essential recordings for every collection.

If there’s someone special in your life who just loves Formula One racing, there’s a large format, gorgeous book of photography, Inside Ferrari ($39.95, Firefly Books) featuring photos by Jon Nicholson, a text by Maurice Hamilton, and a foreword by Jean Todt. After more than 180 wins, Ferrari is the most recognized name in Formula One racing and, since 1950, the ruby red racecars that have thrilled fans around the world. A great deal of secrecy surrounds this marvel of auto engineering, by Nicholson was given unprecedented access for three years and his camera captured behind-the-scenes images from the Ferrari factory in Maranello to Grand Prix tracks around the world. At 288 pages with 300-plus color photos, this will be a treasure for some lucky fan.

Do you or someone you know love to decorate for parties and special events? If so, Inspirations by Preston Bailey ($45.00, Bulfinch Press) offers over 150 full color photos in a coffee-table format that will, as the title says, inspire the reader with the designs and decor created by a man many regard as the event planner. Imagine being able to tap into some of the settings he has created in places like the famed Four Seasons restaurant, Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, or a cabaret at the Pierre. Bailey has been a guest on Oprah, Good Morning America, and other shows and is the author of Preston Bailey’s Fantasy Weddings. This brings me to a most unusual book by Chamein Canton, Down That Aisle in Style: A Wedding Guide for Full-Figured Women ($34.95, Wind River Publishing, Silverton, ID). Since the average woman in the U.S. is a size sixteen, it’s about time that someone wrote a book that addresses the needs of real women instead of the skinny ones in the fashion magazines, but that’s the point of this large format book. The author has filled her book with advice on all aspects of fashion and makeup, to the point where, if you can’t find the answer here, it doesn’t exist! Filled, too, with many photos, the book doesn’t scrimp on the practical aspects such as budgeting to make your dream wedding come true.

I received a guide that is so different from anything I have seen before that I wondered why no one had written something like it before. It’s Rebecca Apsan’s The Lingerie Handbook ($13.95, Workman Publishing) that incorporates 30 years of knowledge acquired as the owner of New York’s La Petite Coquette, a lingerie store that celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Renee Zellweger have been known to visit. Apsan provided much of the intimate apparel for the HBO series "Sex and the City", but her book really delivers the goods with straight talk about what any woman should know in order to look and feel her best. How are we ever supposed to get through 2007 without Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Guide ($14.00, Harcourt) which is, in fact, an excellent guide for the enjoyment and health benefits of this greatest of man’s inventions, the delicious juice of fermented grapes. My late Mother, the first woman to serve on the board of directors of the Sommelier Society of America, would have enjoyed this user-friendly guide, jammed packed with information from one of the world’s leading experts on wine.

The Magic of Audiobooks

Fans of John Grisham’s 18 legal thrillers will welcome learn that his latest addition, The Innocent Man: Murder and Justice in a Small Town ($29.95/44.95, Random House Audio, abridged and unabridged versions on CDs). This one is his first nonfiction work, the true story of how Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence for a murder he didn’t commit. Grisham shows how junk science and jailhouse snitches can rob a man of his freedom in a flawed criminal justice system. This is a gripping story that, depending on which version you have, provides between six and twelve hours as the gripping true live story unfolds. Also new from Random House Audio are hours of wonderful entertainment from other Grisham works, The Summons/The Brethren ($46.95 unabridged CDs) and A Time to Kill/The King of Torts ($46.95, unabridged).

For anyone that has to do a daily commute, audio books offer a great way to pass the time while keeping up with the newest titles on the bestseller lists. The two latter audio books offer between 20 and 24 hours of listening pleasure.

I am a great fan of audiobooks and Hachette Book Group has an excellent selection, any one of which is bound to please someone on your gift lift. Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us by Allen Salkin is asatire for everyone who may grow weary of too much Christmas or Hanukah hype. Read by the author and a cast of actor friends, with an introduction read by Jerry Stiller of Seinfeld fame, this 2-CD set ($19.98) will provide lots of laughs for our inner Scrooge. For those who like being scared, the master of novels about psychopaths, James Patterson, has Cross available ($39.98) on 7 CDs about a Washington, DC psychologist whose wife is gunned down by an unknown killer and who must put his need for revenge on hold while he raises his children. Years later, he has left the FBI and is in private practice, when a similar murder triggers his desire for justice. In Michael Connelly’s Echo Park ($29.98, 5 CDs) the disappearance of a young woman becomes the case that an LAPD detective cannot close. Thirteen years later, working in the Open-Unresolved Unit, he is tasked with finding out if a confession of her murder is real or just a way to avoid the death penalty. The pressure just builds and builds in this story. Like Connelly, Nicholas Sparks is a New York Times bestseller author and you will discover why with Dear Joker ($39.98, 8 CDs) a modern love story when John Tyree, an angry rebel who has joined the army, discovers the girl of his dreams who feels the same attraction for him. Neither can foresee that 9/11 is about to change the world, forcing him to choose between love and country. Listeners to National Public Radio know who David Sedaris is and will be delighted that this brilliant humorist is the subject of The Ultimate David Sedaris Box Set ($99.98, 20 CDs) as read by the author, Army Sedaris, Ann Magnuson, and other guest artists. These are previously released programs as well as recent releases including "Live at Carnegie Hall." For his fans, this will be the ultimate gift.

Would you believe there is an entire nation to the north of us? Yes, it’s called Canada and it has a rich literary life of its own. Fortunately, they speak and write English too. That’s our good luck because BTC Audio Books, a division of Goose Lane editions, specializes in its authors. Occasionally an American goes to live there. That’s what Carol Shields did and she raised five children while becoming the author of more than 20 books of fiction, drama, poetry and literary criticism. One of them is Larry’s Party ($29.95) in which the main character discovers at age 26 that life is never what one plans while providing us with an intricate and interesting story read by one of Canada’s most respected actors, R.H. Thomson. Another Shields novel, The Stone Diaries ($29.95), won a Pulitzer Prize and a National Book Critics Circle Award. This fictional biography is very entertaining as Daisy Goodwill tries to make sense of her life that began inauspiciously. She is widowed on her honeymoon when her husband commits suicide, marries again, and we get to try to make sense of it along with her as Sara Botsford, who has lots of excellent acting credits, narrates this tale. Visit www.gooselane.com for more information and more entertaining audiobooks.

The Joy of Eating & Entertaining

I have received some cookbooks that are sure to help liven up any table. Most are quite affordable softcover books, but let’s face it; a really expensive cookbook is an unforgettable gift that just keeps giving.

With that in mind, there’s Michael Mina: The Cookbook ($50.00, Bulfinch Press), a coffee table book with page after page of extraordinary recipes and full color photos from the chef and owner of award-winning restaurants across the nation. Mina likes to take a master recipe and then, like a jazz musician, come up with variations. All the food groups are included, but these creations are a cut above what most cookbooks offer and, as a result, will turn anyone who makes them the center of attention for everyone at the table. Anyone who is serious about the culinary arts will want to add this cookbook to their library.

Fix-It and Enjoy-it Cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good ($15.95, Good Books, Intercourse, PA) is the latest in a series of the "Fix-It and Forget-It" series that have sold more than 6.5 million copies to date. The author obviously knows what she writes about and if you are looking for a useful all-purpose cookbook with more than 675 stovetop and oven dishes, this one will keep you and yours dining happily for years to come. You can check out all of her books at www.GoodBks.com. While you are on this website, check out another softcover book that made my mouth water. It is Kathryn Hawkins’ Crepes, Waffles & Pancakes ($15.95) that features more than a 100 recipes for hearty meals, light snacks, and delicious desserts. The many full-color photos will tempt you to try out these great recipes and your tummy with thank you!

Tasty Temptations by Connie Bandstra (Specific House Publishing, Boston) lives up to title with a collection of more than 50 handcrafted recipes served to the many people who have dined at the author’s Teacups & Tiaras tearoom in the restored historic district in West Des Moines. Born in Iowa, the author loves to cook and the recipes she offers may have their origins in many other places, but she endows them with a good, old-fashioned American style of preparation of their ingredients. This is a good "starter" cookbook for someone who wants to learn how to prepare good meals. Check it out at www.tastytemptationscookbook.com.

Since it is the season for celebration, you might want to pick up The South Beach Diet Parties & Holidays Cookbook by Dr. Arthur Agatston, MD ($25.00, Rodale, softcover). All kinds of occasions from baby showers to Christmas day dinner are represented in an array of dishes that a calorie-conscious person will love. These recipes represent the influence of cuisines from around the globe and tempt one to think, if we could all just sit down together around the dinner table, the world would be a more peaceful place. Two of Hollywood’s top public relations whiz kids are Elizabeth Harrison and Lara Shriftman, and they know how to entertain. They reveal their secrets in Party Confidential ($29.99, Bulfinch Press) filled with photos of the rich and famous, too numerous to name. The text is filled with ideas of how to turn any event, from a birthday to a night of poker, into something unforgettable. The book overflows with tips on what to serve and how to present it.

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The Topic is Health

Health, if you have it, is priceless. Because so many people suffer from less than good health, there are many books published to help them cope.

Americans are living longer lives these days and many enjoy travel. A "senior edition" of The Fit Traveler has been published ($17.95, Publishers Design Group, Roseville, CA) and fitness gurus, Kari Eide and Lissa Mueller, have modified their book of the same name for those over 50 with a customized workout for seniors. The book comes with an elastic resistance band, but weighs in at only 8 ounces and is small enough to fit into a purse, carry-on or glove compartment. Whether one is a novice or an exercise veteran, the photos and brief text are more than sufficient to demonstrate how various parts of the body can benefit from exercises recommended and advice to customize your workout, know your limits, and watch how much you eat as well as what you eat.

Cancer is a very scary word and, for women, it often means breast cancer. Laura Jensen Walker was diagnosed with breast cancer a day after her first anniversary and has written a book worth reading. Thanks for the Mammogram ($10.99, Revell) provides inspiring, warm, and sometimes a hilarious story of one woman’s battle with cancer as she went through its phases that included mastectomy, chemotherapy and reconstruction, to come through. She writes that faith, hope, and a healthy dose of laughter can make all the difference. For any woman facing these challenges, this book will prove very good medicine. Cancer is a Word, Not a Sentence by Dr. Robert Buckman ($19.95, Firefly Books, softcover) is written for people who have just been diagnosed with cancer and it provides the kind of information that will help them through those first, often frightening weeks. The author describes everything that follows the initial diagnosis such as the tests and treatment regimen. There’s a six-step plan that outlines the options, suggests the right questions to ask, and the decision that needs to be made. There’s advice on how to talk to one’s spouse or children, as well as family and friends who are often at a loss for words. In short, it is one terrific guide. The Journey Through Cancer: Healing and Transforming the Whole Person by Dr. Jeremy Geffen ($14.00, Three Rivers Press, New York, softcover) has been newly revised and updated. It has been hailed as "The single best book ever written for those with cancer and the people who love them," by Dr. Joan Boysenko, PhD, and author of Minding the Body, Minding the Mind. This book, too, answers the questions that those diagnosed with cancer have. The author is a board-certified oncologist with more than fifteen years experience providing treatment, guidance and care. Here again you will find the kind of guidance that will contribute to one’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.

From the editors of Prevention magazine, with Ann Fittante, MS, RD, comes The Sugar Solution ($24.95, Rodale) for people who can’t seem to lose weight no matter how hard they try, feel depressed for no apparent reason, aren’t sleeping well, feel sluggish all the time, and seem to forget things or have trouble concentrating. This book says the symptoms aren’t all in your head. They’re in your blood sugar. High blood sugar could be the hidden cause of these symptoms and, left untreated, such imbalances can set the stage for diabetes and heart disease, even raise the risk for cancer. The good news is that it can be controlled and even reversed before it does serious damage and the book offers a complete lifestyle makeover with daily menus, exercise strategies, and stress-reduction techniques. Plus lots more. If these symptoms describe you or someone you know, this might prove to be a life-saving book. Did you know that black Americans are more susceptible to diabetes than whites? Of the 2.8 million black Americans with diabetes, only 1.5 have been diagnosed; that’s an estimated 730,000 who don’t know they have the disease. Part of the problem says Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, can be genetic, another part could be cultural, due to less access to diabetes information, but this nutritionist and registered dietitian has written a book, Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes ($17.95, iUniverse, softcover) that is a comprehensive guide filled with information about foods that appeal to black Americans who suffer from diabetes. The hardest part of diabetes management is food and this book addresses that factor straight on.

What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Depression by Dr. Michael B. Schachter, MD, with Deborah Mitchell ($114.99, Warner Wellness, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, softcover) holds the promise of helping a lot of people suffering from depression, despite the many prescription medications available, some of which can have disabling side effects. Dr. Schachter is a specialist in orthomolecular psychiatry and nutritional medicine. He has presented a groundbreaking program that has helped thousands find relief naturally, safely, and effectively, often without the use of medication. Does that sound good to you? It does to me! This book will help the reader identify the causes of their depression and where to seek help. It provides a proven regimen of safe, natural supplements, and proper nutrition, plus tools to determine which treatments work best. It will help eliminate depression-inducing toxins from your system and make lifestyle modifications that the author says can make a real difference. Tired of being depressed? Read this book!

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, MD, has become an icon when it comes to advice about babies and child development. Along with Dr. Joshua D. Sparrow, the second edition, fully revised, of Touchpoints: Birth to Three, Your Child’s Emotional and Behavioral Development ($17.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) has recently been published. This book will prove very helpful to every parent of an infant or toddler. The beloved pediatrician’s advice has helped millions through the publication of his widely-read books. This one addresses the "touchpoints" of development. For any couple expecting their first child this compendium of advice will prove very helpful. One of the mysteries that afflict some children is autism, a disorder that may require a new attitude among parents and teachers. Coming to their rescue is Making Autism a Gift: Inspiring Children to Believe in Themselves and Lead Happy, Fulfilling lives by Dr. Robert Evert Cimera, PhD ($25.95/$16.95, Rowman and Littlefield, cloth and softcover). Due out in January, this expert on autistic children believes that autism is not something "bad" that needs to be "overcome", but rather just a bump in the road, because those with autism can graduate college, have exciting careers, and lead happy, fulfilling lives. Cimera provides numerous strategies and resources to help parents maximize their child’s success. If someone in your family or who you know has autism, this is definitely the book to read.

Finally, Health Care on Less than you Think: The New York Times Guide to Getting Affordable Coverage by Fred Brock ($15.00, Henry Holt, softcover) lives up to its title by providing lots of information about how to choose between health plans and minimize costs based on location, how to shop for coverage when your job does not provide insurance, determine whether health savings accounts help your budget, track down the biggest savings on prescription drugs, and manage Medicare and long-term-care insurance to protect retirement savings. In short, a very handy resource to have in this era of high health costs.

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The Lives of Other People

You can learn a lot about yourself by reading about the lives of other people. They may not all be famous, but they each contributed something to history or culture, our own and other’s.

The iconic actor of my youth was James Dean who made three excellent films and died in a high-speed auto accident in 1955. Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride of Making Rebel Without a Cause by Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel ($15.00, Touchstone Books, Simon & Schuster softcover) tells a riveting story of betrayal, creativity, and sexual intrigue. The authors peel back the layers to tell the deeply personal story of one of the most influential movies ever made. Director Nicholas Ray and Dean made a now classic story of the American teenager. The authors interviewed virtually every living member of the cast and crew. This novel sizzles with the story of how 43-year-old Ray had an affair with the 16-year-old Natalie Wood, transforming her from a washed up child star to a much sought-after actress. This is a film that guided Sal Mineo toward becoming the first gay teenager on film. The film had an enormous impact on the youth who saw it, as well as music, teen fashion, cars and the emerging political movements of the 60s. Dean would become a legend.

Hollywood and Me: My Wild Ride through the Golden Age of Television is Bernie Rothman’s memoir of how a boy from Montreal became an award-winning TV writer and producer ($22.95, Greystone Books, softcover). His credits as a writer include My Three Sons and The Danny Kaye Show. He produced specials for Hollywood luminaries such as Julie Andrews, Judy Garland, George Burns, and Burt Reynolds. The early days of television and the treasure trove of anecdotes that are sprinkled throughout this book make this light-hearted, fun reading. The Big Band era preceded television and one of its stars was Tommy Dorsey, the subject of a biography by Peter J. Levinson ($18.95, Da Capo Press, softcover). His soaring trombone playing and hit tunes left an indelible mark on American music and culture. It turns out that his personal life was just as fascinating as the music he created. A perfectionist, Dorsey was a man driven by his passion for women and for drink. By all accounts he was larger than life in many ways and Levinson has done a superb job of research and scores of interviews with the musicians who knew him best to capture the man who fronted one of the great dance bands of his era.

Today’s Russia is a dying nation. Its people are barely replacing themselves and it has ceased to be the frightening Communist empire its leaders aspired to be. Lenin and Stalin overthrew and replaced the last of a royal house that had ruled Russia for centuries. Alexander II: The Last Great Czar tells the story of the man who dominated the court of St. Petersburg ($17.00, Free Press, softcover). Edvard Radzinsky brings that turbulent era to life again with all its spectacle, romance, and intrigue. It is a look at the last of the Romanov’s who survived six attempts on his life by the Marxists, a determined group of terrorists, who ultimately imposed that terror on an entire nation. Alexander II, by contrast, freed the serfs and tried to bring about a new, more liberal state. This is an excellent biography filled with the "what ifs" of history. Communism would reach out in my lifetime to enslave Cuba and Ian James has written Ninety Miles: Cuban Journeys in the Age of Castro ($24.95, Rowman & Littlefield), the story of Eloy Gutierrez Menoyo, a rebel commander in Castro’s forces who turned against the government and spent 22 years in Cuban prisons. After his release and relocation to Miami, he began a controversial campaign to promote change in Cuba through dialogue with Castro, even returning to lead a new opposition movement. He is just one of three Cubans through whose lives we gain vivid glimpses from Fidel Castro’s revolution in 1959 to today. They span five decades of life in Cuba and in exile. The author is Venezuelan bureau chief for the Associated Press and resides in Caracas.

All wars spawn books and the conflict in Iraq is no exception. One of the latest and most interesting is We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah by Patrick O’Donnel ($25.00, Da Capo Press) is a street-level look from the point of view of squads and platoons who did and continue to do the fighting where the most extreme urban battlefield exists since the days of World War II. This is the compelling story of the struggle against suicide bombers, radical insurgents, and civilians used as human shields and bait. This is also the human drama, as old as war itself, of the men fighting and dying for each other and their nation. Want to understand what is happening in Iraq? Read this book.

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Novels, Novels, Novels

As always, we close with a look at some of the newest novels, closing out a year in which they proliferated with every passing month.

Richard Hains has penned Chameleon ($25.95, Beaufort Books), "a contemporary thriller about big money, high ambition, and low morals." Wall Street’s greed has always proven fodder for novelists and, in this case, the author is a financial expert and successful global investor who runs a private hedge fund. Suffice it to say, this is an insider’s tale of an act of fraud that goes spectacularly wrong as a financial adventurer, tired of the machinations of trading, seeks to insure his future while escaping to a new life. When his plan goes awry, he has to save himself in a fast-paced story that is enhanced by the author’s knowledge of that arcane world. For more action from the milieu of high-stakes gambling, there’s Drawing Dead by Rick Gadziola ($24.95, ECW Press, Toronto). Here again, the author brings his own expertise to the plot. He is a semi-professional poker player and a part-time private eye. His character, Jake Morgan, can’t seem to win. Morgan’s a Las Vegas poker dealer and ex-cop who is in the midst of lovemaking when a paid assassin enters the room and puts two bullets in the woman’s head. Cleared of that killing, yet another woman falls for him and she works for the Las Vegas Vice Squad! This is the third in a series of Jake Morgan novels. They remind me of the Mickey Spillane novels and this one doesn’t disappoint with its constant twists and turns as bullets fly and bodies fall.

There is a genre of fiction that is intended to appeal to women and Rain Village by Carolyn Turgeon ($24.95, Unbridled Books) is an example of it. It is the story of a tiny girl who dreams of becoming a circus performer, her mysterious mentor, and the secrets that both struggle to overcome. It is also about finding real love. Set initially in an isolated Kansas community, a young girl’s solitude is broken by learning to read, opening up a new world of possibilities. Sexually abused by her father, she flees to join the circus as a trapeze artist, finding an exciting new life and marrying a loving man. This description does not do the story justice for it is its dreamy style that lures the reader in.

Blind Singer Joe’s Blues by Robert Love Taylor ($22.50, Southern Methodist University Press) evokes the first two decades of the last century and is set around Bristol, Virginia, where an untutored Appalachian singer, Hannah Ruth Bayless, with a beautiful voice gives birth to a blind child, Singer Joe, who inherits his mother’s talent. In time, a fiddler from Oklahoma falls in love with Hannah, marrying her and taking her from her family. It is the issues of family, faith, betrayal and trust that animate this story. It’s about the music of Appalachia and about finding one’s own path in life. Family is at the heart of first-time novelist, Janice M. Van Dyck. The O’Malley Trilogy ($14.50, AuthorHouse, softcover) is about the way "every daughter lives a trilogy; her own story intertwined with her mother’s and her grandmother’s." This moving novel follows five generations of women from 19^th century Ireland to 21^st century Florida, as the author explores the mother-daughter relationship with humor, grace and considerable insight. There isn’t a woman alive who will not instantly recognize the sinews of this story, the bonds between the female generations within a family, along with the hopes that accompany them. To learn more about this excellent debut, visit www.janicevandyck.com.

Science fiction and fantasy is a genre that seems to generate big, thick novels as if the authors were creating their own galaxies and universes, and needed more words than others to convey a fictional reality that goes well beyond a novel based somewhere we can easily recognize. R.A. Salvatore is especially skilled at this, winning awards and a host of fans over the years. His most recent addition to his "Forgotten Realms" series is Road to the Patriarch ($27.95, Wizards of the Coast). "Great deeds should be followed by great rewards, but when a dark elf mercenary claims his price, the entire kingdom is put on notice." No, not somewhere in far outer space, but a realm of kingdoms, witches, elves and mystery that comes smoking off of every page.

Writers of science fiction and fantasy tend not only to write at length, but also to create entire series. Crossover, for example, by Joel Shepherd ($15,00, PYR, an imprint of Prometheus Books) is the first in a series which follows the adventures of Cassandra Kresnov, an artificial person, or android, created by the League, one side of an interstellar war against the more powerful, conservative Federation. Cassandra is an experimental design—more intelligent, more creative, and far more dangerous than any that have preceded her. Ready to read all about her? As for myself, I cannot wait to see this made into a movie! Thomas A. Day makes his debut as a science fiction writer with A Grey Moon Over China ($25.95, Black Heron Press, Seattle). It is the story of a disillusioned company of Army engineers, languishing in the Pacific during the energy wars between the United States on one side and Japan and California on the other. This is an intriguing concept to begin with as it posits that the Earth is dying and these soldiers have stolen an energy device that could have ended the wars and are using it to extort their escape, only to discover they have not escaped at all because, in the interstellar blackness, a fleet of cold, silent creatures awaits them.

For those who enjoy short stories, let’s close out with two collections. One is by Kelly Magee called Body Language ($12.95, University of North Texas Press, softcover) and the winner of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize in Short Fiction. Largely set in the South, the eleven stories guide us into the hidden worlds of the culture wars. The people in these stories belong to the fringes of society, struggling for an identity and a place to belong. The live in a land of mega churches, drag contests, Jesus, low-income apartment buildings, and tornadoes. Out of these characters Magee makes magic. My Chaos Theory is a collection of stories by Steve Watkins ($22.50, Southern Methodist University press). There are a dozen of them in his first book of fiction and they are funny, sometimes odd, but always exploring the secret ways of men and boys. They all deal with young and not-so-young men coming of age and they do so in places as diverse as Kenya, India, New York and the Deep South. He’s made an impressive debut and one looks forward to whatever else he writes.

That’s it for December and the year 2006! Do come back in 2007 and together we shall discover a whole new year of books that will amaze, inspire, warn, and inform us.

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