If you lived in the Midwest or Northeast last month, then the bone-chilling cold that descended on much of the nation is a receding memory. What I have never been able to understand is how people can know how cold it is during the winter and all the preceding winters, and yet insist the world is dramatically heating up or shortly will. That is why I welcome Christopher C. Horner’s new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism ($19.95, Regnery Publishing). Sadly, global warming has become completely politicized and, astonishingly, is devoid of any scientific merit. If you want to avoid the mass insanity of those insisting on destroying the economy in the name of saving the Earth, I strongly recommend you read the carefully documented facts presented in this long overdue book. To whet your appetite, you will learn that the Earth has often been much warmer than it is now, only a tiny portion of greenhouse gases are man-made, most of Antarctica is getting colder, et cetera! Global warming is not something to take on faith like a religious belief. Despite how many times you are told that the world’s scientists all agree it’s happening, that is a lie. Now read the truth!

Former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and bestselling author, Dore Gold, has looked at the way three of the worlds major faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have focused to Jerusalem as their holy city and how it has been the nexus for much spilling of blood. That Jerusalem is indisputably Jewish in origin and history is these days the object of an effort throughout Islam to "prove" it is not. In his new book, The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the Future of the Holy City ($27.95, Regnery Publishing), Dore warns that "Any withdrawal from Jerusalem by Israel, or any forced partition of the Holy City, will reignite global jihad by radical Islamists who believe it is divine destiny to install an Islamic empire." To support his view, he has written an extensive history of the city and Islam’s efforts to capture and control it. Ironically, the Koran offers no mention of it by name, but Islamic tradition says Mohammed ascended to heaven from the Temple Mount, a site that is sacred to Jews. Thus, Jerusalem remains a potent spiritual element for Islam as well as Jews and Christians. Ceding any control of it to Muslims at this point would have, Gold says, disastrous worldwide consequences. He makes a fact-filled, compelling case for this.

Hurricane Katrina focused attention on New Orleans and the other stricken areas. For anyone who has lived or visited the Crescent City, fond memories abide and the good news is that the famed French Quarter or Vieux Carre survived relatively intact. A book has been published by Morgana Press of New Orleans whose profits will be directed to the preservation of the French Quarter and it is a magnificent eyeful. Orleans Embrace with The Secret Gardens of the Vieux Carre ($50.00) is an emotional portrayal of the Quarter that shares 378 photographs of the gardens concealed behind the brick walls and iron gates of the district’s breathtaking architecture. It is a book within a book that includes the writings of Roy F. Guste, Jr., first published in 1993, with a celebration by the author TJ Fisher and additional photography by Louis Sahue, a lifelong resident of the Quarter. This book has been put together with attention to the finest production values to compliment its text and photos. It is a real treasure that is bound to become a family heirloom.

Every so often a book comes along to help men understand women. The latest is A Practical Handbook for the Boyfriend ($22.95, Hyperion) by Felicity Huffman and Patricia Wolff. Ms. Huffman’s name may be familiar as a gifted actress. Ms. Wolf is active in films and television production, currently a consultant to "The Unit", a CBS show. This is a hilarious book, but one filled with useful and cautionary information for any man who must tread the minefields of feminity. As the authors put it, "Think of this as your AAA guide to love, a decoder ring, a relationship road map, and your very own GPS—Girlfriend Positioning System. Bottom line? The advice is excellent. A wickedly funny book on being a single female is Singular Existence: Because it’s Better to be Alone than to Wish you Were! Written by Leslie Talbot ($12.95, Citadel Press/Kensington softcover), she contends that there are 95 million single Americans who are regularly besieged by quack therapists, dating gurus, well-meaning friends, and a popular culture that equates being single with complete social failure. Ms. Talbot makes a powerful case for that group of singles who know full well they should be and stay that way. They crave their privacy, their ability to self-indulge, and, yes, their freedom! Sporting a wicked way with words, she is going to bring much laughter and peace of mind to the women who read her book. And men too will identify with it.

Elisa Zied has teamed with a longtime friend of mine, Ruth Winter, who has her own extensive credentials to write Feed Your Family Right! How to Make Smart Food and Fitness Choices for a Healthy Lifestyle. The author, Ms. Zied, is a registered dietitian and national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, as well as the mother of two ($16.95, Wiley, softcover). Most parents have the very best intentions when it comes to eating in a healthy manner, staying physically active, but actually doing it often seems beyond reach given the demands on their time. This book makes it clear that they don’t have to do anything radical such as a strict diet or a daily trip to the gym. Thus we have that rarity among so many books on this topic, one that is practical as well as filled with useful information, plus recipes and meal plans, to insure the healthy lifestyle its title recommends. This book will teach you how to make fitness a family affair without having to skip those chocolate chip cookies!

Do they still teach the classics of literature in school or even college any more? Well, you can be greatly entertained by The Essential Homer ($48.00) and The Essential Iliad ($20), two abridged audio sets containing the key chapters and passages from these time-honored works. Parmenides Publishing of Las Vegas has produced them. I have recommended their earlier audio books and been joined by the Washington Post and The Bloombury Review who likewise thought them a wonderful listening experience, translated for the modern listener to these great tales of vengeful gods and ancient warriors. These two audiobooks have recently received Publisher’s Weekly’s "Listen-Up Award" in the category of classics. To learn more about them, visit www.ParmenidesAudio.com.

I rarely review poetry, but Stephen J. Dodds sent me Life and Everything in Between ($28.95, available Amazon.com and other outlets), his book that struck me as unique. For one thing, each of his poems is prefaced by a quote by some famous or not-so-famous personality and the book is nicely illustrated. Born in England and having resided in Canada, Dodds now lives in Orange County, California. His theme is about living life in the moment and to the fullest. He has a poet’s eye for a good metaphor and he expresses himself with a simplicity and power that is admirable. His poems are thought provoking, sincere, and positive. Not a bad combination if you think of it. This book would be the kind of gift that a friend or loved one would keep for a very long time.

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Reading History

Along with biographies and autobiographies, the thing I best enjoy reading is history. If one is ignorant of the past, there is simply no way to make any sense of the present or a reliable prediction of what may lay ahead. The past does repeat itself, though with a different cast of characters because there are always men and nations that want to enslave their neighbors, their region and the whole world. These monsters are the weeds that pop up among the fields of civilization, threatening to choke it to death.

Barbara Ehrenreich is the author of fourteen books and richly deserving of the awards she has received. In Blood Rites she explored why men and nations go to war. Now she has looked at the opposite phenomenon in Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy ($26.00, Metropolitan Books, division of Henry Holt and Company). Drawing on both history and anthropology, Ehrenreich uncovers the origins of communal revelry, the inclination toward celebrating events and beliefs together. It is why we put on costumes on Halloween, decorate our homes on Christmas, or why there are wonderful carnivals in Brazil, the famed Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City. Indeed, throughout the world, in obscure villages and in great cities, humans like getting together for a good time. For an original view of the human condition, despite a long line of party-poopers—mostly religious leaders—this is a unique and interesting look at history.

The first real civilization to emerge in history was the Egyptians. Other agriculture-based groups, mostly in the fertile crescent of the Middle East, also arose, but it was the Egyptians who developed an intricate religion and the pharaoh’s dynasties that ruled a society that laid the stepping-stones to later organized societies. In The Great Pyramid: Ancient Egypt Revisited, author John Romer ($40.00, Cambridge University Press) focuses on the Great Pyramid at Giza and the mystery of how this massive tomb could have been constructed nearly 4,500 years ago. Meticulously researched, he reveals how the builders worked from a single construction plan and how extraordinarily the planners coordinated the project. Every generation thinks of itself as a great leap forward, but forgets how many previous generations used ingenuity and genius to create all that preceded them. Due out officially in April, this is a grand book of ancient history. In The Name of Heaven: 5,000 Years of Religious Persecution by Mary Jane Engh ($25.00, Prometheus Books) attempts to record how religion, any religion, has been the cause of much suffering through repression and persecution. Its short chapters begin in Egypt and proceed to ancient Greece, then to the Roman Empire, and the rise of both Christian and Islamic civilizations. Also covered are Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Pacific area. The new forms of religious persecution of the 20^th century, from major genocides to militant forms of polytheism, are reviewed. It is history and well documented, but this book ultimately is a condemnation of religion itself.

A great period of history is captured in The Rise and Fall of Alexandria: Birthplace of the Modern Mind by Justin Pollard and Howard Reid ($27.95, Viking). Founded by Alexander the Great and built by self-styled Greek pharaohs, at its height, the city dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was truly the marvel of its age, filled with vast palaces, safe harbors, and a magnificent lighthouse. At it heart was the greatest library of antiquity. It was in Alexandria that mankind discovered that the earth was round, invented geometry, systemized grammar, translated the Old Testament into Greek, built the steam engine, and fostered new knowledge. It is an irony of history that it is also the place with the seeds of religious extremism were sown, ultimately destroying the city. It’s a great story worth reading.

For better or worse, Napoleon transformed Europe and historians think mostly for the better. Stephen Coote, who combines a historian’s skills with a novelist’s flair, has written Napoleon and the Hundred Days ($15.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) takes the reading back to 1815 when the political aristocrats of Europe must deal with the news that Napoleon has escaped Elba and returned to France, gathering troops along the way. This is a look at the rise and fall of the empire he created through conquest. Now he is on the path to Waterloo where neither his arrogance, nor his military genius was a match for the combined armies of England and Europe. Had it all not actually happened, you would think it was a great novel. Benito Mussolini, the Italian dictator, liked to reflect the glory days of Rome to inspire Italians to pursue his imperial ambitions. Mussolini’s Italy: Life Under the Fascist Dictatorship, 1915-1945 by J.B. Bosworth ($20.00, Penguin softcover) provides, by contrast, a look into modern day fascist regimes in Iran, Venezuela, and unfortunately elsewhere around the world. In Mussolini’s time and under his direction, it was (and is) a form of political life that dealt in violence and demanded obedience. Even Hitler took notice and, of course, Italy and Germany were allies during World War II, an effort to impose fascism throughout and beyond Europe. This is an excellent piece of scholarship and a warning to those of us today who might want to pretend these threats are far away and do not threaten us.

World War II has spawned whole libraries of books and there are three worth adding to them. The first is From Roosevelt to Truman: Potsdam, Hiroshima, and the Cold War by Wilson D. Miscamble, C.S.C., an associate professor of history at the University of Notre Dame ($39.00, Cambridge University Press). Having authored other books on this critical period in recent history, he knows it well and reveals how the independent Truman, who had extensively read history throughout his life, dissolved FDR’s policy of collaboration with the Soviets, sensing their intention to expand their empire after WWII. He began this barely eleven days after FDR’s death while at Potsdam. Why he did this makes for interesting reading and, of course, in retrospect, Truman was right. Another Cambridge title is Tales from Spandau: Nazi Criminals and the Cold War by Norman J. W. Goda ($30.00). As a result of the famed Nuremberg Trial at the end of the war, seven of Adolf Hitler’s closest associates were sentenced to imprisonment in Berlin’s Spandau Prison. Instead of being forgotten, they became the focus of a bitter, four-decade tug-of-war between the Soviet Union and the Western allies. Six of the seven were eventually released. After Rudolf Hess died in 1987, the prison was destroyed. Drawing on long-secret documents, Goda provides the inside story of Spandau and offers a new perspective on the international war criminals from Serbia, Croatia, and Rwanda, of our time. Last of the three is Over Here: How the G.I. Bill Transformed the American Dream by Edward Humes ($26.00, Harcourt). What was America to do with the flood of World War II soldiers who were returning home? To avoid economic catastrophe, FDR, Congress, and veterans groups devised a modest measure, the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. Intended to be a bit of help for the sixteen million men and women who had bravely served their nation, it transformed the nation and rewrote the American dream. The bill made homeowners, college graduates, professionals, rocket scientists, and created a booming middle class, out of the depths of what had been, first, a Depression-era, and second, out of the vast world war that had nearly bankrupted the nation. The 1950’s are recalled today as a vast resurgence and the beginnings of America’s climb to world superpower. It is a classic example of unintended circumstances that, in this case, turned out remarkably well.

American history is well served with Adopted Son: Washington, Lafayette, and the Friendship That Save the Revolution by David A. Clary ($27.00, Bantam Books). I was frankly surprised to discover the close bond that existed between these two archetypal patriots despite the differences between them. Washington was a self-taught, middle-aged Virginia planter in charge of a rag-tag army of revolutionaries, whereas Lafayette was a glory-seeking French aristocrat. However, the childless Washington saw something in the young man that led to a trust that saw them through the trials of the war. Indeed, twice wounded, Lafayette became a hero in both America and France for his courage and, despite his age, is ability to command troops. He was also able to inspire French support for the struggling nation. The book is based on some excellent scholarship, but it is also testimony to the importance of such relationships to the shaping of history.

The 1950s were followed by a decade in which civil rights became a battleground throughout the nation as African-Americans, many of whom had fought in WWII, demanded equal opportunity and equal protection under the law. Turn Away Thy Son: Little Rock, the Crisis that Shocked the Nation by Elizabeth Jacoway ($30.00, Free Press) tells the story of how Brown vs. the Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruling that blacks could not be racially isolated in schools throughout the South and elsewhere, would erupt in the desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957. The drama of watching Arkansas National Guardsman prevented nine black children from entering the all-white school. President Eisenhower called in the 101^st Airborne to enforce the Supreme Court’s mandate. The author, a Little Rock native, researched the full story for thirty years and her book presents all the major players. It is a tour de force of history and memory.

History is not always just about people. In the case of Dennis M. Powers’ Treasure Ship, it is about "The legend and legacy of the S.S. Brother Jonathan" ($21.95, Citadel Press, an imprint of Kensington Publishing). In 1865, the 220-foot sidewheeler slammed into an uncharted reef. Her mask broke, crashing through the bottom of the ship, taking her to the bottom of the sea off northern California with 225 crew and passengers, along with millions of dollars in newly minted gold bars and coins. Only 19 people made it to shore in a lifeboat and for more than a hundred years, the whereabouts of that enormous treasure would remain a mystery. Powers left behind a legal practice to become a fulltime writer and author of six non-fiction books. He invested over a decade of research in this true story of the people whose lives were involved and lost with the ship, as well as the efforts of a Deep Sea Research team that used modern technology to find it. The dispute over their cache went all the way to the Supreme Court, establishing a precedent that now governs all treasure hunters. This is a fascinating story that’s as good a piece of history as you will read.

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The Lives of Real People

We are endlessly interested in the lives of other people and most of our conversations are about them. This may explain the interest in biographies and autobiographies because they never go out of style. Here are a few that have arrived at Bookviews recently.

If you are still trying to understand what motivates fundamentalist Muslims, I recommend you read the biography of a former Dutch parliamentarian, screenwriter, and author, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, in Infidel ($26.00, Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster). Demonized and under threat by Islamists, she became an international name when Theo van Gogh was murdered in 2004 by a young Muslim who then pinned a note to his chest with a knife saying Hirsi Ali was next. She had worked with van Gogh on a controversial short film, Submission. She has been under twenty-four hour police protection ever since. The daughter of an opponent of the Somali dictator, she grew up in exile with her devout Muslim family. Her life reveals insights into Islam and especially, in the Middle East and Africa, its oppression of women. Ms. Ali has told different versions of her life on various occasions, mostly to secure sanctuary or citizenship, so that puts a bit of a shadow over this account. Granting her the benefit of the doubt, her story is a window to why the West is locked in a great struggle with much of Islam today.

One of the best films of late is "Dreamgirls" with an all-star cast. The music will just blow you away and, if you are nostalgic for the music of the 1950s and 60s when so-called "black" music began to cross over onto the charts of popular listening, you will enjoy the film’s story and the music that tells it. One of the great stars of that period was Sam Cooke and his great-nephew, Erik Greene, has written a biography, Our Uncle Sam: The Sam Cooke Story from his Family’s Perspective ($22.50, Trafford Publishing). Cooke burst onto the pop scene in 1957 with the million-selling You Send Me, which is now a classic. Cooke charted an amazing 34 Top 40 hits over his short eight-year pop career, writing and recording songs like Chain Gang, Cupid, and Having a Party. This book takes you behind the scenes to show him as a family man and as a performer who demanded publishing rights to his work when he negotiated his contract with RCA in 1960. He set the standard for others to come. The facts surrounding his shooting death in 1964 at the age of 33 are examined as are those surrounding his personal life that included out-of-wedlock children. What matters, of course, was the music and this is a fresh look at the man behind that wonderful music.

You cannot say popular music without considering the impact of Phil Spector who is likely to be remembered for the February 2003 murder that transformed him from music industry mogul to prime suspect. Mark Ribowsky gives us the full story of Spector in He’s A Rebel—Phil Spector: Rock & Roll’s Legendary Producer ($18.00, Da Capo Press, softcover). This is an updated edition of the book in which the author has added five chapters since its original publication in 1998. Spector became famous for his "wall of sound" approach that produced major hits for acts that included the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, and the Beatles. But Spector was also famous for bizarre behavior such as the time he pulled a gun on John Lennon or held the Ramones hostage at gunpoint. He was forgiven this because of his ear for music and knowing what made a good song great. Anyone interested in his era of music will want to read this interesting biography.

Another kind of genius was found in the late actor, John Cassavetes, who Marshall Fine calls an Accidental Genius ($18.95, Hyperion, softcover) in a biography subtitled "How John Cassavetes Invented the American Independent Film." The book garnered raves when it was originally published. Fine is chairman of the New York Film Critics Circle and, with the blessings of Cassavete’s wife, the great actress Gena Rowlands, he interviewed close friends and collaborators who spoke publicly of his life and works. His first critical success, nominated for three Academy Awards, was "Faces" which was financed in part from Cassavete’s acting career. Movie buffs still recall his performances in films like "The Dirty Dozen" and "Rosemary’s Baby." Unfortunately, he was a heavy drinker and died of cirrhosis of the liver. His films live on and among them are "Husbands", "Minnie and Moskowitz", and "Woman under the Influence."

Also from the world of theatre and Hollywood, Rupert Everett has proven himself on stage and screen as an accomplished actor appearing in films such as "Shakespeare in Love" and "My Best Friend’s Wedding", sharing the limelight with many famed actors. Born in England in 1959, Everett has shown a knack for being in the right place at the right time, becoming friends with the artist Andy Warhol with still a teenager, being in Berlin when the wall came down and in Moscow as the former Soviet Union imploded. He has acted with and known some of the most famous women, Julia Roberts and Sharon Stone, and known both Madonna and designer Donatella Versace. His autobiography, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins, was warmly received by the critics and is now available as an audiobook ($29.98, four CDs) from Hachette Book Group. As I listened to him recount his life, I found myself laughing out loud at his wit and you will too.

Sometimes fame is the unwanted element of marriage and this is certainly true of Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne ($32.50, Tarcher/Penguin). Author Ben Hills tells the tragic but true story of Japan’s crown princess. Masako Owada was a modern woman educated at Harvard and Oxford who gave up her diplomatic career in 1993 to marry Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito. It was hoped at the time that she would bring some vitality to the royal family, but instead she would suffer bouts of depression in her new life, failing what was considered to be her most important duty, producing a male heir to the throne. She did have a daughter. The author is an Australian investigative journalist who spent three years as a correspondent in Japan and, fascinated by the true-life story, secured interviews with many of Princess Masako’s friends, teachers, and former colleagues. Many formerly unknown secrets of the carefully hidden royal court are revealed as well as many insights to modern Japan.

Usually when I receive a book from Harper Collins, I am confident that it possesses some merit, but a recent autobiography from its Harper Entertainment division reminded me of the way some publishing figures have descended into decadence as a way to sell books. In this case it is the life story as told by Ron Jeremy ($25.95) whose claim to fame is being a porn star. Offering "outrageous, scandalous tales", what it truly offers is the kind of thing that is best left unread. There is nothing redeeming, nor useful in this monomaniacal story of debauchery. It is a very sad, very ugly story.

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Children’s and Younger Reader’s Books

One of my favorite publishers of children’s books is Charlesbridge Publishing of Watertown, Massachusetts. Their spring catalog is full of fun. For example, there’s "a cautionary tale" by Ellen Dee Davidson, illustrated wonderfully by Michael Chesworth. It’s the story of Princess Justina Albertina ($15.95) that tells the story of thoroughly unpleasant princess who demands to have a pet and of her nanny who flies all over the world to find "the perfect one" she demands. None of them, whether a goldfish or a kangaroo, seem to satisfy her until the nanny brings a mythical gryphon. I won’t tell you the ending, but it’s worth waiting for. For longtime fans of classic poetry, there’s Karen Jo Shapiro’s I Must Go Down to the Beach Again and Other Poems, as cleverly illustrated by Judy Love ($5.95). It contains parodies of famous poems by the likes of Shakespeare, Robert Browning, and Edgar Allen Poe, among others. Knowing the original poems adds to the fun, but this collection has a laugh on every page. Deep in the Swamp by Danna M. Bateman and illustrated by Brian Lies ($6.95) is a colorful introduction to the various creatures that live in swamps, from otters to alligators. This book is for the youngest of readers or can be read to pre-readers who will enjoy the beautiful illustrations on each page. To learn more about these and other Charlesbridge books, visit their website at www.charlesbridge.com.

Reader’s Digest has a children’s book publishing division and Ocean Life From A to Z ($17.99), though written and illustrated for children aged 3 to 8, can and will be enjoyed by readers of all ages because it comes with a 46-minute DVD by the book’s author Cindy Crawley who is also an educator, dive instructor, underwater photographer, and a USCG master boat captain. This is the first of a combination book and DVD series and I predict it will become a huge success, both for the quality of the book and its many photographic illustrations, but also because the DVD is fascinating. In this case, young readers and viewers will enjoy the many sea creatures depicted and shown.

In a similar fashion, but minus the DVD, In Arctic Waters ($15.95, Sylvan Dell Publishing) tells the story of the creatures that inhabit that cold place. Written by Laura Crawford and illustrated by Ben Hodson, this book is ideal for those aged 4 to 8. It is a great read-aloud book with an easy rhyming story of walruses, narwhals, polar bears, seals and whales. This publisher specializes in educational books for young readers and its various titles are worth checking out at www.sylvandellpublishing.com.

Red Slider: A Story of Courage and Friendship by Blair Hickson Riley with illustrations by Abby Crews ($10.95, iUniverse) will please readers age 7 to 12 and tells the story of Turtle Pond, a peaceful place of water lilies and blue dragonflies. That is until horrid human beings arrive, threatening to destroy the pond, and as the red painted turtles try to flee, a hero emerges to lead them to safety. Need it be said there is a very environmental story being told here from the point of view of conservation and the preservation of wildlife? This is a book with a message, but one that is told in an entertaining fashion.

Do you have very young children that have a problem with sharing? Well, then pick up a copy of Mine! Mine! Mine! Written by Shelly Becker and illustrated in a spare style by Hideko Takahashi ($14.95, Sterling Publishing Co., New York), those aged 3 to 6 will benefit most from this story of how Gail learns to share with visiting cousin Clair. Written from a humorous point of view, it has an excellent message that can be enjoyed over and over again.

Who can resist a fairly tale with a happy ending? Let us welcome Gwynne, Fair & Shining by Stephanie Lisa Tara ($16.95, Brown Books Publishing Group, Dallas, TX) and illustrated by Lee Edward Fodi. Gwynne is a little maid in a dark castle who overcomes a nasty old knight to become a beautiful princess, learning in the process that "Whatever you feel is just what you are. You’ve always been fair, a bright shining star! Whatever you think is what you shall be. So believe you are strong, and then you are free!" The text is delightful verse and the artwork is magical. For someone who sees many such books, I can tell you this one stands out from the crowd.

A story of courage, taken from the experiences of Mendel (Manny) Steinberg is The Boy Named 27091 by Bailey Griscom with illustrations by Laura Griscom ($5.95, Share Publishing, softcover). Manny’s book, "Outcry" told of his survival in a WWII Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. Two Menlo Park, California teenage sisters took the original story and wrote it in a fashion that children could understand without being unduly frightened. The number in the title refers to the one tattooed on Manny’s arm. Written for ages 10-12, it is a useful reminder of that paramount horror of the last century and why any new, comparable threats in this one must be resisted. One can purchase a copy directly from Share Publishing, 313 Laurel Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025 or from Amazon.com.

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Novels, Novels, Novels!

I am awash with novels, mostly in softcover, and hard-pressed to get to them all. Let’s, then, begin with those in traditional hardcover.

I confess that my guilty pleasure is watching Texas Hold’em poker tournaments on television, mostly because the action never stops and is never predictable. One of my favorite commentators is Vince Van Patten, a partner of Mike Sexton, of the World Poker Tour. He has teamed with Robert J. Randisi, founder of the Private Eye Writers of America and an author of numerous mysteries, to write The Picasso Flop ($24.99, Mysterious Press), the story of professional poker player, Jimmy Spain, who is just out of prison after ten years. His former cell mate, a man of wealth, wants Jimmy to mentor his daughter, Kat, on the game and, in return, he will pay all his buy-ins so Jimmy can get on the poker tour. Both enter the tournament at the Bellagio and are doing great until a player is found brutally murdered with a Picasso flop—three picture cards—on his body. Suspicion begins to point to Kat and Jimmy has to find out who really is the killer as one murder after another begins to take down other players. Sound like fun? You will win that wager!

Robert Crais is back with a Joe Pike novel, The Watchman ($25.95, Simon and Schuster). The 2006 recipient of the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, he has a number of bestsellers to his name and with good reason, he is just one hell of a good writer. In this novel, a very spoiled rich girl, Larkin Conner Barkley, loves the lush life in Los Angeles. One night she is speeding her Aston Martin through the dark streets when out of nowhere a car appears and there is an accident. As she attempts to help the others, she discovers she is the sole witness in a secret federal investigation. In the process, she becomes the target for a team of killers. Enter Joe Pike, an ex-cop, who owes a bad man a favor. He must protect Larkin. Someone is selling out the operation and Pike must use all his skills as a former Marine and mercenary to keep the girl and himself alive. This is a complex story and one which will keep you turning the pages to the very end.

February marked the debut of Anya Ulinich, the author of Petropolis ($24.95, Viking). Enter Sasha Goldberg, a young, dark-skinned, chubby, socially awkward, Jewish girl growing up in post-Glasnost Russian in a mining town called "Asbestos 2." A puppy-love affair results in an illegitimate baby she is forced to give up and sent off to an art school in Moscow to search for a better future. Instead, she sets her sights on America where he father had vanished to years before. Her ticket out is Kupid’s Korner Bridal Agency. Well, she ends up in Arizona at the expense of her new "fiancé", but she soon runs off to Chicago. Are you keeping up with me so far? Well, you will want to go along on this most unusual and touching journey as Sasha forges a new American identity. Also making her debut as a novelist is Maureen O’Brien. Her novel, b-mother, ($24.00, Harcourt) is the story of Hillary Birdsong, a teenager in the 1980s, whose idyllic New England childhood is suddenly torn apart by the death of her beloved older brother. She finds comfort with a visiting New York boy and, at 16, finds herself pregnant as well. Her family shuns her and she gives the baby boy up for adoption. Against the backdrop of Maine, she waits until her son is can legally contact her and, when he does, her life takes on new meaning. This is a story of harsh choices and the moments of grace than can come from them.

Frank Ridgley’s life is defined by his love of the sailor’s life and the sea. A member of the U.S. Naval Institute, he is a Commander in the U.S. Navel Reserves. In his novel, Den Helder, ($13.95, Outskirts Press, Denver, CO), he tells the story of the events and choices that alter a man’s life, filled with love, passion, and loss during a three-month tour as a merchant seaman off the coast of Holland in the North Sea where a young man meets an irresistible woman from the port town of Den Helder. The novel brings to life the adventure of being on the open sea, a timeless romance, and the 16-year gap between their parting and reunion.

Let’s take a quick trip through the many softcover novels available. The name of Ray Bradbury is now legendary for his science fiction writing and his many fans will welcome The Dragon Who Ate His Tail, a collection of short stories, dramatic sketches, and fragments ($14.95, Gauntlet Publications, Colorado Springs, CO) that reveal his creative talents. There’s fun and surprises on every page of this slim volume. If tales of the bizarre and fantastic are your thing, pick up Welcome to the Buffyverse by Jennifer Oulette ($15.00, Penguin Books). It is a world of magic, vampires and demons, where otherworldly phenomena are everyday occurrences. If you enjoyed the television show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, you will enjoy this campy novel.

The Plume imprint of Penguin is always good for "chick lit" books that aim at the female reader. They are always well written and entertaining. The latest batch includes Robyn Sisman’s Special Relationship about a long lost romance from the 60s between an Oxford college student and an American Rhodes scholar takes one to London where, twenty years later, the question is about the paternity of a son whose real father may be running for the presidency! The Sweet Life by Lynn York chronicles the joys and hazards of small-town life in the South. When Wilma’s teenaged granddaughter and her estranged father arrive, life becomes far less idyllic. Filled with twists and turns, you will want to know how things turn out. The South is the background for Grits® Friends Are Forevah. Grits is short for "Girls Raised in the South", and this is a celebration of such women and their friendships by Deborah Ford. These are the ones who know secrets you haven’t even shared with your husband. Another novel, optioned by Paramount Pictures to be a motion picture starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos was a surprise bestseller when it debuted. I liked it in hardcover and you will enjoy this romance that begins in a hip Philadelphia coffee shop managed by Cornelia Brown when the charming Martin Grace walks in. Sounds sappy, but it is a very moving story. All four are priced at $14.00 each.

1919: Misfortune’s End ($14.95, Zap Media, New York) by Paula Phelan is the story of two American families that face a year of enormous turmoil. The first World War has ended, the plague of flu in 1918 has swept through urban areas killing more than a million people, inflation is through the roof, four million people are unemployed, and Prohibition has become the law of the land. In the midst of this are the Johnson’s of Washington, D.C., and a Boston police officer through whose lives we are witness to a year of sweeping change that mixes history and the human struggles that result from it. This is a tour de force of writing and deserves a wide audience. In A Question of Class by Maria Marotti ($16.95, PublishAmerica, softcover) the dean of academic affairs at Santa Abelina University is found dead in the European studies department. Evidence, though circumstantial, points to Franca De Giusti, a lecturer, a union leader, and a known antagonist of the dean. Detective Nick Fusco, however, has a feeling it is someone else because the victim has left behind a number of events and items that tells him the lecturer is not the murderer. It is a timeless formula of murder, sex, and lots of intrigue, and the author draws on her own long experience in academia, filled with "an atmosphere of intrigue and injustices, humiliations, absurdities, and prejudice." She has conjured up a story that everyone can enjoy. It will feel familiar to anyone who has ever taught at the college or university level.

If you don’t have time to read a good novel, there are plenty around on CDs to listen to while you commute or multitask. Random House Audio can always be depended upon to provide some great listening and two recent releases, Hide by Lisa Gardner ($39.95, 9 CDs, eleven hours) and The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry ($49.95, 14 CDs, seventeen hours) are two excellent examples! The former is a gripping murder mystery sparked by the discovery of six mummified corpses, one of which provides a lead to an unsolved case from Bobby Dodge’s past. Now he must team with his former lover, partner, and friend from the Boston PD to solve it. This one will have you on the edge of your seat as this thriller asks who can you trust and what do you do if there’s no place to hide? The latter novel is perfect for these terrorist-ridden times. Cotton Malone is retired from the high-risk world of elite operatives for the U.S. State Department, enjoying the life of a rare book dealer. That ends when his former wife calls to tell him their teenage son has been kidnapped. Then someone burns down his bookstore. This novel reveals a cartel of wealthy international moguls who want tap into the secrets of the lost library of Alexandria and believe Malone holds the key. You will join him on an international search to find his sons and elude a lethal mercenary. Either or both books are worth the price of the adventure they provide.

If you want more suspense there’s an audiobook of James Patterson’s Step on a Crack ($39.98, Hachette Book Group, 7 CDs, unabridged). Patterson is one of the bestselling writers of our time. He has teamed with Michael Ledwidge to tell a story that begins with the unexpected death of a beloved former first lady. As the most powerful people in the world gather in New York for her funeral, they are suddenly trapped by one man’s cold-blooded plans. A detective who has just lost his own wife to a terrible disease must put his grief aside to capture a ruthless killer.

That’s it for March! Don’t forget to visit our Featured Books pages to discover some unique fiction and nonfiction books you may not hear or read about elsewhere. Tell your friends and family about Bookviews.com and come back in April for more news of the spring avalanche of new books.

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