 |
|
|
|
As you’re typing along, do you ever wonder where all those letters and punctuation marks came from? Torbjorn Lundmark has written a light, entertaining guide to the keyboard and history of our alphabet in Quirky QWERTY: A Biography of the Typewriter and its Many Characters ($12.00, Penguin Books) filled with interesting, offbeat information such as the fact that 53 typewriters were invented before Christopher Latham Sholes invented the modern one in 1864. Its name is derived from the first six letters on the keyboard, a fairly arbitrary sprinkling of letters that was intended to prevent the jamming of frequently used keys that have proved to be a problem with earlier models. The alphabet began evolving many thousands of years earlier and has only been in its present form since the early 19th century.
A more serious story of a nation is told through the mirror of a family history in From One Root Many Flowers: A Century of Family Life in China and America by Dr. Virginia Cheng, Ph.D., and M.P.H., a professor of community health services at the University of California tells the story of growing up in China during the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Her father, first a general and then the wartime governor of Guangdong Province under Chiang Kai-Shek, became embroiled in the final struggles of the Communist Revolution in 1949, finally having to flee. In America, he and his wife opened a successful restaurant in New York. Their children went on to excel in a variety of professionals and services. This is both their story and the story of modern China. It makes for consistently fascinating reading. It’s a tad late if your youngster has already headed off to college, but there’s a great softcover for parents of students in their 9th through 12th years of high school. It’s Countdown to College: 21 ‘To Do’ Lists for High School by Valerie Pierce with Cheryl Rilly ($9.95, Front Porch Press, 17 Vassar Drive, Lansing, MI 48912). It is chock full of excellent college preparatory information from how to get on the freshman fast track to securing the maximum benefits from extracurricular activities. More than 15 million teenagers will be attending high school this year and, given the low ratio of counselors to students, they will need all the additional information and help they can get. This book is a great first step in the direction of college. The planet Mars is especially close to Earth these days and the Mars Observer Guide by Neil Bone ($14.95, Firefly Books) is a great little softcover for amateur astronomers to learn everything they need to know about telescopes and other aspects of studying the famed red planet. Since it will be close, not only this year, but in 2005 and 2007, this is a good time to join the many people who enjoy this pastime. It is compact treasure trove of information. Do you keep confusing the Greek and Roman gods when you try to answer questions on "Jeopardy"? I do. So I was delighted to receive The Friendly Guide to Mythology by Nancy Hathaway ($16.00, Penguin Books) that provides the stories of the gods and goddess, monsters and heroes of ancient times, including those from the Hindu and Asian faiths. The book makes for interesting reading about the stories that are part of classic literature and religions that have been replaced by the Judeo-Christian faith. While on this topic, for those seeking inner peace, St. Martin’s Press has published two softcover books by Osho, one of India’s most revered mystics. Your Answers Questioned: Explorations for Open Minds ($18.95) and Zen: The Path of Paradox ($11.95). The latter explores a bridge between East and West, and between science and religion. Both concern themselves with enlightenment and bringing spirituality into one’s life. If you are at a point in time in your life when you want to explore such matters, these two books, particularly the former, may prove very helpful.
For a scary look at the real world, you can read all about Tactical Nuclear Weapons ($27.00, Brassey’s Inc), edited by Brian Alexander and Alistair Millar, with a forward by the former CIA Director, Stansfield Turner. You will learn that tactical nuclear weapons exist in huge numbers, are frequently not kept under serious guard against theft, and most certainly threaten global stability. The former Soviet Union is a virtual candy store of these weapons. While President Bush took a lot of heat for suggesting Saddam Hussein was trying to acquire a nuclear capability (something everyone knew for decades) and needed to be removed from power, the far scarier scenario is that there are crazy people who would not hesitate to use a nuclear weapon to make a point. For an understanding of what terrors exist, this is the book to read. With the advent of the Jason Blair scandal at The New York Times, a lot of attention has been focused on the accuracy of its reporting and bias of its editors and reporters. This actually goes back as far as the days of Walter Duranty whose reporting on Stalin in the 1930s has long since proven to be a cover-up of the Soviet regime’s starvation of Ukrainians and other crimes. So, naturally, I was interested in Bob Kohn’s new book, Journalistic Fraud: How The New York Times Distorts the News and Why It Can No Longer Be Trusted ($25.99, WND Books). That has to be one of the longest titles in recent history, but aside from that, the book, while making its case, also turned out to be amazingly boring. It is a "how-to" on the ways, not just The Times, but any newspaper can and does slant the news to achieve the message it wants to impart to the reader. I found myself losing interest well before the halfway point. By the way, Duranty received a Pulitzer Prize that, to this day, The Times has refused to return. There will be a section on business books in a forthcoming edition, but I thought I would tell you about Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling through Relationships by Richard Abraham ($19.95, The Richard Abraham Co.) He’s written a short, informative book on the power of being able to sell without it even being noticed. What I like about this book is its message about how such affability can affect one’s personal life. Anyone can be "Mr. Shmooze" by learning the art of being gregarious. It’s all about developing a good heart, good vibrations, and emotional connections. The best sales people know this and people who succeed in life do so with a combination of smarts and a really good attitude toward other people. This book can teach you how to turn ambition into success and make it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Biographies and Autobiographies I once met and photographed the playwright Arthur Miller. I was struck by the way that he sat by himself, largely ignoring all the chatter going on in a room filled with famous writers. I doubt we exchanged a word as I took his photo. You can learn about Arthur Miller: His Life and Work by Martin Gottfried ($30.00, Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA) in what is a definitive biography of this American treasure who will celebrate his 88th birthday in October. Gottfried has crafted an excellent book based on a wide variety of sources including the playwright’s observations and recollections. Time may be winding down for Miller, but his plays that include Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and All My Sons will live on. Oddly, Miller is revered in foreign nations than here at home. This biography should help correct that. Also from the world of the theatre comes a thoroughly delightful autobiography, Who's Sorry Now by Joe Pantoliano with David Avanier ($14.00, Plume softcover), an actor know to just about anybody who has ever been to the movies or who is currently watching HBO’s The Sopranos. Pantoliano is a Hoboken, NJ native who escaped being part of the real-life world of the Mafia to make a life as a successful actor. This memoir makes for endlessly entertaining reading as we are introduced to his family, a love story about his childhood and his neighborhood.
Few of who listen to the radio give much thought to its inventor, but he was a fascinating fellow, as famous in his lifetime as a movie star today. Signor Marconi’s Magic Box by Gavin Weightman ($25.00, Da Capo Press, Cambridge) tells a fascinating story about Guglialmo Marconi, a brilliant, eccentric man, half Italian and half Irish who, in 1896 at the age of 22, first displayed a contraption that would forever change the world. It consisted of two black boxes in which messages mysteriously traveled through the ‘ether.’ It was rightly regarded as a miracle and we are the beneficiaries of his ‘wireless telegraphy.’ Initially, what it meant was the ships need never be out of contact with land or each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this biography and I think you will too. World War II continues to provide fodder for books that record the exploits of its participants. Tank Driver by J. Ted Hartman (Indiana University Press) tells the story of Hartman’s life as a young soldier and tank driver with the 11th Armored Division, of the US Army. It is derived from a series of letters written by Hartman to his parents throughout his military experience and it tells the story of a boy from Ames, Iowa, fresh out of high school, who ended up participating in the Battle of the Bulge. If you want to know what it was like and see how it changed his life, this is an interesting memoir. Secret Soldiers by Philip Gerard ($15.00, Plume) tells the story of a mission so secret it was only recently declassified. In 1943, just prior to the allied invasion of Europe, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., a famed actor, convinced the army to recruit a thousand men to deceive the German Army into thinking that the Allies had far more soldiers and weapons than they actually had. Thus a thousand men pretended to be ten thousand. A troupe of American artists, designers, and sonic wizards pulled this off to the great benefit of the invasion, literally creating a ghost army using inflatable tanks and artillery, elaborate sound effects, pyrotechnics, and fake radio transmissions. It is an amazing story.
The Civil Rights movement has faded into the history of the nation, but it brought alive in Freedom Writer: Virginia Foster Durr: Letters from the Civil Rights Years, edited by Patrician Sullivan ($29.95, Routledge). Raised to be a southern belle, a self-described racist tossed aside everything she had been taught to believe and became a powerful voice for racial justice. Her transformation mirrors that of a nation that went through a long period of self-examination. Durr corresponded with friends like Eleanor Roosevelt, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, and Justice Hugo Black. This is a provocative first-hand account of that period as it unfolded. Durr passed on in 1999 at age 95. Her friend, Patricia Sullivan, was asked to edit a book of her letters and it proved to be a priceless experience for the historian. An American in transition comes alive in her letters. History is well served in Interpreters with Lewis and Clark: The Story of Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau by W. Dale Nelson ($24.95, University of North Texas Press, Denton, TX). Were it not for these two, a French Canadian fur trader living among the Hidatsas Indians and his Shoshone Indian wife, Sacagawea, the famed expedition would have faced even greater problems as they sought to map the unknown far west for then President Jefferson. The author notes that Toussaint’s contribution is frequently overlooked by historians and sets the record straight. During the expedition, Sacagawea gave birth to a son, Jean Baptiste. When she died, Clark assumed custody and Toussaint returned to his life on the upper Missouri River. His son grew up to live a life of adventure and it is all captured in a book that would appeal to both younger and older readers. Tom Clancy is back with a new novel, The Teeth of the Tiger, ($27.95, G.P. Putnam’s Sons) and, as always he spins a terrific story, filled with wonderful nuggets of information that make it seem so real. The author of blockbusters that include The Hunt for Red October and Patriot Games, Clancy has turned his talents to the new world of global terrorism, postulating a special government team whose mission is to locate terrorist threats and deal with them, if necessary, in ways that go beyond official government sanctions. We are treated to the recruitment of several new members of this team, one of which turns out to be Jack Ryan, Jr., the son of the President, whose name is familiar to Clancy’s fans. Young Jack, raised in the world of intrigue as his father rose through the ranks of the CIA, discovers the world is even more dangerous than he can imagine. When a leading Islamic terrorist group joins hands with a major drug cartel, the trouble is just beginning. This page-turner will please Clancy’s fans and inspire new ones to go back and read his previous novels. And there’s more good news. It’s available on audio from Random House ($27.95, cassettes; $31.95, CDs) read by Stephen Lang. Drifting by Stephanie Gertler ($23.95, Dutton) tells the story of Claire, the mother of two who remains haunted by the absence of her mother who abandoned her as a baby. She has made a life for herself in the coastal town of Drifting, Connecticut, where she and her husband run a Victorian Inn. Drawn to a blind child of a man staying at the inn, she determines to find out the truth about her mother in a wise and moving novel about the bonds between mothers and daughters. For grownups, there’s Lust by Geoff Ryman ($25.95, St. Martin’s Press) about a man who suddenly finds himself able to turn his fantasies into reality. He can summon up the people about whom he fantasizes and begins calling up famous people as well as friends he’s hasn’t seen since high school, his father, and even his younger self. When the people he begins to summon start to take on a life of their own he is plunged into a nightmare of self-discovery. Suffice it to say this is a very different kind of story than you have probably ever read. Proceed at your own risk! The same can be said for a novel of suspense, Good As Dead, by John McGowan ($14,95, Medium Rare Books Publishing) whose two main characters could not be more different from each other. One is a demented psychopath who decides that killing people for the mob is not in his best interest and the other is a young man with a thriving business, an attractive wife, and a child on the way. An unfortunate incident intertwines the two, forcing a fateful conclusion. This edgy thriller takes you into the mind of a killer and the cat-and-mouse games law enforcement officials and criminals play. I guarantee you that you will be on the edge of your seat reading this one. From St. Martin’s Press come three softcover editions of novels that are sure to please. Caroline Leavitt has a good track record for story-telling and maintains it with Coming Back to Me ($13.95) about the effects of tragedy on one young family and the ultimate redemptive power of love. When a childbirth leaves the mother in a coma, an estranged sister is called on to help care for the newborn. Afro-Americans will enjoy two stories. One that strikes a lighter note, The Sistahood of Shopaholics ($13.95), four stories by four authors, and Autumn Leaves by Victor McGlothin ($12.95). The former deals with sex, love, and shopping in a hilarious series of intertwined novellas. The latter has a darker theme, AIDS. Its two leading characters or two football players at the top of their game who hurtle toward tragedy. One will find happiness. The other will suffer a terrible, though avoidable fate. Penguin Books softcover novels include Fragrant Harbor by John Lanchester ($14.00) and Not All Tarts Are Apples by Pip Granger ($12.00). In the former, the year is 1935 and a young Englishman with a longing for adventure buys a cheap ticket aboard a ship bound for Hong Kong. Spanning seven decades the story ranges from the savagery of the Japanese occupation to present day Hong Kong, a crossroads of international finance and intrigue. This one proves hard to put down once you’ve begun to read it. The latter novel begins in 1953, set in London’s dark alleyways that team with crooks, cardsharps and ladies of the night. It is the story of a girl who is the unofficial adopted daughter of these folks as her aunt and uncle struggle to make her adoption legal. The whole gang of otherwise disreputable folk rallies to help this happen despite some formidable obstacles. A charming story. Plume is an imprint of Penguin Books and a forthcoming novel, due out in December, spans four decades between the fall of the Japanese Meiji era and the beginning of World War II. It is Eight Million Gods and Demons by Hiroko Sherwin ($13.00) and marks her debut. It tells the story of Emi, a gifted koto player who, at age 14, is married off to Taku, a dignified Japanese politician. This is a story of a woman’s desire for a son, which she fulfills, and at the same time must suffer a classic betrayal. The author is a gifted storyteller and you should mark your calendar to make sure you can enjoy this novel.
Michael Matroyannis has written Rachel’s Promise (Xlibris) about a maid, a poor working girl, who is raped and impregnated by the son of family that owns aNew York movie studio. She vows to make him and his mother pay for their criminal acts and begins her rise from flower girl at a studio gate Robert Steiner (see The Decoy and Other Stories in Featured Books) has also authored The Pilot’s Tale and Other Stories (iUniverse), a collection of short stories that range from realism, to science fiction and fantasy. He is a gifted writer and his stories will grip you as you join an amateur pilot trapped in an engine-less plane over Baltimore or a hiker caught in an unexpected snowstorm who enters a different world. This is fanciful stuff and fun reading! Click here for more on this book. Books for Children and Younger Readers National Geographic publishes an extensive line of books for children and younger readers. Recently revised and expanded, its World Atlas for Young Explorers ($29.95) is just a super collection, over 115 pages of great maps and texts that will excite their imagination. Accompanying this are 170 full-color photographs, drawings and charts. It is filled with tons of useful information about the world and there isn’t a dull or boring minute in the entire book. It’s a great gift for any young person heading back to school this month. Among the other National Geographic titles debuting this fall are several for readers who have progressed to around the fourth, fifth and sixth grades. Voices of Ancient Egypt by Kay Winters ($16.95) informs the reader of the various trades of that era, scribe, farmer, herdsman, goldsmith, and others, each providing a quick insight to life then. A new look at the pilgrim’s voyage is provided in Mayflower 1620 by several authors with photos of re-enactors providing a look at Plimoth Plantation. Even for an adult, this story evokes great interest in that seminal event and what followed. A slim addition to the "I am American" series is Kate Connell’s Servant to Abigail Adams: The Early American Adventures of Hannah Cooper ($6.99). Set in the year 1800, it provides a look at the lives of Abigail and John Adams, the second President, at a time when he is running for re-election against Thomas Jefferson. It was common for children as young as 13-year-old Hannah to work to support the family. A lively story, it teaches real history in an entertaining, absorbing way. Into the Air: An Illustrated Timeline of Flight ($16.95) by Ryan Ann Hunter, illustrated by Yan Nascrimbene, will introduce the younger reader to how man has yearned to fly and how he ultimately achieved his dream. Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton grew up in a nomadic Maasai village in northern Kenya and came to the United States in his late teens to pursue his education. A teacher of history in northern Virginia, he has written a splendid memoir, Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna ($15.95) that provides a look at an entirely different culture. The only child in his family to go to school, he had to solve the dilemma of experiencing and blending two very different cultures. The memories of his youth are vividly brought to life. Do you think someone could make amoebas into a song and a story? Well, Christine Lavin has done that in the Amoeba Hop (#17.95, Puddle Jump Press, Congers, NY) and Betsy Franco Feeney has beautifully illustrated a story about microscopic Protozoans whooping it up in a rain puddle. A lonely paramecium discovers true love by dividing itself! Ideal for those aged seven to nine years of age, the book includes a section filled with scientific information about these tiny creatures, plus the music and lyrics of the song. This is a clever way to encourage interest in the natural world and introduce a youngster to its unseen elements. The award-winning author, singer and songwriter has just come up with another winner! Another cutie is Christopher Hart’s Police Puppies ($14.95, Watson-Guptill Publications). It’s an amusing adventure, illustrated by the author, about a puppy that dreams of becoming a police dog and gets his chance when a burglar breaks into the house. A good book to read to the youngest bibliophiles, ages four to eight. Michael R. Mennenga is a science fiction writer and the host of "The Dragon Page" radio talk show (www.dragonpage.com), broadcast worldwide on the Internet and in syndication. The show has featured interviews with some of the top science fiction writers of our times. With three books to his credit, he has penned Dragon’s Fire, Wizard’s Flame ($10.95, Dragon Moon Press, PO Box 64312, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2K 6J0) that invites the young adult reader to imagine how a dragon feels without his fire! Poor Zac has endured a lot of taunts from the other dragons because he just can’t seem to breathe flames. So he decides to venture out from his hidden valley into the world of humans in hopes of learning learn how. Along the way, he discovers he is not handicapped, acquiring friends along the way and that, in fact, he is quite a powerful, little dragon. Mennenga has written a thoroughly engaging tale of self-discovery that I am happy to recommend.
The Pleasant Company is one whose books that I have long enjoyed recommending for its many books, all geared to the interests and concerns of girls from the very young to the older reader. They have several series to which new titles are added each year. One is "Angelina Ballerina" for the youngest of readers and Katharine Holabird, with illustrator, Helen Craig, have a new addition, Invitation to the Ballet ($17.95) with pull-out letters and a poster. Angelina, a mouse, will delight with her story of winning two tickets to the Royal Ballet. In fact, she ends up dancing with the company. A collection of "Amelia Stories" from American Girl Magazine by Marissa Moss is served up in Amelia’s Best Year Ever ($5.95) is a perfect back-to-school book as Amelia share’s her new experiences in fifth grade. Girls eight-years-old and up will enjoy any one of the books from the American Girl Today series. They include Kailey by Amy Grossman Koss ($6.95) who loves the ocean. When developers of a new movie complex want to get rid of some beloved tide pools, she must find a way to save them. Skye’s the Limit! By Megan Shull ($5.95) tells the story of 12-year-old Skye O’Shae who signs up for the Cat Island Adventure Camp thinking it will be glorious, but finds herself 3,000 miles from home and dealing with the meanest girl she’s ever met, plus some mammoth mountain peaks. She also discovers some new friends and the fact that she is stronger than she ever knew. Another Megan has written The Sisters Club ($12.95). Megan McDonald lets the reader listen in on three sisters who have formed a top-secret club. They take turns telling what it’s like to live in a family of nutty actors and this is just fun, fun, fun! Lastly, there’s The Mix-It-Up Cookbook ($14.95) for girls 10 and older that offers more than 100 dishes from 18 basic recipes. This is a fun way to learn to prepare a variety of tempting treats. Visit www.americangirl.com to learn about the other great books from this remarkable publishing firm. Girls who are into soccer will enjoy The Passionate Game: Woman’s Soccer by Barbara Stewart with Helen Stoumbos, with photos by Breet and Pam Whitesell ($18.95, Greystone Books) that tells the story of the stars of the game these days such as Miam Hamm, Tiffany Milbrett, and Brandi Chastain from the US and other talented players from Canada, China and Germany to name just a few nations where the woman’s version of the game is popular. The authors and photographers have captured all the excitement of the game and this book will please any fan, young or old. Kids Can Press is another favorite of mine and its fall catalog has a number of new titles. For the younger set, ages 8 and up, there’s Biz Storms’ All-American Quilts, ($6.95) that will inspire the reader to take up quilting, a popular handicraft that is also part of America’s history. It teaches easy stitches and simple-to-follow patterns. Christmas is coming and Judy Ann Sadler has written about Christmas Crafts from Around the World for those aged 7 to ll ($6.95). It is filled with instructions on how to make everything from a Mexican party pinata to a Polish caroling star, plus others. A Pioneer Christmas by Barbara Greenwood and illustrated by Heather Collins ($9.95) tells of "celebrating in the backwoods in 1841" for those aged 8 to 12. This is the way to learn social studies while enjoying a wonderful story. 2004 is going to be an election year and Linda Granfield has written How America Votes: How our President is Elected ($9.95). Illustrated by Steve Bjorkman, it provides valuable insight and information about our electoral system in a way that might inspire a future president. Future doctors, aged 9 to 14, can learn about germs in You Achoo! ($6.95) by Trudee Romanek and illustrated by Rose Cowles. This is science at its best for the young reader, explaining the mysteries of how germs spread disease and how to avoid them. For those youngsters who dream of going into outer space, there’s a story of The Amazing International Space Station by the editors of Yes Magazine. It mixes fun with science. Finally, for the budding artists, there’s The Jumbo Book of Art, written and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher ($14.95), ideal for ages 8 and older. To learn more about the titles available from this children’s book publisher, visit www.kidscanpress.com.
And what little boy didn’t want to grow up to be a cowboy or little girl a cowgirl? Well, for those city and suburban kids, there’s always Buckhowdy: Skidaddle! ($14.98, MCA Nashville, CD), a collection of children’s country songs that will entertain in the good old western tradition of storytelling. He’s a kind of combination of Roy Rogers, Mr. Rogers and Will Rogers. His radio show is aired on National Public Radio and on XM Radio these days. Drawing is the subject of a number of books by Christopher Hart, published by Watson-Guptill publications. Among the new additions to this series are Kids Draw Animals ($10.95), Cartoon Studio, and Animation Studio ($7.95 each). For the youngster who is drawn (no pun intended!) to crayons, pencils and paper, these books will help develop their natural talents. From Peel Productions comes two similar books by Steve Barr, 1-2-3 Draw Cool Cartoon Stuff and 1-2-3 Draw Cartoon Sea Critters ($8.99), a great way to get your young artist enthused. Another title from Peel is Jannelle Martin’s ABC Math Riddles ($13.95) part of the publisher’s ABC Riddle series. Filled with rhyming riddles and cleverly illustrated, it is a clever, fun way to teach math terminology and give some lucky kid a head start on multiplication and such. Want to develop your child’s moral values? Pick up (More) If You Had to Choose, What Would You Do? By Sandra McLeod Humphrey ($13.00, Prometheus Books), a children’s author and psychologist, the she helps younger readers formulate their own personal value system in the face of peer pressure, even if that means going it alone. The book offers 25 contemporary scenarios with which kids can easily identify as jumping-off points to solve the problem of what to do in each. In a society that offers many false messages about moral issues, this book will help provide guidance while being fun to read at the same time. Ideal for young readers aged 7 and up. This book is a follow-up to a previous one, i.e., "More", published in 1995. Her other books include Keepin’ It Real: A Young Teen Talks with God, previously reviewed and recommended. It is axiomatic that young girls love horses. Janet Muirhead Hill grew up on a ranch in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and her memories of those days have spawned the Starlight series from Raven Publishing in Norris, Montana. Her fourth is Starlight’s Shooting Star ($9.00) about the adventures of a girl and her horse. Ideal for readers who are aged 9-13, they will identify with ten-year-old Miranda. This series is headed toward being a feature film. Finally, the first of the new Christmas titles has arrived in the form of Mint’s Christmas Message by Mary Y. Spitz with drawings by Joanne Y. Pierce ($17.95, Mother Moose Press, Potomac Falls, VA). It is a charming story for reading aloud to preschoolers or for readers about seven years and older. Set on a farm it tells of how a pony named Mint taught the Christmas message to Grandfather Tom. It has a very specific Christian message and would thus be inappropriate for a child of a different faith, but it will entertain all others. That’s it for September. The world of books continues to provide both fact and fiction in ways that unlock doors to new insights and excellent entertainment. Don’t forget to visit our Featured Books pages, filled with information about some of the most interesting books, many of which you may not hear about anywhere but here at Bookviews! Authors, publishers, publicists take notice! Now your book can be a Featured Book on this site where it will enjoy an entire page of its own and a link to Amazon.Com. This is a great way to let the many visitors to Bookviews.Com learn about your book. It is very affordable. For more information, click here. |
|
|
Contact: Alan Caruba |
Tel: (973)
763-6392 |
To reprint, e-mail for permission. |
|
|
I had more than a few laughs reading Will and Ian Ferguson’s How to Be a Canadian ($12.95, Douglas & McIntyre, softcover). Americans are blissfully ignorant about their cousins to the north. A huge nation exists up there (and most of its citizens cluster as close to our border as possible) and now the Ferguson’s have written an hilarious insider look at this unique species—the Canadian—covering subjects that include diet, sex, dating rituals, sports, politics and more. Why these two haven’t been run out of Canada is a mystery. Perhaps it’s because their fellow Canadians are still laughing too hard?
One of my favorite cities in America is New Orleans, so you can imagine my pleasure at receiving Kerri McCaffety’s Etouffee, Mon Amour: The Great Restaurants of New Orleans ($35.00, Pelican Press).If you’ve been there, here’s a great way to recapture the memories of dining in the Commander’s Palace or Galatoire’s, Brennan’s or The Court of Two Sisters. Some sixty-five restaurants throughout the New Orleans’ area are featured with gorgeous, full color photos, and an informed text that includes both the older, established bistros and the newer ones that are making a name for themselves. Kerri obviously loves her city and has won many awards for her previous book. This one is a keeper and must be added to your library if you love dining out. In Vancouver, the restaurant to visit is Bishop’s. John Bishop and Dennis Green, both great chefs, share their renowned recipes in Simply Bishop’s: Easy Seasonal Recipes ($30.00, Douglas & McIntyre). This book has been named one of the best 25 cookbooks of the year by the editor of Food & Wine magazine and contains more than a hundred tempting recipes covering a full range from appetizers to entrees, side dishes to desserts. The full color photos will make your mouth water! Being of Italian descent, I also enjoyed Toscana Mia: The Heart and Soul of Tuscan Cooking by Umberto Menghi ($24.95, Douglas & McIntyre, softcover) that is virtually a hymn of praise to the Tuscan lifestyle. This author of four previous cookbooks and owner of Villa Delia, a famed restaurant and cooking school, plus five popular restaurants in Vancouver, provides the recipes he learned watching his mother and grandmother prepare dinner. Over a hundred recipes will put you in an Italian frame of mind as you enjoy his commentary. And those dishes!
Pantoliano was fortunate not to become part of the Mafia that had evolved out of Prohibition and the need to bring some organization to the criminal world that profited greatly from it. Burton B. Turkus and Sid Feder have written about one aspect of it, Murder, Inc: The Story of the Syndicate ($19.95, Da Capo Press, Cambridge, MA), which spanned the nation by the 1930s and 40s. Its business was extortion, gambling, and other criminal pursuits. Murder Inc. made it possible. It was the tag given by a New York World-Telegram reporter concerning its way of dealing with competitors and others. More than a thousand murders were contracted and fulfilled. Filled with characters who have become the stuff of myth, literature and drama, this true story will prove fascinating to anyone interested in crime history.
From the world of hockey come three books that will interest fans, all published by Greystone Books, an imprint of Douglas-McIntyre. One is an unauthorized biography of Gordie Howe, Gordie: A Hockey Legend by Roy MacSkimming ($12.95) now in softcover, published again to celebrate his 75th year. Praised by reviewers, it remains the only full-length biography to cover his entire playing career and recreate the game’s golden age from the 1940s to the 60s. Gary Mason’s Oldtimers: On the Road with the Legendary Heroes of Hockey ($14.95, softcover), was called "the best hockey book of the year" by the Denver Post. It tells the story of how, every year, a team of ex-NHL players such as Bobby Hull, Tiger Williams and Frank Mahovlich, travel around North American playing hockey and raising money for charity. Zamboni Rodeo: Chasing Dreams from Austin to Albuquerque by Jason Cohen ($12.95) tells the story of an alternative universe of the Austin Ice Bats as they play their hearts out, living on fast foot and holding their practice session in deserted shopping malls. The author has written a lively, irreverent and occasionally hilarious and poignant story.
More and more authors are choosing to publish themselves these days. Here are a few who are worthy of notice. A talented novelist, Scott Zachary, has written Scorn This ($13.95, Llumina Press). It’s officially due off the presses on October 1st, but let me get the ball rolling by recommending this story whose theme is the psychological damage inflicted on children by a divorced mother. The main character is determined to make such women pay the ultimate price for the emotional torture he has suffered. This story of vengeance will keep you guessing and keep you reading. Some smart moviemaker should snap it up. (Visit our 
to become an award-winning filmmaker in her own right. And she marries the divorced father of her rapist by way of reaping her revenge on the family. She ends up owning thestudio. None of this conveys the intricacies of the plot that will keep you turning the pages. (
Two fanciful and utterly delightful books are The Invasion of Planet Wampetter and Mission to California ($8.95 each, Perspective Publishing Inc., 800-330-5851) by Samuel H. Pillsbury. They tell the stories of pudgy orange aliens whose most treasured Book of Jokes guides them as they set about on some wacky adventures, the latter being the story of these extraterrestrials who come armed only with determination and big appetites. Perfect for kids eight years and up (that includes me), they are just terribly funny, as well as cleverly illustrated by David Kantrowitz. These stories emphasize tolerance and diversity by weaving in some good lessons about stereotypes, the value of family, sibling relations, and other good stuff. Once you’ve visited planet Wampetter, you will want to go back or just go along on one of their trips to strange places like Hollywood. Perspective Publishing offers a line of books that will prove a great help to parents. You can learn more about them by visit 
A thought-provoking book for readers aged nine to eleven is Diane Kolb’s My Father Is A Clown ($14.95, PublishAmerica) for its story set in 1944 about a young girl whose father has not gone off to war like others. He is a circus clown with Ringling Brothers and so she decides to tell a big whopper of a lie about his bravery in war. When he displays real bravery during a tragic fire she learns some important truths about her father and about courage. This is a wonderful story and I recommend it to any parent who wants their child to understand that all fathers are heroes in their own way. Monday Redux by Robert Favole ($15.99, Flywheel Publishing) deals with a moment of violence in school and the failure to prevent it. The main character, Rego Poppel has been arrested and jailed. Overwhelmed with shock and guilt, he claims he wasn’t involved as this fast-paced story unfolds and gives the young reader a look at today’s media-driven society and its affect on them. It is powerful stuff and I recommend it.