There has been an on-going public debate over the effectiveness of the nation’s intelligence services, from the CIA to the FBI, and the two dozen or so others tasked with gathering, analyzing and sharing data with which to defend the nation. Timothy Naftali has rendered a great service with his new book, Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism ($26.00, Basic Books). Meticulously documented, Naftali reveals how these agencies came slowly to realize that a threat existed from the rising tide of Islamic fanaticism that had long simmered beneath the surface. It would most dramatically find a voice initially with the Iranian Islamic Revolution and later in the person of Osama bin Laden and his al Qaeda network of terror. The threat, also reflected in the Palestinian resistance to the nation of Israel, took time to recognize and what emerges is a picture of agencies that began to work together as much as possible despite limitations placed on them by a largely indifferent Congress, a succession of administrations in the White House that reflected either the concern or the lack of it by various presidents, and, yes, the successes, often unheralded, of these services. This has to be counted as one of the more important books published this year. The author, an expert on our intelligence community, is an associate professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs and worked with the 9-11 Commission.

Are Americans asleep at the switch? Have we decided that terrorism is something that happens somewhere else, despite 9-11? In Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran by Kenneth R. Timmerman ($25.95, Crown Forum) the author makes the case that Iran is working with al Qaeda toward the goal of destroying the United States. Timmerman is a highly respected journalist and has gained exclusive access to dozens of Iranian defectors, previously classified documents, and high level sources in the US government and intelligence community. He has covered the Middle East for more than two decades, so his warnings should not be ignored. Among the things he reports is that Iran has been sheltering bin Laden since he was driven out of Afghanistan, that UN officials have repeatedly failed to shut down the Iranian nuclear program, how North Korea has been aiding the program, and all this in addition to Iran’s financing of a network of terrorist groups and activities. The author dishes out plenty of blame for everyone in position to anticipate an attack before 9-11. At the very least, you will discover how utterly ruthless the ruling mullahs are to retain absolute power. Would they risk nuclear war with us? Read the book.

The increasing terrorist attacks by Muslims around the world make a lot of people ask a lot of questions about Islam and, fortunately, there are books around to answer many of them. One of the best I’ve seen of late is The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) by Robert Spencer ($19.95, Regnery Publishing). The director of Jihad Watch and an adjunct fellow with the Free Congress Foundation, Spencer’s book exposes all the propaganda and myths concerning Islam. It was not and is not a "peaceful" religion, its holy book commands Muslims to wage war on Jews, Christians, Hindus and all other "unbelievers", and the Crusades were not acts of unprovoked aggression by Europe, but actually a delayed response to centuries of Muslim aggression during which they seized the Christian and Jewish holy places. This is a fact-filled book that will make many Muslims unhappy, but fully inform the reader to some very disturbing truths.

In July, the meeting of the G-8 nations in Scotland focused its attention on Africa, but was upstaged by the first of two Islamist attacks in London. The powers of the West were in agreement that Africa was in desperate need of assistance, but it had long been a sinkhole of famine, disease, civil war, corruption, death, and all the ills the continent could bring upon itself. How had the wave of independence that had swept Africa in the 1950s and 60s resulted in such destitution and horror? The answer is to be found in The Fate of Africa: From Hope of Freedom to the Heart of Despair by Martin Meredith ($35.00, Public Affairs). The writing is so felicitous that its 800 pages, far from being daunting, call the reader to share in the history of the withdrawal of Europe’s colonial powers to the Cold War struggle to keep Africa within the orbit of the West. Nation by nation, we learn why and how this continent has been plundered by those who secured the leadership of the newly independent nations. Throughout, leading to present times, the lives of the men who shaped Africa’s future are skillfully limned to reveal an almost universal preference for dictatorship over democracy, Marxism over capitalism. This book could just as easily have been called "The Decline and Fall of Africa. This excellent, fascinating book should be on the reading list of anyone concerned with world affairs, past, present, and future.

Another book worth reading is Inside the Mirage: America’s Fragile Partnership with Saudi Arabia by Thomas W. Lippman ($17.50, Westview Press, member of the Perseus Books Group), now in a softcover edition with a new afterword by the author. Despite the bargain struck by President Roosevelt with Saudi Arabia’s founding king in 1945, the relationship has been strained by the mutual aversion two very different societies have for one another. It is getting worse, given the Saudi spread of Wahabism, the most virulent form of Islam. It is the reason behind the terror campaign being waged worldwide. This book is an excellent history lesson and review of the relationship between our nation and the Saudis. For anyone who has forgotten why the US decided to liberate Iraq, pick up a copy of Allies by William Shawcross ($12.00, Public Affairs, softcover) that provides all the history surrounding the invasion and why Saddam had to be removed from power. You will be reminded of the unbelievable hypocrisy of nations such as France, Germany, and Russia who opposed it and the courage of the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy and the newly emerging democracies in Eastern Europe who supported it.

In case you haven’t noticed, but there’s a secular war being waged against religion and tradition. The Myth of Hitler’s Pope: How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis ($27.95, Regnery) by Rabbi David G. Dalin documents how charges that Pius XII either collaborated with or ignored the fate of millions of Jews during WWII are utterly false, a deliberate slander of the man and the Catholic Church. Rabbi Dalin documents the long history of popes who spoke out against the persecution of Jews in Europe and whose opposition of anti-Semitism produced papal denunciations over the centuries. The efforts of Pope Pius XII to save Europe’s Jews from extermination are documented, as is the role of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hajj Amin al-Husseini’s collaboration with Hitler to extend the Nazi extermination program to the Middle East. Al-Husseini was the mentor to the father of modern terrorism, Yasser Arafat. Why is this an important book? Because a worldwide Islamic Jihad, a "holy" war, is in progress and will be for many years to come. The stakes could not be higher.

We all have lived with so many hoaxes for so long that we often accept them as the truth. Take Alex Haley’s famed book, "Roots", which it turns out was not merely fiction, but extensively plagiarized and later discredited. More recently there was Michael Bellesile’s article in the Journal of American History that claimed that guns were rare in America from 1760-1865. Its facts were revealed to be fraudulent. This deliberate distortion of the truth to advance a political agenda is seen these days in the so-called documentaries by Michael Moore. What these and other examples cited in Jack Cashill’s informative and extremely entertaining book, Hoodwinked: How Intellectual Hucksters have Hijacked American Culture ($24.99, Nelson Current) have in common is the way academia, Hollywood, and major newspapers and magazines have conspired to foist these lies on all of us. It is not so much that Cashill presents anything new about the cases of fraud he relates, but rather that he has created a narrative that pulls them together in a fashion that exposes how the lies continue to be disseminated and those behind them protected. Cashill begins with the story of Mumia Abu-Jamal, a cop killer whose cause was taken up by folks calling themselves "progressives", now that "liberals" has lost its luster, reminding us that Sacco and Venzetti, also convicted killers, underwent the same treatment in the 1930s to cast doubt on the American system of justice. He tells how in the 1930s New York Times reporter, Walter Duranty, managed to ignore the deliberate starvation of millions by the Soviet Union’s dictator, Joseph Stalin, and picked up a Pulitzer Prize for his efforts! He notes how Rachel Carson’s bogus case against DDT has killed millions from easily preventable Malaria since it was banned. This is a very interesting review of intellectual deceit that has transformed society and, as often as not, proven lethal.

The US is rapidly reaching the same point as many European nations, taking more and more of each wage-earner’s dollar, leaving little with which to pay bills, save or invest. Ways to restructure our tax system are now increasingly being discussed. Everyone agrees it is too complex and too costly. We can thank Steve Forbes for leading the fight for fairness. His new book, Flat Tax Revolution ($24.95, Regnery Publishing) makes a strong case for why change is necessary and what that change should be. Forbes points out that America’s competitive position in the world is being threatened by a worldwide wave of tax simplification, from Russia to Hong Kong, nations are instituting simple, low-rate flat tax systems as powerful incentives for economic growth. Forbes, the Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine has even campaigned for the presidency to get his message across. His book takes the mystery and confusion out of the debate over taxes and is well worth reading.

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown by Chris Roberts ($20.00, Gotham Books, division of the Penguin Group) is a "shocking expose" about the true character of nursery rhyme characters such as Yankee Doodle, Jack Sprat, and This Old Man. The author is a mild-mannered London-based librarian by day who began leading tourists on walks around the city in his off-hours. To entertain them he began to tell them about the origins of various nursery rhymes, pointing out how some were born of religious hatred and political strife, while others had sexual innuendo built in. The result is this book that is a highly entertaining trip down memory lane. You will never hear a nursery rhyme again in quite the same fashion. How and why did the number thirteen become synonymous with bad luck? The answers can be found in a book, 13: The Story of the World’s Most Notorious Superstition by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer ($14.00, Plume softcover). The history, psychology, and evolution of unlucky 13 in the US and around the world is thoroughly researched and revealed. I’m not superstitious, but I was greatly entertained by this book.

Most of us never get around to reading those books called "the classics", best known to academics, but throughout history some books have changed the world with the ideas they share. Don’t have time to read them all? Now you do. Penguin Great Ideas is a series of twelve provocative works from some of the greatest minds; from Seneca who wrote in the early decades of the first millennium A.D. to Charles Darwin whose theory of evolution is still being hotly debated, to George Orwell, the author of 1984. First published in England, they have elicited raves. Handsomely designed, they are all slim and small enough to fit in the pocket of a man’s suit. They are distinctive looking with covers from a fine strong stock of paper and embossed too. Individually or together, they are beautiful to behold. Haven’t gotten around to reading Machiavelli? Now you can. Never read Thomas Paine’s Common Sense? Now you can. From the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius to Friedrich Nietzche, these books, ranging from 112 to 176 pages, can be yours for only $8.95 each from Penguin Books.

Years ago I had the good fortune to live in the South and, though a Yankee, developed a great affection for its culture, its music, its people. Naturally, I was delighted to receive My South: A People, A Place, A World of Its Own ($19.99, Rutledge Hill Press, Nashville, TN) based on works by Robert St. John and edited by Byran Curtis. St. John is a restaurateur and native of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, who has gained recognition as a skilled writer on food and as a humorist whose books and weekly column have earned him a great following. More than 45 Southern poets have contributed to this book that looks at the region, capturing the best of its way of life and dispelling the Hollywood version. There’s even a CD that comes with this book where you can hear some fifteen of the contributors. The book is sponsored by Turner South; a regional entertainment network, and it will please anyone born and raised in the South. Like one of the contributors says, "In my South, corn bread is magic and must be conjured in a cast-iron skillet and come out yellow, soft, and sweet, but not too soft and not too sweet." That’s a good description of this delicious collection of thoughts about the South.

When I was growing up before movies on DVD or video cassette, you actually had to go to the theatre and sit in its dark expanse to experience stories filled with good guy detectives and bad guy villains, cowboys in white hats versus cowboys in black hats, and in all of the films there were Bad Girls, Film Fatales, Sirens and Molls ($39.95, Collectors Press, Portland, OR) who in my pre-and-post pubescent innocence held the promise of forbidden pleasures. They definitely were not the girl-next-door and I am so happy that Tony Turtu decided to celebrate them in a large-format book, filled with photos that bring back happy memories of Diana Dors, Raquel Welch, Yvonne De Carlo, Joi Lansing, and the unforgettable Gloria Graham. Those named and others often appeared in mostly forgotten B-movies, but many more famous actress played bad girls too. Among them were Jennifer Jones, Natalie Wood, Jill St. John, Barbara Stanwyck, and Angie Dickinson to name just a few. There’s a wonderful interview between the author and Angie that will please every man who ever set eyes on her. By the time the 1970s arrived, there were still bad girls, but you also saw so much more of them that films needed to come with warning ratings. For film buffs, this is a book they will want to add to their collection. It is a literary treasure.

Bullets Over Hollywood: The American Gangster Picture by John McCarty ($17.95, Da Capo Press) is a good companion to the book noted above and, of course, can be read for itself as the author traces the appeal of the gangster movie from Scarface to White Heat and Gangs of New York to Kill Bill. The love affair with bad guys continues to this day and this book provides the historical perspective, plus tons of behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and the kind of analysis a film buff will welcome. Real life gangsters are the subject of Public Enemies: America’s Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34 ($16.00, Penguin Books softcover). Bryan Burrough brings to life the two-year battle between a young J. Edgar Hoover and those criminals who became national icons. John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barker family live on in films, but they were real people and their exploits captured the attention of the entire nation. For their real stories, you can do no better than to read this excellent book and learn how "America’s Most Wanted" list came into being as a response to their bloody trail of criminality and Hoover’s rise to power. A modern look at the mob can be found in The Way of the Wiseguy by Donnie Brasco AKA Joseph D. Pistone ($14.95, Running Press, Philadelphia, PA). The author spent six years living among the Mafia as an undercover FBI Special Agent. In this interesting book he defines what it means to be part of organized crime culture. The book comes with a CD of transcripts of undercover surveillance audiotapes. This is the real thing.

Hot tip! Have you noticed how the prices of books differ from place to place? Now you can check out the price of any book you intend to purchase by going to a new website, http://www.cheapbooks.info/. The creation of Meggie Nelson, the site scans and compares 100 bookstores and book outlets in about five seconds. Book lovers should bookmark this site.

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To Your Health!

Anyone who has ever experienced a headache knows how awful it can be. For some it is a rare experience, but for many others it can be a daily ordeal. Paula Kamen has written All in My Head ($24.95, Da Capo Press) published in March, so I am a bit tardy in taking note of it. It is, in the author’s words, "An epic quest to cure an unrelenting, totally unreasonable, and only slightly enlightening headache." She uses her own story as a lens through which to view chronic pain in America and how society reacts to it, why it’s a feminist issue (most chronic pain sufferers are female), and the medical community’s inadequate effort to diagnose it more accurately and treat it more effectively. At least 28 million Americans, the author estimates, battle chronic headaches. Her story, therefore, is one that is widely shared. If you or someone you know suffers this malady, this is an excellent book on the subject.

A Consumer’s Guide to Laboratory Tests ($21.00, Prometheus Books softcover) is a useful book because it’s a good idea to know why a physician is recommending a clinical test. Often it can be because of the current practice of "defensive medicine", a way of protecting the physician against a later claim of poor service. Mary C. Ricotta, PhD, has written a reference to the many different tests, the most common of which are blood and urinalysis, but others include microbiology for fungi, parasites, bacteria and viruses; and tests such as Pap smears, and the newer DNA testing. Prometheus Books recently also published The Placebo Effect and Health: Combining Science and Compassionate Care by Dr. W. Grant Thompson ($18.00) that explores the way time constraints and other demands often impair the beneficial effects of a meaningful doctor-patient relationship. The author reviews the history of the placebo effect, i.e., the positive role a doctor plays in the efficacy of treatment.

A problem that many parents encounter these days is anorexia, particularly among teenaged girls. Just a Little Too Thin: How to Pull Your Child back from the Brink of an Eating Disorder by Michael A. Strober, PhD, and Meg Schneider, MA, CSW, offers some excellent advice ($25.00, Da Capo Press). In a society that offers images of thin models and movie stars, it should surprise no one that up to 60% of all teens diet regularly and among those of normal weight, from 40% to 60% see themselves as too heavy. This is not just a book about anorexia, but rather about those who have a problem with food or dieting, and may be flirting with anorexia due to an emotional problem. The book offers guidance on how to curb a child’s obsession with weight, how to help girls cope with body-image issues, and how to retain a child’s confidence. Dr. Strober is an authority on eating disorders and Ms. Schneider is a therapist specializing in treating adolescents and their families. She has authored and coauthored several parenting books.

Two recently published books address the needs of older citizens. The Eldercare 911: Question and Answer Book by Susan Beerman, MD, MSW, and Judith Rappaport-Musson, CSA, provides eldercare caregivers and professionals with a wealth of clear, concise, practical information. ($20.00, Prometheus Books, softcover) Written in a question-and-answer format, it is an easy-to-read reference to a topic that is of growing concern as more and more Americans live longer lives. It is the caregivers who are often overlooked in the process and this book will prove a great comfort to them, offering advice on the skills necessary to meet the challenges they face such as living with someone suffering dementia, learning how to avoid burnout, and much more. A more specific book, How to Communicate with Alzheimer’s: A Practical Guide and Workbook for Families ($17.95, Granny’s Rocker Publishing, Venice, CA) by Susan Kohler will prove a great help to anyone who is living with someone who has Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia, confusion, or memory loss. It covers topics that explain what communication is so important, how the process deteriorates, how to troubleshoot difficult behaviors, and where to get help. For more information, visit her Internet site at www.grpublishing.com.

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Getting Down to Business (Books)

Two books on how to make your fortune online are worth reading. Success Secrets of the Online Marketing Superstars by Mitch Meyerson ($22.95, Dearborn Trade Publishing) is hot off the press, noting that e-commerce sales are predicted to reach nearly $40 billion by 2010. The numbers of online businesses are also predicted to increase significantly. Like all business enterprises, most will fail, while a few will succeed. Meyerson examines the success stories of cyberspace superstars and others who shared their secrets, ideas, experiences and advice. The Ultimate Guide to Electronic Marketing for Small Business by Tom Antion ($19.95, John Wiley & Sons) offers advice on how to use inexpensive Internet-based marketing tools and techniques. Unlike most books on this subject this book really is for small businesses and is full of practical ideas on how to reach new customers and increase sales. These are tested techniques that are also inexpensive. Another book, officially to be published in October, is Cashing In With Content by David Meerman Scott ($24.95, CyberAge Books, Medford, NJ). It is subtitled "How innovative marketers use digital information to turn browsers into buyers." Scott tells you why so many websites designed to sell products or services fail because they do not convert visitors into loyal customers, thus losing repeat business. The key to success, says the author, is to provide compelling and useful information, i.e., content. In an analysis of a hundred websites, he tells you what to do and what to avoid.

Having been in public relations most of my adult life, I can testify that Effective Media Relations: How to Get Results ($32.50, Kogan Page USA) is a practical guide on how to work with media folk. This is the third edition of the book that has three authors contributing their know-how. The new edition takes a look at the importance of email and the use of the Internet. This is a good thing because PR these days is totally dependent on email and the Net. The book will mostly benefit the PR beginner, however. This is not a book for anyone who has been around long enough to have already acquired the skills it describes. "Branding" is one of those mysteries to me, but apparently integral to marketing anything these days. Creating Passion Brands by Helen Edwards ($39.95, Kogan Page USA) draws on her experience with brands developed by Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Motorola, so she knows what she’s talking about. The book is based on both academic theory and extensive research and asserts that brands "must have the courage to stand up for what they believe, rather than responding to the latest consumer whim. Okay, if you say so. And Helen does quite well. Lots of athletes have a passion for Gatorade and Darren Rovell tells why in First in Thirst ($21.95, Amacom). Gatorade made The New York Times list of the 100 best brands of the 20^th century. Not even Coke comes close to its 80 percent market share. Rovel tells "how Gatorate turned the science of sweat into a cultural phenomenon" starting in the basement lab of a University of Florida associate professor of medicine where he and three research fellows worked to solve the problem of dehydration and heat exhaustion. The rest, as they say, is history and it’s one you can now read in this—dare I say it—refreshing book.

There is, of course, no end of books to teach you how to be a manager. Indeed, now in its fifth edition, is The First-Time Manager by Lorin B. Belker and Gary S. Topchik ($17.95, Amacom). No book gets to a fifth edition without delivering the goods and this one has helped thousands of rookie managers handle their new responsibilities. All the fundamentals are there, motivating others, conducting performance appraisals, building a team environment, counseling employees. If you know a rookie or are one, pick up a copy. Also from this publisher, Time Mastery by John K. Clemens and Scott Dalrymple ($21.95, Amacom) looks at the deadline-driven life of today’s manager or business owner. The theory offered is a bit ethereal, talking about the flow of peak experience, looking beyond the moment, long-term strategic thinking. There are times (no pun intended) however when one can literally over-think anything. This, I fear, is one of them.

I’d like to think of myself as smart enough to understand most things, but Making Things Work by Dr. Yaneer Bar-Yam ($28.95, Knowledge Press, Cambridge, MA) was perhaps one of the most challenging books I have ever tried to read. It’s subtitled "Solving Complex Problems in a Complex World"; something I think I am rather good at doing. I confess I just could not get my brain around the concept of complex systems science, the theme of the book, that the author applies to everything from healthcare costs to military conflict, ethnic violence to third-world development. Dr. Bar-Yam is president of the New England Complex Systems Institute that counsels organizations on how to get teams of people to work together to make immediate progress on even the most complex problems. The man is either a genius or I am just left-or-right brained and incapable of grasping this topic. Whatever! If you want to delve into problem solving, this book will intrigue you.

Maybe you’re just not meant to be a coat-and-tie, working suit kind of guy or gal? Maybe you’re just a talented musician who wants to make a lot of bucks? If so, you should definitely pick up a copy of I Don’t Need a Record Deal! Its subtitle is "Your Survival guide for the Indie Music Revolution" ($19.95, Billboard Books, an imprint of Watson-Guptill Publications). Daylle Deanna Schwartz, the author, worked her way to the top of the music business, founding Revenge Productions and Revenge Records, running the label for five years. Her ultimate revenge, however, is spreading the word to help performers avoid the many pitfalls of what is a dog-eat-dog industry. This is a serious book about how to earn an independent income from music and why a record label contract should not be the ultimate goal for musicians, as it was in the past. For others, the dream job may be becoming a film critic. Given the soporific and juvenile quality of most films these days, I would rather make sausage for a living, but for those who will not be dissuaded there’s Five Stars: How to Become a Film Critic, the World’s Greatest Job ($24.99, Sutro Press, San Francisco, CA). It is literally a manual for aspiring film critics and probably the first ever published. In fact, it does an excellent job of teaching the reader just about everything they need to know about the trade, from understanding moviemaking and film history, to writing their first review, to approaching editors and newspapers and websites in order to get a job in the field. Author Christopher Null founded filmcritic.com in 1995, said to be one of the largest and most successful movie websites on the Internet.

If you, like me, are waiting to hit the Lotto in order to become a millionaire, then Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth is not the book for you. If, however, you want to learn what it takes to make a whole bunch of money, T. Harv Eker has written his formula and published it in his new book ($19.95, Harper Business). Eker shows readers how to replace unconscious, limiting attitudes with thoughts, habits, and actions that lead to wealth. My guess is that the author has grown rich writing books like this.

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Kid Stuff: Books for Younger Readers

Though my preference would be that younger readers pick up a book and enjoy the physical joy of holding it in their hands, carrying it easily from place to place, the fact is that we live in a new era where the audiobook is a good alternative as well, particularly those that accommodate easily transported CD players.

Harper Audio has some excellent books for listening, released this summer. From Harper Audio comes Charlie and the Chocolate Factory read by Eric Idle. This visit to Willy Wonka’s famous factory, written by Roald Dahl, is timeless, but I recommend the earlier film based on it, not the mincing performance of Johnny Depp in the new version. Cherry Jones reads Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, made famous by the television series based on it. This story of frontier life continues as the settlement of The Long Winter becomes a town and Laura, now 15, begins teaching school. Tiffany Aching is the heroine of Wee Free Men authored by Terry Pratchett and read by Stephen Briggs. Tiffany is a young witch-to-be who must protect the warm, green Chalk Country that is her home against some monsters from Fairyland. There’s lots of action and excitement to be had. Pratchett’s novels have sold more than 35 million worldwide. These audiobooks are priced at $25.95 each, except for Pratchett’s that is $29.95. From Listening Library, a division of Random House, comes Measle and the Wrathmonk by Ian Oglivy, Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart and Chris Ridell, and Urchin of the Riding Stars by M.I. McAllister, priced from $25 to $34. All serve up hours of fantasy and lots of entertainment.

HarperCollins has some fine new books for younger readers, starting with Measle and the Dragodon by Ian Oglivy ($15.99) is splendid reading for those 8 to 13 in age, a recent addition to the audiobook noted above. His intrepid hero is Measle Stubbs who, having broken free from Basil Tramplebone’s evil spell, now encounters the Dragodon, a terrifying opponent. So the adventures of an extremely likeable and intrepid hero continue. A more realistic adventure is the subject of Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan ($15.99), the winner of the National Book Award. A good book for those 8 and older, it tells the story of a 13-year-old, Rachel Sheridan, who is orphaned in 1919 East Africa when her missionary parents both perish from influenza. Cruel neighbors take her in and she becomes entangled in a shocking plot that takes her from her home on a lonely journey across the ocean. She must call on all of her courage to break free of the treachery and forge her own future. On the lighter side there’s Thora: A Half-Mermaid Tale by Gillian Johnson ($12.99) that will appeal to the same age group. As mermaid law commands, she must spend ten years at sea and ten years on land. At age ten she heads to Grimli, where her father grew up and finds herself having to thwart the evil plans of the man who owns Tooty Frooty Enterprises. She proves to be an exceptional heroine. This publisher also has a series called Time for Kids by the editors of Time magazine with titles like Bees! and Snakes! Other titles feature mini-biographies of men like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison. This is a fun way to be educated.

Lisa Papademetriou makes an excellent debut with a novel, Six-Grade Glommers, Norks and Me ($14.99, Hyperion) as she explores the wild kingdom of middle school while tackling the issues of growing in and out of friendship, dealing with a new step-parent and a dad who live out of town, surviving the soccer team, et cetera! Heroine Allie Kimball is eager to start sixth grade, but discovers she must learn new skills just to survive. Fortunately, her sense of humor gets her through the horrors of sixth grade. Two friends have linked up to write, illustrate, and publish A Place in The Sky ($16.00, Carousel Publications). Written by Maurene Singer and illustrated by Natalie Marino, it is perfect to read to the very young and a good starter book for those just mastering reading, as it tells the story of a little girl who loses her balloon and how her mom comforts her with a story about a magical place where lost balloons go. This is a delightful fantasy story with just the right illustrations to capture a child’s interest.

It’s back to school time and any parent that wants to give their child a real head start will check out any of the many fine books published by National Geographic, particularly those that relate to history. Two new ones from their American Documents series are The Constitution by Paul Finkelman and The Emancipation Proclamation by Marianne McComb ($15.95 each). Both are beautifully illustrated and provide a straightforward text with all the basic information one would need to begin to understand the importance of these documents. A clever way to learn about our 50 States is the Quilt of States ($19.95) that provides a quick and entertaining introduction to essential information about each of them using a quilt as the template. Due in December, The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin by Cheryl Harness ($17.95) captures the highlights of a man who still fascinates historians for the breadth of his knowledge and his role as a Founding Father of the nation. Sometimes, the lesser-known people in history turn out to be as interesting as the ones who get all the credit. Matthew Henson, the Black son of a sharecropper, braved all the dangers of the Arctic right along side of the famed Robert Peary. It was Henson’s ability to speak Inuit, the language of native Alaskans that helped on many occasions. Onward by Dolores Johnson ($17.95) tells his story. His character made him the perfect partner for Peary.

For the younger set who love picture books and text that stimulates the imagination, Kids Can Press has a number of books being published this Fall that will surely please. There’s Camilla Chameleon by Colleen Sydor, illustrated by Pascale Constantin ($16.95) that tells the story of an unusual young lady with all the skills of a chameleon, able to blend in perfectly with her surroundings, disappearing from sight. This proves helpful when it’s time to go to the doctor or clean out the hamster age, but one day Camilla blows her cover and finds herself in the spotlight. A very clever new book is Mixed Beasts, brilliantly illustrated by Wallace Edwards with verses by Kenyon Cox ($17.95) in which a variety of creatures take on the characteristics of other others such as the Octopussycat with its snaky eight legs! For those in grades 2 to 5, Martin Bridge on the Lookout ($14.95) marks the return of this 8-year-old young man we first came to know in "Ready for Takeoff!" Three illustrated stories relate Martin’s experiences that include sharing lunch with a boy who eats erasers and his madcap search for the school’s escaped pet parakeet. If you have a child who’s 12 or an early teen, novels such as The Plague by Clem Martini, Four Steps to Death by John Wilson, and The Isabel Factor by Gayle Friesen (each $16.95) offer fantasy as in Martini’s "Crow Chronicles" about, well, crows who must flee a mysterious plague; a historical novel based on the 1942 Nazi siege of Stalingrad; and experiences as a camp counselor who must deal with changing personal relationships. Visit www.kidscanpress.com.

Orso: The Troll Who Couldn’t Scare is the work of Brad Theissen, its author, and Jeremy Balzer, its illustrator ($16.95, CDS, New York, NY). Trolls, of course, are supposed to scare people, so the father of 8-year-old Orso decides it’s time to teach him how to do it, but Orso doesn’t want to do it. What he really wants is a friend or two. The illustrations are just alive with color and great enhance the text of what turns out to be a charming story of why it’s being a friend is better than being a scary troll. Yes, it has a happy ending. This book is also proof that it doesn’t take a large publishing firm to produce first-rate book.

Kane/Miller is another favorite publisher of books for the young. Debuting this Fall are books like Sabastian’s Roller Skates by Joan De Deu Prats and illustrated by Francesc Rovira ($15.95). Published originally in Spain, this translation is great for kids 5-9 and tells the story of Sabastian, a boy who doesn’t talk very much because he is very, very shy. Upon finding a pair of skates, he masters the skill of getting around on them and discovers the attention he receives can be very nice indeed. The Costume Party by Victoria Chess ($15.95) originated in France and kids 4-8 will enjoy its story about Madame Coco’s very bored family who decide to have a costume party to deal with the rain keeping them indoors much of the time. There’s a happy ending of course. From Slovenia comes Why? The same age group will enjoy Lila Prap’s book ($14.95) that combines silly questions and some very silly answers to make any youngster burst into laughter. In a similar fashion, the 4-8 set will enjoy two books from England, This is the Oasis written by Miriam Moss and illustrated by Andrienne Kennaway ($14.95) that explores what life on a Saharan oasis is like for the Tuareg people. Lucky, a Dog’s Best Friend by Gus Clarke ($7.95) is one lucky dog with everything a dog could want except a human companion. Will he find one? You’ll have to read the book. These and other Kane/Miller titles are great entertainment and learning experiences. Visit www.kanemiller.com to learn about these and other great children’s books.

Frances Lincoln children’s books have lots of new ones available this fall. My eye was caught by Hieronymus Betts and his Unusual Pets by M.P. Robertson ($15.95) that will appeal to children 3 to 7. Wonderfully illustrated, young Betts has pets like the slimy Slugapotamus, Stinker the Bog Hog, and the Porcupython. Teaching a youngster how to count just got easier and fun with How Many Sharks in the Bath? Written by Bill Gillham and illustrated by Christyan Fox, ($14.95) this is a fresh approach to early number concepts, offering children a way to understand quantities rather than just reciting numbers in their order; ideal for kids 3-6. A gentle introduction to the world of dreams is provided by Jinnie Ghost, written by Berlie Doherty and imaginatively illustrated by Jane Ray. In this story ($16.96) a gentle ghost moves from house to house, visited the dreams of different children. Older children, ages 8 and up, will enjoy The Picture History of Great Inventors ($12.95) and The Picture History of Great Explorers ($19.95), both by Gillian Clements. The story of The Odyssey is retold by Rosemary Sutcliff with handsome illustrations by Alan Lee in The Wanderings of Odysseus ($19.95). This is a great way to introduce a younger reader to the classic Greek fable. All of these books originated in England where this publisher has been headquartered in London for many years. Visit www.franceslincoln.com to learn more about these and other splendid children’s books.

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Novels, Novels, Novels!

If you are a first-time visitor to Bookviews, you know my familiar lament that there are just too many novels being published, resulting in a monthly deluge. I jest, of course. A good novel is one of life’s great pleasures, but one has to sift through quite a few to strike gold.

One of my favorite novelists is Stephen Bly, a remarkably prolific writer of historical, classic western, and contemporary fiction. His wife, Janet, is also a writer. You can check out their work at www.blybooks.com. His latest novel begins a new series called "Horse Dreams" and is titled Memories of a Dirt Road Town ($13.00, Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, TN). It’s about Develyn Worrell, a fifth-grade teacher in central Indiana who was looking forward to a summer of reconciliation with her 20-year-old daughter. The sudden death of her ex-husband worsens the relationship when the daughter blames her lack of forgiveness as a contributing factor to his heart attack. Rather than spend the summer alone, she tosses a few things into her car and heads West to relive the vacation she had when she was ten. She discovers a special horse, a quirky new girlfriend, and three men who help her get her life on track again. And they all live down a dirt road in central Wyoming. It’s a lovely, inspiring story.

A while back, I had some kind words to say about Christopher Kim’s novels, "Jesus Lives in Trenton" and "Everything Burns." Well, he’s back with The Winners Circle ($15.95, Hopewell Publications, PO Box 11, Titusville, NJ) that deals with the theme of striking it rich and in New Jersey that means either the casinos of Atlantic City or the State’s Lottery. In this story, Jerry Nearing actually does win the lottery and collects a huge sum of money. And that is when his troubles begin. His life becomes a torrent of con artists who do everything they can to steal his fortune. Is it possible to be miserable when you’re sitting on a lot of money? Yes, indeed! His novel is particularly evocative of his home state, but deals with large themes in a clever and compelling way.

When my friend, master book publicist, Irwin Zucker, sends a novel, it is almost guaranteed to be something unusual. This is the case of Entelechy by Geoffrey Holland ($18.95, Cognizant Press, Los Angeles.) It is the story of Erik Moss who, at the age of thirty-three discovers he is an alien, not of this Earth. He looks human enough, but while in the hospital recovering from an accident, the doctors discover his genes are arranged the opposite way to human genes, a mirror image. At this point, the story takes off as the government steps in to figure out what to do with him, a Hollywood agent wants to make big bucks off of him, and the media are in hot pursuit. He escapes and discovers some extraordinary things about himself. As this occurs, a mysterious force begins to protect him. What follows is a story that is an allegory for living in harmony with the natural world. The author is an Emmy winning writer-producer of documentaries. Did I say "unusual"? Yes and provocative, too.

Ted Bell has written a terrific thriller, Pirate ($25.00, Atria Books, division of Simon and Schuster). Which is worse? The enemy you love to hate or the enemy who scares you to death? These questions are answered in a novel about a secret alliance between France and China. The former wants power and the latter needs oil. The stability of the Middle East is threatened. Seemingly ripped from the daily headlines, this book has a verisimilitude that will have you turning the pages and remembering that France was directly implicated in the UN Oil for Food scandal and China was the world’s second largest consumer of petroleum in 2003. So the stage is set for Bell’s new novel that stars Lord Alexander Hawke, a decorated British navel hero, jetsetter, and a freelance spy for both the US and the UK. The ambitions of France and China put him at the center of a deadly political maelstrom.

The Trudeau Vector by Juris Jurjevics ($24.95, Viking) is a thriller of another kind. It is about an international team of scientists at the Trudeau Artic Research Station at the North Pole who discover three of their colleagues dead, the pupils missing, and their bodies in ghastly, unnatural positions. A fourth is found outside the station, frozen to death. There is no way to rescue them due to the weather and the survivors must figure out what it was that killed their colleagues. At the same time, Admiral Rudenko, a Russian, is given a top-secret mission to locate a submarine that has suddenly vanished somewhere off Norway. The combination of science and post-Cold War suspicions makes for a riveting story. A very different story is told by Gwyn Hyman Rubio in The Woodsman’s Daughter ($24.95, Viking). This novel spans three generations, starting in southern Georgia in the late 1800s and Dalia Miller, the sassy, beautiful darling of her father, Monroe, a shrewd and prosperous turpentine farmer. The story moves between the shantytowns of the gothic South and the social hierarchy of both grand estates and small towns. Dalia’s comfortable life crumbles around her and her struggle gives us a compelling new character from a bygone age. This author has considerable gifts and we look forward to her future work.

For a thoroughly unconventional mystery story, there’s Jasper Fforde’s The Big Over Easy ($24.95, Viking), his fifth novel, but the first featuring a detective named Jack Spratt. Do you get a nursery rhyme theme going on here? The author brings a delightful sense of humor to solving why Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall. Was it an accident or was he pushed? This children’s tale is updated in adult terms and it makes for a mystery that is very different from anything you have read before. A more conventional mystery can be found in Jacqueline Winspear’s "Maisie Dobbs" new novel, Pardonable Lies ($23.00, Henry Holt). Maisie is competing these days with Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone. This is the third novel in the series. A deathbed plea from his wife leads Sir Cecil Lawton to seek the aid of Maisie Dobbs, a psychologist and investigator. The question is whether a son lost in WWI was actually killed or not. Set in the years following the war, you will be drawn into this intriguing story and transported to an earlier time.

Dead End is one of those great titles that tells you somebody is going to die or already has when the novel begins ($19.95, Ballantine Books). Mariah Stewart delivers the goods. An FBI profiler, Anne Marie McCall is bothered by an unsolved case involving an FBI agent during an undercover drug deal gone bad. It is two years since the shooting and she decides to do some investigating on her own, not realizing that the killer wants some closure too. This is one cold case that begins to heat up again. You can also pick up a copy of Cold Truth ($6.99, Ballantine Books) just out in paperback. It is the first in a new Truth series that further demonstrates this author’s skill at getting your heart pumping and your fingers itching to turn the page.

Two novels from Harcourt will provide a couple of hours of good reading, starting with Spies by Marcel Beyer ($24.00) featuring four young German cousins who know they are different from their playmates. Just who are their ancestors? Is a beautiful opera singer their grandmother? What happened to a grandfather who served in a secret unit of the Luftwaffe in the Spanish Civil War? The cousins set about the task of discovering the family’s past, moving from generation to generation to piece together their history. You will want to find out too! Red Leaves ($23.00) by Thomas H. Cook has a theme that is every parent’s deepest fear. Eric Moore has a prosperous business, a comfortable home, and a stable family life in a quiet town. Then, on an ordinary night, his son Keith is asked to baby-sit Amy Giordano, an eight-year-old daughter of a neighboring family. The next morning Amy is missing and Eric finds himself defending his son in the glare of television cameras. Is he really innocent? You’ll have to read this suspense filled novel to find out.

For those for whom religion is a strong part of their lives, In the Shadow of the Ark by Anne Provoost ($15.00, a Berkley trade softcover) retells the Biblical story of Noah’s ark, but from the perspective of a woman stowaway! Driven from the marshes by the rising waters, Re Jana and her family hear of a man called the Builder who believes his God is going to drown the whole world. People think he’s mad. Re Jana finds love with the Builder’s son, Ham, and acts to save herself. Translated into ten languages, this author lives in Antwerp, Belgium. She has written a remarkable, inspiring story. The Holding by Merilyn Simonds ($23.95, W.W. Norton) also calls on history. Making an impressive debut, this novel blends fact and fiction into a riveting narrative of Margaret MacBayne, a Scottish immigrant pioneer woman, and Alyson Freeman, a contemporary woman who discovers his story. The blend of their two lives creates a magical story told in alternating chapters as the past reaches out to the present and the present reaches back to the past.

First Love by Adrienne Sharp ($24.95, Riverhead Books, member of the Penguin Group) is fiction drawn heavily from real life. People who love ballet and have followed the career of the late choreographer, George Balanchine, will recognize that this novel is based on real people. In this case it is about a fictional ballerina in the 1980s, her lover, a ballet star who struggles to hold on to her and keep up with his own career, and Balanchine for whom the dancer will be his last muse. This triangle and the demands of ballet have all the elements of tragedy and drama that the book deftly captures. If the sound of Motown is more to your liking, you will like Soul Cavalcade by Robert Dunn ($14.94, Coral Press) which takes you along on a tour in the spring of 1964 throughout the south by the stars of Fleur-de-Lys Records, hitting 20 cities in 24 days, as performing groups with names like the Cravattes, the Shags, and the Daisies, cram onto a bus in search of creating a number one hit song, fame and fortune. Dunn captures the drama of this journey, the competition they must overcome to get their records played, and the racial discrimination of that era. This novel makes some music of its own, recapturing a time lost now in history by bringing its characters to life in a very entertaining story.

That’s it for September. We have a ton of new books to discuss in October, so make sure to come back and tell your book-loving friends to come visit Bookviews.com. Every month the number of visitors grows. And don’t forget to visit our Featured Book pages for some very unique books you might not hear about anywhere else.

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