Bookviews - February 2011

By Alan Caruba

My Picks of the Month

Have you ever wondered why we have all lived through two decades of talk about global warming only to learn that it was a complete fiction? That the science behind it was bogus? And then wondered why the federal government became so involved in this hoax that it wasted $50 billion on “research” to support it and is presently engaged in schemes involving millions more for “alternative” energy such as wind and solar power? Or electric cars? The answers can be found in Climate Coup: Global Warming’s Invasion of Our Government and Our lives ($24.95, Cato Institute) will come off the presses official in April, but I suggest that you put in your order now if you want to learn the extraordinary role the federal government has played in misleading Americans to believe a hoax discredited in 2009 by the release of thousands of emails between the handful of its perpetrators on behalf of the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Edited by Patrick J. Michaels, it reveals how corrosive this massive hoax, international in scope, corrupted the U.S. government and endangered our lives. It continues to do so to this day.

The news is filled with coverage of Iran as well it should be given the threat of a prison nation under the control of fanatical ayatollahs, but there is much more to know and William R. Polk has written Understanding Iran ($17.00, Palgrave Macmillan, softcover), subtitled “Everything you need to know, from Persia to the Islamic Republic, from Cyrus to Ahmadinejad.” It is a very comprehensive examination of Iran’s history and the role it played in the rise of civilization. The author was a professor of history at the University of Chicago and established the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. He has been active as an advisor to the Kennedy and LBJ administrations. Anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the history and modern events in Iran will find this book an excellent education on the subject. An older generation recalls the perils of the Cold War with the then-Soviet Union. Communism was understood to be a despotism, but a younger generation may not grasp this central fact and an entertaining and informative book about life under communism provides vivid insights. Slavenka Drakulic has authored a group of fables in A Guided Tour Through the Museum of Communism ($14.00, Penguin Books, softcover) in some ways reflects George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”, a story in which animals represent the humans living with despotism. In this book, a mouse, a parrot, a bear, a cat, a mole, a pig, a dog and a raven tell their stories of life in the Balkins under communist rule. I would recommend it to younger readers in particular, but it works just as well for older ones. Most of the world’s inhabitants life in prison nations and we need to remind and inform ourselves what that truly means.

For a spotlight on science, three new books from Prometheus Books will provide some interesting reading. They are The Genesis of Science: The Story of Greek Imagination by Stephen Bertman ($27.00) who notes that, while historians often look to ancient Greece as the wellspring of Western civilization, perhaps the most significant achievement, other than democracy, was the early development of the sciences. The names of many of science’s branches have their roots in Greek words that first defined these disciplines. This is an excellent history. Science in America was of widespread interest to many of the Founding Fathers and, along with Franklin, one of the greatest, most inquiring minds was that of Thomas Jefferson. In A Professor, a President and a Meteor: The Birth of American Science, Cathryn J. Prince tells the story of a meteor crash in 1807 sparked the interest of a young chemistry professor at Yale College. His rigorous investigation of the event started a chain of events that lifted American science to international importance, unfortunately pitting him against then President Jefferson who took issue with it. It’s a lively story worth reading. Lastly, there’s The Wonder of Genetics: The Creepy, the Curious, and the Commonplace by Richard V. Knowles ($25.00) that provides a layman’s introduction and explanation of genetics, discussing its importance and scope. The author is an acclaimed geneticist who devotes chapter after chapter of a genuinely fascinating topic, discussing topics as diverse as genetically modified crops, cloning, genetic therapy, and how genes are related to many diseases, psychological disturbances, and possibly other behaviors. In short, you are your DNA! Finally, Quantum Physics for Poets by Leon M. Lederman, a Nobel Laureate, and Christopher T. Hill ($28.00) have taken on the job of explaining the heart of contemporary physics, the basis for understanding matter in its tiniest dimensions and the vastness of the universe, and they have succeeded. They have transformed what is an enigma for most people into a highly entertaining, lucid and informative book. If you have always been curious about it, this is the book to read!

While it is trendy to be pessimistic about the future of the human race, given the present financial problems facing nations including our own, Ronald G. Havelock, PhD, has looked at history that includes the two world wars of the last century and trends in nuclear proliferation and population growth worldwide, and come up with a different, more optimistic trend that he describes in Acceleration: The Forces Driving Human Progress ($28.00, Prometheus Books). He reviews the extraordinary pace of the scientific revolution of the last two centuries, the explosive growth of knowledge, not just from generation to generation, but across cultural lines via the Internet, and other trends. Despite periodic setbacks, Havelock describes how progress is actually accelerating to positively affect the human experience and views fears of failure as wildly exaggerated. Grounded in a wealth of research, this book says humans are fully capable of solving even ore most challenging problems. An interesting companion book, The Art of Invention: The Creative Process of Discovery and Design by Steven J. Paley ($20.00, Prometheus Books, softcover) explores the process of invention and how it applies from something as simple as the paper clip to more complex inventions. The book concludes with an in-depth look at the business of invention and the typical inventor’s toolkit. It is filled with insight and advice for anyone with an innovative idea.

I am particularly fond of any book that can not only make me laugh, but make me think at the same time, occasionally actually teaching me something new as well. This is a perfect description of You Might Be a Zombie and Other Bad News from the editors of Cracked.com ($14.00, Plume, softcover). It is a compendium of truly astonishing scientific and other facts that taken individually or as a whole will blow a big hole in many of your cherished beliefs or just tell you something astonishing, but true. Enjoy the book and visit the website. Prepare to laugh. A lot. There are plenty of laughs to be had in The Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year, 2011 Edition ($14.95, Pelican Publishing Company, softcover). Edited by Charles Brooks, it is testimony to the way political cartoonists have the gift of capturing the absurdities and events in ways that makes us both think and laugh. It was not a particularly good year for President Obama, the object of many of the cartoons, along with the economy, the Tea Party movement, the Ground Zero Mosque, environment, the courts, and other issues of the past year.

We all take for granted, reading and writing. How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One by Stanley Fish ($19.99, Harper) explores the way we externalize our thoughts through the creation of sentences and Fish is an aficionado of the finely wrought sentence. His book offers a literary tour of great writers throughout history and the way they captured their reader’s attention and imagination. I would go so far to say that anyone who wishes to write well should definitely read this book and, for that matter, anyone who loves literature should do so as well.

History Well Told

Everybody knows of the Tea Party movement that arose spontaneously in the first year of the Obama administration to oppose Obamacare and other initiatives, but I suspect that few know much about the original tea party that sparked the American Revolution. That has been remedied by American Tempest, ($26.00, Da Capo Press) written by Harlow Giles Unger, the author of more than seventeen books about the Founding Fathers and the Revolution. On December 15, 1773, an estimated seven dozen men, many dressed as Indians who were then a symbol of freedom, dumped more than 300 chests of tea worth the equivalent of $1 million today, into the Boston Harbor to protest British taxes, mostly levied to pay for its wars with France. This is a fascinating story considering they were taking on the greatest power of its time. I love reading history and especially American history, so you can imagine how pleased I was to receive The War of the Revolution by Christopher War ($19.95, Skyhorse Publishing, softcover) which is a complete history of the battles that resulted in the achievement of independence. From the first musket shot at Lexington and Concord to the final battle at Yorktown, this book brings the long effort to life with stories of those who participated, maps, and the realization that it took unbelievable tenacity to wage the war over six long years against tremendous odds and against what was, at the time, the greatest empire of the age. The way the Revolution is taught in our schools hardly begins to reveal how much we owe to Washington and his troops. This 1,000-page book has long been regarded as a classic and now, happily, it is available in an affordable softcover.

I loved the title of Eminent Gangsters which is subtitled “Immigrants and the Birth of Organized Crime in America” ($57.00, University Press of America). At a time when Americans are grappling with the issue of massive numbers of illegal aliens coming across the nation’s southern border or just visiting and over-staying their visas, this is a fascinating look at the way a handful of earlier immigrants, Italians, Jews and later the Irish, became the Five Families of the New York Mafia to include the Capone gang in Chicago, and others who cooperated to an extent that dominated crime from the days of Prohibition onward until exposed. Starting in the 1920s, these were men in a hurry to cash in on the American dream. From its origins in Sicily, the Mafia would control crime in New York, Chicago, and New Orleans, eventually spawning a vast war in which the families emerged victorious. The ban on liquor, transport and sale was a bonanza for these criminals and laid the groundwork for the Mafia’s infiltration of many elements of American society. On a lighter note, I greatly enjoyed A Dangerous Woman: The Life, Lovers, and Scandals of Adah Isaacs Menkin, 1835-1868 by Barbara and Michael Foster ($24.95, Globe Pequot). Who is she? How about “the mother of theatrical and film nudity”? Adah drew overflow audiences from Broadway to Paris as her front-page scandals and under-the-counter nude photos made her an erotic sensation in the midst of the Victorian era. She married five times and her lovers included Alexandre Dumas and Algernon Swinburne, among others. She bedazzled a young reporter, Mark Twain, with her performance in gold rush San Francisco. He deemed her a magnificent spectacle.” If one was to create her as a character in a novel, even fiction could not compete with her real life. The daughter of a beautiful Creole mother, father unknown, with a series of step-fathers, one who endowed her with the Jewish faith, Adah grew up in Texas where she became a trick rider in the circus and then became an actress where, in New York, she performed comedy, tragedy, along with song and dance; in short, immensely talented and possessed of real intellect. Not until Marilyn Monroe, did any performer so captivate and titillate audiences.

God Sleeps in Rwanda: A Journey of Transformation by Joseph Sebarenzi ($15.00, Atria Books, softcover) with Laura Ann Mullane, is the story of how this native Rwandan lost his parents, seven siblings, and most of his relatives in the savage 1994 genocide of Tutsi tribal members by Hutu tribesmen. It is a tragic story, but the author would rise to become Speaker of the Rwandan parliament, intent on healing his nation. It is a reminder that humans are still capable of horrendous acts of mass murder just fifty years after gaining independence. The history of African nations for the past half century and more suggest they have a long way to go before they adopt Western values. For most, democracy is still just a charade.

To Your Health!

If you have your health, all your other problems in life can be solved. So, as we ease into the new year, let’s look at some books that address health and diet issues.

One of the great miracles of life is birth and two physicians, Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD, have gotten together to write YOU Having A Baby: The Owner’s Manual to a Happy and Healthy Pregnancy ($18.00, Free Press, imprint of Simon and Schuster, softcover) that is a large compendium of information that will prepare anyone for the birth of a child. This is truly an A-to-Z treasure of information on topics that range from the biology of pregnancy to the fundamentals of child rearing. Together, they have answered most of the questions any new parent might want to ask. Parents often encounter two common ailments in their children and there’s a book to help when they do. Allergies and Asthma: What Every Parent Needs to Know, edited by Dr. Michael J. Welch ($14.95, American Academy of Pediatrics, softcover) is now in its second edition this month. Allergies and asthma often start in childhood and continue throughout life. Asthma currently affects around 6.2 million Americans under age 18. These young people often also have allergies. This book, written in easily comprehensible language, provides the latest findings on food allergies and treatments, as well as new approaches for monitoring asthma control. It’s the real deal.

At the other end of the age spectrum is Dr. Marc Agronin’s How We Age ($25.00, Da Capo Press). A geriatric psychiatrist, the author is currently the medical director for Mental health and Clinical Research at Miami Jewish Health Systems. Out of his experience working with older folks, he has gained interesting insights regarding aging today. The result is that, while aging includes some inevitable decline, it can also be a period of vitality, wisdom, creativity, and hope. For anyone with aging parents or who is aging, this book can provide some comforting information. I personally had parents that both lived into their 90s and, despite some physical problems, remained mentally alert and involved to the end.

Balance Your Hormones, Balance Your Life by Claudia Welch ($17.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) is not officially due off the press until March 15. Directed to women in the workforce who must cope with the stresses of work and family life, the book is devoted to Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and Western science. The author explores the counterbalancing effects of sex and stress hormones, and provides easy-to-follow strategies for self care to combat stress-induced medical problems that can include painful periods, mood swings, fatigue and insomnia, among other physical problems. If these problems and others describe you or someone you know, make a note to pick up a copy of this interesting book. Somewhat along the same lines is The Mind-Body Mood Solution by Jeffrey Rossman, PhD ($25.99, Rodale Books) that offers a non-drug program for relief from depression. Reportedly, depression is ten times more prevalent today than in 1960 and the rate is doubling every decade. As new technologies and other life-enhancing conveniences have occurred, it may well be they are the cause of this phenomenon. Dr. Rossman is a clinical psychologist believes many of these changes in the way we live, eat, travel and work are creating mood disorders. His book describes how one can regain control of your life. Dividing the book into sections devoted to the mind and to the body, it is filled with advice that might work for you, from diet to exercise changes. The Solution: Conquer Your Fear, Control Your Future by Lucinda Bassett ($22.95, Sterling Publishing) addresses how one can control negative thoughts and behaviors that are linked to anxiety and stress. It offers a positive program for doing so through her stories of personal experience, inspiration, and proactive action. Instead of being fearful, uncertain and insecure, the book demonstrates how to turn one’s life around by turning around one’s thought processes and perceptions. As we have seen with the Tucson tragedy, depression and other mental illnesses can play a role in some tragic outcomes. Leo J. Battenhausen, a counselor, looks at the way depression can be overcome in Defeating Depression: The Calm and Sense Way to Find Happiness and Satisfaction ($14.95, New Horizon Press, softcover). We live in depressing times and it can take over our lives, affecting our relationships, work, social situations, and our health. This book spells out the way to cope with setbacks without turning a medications or bad choices such as alcohol or illegal drugs. He discusses how to rid the mind of negative thoughts, get past emotional pain, and how to gain control and find emotional peace. Though some will need professional help, many can overcome depression on their own and this book is surely a step in the right direction.

All healing begins with the body’s immune system. Dr. H. Robert Silverstein, MD, FACC, has written Maximum Healing ($16.95, North Atlantic Books, softcover) that takes the reader on a tour of antioxidants, minerals, healing foods, herbs and supplements, exercise and stress reduction. That a lot for a very affordable price and since I have taken vitamins and minerals for a very long time, I can testify to the way they ward off the common cold and other problems. If you or someone you know needs to heal from an injury or illness, this would be a great book to read as well as for its information on immune-related disorders such as allergies, asthma, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, and rheumatoid arthritis, among others. This is the real deal. Return to Fitness: Getting Back in Shape after Injury, Illness, or Prolonged Inactivity is one of those titles that fully describe this book’s content. Written by Bill Katovsky ($16.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) founder of Tri-Athlete Magazine, he shares his own story of reclaiming his health after a decade-long period of illness and injury-laden inactivity. Katovsky discusses how our bodies age, provides nutritional advice, and advice on exercise, including information on the treatment and prevention of injuries. One of the most unusual books I have seen of late is just off the press. When Sex Hurts: A Woman’s Guide to Banishing Sexual Pain has three authors, two MDs and one PhD ($15.95, Da Capo Press). It is estimated that twenty million women experience some pain during sexual intercourse and as many as 40% will not seek medical care to relief it. The embarrassment of the experience and reluctance to address it is widespread to the extent that many doctors are in the dark regarding it. The commentary is supported by diagrams, lists of resources, and psychological exercises to help women get to the root of their pain and begin treatment. This is an authoritative, practical, and comprehensive guide.

There are many diet books that advise eating more fruits and vegetables, but Dr. Andrew Iverson, MD, says that your favorite fruit could be contributing to your growing waistline and even putting your at risk for diabetes and heart disease! Nature’s Diet ($24.95, Trilium Health Press, Tacoma, WA) explores the way what you eat can affect your energy, your memory, your mood, and even how you think. Certain foods can even make a child behave poorly and lose focus in school. This book explains why many of today’s most common health problems can be remedied. After seeing chronically ill patients every day in his practice, Dr. Iverson advises how to correctly feed yourself and detoxify from chemical waste to achieve amazing improvements in your health. Appetite for Reduction: 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz ($19.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) is hot of the press demonstrates that a vegan diet can also be a very tasty one while also being low-fat and low-calorie. As she says, healthy vegan food can be so good that it appeals to a meat-eater. Editor's Note: One caveat, though. If you examine one’s teeth, you will note that some are specific to meat-eating, suggesting that we humans need both meat and vegetables.

Maximum job performance is the focus of Shine: Using Brain Science to Get the Best from Your People by Dr. Edward M. Hallowell, MD, ($26.95, Harvard Business Review Press). The author has been a guest on many television shows discussing his philosophy and offers a five-step process to apply to any business culture. Though primarily a business-oriented book for managers, the advice can apply to many fields of endeavor. Though I am not and have never been a vegan, someone who avoids eating meat, there’s no denying that there have been many books advocating this life style in recent years. Your Mind at its Best ($13.99, Revell, softcover) has three authors who share forty activities and behavioral changes that scientific research has shown can support optimal brain health if they become part of your daily routine. Among the recommends is keeping one’s home free from carbon monoxide by checking for any gas leaks. Going to church is good for one’s brain as well as surfing the Internet to find things that interest and engage you. Making sure you give your heart a workout is yet another way to ensure brain health. In sum, this is an interesting, useful book. The same can be said of Be Excellent at Anything: The Four keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Life by Tony Schwartz ($16.00, Free Press, softcover) that debunks common myths about great performance such as the view that great performers get by on less sleep. Not so, they really average 8 ½ hours a night. The other myth is that a little anxiety helps motivate us when facing tough deadlines. False. The better we feel, the better we perform. My favorite is the myth of multitasking when, in fact, juggling multiple activities reduces the time to get one task done well. If you’re still in need of some motivation, try Tapping the Source by William Gladstone, Richard Greninger, and John Selby ($17.95, Sterling Publishing) that offers a practical daily process for changing one’s life for the better. It offers a system for improving one’s life and one’s opportunities using ancient meditative techniques and other methods.

How to Love: Choosing Well at Every Stage of Life by Gordon Livingston, MD ($12.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) takes note of the difficulties in finding life in a world of speed-dating and Internet match-up sites. He explores how to choose a partner and the types of hurtful personalities and behaviors to avoid. This is common sense advice that some people do not receive for one reason or another. If you or someone you know is encountering problems finding the right person, this book will prove helpful. One stage of life that is often filled with problems is the teen years and Rick Johnson has written That’s My Teenage Son: How Moms can Influence their Boys to Become Good Men ($12.99, Revell, softcover) in which he discusses the great influence a boy’s mother has on how well he sees himself as a man and interacts with the world as an adult. For any mother of a teenage son, this book is filled with a wealth of information on the way a boy’s maturing mind, body and emotions are affected during this years and how these changes influence their behavior and needs. It’s a critical time to teach self-discipline, help them develop a healthy emotion life, and prepare them to be healthy adults. These are the years, too, when many young men and women go off to college and Alex Chediak has written Thriving at College ($14.99, Tyndale House Publishers, softcover) to help the generation entering college. With the economy in the tank, it is no surprise that seven in ten graduates do not have a job lined up and many must move back in with mom and dad, often with large debt. Written from a Christian point of view, Chediak notes that at least a quarter of college professors are atheists, compared with just 4% of the U.S. population. Some 70% of young adults will stop attending church. Some useful advice is provided to cope with these and other problems encountered at this critical point in young lives.

Books for Younger Readers

There is a deluge of books for younger readers, particularly pre-teens and teenagers, so it is always a treat when one comes along that is just so thoroughly delightful you want to tell the whole world about it. That’s the case with Saltwater Taffy by Erick Delabarre, as illustrated by R.C. Nason ($15.95, Seven Publishing, distributed by Perseus Books). To date it has been endorsed by nine Teachers of the Year, Delabarre is an award-winning Hollywood director/writer of “Law & Order” fame. The illustrator is equally distinguished. Set in the seaside town of Port Townsend, Washington, the novel follows the lives of five friends as they uncover the secrets of a treasure map that once belonged to the New Orleans pirate, Jean Lafitte. It is one adventure after another as they try to outwit and out-maneuver everyone who wants to intimidate them and/or get their hands on the treasure. It is so well written that one does not want to put it down until the last page. Officially for “middle grade” students, it will please anyone of any age, including me!

A series for younger readers, “I See the Sun”, is a great way to introduce early readers, five to seven years, to the world. The second addition is I See the Sun in Nepal written by Dedie King and illustrated by Judith Inglese ($12.95, Satya House Publications, Hardwick, MA, softcover) It is bilingual, written in English and Nepalese, and it portrays the essential cultural elements of Nepal through the eyes of a child. It is an excellent way to introduce a child to the way the world is made up of different nations, cultures, languages, and such. Coming in 2011 are others in the series devoted to Afghanistan, Russia, and India. The exotic State of Hawaii is the setting for Aloha, Kanani by Lisa Yee ($6.95, American Girl, softcover) that debuted in January, kicking off American Girl’s 25th birthday celebration. Kanani Akina is the 2011 Girl of the Year. She is a warm and cheerful girl, blessed to grow up in Hawaii and sharing the “aloha spirit.” Girls from the middle to later years of elementary school will enjoy this one as Kanani welcomes her cousin from New York, helps to rescue a baby Hawaiian monk seal, or assists older people in her community. Also on the same them from American Girl, is Lend a Hand: Girl-Sized Ways of Helping Others ($9.95, softcover) that offers all kinds of ways to help friends, family, animals, and neighbors for the pre-teen set. You can learn more about it and other titles at www.americangirl.com.

Dog lovers will love Ted Kerasote’s Pukka: The Pup After Merle, the author’s previous dog about whom he wrote “Merle’s Door.” ($18.95, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Pukka more than fills the hole in Ted’s life after Merle passed away. Filled with color photos from beginning to end, the book is told through Pukka’s eyes as he grows up and discovers the world with his human companions. Any child, aged seven to ten who reads this book will surely want a Pukka in his or her life and, if there is a dog in the family, it will provide many insights regarding the way to raise them and enjoy them.

For the teenager who’s into “texting” there is the more serious problem called “sexting” that can lead to all kinds of trouble. The harsh realities of this are explored in a young adult novel, Never Been Kissed, by Melody Carlson ($9.99, Revell, softcover). All Elise wants is her first kiss before she turns 16, but when a friend’s poor advice and modern communications technology combine, she finds herself on a dangerous path. Accused of “sexting”, she gets kicked out of school. This novel shows teen girls the impact of their choices when it comes to respecting themselves. Revell is famed for practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life and the author has penned more than two hundred books. Check it out at http://www.revellbooks.com/. For the same young adult crowd, there’s The Princess of Las Pulgas by C. Lee McKenzie ($16.95, WestSide Books, Lodi, NJ). This is a gritty story of a girl’s life after her father’s death forces her mother to sell their oceanfront home and move to Las Pulgas, the site of a tough urban high school where Carlie is dubbed the princess for her aloof ways. This is a novel about a difficult process of transition and is timely in difficult economic times. It tells of a challenging learning experience as Carlie learns that not everything is as it seems. The eighth book in the Good Girlz series, Drama Queens, by Reshonda Tate Billingsley ($11.00, Gallery Books, softcover) is all about friendship. The Black Christian national booksellers list ranks the author number one on the list. In this novel, high school is coming to a close for the Good Girlz and Camille, Angel, Alexis, and Jasmine are ecstatic to discover they’ve all been accepted to the same Texas University, Prairie View A&M. Need it be said that changes, many unanticipated, lay ahead? The girls learn a lot about relying on their faith and each other when facing life’s tough decision.

Novels, Novels, Novels

World War II continues to provide the background for novels today and Honor Knows No Borders by John Sharer (iUniverse, softcover) asks a philosophical question of about enemies in war. A dangerous and often fatal pursuit, collecting pieces of bombs is a prime activity for boys in London during WWII in the early 1940s. Young Tom Sloan is no exception. While investigating one ravaged building, he finds more than he expects, an injured German pilot, Hauptman Heinrich Leuzinger, who had ejected from his plane. Leuzinger begs Tom not to turn him in to authorities, but rather to help him see his wife and children again. Tom understands this is a dangerous dilemma for which there could be serious consequences. More than a thousand miles away in the North African desert, the boy's father, Major Bernie Sloan, a British officer and the commandant of a German and Italian POW camp, meets captured German Colonel Hans Dieter Reichmann who tells an unbelievable story. Sloan, a Jew, harbors a deep hatred for Germany and its people. Sloan finds it difficult to believe that Reichmann may have actually saved a Jewish family by smuggling them out of Germany. Both father and son are about to discover that in war, as in life, things are not always as they appear, and people can't always be judged by the uniforms they wear. Rising Tides – Destroyermen: Book Five by Taylor Anderson ($25.95, New American Library) adds a parallel universe to a World War II drama, billed as an “alternative history” series. Apparently military science fiction is a new and popular genre. In this case it involves Lt. Commander Matthew Reddy and the crew of the U.S.S. Walker. As you might imagine, the first four novels in the series did quite well. This one is filled with drama and adventure, plus the extra element of a non-human species that gets involved in the conflict on the high seas.

The novel, Soul Mate, by Ronald Weaver ($14.99, QuestFiction Entertainment, Valley Village, CA) tells the story of Claudia de la Rosa, a 26-year-old, starry-eyed innocent who has just arrived in the glamour-charged world of Beverly Hills to become a high school teacher. One of her students is Lance Van Arden, a handsome, worldly-wise teenager from a wealthy family and both begin to connect in ways that go beyond the teacher-student relationship. Their steamy and blissful private world collides with social norms and raises his parent’s suspicions. In real life such liaisons are forbidden and unlawful, but in the book they become modern folk heroes when their story becomes public knowledge. The author is a senior producer for the soap opera, The Bold and the Beautiful. I confess, being a guy, I could appreciate The Black Widow Trainer ($14.95, Emerald Book Co., softcover) by Craig Odanovich because it appeals to what most men fantasize about, a hot woman, hot sex, wealth and swanky places. This is not a deep intellectual experience, but it is a highly entertaining one; the first of a series starring Misty the top trainer at a health club on Maui who becomes an independent fitness trainer to some of the world’s most sophisticated and wealthy men who are willing to pay a lot and go the limit to have Misty get them in shape and get them into her bed. This is just old fashion erotic storytelling.

On a far more realistic and, dare I say, mature level, there’s The Bird House by Kelly Simmons ($14.00, Washington Square Press, softcover) that tells the story of a 70-year-old woman’s slide into dementia and her growing bond with her eight-year-old granddaughter who explore family secrets of both the past and present that have the power to either destroy or heal. When her granddaughter asks for her help to work on a paper about the family, she jumps at the chance, but it will be a journey of discovery for both as classic family and personal problems are reexamined. This is Simmons second novel and she demonstrates again her ability to come to grips with powerful and frightening themes. The Mother Who Stayed is a trio of stories by Laura Furman ($15.00, Free Press, softcover.) They each involve a different set of characters whose lives are connected through family, location, or sheer coincidence. The stories were inspired by 23 diaries written between 1874 and 1902 that Furman found in a house she owned in upstate New York. They are an homage to the timeless, primal bond between mother and child, as well as other relationships. They are poignant, memorable, and inspiring. Furman has earned prestigious awards for previous books and this one demonstrates why.

Weeping Underwater Looks A Lot Like Laughter by Michael J. White ($15.00, Berkley, softcover) will further enhance the author’s reputation as one of Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers for spring 2010. Teenager George Flynn and his family have just moved to Des Moines, Iowa and, on their first night in town, a young woman is murdered at the hotel in which they are staying. Is it an omen of things to come? By turns witty, charming, and heart-wrenching, this is the debut novel about a young man coming of age under the toughest of circumstances. It is a story of first lovers, unrequited emotions, second lovers, family secrets, and the untold truths that lurk in one’s heart years and years after they’re grown. George’s life will be influenced by the Schell sisters. He is immediately smitten with one, Emily, his classmate and peer, and the perfect counterpoint to her sister, Katie, who has been diagnosed with a baffling case of multiple sclerosis. You will want to go along to learn how these three deal with life’s challenges and upheavals. Finally, for sheer laughter and fun, pick up a copy of Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King’s Daughter by Simon Brett, the first of a series based on two of these characters ($14.95, Felony & Mayhem Press, softcover). Brett is best known for cozy mysteries set in a little English town as one of the grand old men of British mystery since 1975. Set in the 1920s we are introduced to siblings, Blotto, a handsome fellow whose low on brain power, and Twinks, his beautiful and brilliant sister. The result is that rarest of genres, a genuinely funny crime story when the daughter of the exiled king of Mittleleuropa is kidnapped on a visit to Tawcester Towers.

That’s it for February! Do tell all your book-loving friends and family members about Bookviews so they can visit and learn about many books that deserve readers but may not catch the eye of the loftier critics and reviewers. And do come back in March for even more news of the latest and best fiction and nonfiction.

Bookviews - October 2010

By Alan Caruba

My Picks of the Month

In November, the midterm elections will determine whether Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will remain Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position that puts her just two heartbeats away from being President. Current polls all indicate that her popularity and approval are in the low digits, making her a polarizing political figure, but one who nonetheless has exercised tremendous power, pushing through some of the most unpopular legislative initiates of the Obama administration. She’s the Boss: The Disturbing Truth About Nancy Pelosi by Rochelle Schweizer ($25.95, Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin Group) was published just days before this month’s report and, for anyone who follows politics, it is must reading. No doubt Democrats will not like it much for its portrait of a woman who has proven ruthless in her pursuit of a political agenda out of sync with much of the electorate, but independents and conservatives will find it a revelation because they are not accustomed to thinking of any woman as utterly ruthless. She may well be remembered for her comment on Obamacare when she told the press, “We will find out what is in it after we pass the bill.” This is a very frightening, very timely look at a person who learned politics from her father, a political boss for four decades in Maryland.

Nazi Oaks by R. Mark Musser ($12.75, Advantage Books, via Amazon.com) is one of those important books that is unlikely to get the kind of mainstream media coverage it deserves because it draws on history to reveal how the Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s was “the greenest regime on the planet”, driven by the same Green agenda that foisted the greatest fraud in the modern era, the global warming hoax. Musser is a pastor, a 1998 graduate of Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. In 1994 he received a Master of Divinity and spent seven years as a missionary in Belarus and the Ukraine. His book documents the way the Nazi regime exploited a “return to nature” myth to capture the imagination of the Germans of that day and since the oak was a symbol of nationalism, Hitler ordered that thousands be planted all over the Reich. The practice was dubbed by Nazi environmentalists as “concordant with the spirit of the Fuhrer.” Hitler was an animal rights advocate, an environmentalist, and a vegetarian. He joined the ranks of the world’s greatest mass murderers guided by these views. What is most frightening are the parallels between the Nazi regime and the practices and views expressed by today’s environmentalists, many of whom share a contempt for humanity seeking a huge reduction in the world’s population as the key to “saving the planet.”

It’s a rare event when I know both authors of a book I’m reviewing, but that is the case with Peter C. Glover, a British writer and journalist specializing in political, media, and energy analysis, and Michael J. Economides, a professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Houston. He is internationally known for his expertise on energy. Economides is one of the editors of EnergyTribune.com and Glover is a frequent contributor. They have teamed to write Energy and Climate Wars ($24.95, Continuum, London and New York) and I cannot think of a more timely topic other than the economy. Indeed, energy plays an essential role in the economy of all nations and the authors note that those nations that use the most energy are also the wealthiest and most productive. You cannot have one without the other. In a meticulously researched book, the authors spell out what is at stake in a world where a huge hoax called global warming has impacted many policy decisions and wasted billions in the process. The social engineering agenda behind it is spelled out. Likewise, the push to replace established sources of energy such as coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear with solar and wind power is also examined and revealed to be utter nonsense. If these headline topics remain a bit of a mystery to you, then I can surely recommend this book to reveal the real forces at work regarding the energy and climate wars.

Have you ever wanted to disappear? Well, Frank M. Ahearn with Eileen C. Horan has written How to Disappear ($16.95, Lyons Press, an imprint of Globe Pequot Press) providing all the ways one should delete your social media accounts, rid yourself of discount cards that track spending, never make calls from home, work or cell phones, delete all possible data known about you, and research your destination to the fullest. These are just a few items are the result of years being a “skip tracer”, a person who tracks people down and uncovers private information about them. The usual targets are jailbirds, deadbeats, subpoenaed witnesses, and anyone else who wants to hide. It was Ahearn who, in 1997, was hired to find who it was President Clinton was having a dalliance with, the now famous Monica Lewinsky. He pinpointed the principle in the caper when Oscar statuettes were stolen in Beverly Hills. This is one of those offbeat books that I always find especially interesting.

Longtime readers of Bookviews know I tend to steer clear of books about vampires, Satchquatch, and other mythical creatures, but the third edition of The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead ($29.95, Visible Ink Press, softcover) is a massive 944 pages, 500 essays, and more than 200 photos about everyone from Vlad the Impaler to Barnabas Collins to Edward Cullen to Dracula and Lestat. Edited by J. Gordon Melton, PhD, it is an alphabetical tour of the psychosexual, macabre world of the blood-sucking undead. Without doubt, the vampire myth inspires continued fascination and is currently all the rage with television programs and films devoted to the topic. The new edition is completely update and no doubt is the most comprehensive collection of vampire low available.

I have a friend who loves dogs. He’s always had one or two since I have known him and together we have mourned the death of more than one beloved old dog he has outlived by virtue of the dog’s age or an illness. Not long ago after one companion dog had passed on, he found a new one and then a friend asked him to take care of a Jack Russell terrier. The two dogs discovered a great new friendship with each other. In Dog Walks Man: A Six-Legged Odyssey ($22.95, Lyons Press) John Zeaman shares a thought-provoking and always entertaining series of observations about what he has learned from dogs and dog walking. It is the story of Pete, a poodle, who becomes Zeaman’s partner as they explore exotic places like the New Jersey Meadowlands. He brings a journalist’s eye to what some would regard as a prosaic aspect of owning a dog and turns it into a far more meaningful experience. Anyone who has ever owned a dog will treasure this wonderful book.

I get requests to review poetry, but my policy has been to only review anthologies rather than individual poets. I like poetry and was pleased to receive Not a Muse: The Inner Lives of Women ($23.00, Haven Books, softcover) with 516 pages of poetry by more than a hundred poets from 24 countries, edited by Kate Rogers and Viki Holmes who have group the poems by topics voicing woman as lover, keeper of secrets, family, explorer, and aging, to name a few. Among the better known are Margaret Atwood, Sharen Olds, and Erica Jong, but there are many more who bring their own talent and magic to the art of poetry and prove endlessly entertaining and insightful as one makes their way through the book. This is, simply said, a wonderful collection of female poets, guaranteed to provide hours of reading pleasure.

The Lives of Real People

Welcoming a group of scholars to the White House, John F. Kennedy observed that the room contained more wisdom and knowledge “than when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” America was especially blessed to have this authentic genius, along with others, at its birth. The national bestseller, Thomas Jefferson: An Intimate History, by Fawn M. Brodie ($18.95, W.W. Norton, softcover) is now available in paperback. The author was the first to explore the relationship between Jefferson and Sally Hemings, a slave and the mother of his mixed-race children. In her effort “to get inside his head”, Brodie begins in the Virginia Piedmont and Tidewater where Jefferson was born and educated. The emphasis is on his family relationships, school friends, and others.

One of the most respected and widely read authors of her time, George Eliot, was a woman who used the pen-name to hide the fact. Born Mary Anne Evans, she was the third of five children in a middle class English family. As the author of “Adam Bede”, “Daniel Deronda”, and “Middlemarch”, she was one of the most celebrated novelists in history and a bestselling author in her day and long after. She was also a truly ugly woman who experienced much heartache and rejections, but found love with a married man with whom she lived for many years until his death. She broke many of the stict social mores of her time, scandalizing London society. George Elliot in Love by Brenda Maddox will prove thoroughly enjoyable to those who have read her novels and open the door to new readers with this deeply personal biography of a woman who lived on her own terms and altered the literary landscape in the process. Another woman made a name for herself but for all the wrong reasons. In Irrepressible: The Life and Times of Jessica Mitford author Leslie Brody ($28.00, Counterpoint Press) tells the story of “the communist” in the Mitford family, one of Britain’s most famous aristocratic families. Jessica however cut her ties with what would have been a life of privilege as a teen and eventually moved to the United States, devoting herself to working for civil rights and to muckraking journalism, defined by her belief in the ultimate triumph of communist. After arriving in the U.S. in 1939m, she became one of the New Deal’s most notorious bureaucrats. A thoroughly dreadful person, even her friends regarded her as subversive and a mischief maker. She was, nonetheless, an influential journalist in her day.

The Great Fire of Rome: The Fall of the Emperor Nero and his City by Stephen Dando-Collins ($25.00, Da Capo Press) should have been a lot more interesting and it’s not because the author didn’t jam every known fact about the event in 64AD or one of the more famous emperors who allegedly “fiddled with Rome burned.” He didn’t, but that’s not the point of this book about everyone who ever had anything to do with the man or Nero himself. The author has written a number of much acclaimed books, but this one will appeal only to people who are deeply interested in the subject and the times related. This reviewer found it very slow reading for the reason cited. It is not that the book isn’t heavily researched. It is that every single bit of research finds its way into what would otherwise be expected to be a fairly riveting story of a major historical event. The result is a story bogged down in minutia.

Young Michelangelo: The Path to the Sistine by John T. Spike ($27.95, The Vendome Press) is “a vivid portrait of the artist’s first 33 years” according to Everett Fahy, the chairman of the Department of European Paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The author, an art historian, gained praise previously for his biography of Caravaggio. This biography explores the thinking, evolution, and desires of a young man who was well aware of his exceptional talent. Competitive, he strove to outshine prior and contemporary artists. The result is a vivid picture of the Italian Renaissance in which he thrived. History and personality is combined in this excellent biography. A lot of people find Nostradamus and his predictions fascinating and, even if I have doubts about them, a new book by Peter Lemesurier, Nostradamus, Bibliomancer: The Man, the Myth, the Truth ($18.99, New Page Books, softcover) will prove of interest to those who want to learn more about the 16th century figure who denied that he was a prophet. Instead, he used the process of bibliomancy, the random sampling of extracts from the Bible, and then claiming “divine inspiration.” The book comes with a CD that contains facsimiles of the three original editions of the “Propheties” on which his reputation is based. Amidst the many biographers of Nostradamus, Lemesurier remains the calm center of conscientious and accurate research while presenting valuable insights into the medieval world in which he lived.

The American justice system being one created and run by humans is subject to human error and failure. Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him ($26.00, Free Press) by Laura Caldwell is the story of Jovan Mosley who spent nearly six years in a holding cell for a murder he did not commit, the victim of a forced and false confession. The author is one of two lawyers who got his case dismissed after Jovan, in 199, was a 19-year-old living on the south side of Chicago in a gang-infested neighborhood. Jovan, though, was determined to avoid the common fate of others, had managed to stay out of trouble, and had even been accepted to Ohio State with the dream of becoming a lawyer. He would stay in jail awaiting trial for five long years and this story will astound and appall you. The author has published thrillers and suspense stories since 2002 and is a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Loyola Law School. Football fans, especially fans of the New York Jets, will recall Don Maynard, the wide receiver who caught Joe Nameth’s most famous pass in 1967 for a Super Bowl win. In You Can’t Catch Sunshine ($24.95, Triumph Books) Maynard tells the story of his love of football and his life in the sport, including rejection by NFL scouts who didn’t see much in him. Instead, in the AFL he would gain 10,000 yards, be a four-time Pro Bowl selection, an All-Time AFL Team member, and Hall of Fame member. Maynard let his playing do all the talking, but he has at last put his memories and life on paper for fans to share. He accomplished his dreams by not quitting or allowing himself to be defined by lesser men. This book is just fun to read.

What would we do without music in our lives? You might not recognize the name Charles Fox, but you will likely recognize “Killing Me Softly With His Song”, the great Roberta Flack hit song. Fox worked with many of the greats in the entertainment world, Jim Croce, Barry Manilow, Lena Horne, and Fred Estaire. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004 and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Composters & Lyricists, Fox has written a memoir of a life devoted to music, Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music, from the influence of Nadia Boulanger, a renowned music composition teacher through a life that has earned him nominations for the Academy Award and two Emmys. Fox has composed the music for more than a hundred motion pictures and television films, including the themes for Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, and the Love Boat. It’s been a very interesting life and one we’re glad he has shared with all of us. Fans of Led Zeppelin would go gaga over Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin by Jon Bream ($19.99, Voyageur Press, large format softcover). They are rock’n roll royalty, the band that Rolling Stone once called “the heaviest band of all time.” They have sold over 300 million albums worldwide and had the honor of being the only band to have all of their albums reach the U.S. Billboard Top 10. They are as popular today as ever and this 288 page book is filled with photos and illustrations along with an excellent and exhaustive text that traces their history from its founding in 1968 through its breakup in 1980.

The Topic is Health

Ever since the passage of Obamacare, the massive “reform” of Medicare, the backlash against the bill has been growing, but aside from the fact that the program was insolvent, the costs of healthcare have been a major concern of Americans and there are a number of books out that address it.

The Healthcare Survival Guide: Cost-Saving Options for the Suddenly Unemployed and Anyone Else Who Wants to Save Money is one of those titles that relieves a reviewer from having to say anything more! Written by Martin B. Rosen and Abbie Liebowitz, MD, cofounders of Health Advocate, Inc ($6.95, Health Advocate Publishing, softcover) and can be downloaded for FREE from www.HealthcareSurvivalGuide.com. The book is the winner of the 2010 Independent Book Publisher’s Association’s Benjamin Franklin Award for the best first non-fiction book. It is a go-to source that provides quick access to information about affordable healthcare insurance and medical services. It’s filled with little-known secrets such as simply asking your doctor for a discount, keeping an eye on pharmaceutical websites for free trial offers for medications, checking out a university dental clinic and how to read a hospital bill to avoid being over-charged. And you will easy your anxiety, too, with Medical Bill Survival Guide: Easy, Effective Strategies for People Experiencing Financial Hardship by Nicholas Newsad ($11.95, Westminster Cambridge Conglomerate, softcover). Bills from insurance companies seem to be written to ensure that, like the policy, they are undecipherable. Thus, if you disagree with the billing you and thousands of others are at a distinct disadvantage. The author has remedied that with a straight-forward guide to help anyone quickly make it through the maze of dealing with medical bills with easy, effective strategies as it reveals the written and unwritten rules of patient billing and collections. For a fairly slim volume, there is a ton of useful information to be had and for the price this book is a real bargain. 101 Ways to Save Money on Health Care by Cynthia J. Koelker, MD ($13.00, Plume, softcover) points out that the average American spends over $5,000 on healthcare every year—more than any other country in the world! Even so, America has high rates of infant mortality, diabetes, and other illnesses. The Ohio-based family physician for more than twenty years provides a wealth of information from a doctor’s perspective on how to save on health expenses from medication to long-term care and everything in between. The book is well organized and not intimidating as many others are. Well worth the price for sure!

Treat Me, Not My Age by Dr. Mark Lachs, MD, ($27.95, Viking) addresses a problem that extends throughout the entire health system that treats or fails to treat older Americans based solely on their age. Physicians, hospitals, insurance companies, and nursing homes are a measure of guilt. As a result the author has provided a guide to navigating one’s way through the system as one gets older in order to avoid the medical pitfalls. Dr. Lachs is a geriatrician, a physician who specializes in the health problems of old age and one who spent two decades devoted to this specialty that often involves difficult healthcare decisions. This book will allow Boomers and older Americans to make informed decision, starting with selecting a physician and being pro-active regarding protecting and preserving one’s health. The result can be spending as little time as necessary in a system that treats people by pigeon-holing them with little regard to their specific needs. In “Gone With the Wind” one character says “I’d don’t know nothing about birthin’ babies” and that probably describes most people. Kalena Cook and Margaret Christensen, MD, have collaborated on Birthing a Better Way: 12 Secrets for Natural Childbirth ($24.95/$14.95, University of North Texas Press, hard and softcover). Ms. Cook has experienced natural childbirth and Dr. Christensen, a board certified obstetrician-gynecologist, have teamed to provide a book for expectant mothers and their caregivers with the knowledge they require for this birthing option. The alternatives in this modern world include Pitocin, inductions, epidurals, and c-sections. For the health-conscious person, there is a lot of information and insight in this book you might not find in others.

There are few fears for women that rival breast cancer. Now in its fifth edition, fully updated and revised, there’s Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book ($22.00, Da Capo Press, Lifelong Books, 736 pages, softcover). Written with Karen Lindsay, this is the bible on the topic and Dr. Love notes that there has been a revolution in the understanding of breast cancer since the first edition. There are new discoveries from basic science that call into question the concept of early detection, and the one-size-fits-all treatment that has been replaced with the idea of more aggressive treatment is more effective. The new understanding is that all breast cancers are not all the same. The sheer size of the book attests to the body of new knowledge that exists regarding prevention, diagnostic tools, and treatment options. The new edition is just out this month. I confess I am wary of diet books, but it happens that also being published is The Pink Ribbon Diet by Mary Flynn PhD, RD and Nancy Verde Barr ($16.95, Da Capo Press, Lifelong Books, softcover) that addresses the fact that breast cancer is the second most common form women encounter. Moreover, according to the American Cancer Society, a study found that maintaining one’s weight can reduce their risk. Those who gain 55 pounds or more after the age of 18 are said to be 50% more at risk. At various points in life, weight gain is seen as harmful and this book offers recommendations plus 150 recipes that provide high levels of essential nutrients without compromising taste. You would be surprised how many really tasty things are also really good for you!

It is a problem as old as mankind and is recorded in the Old Testament as the story of Cain and Abel, sibling rivalry. It often impacts on people’s lives well past childhood. Mom Loves You Best: Forgiving and Forging Sibling Relationships is the subject of a book by Cathy Jo Cress, MSW, and her daughter Kali Cress Peterson, MS, MPA ($14.95, New Horizon Press, softcover), due out officially in December. This book is not just for the garden variety hurts, real and imagined, between siblings, but for truly damaged relationships where both parties would benefit from repair them. The authors use a ten-step roadmap with specific methods for dealing with past conflicts. It also addresses the role of parents in sibling’s interactions and how reconciled siblings can better cooperate to care for aging parents. For those with emotional wounds, here’s a chance to repair them.

Now We’re Cooking!

Here are a couple of new cookbooks with which to tease and please the palate A tasty twosome, both by Rick Rogers are Coffee and Cake and Tea and Cookies ($21.99, William Morrow & Company) The former begins with advice on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee, discussing the various ways from automatic drip filter to electric espresso machines. It even includes my choice, the manual drip filter by Chemex. From there it moves on to descriptions of spiced mocha, café brulot, Irish coffee and more. After that, it offers some mouthwatering recipes for all manner of coffee cakes and cup cakes. Who could resist a spice layer cake with a praline frosting? Not me! The book devoted to tea and cookies follows a similar format with advice on brewing and pouring the perfect cup of tea and recipes for cookies that had my blood sugar level rising as I read them.

Todd Wilbur is back with Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 3 ($16.00, Plume, softcover) which shows the reader how to reproduce your favorite restaurant dishes at home. Wilbur is a frequent guest on Good Morning America and The Today Show. This new edition has more than a hundred recipe clones from restaurants that include Chili’s®, Applebee’s®, the Cheesecake Factory®, and the fine dining chains like Spago® and Joe’s Stone Crab®, among others. He’s sold more than four million of his books so he must be doing something right! The recipes are detailed and, as a result, easy to prepare.

Kim O’Donnel had vegetarians in mind when she wrote The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook ($18.95, Da Capo Press, softcover). I am definitely not a vegetarian, but I can spot a good cookbook and this one provides more than 95 meatless recipes for once-a-week (Meatless Mondays) or full time vegetarians, including dishes ranging from gluten-free to vegan and dairy-optional fare that is not only healthy, but tasty and filling. So, falafel “burgers”, chickpea “crab cakes”, and even a pot pie with a cheddar biscuity crust can be found in this book by a trained chef and frequent contributor to the Washington Post, Real Simple, and the Huffington Post.

All War All the Time

It is sometimes said in jest that peace is just the interval while nations take time to rearm and, if history is any guide, there's sufficient proof of that. Wars also generate lots of books. A premier publisher of books devoted to America’s conflicts is Zenith Press, an imprint of Quayside Publishing Group.

It happens that I was recently watching a television documentary about Gen. George S. Patton, Jr of World War Two fame and shortly after Patton’s Third Army in World War II: An Illustrated History ($50.00) arrived. Patton’s fame was such that Dwight D. Eisenhower, the commanding general of Allied Forces, used him as a decoy to keep the German’s pinned down, anticipating an invasion at Calais, when the real invasion was to be at Normandy. Seven weeks after D-Day, Patton was put in charge of the Third Army and together they began a ten-month rampage across France, driving through Germany and deep into Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and Austria. In a turning point for the war, it was the Third Army’s famed turning movement during the Battle of the Bulge that ended Nazi hopes for victory. This large format book by Michael Green and James D. Brown, filled with more than 300 photos and an excellent text recounts that story of the battles fought by the Third Army, led by one of the greatest generals in U.S. history. Meanwhile, back home other Americans were serving the cause and The American Aircraft Factory in WWII by Bill Yenne ($24.90, large format, softcover) tells the story of an industrial phenomenon as peacetime production switched to wartime production from 1939 to 1945. Illustrated with 175 photos, its 192 pages remind us that wars are won as much at home as on the battlefield. This was America’s shining hour. Last among the recent Zenith titles is Naked in Da Nang by Mike Jackson and Tara Dixon-Engel ($17.99), a Vietnam War memoir that is one of best I’ve read in a while. It is a compelling picture of the hopes, fears, and motivations of the average American GI. It redefines the usual stories about that war that talk about drugs, booze and insanity. That never was the norm and the heroism of those that fought that war finally gets the presentation it deserves. Check out this publisher at www.zenithpress.com.

Berlin at War by Roger Moorhouse ($29.95, Basic Books) is an excellent history of what it was like to live in Berlin during the course of World War II. It was, of course, the epicenter of the Third Reich and a prime target for the air war, subjected to more raids, more aircraft, and more tonnage than any other German city. Historian Moorhouse draws on diaries, letters, archives and other sources to capture the mood of the city’s inhabitants from 1939 to 1945. It spans the short era from the extravagant celebrating of Hitler’s 50th birthday in April 1939 to the rigors of the Soviet invasion six years later. Berliners felt the effects of the war immediately as rationing began before it broke out. Blackouts followed. In a sinister reflection of the barbarity of the Nazis, the “S-Bahn Murderer” stalked the city for months, killing and raping at will before he was caught. Ordinary Germans did not all accept the Nazi Party and they found ways to express their opposition. In the end, the majority of Berliners simply sought to survive. Thousands committed suicide than live under Soviet rule. Still more thousands of its Jewish population were removed to be killed.It is a look at the effort of people trying to go about their lives in the midst of a city when madness, brutality and retribution reined.

Vietnam is the subject of Life and Death in the Central Highlands: An American Sergeant in theVietnam War, 1968-70 by James T. Gillam ($27.95, University of North Texas Press). It is a story of the author’s transformation from a poorly focused college student at Ohio University who was dismissed and then drafted into the Army, becoming a member of the First Battalion, 22nd Regiment of the Fourth Infantry Division. It only took a month for him to transition from avoiding conflict to an aggressive soldier. By January 1970 he had earned a Combat Infantry Badge and been promoted. Then his battalion took on search-and-destroy missions along the border of Cambodia, often involving intense firefights and close combat. He left the Army in June 1970 and within two weeks was back in college and destined to become a university professor. This is a gripping account of war as seen through the author’s eyes.

Books for Tots and Teens

For a clever twist on familiar fairy tales, two books for early readers by Gail Carson Levine, illustrated by Scott Nash, serve up lots of laughs in Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsey Red Hoodie ($8.99 and $16.99, HarperCollins Childrens Books, softcover and hardcover). Any kid who has heard the original version will find the new ones hilarious. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has written Hide! ($17.99, Beaufort Books), a literary version illustrated by Steve Bjorkman that invites the reader to join in the game by finding hidden items in its artwork. For those age 4 and up, there’s high adventure to be found in Benjamin and Bumper to the Rescue by Molly Cox with some great photos by Oliver Toppin to illustrate the story ($16.95, BraveMouse Books, distributed by Independent Publishers Group). Benjamin is a fuzzy mouse and Bumper is a larger elephant doll. This is very much in the tradition of Winnie the Pooh and the story is filled with humorous situations as the two set out to save Benjamin’s mother since Sir Pouncelot, a cat, is known to be around. It will intrigue any youngster following along and enjoying the great artwork. This one’s a keeper.

For youngsters who already have mastered reading skills by the fourth grade, the fun continues with Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science by Susan Hughes and illustrated by Michael Wadnelmaier ($17.95, Kids Can Press) that will appear to their adventurous spirit and curiosity as it lays out a variety of issues involving archeology, anthropology, glaciology, and more to encourage future scientists to explore their world and ask questions. The legendary guitarist, Jimi Hendricks lives on through his recordings and now Gary Golio tells the story of his youth in Jimi: Sounds Like a Rainbow—A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix ($16.99, Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin). He grew up in Seattle and his father’s love and encouragement led to a life in music. The author does not shy away from Jimi’s substance abuse and provides a list of books and websites where kids, parents, and caregivers can learn about drug and alcohol abuse. Lila & Ecco’s Do-It-Yourself Comics Club by Willow Dawson ($16.95, Kids Can Press) is an introduction to being a comic book writer that provides a world of excellent advice to any kid obsessed with this art and story form.

This is an era in which television and movies are heavily devoted to stories of dragons, vampires, and other magical, mythical creatures. Here are a few books that cater to this interest. Hellfire: Plague of Dragons ($19.95, Running Press) illustrated by Tom Wood and written by Robert Weinberg has some of the best artwork I have seen of late, plus a compelling story about Thomas the Dragon Slayer and a loyal, brave band of soldiers. Its large format and story offer hours of fun reading. A companion “for true dragon fans only” is A Practical Guide to Dragon Magic ($12.95, Wizards of the Coast) allegedly by Sindri Suncatcher and it is filled with all kinds of “lessons” that anyone wishing to have their own dragon needs to know! Also from Wizards of the Coast there’s a Young Wizards Handbook How to Trap a Zombie, Track a Vampire by A.R. Rotruck ($12.95) that will intrigue any young reader age 10 and up with its advice. For my part, I want nothing to do with zombies and vampires, but kids will love this one, too. Those in their early teens will enjoy Aldwyns Academy by Nathan Meyer ($9.95, Wizards of the Coast) for any Harry Potter fan who wants more from this genre and imagines what it must be like to be a fledgling wizard like Dorian Ravensmith.

Mary America: First Girl President of the United States by Carole Marsh ($6.99, Gallipade International, softcover, available from Amazon.com) is the story of a smart orphan, age 12, who is the leader of the free world and commander-in-chief! It is a clever way to teach a young reader about how the U.S. government functions. You can learn more by visit www.maryamerica.com.

For the mid-teenager, girls and boys, there are three novels from Kane-Miller that cannot fail to provide entertainment. They are When Molly Was a Harvey Girl by Frances M Wood, Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool by Odo Hirsch, and Roll Up the Streets by John Bladek ($15.99 each). To learn more about these individual stories, visit www.kanemiller.com. These novels, all very well written for this age group, will prove to be stepping stones to novels for when they are older.

Novels, Novels, Novels

Try to imagine receiving twenty or more novels a month. And those are from large, medium and small publishers. Add in self-published and print-on-demand novels and you have a deluge of fiction that requires some serious triage.

John Le Carre, the pseudonym of David Cornwell, gained famed with “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” when it became a worldwide bestseller. He has written twenty-one novels including “The Constant Gardener”, “The Russia House” and “The Little Drummer Girl”, all of which demonstrated his considerable talent. When the Cold War ended a number of his subsequent novels did less well, but I suspect that his new novel, Our Kind of Traitor, ($27.95, Viking) will enhance his reputation as he demonstrates his insight regarding the shadow world where power really lies. Le Carre is a natural-born storyteller with an eye for detail that constructs a reality into which the reader can slip with ease. It is a very timely look at the financial collapse of investment houses and the way nations like England had to response to potential ruin. It is told through the lives of a young English couple who take a tennis vacation in Antigua and meet a Russian who is a major money-launderer. Dima wants a game of tennis, but back in London the British Secret Service that has been keeping tabs on him interrogate the couple and then recruit them. Their acquiescence takes them on a perilous journey that reveals the unholy alliances between the Russian mafia, the city of London, the government, and even competing factions of the British Secret Service. This is hardly a dry analysis, but instead a fascinating look behind the curtain when the only liquid money available to banks was often from the drug trade and organized crime!

Lior Samson is no where near as famous as John Le Carre, but he has written a suspenseful and timely novel, The Dome ($17.95, Gesher Press, Rowley, MA, softcover) about a plot to set off a “dirty” bomb using cesium-137 in Jerusalem and the desperate efforts of the Mossad to find the perpetrators before they do. It is a fast-paced novel filled with the way computers, programming, and other technical black magic combine to pose a major threat and are used as well to spot and neutralize it. The title refers to Al Aqsa, the mosque built on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a site holy to the three monotheistic religions. This novel takes you behind the scenes of modern spycraft and terrorism. One gets a sense of what life is like in Israel these days as a cast of characters, some family, some linked by a fallen hero, some master spies, must neutralize a terrifying deadly scheme. I cannot say enough good things about this novel and recommend that you check it out and purchase it at www.liorsamson.com.

A Geography of Secrets by Frederick Reuss ($25.95, Unbridled Books) also takes the reader behind the scenes and, in this case, it’s Washington, D.C. The novel is a duel story about a cartographer searching government archives for the truth about his deceased father’s diplomatic career and about an analyst at the Defense Intelligence Agency who is devastated to learn that he supplied incorrect coordinates that led to a missile strike on a school in Afghanistan instead of a safe house for the Taliban. The author has two previous novels that were deemed Notable Books by the New York Times. Washington is his hometown and he knows it as a place filled with secrets and which knows a great deal about everyone’s life. It is a particularly timely story as the nation struggles to deal with dark forces far from our shores.

Another city is at the heart of a novel. Nashville Chrome by Rick Bass ($24.00, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is the backdrop to a story based on the lives of The Browns, made up of the Brown siblings, Maxine, Bonnie and Jim Ed who once stood at the top of the American country music scene. Johnny Cash dated Maxine, Elvis Presley was engaged to Bonnie and they represented the “new Nashville sound”, a blend of country, blues and pop music. The novel jumps from their promising past and to their lonely present, particularly Maxine who is left ailing, alone and hungry for human connection. The novel is a look at an era in American music and the complexities that come with fame as this family lives in and out of the spotlight. In a City in Shadow ($27.95, Severn House) the backdrop is “hidden Manhattan” as Evan Marshall spins a tale of mystery. This is the fourth in a series that has won him a faithful following. When a frightened woman leaves a note on the street outside the apartment of sanitation supervisor, Anna Winthrop, she is spotted briefly by Winthrop who is unable to catch up with her. At the same time, a journalist, Nettie Clouchet, is tracking a human-trafficking ring. As their lives mesh a sinister apartment tower is discovered to harbor a secret that lies at the heart of the story. In a City of Tranquil Light a very different story is told by Bo Caldwell ($25.00, Henry Holt and Company). Set in the 1920s in China when Mao’s communists would drive out Chiang Kai-Shek’s nationalists, the era was also one that boded ill for missionaries who would also be driven out. Using the lives of her grandparents as source material for her second novel, the author tells of a period of turmoil that included famines, earthquakes, civil war, encounters with bandits, and winters that were “five coats cold.” It is also a love story between a man and woman, two Mennonite missionaries who have journeyed to China because they feel they are called by God to serve Him among the poor and to spread the Good News. It is a portrait of a marriage set against a radically shifting nation plunging into revolution. This is a mix of history, spirituality, and harsh reality that will keep the reader turning the pages.

In a debut novel, Safe from the Sea, author Peter Geye (24.95, Unbridled Books) tells the story of a father-son relationship set in Duluth, Michigan, when a man returns home to help is ailing father. They have been estranged for many years that began when is father survived the sinking of his Great Lakes ore boat during the son’s youth. When Noah, the son, arrives it is evident that his father is not just ill, but dying. Noah has found solace with his wife, Natalie, who decides to leave Boston and join him. This is a character-driven story and one that demonstrates the power of memory and the bonds of blood, a story of love and hope. A very different story is found in Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman ($25.95, Vanguard Press) when 13-year-old Lainey Emerson, a middle child in a home that local police are already familiar with. When she fails to return home from a night with friends her disappearance is dismissed by the Coral Springs PD as just another runaway child, but Special Agent Bobby Dees of the department’s Crimes Against Children squad thinks otherwise. He has a knack for finding lost children and his search reveals a secret Internet relationship. Dees suspects an online predator is at large and determines to find what turns out to be a prolific killer. Substitute Me, a novel by Lori L. Tharps ($15,99 Atria Books, softcover) explores the hidden world of intimate relationships in a story about an African-American 30-year-old college dropout returns to her hometown of Ann Arbor, Michigan and is pressured by her upper-middle-class parents to do something useful with her life. She moves to New York and takes a job with a white professional couple of the same age, Kate and Brad Carter, to look after their young son, Oliver. Intent on merely making rent money, she soon becomes attached to Oliver becoming a true substitute for the boy’s mother and a part of the household in ways she would never have imagined.

Other nations and other worlds are the backdrop for two softcover novels. In the Blue Nude award-winning novelist, Elizabeth Rosner, ($15.00, Gallery Books) examines the complex and haunting relationship between an artist born in the shadow of postwar Germany and his muse, the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor. Once a prominent painter, Danzig now teaches at San Francisco’s Art Institute. When he meets Merav, a beautiful Israeli who models for his class, he senses she may be the spark to reignite his artistic passion and skills. Merav has moved to California to escape the violence in the Middle East, but Danzig’s former home evokes her fears of the past. Together, they must examine their own and shared histories. Swedish crime fiction is the genre at which Ake Edwardson excells. In The Shadow Woman ($15.00, Penguin Books) he provides a highly anticipated second installment of his Inspector Erik Winter series. It is, as you might imagine, filled with suspense, told in a satisfying blend of Nordic ambience and cosmopolitan style. Winter is in his waning bachelor days when he must cut short a vacation when a woman is found murdered with no means of identification. A cryptic blood-red symbol at the crime scene identifies the murder as the mark of an enigmatic killer. All this is set against a world of Swedish biker gangs and a massive war between them that ripped through Scandinavia in the mid-nineties. It is a gripping story.

That’s it for October! Be sure to tell all your book-loving friends and family members about Bookviews, a monthly report on the best in fiction and non-fiction. And come back in November for even more great reading.

Bookviews - August 2010

By Alan Caruba

My Picks of the Month

There’s no debate that North Korea is the classic “rogue nation”, making nuclear weapons and missiles for sale to anyone that has the price. Ruled by dictators, now into the second generation, reading anything good about the place is rare. You will, however, find it in Eating With the Enemy: How I Waged Peace with North Korea From my BBQ Shack in Hackensack by Bobby Egan and Kurt Pitzer ($25.95, St. Martin’s Press). It is the story of how Egan who was involved with the issue of POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War era caught the eye of government officials along with his Vietnamese contact, Le Quang Khai during a time when Vietnam was trying to normalize relations with the U.S. in the early 1990s. What occurred next with North Korea, however, was unprecedented. Khai talked to the North Korean consulate about Egan and recommended they get to know him. It led to a meeting with North Korean consul Han Song Ryol and an amazing friendship was forged over the course of a decade. Egan accomplished a great deal over the years using his gift for friendship. His story suggests that the effort can accomplish much even in the face of longstanding hostilities between the two nations. The World for Ransom by D.R. Burgess ($26.00, Prometheus Books) looks at the rise of piracy along the Somali coast. A jurist and historian, he argues a case for linking piracy and terrorism that goes much deeper than just the headlines. It may offer civilized society the key to fighting international terrorism if terrorists were defined as pirates. It would eliminate the current maze of legal restrictions that hampers the prosecution of both pirates and terrorists. For anyone interested in the legal aspects of dealing with terrorism, this makes for some very interesting reading.

If science is your area of interest, you might consider reading Absolutely Small: A Layman’s guide to the Miraculous Realm of Quantum Theory that Explains Our Everyday World. Written by Dr. Michael D. Fayer, PhD, ($24.00, Amacom) it looks at everyday realities we take for granted and how physics attempts to explain them. Why are blueberries blue and oranges orange? Why does white-hot molten lava look red while the sun appears yellow? Most quantum physicists can only provide answers that will make your hair catch on fire, but Dr. Fayer has the gift of explaining the complex in a way that is completely accessible and, happily for me, free of math. This is an intriguing and excellent book that unravels the mysteries of nature and life around us. Those who keep an eye on such things believe that Iceland is in for a major volcanic eruption that could make the most recent one small by comparison. If such things interest you, pick up a copy of Volcano: Iceland’s Inferno and the Earth’s Most Active Volcanoes ($19.95, National Geographic, softcover), edited by Ellen J. Prager with a foreword by Marcia K. McNutt, Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Despite the claims that humans are altering the atmosphere and causing climate change (they’re not), even the most disinterested observer knows instinctively that the powers of the Earth are so much more vast that the claims are absurd. Volcanoes are living testimony to that and, an eruption in Iceland could transform the weather of the northern hemisphere as it spews enormous amounts of chemicals and cloud-filled particulates into the atmosphere. The other major volcanoes are examined with a reminder of what occurred when Mount Pinatubo altered the climate for years after its eruption.

Amil Imani’s new book, Obama Meets Ahmadinejad uses satire to reveal some fundamental truths about these two men. Ahmadinejad, of course, is the president of Iran and so hated there that crowds filled the streets to protest. Iran is the classic Islamic nation that uses brutality and oppression against its own people. Imani’s book ($17.95, Free American Press, softcover) has already been hailed by some of the leading voices warning against the Islamic threat to freedom and liberty. They include Robert Spencer, the author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades; Dr. Wafa Sultan, author of “A God Who Hates”; and Dr. Ali Sina, the author of “Understanding Muhammad and founder of FaithFreedom.org. It is available directly from his website, http://www.amilimani.com, or from Amazon.com. Amani, born in Iran, is an American with deep insights regarding Islam. He has been warning Americans and others around the world about the threat the present Iranian regime represents to its own people, the Middle East, and global peace. I add my voice to those recommending it. For those who want to delve into Islam, Ibn Warraq, the author of “Why I am Not a Muslim” has had a collection of his essays, Virgins? What Virgins?, published ($19.00, Prometheus Books) that are insightful, controversial, and frequently witty. He discusses the totalitarian nature of contemporary political Islam and explores whether there is any prospect for a reformation comparable to the Protestant Reformation in the West. Indeed, one essay is titled, “Why the West is Best.” One really needs to read this and comparable books to truly understand the threat to western civilization that Islam poses.

Britain continues to produce some great literature, art and entertainment. A case in point was the television series, “Prime Subject”, starring Helen Mirren. I watched every episode in the 1990s when it was aired and am delighted that Prime Suspect: The Complete Collection will debut in September in a 9-disc set of feature length mysteries as well as a 50-minute behind-the-scenes special ($124.99, Acorn Media.) The tenacious, driven, and flawed main character, Detective Jane Tennison, has risen through the ranks, solving some awful crimes while battling office sexism and her own demons. Mirren is an Oscar® and Emmy ® winner, and her performance in this series is testimony to her extraordinary talent. For sheer viewing pleasure, this is worth having in your own collection of great drama or as a great gift. Since the 1950s when I discovered the poetry of Dylan Thomas, I have often taken a collection of his poems from the bookshelf to read again and again. They are magical and totally unique. Along the way I have read biographies of the man, memoirs of his last trip to New York in 1953 where he died from what was medically deemed an “alcoholic insult” to the brain. His personal life was messy. A drunkard, he was married, the father of a son, Colm, and a daughter, Aeronwy. She took ten years to set her memories of him to paper, starting with the move her parents made to a boathouse in the small Welsh village of Laugharne when she was six. She would become her father’s literary executor, a writer and poet in her own right. In 2009 she passed away just before the British publication of My Father’s Places. The American edition will be officially published in September by Skyhorse Publishing ($19.95). For those who love his poetry and other writings, this book fills in a missing piece of the puzzle that was Dylan Thomas

I have always been fond of books that contain information in a compact presentation that would be difficult to acquire otherwise. Such is Nathan Belofsky’s The Book of Strange and Curious Legal Oddities ($13.95, Perigee, softcover). There are those, including myself, who think there are just too many laws being passed, burdening enterprise and individuals without good reason. This entertaining book is proof of that as it reveals a plethora of often idiotic laws such as the one in 2006 that got a Brooklyn man sentenced to 5 to 11 years in jail for killing a goldfish. Reaching back in history, it is astonishing how frequently the death penalty was the choice for almost any infraction. The creation of writing, first on stone tablets, papyrus, and printing led to the publication of many laws, many of which dealt with crimes common to the modern times, but whose punishment was draconian. The proliferation of laws has led to the increase in lawyers, but the book does demonstrate that humans have long striven for order in society. Entertaining in a totally bizarre way is People of Walmart: Shop and Awe by Luke Wherry, Adam and Andrew Kipple ($12.95, Sourcebooks, softcover), due out in September. It is page after page of photos of people who shop there wearing and doing very strange things in such a public place. Every page makes you wonder whatever possessed these people to even leave the house. Weird tattoos. Weirder haircuts. Still weirder clothes. It would make a great gift for the Walmart shopper in your life.

Getting Down to Business

The paralysis that has seized the economy, accompanied by the massive government spending we’re told will get us out of it has forced Americans to seriously question what some economists, particularly those writing for mainstream publications, keep telling us. Most people know that, if you’re in debt, the first thing to do is stop spending, cut back on expenses, and begin saving as much money as possible. I am sure most people would be astonished to learn that, over the past twenty years, Americans have purchased $6 trillion more in goods from other nations than we have sold to them. This is just one of the many facts to be found in Ian Fletcher’s book, Free Trade Doesn’t Work, What Should Replace It and Why ($24.95, U.S. Business & Industry Council, Washington, D.C., softcover). Normally, reading anything dealing with economics makes my eyes glaze over, but Fletcher provides a lively look at the realities of why the U.S. is in such a terrible place economically. Primarily, we are not manufacturing goods as we once did and, when we do the work is often outsourced to nations like China and India, for assembling here. The result is fewer jobs for Americans, less tax revenue for the nation, and a trade deficit. Any time trade is discussed in terms of protecting U.S. industries, some people cry “protectionism”, but the fact is that other nations practice it all the time. Free trade is a misnomer. Letting your global competitors beat your brains out is a very bad idea. I recommend this excellent analysis. I only hope those in power and executives responsible for making decisions for American companies will read this excellent book. The place to go is http://www.freetradedoesntwork.com.

Financial Serial Killers: Inside the World of Wall Street Money Hustlers, Swindlers, and Con Men seems ripped from today’s headlines and it is surely interesting reading ($24.95, Skyhorse Publishing). Tom Ajamie and Bruce Kelly note that, in the fiscal year 2009, the FBI saw a 105% increase in new high-yield investment fraud investigations compared to 2008; 314 such cases versus 154. Many involved losses exceeding $100 million. The authors identify the warning signs and strategies that perpetrators of fraud use to scam average Americans out of their life savings. Ajamie is an attorney who has recovered hundreds of millions from fraudulent individuals, corporations, and organized crime organizations. Kelly is the news editor for Investment News and provides true stories of people who have been scammed, explaining how they could have avoided their losses. The problem is, like Bernie Madoff, some con artists can have good reputations. The book is full of good advice to save you from financial fraud. You’re not too young or too old to read this book. Another book for people trying to figure out survival in these hard times is If I’m So Smart…Where Did All My Money Go? Balancing Your Financial Objectives for Lasting Wealth by Doug Warshauer ($24.95, CFMB Books, Morton Grove, IL). The author looks, for example, at why so many people bought homes they couldn’t afford with mortgages they couldn’t pay? Also, why people with good salaries can’t seem to put money aside at the end of the month in savings or an investment account? The book is about financial stability for families, individuals, and senior citizens. Using a fictional financial seminar, he explains his recommendations through the stories of ten people attending it. If this is a problem with which you are grappling, this book will prove helpful.

Anyone hiring the “linkster generation”, born after 1995, knows they are quite different from their predecessors such as Generation Y, born 1981 to 1995, and earlier ones such as Generation X and, of course, the Baby Boomers. All require special handling and skills. Happily, Meagan Johnson and her dad, Larry Johnson, have written Generations, Inc. ($16.95, Amacom, softcover) to provide the key to understanding the different comfort levels and expectation of these very different generations. The book addresses the need to create cross-generational alliances, reconcile disparate values, and different work styles. Today’s manager may find themselves managing great talent from five or more generations and each has different approaches to the workplace. When I started in the workplace there were no cell phones, ipods, or computers. This old dog had to learn new skills and use new technology. I am in the “traditional generation”, but many of the Baby Boomer generation, 1946-1964, intend to stay on past retirement age and they work well with others, but are experiencing age discrimination. Those in Generation Y cannot even imagine being that old! A lot of folks are trying to navigate through the new world of “social media” in order to use it more effectively to grow their business. Sherrie A. Madia, PhD and Paul Borgese have written The Social Media Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Grow Your Business Exponentially with Social Media ($24.95, Full Court Press, an imprint of Base Communications, Voorhees, NJ). Here’s the lowdown on what Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube is all about. The authors offer advice on the best practices, pitfalls to avoid, and step-by-step strategies for creating smart social media campaigns. This is an excellent guide to the confusing new world of interactive websites, blogs, podcasts, social network sites, image and video-sharing e-communities, and so much more that is available to the savvy marketer. It no longer matters if you are a mom-and-pop operation or a big corporation. Knowing what choices to make and how to maximize social media to sell one’s product or service is still the bottom line. Little wonder that the one job category that is growing these days is that of social media manager!

Better Make It Real: Creating Authenticity in an Increasingly Fake World by Jill J. Morin, ($32.95, Praeger) addresses the increasing demand for trust and transparency from corporations in addition to the quality of their products and services. The headlines are testimony to that, but how does a company achieve that? Ms. Morin provides a guide that focuses on organizational authenticity as a company strives to assure its many stakeholders from employees to customers, vendors and other business partners. It’s not a destination. It’s a journey. She provides a roadmap stressing perception, people, products and services, and place. The Corporate Storyteller: A Writing Manual Style Guide for the Brave New Business Leader by Elaine Stirling ($13.95, Rising Star, softcover) takes a look at the way texting, emails, Facebook and Twitter has changed the way people communicate. Ms. Stirling says formal letters, thank you notes, and snail mail correspondence are all disappearing. Too often, however, hitting the send button before proofing and editing one’s message are frequent communication pitfalls. Too many business folk are fearful these days and this book will help eliminate that.

The Topic is Health & Happiness

Are you wondering how the new health care law will affect your life, your family, or your business? It’s not light reading, but Bad Medicine: A Guide to the Real Costs and Consequences of the New Health Care Law by Michael D. Tanner ($10, Cato Institute) is just over 50 pages of tightly written, well researched, and carefully footnoted bad news. It’s more a booklet than a book, but why quibble when you discover that Obamacare, as promised, does not achieve universal coverage, will cost more than $2.7 trillion over ten years of full implementation, will increase the cost of coverage for younger, healthier workers, and will increase taxes by more than $669 billion between now and 2019. My experience with Cato publications is that they are so well prepared that they are bulletproof to any charge of partisanship. Little wonder than surveys show that well over 65% of Americans want Obamacare repealed.

Judging from the news reports and ads on television, diabetes is on the rise. The disease is largely controlled with pharmaceutical insulin, but there was a time when that did not exist and many died as a result. Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle ($24.99, St Martins Press) by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsberg is set to officially be published in September so mark your calendar if you find reading medical history of interest. This book tells how, in 1918, Elizabeth Hughes, the daughter of Charles Evans Hughes, who would become a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was suffering from juvenile diabetes mellitus. At the time it was a virtual death sentence. However, in Toronto, a surgeon and his assistant had successfully purified insulin from animal pancreases and a little-known pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, would make insulin available. Elizabeth became one of the first to receive insulin injections. The whole story is fraught with drama due to scientific jealousies that nearly derailed the discovery along with intense business competition. I heartily recommend this book.

The Preemie Primer: A Complete Guide for Parents of Premature Babies—from Birth through the Toddler Years and Beyond is one of those titles that pretty much says it all as regards its contents ($16.95, Da Capo Press, softcover) and, for parents of premature babies it is “must” reading. Authored by Dr. Jennifer Gunter, MD, it reflects the fact that approximately five hundred thousands babies are born prematurely every year in the United States. Dr. Gunter provides a comprehensive resource that covers everything from delivery and hospitalization to issues involving preemie development. Virtually every aspect is covered in the book. In a similar fashion, Life Over Cancer by Dr. Keith I. Block, MD, is written by an author who, as medical director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Treatment in Evanston, Illinois, has treated thousands of patients who have gone onto to live full lives beyond their original prognosis. Now he has distilled almost thirty years of experience into the first book that gives patients a systematic, research-based plan for developing the physical and emotional vitality they need to meet the demands of treatment and recovery. For anyone encountering cancer in their lives, this too is “must” reading. Atypical: Life with Asperger’s in 20 1/3 Chapters by Jesse A. Saperstein ($14.95, Perigee, softcover) is an account of living with Asperger’s syndrome, the mildest form of autism. I frankly was totally unaware of this syndrome, largely because it has been stigmatized for so many years that little has been written or spoken of it. This memoir demystifies a condition that is characterized by repetitive routines or rituals, peculiarities in speech and language, and difficulties with empathy that lead to socially inappropriate behavior. Until 1994, it was not even recognized as a separate disorder. Those afflicted suffer from being teased or bullied because of their inability to fit in. The book is itself a triumph over the disorder and is worth reading just for its story. Indeed, you may recognize its symptoms in someone you know.

Seth David Chernoff faced death as a two-time cancer survivor and, as a result, he learned to experience the fullness of life. He shares that knowledge in A Manual for Living: Reality, a User’s Guide to the Meaning of Life ($15.95, Spirit Scope Publishing, softcover). With nearly fifty years of reviewing under my belt, I tend to steer clear of such books because, frankly, they come out every year in one form or another, but this one pulls no punches as Chernoff writes about the hard subjects of death, illness, fear, finding balance, a toxic environment, and our perception of what is real, our finances, and our need to accumulate things. He asks and answers questions we often ask about why are we always in a hurry? Are our physical ailments caused by frustration, anxiety or stress? And why is it such a challenge to maintain inner peace? Since life comes with no guarantees except an expiration date, it’s probably a good idea to learn how to find a measure of real happiness. I suspect the increase in books about how to live life fully has something to do with the horrid economic times that are imposing hardships on so many. Finding the Zone: A Whole New Way to Maximize Mental Potential by Gordon D. Lawrence ($19.00, Prometheus Books, softcover) discusses the mental attitude we feel when we excel at work or play. He suggests that our minds are actually wired from birth to achieve the zone, though we often do not experience it enough. Based on research on the mind, attitudes, and motivation, he offers advice on how to find your own zone. Not due out officially under November, Tapping the Source by a trio of authors ($17.95, Sterling) this book asserts that success in life results not just from random choice, predetermined fate, good connections, or even hard work. Many comparable books encourage people to overcome negative attitudes and habitual thoughts, but say the authors, they often create more frustration than fulfillment. This book teaches a pragmatic daily practice that offers a seven-step process to quiet one’s mind and tap into one’s inner strength. I do not know if it will work, but I suspect it will be of great help to those seeking peace of mind and a more meaningful life.

Books for Kids and Teens

This is the time for a trip to the beach and, for the pre-school and early readers, Sunny Bunnies by Margie Blumberg and illustrated beautifully by June Goulding ($15.95, MB Publishing) tells in rhyme the story of a family trip that is charming and a good way to prepare any youngster for his or her first trip. As the world continues to shrink thanks to the ease of communications and travel, children need to grasp not only how big it is, but also how modernization is making nations more alike in many ways. I See the Sun in China, written by Dedie King with illustrations by Judith Inglese, has both English and Mandarin Chinese text that is aimed at children 5 years and older ($12.95, Satya House Publicans, Hardwick, MA, softcover) as it relates a trip by a Chinese girl who, along with her family, visits her aunt in Shanghai, a gleaming city of commerce, the equal of any such city in the world. It is officially due for publican in October along with I See the Sun in Nepal. For the young reader, it is like spending a day in either place. I thoroughly enjoyed it and so will the younger set.

It’s written for ages 8-10 or thereabouts, any early reader, and it is hilarious. Clementine – Monkey Princess by Adam Knight and illustrated b y Nora Kay Golay ($11.95, Monkey Monkey Media, 552 12th St., Suite 101, Elko, NV 89801) Clementine is a very bright young girl who loves to climb things. Her dad nicknames her a Monkey Princess and the word got around. In fact, it reached a far off jungle where a group of monkeys decided they should have a Monkey Princess. A team of monkey commandos were dispatched to kidnap her! They immediately fell in love with her. Back home her parents were hot on her trail to the land of Flim. Much adventure ensues until she and her family return home. If you have a little monkey of your own at home, this book will keep him or her in stitches.

The Jewish new year celebration, Rosh Hashanah, arrives in September and Margie Blumberg, the author of the “Sunny Bunnies” series, teamed with illustrator, Laurie McGaw, to publish Avram’s Gift ($10.00, MB Publishing). It is the story of a young Jewish boy, Mark, growing up in America. A picture on the wall of his home; that of his great-great-grandfather, Avram, portrays a stern-looking man. When the family gathers to celebrate, he learns the story of this man as his grandfather answers his questions. He learns of the shofar, a ram’s horn, a gift passed from generation to the other and how each is linked to the past and to the ancient heritage of Judaism. Suffice to say, this is a story for a young Jew, but it is also every immigrant family’s story. As the High Holy days approach, it would make an ideal gift. For teen Christian girls, there’s a series from Revell called “His Princess” by Sheri Rose Shepherd intended to provide biblical insights regarding some of the questions that arise in a young girl’s life today. His Princess: Girl Talk with God ($14.99, Revell) contains devotional reading that serve as a guide to those in these age group.

From Heaven to Hell as in Hellfire: Plague of Dragons will satisfy the demand for fantasy stories, resplendent with excellent artwork. Written by Robert Weinberg from a story and artwork by Tom Wood ($19.95, Running Press) this thriller based on the period of the Black Death in Europe, is the story of a lost manuscript and art by a 14th century French wine merchant who was a confidant of popes and kings, Robertus of Avignon, who along with his brother Thomas and a loyal, brave band of soldiers, must deal with a pack of dragons. Wood’s work has sold millions of products since 2005. Weinberg, a prolific author, is a two-time winner of the World Fantasy Award, along with others. Though presumably aimed at teens, it would intrigue older readers as well. Elminster Must Die is a fantasy genre novel written by Ed Greenwood ($25.95, Wizards of the Coast). The book is part of The Saga of Shadowdale series and focuses on Elminster’s shattered world after the goddess of magic’s murder. Once the most powerful wizard in the world and the bane of villainy, Elminister is now a tired old man with a lot of enemies. Though the wizard is immortal, the author uses the story to explore what it means to grow old and nearly powerless. Any lover of fantasy of any age will thoroughly enjoy this story that debuts this month. It’s back to school next month and that’s the theme of Tianna Logan and the Salem Academy for Witchcraft Written by Timothy Craig Everhart ($22.00, American Book Publishing, softcover) it tells of how, after her parents are killed, Tainna is left in the care of her grandmother and enrolled in the Salem Academy for Witchcraft where adventure exists around every turn. She soon learns about the night her parents died and a book is discovered after being hidden in the academy and, surprise, it belongs to her. The story is filled with wonderful twists and turns that are sure to delight any young person who has read through all the Harry Potter novels and is yearning for more spooky stuff.

Novels geared to the younger set provide some fun summer reading, particularly for the girls. John Belushi Is Dead by Kathy Charles ($14.00, Gallery/MTV Books), a debut novel, offers an offbeat and unexpectedly moving story of two teenagers whose obsession with celebrity death begins to interfere with their lives. It follows pink-haired Hilda and her long friend, Benji, as they haunt the places where celebrities have died and, while their adventures begin as fun and games, neither can escape the danger and sadness inherent in their unusual hobby.

Teens have loved the debut series from Stephanie Morrill as have the identified with high school student, Skylar Hoyt and her struggle to discover who she is. So Over It ($ll.95, Revell) is the final book of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series. Eager to get away at the end of her senior year, she jumps at the change to spend the summer with her grandparents in Hawaii. Revell is a leading Christian book publisher and the story has a religious theme to it, but is essentially a coming-of-age story. Also from Revell, Perfectly Dateless by Kristin Billerbeck ($9.99) is about the countdown to the prom for Daisy Crispin in which she has 196 days to find the right date, but she has a problem. Her parents won’t let her data or even talk to a guy on the phone! She wears lame homemade clothes and possesses few social skills, so she has more than one problem. Can she turn her parents around? Can she enjoy one of the great rituals of teen life? You will have to read the book.
Novels, Novels, Novels!

There are so many novels being published these days that it takes a superhuman effort to keep up with them all. Here are just a few that have arrived at Bookviews.

Following up his debut with 8 in the Box, Raffi Yessayan is back with a terrific cop thriller, 2 in the Hat ($25.00, Ballantine Books). The author knows the Boston crime scene having formerly been the chief prosecutor of the elite Gang Unit in Boston’s Suffolk County District Attorney’s office. Now he is practicing criminal defense law and writing novels that portray a stark gripping portrait of law enforcement professionals on the job and under the gun. The title comes from cop lingo for “two shots to the head.” The novel focuses on a major spike in gang homicides that has the city on edge. When a pair of students is bizarrely slain, homicide detective Angel Alves suspects there’s a serial killer on the loose. His partner agrees, noting similarities to the work of the Prom Night Killer whose unsolved crimes are a decade old. This is the kind of book you cannot put down once you begin to read it.

James King tells a very different story in Bill Warrington’s Last Chance ($24.95, Viking) about the main character’s desire to make things right with his long-estranged children before a recently diagnosed disease takes its toll. His children, however, have their own issues. One is trying to raise her headstrong teenage daughter on her own while another is unable to move on with his life after his wife’s death. A third’s self-absorbed philandering threats his career and family. To get their attention, he kidnaps his 15-year-old granddaughter, April, who is a willing accomplice, eager to escape her mother. This is a compelling multigenerational saga told with humor, compassion, and considerable insight to a wounded family’s dynamics.

I love history and when a novel incorporates it well it makes an entertaining read. This is the case of Tiberius Julius Alexander by Daniel M. Friedenberg ($22.00, Prometheus Books) that reconstructs the conflicted life of a figure from ancient Jewish history. Mentioned by Flavius Josephus, a historian in the days when Rome ultimately tired of Jewish resistance and destroyed Jerusalem, Tiberius was a real person, the son of a pious Jew living in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. He, however, was not interested in his heritage and became an apostate, joining the ranks of the Roman army, devoting himself to a career as a soldier in military and civil service. Friedenberg uses what is known of Tiberius’s real life and times to serve up a fictional memoir that brings to life Roman society in the Near East of the first century with all its luxurious refinements, brutal realities, competing religious cults, and social unrest.

Let’s take a stroll through the stacks of softcover novels. It’s likely the theme of one or more of these books will catch your interest. One that leaps off the stack is The Breaking of Eggs by Jim Powell ($15.00, Penguin Books). A debut novel, it is the story of the curmudgeonly Feliks Zhokovski, Polish by birth, Communist at heart, who at age 61 finds that everything on which his life is based is crumbling. It is 1991 and the Berlin Wall as fallen and Communism has collapsed. What unfolds includes a reunion with a brother in Ohio he hasn’t seen in fifty years and much more to fill the empty vessel that his life had become. Also set in foreign shores is The Debba by Avner Mandelman ($14.95, Other Press). In Middle East lore, the Debba is a mythical Arab hyena that can turn into a man who lures Jewish children away from their families to teach them the language of beasts. It is also the name of a play by the main character’s father that was staged just once in Haifa in 1946, causing a riot. The year is 1977 and David Starkman, his son, has renounced his Israeli citizenship and is living in Canada when he learns of his father’s gruesome murder. He returns to Israel to settle his father’s affairs only to learn his father’s will demands the play be staged within 45 days of his death. What unfolds is filled with dark forces as the novel barrels toward its shocking climax.

Murder and mayhem are major themes of novels. Here are a few that tap into them.

Murder in the Hamptons by Danita Carter ($15.00, Atria Books, division of Simon and Schuster) brings the worlds of music, money, and murder together when a rapper and his unruly crew move into an elite community in the Hamptons where Coco Beach is a private enclave of black society snobs are incensed when a rapper moves in. When the sister of TuSmArt is founding floating face down in the bay, the police deem her death a suicide, but he knows better and vows to find her killer. Dead in the Dregs by Peter Lewis ($14.95, Counterpoint) is set in northern California’s wine country where renowned wine critic, Richard Wilson, makes a living elevating and destroying winemaker’s reputation with the stroke of a pen. When he disappears after a Napa Valley wine tasting it is not long before his body is founding floating in a vat at Norton’s Winery. What a way to go! His sister enlists the help of her ex-husband to hunt for the killer and, while the police work to quickly clear the case, the trail begins to fade. The trail leads all the way to Burgundy, France. My late Mother, an international authority on wine would have loved this novel. Cadger’s Curse by Diane Gilbert Madsen ($14.95, Midnight Ink Books) is a debut novel with an interesting back story. Hired by a software giant in Chicago to vet some new trainees who need top security clearance, freelance insurance investigator, DD McGil arrives at headquarters to find her brother-in-law is dead. Her investigation reveals the trainees’ strange connections, industrial espionage, and a counterfeiting operation that threatens the world economy. At the same time, her Scottish aunts arrives for the holidays with what might be a long-lost, unpublished Robert Burns manuscript. It is authentic? Meanwhile, the murders pile up!

Stephen J. Harper’s novel, The Partnership, (Borealis Books) reminds us of why we love John Grisham novels involving lawyers. This one is a legal thriller that involves the behind-the-scenes of a large law firm with elements of a power struggle, some insider trading, with a dash of twisted romance and a friendship that turns horribly sour. The author draws on his own three decades as a lawyer. Having joined the firm as law student associates and clawed their way to the top, the two attorneys have become arch rivals and any trace of idealism they might have had is long gone as they compete for the premier position on the executive committee and the affections of a beautiful woman. Mystery and thriller readers will get their money’s worth with this novel. An entirely different story can be found in Sweetwater Burning by Heather Sharfeddin ($15.00, Bantam Books) that is set in the small Idaho town of Sweetwater. It is there that Chas McPherson tends his sheep and keeps to himself. Honoring his familial ties, he hires a home-care nurse to help care for his elderly father in his last days. Mattie Holden arrives and makes her place in the home just as trouble ensues when the home of the town’s lone Muslim family is burned on Christmas Eve and the town begins to point a finger at Chas. It is up to Sheriff Edelson, new to Sweetwater, to untangle the strange stories about the McPherson men and, in particular, Chas’ father, Franklin, a long time minister believed to be able to look into people’s souls. This is definitely not your standard novel, but it is a compelling story.

Finally, there's a coming-of-age novel Ticket To Ride by Philip Scott Wikel ($8.95, Julian Day Design, available via Amazon,com). Set in the 1970s, it is filled with allusions to literary and rock’n roll classics as Morgan and Livy move from being innocent 17-year-olds to becoming fully realized adults. This is an interesting look at an era that included the Vietnam War, the “sexual revolution”, and a wide distrust of politicians, the government, organized religion, and anything considered part of the “establishment.”

That’s it for August! Tell all your book-loving friends and family about Bookviews. You can even sign up to be a “Follower” of this monthly report on the best in non-fiction and fiction. It’s back to school time next month and Labor Day signals a new business cycle after the summer months. Lots of great new books on the way (some mentioned in this month’s report).