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I must confess I look forward to The Old Farmer’s Almanac each year. The 2009 edition ($5.99) debuted September 9, filled with weather forecasts, and tons of predictions for the year ahead. It made headlines with the prediction that, not only will this winter be cooler than normal, but that the Earth is moving into a long term “extreme” cooling cycle. It is truly filled with scads of interesting data and articles. Also available is the Weather Watchers 2009 Calendar, one of several available from this publisher that began operations in 1792! How many read it? At least 18.5 million and counting! To learn more, visit www.Almanac.com. With the start of a new school year, one of the great scandals of our time is the subject of the Diseasing of America’s Children: Exposing the ADHD Fiasco and Empowering Parents to Take Back Control by John Rosemond, MS, and Bose Ravenel, MD ($24.99, Thomas Nelson). For too many years, perfectly normal children have been diagnosed with ADHD and, pushed by teachers and psychologists, required to take potentially harsh drugs like Ritalin to turn them into mind-numbed zombies who would not be “a problem” in class. Written by a family psychologist and a pediatrician, this book reveals that attention-deficit, hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, and the so-called early-onset bipolar disorder lack any verifiable evidence to support a diagnosis. Doping children with behavioral drugs may make the teacher’s job easier, but it may have long term consequences for the children subjected to this regimen. Parents have to fight back against schools that implement such programs to protect their children. This book provides the ammunition to do so.
Election campaigns usually produce books by or about the candidates. In the case of John McCain, he has authored two from previous campaigns and Barack Obama has written two memoirs, plus a book about his policy proposals. Sen. Obama’s problem, however, is that he has evoked a number of investigative books in which he does not fare well. Last month I noted Dr. Jerome Corsi’s bestseller Obama Nation and this month there’s Brad O’Leary’s The Audacity of Deceit ($25.95, WND Books) charging that Obama’s rhetoric “hides the frontal assault on American values and traditions.” Based on data from the Obama campaign and other sources, he makes a strong case. Last time I checked, there were eight books about Sen. Obama!
Some years ago I read A Patriot’s History of the United States by Prof. Larry Schweikart. It was a refreshing review that overturned the many politically correct and distorted stories about our nation’s history. The problem, as he saw it then was that these errors and deceptions are part of almost every book of history used to teach our nation’s children in elementary, middle, and high schools. He’s back with 48 Liberal Lies About American History (That You probably Learned in School) ($24.95, Sentinel, an imprint of Penguin Group USA). I must confess I dislike the title. It is deliberately partisan and that may reflect the way conservatively oriented books outsell those with a liberal outlook. I might have called it something else, but there is no denying the distorted history that Prof. Schweikart identifies and debunks. For example, the first Presidents of the U.S. were not isolationists; quite the contrary. Then there’s the myth that women had no rights in early America or that Prohibition was initially unpopular. I think any parent who wants his child to learn the truth would find this book an eye-opener as it reveals the way their textbooks deliberately distort U.S. history. One of the great figures of our history is President Theodore Roosevelt and David Fromkin has written The King and the Cowboy: Theodore Roosevelt and Edward the Seventh, Secret Partners ($25.95, The Penguin Press). Fromkin examines the alliance of two extraordinary figures who, in the first years of the last century, played a surprisingly essential role in the worldwide events of the 20th century. Neither was expected to succeed as a leader. Roosevelt became President as the result of McKinley’s assassination and was thought to be a lightweight and loose cannon. Edward was widely regarded as a playboy when he inherited the throne. History would disprove the experts of that time. Central to the theme, it was an international conference in 1906 that allied the U.S. and European powers with Britain to restrain Germany’s expansionist goals. This book is available as well from Tantor Media of Old Saybrook, CT as an audio book ($29.99, 5 CDs). Americans have always been fascinated by those who have made their fortunes here and some of the early ones were colorful characters indeed. Tycoon’s War: How Cornelius Vanderbilt Invaded a Country to Overthrow America’s Most Famous Military Adventurer by Stephen Dando-Collins ($26.00, Da Capo Press) would make a great movie. When Vanderbilt was betrayed by his business partners in 1853, he declared he would not sue them because “the law is too slow. I will ruin you.” Barely three years later he would face financial ruin at the hands of William Walker, a doctor-turned-lawyer-turned soldier of fortune. He was determined to conquer Central America in the name of American expansionism, a move that threatened Vanderbilt’s most profitable shipping company. How Vanderbilt fought back is a great chapter in U.S. history.
In the seventh decade of the last century, America was trying to extricate itself from a war in Vietnam that was a classic Cold War conflict. On January 17, 1973, the Paris Peace Accords were concluded, but what followed was an all-out offensive by the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong to end the war with a complete victory. Goodnight Saigon by Charles Henderson ($15.50, Berkley Caliber, softcover) tells the story as seen through the eyes of Americans, as well as NVA and Viet Cong soldiers of those fateful days. Anyone who fought that war or lived through it will find this book to be fascinating reading. The Civil War continues to claim the interest of countless Americans who are history buffs and surely Webb Garrison’s Civil War Dictionary ($16.95, Cumberland House, softcover) will please them. It is a collection of the everyday language, the words and phrases, of soldiers and civilians of that era. The product of some three decades of research, it fills a unique niche in Civil War history. In the summer of 1654, two of Europe’s greatest mathematicians, Pascal and Fermat, had a brief exchange of letters, exploring the problem of “the unfinished game” which asks how the stakes should be divided when a game of several rounds must be abandoned before it’s finished. One of the letters represented one of the most profound advancements in the history of mathematical thought because it brought about the way humans think about the future and make numerical calculations to predict aspects of it. Out of this came “probability theory” which affects nearly every aspect of our lives, including business, politics, defense, warfare, science, engineering, finance, et cetera! The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the Seventeenth Century Letter that Made the World Modern by Keith Devlin ($24.95, Basic Books) captures that moment in time and reveals how it opened the door to our modern era.
Let’s stick with a show business theme a bit. Short and Sweet: The Life and Times of the Lollipop Munchkin by Jerry Maren ($24.95, Cumberland House Publishing, softcover) is a delightful memoir by a film and television star well known to several generations for the many roles he played, but guaranteed immortality for having been one of The Wizard of Oz “Munchkins” who help Dorothy begin her journey back to Kansas via Oz. Just over three feet tall, the teenager was recruited from Boston by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios to be in the film. At age 61 he shares his life as a performer who toured with the USO during World War II, starred as Buster Brown on television in the 1950s, and rubbed shoulders with stars from Jimmy Steward to Jerry Seinfeld. In between he recounts stories of Jimmy Durante, Lucille Ball, Edgar Bergen, including an appearance at the White House dressed as Freddy the Frog! Every page is adorned with photos of a long career. Anyone with an interest in show business will enjoy this book. From the same publisher comes River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved by his son, Jeffrey Buckner Ford ($26.95). In 1954, Ford broke into television on I Love Lucy as Lucy Ricordo’s cousin Ernie. The next year, his rendition of “Sixteen Tons” became the fastest-selling single in the history of the recording business. His own TV show on NBC, from 1956 through 1961, made him a familiar and welcome personality in 30 million homes every week. His son recalls those heady days and tells the story of the price Ford’s family paid for that fame. It tells the story of the complex and beautiful woman with whom Ford fell in love and married. His fans and those who enjoy show business memoirs will surely enjoy this heartfelt and sometimes heart rendering story of a man who walked away from fame at the height of his career to try to save his family from its demands. Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran ($26.99, Grand Central Publishing) tells the inside story of how this highly successful band of the 1980s imploded and it does so from the point of view of Andy Taylor, the enigmatic lead guitarist. He joined the band in 1980 and, in the five years that followed, the band would have ten top UK singles and two number one singles in the U.S. By 1985, the wild ride was over, but the group has since sold 100 million records worldwide. Taylor, from the vantage point of the years since then, tells a compelling story of what it was like to experience such fame and success. From Indiana University Press come two excellent biographies of popular musicians, Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan ($19.95 each) that focus on the body of work of both singer-songwriters. Ironically, the two books are written by British authors, Dai Griffiths of Oxford and Keith Negus of London. Both are professors of music, so while they write about the lives of the performers, their interest is the music they produced.
More serious themes are addressed in Labor of Love: A Midwife’s Memoir by Cara Muhlhahn ($29.95, Kaplan Publishing). The author, a certified nurse-midwife, shares her personal story while providing an insider’s look at natural childbirth in the home setting. From her formative adolescent experiences, to the home birth of her own son, to engaging accounts of her 30-year-long experiences of midwifery, she has participated in the birth of more than 700 babies while also enjoying a life as a single mom, a jazz singer, salsa dancer, and world traveler. At the other end of life’s spectrum is a memoir by Joan Wickersham, The Suicide Index: Putting My Father’s Death in Order ($25.00, Harcourt Inc.) a boldly original and moving account of her experience with her father’s sudden suicide in 1991. For anyone who has experienced this tragic loss of a loved one, this book will prove a helpful guide to dealing with the emotions that surround the loss and how to heal from it. Though it is hard to believe, every year in America there are twice as many suicides as murders. This book is already garnering many tributes and with good reason. In the hands of a skilled author and writer, this book will be a healing experience for those who share this experience. Suicide is not confined to adults. Every two hours a young person, aged 15 to 22, commits suicide. Up to 15% of people afflicted with bipolar disorder commit suicide. Elizabeth Nelson lived with severe depression for over twenty years and tells her story in Brain Matters ($29.95/$19.95, hard and softcover, distributed by Outskirts Press, available on Amazon.com.) This is the story of numerous electroshock treatments and the pain she endured. Throughout she kept 40 notebooks and her book provides information on the seven types of illness, the history of psychiatry, psychotherapy, substance abuse, and of getting help and recovery. It is one woman’s journey, but it is also the journey of so many others. It offers help and hope to others who share her story. Another book, Remains of a Cloud by Ruth Cohen ($19.95, Millennial Mind Publishing, Salt Lake City, UT, softcover) addresses manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder. It is due out officially in November and is the story of the author’s thirty-year long struggle and how, with the help of medicine and psychotherapy, she is now free of all the symptoms that afflict those with this terrible problem. As the author notes, a lot of people do not believe that mental illnesses are “real” illnesses, but her account dispels this and, for anyone who has this illness, is related to or knows someone with it, the book is filled with many valuable insights regarding it. This book has already garnered much praise. Courageous Journey: Walking the Lost Boy’s Path from the Sudan to America by Ayel Leek Deng, Beny Ngor Chol, and Barbara Youree ($24.95, New Horizon Press) will tell you more about the terrorism perpetrated by radical Islamic groups, the crisis in Darfur, and the struggle for control over oil reserves. It is the harrowing story of two boys who were determined not to become another statistic among the thousands of displaced children who lost their families to the horrors of Darfur in the Sudan. Together they walked for months across barren land, menaced by starvation, disease, wild animals and gunfire. For more than a decade the world and, in particular, the United Nations has done little to intervene in one of the great tragedies of modern times. Even the relief camps were no sanctuary from a brutal enemy. This is Africa and the Sudan civil war at its worst. This book will open your eyes to an implacable enemy and hopefully serve to put an end to the evil they continue to do. A further reminder of evil is Escaping North Korea by Mike Kim ($24.95, Rowman & Littlefield) which is subtitled “Defiance and Hope in the World’s Most Repressive Country.” This book provides a look into the hidden world of ordinary North Koreans. The author, who worked with refugees on the Chinese border for four years, recounts their experiences of enduring famine, sex-trafficking, and torture. These are people who risked everything to escape that criminal nation known as the “Hermit Kingdom.” Kim chronicles the way this repressive regime uses brainwashing tactics and its extensive gulag system. Nor should we ever forget the most vicious chapter of the last century, the Holocaust. In Scheisshaus Luck: Surviving the Unspeakable in Auschwitz and Dora by Pierre Berg with Brian Brock ($24.95, Amacom) we can visit that dark chapter through the life of Pierre Berg who, at age 18, was just a cocky kid riding his bicycle around Nice, France, with dreams of owning a shop. Then he was arrested by the Nazis. His “crime” wasn’t being Jewish. It was bad timing. He visited a friend at the same time the SS was searching for him. This, like so many of the survivors, is testimony to what can happen when a total authoritarian regime is in power. He was one of the most celebrated of the “Beat” generation of poets and The Letters of Allen Ginsberg as edited by Bill Morgan ($30.00, Da Capo Press) will surely interest anyone who read his work. The book contains more than 125 letters never before published as he corresponded with contemporaries such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Ken Kesey and a host of others of that era. My late Mother was a fabulous cook who taught culinary arts for over thirty years and authored two cookbooks, so naturally I take an interest in them. A number of new cookbooks by Cumberland House Publishers have arrived of late, so let’s take a look.
Michelle Ann Anderson, the winner of the 47th annual National Chicken Cooking Contest, has authored The Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook ($16.95, softcover) and if there anything I love more than rotisserie chicken (other than a juicy steak), I don’t know what it is. This book offers nearly 200 recipes for all kinds of ways to turn chicken into appetizers, sandwiches and wraps, salads, soups, entrees, and casseroles, plus some ideas for breakfast and brunch. For the health conscious, it doesn’t get better than this because high protein quality chicken is an invaluable part of anyone’s diet. Lastly from Cumberland House comes Camilla V. Soulsbury’s Enlightened Cakes ($22.95) that cuts the fat and ups the flavor. Yes, you can still enjoy a Triple-Tiered Chocolate Fudge Cake or Dulce de Leche Layor Cake. These are just two of more than a hundred cakes, cupcakes, cheesecakes, and more, all with less fat and fewer calories. Go! Enjoy! Getting Down to Business (Books) I often wonder if the people who actually read books on various business topics find success faster than others? Logically, they should. Virtually every kind of management and sales problem one can expect to encounter has a book devoted to it. Others provide insight to what the future may hold. I loved Phony! How I Faked My Way Through Life by Andrea Stanfield ($16.95, Prometheus Books, softcover) because it is her true story of telling a lie in 1998 that got her hired by a Florida engineering firm’s accounting department. She claimed to have a bachelors degree when, in truth, she only had a high school diploma. What followed was a very successful professional life because, despite her lack of college, she had smarts, native intelligence. As she made her way to another firm and up the corporate ladder, she eventually became the manager of the two largest financial districts in a firm. Still in her thirties, she oversaw twenty offices and forty employees. In the end, she just didn’t want to live with the succession of lies required to justify her otherwise outstanding job performance. Today, she’s a certified dog trainer and, I suspect, a lot happier.
Having seen a number of hurricanes threaten the U.S. last month, it might be a good time to pick up a copy of Risk and Security Management: Protecting People and Sites Worldwide by Michael Blyth ($75.00, John Wiley & Sons). As you might suspect from the price, this is not a quick, light look at the subject. It is, in fact, a relevant and timely book that provides practical instruction regarding the need to assess risk and implement protection of a company’s assets to safeguard its people and facilities. We live now in an era of terrorism and many companies are pushing into areas that should be considered hazardous; places like Mexico City, and nations like Libya. The author is a former major in the Royal Marine Commandoes and has 18 years experience as a consultant for a global security and risk management company. In a risky world, this book teaches how to mitigate and reduce risk. What sets this book above others on its topic is its emphasis on programs that avoid the waste of time, effort, and resources. Create Marketplace Disruption: How to Stay Ahead of the Competition by Adam Hartung ($27.99, FT Press) is a more conventional book on a business topic, taking note of the troubled economy and the way companies like Apple, Cisco, Virgin and Nike are “constantly disrupting in response to market change by releasing new technology, implementing new business models or changing how customers buy.” The book asks and answers the question, “What causes these companies to achieve above average results and lasting profits while others fade or die?” The author brings considerable experience to the topic saying essentially that while competitors are likely to become locked-in to practices that have worked in the past, breaking out of one’s own lock-step and innovating new ways of doing business can reap profits and growth. Apparently this is a popular notion these days because Clayton M. Christensen, along with Curtis W. Johnson and Michael B. Horn have written Disrupting Class ($32.95, McGraw-Hill). Since the success of all enterprises will depend on how well we are educating youth today and since everyone agrees we’re doing a poor job of it, the authors warn that the system’s failures will have an ill effect unless we begin to compete effectively with other nations doing a far better job. Beyond just calling for reform, the book pinpoints the major flaw, the tendency toward standardization in teaching and learning, and offers a viable alternative, customized instructional methods that appeal to the individual learning styles and educational preferences of a diverse student population. This is not a “business” book per se, but it has vast implications for the ability of American business to compete in a fast approaching future. Business these days is global in nature and Le Deal by J. Byrne Murphy ($24.95, St. Martin’s Press) relates his experiences. The subtitle says it all. “How a young American, in business, in love, and in over his head, kick-started a multibillion industry in Europe.” As Byrne learned, knowing a country’s character and culture, not just its vital statistics, can mean the difference between success and failure. Doing business with Italians, for example, is different from dealing with the French or Germans. Murphy relates how, in less than eight years, he and his partners at McArthurGlen, started from scratch in 1992 when he arrived in Paris with his wife and baby in tow, introducing upscale, designer outlet centers that would offer brands such as Polo, Armani and Versace. He was faced with obstacles that would have driven off a lesser man, but he persevered, including taking a case up to the French Supreme Court and winning! For anyone thinking of setting up a business in Europe, this is must reading and fun to boot. Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers by Brian Cole Miller ($17.95, Amacom, softcover) offers more than 50 icebreakers and energizers to establish the kind of open, energetic, and relaxed atmosphere that leads to effective meetings. Here’s some good, practical advice on how to ease introductions for people who don’t know each other, warm up a group before moving them into more difficult territory, generate lively dialogue and idea sharing, how to split attendees into work groups, et cetera! It is full of tested ways to take the anxiety out of meetings, quickly and effectively. If these things don’t come naturally to you or you lack the experience to make them happen, this is the book to read. Books for Kids and Young Adults
Dealing with emotions is perhaps one of the most difficult lessons a child must learn. The Day Leo Said I Hate You by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Molly Bang ($16.99, Little, Brown) is aimed at children age 3 to 6.It is about how one child and his mother deal with Leo’s outbursts and reaffirm the love they have for one another. Any parent encountering this problem will find this book quite helpful. Jane Yolen has authored a gazillion children’s books and her latest is the retelling of the Johnny Appleseed: The Legend and the Truth about this American fable ($16.99, HarperCollins) for those aged 6 to 9. There was an actual John Chapman who tended orchards in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana and who sold apple seeds to settlers headed west. A myth grew up around him and Yolen combines both myth and fact in this interesting book. A new fairy tale makes its debut in Singing to the Sun, written by Vivian French and illustrated by Jackie Morris ($15.95, Kane/Miller). It addresses the choices a young prince must make when choosing a bride; one who promises him wealth, one power, and one who is full of love and happiness. This is the kind of story that a child will remember long after they have outgrown fairy tales. Beautifully told and illustrated, it is worth considering as something to add to the presents under the Christmas tree or beside the Chanukah candles.
For readers age 9 and up, there is the delightful Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls by Lynne Jonnell and art by Jonathan Bean ($17.95, Henry Holt Books for Younger Readers). It too is a sequel to the critically acclaimed Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat. The author has teamed up with the illustrator for a story that opens a few weeks after Emmy and her friends got rid of the evil Miss Barmy, the nanny who nearly ruined Emmy’s life and the lives of five other girls who went missing. After all the excitement, Emmy is looking forward to making non-rodent friends and just being ordinary, but she can’t shake the habit of talking to chipmunks, squirrels, and, of course, rats. Pretty soon she is embroiled in a mystery concerning the five missing girls. This story is just a delight and especially so for those who will get to read it. While I favor books that put an emphasis on text, I am well aware of the use of graphics to tell a story. The Amelia Rules graphic series by cartoonist Jimmy Gownley continues its merry way with volume 4, When the Past is Present ($ll.99, Renaissance Press) and a story inspired by a friend’s year-long deployment to Iraq. The 10 year-old female protagonist whose parents have divorced, has had to leave Manhattan and move to a small town in Pennsylvania to live with her mother and aunt, a retired rock star. Literate and hip, this story deals with the excitement and awkwardness of Amelia’s first dance. A great cast of characters insures that both girls and boys will enjoy this story which is just too funny for words. Looking over a half dozen fall catalogs of new books only reinforces my view that the world is not running out of novels. Here are a few that arrived in recent days.
Murder is the staple of all suspense and mystery novels. Here’s three of them for consideration, all of which will scare you enough to c David Lodge provides a funny, entertaining change of pace with Deaf Sentence ($25.95, Viking), his thirteenth novel. Desmond Bates, a tall, bespectacled widower in his mid-60s, recently retired as a university professor of linguistics, has gone from the classroom to the role of escort and househusband while his new wife’s career flourishes. He’s subject to an ongoing hearing loss and this creates all kind of opportunities for him to mishear and misunderstand what people are saying to him. In one such case, he agrees accidentally to mentor an attractive, young PhD candidate who is a compulsive sexual fantasist. At the same time he is trying to cope with his elderly father who is showing early signs of dementia. You might not think this was funny, but trust me, it is. A treat for basketball and mystery fans is a new CJ Floyd mystery by Robert Greer, Blackbird, Farewell ($25.95, Frog Books, Berkeley, CA) This is the seventh novel and the first in which CJ barely makes an appearance. The focus is on Damion Madrid, CJ’s protégé. Just before he is to start medical school, Damion’s best friend and basketball star cohort, Shandell ‘Blackbird’ Bird is murdered after signing a multi-million contract with the Denver Nuggets. CJ is honeymooning in Hawaii and is in no mood to do any investigating. Damion decides he will do some instead. The result as a fast-paced, street smart, ride through the worlds of college and pro sports. Hint: Turns out Shandell had a deep, dark secret. That’s it for October! Be sure to visit our Featured Books section to learn about some interesting and eclectic books worth reading. Tell your friends about Bookviews so they too can enjoy news of the newest in fiction and non-fiction. Then come back next month for word about some great books as holiday gifts and others worth reading. |
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Contact: Alan Caruba |
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I have a fondness for great compendiums of information about a particular subject and, most certainly, 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die: A Listener’s Life List fits that description. This monumental tribute to the world’s best music is by Tom Moon ($19.95/$32.95, Workman Publishing, soft and hardcover editions). It ranges widely from J.S. Bach to the Beatles, Handel to Memphis Minnie, Buck Owens to Giuseppe Verdi. In short, it is inclusive and, at the same time, selective. A music critic for twenty years, as well as a professional musician, Moon has scored a triumph. For anyone who has a collection of favorites and just loves good music, this is the ideal Christmas gift. Have you noticed the delight that children (and adults!) take in pop-up books? Ever wondered how they’re made? Want to learn how to do it yourself? In that case, pick up a copy of The Pocket Paper Engineer, Volume Two, by Carol Barton ($26.95, Popular Kinetics Press, Glen Echo, MD). This book is an excellent construction in itself, 69 pages with 91 full-color illustrations, 117 line drawings, in an interactive format that will get your creative juices flowing. This is more than a craft. It’s an art form.
Let’s say you are utterly besotted by frogs. And let’s say you are Thomas Marent who has traveled to the most remote regions of the world to photograph them. Then let’s say you’re DK Publishing, famed for some of the most fabulous coffee table books and you decide to publish Frog ($30.00), filled with more than 400 color photos of the nearly 200 different frog species, a visual record of the habits and behavior of these creatures. It is an extraordinary and unique achievement. And then let’s say you know someone who would just love this book! 
I love reading history and Tony Horwitz has accomplished something extraordinary in A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World ($17.50, Henry Holt and Company). He has examined and, in many cases, refuted many of America’s favorite myths about its origin. For example, the Spanish were here long before the Pilgrims showed up at Plymouth Rock and had actually traveled widely throughout the continent, well before Lewis and Clark’s famed exploration. Pocahontas was just ten years old at the time she was supposed to have saved John Smith’s life. There were, Horwitz calculates, several million Native American Indians populating the continent and they died in huge numbers from contact with the first English and other settlers. They had no immunity to the diseases, the microbes that the storied settlers brought with them. Moreover, the newcomers were not reluctant to slaughter Native Americans if it meant taking control of their land. The Plains Indians who we always think of being on horseback had never seen a horse and rider until DeSoto and his explorers showed up. It’s a long and fascinating revision that I would heartily recommend.
Some tend to think of the Soviet Union as something rather old and out-of-date, but it dominated the events of the last century in many ways and Communism threatened freedom everywhere then as now. The Bolsheviks in Power by Alexander Rabinowitch ($21.95, Indiana University Press) is the story of their first year in power in Russia. It tells of Soviet rule in Petrograd, examining the events that profoundly shaped the Soviet political system through most of the last century. Drawn largely from previously inaccessible Soviet archives, the book eradicates standard interpretations of Soviet authoritarianism, demonstrating that the system developed in an ad hoc way as the Bolsheviks struggled to retain power amidst chaos and crisis. It is a fast-paced narrative and worth reading for the insight it provides to comparable political movements and regimes today. Also from Indiana University Press are two books related to World War II, both by the late Dagmar Barnouw, a professor of German and Comparative Literature at the University of California. In The War in the Empty Air ($21.95, softcover) and Germany 1945 ($24.95, softcover), she tells the story of the Second World War’s impact on German civilians, a subject that has received scant study given the grievance against them that has lingered since the end of WWII. It is a truism that the winners write the history of such conflicts, but these two books reveal an untold story of what it was like to be swept up in Nazism and to pay the price for its barbarity. Her books do not excuse it, but rather shed light on that period of German history in terms of the people who survived it.
It is a rare treat to read a memoir of autobiography of someone you actually know! This is the case of Tania Grossinger’s Growing Up at Grossinger’s ($14.95, Skyhorse Publishing, softcover). I met Tania back in the 1970s when we were both members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Actually, back then it was called the Society of Magazine Writers and Tania was already established as a travel writer and author. For those of the Jewish persuasion, Grossinger’s was the magic name of a magic place in the Catskills, a famed resort hotel. Tania’s book is a delightful memoir of having grown up there and having known a virtual who’s who of great performers such as Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, Sammy Davis, Jr., Danny Kaye,
Coming in November is The Elfish Gene: Dungeons, Dragons & Growing Up Strange by Mark Barrowcliffe ($25.00, Soho Press, softcover) is the engaging memoir by an author who says he had a chance to grow up to be normal, but while other teenagers were being coolly rebellious, Mark and 20 million other boys in the 1970s and 80s chose to spend his teen years pretending to be a wizard, a warrior or an evil priest. Armed only with pen, paper, and some funny-shaped dice, Mark gave himself up to the craze of fantasy role playing games. This is a laugh-out-loud funny memoir that is sure to please anyone who ever played the game. Growing up in Coventry, England, he would become a stand-up comedian before writing his first book, Girlfriend 44, followed by Lucky Dog and Infidelity for First-Time Fathers. It is hilarious. For some, life must come with a heavy dose of adrenaline to make the experience worth it. The Edge of Never by William A. Kerig ($16.95, Stone Creek Publications) is officially due off the press in November. A one-time professional skier himself, Kerig became a filmmaker who set out to make a documentary about “the soul of big-mountain skiing.” At the center of the story is the story of Trevor and Kye Petersen. Trevor was killed in an avalanche in Chamonix, France, in 1996. Nine years later, his then 15-year-old son, Kye, a rising star among big mountain skiers traveled to Chamonix to ski the route that killed his father. This is a classic adventure story, but it is also a story of family and of the unique tribe that lives to conquer the world’s great mountains on skis; a most unusual biography of people and the sport to which they dedicate themselves.
The 10th anniversary edition of Joe Dabney’s award-winning book, Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread & Scuppernong Wine ($28.95) is out and if you love southern food and southern stories, this winner of the James Beard Cookbook of the Year Award (1999) will prove to be a mouth-watering delight in many ways. It is divided into four sections, the Folklore, the Art, the Food, and the Blessings. It recaptures the days of fireplaces and wood-stove cooking, hog killing, bear hunting, apple-butter partying, and offers more than 200 recipes in 6l fascinating chapters. Also from Cumberland Publishing comes The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook with more than 400 recipes ($24.95). The work of John Schlimm, this collection covers an extraordinary range of dishes from appetizers, to breads, soups and chili, poultry, stews, fish, and, of course, desserts. It also provides 150 recipes for mixed drinks, all made with beer. The author belongs to the sixth generation of brewers in his family. 
With the housing sub-prime mortgage crisis very much in the news, if you or someone you know is encountering problems, Stop Foreclosure Now by Lloyd Segal should prove helpful ($19.95, Amacom, softcover). Billed as “the complete guide to saving your home and your credit”, the author has been a mortgage banker, attorney, and real estate investor who has spent 25 years helping people save their homes. With a reported 739,714 US properties filed for foreclosure during the second quarter, a 14% increase from the previous one, and a 121% increase from previous year, the problem is widespread and spreading. Segal, however, says that homeowners can develop a plan to delay or stop foreclosure, negotiate with their lender, arrange to refinance their property, and use a variety of other means to survive the experience. Real estate is on the mind of James S. Pockross, the author of Confessions of a Real Estate Mini-Mogul ($19.95, Samson Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, softcover) who offers advice on “how to succeed in real estate investing despite ghosts, pitbulls, annoying tenants, and the government.” This book stands out because it covers many areas other real estate advisories do not. Whether a neophyte or seasoned investor, the author takes the reader on an interesting personal journey in a way that informs, entertains and even inspires. If you are looking for a strictly “how to” book, this is not it, but if you are looking for a guiding philosophy of engaging in the real estate business, this fills the bill and then some.
There seems to be a lot of books out lately about dealing with bullies. There have been bullies around for a very long time and I recall a few from my youth, but when a number of books address the topic, it may be an indicator that it is a growing problem in our schools and playgrounds. For the younger set, pre-school and in the early grades, there’s Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully ($16.95, Tanglewood Press) written by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barbara L. Gibson. I have encountered Chester in earlier books about this character and this time he encourages children to understand that many child bullies are themselves unhappy. The artwork is especially good and the story is entertaining, while being educational as well. 
Older readers verging or into their early teens have a number of excellent stories available to read. Reading is such good training for the mind that I always recommend making them available as an alternative to video games or just watching television. Let’s start with Will Allen and the Ring of Terror by Jason Edwards ($5.95, Rogue Bear Press) officially due out in December. This is the second volume in the Chronicles of the Monster Detective Agency series, the first of which I reviewed and enjoyed last summer. In this story, Will Allen takes on his first client, Timmy Newsome, who is being tormented by a monster that appears to Will as only a harmless golden ring. It has terrible power though and any youngster age 7 and up will greatly enjoy this tale and, not incidentally, learn how to deal with their own fears. Another series is beginning and it’s The Delicious Adventure Series with Book One entitled Enchanted Thyme by Ariane Smith and recipes by Chef Michael Wilson ($17.95, Big Word Press, New York). Do you sense a cooking theme here? It is a fairytale for children aged 6 to 11; the first of a six-part series that features Belinda and Peter who are children of a chef. The Royal Kitchen Mice think they may be able to reverse a curse placed on their hapless Queen Topstead who has been cursed with a hunger that can never be slaked no matter how much food is put before her and who call on them to help. This is a very clever concept and, along the way, young readers get to learn “big words” to expand their vocabulary.
Apparently actual history is not dramatic enough because novelists frequently embellish it with stories of their own. Stealing Trinity by Ward Larsen ($24.95, Oceanview Publishing) is a suspenseful, well told tale of a Nazi spy who has infiltrated the Manhattan Project that built the first atomic bomb. Unable to convince the American counterparts about the spy, the British dispatch their top investigator to track down the spy, an American born, Harvard educated, ruthless killer. Larsen knows how to spin a story that feels authentic. With a tip of the hat toward real history, it was the Soviets that had penetrated the Project and who stole enough data to build their own some years later. World War Two is also the backdrop for Blood Alone, a Billy Boyle WWII mystery, by James R. Benn ($24.00, Soho Press). This novel is the third installment of the mystery series. Boyle is an investigator working directly for General Eisenhower. As the novel begins, he awakens in a field hospital in Sicily suffering from amnesia. Gradually he recalls he was sent there to contact the head of the local Mafia in order to secure their assistance, but he must also thwart a murderous band of counterfeiters of Army script. It’s a fast-paced and interesting story that tracks well with actual events. 
heck the locks on the doors. Angel Tip by Alafair Burke ($23.95, HarperCollins) addresses the most common headline in New York City newspapers, the murder of a young woman. The author takes you on a trip into the glamorous, yet sometimes dangerous Manhattan nightclub scene. A former deputy district attorney in Portland, Oregon, the author’s alter ego in the novel is also a DA. She teams with the NYPD detective to solve the murder of a young Indiana State college student who remains behind in the VIP room of an elite nightclub and whose body is found floating in the East River the next day. Her death is similar to three other such murders. Burke’s talent is probably inherited because her dad is acclaimed crime writer, James Lee Burke, but this novel, her fifth, stands up on its own merits. The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson ($25.95, Vanguard Press) puts FBI Special Agent, Karen Vail, on the trail of a serial murderer known to the Bureau as the Dead Eyes killer. As he grows bolder, Agent Vail discovers that the seventh victim holds the key to all that stirs the killer. This novel takes you into the FBI’s Behavior Analysis Unit and reveals how its use of profiling can lead to an arrest. Along the way you will experience considerable psychological suspense in a novel rich with characters and an intricate plot. Also from Vanguard Press comes Clyde Ford’s Precious Cargo ($24.95) that marks the return of Charlie Noble, a former Coast Guard officer turned marine private detective. When the body of an unidentified young woman is impaled on the flukes of the anchor of a boat owned by friends, Noble, assisted by Raven, a Native American salvage diver, set out to find out who she is and how she got there. What they discover is that she isn’t the first such victim, all young, all female, and all Hispanic. Set in Puget Sound, this one will have you turning the pages as fast as you can. “Wazimamoto” is the Swahili name for a kind of vampire and this one is stalking Dr. Marie Laveau, a physician and a modern voodoo practitioner and a descendent from a legendary voodoo queen of New Orleans. The city is the perfect setting for Yellow Moon by Jewell Parker Rhodes ($24.00, Atria Books) This novel is the second in a trilogy that began with Voodoo Season and what the author doesn’t know about voodoo is probably not worth knowing! Written pre-Hurricane Katrina, the vampire is a vicious murderer who drains the blood of his victims. The author has a slew of awards to her name, having begun writing novels in 1995. If this genre of novel interests you, I promise you will not be disappointed.