Nonfiction Reviews: Week of July 10, 2006

Although at least four full-length biographies have been written about Mae West since her death at 87 in 1980, Louvish (Man on the Flying Trapeze) is the first biographer to have access to the recently opened archive of West memorabilia including a 2,000-page collection of quips and jokes and the numerous revisions of the 12 plays, eight screenplays and three novels she wrote. West created and perfected her languid sex goddess persona during years in vaudeville and by serving as her own playwright, but Louvish discovers West's secret life was filled not with lovers but long nights of polishing and refining her scripts. She was almost 40 when she made her first film, but two years later, she was the highest paid performer in the U.S. Louvish's bio is appreciative and extensively detailed, focusing on West as writer. It can sometimes feel plodding as he transcribes skits and routines (although most still sparkle seven decades later, like "I used to be Snow White, but I drifted"). Summing up West's final three decades in a mere 50 pages feels rushed. But Louvish's research cements West's reputation as the definitive siren of suggestion, without whom there would never have been any Sex & the City. Photos. (Nov. 21)

Smith, a sailor and author of How the Great Pyramid Was Built, intersperses occasionally dry explanations of the complex physics of waves with harrowing tales of modern-day maritime tragedies. He enumerates the natural forces that create waves: the moon's gravity pulls on the oceans; Earth's rotation pushes them; the sun heats them; the wind tugs against their surface; and earthquakes displace them. The resulting waves can propagate from one side of the ocean to the other. Waves from one storm race outward to interact with waves from another, while converging ocean currents force them even higher or flatten them out completely. The complexity of it beggars the imagination. In modern times, Smith says, with the importance of shipping and the growth of off-shore drilling platforms, understanding waves is more vital than ever—we must especially understand extreme, or rogue, waves that seem to appear out of nowhere and tower over 100 feet high. In a chapter on the 2004 tsunami, Smith recounts the harrowing experience of two scuba divers caught in the maelstrom and suggests California could be at risk for a future tsunami. Science is only beginning to understand tsunamis, hurricanes and rogue waves, and Smith's book is for readers who want a serious scientific look at what we're learning. Illus. (Nov. 27)

Though billed as memoir, Bryson's follow-up to A Short History of Nearly Everything can only be considered one in the broadest sense. Sure, it's filled with Bryson's recollections of his Des Moines, Iowa, childhood. But it's also a clear foray into Jean Shepherd territory, where nostalgia for one's youth is suffused with comic hyperbole: "All sneakers in the 1950s had over seven dozen lace holes," we're told; though all the toys were crummy, it didn't matter because boys had plenty of fun throwing lit matches at each other; and mimeograph paper smelled wonderful. The titular Thunderbolt Kid is little more than a recurring gag, a self-image Bryson invokes to lash out at the "morons" that plague every child's existence. At other times, he offers a glib pop history of the decade, which works fine when discussing teen culture or the Cold War but falls flat when trying to rope in the Civil Rights movement. And sometimes he just wants to reminisce about his favorite TV shows or the Dick and Jane books. The book is held together by sheer force of personality—but when you've got a personality as big as Bryson's, sometimes that's enough. (Oct. 17)

London literary agent Geller revolves his mock science of Judology around an equation that weighs the potential for anti-Semitic backlash, links to Jewish culture and worldwide cultural influence to determine whether a given subject is, as the old saying goes, "Good for the Jews" or "Not Good for the Jews." Of course, the numbers turn out to be largely meaningless, as the real substance of Geller's evaluations lie in his idiosyncratic commentaries. In some cases, the effort to find a Jewish connection feels strained, and most of the discussions are lightweight. The Godfather films, for example, are Good because they diverted attention from Jewish gangsters, while Nigella Lawson's love of ham and pork dishes make her Not Good. But there are thoughtful discussions of subjects like eBay's policy against allowing auctions of Nazi memorabilia and the impact of TiVo on Orthodox TV viewing. A lengthy section toward the end assesses various countries for their suitability as vacation spots, and a recurring sidebar presents a world history timeline from a Jewish perspective (the Louisiana Purchase is dubbed "a sweet kosher deal"). Unfortunately, there's really only one joke here, and though it's amusing in small doses, it can't sustain the entire book. (Oct.)

As the architect of Monticello and the University of Virginia, among other masterful buildings, Thomas Jefferson is widely considered by contemporary academics to be the most skillful practitioner of early American architecture. In his new retelling, Howard argues persuasively that were it not for Dr. Fiske Kimball, a 20th-century scholar and historian who researched his architectural heritage, we might still think of Jefferson as primarily, and exclusively, a talented statesman. This is not an exhaustive biography—Howard has already written a definitive one on this subject. It's more like a one-act play that alternates between scenes set in Jefferson's late 18th century and Kimball's early 20th century, when he investigates numerous archives. We browse through Jefferson's library, peek over his shoulder as he writes letters and watch him sketch the European buildings that inspire him. Howard's narrative is particularly compelling as he takes us through the decades of efforts that went into Jefferson's laboratory of architectural experimentation—his country home, Monticello. For context, he also includes chapters featuring other practicing architects of the time—Pierre L'Enfant, Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Charles Bulfinch. Overall, readers will likely find that Kimball's single-minded passion for all things Jefferson is contagious. (Oct.)

In an elegant tribute to denizens of nature that humans too often take for granted, British biologist Tudge (The Famine Business) presents a wealth of intriguing facts about trees. Basing his information on science and writing "in a spirit of reverence," he explains how biologists identify the different kinds of trees; how trees have evolved over millions of years; how they adapt to their habitats, survive and reproduce. Describing a multitude of species, Tudge emphasizes the distinctive characteristics of each. He marvels, for example, at banyans with their roots hanging down from their branches, palms whose roots grow directly from their trunks, mangroves standing with their roots in the sea, baobabs holding so much water in their swollen trunks that they are extremely resistant to drought, figs in partnership with the minute wasps that pollinate them—"one dedicated species of wasp for each of the 750 species of fig." Tudge concludes with a chapter emphasizing the importance of all types of trees for humankind's well-being—a persuasive call to action for the preservation of the environment so that trees, and humans, can survive. 33 exquisite line drawings. (Oct.)

This comprehensive and often entertaining history of gambling begins with the origins of odds and evens as an ancient divination "game" and ends with the 21st-century Internet gambling phenomenon. Schwartz, a historian at the University of Nevada's Center for Gaming Research, gets credit not only for his thoroughness in describing the development of gambling in Western Europe and the U.S., but also for including gambling in Native American, Chinese and other non-Western cultures. Similarly inclusive is his examination of the doctrinal attitudes of each of the world's major religions toward the human penchant for gambling. Schwartz adds interesting anecdotes, even if likely apocryphal: aces, for instance, supposedly became superior to kings as a result of 18th-century French revolutionary fervor. But this thoroughness leads Schwartz to devote too much space to the rules of archaic games of chance and to the exploits of famous and not- so-famous gamblers. Although he doesn't ignore the underside—such as compulsive gambling and cheating—this aspect is underdeveloped. Also, a more in-depth inquiry into why people gamble and the societal impact of government-sponsored gambling, such as lotteries, would have made this encyclopedic effort even more complete. (Oct.)

The "thriving gun culture" of the South took Browder by surprise when the New Englander moved to Virginia. Now Browder (Rousing the Nation: Radical Culture in Depression America), an associate professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University, explores the social meanings of armed womanhood in a culture where violence is associated with masculinity. Browder traces the phenomenon from Civil War cross-dressing spies to the present-day National Rifle Association's female-oriented marketing strategies, demonstrating how public discussions of gun-toting women find each successive era revealing its particular anxieties about women's sexuality and role as citizens. Browder discusses a series of " armed celebrities"—from Wild West stars like Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane to outlaws such as Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) and Patty Hearst—and examines the contradictory views about women soldiers, the gun-slinging pioneer mother "lioness" protecting her family, women at the turn of the 20th century who wielded their weapons to uphold white rightsand the women radical activists, both black and white, of the 1960s and 1970s who "used the gun as a bid for equal power within their often sexist movements." Browder packs her dense yet jargon-free study with salient examples drawn from contemporary print and visual sources. 34 illus. (Oct. 16)

Fisher danced for the great choreographer George Balanchine in the mid–20th century, when the New York City Ballet was still "exploding into being against all odds." Her era is that of Orpheus, the Nutcracker and Agon (she was one of its original dancers), when the company starred ballerinas Maria Tallchief and Tanaquil Le Clerq. Mr. B., as he was respectfully yet affectionately called by his dancers, was still young, still approachable, full of vigor and good humor. We see his "multi-dimensional alertness," and also his sense of whimsy and genuine affection for his dancers. Where else do we find a limerick written by Balanchine about his Vespa, his entreaties to Fisher to perform a questionable song written on tour at a big benefit and his defense of the author's right to read bad science fiction? Yet woven into these personal and telling recollections are wonderfully astute looks at Balanchine's artistic process and the place of his ballets in the canon of 20th-century art. Fisher eventually became a professor of English at the City College of New York, and her observations as both dancer and literary critic are unparalleled. This book is indispensable for lovers of ballet and theater. 48 b&w photos. (Oct.)

In a fast-paced, harrowing narrative that's likely to become a flash point for the right and the left, Begg tells of his secret abduction by U.S. forces in Pakistan, his detainment at American air bases for more than a year and at Guantánamo for two more years as an enemy combatant. A British Muslim of Pakistani descent, Begg grew up in Birmingham and excelled at school before becoming involved with Islamic political causes and later moving to Afghanistan to become a teacher. After fighting broke out in Kabul, he and his wife and children moved to Islamabad in 2001, where U.S. operatives seized him. In March 2004, Begg was released from Guantánamo under pressure from the British government, but over the objections of the Pentagon, which still considers him a potential terrorist. Despite considerable media speculation over what Begg may have left out of this memoir, it's a forcefully told, up-to-the-minute political story. Whether Begg is describing his Muslim and Asian friends fighting white supremacist skinhead street gangs in Birmingham, or telling how he shared poetry with a U.S. guard at Guantánamo, his tone is assured. His work will be necessary reading for people on all sides of the issue. (Sept.)

Fallows, national correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly, compiles in this slim volume a series of five articles he wrote for that magazine between 2002 and 2005, which collectively won a National Magazine Award. Along with an original introduction and afterword, the essays systematically chronicle the mendacity, insularity and incompetence of the Bush administration while developing and implementing its Iraq policy. Relying heavily on inside sources and declassified documents, Fallows (National Defense) shows that, before the war, the government had ample intelligence to forestall many of the disastrous consequences of the occupation, but Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and others ordered their subordinates to ignore the reports. "Bush's Lost Year" addresses a topic that has received little attention: the effects of the buildup in Iraq on the campaign in Afghanistan and the broader war on terror. "Why Iraq Has No Army" studies one decision that has hampered the war effort ever since. For avid news readers, little will be new, though "Will Iran Be Next?"—an account of a high-level discussion convened by the Atlantic Monthly—may pique more interest. (Sept.)

Before joining the Clinton White House as a senior adviser, Blumenthal was a political correspondent for magazines like Vanity Fair and the New Yorker; with this collection of articles published in Salon and the British Guardian, he returns to his journalist roots. Because the majority of the columns are only two or three pages long, it's difficult for Blumenthal to create a sustained argument. The effect is more like a string of scattershot reactions to current events out of which recurring themes occasionally emerge. But even these themes—the incompetence of Bush's closest advisers, the president's voracious assumption of executive powers, the creation of American gulags—fall short of cohering into a pointed attack, despite Blumenthal's best efforts to assert "a crisis over democracy." Instead, his thoughts wander to matters like U.S./U.K. relations or the decline of the columnist Robert Novak, while explosive topics like Vice-President Cheney's unprecedented powers get lost in the shuffle. Thus, Blumenthal's most heated rhetoric, like his claim of "a revolt within the military against Bush," winds up feeling overblown. The effect is especially frustrating given his keen observations of microscopic political detail—it's too bad this collection doesn't add up to the sum of its parts. (Sept.)

Danforth, a Missouri Republican as well as a lawyer and Episcopal minister, tended to avoid nasty partisan politics during his three terms in the U.S. Senate (with the notable exception of his defense of his protégé Clarence Thomas during U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings). After voluntarily retiring from the Senate in 1995, Danforth accepted appointments by White House Republicans, including ambassador to the United Nations and envoy for peace in Sudan. But the partisanship of President George W. Bush, a variety of other Republicans and quite a few Democrats has now led Danforth to urge political rivals to pull together to strengthen the United States, so the nation can in turn promote world peace. Danforth oozes sincerity and good sense as he excoriates "Christian conservatives" (naming James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson, among others) for corrupting religious doctrine on reproduction and marriage and inappropriately inserting it in government. Conceding that he's an imperfect human being who sometimes failed as a student, husband, father, lawyer, minister and senator, Danforth comes across as a welcome paragon of virtue. (Sept.)

With this timely book, political risk consultant Bremmer aims to "describe the political and economic forces that revitalize some states and push others toward collapse." His simple premise is that if one were to graph a nation's stability as a function of its openness, the result would be a "J curve," suggesting that as nations become more open, they become less stable until they eventually surpass their initial levels of stability. In other words, a closed society like Cuba is relatively stable; a more open society like Saudi Arabia is less so; and an extremely open society like the United States is extremely stable. Bremmer expertly distills decades—sometimes centuries—of history as he analyzes 10 countries at different positions on the J curve. North Korea is perhaps the most disturbing example of the left side of the curve, where a closed authoritarian regime produces effective stability; on the right of the curve sit stable countries like Turkey, Israel and India. This leads Bremmer to conclude that political isolation and sanctions often work against their intended resultsand that globalization is the key to opening closed authoritarian states. Bremmer persuasively illustrates his core thesis without eliding the complexities of global or national politics. (Sept.)

The U.S.-Mexican border is one of the most violent places on earth, writes retired drug enforcement agent Morgan. He makes his case over 500 pages of gunplay, fisticuffs and bloodshed interspersed with profanity-laced denunciations of rival agencies and clueless Washington officials who believe they understand illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Having enjoyed serving inVietnam, Morgan sought similar adventure in the Border Patrol and the Custom Service's drug enforcement service. Working mostly in Arizona, he found corrupt officials and Border Patrolmen cooperating with corrupt Mexican officials, police and soldiers to transport drugs and people into the U.S. Still, he and fellow officers intercepted countless shipments, which the author recounts in excessive but lively rounds of shootouts, car chases and murder. Reforms that created the Department of Homeland Security and shifted antidrug enforcement to the Border Patrol are disastrous, he asserts, because the patrol is hopelessly corrupt. Sneering at the current immigration debate, he insists no barrier or law can keep out Mexicans in search of work and that the money would be better spent on making Mexico prosperous enough to provide jobs for its people. Despite the incessant fireworks and macho prose style, the book provides a thoughtful view of these issues. (Sept.)

Nelson Mandela is perhaps the world's most revered living political figure for his role in transforming South Africa into a true democracy. In this illuminating bio, University of Limerick professor Lodge (Politics in South Africa) shows how Mandela's struggle for equality brought him to prominence. Though Mandela is hardly lacking biographers, Lodge makes an important contribution with his argument that Mandela's appeal rests on his ability to personify his political beliefs. Mandela's politics, which emphasize a mix of authority, empathy and respect for all people, are mirrored by his actions and behavior toward everyone he's come in contact with, thereby allowing his personal grace and dignity to be a political gesture. According to Lodge, Mandela's magnanimity serves as a model for a new kind of citizenship, one that embraces difference and the messiness of democracy without sacrificing the gentlemanly restraint Mandela associated with English political institutions. Lodge is careful to give Mandela an assertive role in this process, showing how he cultivated his own life story and his status as a martyr for justice in order to hasten the coming of democracy to his country. Vivid descriptions of the daily horrors of apartheid and the men and women around Mandela, such as his ex-wife Winnie and the troubled F.W. de Klerk, reveal the complicated world that Mandela ultimately and triumphantly managed to change. 17 b&w photos not seen by PW. (Sept. 30)

In this intriguing if dry biography, Wynne recounts how Dutch forger Han van Meegeren successfully passed off more than a dozen bogus works—including, most famously, The Supper at Emmaus in 1937—as authentic Vermeers, Halses and de Hooches. Van Meegeren, who favored the style of the old Dutch masters just as modernism was hitting its stride, decided to embarrass his forward-looking critics by creating and selling his own "Vermeer." He continued his charade until he was forced to admit his crimes in 1947 while defending himself against a separate charge of treason. Wynne takes great care in explaining just how the increasingly paranoid and drug-addicted van Meegeren managed to fool the international art community, including a technical breakdown of how van Meegeren employed plastic to create the antique look of cracked craquelure in his canvases. Wynne also ruminates on how the arrogance of the art world—of critics like Abraham Bredius who were so confident in their ability to spot fakes that they brushed aside X-rays and other modern tests, as well as collectors desperate for authenticity—fuels the market for forgeries. (Sept.)

Consciously written as an alternative to Robert Heilbroner's classic The Worldly Philosophers, this book sets out to explore and critique the lives and ideas of the great economists. Both books begin with Adam Smith, though Foley discusses only eight of Heilbroner's 16 economists and gives less detail on each. Where Heilbroner celebrates the overlap between economics and other human activities, Foley criticizes "Adam's Fallacy," the artificial division between the economic sphere, in which pursuit of self-interest leads to social good, and the social sphere, in which good results from unselfish actions. Uncritical acceptance of the fallacy, which the author labels "economic theology," leads to the belief that short-term economic gain necessarily favors vague, long-term social gains. Unemployment and cultural destruction caused by free trade, for example, are ignored from a naïve faith that unrestrained trade leads to a greater good for a greater number. Foley finds some brilliance and rigor in the works of all his subjects, while also accusing them of sloppy thinking unsupported by data, which has led to heartless, misguided policies. However, his specific criticisms are mild and technical. Readers who want an abridged version of Heilbroner will like this better than readers who want to understand the fundamental errors of economics. (Sept.)

For those who want to know what the wired generations want to consume and experience, this book provides plenty of insights. CEO of marketing consultancy ReachWomen, Johnson clearly knows her topic, providing many examples of brands that have appealed to the desire for personalization, adventure, high concept design, loose family and social networks, spirituality and five other core "cravings" of 18- to 40-year-olds. Each chapter is also sprinkled with case studies to illustrate marketing success stories, ending in workbook sections with exercises that will help readers apply the advice in each chapter. In fact, readers would do well to read this book close to a computer or keep a pen at hand to jot down URLs. The volume of information is at once its strength and shortcoming: 10 chapters deliver on the subtitle's promise, but the information can be overwhelming. Fortunately, the author addresses that concern in the book's conclusion, where she outlines some ways to put new ideas to work within an organization. (Sept.)

Your ability to sell is much more an issue of who you are than what you know," asserts Willingham, CEO of the sales training organization Integrity Solutions, in this workbook-style manual. Moving beyond the usual sales advice about gimmicks and closings, he focuses on the emotional factors behind effective sales and the hangups that prevent salespeople from achieving their full potential. Willingham synthesizes advice from his successful sales seminars, offering self-assessments and scorecards to aid the reader in applying each chapter's lessons. From an initial chapter on understanding the personal context in which one approaches one's job, through chapters on understanding boundaries, breaking through barriers to success and activating the drive to achievement, the advice is much more psychologically oriented than in most business books. Despite occasionally complicated concepts and more warm-and-fuzzy approaches than the average business reader might be used to, this book is worthwhile for salespeople and readers who may be wondering how to move forward in their work or even their personal lives. (Sept. 6)

The title suggests an acerbic anticonsumerist rant, but marketing consultant Newlin is entirely serious: she wants readers to rediscover "shopping's enduring allure." Decrying the "Big Box obsession with massive quantities of cheap goods," she urges consumers to shop for the right things for the right reasons at the right places—to buy from family-owned merchants that offer pleasant environments for both shoppers and workers. Few readers will be surprised when Newlin visits a dreaded Wal-Mart and finds it "a loud, boisterous, difficult place to shop" with an "essential sadness." But the reason she wants retailers to stop offering discounts and consumers to stop buying products in bulk isn't to create a more just society; it's so we'll be happier with what we buy. Newlin argues that we get little satisfaction out of buying cheap, because "we suspect it's not quite as good"—though anyone who loves outlet shopping will be more than a little skeptical. It doesn't help that much of the book is a confusing assemblage of anecdotes and musings. But there are some useful insights for consumers, retailers and manufacturers, and some readers will certainly strive to see shopping as an experience that "should thrill the senses." (Sept.)

The bottomless corruption, political and personal, of French fascism is explored in this absorbing biography of one of its most loathsome figures—Louis Darquier, commissioner for Jewish affairs under the Vichy regime. A violent anti-Semite and paid Nazi propagandist before WWII, he helped organize the deportation of French Jews, including thousands of children, to Auschwitz during the German occupation. Callil sets Darquier's public career in an unsparing reconstruction of his sordid private life. A ne'er-do-well who sponged off his family while falsely styling himself an aristocrat, Darquier abandoned his infant daughter, Anne, to an impoverished London nanny. (Anne grew up to become the author's psychiatrist; her possible suicide in 1970 sparked Callil's interest in her family.) Callil's contempt for her subject is evident: his best features, in her portrayal, seem to be the incompetence and laziness that prompted his removal from direct supervision of deportations. Through her superbly written, meticulously researched, densely novelistic portrait of Darquier, Callil (who founded Virago press and was managing director of Chatto & Windus) takes an uncommonly penetrating look at the malignity of fascism and the suffering of its many victims. 32-page photo insert and 19 photos throughout. (Sept. 14)

The slave trade became illegal in the U.S. in 1808, but for half a century after that, a black market in chattel slavery thrived. In his first book, former Newsweek correspondent Calonius tells the fascinating, heartbreaking story of the last slave ship to dock on these shores, in 1858, the Wanderer. Originally built as a sugar baron's racing yacht, it was outfitted, as the New York Times reported, for "comfort and luxury." But a trio of greedy proslavery radicals, known as "fire-eaters," transformed her from plaything to slaver: deck planks and inner framing were removed and iron tanks inserted. Then the ship headed to Africa, and eventually returned to Georgia's Jekyll Island with its human cargo. (En route, 80 Africans died.) Calonius charts the subsequent media outcry and trials, and follows the Wanderer's history through the Civil War, when, in a delectably just turn of events, the U.S. government seized the ship and turned it into a Union gunboat. This is fast-paced narrative history, and Calonius has a terrific eye for atmospheric details. Still, one wishes he had provided more analysis of the larger themes in Southern, American and Atlantic history that this tragic episode illumines. (Sept.)

Former Newsweek and L.A. Times political correspondent Shogan (The Double-Edged Sword), delivers an insightful though not innovative account of how two key events put an end to New Deal advances during F.D.R.'s second term. Election day, 1936, found Roosevelt at the height of his powers and popularity, and contemplating grand strategies for advancing the domestic programs launched during his first administration. But as Shogan clearly shows, militant unionism gained ground nationwide, upsetting industrial output and slowing the rehabilitation of the Depression-plagued American economy. Second, F.D.R.'s ill-starred and widely unpopular attempt to overhaul the Supreme Court cost him precious political capital in Congress. This same misadventure also cost the president vital PR capital with the electorate, hobbling his ability to rally support for other programs. Although Roosevelt was re-elected for two more terms, his capacity for creating, inspiring and passing the type of social programs set in place during his first term remained diminished, some would argue fatally so. Shogan does a good job of painting the times and the men: Roosevelt himself, labor leader John L. Lewis, Roosevelt's aide Tommy Corcoran and his prickly and unpredictable vice-president, "Cactus Jack" Garner, all of whom played vital roles as the New Deal sputtered and stopped. (Sept. 1)

Following Hurricane Katrina, the leftist Nation published a slew of articles and editorials that criticized the Bush administration and the mainstream media, identified with victims and praised the extraordinary efforts of relief workers and ordinary New Orleanians. Patricia J. Williams relates how an African-American MBA candidate noted on the radio how "jarring" it was to hear her neighborhood, the Ninth Ward, described repeatedly in the media as desperate and impoverished; Eric Alterman congratulates the "infamous media whores of cable news" for demonstrating how the relief efforts were affected by race and class. One of the best pieces, by Billy Sothern, tells the harrowing plight of the city's 8,000 prisoners, many of whom fled a flooded prison complex only to be rounded up and left shackled in the sun without water for two days, then parceled out to facilities where they were brutalized by their jailers. Some contributions feel dated; there's considerable overlap among them; and Nation executive editor Reed is probably preaching to the converted. Yet there are many eye-opening, worthy nuggets that rightly point the finger at what's wrong with our domestic disaster policy. (Sept.)

On September 26, 1991, Poynter, along with seven others, entered Biosphere 2, a three-acre, hermetically sealed environment, for a two-year stay. Their goal was two-fold: to demonstrate that humans could live under the necessary conditions for survival in bases on the Moon or Mars, and to conduct experiments to improve our understanding of ecosystems. In her first-hand account, Poynter describes all aspects of the much-debated project, from crew selection to life on the inside, while addressing the nature of the scientific undertaking and the politics that embroiled everyone associated with it. She is at her best recounting how the eight "biospherians" devolved into a dysfunctional family and commenting on the import such patterns will undoubtedly have on long-distance space travel. Her analysis of the science is weaker, more congratulatory than incisive. She provides only a brief discussion, for example, on the addition of thousands of pounds of oxygen into the structure on two occasions despite the goal to make the artificial biosphere completely self-contained. While the writing is sometimes overly precious ("So, with as much emotional energy as the space shuttle has rocket power on liftoff, I launched myself into a life of adventure and discovery"), Poynter's story makes for instructive reading. (Sept. 12)

Canfield, the brains behind the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, and Hendricks (Conscious Living) stay in the inspirational mode with this collection of dozens of entertainers, sports personalities, businesspeople, writers, environmentalists and activists telling up-by-their-bootstraps stories involving books. Some, like Dave Barry (inspired by humorist Robert Benchley) and Lou Holtz (David Schwartz's The Magic of Thinking Big) are well known. Other are recognizable for the products they've created: Craigslist founder Craig Newmark praises The Cluetrain Manifesto, which mirrored his own early belief in the power of the Internet. Among the more memorable contributions is that of 21-year-old Farrah Gray, who spent his early childhood on public assistance, read Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success at age 11 and made his first million at 14. Two contributors—motivational speaker Lisa Nichols and eBay COO Maynard Webb—cite Stephen Covey's best-selling The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey himself was uplifted by heady reading—Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and E.F. Schumacher's A Guide for the Perplexed—both books, he says, affecting everything from his parenting to his teaching. It's a mixed bag, more uplifting than literary, but readers may find the book that turns them on the way these contributors were. (Sept.).

Beginning with his 1960 Grammy-winning album, The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart, the comedian's 46-year career has included nightclub standup, TV series (The Bob Newhart Show), animation voices (The Simpsons), feature films (Catch-22, Elf)—and now his first book. At age 77, Newhart is clearly in his anecdotage, with mirthful memories of his successes and failures. Treating the reader almost as a personal friend, Newhart covers everything in this guided tour through his button-down brain, from his 43-year marriage and fear of flying to fatherhood, Vegas, sitcoms, golf and assorted antics with celebrity pals. Aware that digression is the better part of valor, he interrupts the low-key autobiographical flow with amusing asides, and this rambling look at "the absurdist side of life" is just as effective in print as on TV, adding depth and dimension to the familiar image of Newhart as a frustrated, flawed everyman. In the tradition of Max Eastman's Enjoyment of Laughter (1936) and Steve Allen's The Funny Men (1956), he analyzes and compares comedy styles. The hilarity is heightened as he reveals how he created his best satirical sketches. Influenced by H. Allen Smith, Robert Benchley, James Thurber and Max Shulman, Newhart himself has now joined that lofty pantheon. (Sept. 19)

Powers's memoir of his turbulent relationship with his twin brother, Tim, has the feel of a mystery (the memoir centers on a search for the missing Tim over a three-day period). Throughout the narrative, Powers (a screenwriter who has also written for Good Morning America) explores his family history, his mother's suicide, his father's alcoholism and the challenge of coming-of-age as a gay man (the twins and their older brother are all gay). Tim's troubles were often made worse by his struggle with alcoholism and drug abuse, compounded by a family history of mental illness. The twins were living in New York City in their mid-20s when Powers got a phone call one morning that Tim had not shown up for work. Being the responsible older brother (if only by five minutes), he begins his search, which leads him to Tim's alma mater in Texas, where he befriends an undergrad friend of Tim's who accompanies Powers on his search. Using old letters that Tim had written to Powers, they try to pinpoint where Tim might be, never knowing whether they will find him dead or alive. Although uneven writing distracts from the story, Powers's strength in relating his own personal struggles within the context of his twin's holds this unique memoir together. (Sept.)

In All Souls, MacDonald told the heartbreaking story of the tragic deaths of four of his siblings and his family's suffering amidst a culture of silence in Southie, Boston's tough Irish ghetto. He also introduced the enduring character of his accordian-playing, fist-fighting "Ma," who raised her massive family on her own. MacDonald's second memoir continues the saga with the author turning his gaze upon himself in hope of explaining how he escaped where his brethren succumbed. It quickly becomes apparent that his survival has much to do with his perpetual status as the exile. He's the "quiet one" in his big Irish-Catholic family, the poor kid at Boston Latin High School. When his friends branch into drugs and alcohol, MacDonald remains sober, seeking refuge and a renewed sense of self in Boston's burgeoning early '80s punk rock scene, where he encounters such seminal figures as the Clash and Johnny Rotten. As the odd man out looking for a place to fit in, MacDonald journeys further and further away from Southie—first to downtown Boston, then to New York's Lower East Side—and the dangerous neighborhood rites that spelled doom for his family members. The book takes on a different tone as MacDonald heads to Europe after going to the Southie funeral of his father, a man he never knew. On different occasions—once with Ma—he finds his way to Ireland, his ancestral homeland, "to understand more about Southie, and Irish America in general." Even though MacDonald is far from the first Irish-American to discover the auld sod, he continues to courageously break Southie's silence in this tale of a journey that is as inspiring as it is haunting. (Sept.)

In 1954, at age 12, Schilling first met fellow Memphis homeboy Presley, a 19-year-old truck driver "a year out of high school and less than a week into a recording career that carried no guarantee of turning into steady work." He provides a fascinating view of Memphis in the late '50s, but most of his memoir is from after 1964, when he officially joined the retinue of friends—the "Memphis Mafia"—that served as Elvis's surrogate family. While this thoroughly enjoyable book deftly describes his many adventures with Elvis and other notables, including the Beatles, Ann-Margret, the Beach Boys and Billy Joel, the heart of it is his many observations of Elvis's inner exploration. Unlike the rest of Elvis's posse, Schilling was liberal in his musical and racial views, and he shared Elvis's spiritual hunger "for a sense of meaning and purpose." Schilling provides the most detailed account yet of the sometimes comical LSD trip he took with Presley, and he poignantly observes the "disappointment and frustration" Elvis felt about his Hollywood movies. Overall, Schilling's heartfelt narrative makes this more than just another piece of Elvis product. (Aug.)

In the rarified world of bamboo fly rod making, names like Ed Payne and Sam Carlson, and their progeny, acolytes and apprentices, stand like giants, casting long shadows that stretch from the dawn of modern American fly-fishing in the late 19th century to the present-day reality of multimillion dollar "cabins" along the Bitterroot River valley in Montana. In this beautifully crafted, utterly engaging work, Black wraps his own personal journey through the contemporary world of bamboo fly rod making in a sweeping, meticulous telling of the history of American fly-fishing. With admirable dexterity, he manages to make the story a metaphor for a great deal of how American social and commercial culture has evolved over the past 150 years. Black indelibly etches a story of peerless craftsmen laboring toward perfection, sparring all the while with corporate interest, fickle customers and the inevitable diminishing of their own inspiration. A must for any committed angler, this is a worthwhile read for those who have never rolled out of bed before dawn, pulled on a pair of rubber waders and ventured into the ice-cold waters of some trout stream in search of that perfect catch. (Aug.)

Karzai's missive, like a high-quality direct-mail marketing piece, is engaging, romantic and sometimes thrilling, but just a little too slick to be completely convincing. The book begins with a brief history of Afghanistan before Karzai tells of his early childhood in a prominent "educated... but conservative and traditional" Afghan family. After university in India, he moves to Pakistan to join his father and the Afghan resistance against the Soviets. After September 11, 2001, he and his companions return to Afghanistan, hiking over mountains, eating almonds and pomegranates at a farmer's hut and, aided by nocturnal American fire-lit weapons airdrops, alternately evading and fighting the Taliban. With shrapnel being cleaned from his head, Karzai receives the news that he's the new leader of Afghanistan, and he makes a triumphant but disarmingly low-key return to Kabul. The book waxes optimistic about disarmament, Afghan unity and women's participation in the new democracy. Conspicuously missing are coercive warlords, lawless rural areas and Taliban resurgence. Finally, Karzai makes his valid pitch that to avoid heroin trafficking and future terrorist attacks, Americans and the international community must not abandon Afghanistan again. This book provides a unique insider's view of Afghanistan, but distinguishing truth from hard sell is frustrating and difficult. (Aug.)

Lifestyle

Food & Entertaining

Readers who know Malgieri as the author of such drool-inducing books as Chocolate, Perfect Cakes and Cookies Unlimited may be surprised to find the phrase "all under 300 calories per generous serving" on the cover of his new cookbook. Has the renowned pastry chef gone healthy? Only a little bit—and with nary a sprinkle of Splenda or spoonful of "buttery spread" in sight, Malgieri and Joachim (A Man, a Can, a Grill) offer 125 simple recipes for chocolate desserts; cakes; pies and tarts; puddings, custards and soufflés; fruit desserts; iced and frozen desserts; and cookies that happen to be lower in calories than most. Some recipes are for traditional desserts that are naturally low in calories and fat (Blueberry Pie, Peaches in Red Wine, Biscotti), while others use lighter ingredients, e.g., a combination of whole eggs and egg whites (instead of egg yolks) or low-fat dairy products (Chocolate Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Icing, Ginger Lovers' Pound Cake). The authors only go so far with their "light" approach, though: real butter and even real heavy cream appear in several recipes—the result being a well-rounded recipe collection for delicious and fairly guiltless treats. Photos. (On sale Oct. 17)

Oseland, who has lived in Singapore for 20 years, hopes to help people who haven't had the benefit of a trip to West Sumatra or Kuala Lumpur to discover those places' scents and tastes. Oseland devotes close to half the book to explaining ingredients, techniques and eating traditions as well as relating anecdotes from 20 years of roaming the islands and picking up the natives' cooking wisdom. Many ingredients will require special trips to ethnic markets, though Oseland allows for some substitution or omission of difficult-to-find items like fresh galangal or daun salam leaves. The first chapter covers sambals, every meal's essential spicy accompaniment, as well as other small dishes like the fiery Sweet-Sour Cucumber and Carrot Pickle with Turmeric; he follows with slightly more familiar street foods and snacks such as satays and gado-gado, then rice and noodles in all their guises, from simple, heavenly steamed rice to the zingy Malaysian Penang-Style Stir-Fried Kuey Teow Noodles. Oseland's instructions are detailed, and he makes a convincing case that with a little time and care, the best of these complex, interrelated cuisines can be enjoyed thousands of miles from their origin. Maps and color photos not seen by PW. (Aug.)

Religion

The story begins in 2003 when West's 35-year-old son, Jeremy, crashes his car and is rushed to the E.R. A day later, his twin brother, Jon, is hospitalized with a potentially fatal case of flesh-eating bacteria. Jeremy, it turns out, is bipolar and often refuses to take his meds; this is his fourth accident in just a few weeks. Jon is addicted to drugs and has been kicked out of rehab. As she sits by her sons' hospital beds, West flashes back to their hyperactive childhood, their father's death at 47 of a malignant brain tumor, their grandfather's breakdown and her regrets over how she handled her sons' turbulent adolescence. It sounds like material for a country-western song, but West, a long-time contributing editor to Guideposts magazine, turns family crises into a heartwarming and even (sometimes) funny collection of stories about trusting God no matter what happens. For her, God is a personal friend who speaks up whenever she needs encouragement: "I am going to use all of this. Nothing will be wasted." Lightening the mood with folksy tales about her late mother, eccentric neighbors and middle-aged romance, West dishes up inspiration with a warmhearted honesty that will appeal to a wide range of Christian women. (Oct.)

Thompson became a breast cancer statistic after a routine mammogram revealed a suspicious spot; doctors confirmed it was cancer. This author, founder of Woman to Woman Mentoring Ministry at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, experienced the emotional highs and lows, pain and fatigue, and spiritual crisis and victory that come with breast cancer. She shares her story, plus much more, in a book she envisions as "a safe place to document an epic time in your life." Much of her experience is recorded in letters to God, but she also includes the words of others. "Mentoring Moment" sections offer help and advice about the gritty aspects of breast cancer. Most touching is paraphrased Scripture offered as "God's Love Letter to You." Thompson provides both space and encouragement to journal, and her appendices provide valuable resources such as Web sites and recommended reading, as well as space for recording questions, doctor's appointments, medications, contact information and many other details often lost in the trauma and emotion. Thompson's book is a must for any Christian woman facing breast cancer. It's honest, beautiful and cathartic. (Sept. 26)

Higgs, bestselling author of Bad Girls of the Bible, offers a sweet but substantial gift book about accepting God's grace and leaving the past behind. Higgs's personal history includes "a lost decade of sex, drugs, and rock 'n 'roll," and though she doesn't focus on her past, she writes believably as someone who struggled with accepting grace herself. Each chapter contains multiple Scripture verses strung together with comments she's received from readers (such as, "I don't feel I am worthy of having God forgive me of my sins and weaknesses. I feel like a failure.") and reflections from her own life. She walks through several stages of receiving grace—including doubting that grace could be possible, confronting sin, forgiving yourself and repenting. Readers will feel at ease with Higgs's down-home style that's never preachy. Higgs aims to provide "a field guide, tracing a well-worn footpath from doubt to belief, pointing us away from shame and toward hope." She succeeds, and readers who are looking for more insight from this former Bad Girl will be very thankful. (Sept. 19)

As the youngest son of six children, at the tail end of the (in)famous Baldwin brothers acting family, Stephen Baldwin has never done anything by halves. In this exhausting autobiographical report, Baldwin depicts himself as a wild, fun-loving extremist who mended his ways after making a personal commitment to Christ a few years back. Faced with his boldness bordering on fanaticism, readers will either love or hate Baldwin's take on the Christian life. At the outset, some may cringe at his recollections at being invited to the Playboy mansion, and his former caveman mentality toward women will likely cause some ire. Yet despite the audacious talk, Baldwin pointedly admits with some measure of humility his current struggles to "live out" a genuine God-honoring faith. He discusses how his new faith has affected his family, details the life events that brought him to Christ and offers randomly presented musings on marriage, prayer, purity, divine intervention and evangelism. If Baldwin's intent is to rev up the blood pressure of Christian readers while simultaneously challenging them to more courageous, faith-guided living, the venture succeeds. But be warned: this is not a gentle chronicle but an almost spastic spiritual memoir by someone on perpetual fast-forward. (Sept. 19)

Part politics and part religion, this book is a red-hot challenge to "middle of the road" Christians, Jews and Muslims in America. Edgar wants them to wake up and wrest national attention away from a Christian Coalition agenda that focuses on hot-button issues like homosexuality and abortion in favor of wide-ranging issues of poverty, peace and saving the environment. Edgar, former congressman (D-PA) and now general secretary of the National Council of Churches, fears that the religious right, "a version of faith so at odds with mine, so contrary to the central teachings of Christianity, Judaism and Islam that it condones poverty, condemns peace and contributes to the despoiling of God's creation," is prevailing. He calls on the "middle church," people of faith who are centrists, somewhat deferential and largely silent, to return to the central message of Jesus' ministry—the imperative to love one's neighbor—and judge public policy by that measuring stick. Weaving homespun storytelling with a persuasive plea, Edgar makes a strong case both against the current political agenda of the religious right and for a national policy that truly reflects the best values of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. (Sept. 5)

Megaselling author Meyer (Approval Addiction; Battlefield of the Mind) turns her pointed pen to building confidence in women. She defines confidence as "all about being positive about what you can do—and not worrying over what you can't do." She quickly moves into describing God's view of women ("God never intended for women to be less than men in anyone's estimation") and what the Bible says about women in ministry, offering her interpretation of the Apostle Paul's controversial comments in 1 Corinthians. Meyer's quick jabs become less defined as she describes the seven secrets of the confident woman; rattles on about the Proverbs 31 woman; lists 10 women who overcame barriers to become leaders; and then describes 10 steps to female independence. The last seven chapters focus on how women can eliminate fear from their lives. As usual, Meyer presents a relentlessly upbeat message to her legion of eager readers: be confident, here's how, get going. It's a vital message to be sure, but discerning readers might prefer fewer platitudes and examples, less repetition and a bit more depth. (Sept. 5)

This collection of stories about amazing things that happened when people prayed is the most recent addition to Anderson's series of popular books about angels, miracles and other wonders. Some of the accounts in Guardian Angels were previously published in Angels We Have Heard on High, but Anderson has added new ones. The most fascinating—and goose-bump producing—involve incidents in which people in distress receive comfort or aid from figures who later mysteriously disappear or entire buildings that seem to vanish after an angelic encounter. In one story, a woman gets through a difficult night in the hospital nursing her sick baby because her younger sister comes to help her. Later, when she thanks her, the sister is puzzled because she wasn't at the hospital that night. Anderson's stories are related through the eyes of faith, and she has written them to convey a message about prayer and its importance in today's world. She also urges readers to make prayer a more significant part of their lives. Believers in the power of prayer and angelic visitations who delight in reading "evidence" of the supernatural will especially enjoy this book. (Sept.)

Dorrell, a Waco, Tex., pastor, calls the "corporate" Christian church to repentance for insulating itself against some of Christ's most profound and challenging teachings. Dorrell speaks from a position of considerable moral authority, as he's intimately involved in the lives of the urban poor and founded a flourishing church that meets under a Texas freeway overpass (the Church Under the Bridge) whose constituents range from mentally ill homeless substance abusers and tattooed bikers to college students and middle-class housewives. Dorrell's challenge to live more radically (i.e., biblically) is divided into 14 chapters on subjects like appearance, creativity, friendship and families, each illustrated with life examples from the "troll-like" people in his congregation. The Western church, he writes, "has lost its prophetic voice in the culture": church budgets don't always reflect Christ-like priorities, and members would rather merely give money to the poor than sit down and eat with them. Dorrell urges both individuals and Christian communities to break down the protective walls that shield them from dysfunction and to make the difficult choice to welcome all. Though the writing can be sermonic, Dorrell's temple-cleaning message is powerful and his stories compelling. (Sept.)

Meditation with a quantum twist is what RavenWolf offers in her 19th book about witchcraft and magick. "Meditation is nothing more than the moment you make magick," she explains, and it is precisely the means for harnessing what she calls MindLight, an internal source of power that is "a tool that you can use to build a healthy, positive future." Two-thirds of the book consists of meditation exercises grouped into three categories: basic, life pace and astrology-related. RavenWolf's tone throughout is so filled with pep that readers will either be swept up into trying the many meditation exercises or run screaming from prose that's enthusiastic (!) to the point of intolerable. Beyond the chatty encouragement, RavenWolf provides an impressive selection of exercises specific to common places encountered daily (the shower, the car), times of day (in the morning or while watching the sunset) or the various planets. All of these drills are designed to improve health, self-esteem and a practitioner's overall outlook and approach to life. If readers can forgive the RavenWolf's syrupy tone, MindLight is, at the least, a thorough handbook of meditation techniques especially helpful in the area of slowing the ever-quickening pace of living in today's world. (Sept.)

Though born out of the "world of gonzo," rife with indignation, agitation, cynicism and a "biting urge to revolt," this book delivers such a soulful commentary that it could just as easily be called "Judaism Unplugged." Like musicians who return to the roots of their profession and play without electronica, Rabbi Goldstein, founding rabbi of the New Shul in Manhattan, reminds readers—whether they are new seekers or lapsed practitioners of Judaism—to confirm their knowledge of the "nuts and bolts" of their tradition before wistfully seeking the mystical. "Judaism, when presented in its best and most authentic light, doesn't coddle—it confronts," he says. Similarly, the rabbi pulls no punches, but manages to do so with the easy style of a coffeehouse conversation. Using a combination of Jewish history and personal anecdotes, he offers a wide range of alternative ways to explore Judaism individually or in small groups, if large congregations are not appealing. The extensive resource list that includes congregations, organizations and recommended reading promises to serve readers of all ages. With this edgy, funny, wise book, Goldstein may just have found a way to ensure the survival of the religion for another 6,000 years. (Sept.)

[See the July 12 issue of Religion BookLine for an interview with Rabbi Goldstein.]

Most Buddhist writers are not often lighthearted or zesty, but the British-born monk Ajahn Brahm is a delightful exception. Even though meditators are taught to not expect anything, since that represents an attachment, meditation should bring you joy and bliss, according to Brahm. The bliss states of meditation (jhanas) are little-taught, so this book is an addition with value in a crowded niche. Trained in the Thai forest tradition by the Buddhist master Ajahn Chah, Brahm is a clear communicator of the ineffable. He is able to write about a variety of mental states and visualizations with precision and discrimination, drawing on his own experience. He is step-by-step systematic, which helps demystify what happens in meditation. Also useful is the specificity with which he describes the kinds of problems meditators encounter and what to do to resolve them. Meditation is difficult to teach on the page, but Brahm, who began life as an academic at Cambridge, fulfills his calling as teacher. He projects both energetic conviction and calm equanimity. The promise of bliss he describes in this excellent manual is elusive, but remains a compelling goal. (Sept.)

James (Story: Recapture the Mystery), an experienced storyteller, offers a series of casual reflections on the paradoxes of the Christian faith. He addresses all the old standards—like how can a good God allow pain, how much of salvation is our work and how much is grace, and why God calls us to be perfect when we all know that's impossible. James sees everything through the lens of story. He talks around the ideas he's addressing, taking circuitous routes through a series of tangentially related tales, sometimes touching and sometimes trivial, largely from his own life. Each chapter also includes original poetry—heartfelt but not terribly well written. There are deep insights here, if few hard-and-fast conclusions, and while these are not altogether fresh, they are presented with energizing honesty. At times the number of metaphors is overwhelming and confusing, like when James writes of "the thrilling romance of dancing with a rugged bridegroom toward the edge of eternity amidst the weird dreams, bad aim, and indecipherable miracles of life." Some readers will likely find the book difficult to follow, but James's postmodern fans will welcome it. (Sept.)

Penczak, an eclectic witch and prolific author (City Magick; Sons of the Goddess; etc.), returns with a volume that seeks to offer a comprehensive introduction to metaphysics. His stated purpose is to fill the missing gaps in the education of those new to esoteric religion and those who are "ungrounded, unbalanced, and misinformed." The book's organization is more than a little reminiscent of a high school textbook, though Penczak inserts enough of his own biography and spiritual preferences to keep the material engaging. Penczak is best when he's speaking about the knowledge areas with which he is most familiar; in the chapter on sacred space and time, for instance, he offers a description of the 12 signs of the Zodiac that surpasses most fuller treatments. However, his descriptions of shamanism and Kabbalah fail to instill the same sense power and wonder. Some readers will be frustrated by Penczak's placement of the chapters on magick at the end of the book, as many coming to it will have already chosen Wicca as their path. But Penczak is adamant that modern witches need to be grounded in the entire spiritual tradition. Those looking to broaden their spiritual perspective will be well-served by this highly accessible primer. (Sept.)

Neusner, author or editor of nearly a thousand books (yes, you read that correctly), is a renowned Jewish scholar who has devoted his impressive career to the study of Judaism. His documentary studies of classical texts include valuable translations of both the Jerusalem and the Babylonian Talmuds. Here, he sets out to provide a primer to the Talmud in seven chapters that discuss "fundamental questions" of history, literature and religion. Although a primer is commonly perceived as a simple, introductory book on a subject, what Neusner has produced here is a complex analysis that requires painstaking attention. As he explains, the Talmud consists of the Mishnah, a systematic codification of the oral law, and the Gemara, rabbinic commentaries, including disputes about the law. Extensive quotations, elaborated by the author, illustrate the Talmudic discussions. A final chapter, "How Does the Talmud Present God?" confronts the vexed question of theodicy—why does a just God allow evil? Neusner cites a Talmudic answer that envisions "resurrection of the dead at the end of days" and "eternal life." Assiduous readers of all faiths will benefit from this introduction to the Talmud as a "cookbook of culture composed of recipes for sustaining civilization." (Aug. 28)