Web-Exclusive Reviews: Week of 4/9/2007

-- Publishers Weekly, 4/9/2007

NONFICTION

8: A Memoir
Amy Fusselman. Counterpoint, $17 (132p) ISBN 9781582433684

Fusselman (The Pharmacist’s Mate) skated figure eights when she was little. Those become a metaphor for the way events have folded and unfolded in her life. Her pivotal event was being raped by the husband of her babysitter when she was four. She doesn’t describe the actual rape, although she refers to the perpetrator over and over as “my pedophile.” Around the time of the rape, she went to a performance of Sleeping Beauty with her mother, but suddenly walked up on stage to kiss the prince. She says many people, including her editor, did not find this believable. She wants readers to understand that this was “true” if “unbelievable,” as her subtitle suggests. Indeed, she seems to think this is what writing a memoir is all about—making some inner truth believable to others. Though it’s only 132 pages, that count has been inflated with many little vignettes—listening to a wise taxi driver, trying to learn to ride a motorcycle, being treated by “alternative” healers, watching monster truck videos with her children. Even so, there’s a lot less here than meets the eye. (May)

AMERICAN PATCHWORK: True Stories from Quilters
Edited by Sonja Hakala. St. Martin’s/Dunne, $22.95 (256p) ISBN 9780312347888

Beating Chicken Soup for the Quilter’s Soul to the punch, this collection of quilters’ anecdotes edited by freelance writer Hakala is aimed solely at a quilting readership. Coincidences, family legends and quilt-related epiphanies feature prominently in the 70 short pieces. Ginny Levin tells a charming story about learning to quilt as an adult, when she thought “a bobbin was what a ‘red, red robin’ did in a song.” Renie Morse recounts a touching story of her yo-yo’s effect on a stranger. Molly Wolf recalls a mother-in-law who quilted to her own tastes, never to the likings of whomever she planned to give the quilt: “She knew what she wanted us to have.” Some of these stories, most of which run no more than two pages, lack confidence and distinction, and could have used surer editing. Though it’s too bland to read straight through, taken one by one these tales will probably charm quilters, and the nuggets of truth and trivia peppered throughout—patchwork styles, slang, American sewing history—will keep them coming back. (Apr.)

Beats, Rhymes & Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip-Hop
Edited by Kenji Jasper and Ytasha Womack, foreword by Michael Eric Dyson. Harlem Moon, $14 paper (240p) ISBN 9780767919777

Novelist Jasper (Seeking Salamanca Mitchell) and filmmaker Womack have both written about various aspects of hip-hop culture, and here they collect a fascinating group of essays by music writers on key ideas and images in the genre. The book is organized by what the editors consider the strongest images in what all the writers view as the “cultural juggernaut” of hip-hop: the fan, the buzz (drugs), the love, the cane (pimps), the cross (religion), the coffin, the whip (cars), the ice (diamonds), the stilettos, the tag (graffiti), the turntable, the shell casing, the block, the floor (dancing) and the suit (business). Each writer clearly loves hip-hop music, and all are united by a sense, stated best by Lisa Pegram (in a powerful look at “Romance vs. Promiscuity in Mainstream Hip-Hop”) that the music is “our blues, our jazz, our rock and roll, our generation’s birthmark on the American experience.” In the end, many of these writers challenge current artists, producers and record industry executives to recognize that the musical possibilities that arose out of the multicultural hip-hop scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s are being reduced to what Faraji Whalen describes as “the idea that black youth should conform to and emulate the worst possible racial stereotypes.” This is a fine collection for anyone invested in hip-hop and the pop culture landscape it transformed. (May)

Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream
Edited by John Edwards, Marion Crain and Arne L. Kalleberg. New Press, $25.95 (304p) ISBN 9781595581761

At a time when U.S. income inequality has reached levels not seen since 1928, Senator (and presidential candidate) Edwards and company turn their attention to that near-forgotten project, the War on Poverty, declared by FDR, revived by LBJ and lately eclipsed by Wars on Drugs and Terror. In this engrossing collection of rigorously researched articles, more than two dozen contributors examine the state of poverty, hammering home two War on Poverty standards: the rich are getting richer while the 37 million living in poverty get nothing, while a third argument bolsters those standbys: the middle class is getting poorer. Elizabeth Warren’s troubling article shows how, in the 2000s, two-income families are far more vulnerable to economic crises than their single-income counterparts, and in fact have less disposable real income (by about $1,500) than single-income families did in the 1970s. Contributors, including Edwards himself, propose some sensible policy solutions, and frequently without raising taxes: raising the minimum wage, creating a Financial Product Safety Commission (to end usurious consumer credit practices), developing programs to increase asset ownership (e.g., homes) and offering tax advantages for employers who provide education, child care and a living wage. Responsible and intelligent, this dispatch makes an urgent case for redeployment in the battle for America’s impoverished. (Apr.)

EVERYBODY EATS THERE: The World of Celebrity Restaurants
William Stadiem and Mara Gibbs. Artisan, $24.95 (384p) ISBN 9781579653224

Stadiem (Marilyn Monroe Confidential) and Gibbs (of the famed Morton family restaurateurs) delve into the not-so-secret secrets of famous and favored eateries worldwide. Stadiem and Gibbs stick with the icons, but the unfortunate result is that anyone interested in marquee dining likely already knows the inside scoop doled out here. New York’s Elaine’s gets tagged, for instance, as “the Lion Country Safari of American letters, all giants, no midlisters,” while the short-on-patience waiters at Brooklyn steakhouse Peter Luger serves heart attacks on a plate. How about dining at The Ivy in the heart of London’s theater district? “It’s so good and obvious a choice that you can’t get in unless you’re a star.” And a trip to the Hotel Costes restaurant in Paris will—shocker—leave you feeling inadequate. Though the book’s mission to “enable outsiders to feel like insiders” is noble, the dope proffered is minimal. (May)

THE EVIL EMPIRE: 101 Ways That England Ruined the World
Steven A. Grasse. Quirk, $15.95 (192p) ISBN 9781594741739

In this cheeky look at the low points of the U.K. past and present, adman Grasse (spokesperson for the Philadelphia-based International Coalition for British Reparations) doesn’t just twist the Royal Lion’s tail, he nearly yanks it off. In one-page entries, Grasse amasses a long list of sins, which include burning down Washington, D.C. in 1812, supporting the Confederacy during the Civil War and hooking the Chinese on opium. Grasse blames today’s problems in Iraq, Israel and Afghanistan on 20th century British foreign policy, ridicules the British government for spending public money on the royal family and calls the British Museum “little more than a pirate’s trophy case.” Other affronts to civilization include the invention of fox hunting, slums, child labor and concentration camps (during the Boer War). In the arts, snubs go to the likes of Punch & Judy, Shakespeare and Sir Elton John. Though tempered with plenty of humor, this intense diatribe is sure to rankle Anglos and their fans; as such, it will make a perfect gag gift, hitting bookshelves just in time for your St. George’s Day celebration. (Apr.)

HAPA GIRL: A Memoir
May-lee Chai. Temple Univ., $25 (232p) ISBN 9781592136155

A heavy dose of bitterness keeps Chai’s memoir of growing up in South Dakota with a Chinese-American father and a Caucasian mother from registering deeply. The Chai family, used to liberal, progressive California and New York City, suffered terribly when Chai’s father took a post at a rural university: prejudice ran deeply in the little town where they settled. Shots were fired close to their house, their pets were killed and the author and her brother were the victims of racist verbal assaults. The author still seems angry, and her frustration comes across like angsty teenage impudence. She’s angry that her naïve father made the rash decision to move at all (“My father had the more pressing issue of his destiny to attend to”). Years later, still trapped in South Dakota, she mentions, “I... couldn’t believe [my father] had made us leave our home to live in this place.” And she’s angry that she had to attend what she calls “Stephen King High.” But it’s not all gloom: Chai’s mother, a canny woman who smiled in the face of prejudice and amassed her own group of friends, is the book’s star. Her courage, recounted by her daughter, saves this otherwise one-note memoir. Illustrations. (May)

THE MILLIONAIRE ZONE: Seven Winning Steps to a Seven-Figure Fortune
Jennifer Openshaw. Hyperion, $22.95 (272p) ISBN 9781401303259

Though ABC radio host Openshaw avoids these specific terms, the “winning steps” she touts in her first book are simply networking and entrepreneurship; Openshaw prefers to call this “tapping your LifeNet.” Using a number of anecdotes about relatively unknown entrepreneurs, as well as stories about Bill Gates, Nike’s Phil Knight and Warren Buffett, Openshaw shows how tapping into your LifeNet—through such actions as “redefining your Comfort Zone” and using your “Home Zone” for advice and support—will allow you to get past your fears, figure out what you want to do and build wealth accordingly. She also uses the results of two original surveys canvassing more than 3,000 high net-worth Americans. Unfortunately, the results hold very few surprises, and don’t do much to support Openshaw’s points: nearly two thirds of the millionaires surveyed say that their wealth derived largely from stocks and other investments; over half say real estate investments are key; and 30 percent say they inherited a significant sum; these are means to wealth that Openshaw’s book barely addresses. In a crowded field, Openshaw’s approach and original research fail to reach any novel conclusions. (Apr.)

The Mother-Daughter Project: How Mothers and Daughters can Band Together, Beat the Odds, and Thrive Through Adolescence
Suellen Hamkins and Renee Schultz. Hudson Street, $23.95 (352p) ISBN 9781594630347

Psychotherapists Hamkins and Schultz and a small group of other moms began the Mother-Daughter Project when their daughters were seven. Over the next 10 years, the girls and their mothers met on a regular basis to help the girls weather adolescence while remaining “strong, confident and whole.” Since their initial meeting, dozens of mom-daughter groups have sprung up around the world and the authors have become speakers on the subject, claiming that their simple solution to keep daughters and mothers close during potentially turbulent times turned out to be a resounding success. Not only were these meetings a safe haven for the girls, but they also provided a wellspring of support for the mothers themselves. The authors hypothesize that teen girls do better in a close and loving relationship with their mothers, and that separation—and the animosity that often accompanies it—isn’t necessary in order for girls to grow into independent, confident adults. The prose can be long-winded when introducing the rationale for forming this sort of nurturing club, but the second part of the book delves into the hands-on process. Included are activity ideas (such as a special pre-menstruation ceremony or mom/daughter slumber parties) and discussion guides for year-by-year issues from seven to 17 (e.g., safety, values, money, sex and independence). Authors Hamkins and Schultz offer women practical ways to help their daughters embrace adolescence within an empowering “circle of love.” (Apr.)

NAZI GAMES: The Olympics of 1936
David Clay Large. Norton, $27.95 (402p) ISBN 9780393058840

The year 1936 saw “the Nazi’s first big international show—their coming-out party on the world stage,” when Berlin hosted the summer Olympics. In this comprehensive examination of the 1936 Olympic Games, historian Large explores everything from Berlin’s bid to secure the games—amongst much political jockeying and threats of international boycott—to politicized training regimes, shocking mistreatment of Jewish and black athletes and, finally, the tense contest itself. What emerges is a captivating, chilling portrait of the Nazi propaganda machine, the international response to it and the swirl of global forces that would soon plunge the world back into war. Featuring highly detailed research drawn from a number of primary accounts (including “fresh materials” from the International Olympic Committee), this history may wade in a few steps deeper than some readers will care to go; still, as a unique look at both the Third Reich and the Olympics, this should hold great interest for aficionados of WWII and avid fans of the Games. (Apr.)

PUNK ROCK DAD: No Rules, Just Real Life
Jim Lindberg. Collins, $24.95 (240p) ISBN 9780061148750

As lead vocalist and guitarist in the veteran California punk-rock band Pennywise, Lindberg writes and sings songs like “Fuck Authority” and “Fight Till You Die.” At home with his wife and three young girls, however, he oversees play dates and washes a lot of dishes. In his first book, Lindberg explores that bizarre dichotomy to its fullest, resulting in a fast read that’s part memoir, part parenting manual. Writing with wit, charm and unexpected tenderness, Lindberg plays mix-and-match with life in a punk band and life at home, using punk’s DIY ethic to address the challenge of raising well-adjusted children in a world ruled by conformity. Along the way, he shares often-intimate anecdotes about parenting classes, doctors’ offices, breastfeeding and sex. Lindberg gains readers’ trust early by refusing to sugarcoat parenthood, though he strives a bit too hard to prove he’s still a punk rocker at heart. Also distracting—and potentially off-putting—is his odd way of referring to his children—not by name, but by birth order (“Daughter number one,” etc.). Despite minor flaws, this colorful, captivating title deserves a large audience of adults looking to raise good kids without losing sight of their youthful passions. Photos. (Apr.)

THE SOUTH IS ROUND: Contemplations of a 21st Century Redneck
David Magee. Jefferson (IPG, dist.), $19.95 (208p) ISBN 9780977808625

Meant to be a satirical Southern response to Thomas Friedman’s bestselling globalism primer The World is Flat, Magee’s book skips economics, international business—and intelligent satire—to focus instead on the laziest kind of shock humor. Casual racism and misogyny abound, whether Magee’s recalling drunken sex on a golf course or advising African-American politicians to win votes by “exposing their blackness to the highest degree”: “get a hat and put it on crooked.… get some big gaudy chains … grab [your] crotch and slump [your] shoulders.” Commentary on illegal immigration hits similar notes: “It does seem at times that [illegal immigrants] are living as if on extended work vacation where nothing needs to be taken too seriously.” Though his publisher touts Magee as “edgy,” readers may find more appropriate descriptors in “juvenile” and “irrelevant”; perhaps a thesis or a conclusion would have given Magee’s “humor” more bite. For Southern humor completists only. (Apr.)

LIFESTYLE

CAFE WISCONSIN COOKBOOK
Joanne Raetz Stuttgen and Terese Allen. Univ. of Wisconsin, $24.95 (194p) ISBN 9780299222741

Following the popular Cafe Wisconsin, a guidebook to the Badger State’s homiest diners, roadside restaurants and small-town eateries, this cookbook offers the best recipes from a state not necessarily known for its cuisine. Indeed, food snobs might cringe just skimming some of the ingredients: Miracle Whip, canned soups, jarred sauce and/or processed cheese star in several recipes. Nevertheless, there’s something welcoming about Janette’s Chicken Enchilada Soup, which hails from Daddy Maxwell’s Arctic Circle Diner in Williams Bay, near the shores of Lake Michigan. A spicy concoction of canned enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and American cheese, the soup might not be authentically Mexican, but it’s still delicious with a garnish of sour cream and tortilla chips. Pork Ribs and Saurekraut, a nod to the Polish heritage of many Wisconsinites, is a belly-filling casserole of meat, potatoes and cabbage. Hot Beef, “the quintessential plate special in Wisconsin,” is nothing more than beef and potatoes piled on white bread, but it’s satisfyingly toothsome—especially, one imagines, on a cold midwestern night. Perhaps unsurprisingly, desserts are the standouts: what could beat a slice of Raspberry Cherry Streusel Pie, with a scoop of Wisconsin ice cream on the side? As this cookbook proves, delicious food can come from the most unexpected places. (Apr.)

HEALING THE NEW CHILDHOOD EPIDEMICS: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies
Kenneth Bock and Cameron Stauth. Ballantine, $25.95 (450p) ISBN 9780345494504

Almost half of all American children today are diagnosed with autism, ADHD, allergies or asthma, an “undeniably epidemic” statistic that physician Bock (The Road to Immunity) and author Stauth (Brain Longevity) use to launch an investigation into potential causes of and treatments for these conditions, while demonstrating Bock’s unusual approach through numerous case studies. According to the authors, genetics “load the gun, and environment pulls the trigger”: bodily toxins like heavy metals, exposure to viruses through vaccination and poor nutrition create “a veritable perfect storm of physical and neurological insult” that hits hardest those still developing their immune systems. In case studies, Bock approaches each patient like a puzzle waiting to be solved, a refreshing, multi-pronged strategy to healing: finding and treating the root cause of illness rather than its symptoms, reducing the body’s toxin load and helping the body heal itself through nutritional and medical therapy. Empathetic and encouraging, this highly readable guide breaks down complex biomedical concepts clearly, keeping frustration at bay. Parents of affected children will appreciate the guide to action, but they, along with medical professionals, will probably wish for endnoted references rather than a general bibliography, and further statistics on treatments. (Apr.)

 IT AIN’T ALL ABOUT THE COOKING
Paula Deen, with Sherry Suib Cohen. Simon & Schuster, $25 (288p) ISBN 9780743292856

Anyone who’s ever watched, mesmerized, as the author of this memoir pan-fries a porkchop on the Food Network will find lots to savor in her down-home life story. Deen, the sunny host of Paula’s Home Cooking and the author of three cookbooks, relates the collapse of her first marriage, her surprising fight with agoraphobia and the rise of her Savannah restaurant, The Lady and Sons, with candor, good humor and mouthwatering descriptions of Southern food. Of her husband’s favorite dish, Sexy Oxtails, Deen writes, “It is a loving dish; a hearty, lip-smacking dish; and those tails are better than a passionate kiss.” Yes, she includes the simple, savory recipe alongside recipes for favorites like belly-filling Shaggy Man Split Pea Soup, salty-sweet Pan-Fried Corn and addictive Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy. Deen writes the way she talks—lots of ain’ts, darlings and honeys—but the effect is charming and disarmingly upfront. On her early Food Network success, she says, “I was not a size 2, but instead a sassy, roundish, white-headed cook. Women could identify with me… I could be them, and they could be me.” She’s absolutely right; when Deen has turned the last of life’s lemons into Southern-sweet lemonade, readers may want to stand up and cheer, or maybe just tuck into a big, celebratory plate of porkchops. (Apr.)

SIMPLY ROMANTIC DECORATING: Creating Elegance and Intimacy Throughout Your Home
Jessica McClintock with Karen Kelly. Rodale, $32.50 (224p) ISBN 9781594864674

Designer McClintock invites readers into her elegantly appointed Victorian home in this lavish, photo-packed book. Emphasizing classic styles (with a serious soft spot for the ornate details of 18th century European design), McClintock’s home exemplifies her take on “romantic decorating.” Ostensibly a practical guide to romanticizing one’s surroundings, this book is little more than a detailed tour of McLintock’s home. McClintock clearly and patiently describes her aesthetic, covering everything from fabric choices and paint colors to doorknobs and switch plates. What she lacks in practicality (the topic of kitchen storage is limited to a handful of paragraphs while table settings receives the multi-page treatment), McClintock generally makes up for in the sheer number of her ideas. Cognizant of the fact that few readers will be able to match her lavish lifestyle, McClintock offers tips on acquiring pieces at antique shops, estate sales and other bargain sources. Though the book falls short as a practical how-to, fans of McClintock’s aesthetic will appreciate the opportunity to see her warm and stylishly appointed home. (Apr.)

RELIGION

The Law of God: The Philosophical History of an Idea
Rémi Brague, trans. from the French by Lydia G. Cochrane. Univ. of Chicago, $35 (336p) ISBN 9780226070780

What makes a law “divine”? What characteristics does that divinity confer on the law? How can we describe societies in which human behavior is regulated by laws characterized as divine? Why has modernity abandoned the premodern notion of divine law as the foundation of social practice? Brague, who teaches philosophy at the Sorbonne and the University of Munich, addresses these and other questions in a book that is unfortunately bogged down in pedestrian prose and pedantic style. He explores the idea of divine law and its regulation of society as it developed in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Israel and functioned as a component of Christianity and Islam at least through the Middle Ages. By the time of the Enlightenment, however, the law had been torn away from divinity and become a function of the secular state. Modern society thought of law as simply a human instrument rather than a divine mandate. Though the topic is potentially fruitful, Brague adds little new or startling to the discussion of divine law. Through his chronological exploration of the devolution from divine law to human law, he tells a story about religion and society that is already well known. (May)

FICTION

The Green Mill Murder: A Phryne Fisher Mystery
Kerry Greenwood. Poisoned Pen, $24.95 (184p) ISBN 9781590582404

While fans of Australian author Greenwood’s light and humorous Phryne Fisher mystery series (Cocaine Blues, etc.) may expect the plot to be subordinate to the heroine’s displays of wit and libido, the degree to which that is the case this time out makes this a less successful entry than most. The action begins dramatically as Bernard Stevens, a participant in a dance marathon, drops dead in a Sydney nightclub, just before the end of the competition. Fisher, an amazingly self-possessed and competent amateur sleuth, happens to have been nearby at the time, and soon is involved in the investigation. When her date vanishes, after slipping away from the scene of the murder, ostensibly to compose himself, she’s hired by his mother to trace both him and his brother, a veteran of the worst trench warfare of WWI. The period is, as always, well-portrayed, but the resolution of the whodunit will disappoint some. (Apr.)

Laced: A Regan Reilly Mystery
Carol Higgins Clark. Scribner, $24 (272p) ISBN 9780743289436

At the start of Clark’s light-hearted 10th Regan Reilly mystery (after 2006’s Hitched), newlyweds Regan, a PI, and Jack Reilly, head of the Major Case Squad in New York City, are anticipating an idyllic honeymoon in western Ireland. But their hopes of tranquility are soon dashed. Early the first morning at their hotel, Hennessy Castle, Regan wakes up and thinks she sees a ghost out their window; the next moment a fire alarm sends her and Jack and the hotel’s other guests to the lobby. Later, a rare lace tablecloth on display at the castle disappears. Legend says it was made by May Reilly in the early 19th century, but because May was never paid for her work, her ghost haunts the castle. Jack’s receiving a note signed by two thieves he’s been trying to track down in New York complicates matters, as do the efforts of an American couple to cheat a talented local artist. In an atmospheric mystery loaded with quaint characters, Clark gives the reader a unique tour of Ireland from narrow country roads to the city of Galway. (Apr.)

Ladykiller
Lawrence Light and Meredith Anthony. Oceanview (Midpoint, dist.), $23.95 (264p) ISBN 9781933515052

An improbable plot and overheated prose (“The killer strode through the New York night, its brisk, crystal air vibrating with electric bloodlust”) weigh down Light and Anthony’s serial-killer cat-and-mouse tale, set in early 1990s New York City. After the murderer, dubbed the Ladykiller by the press, has claimed four victims (women of vastly different backgrounds shot through the right eye), the authorities create a special police task force. When the killer claims a fifth victim, Reuben Silver, a counselor at the West Side Crisis Center, Det. Dave Dillon investigates. At the crisis center, Dillon meets another counselor, Megan Morrison, who soon distracts him from his job even as the killings continue. The revelation of the killer’s identity early on removes much of the suspense, while a last-minute twist is both unconvincing and difficult to reconcile with earlier parts of the book. (Apr.)

POETRY

A FIDDLE PULLED FROM THE THROAT OF A SPARROW
Noah Eli Gordon. New Issues (SPD, dist.), $14 paper (96p) ISBN 9781930974685

With obfuscating cascades of images and precisely tumbling syntax, the 33 archly titled poems and sequences in Gordon’s fourth collection attempt to assemble, sometimes like a computer running a poetic algorithm, a hallowed new world flush in art and music. Written with exactness (sonnet sequences, a series of seven line poems, anaphora, etc.), the pieces are thickly smattered with the bedrock and easy emotion of the deep image, the hipster-abstract, and bible-ese: "the sound of smoke // was that of expansion // but the breaking of bread // like a dusk-shadow // became a name // losing itself in echo." When Gordon (Novel Pictorial Noise, chosen by John Ashbery for the National Poetry Series) directs instead of alludes, wonderful harmonies accrete from these patterns: "forget almond trees, grapes & poppies // what he wouldn’t believe is the inescapable music here // the night filling with beloved firetrucks // cover your ears to cover the passing sirens // praise the passing sirens." An intellectual latitude is at work here: Gordon references Barthes, Holderlin, Novalis, Stein, Twombly and many others that shadow the cacophony here. If the reader is sometimes pushed away by all the activity, the verse that floats to the top can be stunning. (Apr.)