Web Exclusive Reviews: Week of 1/14

-- Publishers Weekly, 1/14/2008

NONFICTION

Fidel Castro: My Life: A Spoken Autobiography
Fidel Castro and Ignacio Ramonet, translated from the Spanish by Andrew Hurley. Scribner, $40 (728p) ISBN 9781416553281
In February, 2002, Ramonet, the editor of French monthly Le Monde diplomatique, began a two-year conversation with the controversial Cuban head of state, a collaboration that resulted in this Q&A-style, Castro-approved look into the revolutionary leader’s life, from boyhood through his half-century in power. Ramonet proves a worthy interviewer, well prepared to tackle the famed Communist revolutionary’s legacy, and while many of Castro’s answers are predictably self-serving—”I’ve fought adamantly against any manifestation of the cult of personality”—the bombastic leader’s views on political figures and world events are genuinely thoughtful, and at times fascinating. High points include accounts of his relationship with Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis, backed up by excerpts from letters they exchanged; his advice for Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez during a 2002 coup attempt; and his sincere, positive assessment of American President Jimmy Carter. Though readers may find it hard to take this authorized life story at face value, Castro’s first attempt to tell his complete story provides an engaging perspective on the man and the world he helped shape. (Jan.)

Holy Land Mosaic: Stories of Cooperation and Coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians
Daniel Gavron. Rowman & Littlefield, $65 (224p) ISBN 9780724540125; $24.95 paper 9780742540132
In this hopeful book, Israeli journalist Gavron visits sites in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to demonstrate how Palestinians and Israelis can live together, “as proved by the fact that some of them do.” Indeed, these aren’t isolated communities where the region’s political tensions aren’t felt, but wide swaths of mainstream life. Though readers may wish Gavron would stay longer in one location, the depth and breadth of cooperative Israeli-Palestinian efforts is Gavron’s main point, and he finds them in hospitals, schools, neighborhoods, media outlets and other organizations working within and without the government (one highlight is the profile of Safe Haven for Donkeys in the Holy Land, an “improbable, eccentric” refuge for abused livestock). Conversations between Israelis and Palestinians, concerned largely with the nuances of their situation, are eye-opening for the tension and anxiety they reveal; as such, they make statements of solidarity (“The occupation is not natural. It won’t last, and then we will live together in mutual respect and co-operation”) that much more remarkable. In its accumulation of small, promising revelations, this book makes a large impact. (Dec.)

King of the Club: Richard Grasso and the Survival of the New York Stock Exchange
Charles Gasparino. Collins, $27.95 (400p) ISBN 9780060898335
Beginning with a handy list of players and ending with copious notes and references, this well-documented look at the rise and fall of New York Stock Exchange chairman Richard Grasso, who served from 1995-2003, gives readers an astonishing look inside the boardroom of the New York Stock Exchange. Many will be surprised to learn exactly how the exchange operated before it recently automated trading, functioning as one of “the country’s most insular institutions,” despite a growing need for efficiency and the mounting concern of lawmakers weary that “so much power and wealth were concentrated in relatively few hands.” Indeed, the sums involved are enormous, making this an absorbing (if immediately recognizable) story of greed, corruption and power struggles writ very large. Gasparino reconstructs the events of Grasso’s tenure with an evenhanded point of view, including plenty of historic context and satisfying detail; the well-researched narrative flows smoothly between Grasso’s career arc and the subsequent, transformative changes in the NYSE. Anyone invested in the exchange, or simply curious to see how those financial world executives earn their enormous pay packages, should find this book riveting. (Dec.)

Made in America
Matt Hughes with Michael Malice. Simon Spotlight, $24 (298p) ISBN 9781416948834
Though his name may not ring any bells for most, Hughes is a star among the growing audience for ultimate fighting and mixed martial arts competitions; in this workmanlike memoir, the nine-time Ultimate Fighting Championship Welterweight Champion recounts his journey to the top. His endearing tales of growing up in the small town of Hillsboro, Ill. do much to humanize the fighter, featuring vivid accounts of teenage mischief. Unfortunately, the attention to detail given to his adolescent pranks doesn’t carry throughout the book. Hughes’s impressions of Austria, United Arab Emirates and Japan, where he traveled to compete, are mentioned only in passing, an odd omission in the story of a young man from small town America; that space appears to have been reserved for intimate accounts of fights, but even these resist dwelling on gore or violence. Devotees will undoubtedly delight in Hughes’ behind-the-scenes accounts of UFC goings-on, as well as a blow-by-blow account of his victory over the legendary Royce Gracie, but the more bloody-minded may find his restraint disappointing. (Jan.)

The Memoirs of a Beautiful Boy
Robert Leleux. St Martin’s, $23.95 (288p) ISBN 9780312361686
Teacher, freelance writer and first-time author Leleux proves he’s already a master of the snappy one-liner and the improbably hilarious in this rollicking, bitter-sweet (emphasis on the bitter) coming-of-age memoir. Featuring a larger-than life mother addicted to shopping and surgical makeovers, Leleux admits to having “tilted” the story so that it “reads better (as in funnier, or happier) than it was lived”; still, it’s a rocky trip that obviously required a highly evolved sense of humor to get through (fortunately, Leleux makes himself as big a target as his extravagant mother). Beginning with his father’s abandonment when Leleux was 17, the author traces the erratic aftermath in the home of his desperate mom, whose plan to remarry rich leads her to pursue a risky and exorbitant series of surgical enhancements, turning inside-out Leleux’s hope that “the end of marriage [would be] only the beginning of plastic surgery and happy new lives.” In the meantime, Robert meets and unexpectedly falls in love with Michael Leleux, learning for the first time that he’s gay and, further, that his mom has already known. Not for the timid, this laugh-out-loud tale of dysfunction and discovery is a compulsively readable treat; any fan of Augusten Burroughs or David Sedaris owes it to themselves to pick it up. (Jan.)

A Million Bucks by 30: How to Overcome a Crap Job, Stingy Parents, and a Useless Degree to Become a Millionaire Before (or After) Turning Thirty
Alan Corey. Ballantine, $13.95 paper (192p) ISBN 9780345499721
Entertaining and informative, this book by first time author (and reality TV semi-regular) Corey sheds light on the plans and processes that led him to achieve his goal of amassing a million dollars by his third decade. In a winning narrative, Corey leads readers through his post-collegiate career as the cheapest of cheapskates, starting each chapter with a cute but revealing paragraph letting readers know all that he had yet to grasp in pursuit of money-making and -saving strategies. Though very few readers will be able to follow Corey’s same path to riches (he doesn’t expect them to), bulleted tips and sidebars (“Extreme Cheapskate Strategy: Buy one pair of multipurpose shoes a year. Don’t buy any others”) give readers solid advice as well as an appreciation for Corey’s discipline. Throughout, the tone is conversational, humorous and occasionally glib; the under-30 crowd (for whom the current American economy can be especially unkind) will find Corey’s advice welcome and his story encouraging. (Jan.)

Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure
Edited by Rachel Fershleiser and Larry Smith. Harper Perennial, $12 (304p) ISBN 9780061374050
Can you describe your life in six words? That’s what the editors of storytelling magazine SMITH asked readers in 2006; the results, though decidedly uneven, make for compulsive reading and prove arguably as insightful as any 300+ page biography. Taken as a whole, this cascade of quotes from contributors famous and unknown creates a dizzying snowball effect of perspectives and feelings. Highlights from professional writers and artists include journalist Chuck Klosterman wondering, “Nobody cared, then they did. Why?”; pop singer-songwriter Adam Schlesinger lamenting, “We still don’t hear a single”; and comic strip artist Keith Knight illustrating “I was a Michael Jackson impersonator.” At their best, these nano-memoirs evoke the same kind of rich emotional responses as a good story: 9 year old Hannah Davies considers herself “Cursed with cancer. Blessed by friends”; Zak Nelson says “I still make coffee for two”; Scott Birch claims “Most successful accomplishments based on spite.” Some entries read like bumper stickers (Rip Riley: “No wife. No kids. No problems”), and others are just plain weird (Amy Sedaris: “Mushrooms. Clowns. Wands. Five. Wig. Thatched”), but this compelling little book will have readers and their friends hunting for favorites and inventing six-word self-definitions of their own. This review in six words? Read. Enjoy. Pass it on. Repeat. (Jan.)

This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor
Susan Wicklund. PublicAffairs, $24.95 (288p) ISBN 9781586484804
In rational, compassionate and honest language, Wicklund chronicles more than 20 years as a medical doctor and women’s health provider with a “fundamental commitment to patients and to the cause of keeping reproductive rights safe and legal,” a commitment that would put herself and her family under direct threat from anti-abortion extremists, and cause her to adopt disguises and even a personal bodyguard in order to continue her work. Wicklund’s story is gripping and poignant, not only for its numerous personal accounts—including Wicklund’s own experience terminating her pregnancy—but in her consideration of current and proposed reproductive rights legislation; in addition to eye-opening statistics (“In 2006, 87% of counties in the United States had no abortion provider”), Wicklund provides a fine resource guide for further reading. Though a digression concerning her parents’ unrelated health issues derails the narrative, and she fails to discuss abortion law in other developed countries, this topical memoir will make a compelling read for anyone interested in women’s health and reproductive rights in America. (Jan.)

When Species Meet
Donna J. Haraway. Univ. of Minn., $24.95 paper (360p) ISBN 9780816650460
This eclectic, semi-academic volume is one part philosophical treatise, one part rambling memoir and one part affectionate look at a singular Australian sheepdog named Cayenne (“It’s hard to be grumpy myself in the morning watching this kind of joyful doggish beginning!”). With intellectual precision and obvious enthusiasm, author and “posthumanities” professor Haraway (The Companion Species Manifesto) delves into topics as diverse as the rigors of breeding purebreds, the ethics of using animals in laboratories and the grand leaps of anthropomorphism people use to justify thousands of dollars in medical care for a pet. A professor in the History of Consciousness program at U.C. Santa Cruz, Haraway’s prose is rigorous but readable, her ideas backed up with generally clear examples; she can, however, veer into abstract academic language (“[People and animals] in intra-action do not admit of preset taxonomic calculation”) and gratuitous digression (as in a distracting chapter on her sportscaster father). These complaints aside, Haraway’s serious, challenging approach to the human-animal relationship web should prove a novel, gratifying read for animal-owning science and philosophy buffs. (Jan.)

Zenobia: The Curious Book of Business: A Tale of Triumph Over Yes-People, Cynics, Hedgers, and Other Corporate Killjoys
Mathew Emmens and Beth Kephart, illus. by William Sulit. Berrett-Koehler, $19.95 (144p) ISBN 9781576754788
A business fable in the tradition of Who Moved My Cheese?, but more closely akin to Alice in Wonderland, this work from pharmaceuticals CEO Emmens and poet-novelist-journalist Kephart (Flow: The Life and Times of Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River) concerns a topsy-turvy organization which should prove oddly familiar for anyone who’s worked in a corporate environment. Our heroine, Moira, is a newcomer to the once-respected Zenobia company, now in physical and psychological disrepair. Without signs or helpers, Moira must navigate the bizarre office layout (“countless drab-green cubicles, like so many Brussels sprouts attached to a stalk”), overcome the entrenched mindset (“We excel at the familiar”) and find the elusive Room 133A, where she’s been summoned to help the flagging enterprise. Emphasizing the power of imagination, innovation, people and possibility, Emmens and Kephart’s tale of against-the-system heroism illustrates well the intangible human resources that business-as-usual can squelch. Though it may initially strike serious-minded readers silly, this tale makes an enchanting and worthwhile trip into the rabbit hole of nonsensical corporate culture, drawing out plenty of X-ray insight into the modern workplace. Whimsical line drawings from Sulit complete what could be the most enjoyable, readable business book in recent memory. (Jan.)

LIFESTYLE

A Baker’s Odyssey: Creating Time-Honored Recipes with Bakers from Around the World, from Apple Strudel to Zeppole
Greg Patent. Wiley, $34.95 (370p) ISBN 9780764572814
Patent, a baker, teacher and James Beard Award winner (for 2002’s Baking in America), examines the baking traditions of Iraq, Norway, Germany, India and other countries in order to illuminate the ways in which different cultures bake alike. Recipes are organized by cooking style instead of nationality, allowing home cooks to see the connections between regional specialties; for instance, New Orleanian Calas, fried puffs traditionally sold on winter sidewalks, are grouped with sweet Nigerian Chin-Chin and Italian Zeppole, the sugar-dusted fritters traditionally dished out at St Joseph’s Day celebrations. Other baked goods share more complicated techniques: Hungary’s Rigo Jancsi is a triple chocolate cake filled with thick chocolate cream and iced with semisweet chocolate glaze, while its cousin, French Gateau Basque, comprises an egg-rich pastry stuffed with thick vanilla cream. Those who like their baked goods on the savory side will delight in treats like Kleecha, delicious Syrian rolls flavored with clove, caraway and anise. More simple, but no less satisfying, are Norwegian Whole Wheat Oatmeal Loves, which smell like toasted joy coming out of the oven. This cookbook also comes with a DVD featuring useful show-and-tell examples of pretzel-making and cannoli-stuffing. (Jan.)

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?: An Easy Plan for Losing Weight and Living More
Peter Walsh. Free Press, $25 (256p) ISBN 9781416560166
“Organizational consultant” and bestselling author Walsh (It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff) brings his less-is-more philosophy to weight loss in a guide that, ironically, proves bloated with unnecessary anecdotes and repetition. Most of Walsh’s tried-and-true advice boils down to simple thoughtfulness, embodied in familiar exercises such as re-organizing your kitchen and pantry, making realistic meal plans you can stick to and “being present in the moment” while eating. Frequently admitting that he’s no nutritionist, Walsh succeeds more as a cheerleader and coach; the book is overstuffed with anecdotes and accolades from fans who ostensibly encouraged Walsh to bring his clutter-cutting approach to the waistbands of America. Would-be dieters looking for a place to start will likely benefit from Walsh’s straightforward style and the many worksheets and quizzes included, but those serious about making long-lasting dietary and lifestyle changes would probably be better served by an author with some degree of expertise in health and nutrition. (Feb.)

The Enlightened Diet: Seven Weight-Loss Solutions that Nourish Body, Mind, and Soul
Deborah Kesten and Larry Scherwitz. Celestial Arts, $15.95 (224p) ISBN 9781587613111
Taking cues from the Kabbalah, Buddhism, Tibetan medicine and psychotherapy, nutrition specialist Kesten and research scientist Scherwitz have compiled a menu of tricks to motivate and inspire the anxious dieter, abutting weight loss strategies with techniques for making sure “‘all of you’ will be nourished each time you eat.” Less patient dieters might be frustrated by the authors’ wide-ranging, holistic approach; rather than the promised seven solutions, Kesten and Scherwitz offer up a multitude of suggestions, hints and lifestyle adjustments for seven distinct categories of eaters (Food Fretters, Task Snackers, Emotional Eaters, etc.). The authors emphasize self-awareness and relaxation techniques such as meditation, as well as cooking clubs and al fresco dining (both good methods for eating more mindfully), and discourage tedious calorie-counting and self-denial. Quizzes, lists and a helpful guide to mastering life changes round out the book. For those who like their diets with a heaping side-order of spirituality, this book will be a pleasure. (Jan.)

Happy for No Reason: Seven Steps to Being Happy from the Inside Out
Marci Shimoff with Carol Kline. Free Press, $24.95 (322p) ISBN 9781416547723
According to the World Health Organization, the year 2020 will see depression become second only to heart disease in terms of the global burden of illness, a sad state of affairs that motivational speaker Shimoff (co-author, Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul) believes can be changed by learning to cultivate “a happiness that’s beyond reasons and that’s here to stay.” Inner happiness, she says, is within reach for anyone who can turn down the volume on their hectic lives and learn the 21 Happiness Habits that Shimoff has cultivated from 100 interviews with “deeply happy” people (including actress Goldie Hawn and author Elizabeth Gilbert). Emphasizing a holistic approach, Shimoff takes into account mind, heart, body and soul in seven chapters that cover three Happiness Habits each, as well as corresponding anecdotes that “define what it means to be Happy for No Reason.” The personal stories of happy interviewees prove enlightening, and the princples they support are sound and commonsensical (“Focus on the solution,” “Make peace with yourself,” “Question your thoughts,” “Practice forgiveness”), if not exactly groundbreaking. Exercises and quizzes give readers practical steps toward their goal, such as breathing exercises (Spring Forest Qigong) and writing assignments (“Write a letter to your Higher Power”). (Jan.)

ILLUSTRATED

Lionel H. Pries, Architect, Artist, Educator: From Arts and Crafts to Modern Architecture
Jeffrey Karl Ochsner. Univ. of Wash., $60 (394p) ISBN 9780295986982
Ochsner, an associate dean at the College of Architecture, Science and Urban Planning at Washington University (and co-author of Distant Corner: Seattle Architects and the Legacy of H.H. Richardson), has written a lucid, scholarly and lovingly illustrated study of revered architect and former Washington University professor Lionel H. Pries. Detailing Pries’s vital role in determining the architectural shape of Seattle, along with his early life and his work with students, Ochsner proves adept at capturing the import of the artist and the spirit of the man; a demanding teacher, Pries deflected student complaints and frivolous observations with “merciless” impersonations: “One of his best acts was quoting someone gushing, ‘Oh, mr. Pries, don’t you think that architecture is frozen music?!’ He always followed this with a few growled profane exclamations.” Ochsner traces Pries from his 1897 birth in San Francisco through his California- and Pennsylvania-based education and the entirety of his West Coast career, including his sojourns to Mexico and his work with watercolor and oil painting. Photos, floorplans, sketches and other artwork grace nearly every page, making this overdue tribute as much a pleasure to browse as it is to read. 325 Illustrations, 175 in color. (Jan.)

AUDIO

American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic
Joseph J. Ellis, read by John H. Mayer. Random House Audio, unabridged, nine CDs, 11 hrs., $34.95 ISBN 9780739331927
Mayer employs the same mellow, experienced tone he successfully used recently on Empire of Blue Water and Mellon: An American Life. His familiar voice lends itself nicely to Ellis’s sweeping tale of America’s evolution from the first shots fired at Lexington and Concord in 1775 to the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. As the story takes us through the many battles, negotiations and personality conflicts of this tumultuous quarter century—some of which have been largely forgotten in the romanticized versions of our nation’s early history—listeners can settle in to Mayer’s easy, silken tenor as he describes how these formative events unfolded. Ellis spends considerable time critiquing the shortsightedness and racism that prevented the founders from resolving the slavery question or dealing equitably with Native Americans. Mayer’s reading keeps pace with the shifting tones of Ellis’s narrative, by turns admiring and critical. Mayer’s memorable rendition of Ellis’s story manages to be avuncular yet brisk. Simultaneous release with the Knopf hardcover (Reviews, June 4). (Nov.)

A Wrongful Death
Kate Wilhelm, read by Carrington MacDuffie. Blackstone Audio, unabridged, eight CDs, 9.5 hrs., $29.95 ISBN 9781433206405
In Wilhelm’s latest Barbara Holloway mystery, the Oregon-based attorney takes a time-out in a remote cabin in California, where she comes upon and aids an injured Elizabeth Kurtz, who has fled there after finding dangerous information about her ex-husband’s family business. The information gets her killed, and because no good deed goes unpunished in tales of murder, Barbara finds herself a suspect. MacDuffie, who has taken over narrating this series from Anna Fields, captures Barbara’s range of emotions in a thoughtful performance. Even more impressive is the work she puts into defining the minor characters, from the shrill and fearful Elizabeth, to the neutral tone of the therapist Barbara consults about her fears of commitment. The male characters are equally well conceived, including Elizabeth’s ex-husband, who can hiss with menace or be equally threatening when his demeanor is calm and controlled. Even the cabin owner and local California sheriff get their own twangy and crusty accents. MacDuffie’s riveting performance is commendable but this pedestrian and insider mystery will baffle newcomers to the series. Simultaneous release with the Mira hardcover (Reviews, July 9). (Oct.)