Nonfiction Reviews: Week of 1/21/2008

Yang, cofounder of the immigrant-services company Words Wanted, was born in a Hmong refugee camp in Thailand in 1980. Her grandmother had wanted to stay in the camp, to make it easier for her spirit to find its way back to her birthplace when she died, but people knew it would soon be liquidated. America looked promising, so Yang and her family, along with scores of other Hmong, left the jungles of Thailand to fly to California, then settle in St. Paul, Minn. In many ways, these hardworking refugees followed the classic immigrant arc, with the adults working double jobs so the children could get an education and be a credit to the community. But the Hmong immigrants were also unique—coming from a non-Christian, rain forest culture, with no homeland to imagine returning to, with hardly anyone in America knowing anything about them. As Yang wryly notes, they studied the Vietnam War at school, without their lessons ever mentioning that the Hmong had been fighting for the Americans. Yang tells her family's story with grace; she narrates their struggles, beautifully weaving in Hmong folklore and culture. By the end of this moving, unforgettable book, when Yang describes the death of her beloved grandmother, readers will delight at how intimately they have become part of this formerly strange culture. (Apr.)

Schickel, film critic for Time magazine, contends the majority books on film are by “hack journalists or dull-witted academics.” To help movie fans size up those books, Schickel has compiled his own book reviews into a user-friendly collection. It's well written and has the added virtue of expounding on the history of cinema. Originally published in the Los Angeles Times, Schickel's reviews cover books written between 1989 and 2007. He admits that covering the movie industry can be a daunting task. Myths that surround it are accepted without analysis. Directors' bios or interviews can be tricky, he adds, since the subjects often “refuse to illuminate their work.” A notable exception is On Film-making by Alexander Mackendrick (The Guns of Navarone), which he calls a valuable guide for a novice director. Yet standard texts, such as The Genius of the System, are slammed for faulty logic rather than applauded for solid insights. For Schickel, Edward Epstein's The Big Picture illustrates the worst offenses: obvious deductions, vague theories and substandard writing. Yet he gives credit where it is due, honoring the commendable research in The Dame in the Kimono, an examination of the Hays Code. Schickel sets a high bar for film books and provides a trusted stamp of approval. (Apr.)

Former BBC World correspondent Glenny (The Balkans, 1804–1999) presents a riveting and chilling journey through the myriad criminal syndicates flourishing in our increasingly globalized world, which make up as much as 20% of global GNP. Tracing the growth of organized crime—ranging from the burgeoning sex trade in volatile, postcommunist Bulgaria to elaborate Internet frauds in Nigeria—Glenny expertly combines interviews with key players, economic studies and sociological analysis. He argues that the chaos and political upheaval following the demise of communism in Eastern Europe, along with increasing demand in the West and the easy flow of money and people provided the perfect opportunity for organized crime to gain a foothold on the dark side of the globalizing economy. Glenny's achievement is in introducing readers to the less familiar aspects of global crime, from Kazakhstan's “caviar mafia” to the flourishing marijuana trade in British Columbia. Consequently, his interview subjects are equally varied: sex slaves in Tel Aviv, a co-conspirator in the deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings and top Washington policy makers share the pages. Readers yearning for a deeper understanding of the real-life, international counterparts to The Sopranos need look no further than Glenny's engrossing study. 16 pages of photos; maps. 100,000 announced first printing. (Apr. 10)

You would hardly think, reading Chabon's new book of essays, that he won the Pulitzer Prize for a book about comics. Rather, he is bitter and defensive about his love for genre fiction such as mysteries and comic books. Serious writers, he says, cannot venture into these genres without losing credibility. “No self-respecting literary genius... would ever describe him- or herself as primarily an 'entertainer,' ” Chabon writes. “An entertainer is a man in a sequined dinner jacket, singing 'She's a Lady' to a hall filled with women rubber-banding their underwear up onto the stage.” Chabon devotes most of the essays to examining specific genres that he admires, from M.R. James's ghost stories to Cormac McCarthy's apocalyptic work, The Road. The remaining handful of essays are more memoir-focused, with Chabon explaining how he came to write many of his books. Chabon casts himself as one of the few brave souls willing to face ridicule—from whom isn't entirely clear, though it seems to be academics—to write as he wishes. “I write from the place I live: in exile,” he says. It's hard to imagine the audience for this book. Chabon seems to want to debate English professors, but surely only his fellow comic-book lovers will be interested in his tirade. (Apr.)

As scientists come closer to creating artificial life, the very definition of life is ever more elusive. Science writer Regis (The Biology of Doom) tackles this large issue and more in a book that never quite finds its focus. By selecting the same title as Nobel laureate Erwin Schrodinger's 1945 classic and Lynn Margulis and Dorian Sagan's 2000 offering, Regis self-consciously situates his book as a response to theirs. He is, however, no more successful than they were in answering the central question, though he proposes cell metabolism as the best definition we currently have. Regis discusses current attempts to use new techniques to create entities that could be considered living, but he fails to tell a compelling story about either the progress being made or the medical implications of these efforts. Instead, he heads off on several well-traveled tangents presenting relatively simple explanations of how we've come to our understanding of DNA, basic metabolic pathways and evolutionary biology. Although he touches on the fact that being able to distinguish animate from inanimate entities is of critical philosophical importance for debates over such issues as abortion, stem cell research and euthanasia, he never does more than scratch the surface of any of these topics. (Apr.)

In 2003 a medical study reported that a steroid called finasteride (approved as a treatment for hair loss) “significantly cut the incidence of prostate cancer in men at low risk.” But it also had a dark side: clinical studies indicated that men who did develop cancer while taking the drug tended to get more aggressive tumors. English prof and PEN Award winner Justman (Seeds of Mortality) examines why, despite finasteride's potential, American doctors have shied away from giving it to their male patients, and attributes it to the traditional oath to “do no harm.” Justman claims that the oath is outdated and paternalistic, dating to a time when doctors often did more harm than good. He also cites those who say the benefits of finasteride far outweigh its risks. But he acknowledges that the FDA has not approved finasteride for cancer prevention, and he neglects to consider adequately as a contributing factor the sword of Damocles that swings over so much of modern life: liability lawsuits. Justman tends to be prolix and repetitious. This book may appeal to readers interested in medical ethics and the history of science, but is unlikely to have much draw for general readers. (Apr. 4)

The Lisbon earthquake of 1755 exerted a great cultural, religious and political impact, argues Shrady (Tilt: A Skewed History of the Tower of Pisa) in this revelatory volume. On November 1 (both a Sunday and All Saints' Day) at 9:30 a.m., a titanic earthquake shattered the quiet, turning the pious city's packed houses of worship into crypts as their walls collapsed. Five days of firestorms consumed the buildings left standing and a tsunami drowned the benighted survivors who escaped toward the ocean. As Shrady deftly details, Europe was stunned by the merciless destruction of one of the continent's most opulent cities. Leading intellectual and philosophical figures—Voltaire, Rousseau, Pope, Goethe and Kant, among others—became fascinated by the question of divine intervention in human affairs. Lisbon, still home to the Inquisition, had been immolated: was this evidence of God's wrath or of God's nonexistence? The latter interpretation soon found its way into Voltaire's cynical, secularist Enlightenment masterpiece, Candide. Within the decade, scholars had created the new discipline of seismology, and governments were taking their first faltering steps toward urban planning and disaster control. Shrady's account will find the same ready audience that delight not only in tales of catastrophe but in smart, stylishly written history. (Apr. 7)

Persico (Roosevelt's Secret War) engagingly and eloquently narrates the tangled relationships between Franklin and the various women to whom he became close, including his mother; his wife; Lucy Mercer (the young Eleanor Roosevelt's social secretary during WWI and later Mrs. Winthrop Rutherford); his longtime secretary, Missy LeHand; and his distant cousin Margaret (Daisy) Suckley. These relationships have been examined before; the major revelation of the volume—backed up by documents recently discovered by Mercer's descendants—is that her relationship with FDR continued throughout his life, even after it was supposedly ended by Franklin at the demand of his mother, who threatened to cut off both his income and his inheritance were he to leave his wife and family. (Previously, it was believed that FDR's relationship with Mercer only rekindled once Franklin's mother died, at the very end of his own life.) Another intriguing aspect of the book is Persico's informed speculation on how Franklin's frequently nonchalant womanizing affected Eleanor, who appears, quite possibly, to have pursued several relationships of her own, both hetero- and homosexual. In sum, Persico offers what will prove an important, lasting addition to the literature of the Roosevelts. (Apr. 29)

In the period after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, a burgeoning economy and fortunes led to a building boom. This latest volume in the Urban Domestic Architecture series charts the changing architectural tastes and steady migration of the part of Chicago society that one early 20th-century commentator referred to as “the sifted few” to their enclaves on Prairie Avenue and Lake Shore Drive. The mansard roofs and restrained exteriors of the French-style mansions built by such Chicago leaders as Marshall Field, Cyrus McCormick and Henry Pullman masked lavish and eclectic interiors. This was a period that saw some of the earliest designs of Frank Lloyd Wright as well as two of H.H. Richardson's final Romanesque structures. The authors often spend as much time on the families that commissioned a specific home as they do on the architecture itself. This combination of social and architectural history places both the most traditional and the more advanced houses in the context of their times, while paying due attention to such acknowledged masterpieces as Wright's Robie House of 1908–1910. Benjamin and Cohen (coauthors, North Shore Chicago, 1890–1940) include brief biographies of 25 architects and their firms, along with 350 b&w photos, drawings and floor plans. (Mar.)

The 400 years before the founding of the Jewish state is a historiographical minefield, but Krämer (The Jews in Modern Egypt), a professor of Islamic studies at Free University Berlin, manages to produce an illuminating survey of the terrain. She insists that modern Palestine had a history before large-scale Jewish immigration began in the late 19th century, along with a substantial, rooted Arab population and society, and a growing economy. The author pays full due to the dynamism of the Zionist nation-building project and the development it brought to Palestine, often to the benefit of Arabs, but also accords weight and legitimacy to the Arab nationalist reaction—while observing that, even as the two communities remained socially segregated, they were economically interdependent and spatially intertwined. The author's restrained account of Israel's war of independence notes atrocities on all sides as it depicts a sometimes incidental, sometimes deliberate campaign of ethnic cleansing of Arabs by the Israeli military. Krämer's fluent narrative pairs a much-needed focus on facts—including useful data on contentious issues of population growth and land ownership—with an evenhanded avoidance of partisanship. 14 b&w photos, maps. (Mar.)

De Groot, a professor of modern history at the University of St. Andrews (The Bomb: A Life), argues that our conventional view of the '60s as a time of ripe and productive counterculturalism and social revolution is a sham. He further argues that contemporary nostalgia for the hopefulness (which proved futile) and idealism (which proved fraudulent) of that turbulent decade led to virtually no positive advances. In DeGroot's view, not much was achieved for civil rights, women's liberation and environmental awareness, not to mention advances and great work in the visual, film and musical arts. The commonly accepted history of the decade, DeGroot insists, is “a collection of beliefs zealously guarded by those keen to protect something sacred.” In the end, DeGroot envisions the '60s as a trivial period of self-indulgence on the part of the West and a bitterly tragic 10 years as they played out in other theaters (especially the Middle East and Southeast Asia). DeGroot deconstructs virtually all key icons of the era—Woodstock (“a festival, yes; a nation, no”), the Beatles, Dylan, student radicals, Haight-Ashbury, the sexual revolution and even Muhammad Ali—finding that their legends loom far larger than their realities. One might disagree, but DeGroot's book comprises a fascinating revisionist polemic. (Mar.)

Everyone knows a narcissist, one of those vainglorious individuals in desperate need of constant affirmation and attention. Cognitive therapist Behary's book argues that by modifying your own behavior, you can manage your relationship with such a person. Separating narcissism into categories (spoiled, dependent, deprived and combinations thereof) and exploring the causes of the disorder, the author hopes to assist the reader in overcoming the emotional obstacles involved in interaction with a boss, spouse, friend or relative. Rather than focus on changing the narcissist (which may be impossible), this book aims to help the reader improve self-knowledge to see why the narcissist pushes his or her buttons and how to cope. Some of the instruments Behary provides—such as checklists, flash cards, journal writing— are useful for determining the type of narcissist you are dealing with and how your past experiences affect your responses. The author acknowledges that her book is no panacea, and she doesn't present the reader with strategies for when the narcissist isn't responsive to the actions she has suggested. Notwithstanding this caveat, Behary's book will surely provide help to many in need of a confidence bolster in the face of provocation. (Mar.)

Nostalgia for the attitudes and culture of the early to mid-'90s looms large in Gordinier's entertaining book-length argument for the greatness of Generation X. Gordinier does not have warm sentiments toward the baby boomers or the current “wanna-wanna generation” of celebrity worshippers, preferring instead the self-effacing, conflictedly ambitious heroes of the '90s, like Kurt Cobain and Richard Linklater, who were not enthralled by the concept of “changing the world.” Gordinier has an easygoing style and a comprehensive knowledge of pop culture gleaned from a career writing for Entertainment Weekly and editing Details magazine, and this might be the reason the book sometimes feels like a collection of essays. Sequences on the rise of Nirvana and the burst of the dot-com bubble are ably narrated. And Gordinier does find a fresh perspective in discussions of recent phenomena such as YouTube and American Idol and their relationship to Generation X. (Mar. 31)

A former New York Mafia soldier, Ferrante was known for being a “solid” guy, a thug with a specialty in safecracking, truck heists and loan-sharking collections. With this book of his personal transformation, he writes accurately and sometimes comically of his rapid rise from petty crook to reliable criminal with a bungling and colorful crew: Tony the Twitch, Botz, Fuzzy, Rizzo, Slim, Vinnie Bo Peep, Augie, Tony Pork Chop and Artie the Hair Do. Sometimes his mob account reads like a Puzo novel on steroids, but the author takes his licks when he is busted on a federal credit card rap and sentenced to a maximum security prison even though famed attorney William Kunstler represents him. In the federal pen with all its mayhem, Ferrante confronts his personal demons, elevates himself through reading books and embraces a new faith as an Orthodox Jew. Ferrante produces a raw, brutal memoir with glimmers of hope and redemption, and in so doing, this true crime account does not resemble any of the cardboard wise guys of the tube or the silver screen. It definitely grabs the reader's attention. (Mar.)

The latest in a robust lineage of books about the early days of punk music, Strongman's history delivers a straightforward account of the rise of the Sex Pistols and the Clash in the U.K., as well as retelling the story of the New York scene that gave birth to the Ramones and Patti Smith, and the West Coast punk movement that spawned the Dead Kennedys and others. More than 30 years later, the characters that populate these stories continue to amuse and appall with equal ease: John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) performing “a bizarre mewling, puking, hunchback-cringing” rendition of “I'm Eighteen” at his first audition for the Sex Pistols; Sid Vicious spiraling out of control in a violent, drug-fueled nightmare. The Pistols get most of the glory here, as indicated by the book's title from one of their earliest and most famous songs, but Strongman's narrative is notable for its inclusiveness of a diverse group of scenes and bands. While it breaks no new ground in redefining the accepted forefathers (the Velvet Underground) or heirs (Gang of Four, the Fall) of the most famous era of punk music, the book is undoubtedly valuable as a well-researched primer on the events and personalities that defined the records and culture of that world. (Apr.)

British artist Horsley's biggest claim to fame is the crucifixion ceremony he underwent in the Philippines in 2000, an attempt to “break the limits of life” and make an artistic statement. The feat is the apex of Horsley's “unauthorized autobiography,” which chronicles his life as an artist, a junkie and a self-professed dandy. Pithy and engaging, Horsley bares all, painting himself as a misogynist, a sexual deviant and a narcissist. While the memoir starts slow—drawn out accounts of childhood travails, tawdry family history and boarding-school miseries—Horsley's writing picks up when he's describing his cyclical addiction to and withdrawal from drugs. A crack high is a “whole-body orgasm” and “heartbreaking ecstasy”; heroin is “molten sunshine.” By the time he is on a raft in the Philippines, paddling to the site of his crucifixion, he's been in and out of exclusive rehab clinics and self-imposed bouts of “cold turkey time,” not to mention a stint as a prostitute. By the time a 50-something Horsley winds down his life history—wealthy and privileged from birth (his family owned a food empire), he was also uncannily successful in the stock market—he is nearly bankrupt. He ran through, by his own estimation, £100,000 on his drug addictions and the same amount of money each on his other addiction, prostitutes, and tailored clothing befitting his stature as a dandy. (Mar. 11)

Correction: The title of Lea Jacobson's book was left out in the December 10 issue. The title is Bar Flower: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess.

The host of the Food Network's Quick Fix Meals has gathered 200 recipes and a host of tips for time-pressed home cooks who want healthy, tasty weekday meals with minimal prep time. Her solution: a strategic approach by way of shopping in bulk, cooking large batches and storing them until it's time for a quick thaw, and being flexible about what's for dinner. Key concepts include Make It a Meal Kit (chop vegetables, marinate meat and freeze until it's time to cook and serve) and Bank a Batch (double recipes, use the extra later). Miller also recommends slow-cooking and getting creative with substitutions. The nutritionist and author of six cookbooks provides recipes for soups, starters, salad, poultry, meats, fish and dessert. There's a healthy emphasis on flavor and variety—and plenty of vegetables and fruit. In each section, Miller assesses various foods' Quick-Fix-ability and shares favorite entrée-and-side-dish combinations. The index allows for searching by main ingredient, marinade, technique and more. It's a well-rounded resource for super-busy sorts who are organized enough to plan, shop and prepare meals in advance. (Mar.)

This cute exploration of food pairings screams that it wants to be a cable TV series. There are numerous photos of the authors gesticulating, and the writing itself is often bogged down with cooking show banter and platitudes (“Poultry comes in all flavors and textures”). The saving grace is that these two really know what they are talking about. Calagione is the founder of Dogfish Head, one of this country's finest microbreweries, and Old is a respected sommelier and wine educator. After an opening chapter in which the authors are introduced by first names as they opine over why their chosen potable is the greater contribution to humanity, the book is broken into numerous thematic sections. Wine is defined and the major reds and whites get their names in lights. Beer is then similarly dwelt upon. The heart of the book comes in a gambit entitled the Food Debate. Here various vinos and ales are matched with all types of edibles. For example, sandwich suggestions include either a Sauvignon Blanc or a Bitter Golden Ale to go with Tuna Salad. Pizza, shellfish, fruit desserts and seven other foodstuffs are additional fodder for point-counterpoint debates over which drink pairs the best. The final section provides tips and recipes for hosting a beer versus wine tasting dinner party and asks the age-old question: stout or Port with a Chocolate Pecan Upside-down Cake? (Mar.)

Carlsson-Paige, a professor of early childhood education and conflict resolution at Lesley University and consultant for several PBS television shows, has a lot of practical advice for parents who want to build better—nonviolent, caring, creative—relationships with their children. Children don't need electronic gizmos and “brainy” software, she maintains; they do need lots of creative play opportunities, a strong sense of personal security and positive relationships with other children and adults. Carlsson-Paige encourages parents to model problem solving and cooperative behavior for their children. Thus, parents shouldn't use “power over” their kids (issuing orders, calling time-outs), but instead try “power sharing,” getting on the same side of a problem with the kids and figuring out a resolution together. Parents should stop buying pre-scripted media-based toys (Power Rangers, Nemo spinoffs) and instead buy “open-ended toys” like blocks and modeling clay that allow children to expand their creativity. There is not much new here, and Carlsson-Paige is often preaching to the choir, but readers will want to believe in her argument that compassionate parenting will produce a less violent and more humane world. (Apr.)

Unsatisfied with the pregnancy books out there, Lenkert (The Last Minute Party Girl) decided to write her own. Light, humorous and accessible, Lenkert's guide offers facts on important topics like nutrition, exercise and doctor's appointments, and also includes her own thoughts and experiences concerning everything from maternity fashion, coping with moodiness, and her relationship with her husband during her pregnancy. Lenkert's writing style—along with her Cheat Sheets on essential vitamins needed in each trimester and lists of healthy snacks for pregnancy hunger pains—make this guide fun and accessible. Quotes from more than 100 pregnant women and moms, whom Lenkert calls the Mommy Menagerie appear throughout the book and shed light on pregnancy cravings, sleep and nausea to name a few. Lenkert utilizes her fashion savvy by including her favorite Web sites for baby clothing, furniture and gear, and also includes helpful and practical lists of what to bring to the hospital with you and newborn essentials for when you arrive home. (Mar.)

Oates exercises her experience, her detail-oriented nature and a good dose of humor to confront the challenges of managing multiple homes at once. Aware that the purpose of most second homes is fun and relaxation, Oates stresses a casual and comfy approach to decorating, housekeeping and entertaining—without losing focus on the fact that running a home away from home takes a certain amount of undivided attention. Apart from the obvious must-dos, such as decorating, securing and managing utilities and implementing a system for closing up and caring for the home during off-season, she addresses the niggling things new or potential second-home owners might not have considered. For example, finding dependable craftsmen, a local hairstylist and a dog groomer can be difficult when you're away from the city or suburbs. Some of Oates's tips are gold—like how to keep a kitchen stocked so that you can immediately fix a decent meal upon arriving, or how to deal tactfully with people who want to “borrow” your vacation home while you're not there. All of this valuable information is presented in an easy-to-read, entertaining. (Mar.)

Readers gain the benefit of Jameson's experience—along with laugh-out-loud anecdotes—in this informative home-improvement guide. Jameson, a home improvement columnist, has consulted for, at various times, a $100-an-hour interior decorator on what knickknacks to place in the space between the kitchen cabinets and the ceiling; an interior designer to artfully rearrange her bookcase; and a Christmas tree decorator to fill her home with holiday spirit. She shares what she learned from them, as well as her own experiences designing, building and decorating three homes from the ground up. And, like most of us, she's had to complete her home while dealing with money shortages, time constraints, a skeptical husband and wisecracking kids. With real-life in mind, Jameson talks her readers through design basics such as finding a personal style, then moves through every room in the house and the yard, always maintaining a sense of humor and a scrupulous talent for detail. She even exposes the tricks design magazines use to create those envy-inspiring rooms, and dishes dirt on how home design shows cheat to create their masterpieces on time and under budget. Even readers with no immediate designs on redecorating their homes will find Jameson interesting and amusing. (Apr.)