Web Exclusive Reviews: Week of 5/5/2008

-- Publishers Weekly, 5/5/2008

NONFICTION

Web Pick of the Week

The Rebels’ Hour
Lieve Joris, trans. from the Dutch by Liz Waters. Grove Atlantic, $24 (320p) ISBN 9780802118684
Award-winning journalist Joris (Back to the Congo, Mali Blues) gracefully re-imagines the non-fiction genre in this work of “literary reportage,” an exhaustively researched, colorfully executed look at war-torn Congo that was released in Joris’s native Holland as nonfiction and in France as a novel (the facts are true, though her subjects could be evasive). A profound portrait of a man and his times, the book follows the life of Assani, a Tutsi cowherd who abandons the tribe of his youth to fight in the Congolese wars, where he becomes a distinguished military man, rising through the ranks of government even as he becomes deeply jaded by the chaos, destruction and suffering around him. Joris’s Congo is a fragmented mess of political aggression, ethnic clashes and disintegrating national unity, and if the breakdown of Joris’s hero parallels the nation’s collapse a bit too neatly, it’s made up for in the author’s deft handling of Assani’s slippery perspective: “Families paralyzed you; everyone clung to everyone else and they kept asking each other for advice. [Assani] was against that sort of dependence—it made you lazy.” Joris presents a bare, honest and powerful tableau that illuminates the African delimma in hauntingly personal terms. (Apr.)

NONFICTION

2011: Trendspotting for the Next Decade
Richard Laermer. McGraw Hill, $25.95 (256p) ISBN 9780071497275
In this companion to his 2002 trendSpotting, author and reluctant futurist Laermer presents “a business book for the day after tomorrow” that aims to avoid confusion, boredom and anxiety while maintaining a clear sense of what’s knowable and what isn’t. As such, the differences between fads and the genuine article, how they get that way and why (“More than ever, we will wait for something to send us home from our tedium”) are examined without overshadowing the prognostication itself: “Mediocrity is ending in the next year or so.” Unfortunately, there’s more repetition and idle chatter than meaningful marketplace analysis; for a single serious consideration of, say, Sprint’s 2007 decision to drop a thousand customers (“When your customers are horrible to you… People will see [you’re] right” to drop them), there’s a small handful of nearly-worthless entries (“Lying will become fashionable again,” as will calling people out on them). Connectivity issues like the waning power of the press over the individual, the rise of “bacn” (like spam that “you kind of sort of maybe want”) and the end of interweb anonymity dominate, buttressed by developments in travel, leisure time, the workplace and the media at large. If not always practical, Laermer’s tenth book is personal, funny and perceptive, making for idiosyncratic and inspired browsing. (Apr.)

The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood
Ta-Nehisi Coates. Random/Spiegel & Grau, $22.95 (240p) ISBN 9780385520362
West Baltimore, where Coates, a former Village Voice and Time staff writer, spent his formative years, was an environment ravished by crack and beset with deadbeat fathers. But his own father (and his mother, to whom he dedicates the book) fought hard to keep him and his half-brother, Bill, from succumbing to the destiny awaiting many of their peers. Their father, Paul Coates, found his own purpose as a young man in the Black Panther movement, only to become disillusioned by the internal politics, but he never lost the foundational beliefs he found there. From this basis, he instills in his sons a pride in their cultural inheritance which, as they mature, plays a significant role in their developing sense of self and is credited in part with keeping them from surrendering to the streets. Though the bookish Coates and his street-wise half-brother travel different paths toward manhood, they find freedom in the lessons of their father. Ultimately, Coates brings the struggle of the streets to the page in language, verging on poetic, that is brutal in its honesty. (May)

Beyond Bullsh*t: Straight-Talk at Work
Samuel A. Culbert. Stanford Business, $24.95 (152p) ISBN 9780804758857
In this sober guide to understanding and moving past “bullsh*t” at work, author and management professor Culbert (Don’t Kill the Bosses!) explains the value of and strategy behind “straight-talk relationships” in the office. Culbert takes the first few chapters to look at the situation-specific, self-reflexive, persuasive subspecies of lying in all its permutations: “insincere to sincere, nonsensical to serious, innocuous to harmful, tactical to strategic, tension reducing to tension raising.” Unlike others who have tackled the subject (most notably Harry Frankfurt), Culbert emphasizes bullsh*t’s vital role in many situations; bullsh*t becomes a problem, he asserts, when it gives the weight of objectivity, authority or rationality to self-serving proposals meant to advance a personal agenda, often to the detriment of the bullsh*tee. Culbert then explores the straight-talk relationship, in which parties openly admit their self-interest and work with honesty, trust and mutual understanding to achieve common goals for themselves and the organization. Culbert looks at “I-speak,” a familiar but powerful communication technique, as well as specific strategies for improving relationships with the boss (calling for an end to the annual pay-and-performance review), creating new straight-talk relationships and understanding others through “truth-finding.” Though at times he pushes the jargon a bit too hard, Culbert includes just enough real-world anecdotal backup to make his direct, perceptive appeal for practical workplace honesty a no-brainer. (Apr.)

Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest’s Most Controversial Season
Nick Heil. Holt, $26 (288p) ISBN 9780805083101
In this mountain-climbing narrative, Heil examines the 2006 climbing season on Mount Everest that resulted in 11 deaths. Heil focuses on the fate of two climbers: Lincoln Hall and David Sharp, whose attempt at a solo ascent was his third try at conquering Everest. Heil, a former editor at Outside, analyzes Sharp’s climb and subsequent death as he tries to deduce if the young Brit could have survived given the fact he was still alive when 40 climbers passed him on the way to the summit. Lincoln Hall, meanwhile, was left for dead below the mountain’s Second Step, but thanks to perseverance and good fortune he made it home alive. Heil seamlessly intertwines these amazing storylines with well-thought out reflections on the ethics of high-altitude climbing and the problems that come with the commercialization of climbing the world’s largest peak. Furthermore, Heil, an experienced climber, proves adroit at explaining such climbing perils as freezing death and acclimatization. Enthralling from start to finish, Heil has created a timely, thought-provoking story that will thrill adrenaline junkies and armchair adventurers. (May)

The Flash Press: Sporting Male Weeklies in 1840s New York
Patricia Cline Cohen, Timothy J. Gilfoyle and Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz. Univ. of Chicago, $20 paper (272p) ISBN 9780226112343
Cohen, Gilfoyle and Horowitz, history professors and chroniclers of 19th-century American sexuality, offer an engaging scholarly examination of the little-known weekly newspapers that reported on the sexual underworld of 1840s New York. Such journals as the Whip, the Weekly Rake, and the Sunday Flash used the posture of moral reform—“criticizing” brothels, prostitution and vice—as a thinly-veiled sleight to inform its readership exactly where to get the action. Unlike the purely erotic periodicals to follow in later decades, these papers’ political agendas used “sex to attack privilege and hypocrisy” until they were shut down in 1843 by New York’s deeply conservative judiciary. A glimpse into a “spectacle of modern Sodom” featuring hoop-skirted madams and top-hatted gents, the authors’ detailed history of the “flash press” benefits from original illustrations and text—a full half of the book is devoted to excerpts, with minimal commentary. Less successful are academic divergences, which at times get so dry one forgets the authors’ subjects. A thorough account of this quirky, salacious moment in journalism, readers familiar with New York will find a city both foreign and familiar, and a sense that the local weekly used to be a lot more fun. (May)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House: Humor, Blunders, and Other Oddities from the Presidential Campaign Trail
Charles Osgood. Hyperion, $23.95 (256p) ISBN 9781401322298
In this charming anecdotal history, author and CBS Sunday Morning anchor Osgood presents 56 years of quips in presidential campaigning: “Politicians say funny things all the time,” writes Osgood, but presidential campaigns bring out “their best—and worst—behavior.” Organized chronologically and dedicated to fair time—including commentators, running mates and the occasional third-party candidate—the collection covers many famous quotes (Nixon’s “I know winning is a lot more fun,” the first Bush’s “I’ll try to hold my charisma in check,” Lloyd Bensen to Dan Qualye: “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy”), but the real gems are the ones Osgood unearths, which show these larger-than-life historical figures in a fresh—often more intimate—light. They also show that presidential politics has always been in large part a nasty, petty business, even for iconic leaders like Truman, Kennedy and Johnson. Anyone remotely interested in U.S. history or politics will find this an enjoyable tour, and those who want some insight into the current contest will get a quick, quirky lesson from his coverage of the 2000 and 2004 elections. Given the familial Bush tendency to misspeak, readers may detect a slight imbalance in the latter part of the collection; still, Osgood’s latest should still have wide appeal. (May)

Futurecast: How Superpowers, Populations, and Gobalization Will Change the Way You Live and Work
Robert J. Shapiro. St. Martin’s, $26.95 (320p) ISBN 9780312352424
Beltway consultant, former Under Secretary of Commerce for President Clinton, editor and columnist Shapiro foresees a “new economic landscape” emerging, shaped by three great “global forces”: aging populations, globalization and the legacy of the Soviet collapse will continue to shake up every country, but the United States will keep its position as top global super power, with China in second place. The U.S., whose economic system is “in sync with the current demands of globalization,” maintains all the advantages in the global stage—geopolitical, demographic and military—while the economic power of European nations and Japan is sapped by over-generous pensions and other social welfare benefits meant to shield populations from globalization’s effects; as such, “economic shock and sorrow” await “millions of workers” in these declining industrialized countries. Though it doesn’t address the current dollar crisis or the possibility of a serious global recession, Shapiro’s work is highly detailed, well researched and convincing; anyone interested in worldwide economics will find much to consider here. (Apr.)

So You Want to be a Writer

How NOT to Write a Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them—A Misstep-by-Misstep guide
Howard Mittlemark and Sandra Newman. Collins, $15.95 paper (272p) ISBN 9780061357954
Offering observations rather than rules (“‘No right on red’ is a rule. ‘Driving at high speed toward a brick wall usually ends badly’ is an observation”), authors and editors Mittlemark and Newman identify writing pitfalls in each aspect of novel writing, from plot (“The Benign Tumor, where an apparently meaningful development isn’t”) to character (“The Vegan Viking, wherein the author accessorizes with politics”) to narrative technique (“The Tennis Match, wherein the point of view bounces back and forth”) to dialogue, setting, research and theme. Each mistake is illustrated with an example of unpublishable prose and, typically, a biting but worthwhile lesson: “unpublished authors are far more intrigued by their characters’ backstory than their readers are.” Useful lists and sidebars break up the formula and address more specific problems like cell phones (equal to the fall of Communism in its threat to thriller writers) and irony (“now virtually meaningless, routinely applied to any situation in which one thing bears some relation to another thing”). A great resource, this tongue-in-cheek guide is a fun read with a lot of solid advice for would-be novelists. (Apr.)

How to do Biography: A Primer
Nigel Hamilton. Harvard Univ, $22.95 (400p) ISBN 9780674027961
In this follow-up to Biography: A Brief History, Hamilton crafts a guide to writing biography that’s one part how-to and several parts indulgent—but illuminating—infatuation with the possibilities of the form. Drawing instruction from his own lifetime of biographic work and others’—including Samuel Johnson, Robert Caro, David McCullough, Hermione Lee, Edmund Morris, and others whom Hamilton has admired, known and worked with—the author takes readers on an intellectual journey through the creative process, from conception to publishing. Chapters cover questions of agenda, audience and research, how to take your subject from birth to death, and the “afterlife” of the published work. Hamilton’s passion, lyricism and collection of telling anecdotes make this “short book of advice” an unexpected page-turner; it’s hard not to get caught up in the author’s romantic vision of biography, a form he believes has nearly as many permutations as music. Elucidating not just the dos and don’ts of biography, but also the whys and hows, Hamilton has created a motivating, empowering guide for writers (and fans) of the genre. (Apr.)

More Harm than Good: What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Common Treatments and Procedures
Alan Zelicoff and Michael Bellomo. Amacom, $24 (256) ISBN 9780814400272
Albuquerque physicians Zelicoff and Bellomo (co-authors of Microbe: Are We Ready for the Next Plague?) make a case that “scientifically and economically proven treatments—that save both lives and money—are being underused” in favor of unnecessarily expensive and/or invasive treatments. Based primarily on the ongoing, 40-year-old Dartmouth study of veterans’ and Medicare recipients’ health care, and measuring in terms of dollars spent per “quality-adjusted life year,” Zelicoff and Belloma look at the medical establishment in relation to individual diseases, their detection and treatment. Among their conclusions: cardiovascular disease is better handled with aspirin and blood pressure medication for the at-risk than with expensive cholesterol medication and bypass surgery for those in the thick of it. Readers may find it difficult to get their minds around a system that finds prostate cancer screening of questionable value and mammograms unnecessary before the age of 40, but Zelicoff and Bellomo provide some startling insights that will give readers questions worth asking at the next checkup. (May)

The Road to Democracy in Iran
Akbar Ganji. MIT, $14.95 (160p) ISBN 9780262072953
Ganji, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, worked as an investigative journalist for Iran’s pro-democracy newspapers before a six year imprisonment cut his career short; here, he collects four lucid essays on the means by which Iran can obtain a peaceful, democratic future. Ganji envisions universal human rights and new attitudes toward religion both at home and abroad, while recognizing the long path—evolutionary, not revolutionary—necessary to achieve these goals: “Changing people’s attitudes is easily one of the slowest human processes… Much of what needs to change in Iranian culture relates to the superstition, dogmatism, conformism, and prejudice that have permeated our society.” He also offers cogent assessment of specific obstacles to understanding (“Together Islam and the West must free themselves of the shackles of their historical memories”) and why sound, peaceful methods for overcoming them are needed: “In the wake of revolutionary violence many people would remain at best indifferent to the ideals and institutions of a new government and, indeed, would likely feel alienated from it.” This slim volume will be of particular interest to scholars and activists concerned with human rights, the Middle East or Islam. (Apr.)

Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist’s Quest to Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, or Why Pie is Not the Answer
Jen Lancaster. New American Library, $14 paper (400p) ISBN 9780451223890
A surprisingly charming weight-loss odyssey, Lancaster’s third weight-centric memoir (after Bitter is the New Black and Bright Lights, Big Ass) tells the story of her struggle to drop the ice cream and step away. Though morbidly obese, with a worried doctor hovering anxiously, Lancaster is blithely casual and never feels sorry for herself: “I’m a hundred pounds heavier than I was in high school, my veins are full of crème fraîche, and yet I look in the mirror, take in the hair and makeup, and think, Damn baby, you fiiine.” Still, at the end of her thirties, she knows she needs to lose weight—mostly to stay healthy, but also because she can’t face the shame of having to buy an extra seat on an airplane. While the first chapter is full of chatty asides and aren’t-I-cute footnotes which can grate, Lancaster relaxes into her journey through Atkins dinners, Jenny Craig coaches, Weight Watchers meetings and bouts of personal training with the winning honesty and humor her fans have come to expect. Anyone struggling with weight issues while trying to maintain a sense of humor (if not necessarily a positive outlook) will find much inspiration, and plenty of laughs, in Lancaster. (May)

LIFESTYLE

Everyday Raw
Matthew Kenney. Gibbs Smith, $19.99 (144p) ISBN 9781423602071
In this ambitious, well-designed cookbook, New York chef and restaurateur Kenney relies on some fairly hefty assumptions: “By now, most of us realize that heating foods above 118 degrees does destroy valuable enzymes and nutrients.” Whether or not one “realizes” the benefits, the raw-food-curious will find some intriguing recipes in this book. Juices are especially appealing; Mango Raspberry employs a sweet hit of vanilla, and Sweet Green Juice is a sprightly concoction of carrots, cucumbers, apples and herbs. More substantial recipes include a simple, tasty Cucumber-White Grape Gazpacho, a lighter take on the traditional tomato-based soup, and seasoned, dried mushroom caps called Portobello Steaks. But once dishes become more complicated, they also start to require specialized equipment, myriad substitutes and a lot of patience. Baked Macaroni and Cheese, for instance, is nothing of the sort—it’s squash covered in a cashew sauce flavored with lemon juice and nutritional yeast; like most of the recipes here, it requires a Vita-Mix food processor and a dehydrator. Tomato Torta with Pesto and Macadamia Ricotta substitutes nuts for cheese, and Pad Thai uses jicama instead of vermicelli. These substitutions should be tempting to people who believe that nutritional philosophy trumps ease and taste; others will find cooking macaroni and cheese simpler and more satisfying with actual macaroni and cheese. (May)

The Most Decadent Diet Ever!
Devin Alexander. Broadway, $22.95 paper (224p) ISBN 9780767928816
In her latest health-minded cookbook, chef and author Alexander (Fast-Food Fix, The Biggest Loser Cookbook) lets dieters have their Godiva Brownie Sundaes and eat them too. Eschewing charts, graphs and calorie counters, Alexander uses a simple shorthand (“decadent disks,” each equal to 100 calories) that makes it easy for dieters to plan meals from more than a hundred recipes (including entrees for all times of the day, sides and snacks—both savory and sweet). Her rich version of a crustless breakfast quiche (Devin’s Eggs), for example, uses fat free milk, egg substitute, lean ham and lowfat cheese to keep servings down to 2 disks each. These and other caloric corner-cutting ingredients make up the bulk of Alexander’s pantry, enabling her to indulge guilt-free in everything from cheesecake and fettucine alfredo to a chicken-and-(light)-brie sandwich. With an emphasis on comfort food like sticky buns, barbecue bacon cheeseburgers and fries, deprived dieters will find Alexander’s plan a breath of fresh air. (Apr.)

Sleep to be Sexy, Smart, and Slim: Get the Best Sleep of Your Life Tonight and Every Night
Ellen Michaud with Julie Bain. Reader’s Digest, $24.95 (256p) ISBN 9780762109319
Health writer Michaud (Total Health for Women) and Reader’s Digest health director Bain make a convincing case for the serious impact sleep deprivation has on women’s health—including weight gain, diminished libido, irritability and difficulty concentrating, not to mention potentially fatal effects like falling asleep at the wheel—and offer worthwhile advice on getting a full night’s rest. Thirty pages of tips include strategies for slowing down and releasing stress (meditation and muscle relaxation rituals), food remedies both familiar (cookies and milk) and sophisticated (a high-carb meal four hours before bedtime), and a number of other suggestions: sleep in a cold bedroom, wear socks to bed, stay away from the computer as bed time nears (light from the computer monitor stimulates the brain and wakefulness). A long section looks at specific “sleep saboteurs” like menopause, pregnancy, depression, illness, nightmares and jet-lag, and a final section looks at medication, including the new generation of sleep aids (Ambien, Lunesta) and other classes (antidepressants, antihistamines) used for sleep. A directory of local resources completes this able one-stop reference aimed at women, but widely applicable to anyone suffering sleepless nights. (Apr.)

ILLUSTRATED

A Geisha’s Journey: My Life as a Kyoto Apprentice
Komomo and Naoyuki Ogino. Kodansha, $29.95 (144p) ISBN 9784770036072
In this illustrated narrative, Komomo, a teenager training to be a geisha (or more specifically a geiko, as the position is known in Kyoto), relates the motivation behind and experiences following her difficult decision to join the rarified, centuries-old high-culture profession, charged with entertaining and hosting in traditional Japanese manner. The Kyoto apprenticeship system is intense and all-encompassing, stripping Komomo of “all the freedoms I’d taken for granted in my old life” (“I never knew when I could see my family, or even when I’d be allowed a day off”) while she trains in music, dance and theater, makeup and costumes, social customs and household etiquette. Her candid behind-the-scenes perspective will prove invaluable to readers keen on understanding the history and significance of the undertaking, but it’s Ogino’s full-color photos that capture the visual splendor of Komomo’s education and transformation, including interactions with peers and superiors, the intricacies of her kimonos and elaborate stage performances. These extraordinarily bright, vibrant images, coupled with Komomo’s gentle voice and demeanor, make this volume a transporting read. (May)

FICTION

Band Fags!
Frank Anthony Polito. Kensington, $15 paper (448p) ISBN 9780758222657
It’s the ‘80s and Jack Paterno of Hazel Park, Michigan (a.k.a. Hazeltucky) plays trumpet and hangs with the oddball “band fags,” including his Best Friend, Brad Dayton, who’s always embraced his homosexuality. Jack wonders if he’s “like that,” and also if a Total Band Fag could ever be a Popular Guy. Polito shows great fondness for and recall of all things ’80s (Jordache jeans, mid-period Bee Gees, Jon-Erik Hexum, Nintendo etc.) as Jack’s journey through Webb Junior High and Hazel Park (“Hillbilly”) High becomes an angst-ridden rollercoaster ride. Polito also has the era’s teen talk down: Jack’s headlong narration is sweet and funny. And the book’s light and breezy “know thyself” ethos paves the way for possible YA crossover. (June)

Spectre
Phaedra Weldon. Ace, $14 paper (368p) ISBN 9780441015931
Supernatural spy girl Zoetrope “Zoe” Martinique’s bland second adventure (after 2007’s Wraith) strains both her skills navigating the astral plane and her longing for Atlanta PD detective Daniel Frasier. Daniel remains unaware of Zoe’s abilities, but APD Sgt. Joe Halloran can see Zoe’s disembodied “wraith” form and helps her deal with her spooky gifts. Traveling outside her body gives Zoe an edge she uses in her unlicensed “small sleuth business,” but it’s drawn the attention of the League of Six and the Society of Ishmael, warring occult factions in hot pursuit of five powerful magic necklaces. Soon Zoe’s mother, Nona, the owner of one of the necklaces, goes missing, and Zoe dashes to the rescue. Although clever in spurts, this cluttered urban fantasy suffers from Zoe’s annoying and immature obsession with sex and stream-of-consciousness narration (“Mental note: gasp!”) and the convoluted plot may give new readers some trouble. (June)

Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon
Debbie Fuller Thomas. Moody, $13.99 paper (320p) ISBN 9780802487339
An unusual plotline and top-notch prose mark this talented novelist’s debut. When divorcée Marty Winslow’s adolescent daughter Ginger dies from Niemann-Pick, a debilitating hereditary disease, Marty discovers Ginger was not her biological daughter, but was switched at birth. Orphan Andie Lockhart is living with her beloved but ailing grandparents when the court gives temporary custody to Marty, her birth mother. Andie finds herself in a chaotic, financially strapped family that runs the Blue Moon drive-in movie theater. Thomas competently displays the heterogeneities of grief, from older sister Deja’s teen Goth rebellion to Marty’s endless baking, and the difficulty of revising what one has always assumed to be true. The mistake’s tragic cost to both families is shown throughout, but Thomas proffers redemption, albeit in tough, realistic doses. After some soul searching, Marty and Andie eventually find strength in their Christian faith. Point of view shifts sometimes encumber the story, and Thomas succumbs to drawing a conclusion for the reader toward the end. But competent dialogue, touches of humor, and sparkling character dynamics make this a welcome addition to the faith fiction fold. (June)

The Wolf Sea
Robert Low. St. Martin’s/Dunne, $24.95 (352p) ISBN 9780312361952
British journalist Low continues his sprawling Oathsworn trilogy about a band of 10th Century Viking warriors with this sanguinary sequel to The Whale Road. Following their failure to recover Attila the Hun’s hidden treasure, young Orm and his band of oathsworn Vikings wash up in Constantinople with only Attila’s iconic sword and the “ruined dream of Attila’s silver hoard” to show for their harrowing adventure. Hoping to return to claim the treasure, Orm secretly carves coded directions to the treasure into the hilt of the sword. The sword, however, is stolen by Starkad Ragnarsson, an old enemy of the Oathsworn, who takes off in pursuit of an unscrupulous priest, Martin the monk. Sailing out of Constantinople, the Oathsworn chase Starkad to Cyprus, Antioch and “into the bowels of Satan”—the Syrian Desert—before a climactic battle at Masada. Low grounds his saga in Viking history and legend, and in a welcome departure, sets them on an odyssey to the exotic east. Fans of Viking literature and historical adventure fiction will welcome this entertaining addition to an inventive series. (June)