Web Exclusive Reviews: Week of 02/02/2009

-- Publishers Weekly, 2/2/2009

NONFICTION

Carnal Knowledge: Baxter’s Concise Encyclopedia of Modern Sex
John Baxter. Harper Perennial, $15.95 paper (464p) 9780060874346
Baxter, a biographer, critic and current translator for Harper Perennial’s “Naughty French Novels” series, turns his attention here to modern sex slang, terms and cultural touchstones in this cheeky reference. Entries include expected Americanisms (“ho,” “going commando” “franks and beans”) as well as enough unusual and foreign phrases (“partouze,” “dolly”) to expand anyone's pillow-talk repertoire. Baxter is mostly factual, making his occasionally interjected opinions welcome, but jolting in their rarity; more and stronger opinions could also have been used in culling the material, especially in the area of the pornography industry and its film stars. Illustrations are dominated by naked women, with barely any exposed male flesh to balance the mix. Though a fine primer on sexual language, this reference suffers from a few obvious biases (fetishes?) that keep it from being either as encyclopedic or concise as it could be. Illustrations. (Feb.)

Change for America: A Progressive Blueprint for the 44th President
Edited by Mark Green and Michele Jolin. Basic, $24.95 (688p) ISBN 9780465013876
In this lengthy collaboration Jolin, of the Center for American Progress, and Gren, president of the New Democracy Project, gather a comprehensive series of essays for the new president’s consideration, arranged into four broad categories: the White House, domestic policy, economic policy and national security policy. Along with suggestions and goals for the first 100 days, contributors like Tom Freedman, Karen Davenport, Jessica Stern and Lames Lee Witt paint sobering portraits of areas in need of overhaul. Criticism is frequently lobbed at the outgoing administration for, among other grievances, the termination of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Advanced Technology Program, the Labor Department’s 34 percent loss of staff, the Department of Justice indictment, the Federal Trade Commission’s incompetence, and “the poster child for government dysfunction,” the Department of Homeland Security. The editors’ and contributors’ agenda is obviously enormous, requiring the solid support of some 5,000 White House employees and cabinet officers implementing a huge range of ideas, including better education for at-risk and disconnected youth, establishing Internet accountability and creating a political culture that responds to reality as it is, rather than as a function of partisan ideology. At the very beginning of what could be a new political era, this book makes a thorough (if overwhelming) guide. (Jan.)

City Dog: Essays
W.S Di Piero. Northwestern Univ., $17.95 paper (196p) ISBN 9780810125162
A poet, translator, art reviewer, essayist and Stanford University professor, Di Piero clearly has a studied understanding of creative expression and its analysis, though in this new collection of essays it’s applied to a too-wide range of ideas and phenomena. In the most compelling entry, “Pocketbook and Sauerkraut,” Di Piero recalls his coming of age in a working classSouth Philadelphia neighborhood and then in the Communist-leaning Italy of the early 1970s, spring-boarding into a discussion of Marxian hypocrisy, Yeats, Keats and Tennyson on the way to a surprisingly coherent breakdown of Di Piero’s aesthetic and political beliefs. Unfortunately, Di Piero can get lost in pedantic vagaries (“[my] symptoms were those of disabling clinical depression, but no etiology can really accommodate the dimesnions of the failure of hope.”), andhis self-conscious tics—reflexively flashing his proletariat credentials (“I was reading my Yeats while working long summer hours loading shipping crates…at a Ford Motor Company depot”); compulsively name-checking as many people, artistic movements and philosophies as possible; and a serious lack of focus—that overwhelm otherwise interesting personal narratives and insightful commentary on literature, art and sociology. (Mar.)

The Crowded Universe: The Search for Living Planets
Alan Boss. Perseus, $26 (288p) ISBN 9780465009367
Boss, an renowned expert on planetary and stellar formations, has written a first-hand account of science's effort to discover “Earth-like planets” in our neck of the Galaxy, which culminates this year with NASA's launch of “the first space telescope designed specifically to detect and count the number of habitable worlds.” For cognoscenti and non-scientists willing to wend through the technical detail, Boss's tale is an exciting one, with a startling conclusion: that Earth-like planets, complete with life, may be more likely than ever imagined (though intelligent civilization, like individual people, may have natural life spans unlikely to overlap with our own). Boss picks up the story in 1995, with astronomer Gordon Walker throwing in the towel after 12 years tracking the “wobble” of 21 stars, searching for Jupiter-like gas planets. Boss would answer that challenge with proof that “red dwarf” stars were viable areas for further hunting. Over the next 13 years, technical issues kept up with funding issues; even while the second President Bush pushed a new Vision for Space Exploration, NASA was still forced to perform “battle-field triage,” choosing which missions would survive. Boss's account doesn't slow much for exposition, making his chronological account brisk, informative and to the point, but perhaps too technical for casual stargazers. (Feb.)

Heatstroke: Nature in an Age of Global Warming
Anthony D. Barnosky. Island, $26.95 (258p) ISBN 9781597261975
Around the world, climate change is indicated by natural events—especially in shifting migration routes—leading to results familiar (species die-out) and unexpected—like the discovery of a heretofore unprecedented “pizzly,” a bear cub with one polar parent and one grizzly. Not all geographical displacement is quite so friendly; as ““ecological niches are shriveling up and disappearing,” common and persistent species are dying off at a rate “between 17 percent and 377 percent faster than normal” over the past 400 years. While reviewing the evidence that points to drastic changes resulting from even small global temperature increases, Barnosky also discusses biodiversity’s importance, compares rates of evolutionary change with global temperatures, and recounts Earth's four previous mass extinctions. One of her grim assessments is that “many of the species that humans tend to like” will be wiped out by global warming, and spur helpful evolutionary diversification only in “what we normally call pests.” For the most part Barnosky is less gloomy than curious, able and straight-forward, flavoring his report with a sense of adventure and possibility; by the end of his discussion on humanity’s four-pronged problem—global warming, habitat loss, introduced species and population growth—Barnosky will have readers looking to do more than change lightbulbs. (Mar.)

History's Greatest Lies: The Startling Truths Behind World Events Our History Books Got Wrong
William Weir. Fair Winds, $19.99 paper (304p) ISBN 9781592333363
In historian Weir's newest, he examines and debunks popular historical myths, trimming the proceedings in a textbook-like assemblage of color illustrations and sidebars. Weir cites numerous sources while restoring historical accuracy to popular legends, including Nero's fiddling, the “unconquerable” Afghanistan and Paul Revere's ride. Though largely well-written and meticulously researched, Weir stretches mightily to incorporate some of his investigations; his look at Jesse James in particular rings false, citing an “American Robin Hood” myth that Weir may as well have made up (has anyone ever argued that James wasn't a vicious murderer and thief?). A few more stories like this unfortunately detract from the strong entries; especially illuminating are the passages on Wyatt Earp and John Dillinger. Though there are surprises to be found for history buffs, knowledgeable readers will find enough off-track editorializing and fluff to question some of Weir's more salient and interesting points. 125 color illus. (Jan.)

I'd Rather We Got Casinos: And Other Black Thoughts
Larry Wilmore. Hyperion, $23.95 (240p) ISBN 9781401309558
As "Senior Black Correspondent" on cable TV's The Daily Show, comedian Wilmore provides some of the program's most hilarious moments while turning its satiric edge on his (largely white, middle-class, left-leaning) employers and audience, as well as his own people—retaining the full measure of his cynicism even in the midst of Obama-mania. In this collection (including essays, fake radio show transcripts, letters and wisecracks), readers get a tour of Wilmore's smart, sarcastic approach to race, media and the modern American psyche (perhaps most efficiently captured in back-to-back thought pieces, "Black Weathermen Make Me Feel Happy" and "Black Weathermen Make Me Feel Sad"). Part of Wilmore's appeal is the straight-faced mix of conviction and arch absurdity—more Steve Colbert than Jon Stewart—that's sometimes lacking without his deadpan, vaguely deprecating delivery. Still, fans will find consistent laughs, even if some of his longer, one-note pieces could have been better balanced with more of his goofy one-liners (“Random Black Thoughts”). Several of Wilmore's modest proposals, like his ongoing campaign to replace terms like "African-American" and "Black" with “Chocolate” (“everybody loves chocolate!”) display a classic satirist's ability to convince, confound and compel in equal measure. (Feb.)

Metropolitan Lovers: The Homosexuality of Cities
Julie Abraham. Minnesota, $29.95 (344p). ISBN 9780816638185
From San Francisco’s historic Castro neighborhood to New York’s Chelsea district, the gay and lesbian community is alive and well in cities across America, bringing gentrification, social change and tight-knit communities with them. In this analytical survey, author and professor Abraham (Are Girls Necessary?, Diana: A Strange Autobiography) takes a look at the link between cities and homosexuals, presenting pros and the cons from both sides. A central focus is the stigma and obstacles faced by homosexuals generating community; Abraham sees homosexuals in public life as “simultaneously—and inextricably—a social outcast and a weaver of social webs,” who nevertheless are cementing their place through the popular and “mutually reinforcing” ideas of both urban life and homosexual life as “lacking family or domestic ties.”Throughout, Abraham makes such unlikely, interesting connections between gay and straight figures; regarding Jane Jacobs and James Baldwin, Abraham pursues “the resonance of her work with contemporary gay concerns, and the centrality of his conceptions of the city to his understandings of the world.” Abraham’s deft look at this seemingly disparate duo is echoes throughout, especially in more ambivalent discussions about modern-day (post-Stonewall) “ghettoized” gay communities. Bolstered by expertise, balance and solid reporting, this sociological report is a solid addition to any GLBT studies library. (Jan.)

Nanoscale: Visualizing an Invisible World
Kenneth S. Deffeyes and Stephen E. Deffeyes. MIT, $21.95 (144p) 9780262012836
Though even an electron microscope with a resolution of 1 to 5 nanometers cannot photograph “the way atoms actually look”—at the quantum level the world is inherently “fuzzy”—author and professor Kenneth Deffeyes (Hubbert's Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage), with help from illustrator Stephen, takes readers on a thoughtful, playful “tour through the nano-scale world.” Starting with oxygen (originally a pollutant in Earth’s atmosphere), the 50 cameo explanations are clear and vivid, often with surprising details and amusing touches of humanity. Ice, classified a mineral, is unusual for having substantial strength even at one degree below the melting point, which is why (like “unpopped popcorn”) they're such a boon to dentists. Explaining the structure of DNA, proteins and enzymes, Deffeyes compares similar molecules like coffee and caffeine, aspirin and Tylenol, testosterone and estrogen; detailing the life cycle of quartz, “from beach sand to wristwatches,” he takes a sobering detour into lung disease among miners. Deffeys concludes with the exciting discovery, made by one of his students, of quasi-crystal geometry in the patterns of 500-year old Islamic “Penrose Tiling” mosaics. Surprisingly engaging, this collection of short lessons in molecular science is a fun, informative way to get lost in inner space. (Mar.)

Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls
Liz Funk. Simon & Schuster, $15(256p) ISBN 9781416562634
First-time author Funk defines the term “supergirl” as an over-achieving young woman with a compulsive need to be the best in all areas: school, extracurricular activities, social networking and, of course, physical appearance. As she and her fellows are discovering, however, the pressure of such all-encompassing ambition can result in exhaustion, eating disorders, emotional problems and screwed up priorities. One of Funk’s 100-plus interviewees bemoans that “’[w]hen you Google me, nothing comes up. I need to have Google prowess’”; for herself, Funk confesses her chagrin over publishing her first book (this one) at the age of 20 instead of 18. Though such a young writer can't possibly tackle the complex state of 21st century feminism without reading (at the least) precocious, freelance writer Funk has done her research, and her writing is lucid and intelligent. A good deal of unnecessary ranting could have been cut, and brand name fatigue sets in early (one hopes Funk is getting kickbacks from Starbucks). Still, Funk provides some fresh insights, especially for a younger audience brought up on The Devil Wears Prada and the myth of workplace gender equality, encouraging self-awareness, reasonable priorities, and a healthy outlook. (Mar.)

We Look Like the Enemy: The Hidden Story of Israel's Jews From Arab Lands
Rachel Shabi. Walker & Company, $25 (272p) ISBN 9780802715722
Journalist and first-time author Shabi reports on the societal struggle of Israel's Arabian Jewish population from her viewpoint as the Israel-born daughter of two Iraqi Jews. Backed with a long view of Jewish history in both the Middle East and Europe, Shabi explores the conflicts and inequities among the privileged Ashkenazi Jews—European, educated and cosmopolitan—and their Mizrahi neighbors, whose culture—incorporating many Middle Eastern and North African traditions—is often devalued or oppressed: popular Arabian music gets banned from Israel's airwaves, the Mizrahi accent has become shorthand for the lower class, and government programs meant to help Mizrahi migrants are set up to fail (like the "developmental towns" cut short of funding during the Six-Day War, and left half-developed thereafter). Interviews with Mizrahi citizens heap blame on the Ashkenazi-dominated Jewish Agency for presenting Israel as a haven for all displaced Jews, when the reality for Arabian Jews is likely less prosperous—and possibly less tolerant—than life in Arab countries. Shabi's investigative skill and grasp of Israeli history (especially her re-examination of the Jewish Diaspora) makes this a rare and fascinating overview of the other Israeli conflict. (Dec.)

Yes Means Yes! : Visions of Female Sexual Power & A World Without Rape
Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti. Seal, $15.95 (256p) ISBN 9781580052573
Activists and writers Friedman and Valenti (He's a Stud, She's a Slut) deliver an extraordinary essay compilation focusing on the struggle to stop rape in the U.S. and the importance of sexual identity and ownership. Early on, Thomas MacAulay Millar and Rachel Kramer Bussel explain how the “no means no” concept (sexual consent equals the absence of no) must be rejected in favor of a “yes means yes” mentality: the idea that consent means affirmative participation in the act itself, a broader definition that better protects women while encouraging power over—not fear of—personal sexual identity. Other topics include body image and self-esteem issues as well as incest, the dangers faced by female immigrants and the public perception of rape; in “Trial by Media,” Samhita Mukhopadhyay looks at the Duke Lacrosse rape case and finds the media acting in the tradition of slavery by commodifying the young, female African-American body. Though surprisingly entertaining throughout, with no shortage of wit or humor, unexpected topics (Friedman on enjoying sex, transsexual writer Julia Serano on the mixed cultural messages that lead “nice guys” to sexual aggression) keep the book dynamic. Sure to empower and inform, this is an important and inspiring read for assault survivors, educators, activists, experts and those on a path to self discovery. (Jan.)

The Young Charles Darwin
Keith Thomson. Yale, $28 (288p) ISBN 9780300136081
At the time young Charles Darwin set out on his ground-breaking 1831 voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, he himself was an intelligent design supporter, saying he “hardly ever admired a book more” than William Paley's Natural Theology; or, Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity. Author and professor Thomson (Before Darwin: Reconciling God and Nature) delivers a lively account of how this naive young student became the iconoclastic bearer of “the most dangerous idea of the past two hundred years.” The grandson of eminent free-thinker Erasmus Darwin as well as a medical and theology student, Darwin was well-versed in the “raging controversy” over the origins of Earth and it inhabitants. The suggestion that “life had arisen without God’s intervention” was at the time “almost unmentionable”; hotly debated topics included the frequency of God's intervention (a one-time event or an everyday thing?), and whether Earth’s history is cyclical or progressive. Darwin's first and abiding love was natural history (his extensive beetle collection earned him his “naturalist” position aboard the Beagle) and led to his era-defining theories. Drawing on his letters, diary entires and autobiographical work as well as his public intellectual struggles, Thomson's angle on Darwin's early life is fresh and vivid. (Feb.)

LIFESTYLE

Atlanta Classic Desserts: Recipes from Favorite Restaurants
Krista Reese. Pelican, $15.95 (96p) ISBN 9781589806214
In this slim but winning collection, local food writer Reese gives armchair gourmands the grand dessert tour of Atlanta, highlighting notable restaurants and signature desserts. Those expecting Southern standards will find them in classics like Coca Cola Cake, Warm Peach Cobbler (served in a mason jar!) and Peanut Butter Pie (from famous Mary Mac’s Tea Room), but these are the exceptions. Reese wisely focuses on rising chefs and establishments that are expanding Atlanta’s palate; some dishes, such as Aria's labor-intensive S'mores, are probably best experienced in situ, but a refreshing number of recipes are well within any home cook’s capabilities. Taqueria Los Hermanos' Tres Leches Cake relies on a box cake mix and is ready for baking in a matter of minutes; Woodfire Grill's Apple Crisp is a simple and satisfying way to bolster dessert-making self-confidence. A number of recipes are so decadent—like Rathbun's Gooey Toffee Cake and the Fried Oreos that grace the cover—they’ll likely inspire non-cooks to give the mixer a spin. Fair warning: though your diners may never have made it down South, they may well experience a spontaneous desire for rocking chairs, front porches and (especially after Bourbon Ice Cream) unseasonable heat. Color photos. (Mar.)

One Year to an Organized Work Life
Regina Leeds. Da Capo Lifelong, $16.95 paper (256p) ISBN 9780738212791
In the natural follow-up to her bestselling "Zen organizing" primer One Year to an Organized Life, Leeds presents a comprehensive guide to office efficiency. Like its predecessor, this volume is a kind of self-help boot camp, complete with month-by-month a nd week-by-week guides, with themes ("January: Start Fresh," "March: Stop Paper Pileups"), habits ("Make your bed," "Be grateful," "Say no") and clearly-defined weekly exercises, including tips for dealing with everyday tasks like checking email and bookin g business travel. Leeds also makes them most of a helpful (if familiar) three-step "Magic Formula" for approaching clutter of any kind: "1. Eliminate 2. Categorize 3. Organize." Some readers may balk at her low-tech solutions: her section on calendar-keep ing focuses almost exclusively on the pen-and-paper variety, and she suggests a highly detailed filing system for paper. Still, highly motivated readers should find plenty of smart, straightforward and rewarding ways to eliminate chaos from their work live s. (Jan.)

Vegan Soul Kitchen
Bryant Terry. DaCapo Lifelong, $18.95 (256p) ISBN 9780738212289
In this electric, eclectic collection of vegan soul food, West Coast chef Bryant Terry (Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen) manages not only to demystify classic southern cooking, he makes it healthier and more accessible. With a low-key approach, commonly sourced ingredients and recipes worthy of any palette, Terry avoids the didacticism and rigidity of other vegan cookbooks. An impressive amount of information for each recipe, including entertainment recommendations, is also provided. Many dishes will make the list of to-trys: a riff on the traditional Gumbo Z’Herbs that’s traditionally eaten during Lent; a roasted potato salad with a parsley-pine nut pesto; and the ubiquitous chow-chow, a vinegar-laced relish that’s indispensable with greens. Terry's simplicity is also commendable: a side of wilted swiss chard and spinach with lemon-tahini dressing is a healthier, creamier alternative to Caesar salad, and his Simple Seared Green Beans are a terrific way to enjoy the vegetable at its peak; classic treats like peach cobbler and mint juleps are also included. Though something of a Pyrrhic victory—a terrific and tasty collection of healthy Southern variations unfortunately relegated to the “vegan” ghetto—Terry's latest will make a happy discovery for cooks of any dietary persuasions. (Feb.)

FICTION

The Associate
John Grisham. Doubleday, $27.95 (373p) ISBN 9780385517836
Bestseller Grisham’s contemporary legal thriller offers an action-and-suspense plot reminiscent of that of his breakout book, 1991’s The Firm, in contrast to 2008’s didactic The Appeal, which served as a platform for his concerns about the corrupting effects of judicial elections. Kyle McAvoy, a callow Yale Law School student, dreams of a public service gig on graduation, until shadowy figures blackmail him with a videotape that could revive a five-year-old rape accusation. Instead of helping those in need, McAvoy accepts a position at a huge Wall Street firm, Scully & Pershing, whose clients include a military contractor enmeshed in a $800 billion lawsuit concerning a newly-designed aircraft. McAvoy can avoid exposure of his past if he feeds his new masters inside information on the case. Readers should be prepared for some predictable twists, an ending with some unwarranted ambiguity and some unconvincing details (the idea that a secret file room in a high stakes litigation case would be closed from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every night stretches credulity to the breaking point). Still, Grisham devotees should be satisfied, even if this is one of his lesser works. (Jan.)