Web Exclusive Reviews: 2/23/2009

-- Publishers Weekly, 2/23/2009

NONFICTION

Bernanke's Test: Ben Bernanke, Alan Greenspan, and the Drama of the Central Banker
Johan Van Overtveldt. Agate, $26 (288p) ISBN 9781932841374
Though a phrase like "the drama of the central banker" might once have drawn snickers, today the chairman of the Federal Reserve has become something of a star. This contemporary history, from the 1970s chairmanship of Paul Volcker on, provides an excellent introduction to the current financial crisis. Easy credit in the early-mid 2000s catalyzed the subprime mortgage debacle, but Dutch author and economist Van Overtveldt (The Chicago School) defends the Fed throughout, arguing that low interest rates kept Japanese-style deflation at bay. It's early for predictions, but Van Overtveldt portrays Bernanke as the man for the season: an academic focused on the Great Depression, Bernanke became a member of the Fed's Board of Governors in 2002. Though conventional, Bernanke's present approach—further cutting the federal funds rate to spur liquidity, keeping his hands off interest rates—and belief in regulation, set him apart from Greenspan, while his commitment to transparency and clear communication align him with the new administration. Anyone who wants to understand the role of the Fed in the current crisis will find this an accessible primer. (Feb.)

Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is a Better Way for Africa
Dambisa Moyo. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24 (192p) ISBN 9780374139568
In this important analysis of the past fifty years of international (largely American) aid to Africa, economist and former World Bank consultant Moyo, a native of Zambia, prescribes a tough dose of medicine: stopping the tide of money that, however well-intentioned, only promotes corruption in government and dependence in citizens. With a global perspective and on-the-ground details, Moyo reveals that aid is often diverted to the coffers of cruel despotisms, and occasionally conflicts outright with the interests of citizens—free mosquito nets, for instance, killing the market for the native who sells them. In its place, Moyo advocates a smarter, though admittedly more difficult, policy of investment that has already worked to grow the economies of poor countries like Argentina and Brazil. Moyo writes with a general audience in mind, and doesn’t hesitate to slow down and explain the intricacies of, say, the bond market. This is a brief, accessible look at the goals and reasons behind anti-aid advocates, with a hopeful outlook and a respectful attitude for the well-being and good faith of all involved. (Mar.)

EarthTalk: Expert Answers to Everyday Questions About the Environment
Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine. Plume, $15 paper (304p) ISBN 9780452290129
This roundup of Q&As from ecology periodical E is an engaging overview of the latest information regarding the environment, but more a starting point for investigating the issues than a real education. Organized by topic—food, shopping, health care, personal space, energy consumption, apparel, kids, global warming and transportation—the questions and answers are both down-to-earth and practical without sacrificing curiosity or smoothing out surprises; coffee growing, for instance, is hard on farmers and the planet, but has unexpected, eco-minded champions in Starbucks and the Smithsonian National Zoo. The chapter on shopping is a bit of a hodge-podge, which makes it especially interesting: covering old-growth wood (most prized by timber companies), disposable dishes (try compost-ready dishware made from corn), green tax incentives, the utility of hemp, a catalog of plastic grades and more. Entries on more complicated issues (like nuclear power) may be too brief, and don’t always point to resources on both sides of the debate, but lay out the concerns of all interested parties clearly. (Mar.)

The Fearless Fish Out of Water: How to Succeed When You’re the Only One Like You
Robin Fisher Roffer. Wiley, $24.95 (256p) ISBN 9780470316689
Roffer, CEO of entertainment branding firm Big Fish Marketing, has long felt like a “fish out of water” in the office place (a convenient metaphor, to be sure, but also smart marketing). Instead of conforming to corporate culture, however, she learned to achieve success by turning “uniqueness into an advantage.” From her own experience and others’, Roffer draws seven “career-tested steps” to help anyone facing the daily problem of feeling “left out, undervalued, unheard, ineffective, or misunderstood.” Unsurprisingly, finding and accepting yourself is the first step; later steps encourage risk taking, open-mindedness and trusting one’s instincts. At first glance, chapters entitled “Find a Few Fish Like You” and “Swim in Their Ocean Your Way” seem counter to the book’s thesis, but are rooted in solid strategies: identifying what gives you comfort “so you can anchor yourself in your own uniqueness,” and observing closely the office ecosystem. Thoughtful, motivating and compassionate, Roffer does an excellent job laying out the give and take of corporate culture—and how not to get taken. (Feb.)

Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City
Michelle and James Nevius. Simon & Schuster, $16.95(368p) ISBN 9781416589976
Most of this guide book is devoted to an exhaustive catalog of New York City history, beginning with glaciers' impact on the geography of Central Park and ending (161 chapters later) with the aftermath of 9/11. Not for cover-to-cover reading, this guide from a tour-guide/entrepreneur husband-and-wife team is best approached from behind, with the 14 walking tours that cap the volume; each highlighted site references the relevant chapters preceding. Considering New York's dense history, these tours offer something for everyone: the Greenwich Village tour alone encompasses the Stonewall Inn, considered the birthplace of gay rights; Jefferson Market Courthouse, the nation's first night court; and the house where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women. Not even natives know this much; even if they do recall the late-19th and early-20th century tenement laws meant to improve living conditions (chapter 84), they'll probably be surprised to learn where the city’s first tenement is located (chapter 32). From the 1765 Bowling Green Park protest of the Stamp Act to the 1980 murder of John Lennon outside the Dakota Apartments, this extremely thorough sidewalk-level guide is rich with 20 years of combined tour experience. Photos and maps. (Mar.)

Life Without Lawyers: Liberating Americans from Too Much Law
Philip K. Howard. Norton, $24.95 (224p) ISBN 9780393065664
In his latest prescriptive survey of American law abuse and its consequences, Howard (The Death of Common Sense, The Collapse of the Common Good) sticks to the formula: one ghastly anecdote after another demonstrating how the justice system hinders freedom and confounds Americans who simply want to do the right thing. Either through litigation or the fear of it, Howard argues, we've ceded our everyday decision-making to the lawyers (we “might as well give a legal club to the most unreasonable and selfish person in the enterprise”) resulting in everything from “no running on the playground” signs to a 5-year-old handcuffed at school by police; from diminishing health care quality and spiraling costs to doctors afraid of discussing treatments among themselves over email. Chair of nonpartisan advocacy organization Common Good, Howard has a great deal of knowledge and a catalog of abuses that will elicit fury and despair. For the third time in some 15 years, Howard agitates for change by asking “How did the land of freedom become a legal minefield?”; in this time of financial depression and political hope, Howard may have found the perfect moment to sound his alarm. (Jan.)

Live Nude Girl: My Life as an Object
Kathleen Rooney. Univ. of Arkansas, $22.50 paper (190p) ISBN 9781557288912
Author, award-winning poet and professional artists' model Rooney (Reading with Oprah, Something Really Wonderful) uses everything from Roland Barthes quotations to sitcom episode synopses off the internet (specifically, fortunecity.com on Growing Pains) to explore the myths and realities of nude modeling. Despite the fact that it largely consists of sitting still for hours on end, Rooney keeps work stories compelling: “with the sculptors continually approaching... to rotate you slightly... [it's] like you’re on the world’s slowest and most boring Teacup Ride.” Posing for an advanced sculpting class working on life-sized renderings, Rooney merges her experience with a look at China's ancient Terra Cotta Army; elsewhere she tackles semantics, quoting art historian Kenneth Clark on the difference between “naked” and “nude.” Happily, Rooney is perfectly willing to satisfy readers' curiosity upfront in order to move in more philosophical directions, going from awkward first impressions (“the first thing they ask is, ‘Like, naked?'”) to questions of safety and empowerment (“I feel safer from sexual predation [naked] in the art studio than I do... [clothed on] the street”). This esoteric, organic meditation on life as an art object is itself a model of personal writing, perfect for those on either side of the easel. (Feb.)

Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs: The World’s Most Puzzling Mysteries Solved
Albert Jack. Random, $15 paper (272p) ISBN 9780812980059
Though not every mystery (the movement of lead coffins in the Chase vault, the identity of robber D.B. Cooper) is solved as promised, author Jack (Red Herrings and White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day) does a remarkable job explaining a great many strange phenomena in this compulsive read. Tackling more than 30 mysteries big (the Bermuda Triangle) and small (a flat, straight stretch of autobahn that causes crashes), Jack gets right to the crux of the matter, exposing a great many hoaxes. That grainy, infamous video footage of Bigfoot? Fake. The equally grainy snapshot of a surfacing Loch Ness Monster? Most likely a bathing circus elephant. Crop circles? Less a hoax than an art form. Not everything can be traced to mischievous individuals with time to kill: the disappearance of big band leader Glenn Miller is now credited to friendly fire; the rational explanation for the disappearance of the Mary Celeste crew is just as satisfying as the numerous supernatural theories posited. Conspiracy theorists may be disappointed, but skeptics and armchair explorers will find this engrossing and witty, though probably all too short. (Mar.)

Marilyn Revealed: The Ambitious Life of an American Icon
Ted Schwarz. Taylor Trade, $26.95 (704p) ISBN 9781589793422
Penning a Marilyn Monroe biography in 2009 is no easy task, following shelves full of books shamelessly exposing, mythologizing and complicating the iconic actress’s memory. Schwarz (The Hillside Strangler) presents the first comprehensive biography in recent years, but comes up with little fans won’t already know. Drawing from FBI files and interviews with Norma Jean Mortenson’s friends and acquaintances, Schwarz seeks to debunk the Marilyn myths while chronicling her dysfunctional, partially fabricated family history (questioning how long she spent in an orphanage), her pathological insecurity, her infamous love affairs and marriages (most notably with Joe DiMaggio) and her controversial final days. Though Schwarz admits when he’s unsure about the facts (as with Marilyn’s teenage marriage), his limited use of attribution calls his own credibility into question. Ultimately, Schwarz’s long-winded bio often reads like an over-confident honor student’s interminable dissertation. (Jan.)

Real Leaders Don't Do Powerpoint: How to Sell Yourself and Your Ideas
Christopher Witt with Dale Fetherling. Crown Business, $21.95 (256p) ISBN 9780307407702
In Witt's succinct and humorous assessment of leadership strategies and the art of the public presentation, the business consultant focuses on the basics and the particulars that often go by the wayside when speakers rely on crutches like PowerPoint. A good speaker and leader knows that the individual is inseparable from his or her message, that ideas must be conveyed simply and powerfully, and that conviction is paramount to get others on board. Witt, founder and president of his own Witt Communications company, goes into great detail illustrating exactly what a successful speaker does and how those skills translate to good leadership. While Witt's primer doesn't say anything particularly new, it’s a fine demonstration of his principles at work: well-organized and straightforward, with plenty of concrete take-away techniques. Geared toward those looking to get a leg up at work, shape their ideas and overcome the public speaking jitters, Witt's quick, witty instructional makes a fine addition to the office arsenal. (Feb.)

Underground: My Life with SDS and the Weathermen
Mark Rudd. Morrow, $25.99 (336p) ISBN 9780061472756
A freshman at Columbia University in 1965, Rudd joined student protests against the Vietnam War; three years later, as chairman of the local Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) chapter, he led the first in a wave of major student protests, which would lead to the tragic, violent radicalization of his cause and a life on the run. In April 1968 almost a thousand students showed up for his SDS meeting, and a spontaneous sit-in occurred; as more students joined, the crowd spread through four more buildings, which they occupied for almost a week. As classes were cancelled and the strike spread to other campuses, Rudd was expelled from Columbia. Soon, he became a leader of the Weathermen, an SDS faction that had turned away from peaceful protests to form a dead-serious “underground revolutionary guerilla band.” Rudd became a fugitive from justice in 1970 after three Weathermen accidentally killed themselves preparing explosives for an attack on Fort Dix; in 1977, he voluntary surrendered. Still a liberal community activist, Rudd is also a teacher and father, and in this account he carefully sorts “what was right from what was wrong” with honesty, regret and hard-won wisdom. (Mar.)

The Wall Street Journal Guide to the End of Wall Street as We Know It: What You Need to Know About the Greatest Financial Crisis of Our Time—and How to Survive It
Dave Kansas. Collins Business, $15.99 (200p) ISBN 9780061788406
Limned with basic economic principles and rational analysis, this financial guide from a former editor at The Wall Street Journal should disappoint fans of the sophisticated business broadsheet as well as those drawn by the alarmist title. Kansas wastes no time in conceding that, yes, Wall Street "practically destroyed itself in an orgy of delusion and greed and transformed itself into something else entirely," but spreads responsibility far and wide. As such, sidebars profiling specific people, organizations and practices read like clues in a murder mystery: did the Fed, led by Alan Greenspan, kill the economy with an "easy-money policy”? Was it the big banks, who "magically transformed subprime mortgage debt into something far more attractive"? Or are overeager first-time homeowners to blame? If Kansas knows, he's not telling. Though he dispenses some helpful investment advice ("Pay yourself first," "Diversification is vital," "Always take advantage of free money"), it's nothing that wouldn't have been just as applicable pre-recession; further, he offers no assurance that individuals can prevent another crisis, no matter how responsibly they handle their money. (Feb.)

LIFESTYLE

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment
Steve Harvey. Amistad, $23.99 (224p) ISBN 9780061728976
As a popular comedian, radio host and red-blooded male, Harvey doesn’t have the bona fides typical to most women’s relationship self-help, but he still manages a thorough, witty guide to the modern man. Harvey undertakes the task because “women are clueless about men,” because “men get away with a whole lot of stuff” and because he has “some valuable information to change all of that.” Harvey makes a game effort, taking a bold but familiar men-are-dogs approach: if you’re “cutting back” on sex, “he will have another woman lined up and waiting to give him what he needs and wants—the cookie.” Several chapters later, however, he introduces the “ninety-day rule,” asserting that, actually, he won’t always have another woman lined up—and the only way to make sure is a three month vetting period. Harvey also tackles mama’s boys, “independent—and lonely—women,” and the matter of children in the dating world (“If he’s meeting the kids after you decide he’s the one, it’s too late”). Feminists and the easily offended probably won’t take to Harvey’s blanket statements and blunt advice, but Harvey’s fans and those in need of tough (but ticklish) love advice should check it out (especially the hysterical last-chapter Q&A). (Feb.)

The Grapes of Wine: The Fine Art of Growing Grapes and Making Wine
Baudouin Neirynck. Square One, $29.95 (224p) ISBN 9780757002472
Though it’s hampered by a backwards-looking design, oenophiles and armchair sommeliers will find a lot to like in this guide to understanding wine. Beginning at the beginning, academic and foodie Neirynck looks at the full range of winemaking techniques, from China in the seventh century BC to contemporary Italy (and the latest Super Tuscans). He covers his subject literally from the ground up, from crucial terroir and common grape vine diseases to production, collecting and storing. Like a good bottle, the book’s full impact isn't felt until it "opens up" with a discussion of various types of grapes—not just their flavors, but their origins, preferred soils and climatic conditions. Coupled with salient tips on reading labels, the peculiarities of serving young versus old wine, and other minutiae, this should educate wine lovers but may be too much too soon for novices (Neirynck's rules for proper wine service are only slightly less relaxed than a Japanese tea ceremony). Though Neirynck avoids ratings and reviews ala Wine Spectator or Robert Parker, he arms readers with enough information to make their own decisions. It’s a shame, then, that the book’s dated layout—melodramatic fonts, awkward size, amateurish illustrations—give the impression that this volume was transported unaltered from the 1970s. (Feb.)

How We Survived Prostate Cancer: What We Did and What We Should Have Done
Victoria Hallerman. Newmarket (Norton, dist.), $24.95 (208p) ISBN 9781557048141; $16.95 paper -8196
More than just a personal memoir, this tour of duty from the wife of a prostate cancer survivor is packed with critical information on the nature of the disease, current treatment options and the process of choosing a physician. Both as individuals and a couple, the Hallermans made many mistakes—first among them was Dean's decision to hide his diagnosis from his wife—and this guide benefits enormously from their honesty (poet Victoria narrates, Dean contributes short personal asides). From treatment decisions made without adequate information to the drastic changes in their sex life, Hallerman is blunt and unflinching regarding their mortal and marital crises, and explicit in her advice to avoid despair, self-blame and isolation. Thorough, clearly written glossary and appendices cover treatments, side effects, resources for information and support, current research and a checklist of “must do's” from Dean's current urologist (who also provides a foreword). Though Dean suffered horribly before finding a doctor and regimen that worked for him, this moving and highly useful book proves his setbacks were not in vain. (Feb.)

ILLUSTRATED

Animal Migration: Remarkable Journeys in the Wild
Ben Hoare. University of Calif., $34.95 (176p) ISBN 9780520258235
Hoare, author of animal books for kids and adults (and co-author of the encyclopedic Bird), has compiled data and images for all types of migrating animals, looking at the circumstances and reasons behind some 60 species’ seasonal journeys. The first section discusses migration’s causes and methods: land animals are driven by climate, water sources and grazing conditions; marine mammals and fish are guided by seasonal plankton blooms (which also migrate, diurnally, between shallow and deep water). From there, three sections look at migration via land, water and air; individual species and ecosystems profiled include polar bears, bison, the red crab, the walrus, the bar-tailed godwit and the monarch butterfly, as well as the African veldt and Asian steppe. Although chapters are short, each includes a significant amount of information, including a table of vital stats that includes where and when to observe the animals en route (the best place to spot the spring migration of the Europeon white stork, for example, is Turkey’s Strait of Bosporus). Habitat destruction, global climate change and a worldwide human population boom threaten the survival of many species and entire biomes, and this book presents a close look at what we have to lose. 200 color illustrations. (Mar.)