Web Exclusive Book Reviews: 11/9/2009

-- Publishers Weekly, 11/9/2009

NONFICTION

 Always Been There: Rosanne Cash, the List and the Spirit of Southern Music
Michael Streissguth. Da Capo, $24 (240p) ISBN 9780306818523
Author and music journalist Streissguth, having already written a biography of Johnny Cash (Johnny Cash: The Biography), joined Johnny’s daughter Rosanne to document the creation of an album (and tour) that in many ways reflects the complicated relationship between daughter and legendary father. Having achieved musical success in her own right, Rosanne’s project is based on a lost list of 100 songs that Johnny gave her at the beginning of her career, which he felt every young musician should know. In the process of reconstructing “the List,” Rosanne and Streissguth explore Southern music, the family legacy, and Rosanne’s memories of the Cashes and the Carters. Streissguth is a skillful biographer, investigating Rosanne’s relationship with work and art as well as with her famous parents. Unfortunately for music enthusiasts, the actual “list” never materializes, but that doesn’t stop it from giving this intimate, illuminating narrative a satisfying sense of history that should please any fan of modern American music. (Nov.)

The Best Buddhist Writing 2009
Edited by Melvin McLeod. Shambhala, $17.95 paper (320p) ISBN 9781590307342
In this wise, accessible collection, editor McLeod gathers writings from a number of well-known Buddhist writers—Pico Iyer, Tom Robbins, Natalie Goldberg, and others—along with up-and-comers whose work contributes to the study, understanding and practice of Buddhism. Environmental concerns make up a major theme of the book, a sharp turn away from more self-focused Buddhist practices of the past; in "Cranes in the DMZ," Alan Weisman writes that there’s “great peace” in realizing “that we are part of a grand, changing, living pageant—one that, no matter how deep a wound it sustains, will always be renewed.” That quest for peace in the face of life's suffering also drives two of the best contributions, Kathleen Willis Morton's account of her baby son's death ("The Blue Poppy") and Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle's chronicle of her husband’s losing fight with Alzheimer’s ("The Majesty of Your Loving”). Neither makes for easy reading, but both demonstrate how the ancient practice of Buddhism sustains the authors through their grimmest ordeals. A few essays provide practical guides that will resonate for Buddhist practitioners, but lack the intensely humane focus of the collection’s best. Still, thoughtful readers of all kinds will find something here that resonates. (Oct.)

Just Food: Where Locavores Get It Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly
James E. McWilliams. Little Brown, $25.99 (272p) ISBN 9780316033749
Eager to dispel the mythology surrounding local and organic foods, historian McWilliams (A Revolution in Eating) outlines the shortcomings of contemporary ideology regarding “food miles” and offers a series of prescriptive ideas for a more just, environmentally sustainable food system. The rational and data-driven argument—presented with chatty asides—tackles the conventional wisdom about transportation, aquaculture, and genetic engineering. McWilliams urges concerned consumers to move beyond the false dichotomies that have come to characterize the debate—global vs. local, abundant vs. deficient, organic vs. conventional—and imagine a middle ground within the existing system, even if it runs the risk of “selling the sustainable soul.” He presents thought-provoking ideas about food reform, sulfur fertilizers, and eating meat. At times, McWilliams shortchanges his own arguments by failing to disclose the financial or institutional backing of his sources (including various talking heads, esoteric-sounding think tanks, and scientific journals), leaving readers to comb extensive footnotes and web links to determine how the evidence stacks up. McWilliams’s perspective acts as a welcome foil to folksy, romanticized notions of the food revolution, using sound rhetoric and research to synthesize an examination fit for anyone who takes seriously the debate over a sustainable food system. (Sept.)

The Man Who Lives with Wolves
Shaun Ellis with Penny Junor. Harmony, $24.99 (288p) ISBN 9780307464538
Ellis, the self-trained wolf behaviorist featured on TV’s Living with the Wolfman, has spent years living, literally, with wolves in the U.S. and England: eating what they do (raw meat), fitting into their pack, meeting challenges from other pack-members, and more. Ellis describes in detail (some repetitive) the astonishing rigors of living with wolves; readers might ask why one would stick with the pack after sustaining bites, knockout blows, and other injuries, but Ellis maintains that fulfilling his “overwhelming need to find out the truth and do whatever I could to help and stand up for these creatures" is reward enough. Ellis's prose is informal and conversational, and his experiences are highly illuminating regarding animals classically met with fear and hatred (an ancient reaction, Ellis notes, rooted in humankind’s shift from a hunter-gatherer society to a farming society). Ellis also shares his goals, how they’ve evolved over years of study, and the challenges of scientists who disapprove of his methods; among well-earned observations of the natural world, Ellis also includes stories from his own life and family, as well useful information for dog owners. (Oct.)

 Mother California: A Story of Redemption Behind Bars
Kenneth E. Hartman. Atlas, $22 (208p) ISBN 9781934633199
In this memoir, a magnificent inquiry into the human condition, a man serving a life sentence in the California prison system documents the brutality and inhumanity of life “inside,” where criminals are victimized rather than rehabilitated, and chaos flowers among the despairing. Hartman, an eloquent, middle-aged prisoner convicted of murder at 19, tells a sad but unsentimental story: a rough childhood and a wish for invincibility fueled Hartman’s youth and downfall, but in the time since, he has married in prison, fathered a child, and currently works to improve the broken U.S. prison system. Hartman discovered his talent in a writing class, after having abandoned drugs; using it, he examines up close the “mad, violent circus” of prison life, his place in it, and the fate of his fellow prisoners: “Under the big tent of this brutally unnatural environment, few of us ever take the frightening step of analyzing our deeper motives.” (Oct.)

Mentally Incontinent: That Time I Set a Hooters on Fire, That Time My Stalker Stayed at My House, and Nine Other Stories from My Weird Life
Joe Peacock. Gotham, $15 paper (256p) ISBN 9781592404827
To determine seven of the 11 stories included in this blog-to-book collection, Atlanta artist and internet presence Peacock asked the fans of his website, mentallyincontinent.com, to vote for their favorites, “[So] if you hate one (or all) of them,” he writes, “blame the voters.” Readers will likely blame Peacock anyway. Giddily dark throughout, and with a proudly juvenile sensibility, one typical Peacock adventure finds him using a corporate expense account to buy an extravagant full back tattoo—“the largest individual symbol of my newfound sense of daring”—only for the tattoo artist to get hit by a bus, and die, after the first part of a multi-week process. Another finds him setting fire to his best friend’s pants, while he’s still in them, inside a moving vehicle (his dad’s VW Vanagon). Though he moved enough copies of the self-published version to merit this mainstream publication, Peacock’s Jackass-style antics fall flat on the page; one gets the feeling that, like many blogger-authors before him, Peacock is his own biggest fan. (Nov.)

 Uranium Wars: The Scientific Rivalry That Created the Nuclear Age
Amir D. Aczel. Palgrave Macmillan, $27 (248p) ISBN 9780230613744
Author and Boston University research fellowAczel (Fermat’s Last Theorem) shares a scientist’s history of nuclear chemistry in the 20th century, and its eventual application in the form of the atomic bomb. In the first half, Aczel covers figures of early modern science like the Curies in Paris, the Meitner-Hahn group in Berlin, and Italian physicists before they were driven out by the Fascists. (One of WWII’s greatest ironies is that the science Nazis dubbed “Jewish physics” gave the Allies their conquering weapon.) Newly released documents and post-war memoirs also help Azcel chronicle German scientists, like Werner Heisenberg, who participated in the Nazi bomb project. Aczel is at his most intriguing analyzing Truman’s decision to drop the bomb on Hiroshima; further declassified U.S. documents reveal that the U.S. knew Japanese ambassadors were making peace offers in Moscow before the bombing, and that the destruction of Hiroshima was also meant to send a message to the Soviets. Using a wealth of new source material, Azcel covers the triumphs and mistakes that come from powerful, cutting-edge science, while sounding a cautionary alarm regarding ongoing global conflicts with terrorists and nations. (Sept.)

When the Planet Rages: Natural Disasters, Global Warming, and the Future of the Earth
Charles Officer and Jake Page. Oxford Univ., $16.95 paper (248p) ISBN 9780195377019
An updated version of 1993’s Tales of the Earth by geophysics researcher Officer, this new release incorporates information on Hurricane Katrina, the Great Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, and other severe floods from across the world, to inform general readers on today’s numerous geological hazards. Officer divides his primer into three parts: how humans are vulnerable; how humans have been affected by past climate changes; and how humans currently affect the Earth. Topics range widely, from the threat of extraterrestrial impacts to ozone pollution to the New Madrid Earthquake Swarm of 1811-1812 to anthropogenic climate change, with consistently thorough and clear explanations. Unfortunately, Officer’s update did not go far enough; with just a few exceptions, no references are more recent than 1992, a serious shortcoming when new data is available for every historical catastrophe discussed (Krakatoa, Tambora, Santorini etc.). Officer also shows a clear preference for his own work. This volume may be useful for those with no knowledge of geophysics or climate studies, but serious students will require a more up-to-date survey. (Sept.)

Woman From Shanghai: Tales of Survival From a Chinese Labor Camp
Xianhui Yang, trans. from the Chinese by Wen Huang. Pantheon, $24.95 (320p) ISBN 9780307377685
Imagine being hungry enough to eat rats, worms, or human flesh to stay alive; these were the modes of survival for more than 3,000 of China’s intellectual and political elites, known as “Rightists,” who became the victims of Chairman Mao’s policies in the years 1957-1960. Written in short-story form, Xianhui reveals the astounding tales of 13 survivors of a forced labor camp in the northwestern region of China. There, prisoners were forced to grow crops and raise livestock in the harsh environment of the Gobi Desert. Camp conditions were horrendous and treatment from the guards was brutal. The situation became so ghastly that, by 1960, the sand dunes surrounding the camp were littered with corpses, and officials had to close the camp; only 600 survived. The government then orchestrated a cover-up, rewriting the medical records of the dead and excising any mention of starvation. Moving and powerful, these stories are written as documentary literature, a form of reporting involving fictional elements created by Chinese journalists to disguise their subjects and escape retaliation from a still powerful government. The narratives also preserve the record of a regime’s unspeakable inhumanity towards its people, events which were unrecorded for decades. (Aug.)

LIFESTYLE

 Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition
Barbara Lynch. Houghton Mifflin, $35 (352p) ISBN 9780618576814
James Beard Award-winning Lynch, chef-owner of Boston’s famed No. 9 Park and several other notable restaurants, delivers her much-anticipated first cookbook. An unlikely cook raised in the projects of South Boston, where she subsisted solely on processed foods, Lynch was introduced to cooking by her high school home economics teacher and was smitten. Since then, she’s mastered her art, and the results are evident in this gorgeous, mouth-watering book, which includes her restaurants’ signature dishes, such as prune-stuffed gnocchi with foie gras sauce and Butcher Shop Bolognese. She offers an ample selection of starters including quick chicken liver pâté, gorgonzola fondue, and brioche pizza dough. She also includes hearty and satisfying soups and salads, a substantial section on pasta, side dishes and desserts. Lynch’s fish offerings are plentiful, including pan-fried cod with chorizo and clam ragout, and scallop and pureed celery root gratinée. Poultry dishes range from lemony breaded chicken cutlets to spice-rubbed roast goose. Lynch provides helpful tips throughout on everything from celery leaves to segmenting citrus. Lynch will delight fans who have been waiting patiently for this delectable collection. (Nov.)

RELIGION

Where Is God? Finding His Presence, Purpose and Power in Difficult Times
John Townsend. Thomas Nelson, $22.99 (240p) ISBN 9780785229193
Theodicy—why God allows suffering and evil—is one of the thorniest problems Christians and other theists face. Psychologist Townsend, coauthor of the bestselling book Boundaries, has eschewed an academic perspective and written a commonsense volume, specifically for those suffering hard times and asking about God’s purposes, sovereignty and even goodness. Supporting his ideas with personal anecdotes and multiple biblical citations, the author argues that suffering and destruction are a result of our freedom to choose God’s ways or our own ways. God’s intentions for humankind are good; God is present in all circumstances; God is compassionate; and God wants us to seek help from each other, asserts the author. Most of all, God (and the author) offer the suffering hope, founded in God’s promises for this life, Christian community and the life to come. While there is little that isn’t out of the evangelical playbook, Townsend brings refreshing honesty and distaste for conventional pabulum to the subject. (Dec.)

FICTION

Book of Secrets
Chris Roberson. HarperCollins/Angry Robot, $7.99 (384p) ISBN 9780061994234
Author Roberson delves into territory previously explored by Kim Newman and Philip Jose Farmer in this tale of legacy heroism and secret history. Reporter and former cat-burglar Spencer Finch is working on what he hopes will be a major exposé revealing the perfidy of wealthy businessman J. Nathan Pierce, when he learns that his lead, struggling P.I. David Stiles, has been murdered. The death of Richmond Taylor, Finch's emotionally distant grandfather, seems unrelated; but as Finch slowly discovers, his grandfather harbored a fascination with a lineage of heroes, using variants of the name Black Hand. Both the Black Hand lineage and a mysterious book, stolen from Pierce, are rooted in events dating back to the days following the Biblical Creation. These events pit the reporter against two world-spanning conspiracies. Though written competently, Roberson’s latest feels underdeveloped and unfinished, more like a prelude to the real story. (Oct.)

Ford County: Stories
John Grisham. Doubleday, $24 (308p) ISBN 9780385532457
Returning to the setting of his first novel, A Time to Kill, longtime bestseller Grisham presents seven short stories about the residents of Ford County, Miss. Each story explores different themes—mourning, revenge, justice, acceptance, evolution—but all flirt with the legal profession, the staple of (former attorney) Grisham’s oeuvre. Fans will be excited to settle back into Grisham’s world, and these easily digestible stories don’t disappoint, despite their brevity. Full of strong characters, simple but resonant plotlines, and charming Southern accents, this collection is solid throughout; though his literary aspirations may seem quaint, Grisham succeeds admirably in his crowd-pleasing craft while avoiding pat endings or oversimplifying (perhaps best exemplified in “Michael’s Room,” which finds a lawyer facing the consequences of successfully defending a doctor against a malpractice suit). As always, Grisham balances his lawyerly preoccupations with a deep respect for his undereducated and overlooked characters. (Nov.)

 The Light of Burning Shadows
Chris Evans. Pocket, $26 (384p) ISBN 9781416570530
Private Alwyn Renwar of the Iron Elves is having constant, debilitating nightmares of the evil Shadow Monarch—and it’s nearly killing him. The magical acorn which the Shadow Monarch planted in the chests of all the reformed Iron Elves during their last campaign carries dark magic, useful in combating the Monarch’s minions, but filled with evil and contrary to the nature of elves. In this quick but moving second volume of Evans’s Iron Elves series, Private Renwar, Major Konowa Swift Dragon, Sergeant Arkhorn, and the rest of the regiment discover that one of the dark acorn’s side effects is turning souls, after death, into ghosts. Private Renwar focuses all his efforts on finding a cure for this curse, while a more worldly battle transpires over a magical falling star, the Jewel of the Desert, which must be found before the Shadow Monarch claims its powers for “Her” own. Evans evokes the era of Napoleon with muskets and slashing swords while neatly mixing in military fantasy, swords and sorcery, and a great deal of success; readers will no doubt end up desperate for the next volume. (Sept.)

Magic Mirrors: The High Fantasy and Low Parody of John Bellairs
Edited by Ann Broomhead and Timothy Szczesuil, illus. by Marilyn Fitschen. NESFA (www.nesfa.org/press), $25 (368p) ISBN 9781886778672
This illustrated compilation of the late author John Bellairs’s books for adults pairs his most beloved novel and its never-before-published fragmented sequel, along with two additional early works. In “The Face of the Frost,” Bellairs’s effervescent humor shines, complimented by moments of vivid terror, and complete with a sass-talking magic mirror and a soulful wizard named Prospero. Prospero, alongside his compatriot Roger, meander through a disorderly country of “several centuries (or so)” ago, hoping to defeat a shape-shifting force unleashed by a malevolent wizard. “The Dolphin Cross,” Bellairs’s unfinished sequel, opens with the arrival of a 600-year-old corpse wearing a knight’s armor. Following his capture and imprisonment on a clandestine island, Prospero returns to encounter yet another wizard; this time, Bellairs strikes a more languorous and somber tone, though he retains his playful virtuosity. “St. Fidgeta and Other Parodies” and “The Pedant and the Shuffly” offer a hybrid of Borges and Lewis Carroll, but it’s Bellairs’s mastery of nightmarish imagery and unflinching command of the macabre that should lure fans to rediscover his cache of horror stories and gothic mysteries. (Oct.)

 Transition
Iain M. Banks. Orbit, $25.99 (416p) ISBN 9780316071987
Banks’s latest novel opens with a warning from "Patient 8262" stating that he or she is an unreliable narrator, before the epic takes off, plunging the reader into a whirlwind of intricately constructed characters and detailed accounts of their experiences as they “flit” across multiple Earths. The cast of characters include Adrian, the greedy city trader, emblematic of the selfishness needed to become a “traveler”; the Philosopher, an assassin who despises killing; a catch-me-if-you-can rogue operative named Mrs. Mulverhill; and the imperious Madame d'Ortolan, possibly the leader of the Concern, a vast multi-world organization that claims to protect worlds from chaos, but may also hide a greater, darker purpose. Banks's prose is elegant and electric and his story dizzying, but inevitable contradictions are brilliantly tied together—the only way many characters maintain sanity is to question everything, and readers would be well-advised to do the same. Banks manages the neat feat of synthesizing 19th-century style with the cutting edge, the irreverent with the philosophical, and the intellectual with the adventurous. (Sept.)

Triple Time
Anne Sanow. Univ. of Pittsburgh, $24.95 (168p) ISBN 9780822943808
Winner of the 2009 Drue Heinz Literature Prize, this book is a loosely connected collection of short stories portraying the monotonous, isolated lives of American expats and Saudis living in small, isolated Saudi Arabian communities. Sanow, an American who moved to Saudi Arabi in her late teens, reflects on her experiences through the circumstances and emotions of many of her characters. In “Pioneer,” a lonely little boy spends hours watching each creature that passes, attempting to amuse himself without toys or playmates; meanwhile, his frustrated mother slowly grows weary of their monotonous, lonely life and begins to crack. Ghusun and Thurayya, the two young Saudi girls in “Slow Stately Dance in Triple Time,” must remain confined to their home, as per their eldest brother’s command; secretly peering into the outside world, they witness as much as they can, but they know the life of inequity that awaits them, shaped by ritual and tradition as much as their desert surroundings. The remaining five stories detail the same sense of isolation through a range of intriguing characters. (Sept.)

The War of the Whisperers: A Southwestern Supernatural Thriller
Adam Niswander. Hippocampus (www.hippocampuspress.com), $20 paper (342p) ISBN 9780982429617
In Niswander’s less-than-suspenseful fourth Shaman Cycle novel (after The Hound Hunters), intermediaries called the Whisperers control human puppets in order to manipulate events and maximize the human suffering that feeds the Great Old Ones. Their prime tool is Jason Trehearne, the leader of the Army of the Dream, an outfit in Arizona that recreates WWII battles, but whose very real arsenal suggests a more immediate agenda: Trehearne, a Hitler-worshipper, wants to provoke a violent confrontation by disguising his agents as feds, and getting them to gun down a member of the antiauthoritarian Freeman community. Meanwhile, Tom Bear, a witch, and Kade Wonto, a medicine man from Maricopa County, join in the official investigation into an epidemic of disappearances. While Niswander writes well, with a gift for characters, a lack of genuine chills may disappoint readers expecting a more Lovecraftian horror story. (Nov.)