Apr 12, 2010
Nonfiction
American Swastika: Inside the
White Power Movement's Hidden Spaces of Hate
Pete Simi and Robert Futrell. Rowman & Littlefield, $34.95 (170p) ISBN
9781442202085
America's white racists see themselves as an endangered minority, according to
this disturbing look at the white supremacist movement. Simi, an associate
professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Nebraska,
teams up with Futrell, an associate professor of sociology at the University of
Nevada, to provide a panorama of the white power movement in its different
regional and ideological iterations. With insight and clarity, the authors
offer a detailed review of supremacist literature, as well as the role the
Internet has played in strengthening the movement. Although occasionally dry,
the book is indisputably a powerful and unnerving study of how parents
indoctrinate their children to hate and fear minorities, and the role that
activities as mundane as concerts, house parties and tattooing can play in the
conversion of new recruits into these subcultures. Also helpful is the overview
of groups ranging from the Ku Klux Klan to racist skinheads, each of whom have
their own distinctive beliefs, social codes and agenda. (Mar.)
A Dog for All Seasons: A Memoir
Patti Sherlock. St. Martin's/ Dunne, $24.99 (256p) ISBN 9780312577926
Sherlock, a writer and former sheep farmer, chronicles life with her clever and
emotionally-intuitive Border Collie, Duncan, who herded her sheep for 16 years,
supported her as she attended to grueling farm work and comforted her as her
children left home and her marriage unraveled. We see Duncan as a puppy, so
eager to please that he fakes peeing to get the praise he craves, to a
preternaturally bright companion and working dog. Clearly the proud parent,
Sherlock shares endearing moments that show Duncan's playful and tender
sides-his quivering with excitement over the lawn sprinkler and snapping at the
stream of water; his fear of thunderstorms and ability to detect them from
miles away; his sulks at seeing a suitcase. Tender, wise, and deeply affecting,
Sherlock's vignettes will make readers smile and sigh and wish for their own
Duncan. (Apr.)
Get a Life, Not a Job: Do What You Love
and Let Your Talents Work for You
Paula Caligiuri. Prentice Hall/Financial Times, $19.99 (208p) ISBN
9780137058495
A psychologist, career coach, and Rutgers University professor of Human
Resource Management, Caliguiri uses her significant practical wisdom to turn
the pie-in-the-sky notion of "doing what you love" into an achievable lifestyle.
Caligiuri makes a convincing case that, as employers no long show any long-term
loyalty to their employees, it's up to workers to take control of their own
destiny. Thus she provides a progressive plan of attack focusing on empowerment
and fulfillment-chapters range from "Discover What Really Motivates You" to "Integrate
Your Career with Your Life Priorities"-with helpful questionnaires, exercises,
and case studies of people whose multiple career "acts" have given them
happiness as well as financial freedom (such as a nurse of 30 years who turned
her love of sewing into a paying side business, or Caligiuri herself, whose
career has included four acts). Though "do what you love" may seem like a
luxurious conceit in a time of economic recession, Caligiuri provides a
cumulative, practical plan for leveraging skills, talents, and interests to add
income and value to life. (Apr.)
Hay Fever: How Chasing a Dream on a
Vermont Farm Changed My Life
Angela Miller with Ralph Gardner, Jr. Wiley, $24.95 (304p) ISBN
978047039833
For those with dreams of starting over again in a bucolic countryside setting,
Miller's account of her double life as a successful literary agent and owner of
a Vermont goat farm is a bracing dose of reality featuring hard work,
frustration and financial straits. In painful (sometimes monotonous) detail,
Miller welcomes readers into the barn with tales of her education in farming
and cheese-making, introducing them to the kid-birthing process, the problem of
bloated goats, and some of her favorite animals. The intricacies of milking and
cheese-making, dealing with temperamental equipment, and day-to-day drama among
employees should prove informative (and cautionary) to gourmands and
dissatisfied office drones considering a move to the farm, but she spends far
more time on minutiae than general readers will have patience for. Her
warts-and-all account even includes details of her financial struggles, but,
strangely, gives comparatively little attention to her two-year stint as the manager
of a small-town cafe, a missed opportunity to expand on her tale of
entrepreneurship. (Apr.)
High Heat: The Secret History of the
Fastball and the Improbable Search for the Fastest Pitcher of All Time
Tim Wendel. Da Capo, $25 (288p) ISBN 9780306818486
Intent on determining the fastest pitcher ever, Wendel (founding editor of USA TODAY Baseball Weekly) questions
former and current players, managers, scouts, historians and other experts for
insight into what has become one of the most prized proficiencies in all of
sports. Wendel examines such high-heat icons as Walter Johnson, Satchel Paige,
Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson, but also brings readers along on field
research: browsing, white-gloved, through documents at the National Baseball Hall
of Fame; visiting a rural cemetery in search of the unusual grave marker of
James Creighton ("the game's first true fireballer"); making his own fastball
attempt at the American Sports Medicine Institute; and more. Wendel also
reflects on the fastball's dark side, looking at the steroids era and batters
struck (in one instance, killed) by high-speed pitches. Wendel's too-clever
organization can muddle the narrative-chapters are arranged by the phases of a
pitch ("The Windup," "The Pivot," "The Stride," etc.)-but he presents a
satisfying search for the ultimate fastball pitcher, with a result that's just
conclusive enough (going to the player "who persevered the most with what was
bestowed upon [him]") while leaving plenty of room for baseball die-hards' second-favorite
sport: debating other fans. (Mar.)
If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of
Bumper Stickers
Jack Bowen. Random, $14 paper (224p) ISBN 9780812981056
In his latest, author and philosophy teacher Bowen (A Journey Through the Landscape of Philosophy) has a nifty concept that's
unfortunately derailed by an arch tone and a strong, if tacit, atheist subtext.
Using popular bumper sticker slogans as a lens to explore philosophy, Bowen
comes across some interesting questions-"What happens if a horse and cart runs
over a chicken and egg?"-that he doesn't seem fully willing to explore; indeed,
taking a cue from bumper stickers themselves, Bowen seems all to willing to run
through his ideas as quickly as possible: "To put the cart before the horse and
first divulge the solution, the chicken came first." Though they're
perhaps meant to dazzle, Bowen's slaloming through philosophical concepts feel
hurried, an attempt to convince readers he's right rather than foster thought.
Bowen's book also suffers from anti-religion bias, which he never acknowledges
outright but makes clear in repeated (and sometimes highly dubious) claims: "To
update the scorecard tally: The Numbers Killed in the Name of: Religion: 1
million give or take. Nothing: 0." Further, virtually no theologians are
mentioned; one bumper sticker, "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to
be happy," isn't even attributed to its proper source, Martin Luther. Bowen's
concept is certainly a clever way to draw in laypeople, but his hubris and
narrow-mindedness is a good way to turn them off. Illus. (Mar.)
Know What Makes Them Tick: How to
Successfully Negotiate Almost Any Situation
Max Siegel with G. F. Lichtenberg. Amistad, $25.99 (256p) ISBN
9780061717123
Siegel, CEO of a sports and music media platform company, shares nine
principles for personal and professional advancement centered on figuring out
what makes someone else "tick," what motivates them, and what they value, need,
and want. To really succeed at negotiation, according to Siegal, it is
necessary to determine how the other players define success. This principle
lays the foundation for his subsequent maxims-appreciating coworkers and
competitors, using your outsider advantage, and "gathering your inner circle."
By peppering each tip with multiple stories from his long and varied career and
challenging personal life, Siegel follows through on his eighth rule-remember
who you are and how you got to where you are. He freely admits his mistakes and
pulls no punches in this lucid and very readable guide to winning at home and
at work. (Mar.)
The Little Black Book of Success: Laws
of Leadership for Black Women
Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, and Rhonda Joy Mclean. Ballantine/One
World, $20 (176p) ISBN 9780345518484
The authors, all high-level black executives, seek to "support women who do not
always have access to coaches, mentors, or the ‘Old Boys' Network," and their
professional advice is savvy and sensitive to the challenges women of color
face in the workplace. They offer self-affirming advice to rev up a career,
complete with "MAMAisms"-what the authors describe as aphorisms and "familiar
terms, both practical and spiritual, that we grew up with and can draw upon as
we travel the road to leadership success." The authors revisit and refresh
familiar tips on staying positive, honing skill sets, having a plan of action
and following through, networking, and avoiding common workplace dilemmas. They
also provide valuable advice on achieving work/life balance and finding
guidance, mentorship, and support. Offering sound advice, practical tools, and
warm wisdom, this book will help black professional women get and stay on track
and maximize their abilities. (Mar.)
Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A
Mother and Daughter's Uncommon YearTold by elementary school teachers that her daughter, Julia, "needs to spend more time in our world," author Brodie (Breaking Out, The Widow's Season) decided that her daughter's unique intellectual needs would best be served by a year of home-schooling: "The more I looked into it, the more I discovered that short-term homeschooling is a growing trend in America, for a vast array of reasons." Chronicling the entirety of her homeschooling experience, from the decision-making process to Julia's successful re-entry into 6th grade, Brodie takes pains to show how difficult homeschooling can be: "How foolish I had been, to have believed that Julia's complaints over the past two years... stemmed from an institutional cause" (as it turns out, Julia simply doesn't like to be told what to do). Having been frustrated by other homeschooling books' Pollyanna attitude toward the parent-child relationship, Brodie's contribution to the field is full of honest revelations that make it vital for anyone considering homeschooling; happily, her gift for good storytelling and keen observation (of herself and others) make this an absorbing read for everyone else. (Apr.)
The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win
Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen. Jossey-Bass, $27.95 (240p) ISBN 9780470558423
With the public increasingly embracing ecological sustainability, many businesses have pledged to be good corporate citizens-but how committed are they? Hollender, chairman of clean household company Seventh Generation, shares his own company's process of redefining its mission and values, and makes an unimpeachable argument for how sustainable business practices protect both the environment and employees. However, he fails to obviate criticisms or concerns that companies can remain competitive and profitable while undergoing the transition to becoming more environmentally conscious. For example, Hollender describes how outdoor clothing and equipment company Patagonia decided to move from chemically grown or treated cotton and wool to "good cotton," only to find that their demand exceeded supply. Patagonia had to convert farmers to new growing methods, which increased the price of their product. While the company "eventually right-sized itself," and "influenced far bigger companies... to follow its lead," it is unclear what the company's return on investment was or how long it took to achieve. While corporate responsibility is an incontrovertibly attractive ethos, this work skimps on the finer points and complications of making this necessary-but complex-transition. (Mar.)
Theodor Seuss Geisel
Donald E. Pease. Oxford Univ., $19.95 (192p) ISBN 9780195323023
A celebrated academic and authority on Geisel's work, Pease presents a comprehensive look into the life of the artist and author best known as Dr. Seuss. Born into a prominent German family and raised in Springfield, Mass., young Geisel demonstrated his linguistic creativity early on, mixing German and English to create nonsense names for toys and imaginary animals; he also drew cartoons on the walls in every room of his childhood home, improbably encouraged by his mother. As a student at Dartmouth, Geisel had limited enthusiasm for his studies, but fell in love with the Jack-O-Lantern, the college newspaper he wrote for and edited. It was at the Jack-O-Lantern Geisel would develop the whimsical Dr. Seuss persona that would define his profession and, to a great extent, his life. On a tour of Geisel's prolific career (he was, among other roles, an advertiser and political cartoonist), Pease analyzes the appeal and impact of Geisel's game-changing children's books (The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham, The Cat in the Hat, etc.) clearly and succinctly; the intricacies of Geisel's tumultuous personal life provide a sobering counterpart. B&W photos. (Apr.)
What Would Rob Do? An Irreverent Guide to Surviving Life's Daily Indignities
Rob Sachs. Wiley, $16.95 paper (224p) ISBN 9780470457733
A producer, reporter and director for popular NPR programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered, Sachs found a personal connection to his audience through his quirky advice podcast series, "What Would Rob Do?" Expanding on that series, Sachs presents a guide to dealing with daily dilemmas and embarrassing snafus, from parenting ("Annoying Kids' Music") to dating ("Avoiding a Chick Flick"), socializing ("Underdressed for a Party?"), personal hygiene ("Combing the Coif"), and the places they intersect ("I Clogged the Toilet and I'm at a Party! What Would Rob Do?"). In addition to his own funny, direct take on a myriad of issues, Sachs also consults with experts (or whatever one would call Fabio), and manages some genuinely useful advice (his take on emailing is especially timely and on point). Though it loses something in the translation from audio to print, and fans may find it more of the same, readers should find this a funny and (more often than not) helpful take on the common pitfalls of modern life. (Apr.)
When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man
Jerry Weintraub with Rich Cohen. Hachette/Twelve, $25.99 (304p) ISBN 9780446548151
Hollywood power player Weintraub, now 72, is always in control and goes to great lengths to prove it: besides having managed musical legends like Presley, Sinatra and John Denver ("I cooked [him] from scratch"), Weintraub once closed a deal by faking a heart attack, and won the respect of one of Chicago's most powerful men, Arthur Wirtz, when he cursed Wirtz out for making him wait (Wirtz would go on to become one of Weintraub's mentors). Weintraub's also produced plays, TV shows, movies (from Nashville to the Ocean's 11 franchise), and more, summing up his talent simply: "When I believe in something, it's going to get done." Edgy and honest but refreshingly spare in his criticism of stars, colleagues and family, Weintraub can be forgiven for glossing over speed bumps in his career (one failed business lost $30 million before it closed in the mid-'80s) and occasionally showing his age with wandering rumination. With a bold voice, a storied career, and a cast of superstars, Weintraub's memoir makes a rousing insider tour of some five decades in the entertainment industry. Photos. (Apr.)
Where the Dragon Meets the Angry River: Nature and Power in the People's Republic of China
R. Edward Grumbine. Island, $25.95 (240p) ISBN 9781597265515
For teacher and author Grumbine (Ghost Bears), visiting China's Yunan Province was an eye opener; as an expert on environmental issues, his concern over U.S. "protected area policies" had shielded him from far more profound problems abroad, especially the potential conflict between renewable energy development and biodiversity protection among the "88 percent of the world's humans who [lack] electricity, potable drinking water, basic education and healthcare." Though they've already built more dams than any other country, China's plan to build 13 new ones on three Himalayan rivers will have a huge impact on Yunan, a biological paradise home to orchids, snow leopards, fifteen species of primates and more. An international grass-roots outcry has put the project on hold, good news for the Golden Monkey but, as a staffer from the nature conservancy points out, bad news for the area's 200,000 impoverished villagers. Further complications include the fact that, should the new dams be scrapped, the growth rate of China's already-troublesome carbon dioxide emissions will be far worse. Grumbine's account demonstrates how first-hand experience broadened his understanding of the problem, requiring an approach that balances "using nature and protecting it." With much information on Beijing's efforts to reach an equitable solution, Grumbine's careful reconsideration of world conservation efforts is an important read for policy makers and grass-roots advocates. (Apr.)
Wild Horse Annie and the Last of the Mustangs: The Life of Velma Johnston
David Cruise and Alison Griffiths. Scribner, $26 (320p) ISBN 9781416553359
Velma Johnston (1912-1977), the daughter of a Nevada horse wrangler, was stricken by polio as a child, but she fulfilled her youthful aspirations of owning a ranch and marrying the man of her dreams; her tenacity is the emotional core of this moving-and first-biography of the animal advocate. Cruise and Griffiths (coauthors of Fleecing the Lamb) weave a story of western grit and guts, showing how Velma's indignation and early efforts-rescuing wild mustangs from pet food poachers and angry ranchers-blossomed into the passage of landmark legislation that prevented the capture or killing of herds of horses and burros. Velma's intelligence, candor, and charm are eloquently conveyed by the authors, and their rich and detailed portrait of Velma and her beloved "wild ones" becomes a paean to the American West-of cherished wildness and spirited individualism. Photos. (Mar.)
Lifestyle
Good Housekeeping Best-Loved Desserts: More than 250 Scrumptious
RecipesBakers of all skill levels will appreciate this inclusive collection of classic recipes, clearly rendered; whether they want to craft an old-fashioned Key Lime Pie or a simpler, ice cream-based version called a Cool Lime Pie, they'll find expert guidance here. Though this volume doesn't dive too deep into any particular genre, virtually all the classics can be found: simple macaroons, Devil's Food Cake, Banana Cream Pie, Lemon Bars, and nine varieties of cheesecakes are included, as well as more imaginative riffs like Black-And-White Bread Pudding with White Chocolate Custard Sauce, Hazelnut Dacquoise, and Banana Crepes with Maple-Walnut Sauce. Clever tips will help cooks keep chopped nuts from sinking into batters (toss them with a little flour), separate eggs (best when the eggs are cold), and whip up pastry dough in a food processor (though the traditional, by-hand method is also included). Recipes for pastry dough are thoughtfully scaled for various tart and pie shells, and variations on standards are grouped together helpfully. This thorough, well-thought-out collection represents the Good Housekeeping brand at its best, and makes an excellent choice for budding cooks and bakers. (Mar.)
Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little
KitchensThose accustomed (or resigned) to cooking in tight quarters will appreciate chef Schaertl's guide to getting the best meal out of a less-than-ideal space. Paring kitchen equipment down to its bare essentials, Schaertl shows readers how she manages to prepare mouthwatering dishes like Tahitian-Style Corn and Crab Soup, roasted poblano cole slaw, Rum-Infused Caramelized Pork Chops and Goat Cheese Souffles in her 300-square-foot Brooklyn apartment. Though her space is cramped, her style isn't; readers will be salivating over her Bread Pudding with Bourbon Crème Anglaise, Bloody Mary Relish, Moroccan Lamb Chops and smoky chicken soup, all presented with a game sense of humor. But while the equipment list is usually short, the steps and ingredients for dishes like gumbo, Seafood Risotto, and Mushroom Tamales aren't; many will require some advance planning. Rounded out with all manner of kitchen tips and ingenious shortcuts (cut a corner out of a plastic freezer bag to pipe out sweet potato gnocchi), as well as a list of space-hogging items you don't need ("CLK Saboteurs"), this is a terrific compilation of doable dishes that should resonate with cooks, whether they've got space issues or just want to streamline their process. (Apr.)
The Master Your Metabolism Cookbook
Jillian Michaels. Crown, $26 (240p) ISBN 9780307718228
Best known from TV's The Biggest Loser, weight-loss guru Michaels presents a well-meaning collection of 125 recipes designed to meet specific health and fitness goals. Though she has no formal training in nutrition, Michaels asserts that most health problems are caused by metabolic hormonal imbalances; charging forward without any cited sources, Michaels includes a list of "amazing health benefits" with each recipe (Roast Herbed Turkey Breast with Orange-Cranberry Sauce, for example, is meant to boost metabolism and immunity, improve mood and digestion, fight cancer, and aid the heart). Dogma and posturing aside, these tasty, healthy recipes are likely to please. Michaels does her best to avoid esoteric ingredients, and dishes like Coconut-Curry Steamed Mussels and Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri Sauce would be right at home in a traditional cookbook. Others, like Watermelon Soup with Blackberries and Jicama, or Ginger Shrimp Rolls with Green Papaya Slaw, won't make dieters feel like they're settling. Less concerned with calories or fat, Michaels emphasizes the benefits of foods like beans (fiber), cranberries (anti-bacterial, gum disease-fighting properties), and cinnamon (helps normalize blood sugar levels); while some claims seem glib ("If you suffer from asthma, eat lots of apples!"), Michaels's suggestions are, at worst, harmless and delicious. (Apr.)
Illustrated
Art + Science Now: How Scientific Research and Technological
Innovation are Becoming Key to 21st-Century AestheticsWilson (Information Arts), Professor of Conceptual and Information Arts at San Francisco University, presents a fascinating collection of art involving molecular and macro-biology, physical sciences (pure and applied), kinetics, robotics, processing-and-sorting algorithms, and other scientific fields in ways that "confront the problem of definitional boundaries head-on." Though works sometimes "do not look like either art or science," they all involve a creative celebration or critique of science; some artists even invent "totally new technologies" out of their own labs. With color photographs of works from more than 200 artists world-wide, accompanied by brief explanations and chapter introductions, this is a volume that provokes much thought with a minimum of text, by turns mind-expanding (like Ken Rinaldo's Augmented Fish Reality, based on research into fish intelligence), fun (a virtual reality dance floor from Josephine Anstey, Dave Pape and Dan Neveu), provocative (Wim Delvoye's working robotic recreation of the human digestive system), and educational (like projects involving atomic force microscopy, functional MRI, and galvanic skin response). As Wilson points out, "[m]uch of the experimental work described in this book has not yet been assimilated into mainstream institutions," making this an excellent introduction to the art world's growing class of cutting-edge scientific commentators. (Apr.)
Religion
First Invite Love In: 40 Time-Tested Tools for Creating a More Compassionate Life
Tana Pesso with Penor Rinpoche, foreword by the Dalai Lama. Wisdom, $15.95 paper (248p) ISBN 9780861712854
Those who read and, more importantly, try out the compassion exercises as outlined by Pesso and her teacher, the late Nyingma Buddhist leader Rinpoche, may find a marked increase in empathy and good will. Most of the practices are inner visualizations which involve bestowing possessions to others, acknowledging the pain of people and animals, or picturing strangers as nurturing mothers in a past life. The authors emphasize that a belief in reincarnation isn't a prerequisite; these are simply thought exercises aimed at expanding the heart. Building on the compassionate inner meditations are chapters that apply the practices to strangers encountered in daily life. These are very simple gestures limited to a friendly smile or, at the most, some kind words. Prior to undertaking each of the 40 exercises readers are instructed to "first invite love in," an elegant opening sequence which involves identifying and accessing a spiritual support figure. Many of the meditations are quite similar, the authors' intention being to grow compassion gradually and systematically. This careful repetition may instead cause skipping around to find a particular exercise. (Mar.)
Fiction
Daughters of the Witching Hill
Mary Sharratt. Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt, $24 (352p) ISBN 9780547069678
In this slow-burning tale, author Sharratt (The Vanishing Point) gives voice to two prominent victims of the Pendle, England witch hunt of 1612, Bess "Demdike" Southerns and her 15-year-old granddaughter, Alizon. Living in poverty and illegitimacy, without the protection of men, the Southerns and their community gain some relief from powerlessness by harnessing a combination of Catholic and pagan magic: Demdike is a renowned "blesser," and Alizon may be even more adept than she. While Sharratt shows understanding for these women, her intent to present them sympathetically is undermined by her decision to portray their powers as real; healings, fortune-telling, and curses are recounted through a subjective, first-person account, but seem unambiguously actual. The waters are further muddied by awkward narration, which too often reads like bad Renaissance Faire dialogue. Though Sharratt successfully evokes the economic and social factors that marginalized these women and their fellows, as well as the paradoxical power they held over the community that feared them, one longs for Sharratt to commit either to a supernatural explanation of events, or a thoroughly realistic approach.(Apr.)
Jane Slayre
Charlotte Brontë and Sherri Browning Erwin. S&S/Gallery, $15 paper (400p) ISBN 9781439191187
Another entry in the growing genre of horror mashups (ranging from Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to Queen Victoria: Demon Hunter), this volume takes Brontë's classic and turns the Reed family into vampires, Jane Eyre's classmates at Lowood into zombies, and Bertha Rochester into something far more dangerous than a madwoman. While Jane herself remains much the same, the supernatural additions prove highly amusing, turning the gothic elements of the original up to eleven while preserving the story's post-Victorian coming-of-age conventions. Despite her whimsical and irreverent modifications, Erwin displays great affection for Brontë and her characters; the undeniable spark between Erwin's Jane and Rochester is made all the more delightful by Jane's plucky fearlessness in the face of evil. With the possible exception of purists, fans of Jane Eyre will find much to love, with moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity; horror fans unfamiliar with the original will also be pleased, though they'll miss out on some of the comic nuance. (Apr.)
Night of the Golden Butterfly
Tariq Ali. Verso (Norton, dist.), $23.95 (288p) ISBN 9781844676118
Completing his Islam Quintet, which began in 15th century Moorish Spain, British-Pakistani writer, filmmaker and activist Ali (A Sultan in Palermo) lands readers in the turbulent political landscape of recent decades. The central characters start as philosophical student activists in Lahore, moving to London, Paris and the U.S. as adults; their story begins some 45 years after their student days, when Pakistani artist-scholar Mohammed Aflatun, nicknamed Plato, calls in a debt of honor to Dara, the novel's narrator, requiring his old friend to write a novel based on Plato's life. Agreeing against his best judgement, Dara sets out to understand and account for his mysterious older friend's life and art, leading him to rediscover old friends-including Zahid, now a distinguished cardiologist in Washington, D.C., and Zahid's wife, Jindie, an old flame of Dara's-as well as new art-world connections in London and Paris. Though Ali frequently digresses from Plato's story, including episodes of Chinese history and lengthy background stories involving characters new to the series, Plato's life gradually unfolds against a backdrop of contemporary politics and terrorism. Epic in scope, this novel explores affairs political and romantic while bristling with fervor and ribald humor. (Apr.)
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