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Reading in the Brain: The Science and Evolution of a Human InventionStanislas Dehaene. Viking, $27.95 (400p) ISBN 978-0-670-02110-9

The transparent and automatic feat of reading comprehension disguises an intricate biological effort, ably analyzed in this fascinating study. Drawing on scads of brain-imaging studies, case histories of stroke victims and ingenious cognitive psychology experiments, cognitive neuroscientist Dehaene (The Number Sense) diagrams the neural machinery that translates marks on paper into language, sound and meaning. It's a complex and surprising circuitry, both specific, in that it is housed in parts of the cortex that perform specific processing tasks, and puzzlingly abstract. (The brain, Dehaene hypothesizes, registers words mainly as collections of pairs of letters.) The author proposes reading as an example of “neuronal recycling”—the recruitment of previously evolved neural circuits to accomplish cultural innovations—and uses this idea to explore how ancient scribes shaped writing systems around the brain's potential and limitations. (He likewise attacks modern “whole language” reading pedagogy as an unnatural imposition on a brain attuned to learning by phonics.) This lively, lucid treatise proves once again that Dehaene is one of our most gifted expositors of science; he makes the workings of the mind less mysterious, but no less miraculous. Illus. (Nov. 16)

Makeover TV: Selfhood, Citizenship, and CelebrityBrenda R. Weber. Duke Univ., $23.95 (344p) ISBN 978-0-8223-4568-8

“Makeover TV” seems innocuous, as countless individuals opt to publicly transform themselves (or their homes) into entertainment for millions across the globe. Weber, assistant professor of gender studies at Indiana University, offers a long-overdue analysis of what being made over means in American culture, and given the proliferation of these programs, her work is worthy of attention. Finding one's true self, she argues in this dense and insightful critique, is the great irony of makeover TV since the resulting and more acceptable “self” is defined by external criteria and achieved by shaming the subject until she, or less frequently, he reflects normative appearances and behaviors (e.g., modeling society's ideal of femininity or masculinity and embracing the upward mobility imperative). While Weber notes that these programs can reveal our hidden fears and desires, she points out that their benign objectives belie the notion that they somehow democratize the culture. Rather, in giving each subject a “fair shot” at life's riches, these shows are the ultimate exercise in conformity: they erase personal differences and create a kind of easily comprehensible citizenship formed by the marketplace. (Nov.)

Interesting Times: Writings from a Turbulent DecadeGeorge Packer. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $30 (496p) ISBN 978-0-374-17572-6

Packer (The Assassins' Gate), staff writer for the New Yorker, creates an illuminating time capsule for a decade book-ended by the September 11 attacks and Barack Obama's rise to the presidency. Comprising previously published pieces, the book spotlights the biggest news—and blunders—in recent history as well as Packer's ability to ferret out important stories, perspectives and subjects elsewhere (e.g., a Sudanese intellectual and mystic hanged for “sedition and apostasy” who could have provided a nonviolent way forward for political Islam). Closer to home, a piece on stylistic differences between Obama and Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic primaries is impressively timeless and could conceivably be consulted by historians in the next century. Packer's vivid scene setting and rich language are punctuated with flashes of mischief and humor, as when he ascribes Americans' political complacency to their “seduction by iced latte, mutual fund, and The Sopranos.” Despite the breadth of his topics, each essay is distinguished by its telling details and the depth of its insight. (Nov.)

Hell to Pay: Operation Downfall and the Invasion of Japan, 1945—47D.M. Giangreco, foreword by Stanley Weintraub. Naval Institute, $36.95 (416p) ISBN 978-1-59114-316-1

Giangreco, a longtime former editor for Military Review, synthesizes years of research in a definitive analysis of America's motives for using atomic bombs against Japan in 1945. The nuclear bombing of Japan, he concludes, was undertaken in the context of Operation Downfall: a series of invasions of the Japanese islands American planners estimated would initially cause anywhere from a quarter-million to a million U.S. casualties, plus millions of Japanese. Giangreco presents the contexts of America's growing war weariness and declining manpower resources. Above all, he demonstrates the Japanese militarists' continuing belief that they could defeat the U.S. Japan had almost 13,000 planes available for suicide attacks, and plans for the defense of Kyushu, the U.S.'s initial invasion site, were elaborate and sophisticated, deploying over 900,000 men. Japanese and American documents presented here offer a “chillingly clear-eyed” picture of a battle of attrition so daunting that Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall considered using atomic and chemical weapons to support the operation. Faced with this conundrum, in Giangreco's excellent examination, President Truman took what seemed the least worst option. 44 b&w photos, 12 maps. (Oct. 15)

For Country and Corps: The Life of General Oliver P. SmithGail B. Shisler. Naval Institute, $39.95 (384p) ISBN 978-1-59114-826-5

Oliver P. Smith (1893—1977) looked more like a high school chemistry teacher than a stereotypical Marine officer, but he was one of the Marine Corps's finest combat leaders of the 20th century. In this first full-length biography, his granddaughter combines interviews and oral histories with archival and family papers in a well-rounded portrait. A contemporary observed that Smith “was good at anything.” His WWII career ranged from headquarters service in Washington to combat duty in assistant division command and a stint as chief of staff of the 10th Army on Okinawa. But Smith's achievements culminated as commander of the 1st Marine Division in Korea. In November 1950, a massive Chinese attack isolated the Marines around Chosin Reservoir. Smith directed an epic breakout that left the attacking Chinese troops crippled. Shisler tells the story well, emphasizing Smith's skill at getting the best out of his exhausted men. “Retreat, hell,” he was famously quoted as saying, “we are just attacking in a different direction.” Shisler creditably tells the story of a general who served country and corps with distinction. 25 b&w photos. (Oct. 1)

John Cage: Zen Ox-Herding PicturesStephen Addiss and Ray Kass. Braziller, $34.95 (128p) ISBN 978-0-8076-1601-7

Known best for his music and performances, John Cage also painted and wrote extensively. Zen Buddhism influenced his approach to his work—nature as a path to self, collaboration in performance and happenstance in composition. The art and poetry in this book represent a collaboration both accidental and deliberate between Cage, Addiss and Kass. Cage was working on another series of paintings when he marked a series of brown paper towels. Artist Kass and artist/composer Addiss ordered the towels into a sequence, then Addiss culled Cage's writings to create a cutup or recomposition of found words and phrases into a new work. Cage recognized the importance of the remix long before it became fashionable. The accidental circumstances of this work's assemblage doesn't diminish its charm or delicacy. The introductory material provides essential context, but the best approach may be to read and view the work, read the essays, then review the piece again. Addiss and Kass prove the continuing relevance of the tradition of ox-herding as a format for teaching and connecting the heart to the mind. 50 color and 12 b&w illus. (Oct.)

Andy WarholArthur C. Danto. Yale Univ., $24 (184p) ISBN 978-0-300-13555-8

This penetrating new entry in Yale's Icons of America series synthesizes biography, cultural criticism and aesthetics. Former Nation art critic and Columbia philosophy professor emeritus Danto (After the End of Art) argues that Andy Warhol radically redefined the question of art. His Brillo Boxes and Campbell's Soup Cans challenged the viewer to ask, “What is the difference between two things, exactly alike, one of which is art and one of which is not?” Danto, whose visit to a Warhol show in 1964 inspired him to become a philosopher of art, views many of Warhol's most important works as answers to such philosophical puzzles. Danto's writing is elegant and his insights acute: the Marilyn Diptych's “transformative repetition” is linked to Coltrane's compositions; Warhol's final Last Supper series represented, Danto argues convincingly in a profound final chapter, the culmination of the artist's “mission to externalize the interiority of our shared world.” This valuable work of critical cultural analysis reveals aspects of Warhol so far uncovered and unexplored that will appeal widely to the interested generalist as well as to scholars of contemporary art, American culture and aesthetics. Photos. (Oct.)

The American Leonardo: A Tale of Obsession, Art and MoneyJohn Brewer. Oxford Univ., $24.95 (400p) ISBN 978-0-19-539690-4

At first, the tale seems rather ordinary: in 1920, Andrée and Harry Hahn offer for sale a painting, La Belle Ferronnière, that they claim is by Leonardo da Vinci. An art dealer questions the painting's authenticity—and the couple sues. In the courtroom, the circus begins, with the usual one-upmanship of experts, cross-examinations and baffled jurors. In two other circus rings are the broader art market and the world of schemers, fakes and the truth about the painting itself. Brewer, a professor of humanities and social sciences at the California Institute of Technology, is a fine ringmaster. He paints thorough pictures of each player—the ambitious Midwesterner Harry Hahn; the rarified and aggressive art dealer Sir Joseph Duveen; and the numerous representatives who took on the challenge of selling a “tainted” painting: “A large, hectoring man who was also capable of great charm, [Leon] Loucks... told his friends that he was an illegitimate child who had been abandoned by his shame-faced mother who 'sold' him to a medical research facility....” Is La Belle Ferronnière a Leonardo? That mystery drives the book forward, but also delivers a satisfying twist: why do we care? 12 b&w illus. (Oct.)

A Year on the Wing: My Four Seasons with Birds on Land, Sea, and SkyTim Dee. Free Press, $24 (256p) ISBN 978-1-4165-5933-7

Distilled from one year of introspective observation, 40 years of attentive bird watching and a pantheon of literary references, this fiercely poetic memoir expresses a magical love of nature's migratory feathered marvels. Dee, a BBC radio producer and editor (The Poetry of Birds), began his romance with birds at age three, enthralled by the sight of a swallow's nest. By age seven, he was following birds on the wing with his first pair of binoculars, and in later years bemused his tolerant children with “bizarre holiday” excursions to spot previously unseen species. Far more than a recitation of rare birds sighted, however, Dee's gripping meditation offers a cornucopia of resonant sonic and lyrical images: a Zambian sprosser emits “a beautiful mud gurgle”; a flycatcher's silver notes are “thrown like meltwater”; thousands of starlings are “the condensing breath of the earth.” In one particularly poignant passage, Dee takes to the skies in a glider to soar with buzzards “in a shared chimney of air.” Page after lyrical page, this account articulates the author's fascination with the world's birds with airy, artful grace. (Oct.)

Power Trip: A Journey Through Our Fossil-Fuel Past in Search of a Renewable FutureAmanda Little. Harper, $25.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-06-135325-3

The inscription on a granite obelisk in Beaumont, Tex., claims: “On this spot on the tenth day of the twentieth century, a new era in civilization began.” On that scrubby mound of dirt gushed a fountain of oil that sprayed for days, tripled U.S. oil production overnight and set off a frenzy that revolutionized the industrial age. Previously, crude oil and its derivative, kerosene, held little more value than cheap ways to heat and light homes, but as wildcatters, engineers and investors began to conjure how the new fuel could power—and liberate—people, oil grew integral to modern life. Environmental journalist Little picks up during the summer blackout of 2003, when a massive line of electrical cable shorted, leaving six major metropolitan areas without power for days. Reflecting on the impact of the power outage, Little examines the role fossil fuels plays in her own life, and out of her self-examination emerges a thoughtful—if occasionally self-conscious—book that gives energy neophytes an accessible way to learn about fossil fuels and their fallacies. (Oct.)

The Past Is Never Dead: The Trial of James Ford Seale and Mississippi's Struggle for RedemptionHarry N. MacLean. Basic, $25.95 (288p) ISBN 978-0-465-00504-8

In the summer of 1964, James Ford Seale and six fellow Klansmen tortured and drowned two black teenagers, Charles Moore and Henry Dee, in the Mississippi River. This study of the crime—which took 43 years to come to trial—and racism in Mississippi, past and present, is slightly hobbled by its sloppy structure. The book careens between the 1964 murder and the 2007 trial, but develops into a compelling courtroom drama. Despite a penchant for melodrama and hackneyed plot devices, lawyer MacLean (In Broad Daylight) recounts the story with momentum, clear legal explanations and stirring empathy for each character—from Charles Moore's grieving brother, Thomas, to Charles Edwards, a Klansman and the key to Seale's conviction. Most masterful is his treatment of Seale himself. Without ever telling the story from Seale's point of view, but instead describing how the defendant is seen through the eyes of others, MacLean accomplishes the tricky task of giving a monster pathos of his own. (Oct.)

Night Music: Essays on Music 1928—1962Theodor W. Adorno, trans. from the German by Wieland Hoban. Seagull (Univ. of Chicago, dist.), $29 (492p) ISBN 978-1-906497-21-7

Wonderfully displaying the verve and richness of Adorno's provocative ideas on the composition and development of classical and modern music and their necessary relationship to historical and material contexts, this volume brings together two significant collections of essays, Moments Musicaux and Theory of New Music, from the German collected works of one of the 20th century's most dazzling yet perplexing philosophers. The fidelity to the ordering of the original German editions allows some of the less well-known essays (such as those on Ravel and Offenbach) to thematically and stylistically resonate in the company of the famous (and infamous) works on Beethoven, Schubert, Schoenberg and jazz. With only a short introduction and occasional footnotes, the collection would perhaps have benefited from a preliminary consideration of the author's complex notions of subjectivity, objectivity and historical materialism that underpin his understanding of the development of music from Beethoven to the new music of 12-tone composition and beyond. Nonetheless, despite their undeniable and frequent difficulty, the blend of precise music analysis, sociohistorical awareness and stylized writing in the individual texts is always engrossing reading. (Oct.)

Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us About HumanityG.A. Bradshaw. Yale Univ., $30 (352p) ISBN 978-0-300-12731-7

This thoughtful book by animal trauma specialist Bradshaw draws analogies between human and animal culture to illustrate the profound “breakdown” occurring in elephant societies. Extraordinarily sensitive and social, elephants' survival has long depended on their matriarchal lineage—now sundered by culling the herds, which disrupts the hierarchy—and their psyches have been broken by prolonged isolation and separation, painful hooks used as training tools and general cruelty. Captured elephants meet the criteria of the psychiatirc handbook DSM for suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Drawing on research on animal trauma, concentration camp survivors and Konrad Lorenz—type ethology, Bradshaw makes a multidisciplinary condemnation of elephant abuse and celebrates those working on rehabilitating and healing the animals—including an elephant massage therapist and the owners of an elephant sanctuary in the Tennessee hills. In the end, anthropomorphizing isn't the issue; Bradshaw says that instead of giving animals human feelings, we should observe that they have feelings that correlate with what we may feel in similar circumstances. With its heartbreaking findings and irrefutable conclusions, this book bears careful reading and consideration. (Oct.)

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women WorldwideNicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Knopf, $25.95 (320p) ISBN 978-0-307-26714-6

New York Times columnist Kristof and his wife, WuDunn, a former Times reporter, make a brilliantly argued case for investing in the health and autonomy of women worldwide. “More girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they were girls, than men were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century,” they write, detailing the rampant “gendercide” in the developing world, particularly in India and Pakistan. Far from merely making moral appeals, the authors posit that it is impossible for countries to climb out of poverty if only a fraction of women (9% in Pakistan, for example) participate in the labor force. China's meteoric rise was due to women's economic empowerment: 80% of the factory workers in the Guangdong province are female; six of the 10 richest self-made women in the world are Chinese. The authors reveal local women to be the most effective change agents: “The best role for Americans... isn't holding the microphone at the front of the rally but writing the checks,” an assertion they contradict in their unnecessary profiles of American volunteers finding “compensations for the lack of shopping malls and Netflix movies” in making a difference abroad. (Sept.)

Lifestyle

Food

Veselka: Recipes and Stories from the Landmark Restaurant in New York's East VillageTom Birchard with Natalie Danford. St. Martin's, $27.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-312-38568-2

What started as a modest candy shop/newsstand in 1954 grew into a “humble lunch counter” and is now a bustling 24-hour restaurant in New York's East Village. Ukrainian fare mixed with American favorites fill the pages of this gift-sized restaurant cookbook, interspersed with the history and stories of the people behind the business as well as an introduction to and celebration of Ukrainian culture. Broken down by course (with additional chapters including “Breakfast Anytime”), recipes for popular dishes such as borscht, pierogi and banana chocolate chip cupcakes are accessibly written. Diner food, including tuna melts, hamburgers, buttermilk pancakes and apple pie, have more than their fare share of space, but are offset with Ukrainian gems such as kutya, a wheat berry dish; uzvar, dried fruit compote; and bigos, a pork stew with sauerkraut and onions. The spirit of community that grew from this beloved neighborhood spot (veselka means “rainbow”) informs the pages of this unique cookbook, which brings readers everywhere a little piece of a New York institution. (Nov.)

MomofukuDavid Chang and Peter Meehan. Clarkson Potter, $40 (304p) ISBN 978-0-307-45195-8

Chang, master restaurateur and chef, and Meehan, a New York Times food writer, join forces in this stellar collection of recipes from Chang's restaurants—Momofuku, Ssäm Bar and Ko. Chang is a man possessed with a deep love of ramen and a clear passion for food. This book pays tribute to the humble noodle, which Chang has elevated to a near art form, and the wide array of cuisine he serves. Filled with 150 gorgeous, full-color photos and an engrossing narrative, this book is a treat for the eye, mind and palate. Chang's special touches are seen in every dish. Chicken wings are cooked with bacon in rendered pork or duck fat, and pan-roasted asparagus are adorned with poached eggs and miso butter. Fried (or roasted) cauliflower is drizzled with fish sauce vinaigrette, and roasted New Jersey diver scallops are served with kohlrabi puree and iwa nori. Of course, recipes for noodles abound, including Momofuku ramen, ginger scallion noodles, and Alkaline Noodles. Other staples include ramen broth, ramen toppings, and rice with miso soup. Be forewarned: Chang gears the cookbook to only the most experienced of cooks, with many dishes requiring several steps. Nevertheless, Chang presents a collection both stunning and engaging. (Oct.)

Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 25th Anniversary EditionKevin Zraly. Sterling, $27.95 (352p) ISBN 978-1-4027-6767-8

The silver anniversary version of this perennial bestseller by legendary wine personality Zraly still emphasizes consumer enjoyment and user friendliness in the pursuit of education and appreciation. The DIY edition of his now-legendary class tackles the wide world of vini- and viticulture with a sense of humor, erudition and modesty, and includes expanded material on wine regions beyond France, Italy and California. The 25-year benchmark provides frequent opportunity to look back over changes in grape growing and winemaking over the past quarter century. While the book's frequently busy layout may reflect changes in traditional media and information acquisition—large sections are laid out like FAQs—it allows room for a broad range of information without oversaturation. Tasting work sheets and self-administered questionnaires are included, while sidebars include lighter material, such as wine-related quotes and other assorted trivia. Among the handy visuals are wine-growing maps and wine labels included not merely for aesthetic appreciation but for useful comparisons in areas with complicated classifications like Burgundy. Appropriate for professional and layperson alike, the volume continues to be one of the most indispensable titles of its kind. (Oct.)

How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic CookingMichael Psilakis. Little, Brown, $35 (288p) ISBN 978-0-316-04121-8

Psilakis, highly acclaimed chef and owner of New York City's Kefi and Anthos, honors Greek cuisine in this nostalgic and charming book. More than a collection of recipes, this book is a celebration of Greek culture and its extraordinary effect on the author. Each section begins with a personal story demonstrating how his love of food was ingrained in him. The recipes that follow are organized by the foods tied to the experiences he describes. “My Father's Garden” pays homage to the family garden and includes a tantalizing recipe for sweet and sour eggplant and onion stew. “Open Water” includes grilled swordfish with tomato-braised cauliflower, and “Kefi—A Time to Dance” offers fried pork and beef meatballs and a variety of spreads including chickpea with roasted pepper and feta. Psilakis recounts a moving story about raising a young lamb and kid, resulting in recipes for both roasted leg of lamb and braised goat. The author includes a helpful list of ingredients for those less familiar with Greek cuisine and offers optional shortcuts, such as using high-quality prepared ingredients to aid those pressed for time. Complete with full color photographs of many dishes and numerous black and white family photos, the work enables readers to embrace not only Greek cuisine but its culture as well. (Oct.)

Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen Edited by Ruth Reichl. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $40 (1,024p) ISBN 978-0-618-61018-1

In this follow-up to The Gourmet Cookbook, editor Reichl amasses one of the most comprehensive cooking resources available. She offers a diverse range of recipes that reflect the ever-changing American palate and the many cultures that have influenced it. Alongside Stilton cheese puff are recipes for babaghanouj, bangers and mash, Armenian lamb pizza, arepas with black beans and feta, and Vietnamese fried spring rolls. Informative sidebars provide details on a huge array of topics, from what salt to use when to preserving fish. Line drawings demonstrate folding techniques for dumplings and spanakopita and show how to trim and stuff artichokes. Cook's notes throughout provide valuable advice on how to store food, how long food will last and which steps can be done ahead of time. Most recipes are geared toward time-pressed cooks and can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. In addition to the usual categories of soups, fish, poultry, beef and desserts, Reichl includes substantial chapters on vegetarian main courses and grilled dishes. Highlights include eggplant soufflé, grilled lemon-lime chicken legs and sticky spicy ribs. Comprehensive, appetizing and thoroughly tested, this mammoth collection is the book no kitchen should be without. (Sept.)

Parenting

Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow into Troublesome Gaps—and What We Can Do About ItLise Eliot. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24 (384p) ISBN 978-0-618-39311-4

Professor of neuroscience at Rosalind Franklin University, Eliot (What's Going On in There?) offers a refreshingly reasonable and reassuring look at recent alarming studies about sex differences in determining the behavior of children. Her levelheaded approach recognizes assertions by the “nature versus nurture” advocates such as Michael Gurian, Leonard Sax, Louann Brizendine—e.g., boys lag behind girls in early development, are more risk taking and spatially adept, while girls are hardwired for verbal communication and feeling empathy—yet underscores how small the differences really are and what parents can do to resist the harmful stereotyping that grows more entrenched over time. Eliot revisits much of the data showing subtle differences in boy-girl sensory processing, memory and language circuits, brain functioning, and neural speed and efficiency, using clever charts and graphs of her own. However, she emphasizes most convincingly that the brain is marvelously plastic and can remodel itself continually to new experiences, meaning that the child comes into the world with its genetic makeup, but “actually growing a boy from those XY cells or a girl from XX cells requires constant interaction with the environment.” At the end of each chapter, she lists ways to nip early troubles in the bud—i.e., for boys, language and literacy enrichment; for girls, stimulating movement, visual and spatial awareness. Dense, scholarly but accessible, Eliot's work demonstrates a remarkable clarity of purpose. (Oct.)

The Way of Boys: Raising Healthy Boys in a Challenging and Complex WorldAnthony Rao and Michelle Seaton. Morrow, $25.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-06-170782-7

Rao, a psychologist who has worked with young boys for two decades at Harvard Medical School as well as in private practice, claims that very young boys are being misdiagnosed with disorders such as ADHD and Asperger's and are often unnecessarily treated with medications that, he believes, should be a last resort (some boys, he notes, have even been thrown out of preschool for unruly behavior). With writer Seaton, Rao argues that many young boys who grab, kick, fidget, act out in school or refuse to make eye contact are simply being true to their brain development and hardwiring; in the vast majority of cases, Rao claims, these behaviors are healthy and normal, and shouldn't require medical intervention. The authors explain that boys do best with tactile, hands-on learning and more physical movement than most schools provide. Rather than rush to label and diagnose, Rao recommends a wait-and-see approach, noting that most behavior problems are temporary developmental glitches (with the exception of autism, which benefits from early intervention). Rao offers strategies parents can employ to help their youngsters learn to communicate, socialize and deal with anger and other issues. Though a bit heavy on the case studies, Rao's text is a valuable resource for readers determining whether to seek a medical diagnosis and a prescription or opt for a behavioral plan and a strong dose of patience. (Sept.)

Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure KidsKim John Payne with Lisa M. Ross. Ballantine, $25 (256p) ISBN 978-0-345-50797-6

Waldorf educator and consultant Payne teams up with writer Ross to present an antidote for children who are overscheduled and overwhelmed by too much information and a fast-paced consumer culture that threatens the pace and playful essence of childhood. Payne claims that a protective filter should surround childhood, rather than the competitive, stressful adult world that has encroached on childhood's boundaries, preventing kids from developing resiliency with a sense of ease and well-being. But Payne is not a doomsayer: he presents a wealth of practical ideas for reclaiming childhood and establishing family harmony. In chapters covering four levels of simplification—environment, rhythm, schedules and “Filtering Out the Adult World”—Payne explains how parents can tackle extraneous stuff and stimulation by reducing the “mountain” of toys, limiting scheduled activities, providing valuable downtime and employing such “pressure valves” as storytelling and periods of quiet. According to the authors, limiting choices and activities will lead to kids who are more secure and less stressed, and to parents whose days are calmer. With fewer choices, Payne explains, families have the freedom to “appreciate things—and one another—more deeply.” Though “simplicity parenting” may seem a stretch for some, others will find that Payne's program for restoring creative play, order and balance is long overdue. (Sept.)

Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789—1815Gordon S. Wood. Oxford Univ., $35 (880p) ISBN 978-0-19-503914-6

Anew addition to the Oxford History of the United States, Wood's superb book brings together much of what historians now know about the first quarter-century of the nation's history under the Constitution. Acknowledged as the leading historian of the period, Wood brings authority and easy style to a tough task—wrestling into order a period of unusual anxiety, confusion, crisis and unbridled growth in the nation's affairs. The emergence of democracy and individualism is his overarching theme. No surprise there, for he's the author of a celebrated work (The Radicalism of the American Revolution) on just that topic. In this new work, he concentrates more on events, institutions, politics and diplomacy than in his earlier books yet proves himself a master of these topics, too. He offers no newfangled approaches, no strongly stated positions, no contests with other historians. Instead, we get the distillation of a lifetime's study and reflection about the era between Washington's presidency and the end of the War of 1812. A triumph of the historian's art, Wood's book will not soon be supplanted. No one interested in the era should miss it. 40 b&w illus., maps. (Oct.)

The Health-Care Cure

As Washington debates health care, two books examine what ails the system and how to fix it.

Chaos and Organization in Health CareThomas H. Lee, M.D., and James J. Mongan, M.D.MIT, $29.95 (266p) ISBN 978-0-262-01353-6

This pair of M.D.s build the case for fixing the nation's fragmented health-care system with a lot of high-tech grease and a change in attitude. Long on statistics and occasional medical-business speak, but still readable, the pair from Partners Healthcare System in Boston (Lee is network president, Morgan is CEO) declare the fix is simple—“tight organizational structures,” with salaried physicians, electronic medical records, doctors working in teams: in short, a system like Cleveland Clinic's, highlighted by President Obama. But given the current congressional infighting, the good doctors' dream may be doomed. (Oct.)

Taming the Beloved Beast: How Medical Technology Costs Are Destroying Our Health Care SystemDaniel Callahan. Princeton Univ., $29.95 (280p) ISBN 978-0-691-14236-4

Leading medical ethicist Callahan offers a tough-love solution that may be too stark for most Americans. He argues that the most costly technologies don't necessarily make us healthier. Instead, he suggests prioritizing resources to emphasize prevention; an end to medicalizing life problems; a path to universal health care; and an abrupt end to progress and innovation regardless of cost. Callahan also suggests something more startling—given that he is aged 79: high-tech care should go to those who benefit most—the young. The message is harsh; to discount it may be harsher still. (Oct.)

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