During the rebuilding of the gulf coast after Hurricane Katrina, University of New Orleans students began collecting personal stories and the "Katrina Narrative Project" was born. The second compilation of interviews focuses both on the people who stayed behind to face the storm, and those who fled, sometimes only to return to a city they no longer knew. Occasionally funny, often inspiring, and always heartbreaking, these stories reveal the indomitable character of the Big Easy. Whether it's the story told by the chef who returned after spending three years in Des Moines, but says, "coming home was the worst mistake of my life," or the Nigerian professor who spent several days trapped in an attic during the storm, readers will be moved by the suffering of the citizenry and overwhelmed by the smallest gestures of aid. Antoine has done a superb job of selecting stories that allow these people to speak for themselves while also conveying a universal message. With the gulf oil disaster bringing new pain upon a city still in recovery, readers may find the addition of these voices to the narrative overwhelmingly heartrending. (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

People magazine staff writer Helling tries to squeeze every last drop of titillation out of Tiger Woods' recent meltdown. Though he poses as one of the golfer's intimates, the author's mention of being "on hand for the... wedding" should cause readers to wonder if he was invited guest or part of the paparazzi. At any rate, he gives a somnolent recount created largely from previously released information: Tiger's early nerdy image was corrected in school when "glasses were replaced by contact lenses and his thick curls cut shorter;" the golfer places "...family first, school second, and golf third;" at the wedding reception, "Tiger had several drinks; Elin had none;" while Tiger had had affairs before his father's death, he "went into overdrive" afterward. Not one for declarative statements, Helling offers observations torn right from the playbook: "Tiger is still one of the best golfers to ever play the game…that will probably not ever be enough to fully restore his public image as perhaps the most beloved athlete in the world." This book may remind readers not to idolize their public figures, but anyone looking for revelations won't find them here. (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 05/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

The companion book to the 2009 C-SPAN documentary records the only time that all the living Supreme Court justices, the nine sitting members and their two retired colleagues, have granted interviews to a single television network. Transcripts from those interviews provide insight into the daily operations and history of the nation's highest court; facts about the building it occupies, trivia (William Howard Taft was the only individual to serve as President and Supreme Court Justice), and numerous personal recollections are also included, as are interviews with experts on the Court's history and daily operation. An appendix presents short biographies of the justices, a list of everyone who has ever served on the Court, and a section noting petitions and arguments heard each year, from 1980 to 2008 (peaking in 2006 with over 10,000 heard and 73 argued). Readers will gain insight into the Court and the justices, including the different approaches they take in writing their opinions, in a volume that will particularly engage history buffs and anyone with an interest in governmental procedure. (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 05/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Paulson (U.S. Treasury Secretary from July ‘07 to January '09) has come under sharp criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for his role in bailing out the banks. In this fast-moving, insider's account of "the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression," he tells his side of the story. Working closely with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner (then president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank) and Ben Bernanke (chairman of the Federal Reserve Board), he cobbled together a series of rescue operations to prevent the collapse of major U.S. financial institutions. Paulson, and the rest of the team who worked tirelessly to avert an economic catastrophe, command respect, but his contention that their actions were the only possible approach to the crisis leaves many open questions. He has little of substance to say about the precipitating events, and his equally Reaganesque and Kafkaesque calls to get "the government out of the private sector as quickly as possible" result in a somewhat unconvincing page turner. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 02/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Robbins, best-selling author and heir to the Baskin Robbins family, walked away from a fortune only to lose most of his own money in Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme. As the author of the bestselling Diet for a New America, Robbins championed planet-friendly food and became a popular lecturer, talk-show guest, and feature of the hit documentary, Supersize Me. Now he taps his razor sharp insights and social consciousness to argue that, when it comes to not just our food but also our bank accounts, homes, and other aspects of our lives, bigger is not always best. Chapters like "Eating Better, Spending Less" and "Choosing Where to Live" combine research and case studies with Robbins' own personal experience, redefining our notions of a successful life and lending credibility to his own claims of enlightenment. While we may not choose to live like Thoreau on a remote island (as Robbins did), this examination will make us consider how our consumer choices impact our family and, perhaps, society as a whole. (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 05/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

When the bicycle first gained popularity in the 1880s, intrepid daredevils were quick to seize upon it as a tool of exploration and an indicator of resourcefulness. Frank Lenz and William Sachtleben were two such enthusiasts. Sachtleben and a partner had gained notoriety for cycling almost across the globe, including through China, a region that was alien to Westerners at the time (they traversed particularly difficult sections by train). But Lenz proposes something truly dangerous: he will cycle the entire world alone, and he won't shy away from the hard parts. Lenz's exploits become the talk of the cycling world, but don't reach prominence in America until he disappears in eastern Turkey, a hairsbreadth from reaching his goal. Sachtleben is sent to Turkey to investigate and ends up wading through government corruption, tribal alliances, and a region in the throes of revolution. This meticulously-researched account exposes readers to an unfamiliar world. Readers with a love of cycling or curiosity about this moment in history will appreciate Herlihy's knowledge and passion, but the simply curious may feel at times like they're pedaling uphill. (Jun.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Professors of Psychology Chabris and Simons write about six everyday illusions of perception and thought, including the beliefs that: we pay attention more than we do, our memories are more detailed than they are, confident people are competent people, we know more than we actually do, and our brains have reserves of power that are easy to unlock. Through a host of studies, anecdotes, and logic, the authors debunk conventional wisdom about the workings of the mind and what "experts" really know (or don't). Presented almost as a response to Malcolm Gladwell's blink, the books pay special attention to "the illusion of knowledge" and the danger of basing decision-making, in areas such as investing, on short-term information; in the authors' view, careful analysis of assumed truths is preferred over quick, intuitive thinking. Chabris and Simons are not against intuition, "...but we don't think it should be exalted above analysis without good evidence that it is truly superior." (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 05/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

A senior correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Toronto-born comedian pokes fun at herself in a witty collection of personal essays. Recalling her upbringing, she lightheartedly and hysterically skewers her parents, stepparents, grandparents, and even the nuns who taught her math, half of whom "looked and smelled like the rejection of life itself." Bee's stepmother took camping "very seriously," and preparing for a trip was "like preparing for the End of Days;" her father, claiming to be thinking up strategies for better fuel efficiency, was really "just reading Penthouse on the toilet." Regarding the nuns at her Catholic school, Bee doesn't hold back: "You could see that they had all their lady parts, but you just knew that once a month they menstruated dust." Bee takes readers from childhood to adolescence and beyond, reminiscing along the way about her first boyfriend, comparing their sexual chemistry to that of a "sea cucumber [that] sits motionless on the cold, dark ocean floor and dreams of dry-humping a nearby scallop." Bee successfully brings her witty, self-deprecating, slightly cynical, and semi-scathing world view from screen to page. (Jun.)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Walters, a former Times of London journalist, flaunts his WWII expertise in a stunning account that trails some of the most elusive Nazi war criminals of the twentieth century. Following the war, many Nazis evaded capture and went into hiding, seemingly "without a trace." Walters debunks this myth through interviews, meticulous research, and a vast historical knowledge that exposes an array of people who aided these criminals in their flight from justice. In many cases, such as that of Franz Stangl, the former head of Treblinka extermination camp, war criminals, and the families waiting to join them in exile, hardly bothered to hide their whereabouts. Walters recreates the getaway techniques of their helpers and unearths some of the best-kept secrets of our time: it wasn't merely Nazi intelligence that aided the escape of these infamous criminals, he suggests, but a range of people, from Catholic hierarchy to U.S. and British intelligence operatives. Walters argues that greed, laziness, and the sheer number of war criminals may have overwhelmed the already-overworked intelligence services, allowing many former high-ranking Nazis to live in comfort all over the world, sometimes for decades. This well-researched and exquisitely executed volume is also an exhilarating read. Photos. (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 05/01/2010 | Details & Permalink

Cunningham, a native of Texas and a teacher at Texas Tech, chronicles the pivotal years between the assassination of JFK and Ronald Reagan's ascension to power in the ‘80s, which coincided with the swing of his state from blue to red. Texas has been a national political bellwether and was, by 1963 (when liberal LBJ carried the state in a landslide), a bastion of the growing conservative movement. By 1980, the state had adopted Reagan as a native son and moved into the Republican camp. Cunningham attributes some of the shift to postwar urbanization and the transformation of what had been a largely agrarian state into "the most vibrant economy in the country," oil rich and home to leading companies. Texas has a "unique political heritage notable for its colorful personalities, its conservative commitment to tradition and loyalty," libertarian values, racial conflicts, and a history that includes the Alamo. In a book that should interest students of political history, Cunningham deftly weaves these threads into the tapestry of national politics. "The rise of modern Texas conservatism not only coincided with a similar ascendancy nationwide, but also gave the movement shape and momentum." Photos. (May)

Reviewed on 07/05/2010 | Release date: 06/01/2010 | Details & Permalink