Nonfiction

New Biographies – April 2011

Lynne

Against All Odds: My Life of Hardship, Fast Breaks and Second Chances
Scott Brown
B BROWN
The extraordinary life journey of the current U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.

All That Is Bitter and Sweet
Ashley Judd
B JUDD
The author explains why she opted out of a successful Hollywood career to find her true calling: as a humanitarian and advocate for those suffering in neglected parts of the world.

Amelia Earhart: The Turbulent Life of an American Icon
Kathleen C. Winters
B WINTERS
When Amelia Earhart vanished over the Pacific Ocean in 1937 during an attempted around the world flight, she was at the height of her fame.  A fascinating portrait of a complex woman.

American Rose: A Nation Laid Bare, The Life and Times of Gypsy Rose Lee
Karen Abbott
B LEE
The extraordinary life of Gypsy Rose Lee and the world she survived and conquered.

And Furthermore
Judi Dench
B DENCH
The life story of the famed British actress, Dame Dench, in her own words.

And I Shall Have Some Peace There: Trading in the Fast Lane for My Own Dirt Road
Margaret Roach
B ROACH
The author left her big-city life, including her work as an editorial director for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, to seek an entirely different reward.

Bird Cloud
Annie Proulx
B PROULX
Bird Cloud is the name Annie Proulx gave to the 640 acres of Wyoming wetlands and prairie that she calls home.

Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
Gabrielle Hamilton
B HAMILTON
Before the author opened her acclaimed New York restaurant Prune, she spent twenty hard-living years trying to find purpose and meaning in her life.

A Box of Darkness: The Story of a Marriage
Sally Ryder Brady
B BRADY
Upton and Sally Brady were cultivated and elegant, living a life of literary glamour and high expectations. The author looks back on her marriage of forty-six years and the discoveries that she made following her husband’s death.

Branch Rickey
Jimmy Breslin
B BRESLIN
In 1947, as president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Branch Rickey defied racism on and off the field to bring Jackie Robinson into the major leagues.

Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love and War
Annia Ciezadlo
B CIEZADLO
In the fall of 2003, the author spent her honeymoon in Baghdad.  Over the next six years, while living in Baghdad and Beirut, she finds the rituals of food and friendship sustaining in a time of war.

The Elephant to Hollywood
Michael Caine
B CAINE
The acclaimed actor tells the story of his transformation from Maurice Micklewhite to Sir Michael Caine.

The Foremost Good Fortune
Susan Conley
B CONLEY
When her family says good-bye to family and friends in Maine for two-years in Beijing, China, that have little concept of just how much their lives will change.

Galileo
J.L. Heilbron
B GALILEO
The hero and martyr of science is captured through a wide-angled lens that takes in the wide spectrum of culture, religion, science, theology and politics of late Renaissance Italy.

I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to The Blind Side and Beyond
Michael Oher
B OHER
An account of the  Baltimore Ravens football player who is at the center of the book and the movie, The Blind Side. Here’s his own story.

I Love a Broad Margin to My Life
Maxine Hong Kingston
B KINGSTON
Reflections related in flowing verse lines explore the author’s thoughts as she turns sixty-five.

I’m Over All That: and Other Confessions
Shirley MacLaine
B MACLAINE
The author has reached the time in her life when she realizes what is truly important and what just doesn’t matter any more.

Jackie as Editor: The Literary Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Greg Lawrence
B ONASSIS
A chronicle of an important part of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s life—her nineteen-year editorial career.

J.D. Salinger: A Life
Kenneth Slawenski
B SALINGER
The mysterious and reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye is revealed in this examination of his life.

Known and Unknown: A Memoir
Donald Rumsfeld
B RUMSFELD
A memoir of the controversial Secretary of Defense and his half-century career in public service.

The Memory Palace: A Memoir
B BARTOK
Mira Bartók
“A disturbing, mesmerizing personal narrative about growing up with a brilliant but schizophrenic mother…. Richly textured, compassionate, and heartbreaking.” Kirkus Reviews.

My Thoughts Be Bloody: The Bitter Rivalry Between Edwin and John Wilkes Booth that Led to an American Tragedy
Nora Titone
B BOOTH
A penetrating look a the personal stories of the Booth family and the background rivalry that was integral to the assassin’s motivation.

Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses
Claire Dederer
B DEDERER
After throwing out her back ten years ago, the author turned to yoga and soon fell in love with the practice, both physically and spiritually.

Tough Without a Gun: The Life and Extraordinary Afterlife of Humphrey Bogart
Stefan Kanfer
B BOGART
A look at one of the great movie icons of the 20th century and an appraisal of the actor’s singular legacy.

Townie: A Memoir
Andre Dubus III
B DUBUS
After their parents divorced in the 1970s, the author and his three siblings grew up with their working mother in a town where drugs and violence were an everyday occurrence. On Sundays his father, a college professor, took the kids to a totally different world.

Wait for Me! Memoirs
Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire
B DEVONSHIRE
The remarkable life story of the youngest of the famous Mitford family, from her eccentric childhood to her residence at the noted historic home of Chatsworth.

A Widow’s Story: A Memoir
Joyce Carol Oates
B OATES
The noted author unveils a poignant memoir about the unexpected death of her husband of forty-six years and its wrenching aftermath.

New Biographies – End of 2010

Lynne
Angelina By Andrew Morton – B JOLIE
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto: Food, Friendship and the Making of a Masterpiece By Joan Reardon, ed. – B CHILD
At Home in Japan: A Foreign Woman’s Journey of Discovery By Rebecca Otowa – B OTOWA
Autobiography of Mark Twain—Volume 1 By Mark Twain – B TWAIN
Beautiful: The Life of Hedy Lamarr By Stephen Michael Shearer – B LAMARR
Becoming Queen Victoria: The Tragic Death of Princess Charlotte and the Unexpected Rise of Britain’s Greatest Monarch By Kate Williams – B VICTORIA
Bob Dylan in America By Sean Wilentz – B DYLAN
Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard By Liz Murray – B MURRAY
Cakewalk: A Memoir By Kate Moses – B MOSES
Choosing to See: A Journey of Struggle and Hope By Mary Beth Chapman – B CHAPMAN
Chords of Strength: A Memoir of of Soul, Song, and the Power of Perseverance By David Archuleta – B ARCHULETA
Cleopatra: A Life By Stacy Schiff – B CLEOPATRA
Colonel Roosevelt By Edmund Morris – B ROOSEVELT
Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity By Drew Brees – B BREES
Decision Points By George Bush – B BUSH
Double Death: The True Story of Pryce Lewis, The Civil War’s Most Daring Spy By Gavin Mortimer – B LEWIS
Edward Kennedy: An Intimate Biography By Burton Hersh – B KENNEDY
Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family By Condoleeza Rice – B RICE
First Family: Abigail and John Adams By Joseph J. Ellis – B ADAMS
The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of American Aviation By Thomas Kessner – B LINDBERGH
Frank: The Voice By James Kaplan – B SINATRA
Giving It All Away: The Doris Buffett Story By Michael Zitz – B BUFFETT
Going Home to Glory: A Memoir of Life with Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1961-1969 By David Eisenhower – B EISENHOWER
The Grace of Silence: A Memoir By Michele Norris – B NORRIS
Hardcourt Confidential: Tales from Twenty Years in the Pro Tennis Trenches By Patrick McEnroe – B McENROE
The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family’s Century of Art and Loss By Edmund de Waal – B EPHRUSSI
Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia By Michael Korda – B LAWRENCE
Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee By Hoda Kotb – B KOTB
Hollywood: A Third Memoir By Larry McMurtry – B MCMURTRY
In a Heartbeat By Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy – B TUOHY
Jimmy Carter By Julian E. Zelizer – B CARTER
Joe Louis: Hard Times Man By Randy Roberts – B LOUIS
A Journey: My Political Life By Tony Blair – B BLAIR
Just Like Someone Without Mental Illness Only More So By Mark Vonnegut – B VONNEGUT
The Killing of Crazy Horse By Thomas Powers – B CRAZY HORSE
The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and the End of America’s Childhood By Jane Leavy – B MANTLE
Late, Late at Night By Rick Springfield – B SPRINGFIELD
Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy By Carlos Eire – B EIRE
Let’s Take the Long Way Home By Gail Caldwell – B CALWELL
Life By Keith Richards – B RICHARDS
The Lost Cyclist: The Epic Tale of an American Adventurer and His Mysterious Disappearance By David V. Herlihy – B LENZ
Louisa May Alcott: A Personal Biography By Susan Cheever – B ALCOTT
Lyndon B. Johnson By Charles Peters – B JOHNSON
The Man Who Invented the Computer: The Biography of John Atanasoff, Digital Pioneer By Jane Smiley – B ATANASOFF
Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen By Anna Whitelock – B MARY
Must You Go? My Life with Harold Pinter By Antonia Fraser – B PINTER
Pearl Buck in China: Journey to The Good Earth By Hilary Spurling – B BUCK
Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man By Bill Clegg – B CLEGG
Possessed: The Life of Joan Crawford By Donald Spoto – B CRAWFORD
Robert Morris: Financier of the American Revolution By Charles Rappleye – B MORRIS
Sarah: The Life of Sarah Bernhardt By Robert Gottlieb – B BERNHARDT
Sinatra: Hollywood His Way By Timothy Knight – B SINATRA
Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon By Marshall Terrill – B McQUEEN
Talking to Girls About Duran Duran: One Young Man’s Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut By Rob Sheffield – B SHEFFIELD
Uncharted Territori By Tori Spelling – B SPELLING
William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls By Katie Nicholl – B WILLIAM

New Nonfiction Books – April 2010

Lynne

Ancient Greece: A History in Eleven Cities Paul Cartledge, 938 CAR 2009 – Ancient Greek civilization was defined by the city—around 1,000 cities then existed. This is its most enduring legacy along with the concepts of aristocracy, oligarchy, tyranny and democracy.

As If an Enemy’s Country: The British Occupation of Boston and the Origins of Revolution Richard Archer, 973.3 ARC 2010 – On October 1, 1768, British troops landed in Boston and occupied the city for seventeen months.  The presence of these troops caused a symbolic and psychological shift of profound consequence.

The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine Michael Lewis, 330.973 LEW 2010 – When the crash of the U.S. Stock market became public knowledge in the fall of 2008, it was already old news.  The real crash had already taken place in the bond and real estate derivative markets.

Blood, Iron, and Gold: How the Railroads Transformed the World Christian Wolmar, 385.09 WOL 2010 – The railroad truly marked the dawn of a new age.  The birth of the railroads changed the face of the world and the way people lived.

Chasing the White Dog: An Amateur Outlaw’s Adventures in Moonshine Max Watman, 363.41 WAT 2010 – A lively look at the characters who make up white whiskey’s lore throughout American history.  The story begins in Monongahela, PA where drunk and armed outlaws gathered in the summer of 1794.

Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory Peter Hessler, 951.96 HES 2010 – A look at the new China as the automobile and new roads are transforming the nation.  Over a period of years, the author drove 7,000 miles through cities and rural areas.  Fascinating.

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes David Grann, 814.6 GRA 2010 – The author of The Lost City of Z relates his attemps to solve a dozen real-life mysteries.

Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell, 364.162 SEL 2010 – The Antwerp Diamond Center was one of the most secure buildings in the world.  On February 15, 2003, Italian thieves made off with at least half a billion dollars in diamonds, cash and valuables.

For the Soul of France: Culture Wars in the Age of Dreyfus Frederick Brown, 944.081 BRO 2010 – A look at the twilight years of the nineteenth century and the decades-long struggle in France, following its defeat by Prussia in 1871.

Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy Joseph Stiglitz, 330.973 STI 2010 – The Nobel Prize-winning author traces the origins of the Great Recession and demolishes the contention that America needs more bailouts.   A look ahead at choices that can make a difference.

The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives Shankar Vedantam, 154.2 VED 2010 – What if our actions are driven, not by our conscious values and beliefs, but by hidden motivations we are not even aware of?

Jane’s Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World Claire Harman, 823.7 HAR 2010 – A look at the wondrous world of Jane Austen.

Making Rounds with Oscar:  The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat David Rosa, 636.8 DOS 2010 – It seemed that Oscar was an ordinary cat when he arrived at the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island.  But he possesses an extraordinary gift.

Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease Gary Greenberg, 362.25 GRE 2010 – Many people ask themselves if their unhappiness is a disease that can, and should, be treated by medication. The author presents an insightful look at this question based on his experiences as a psychotherapist and as a depression patient.

Megadisasters: The Science of Predicting the Next Catastrophe Florin Diacu,904.5 DIA 2010 – Catastrophes catch us by surprise.  Here’s a look at the groundbreaking science behind the efforts to forecast major disasters and minimize their destruction.

No Apology: The Case for American Greatness Mitt Romney, 320.6 ROM 2010 – The former Massachusetts governor outlines his ideas for a renewed America.

No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller  Harry Markopolos, 364.16 MAR 2010 – For ten years, the author and his investigative team tried to warn the government, the financial industry and the press that the largest hedge fund in history was a total fraud.  He warned that Bernie Madoff was a crook, but could find no one who would listen.

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Deborah Blum, 614.13 BLU 2010 – In early-twentieth-century New York, poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. The appointment of chief medical examiner Charles Norris in 1918 was the beginning of  the discipline of forensics.

Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity James Hansen,363.738 HAN 2009 – A leading scientist states that climate change is happening more rapidly than previously acknowledged.

That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week:  Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life Ana Homayoun, 649.132 HOM 2010 – The author, an academic counselor who has helped unfocused boys learn how to consistently meet their personal and academic challenges, explains how to get back to the basics.

The Tudors: The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty G. J. Meyer, 942.05 MEY 2010 – The reality, in all its wild excesses, of the young Henry Tudor, who claimed the throne in 1485 and his descendants, including the notorious Henry VIII and the remarkable Elizabeth I.

The Vikings: A History Robert Ferguson, 948.022 FER 2009 – Legend and fact from the distant age of the mysterious and violent Scandinavian Vikings.

Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History David Aaronovitch, 909.826 AAR 2010 – An insightful examination of a dozen modern-day conspiracies.  Read this one along with American Conspiracies by Jesse Ventura.

Water: The Epic Struggle for Wealth, Power, and Civilization Steven Solomon, 333.91 SOL 2010 – The control of water wealth throughout history has been pivotal to the rise and fall of great powers, the achievements of civilization and the quality of  the lives of ordinary people.

You Say More Than You Think: A 7-Day Plan for Using the New Body Language to Get What You Want Janine Driver with Mariska Van Aalst, 153.69 DRI 2010 – What does your body say to the outside world?  How do your actions help, or hurt, you?

New Biographies – March/April 2010

Lynne

All of Me Anne Murray with Michael Posner, B MURRAY – The story of the popular singer’s life from her humble beginnings through the career that now spans forty years.

All Things At Once Mika Brzezinski, B BRZEZINSKI – The cohost of Morning Joe relates her struggles as a working mother and her early years as the daughter of President Carter’s national security advisor.

American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia Joan Biskupic, B SCALIA – The author presents a detailed portrait of the life and long career of the complicated and outspoken jurist.

The Bag Lady Papers: The Priceless Experience of Losing It All Alexandra Penney, B PENNEY – The author invested nearly all of her life savings with Bernie Madoff and was faced with her greatest fear when she lost it all.

Churchill Paul Johnson, B CHURCHILL – A look at one of the most complex and fascinating personalities in history by a noted historian.

Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat, and Obsession Julie Powell, B POWELL – The author of Julie and Julia returns with further life adventures and her foray into butchery.

Comeback 2.0: Up Close and Personal—Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong, B ARMSTRONG – Photographs and personal commentary by the iconic biker.

Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman’s Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker Gesine Bullock-Prado, B BULLOCK-PRADO – The subtitles says it all: unhappy as the head of her celebrity sister’s production company, the author and her husband move to Vermont and a small bakery.  Recipes included!

Enemies of the People: My Family’s Journey to America Kati Marton, B MARTON – The author discovers the terrifying truth about her family’s past in Hungary during the Cold War.

Finding It: And Satisfying My Hunger for Life Without Opening the Fridge Valerie Bertinelli, B BERTINELLI – More entertaining stories from the author of Losing It.

A Gambling Man:  Charles II’s Restoration Game Jenny Uglow, B CHARLES – Charles II was thirty years old when he crossed the English Channel in 1660.  A spirited look at turbulent time.

Going Rogue: An American Life Sarah Palin, B PALIN – The story of her life from the vice-presidential candidate.

Here’s the Deal, Don’t Touch Me Howie Mandel, B MANDEL – A memoir from the host of Deal or No Deal and his ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD and how it affected his life and career.

High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly Donald Spoto, B KELLY – A new look at the glamorous actress who retired at the age of twenty-six to become the Princess of Monaco.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot, B LACKS – The story of an African American woman who died in the 1950s, but whose cells have been grown over the years for a multitude of medical experiments and advances.

The Journal Keeper: A Memoir Phyllis Theroux, B THEROUX – An insightful stroll through the life of a gifted writer as she discusses universal issues: love, loneliness, growing old, financial worries and spiritual growth.

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn Alison Weir, B BOLEYN – A look at one of the world’s most fascinating and controversial women by a great biographer of British royalty.

Last Word George Carlin with Tony Hendra, B CARLIN – Indeed, the last words from the comedian/commentator.

Living Oprah: My One-Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk Robyn Okrant, B OKRANT – The author kicked off a year-long experiment to find out what would happen if she decided to follow all of Oprah’s advice.

Louisa May Alcott: the Woman Behind Little Women Harriet Reisen, B ALCOTT – A lively account of an exceptional woman and writer of the 19th century.

Lunch in Paris: A Love Story with Recipes Elizabeth Bard, B BARD – In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman — and never went home again.

Marriage and Other Acts of Charity: A Memoir Kate Braestrup, B BRAESTRUP – The author of Here If You Need Me turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment.

A Mountain of Crumbs Elena Gorkhova, B GOROKHOVA – Coming of age in the Soviet Union of the 1960s, the author’s passion for learning English bordered on the subversive in a land of political deception.

Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon Michael O’Brien, B ADAMS – Early in 1815, Louisa Catherine Adams, with her young son, left St. Petersburg in a Russian carriage and set out on a difficult journey to meet her husband, John Quincy Adams, in Paris.

Open: An Autobiography Andre Agassi, B AGASSI – A very revealing look inside the life of the tennis star.

Peter the Great Derek Wilson, B PETER I – The  life and reign of the extraordinary Russian leader.

Princess Noire: The Tumultuous Reign of Nina Simone Nadine Cohodas, B SIMONE – The triumphs and trials of the brilliant singer and musician.

The Queen Mother: The Official Biography William Shawcross, B ELIZABETH – A definitive biography of the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and grandmother of Prince Charles and one of the most beloved members of the British Royal Family.

Staying True Jenny Sanford, B SANFORD – A look at the private ordeal of the first lady of South Carolina after her very public betrayal.

Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life’s Challenges Byron Pitts, B PITTS – The 60 Minutes correspondent relates the challenges of his life, including stuttering and being functionally illiterate. He also tells of the people who “stepped out on nothing” to make a difference for him.

New Non-Fiction Books – March 2010

Lynne

Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation Charles Glass, 944.0816 GLA 2010 – Life under the Nazis as experienced by the Americans who lived in Paris from the spring of 1940 to liberation in the summer of 1944.

Bluebird: Women and the New Psychology of Happiness Ariel Gore, 305.42 GOR 2010 – Can a woman be smart, empowered and happy?

The Checklist Manifesto:  How to Get Things Right Atul Gawande, 610.28 GAW 2009 – A noted writer and surgeon states that we can do better and find solutions to complex situations through the lowly checklist.

Danger to Self: On the Front Line with an ER Psychiatrist Paul R. Linde, 616.89 LIN 2010 – A look behind the scenes at an urban psychiatric emergency room with all its chaos and pathos.

Daring Young Men: The Heroism and Triumph of the Berlin Airlift, June 1948-May 1949 Richard Reeves, 943.155 REE 2010 – The airmen of World War II returned to emergency active duty to save the desperate people of western Berlin.

Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr Ken Gormley, 973.929 GOR 2010 – An extensive history of the polarizing scandal that almost terminated the Clinton presidency.

Diabetes Rising: How a Rare Disease Became a Modern Pandemic, and What To Do About It Dan Hurley, 616.462 HUR 2010 – A penetrating look at a disease that now affects hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us Daniel H. Pink, 153.1534 PIN 2009 – What really motivates us?  Is it an external reward such as money?

Eternity Soup: Inside the Quest to End Aging Greg Critser, 613.2 CRI 2010 – An intriguing look at the multibillion dollar anti-aging industry.

Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near Death Experiences Jeffrey Long with Paul Perry, 133.9013 LON 2010 – Dr. Long presents firsthand accounts of people who have died and lived to tell about it. The author has recorded hundreds of stories and examined remarkable similarities.

A Good Talk: The Story and Skill of Conversation Daniel Menaker, 302.346 MEN 2010 – An entertaining examination of how to enjoy the fine art of social conversation.

The History of the Medieval World: From the Conversion of Constantine to the First Crusade Susan Wise Bauer, 909.07 BAU 2010 – A comprehensive look at world history, and the new importance of religion, between the fourth and twelfth centuries.

If God Is Good: Faith In the Midst of Suffering and Evil Randy Alcorn, 231.8 ALC 2009 – A penetrating discussion of a fundamental human question:  “How can we reconcile a good and all-powerful God with the terrible evil and suffering we see in this world?”

Inside the Teenage Brain: Parenting a Work in Progress Sheryl Feinstein, 649.125 FEI 2009 – A look at teenagers through the recent discoveries of the evolving adolescent brain.

Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery Eric Ives, 942.053 IVE 2009 – A penetrating look at the mysteries surrounding the “nine days queen.”

The Mom & Pop Store: How the Unsung Heroes of the American Economy Are Surviving and Thriving Robert Spector, 381.14 SPE 2009 – A moving celebration of independent neighborhood shops, and of the vision, passion and persistence of their owners.

My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran Haleh Esfandiari, 955.0544 ISF 2009 – As she was returning home to the United States, an Iranian-American woman was arrested for being part of an “American conspiracy.”

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea Barbara Demick, 306.095 DEM 2009 – A view into North Korea, as seen through the eyes of six ordinary citizens over the span of fifteen chaotic years.

The Power of Half: One Family’s Decision to Stop Taking and Start Giving Back Kevin Salwen and Hannah Salwen, 174 SAL 2010 – A family from Atlanta decided to sell their mansion and buy a house half its size, and give half of the sale price to a worthy charity. Could half be even more?

The Quants: How a New Breed of Math Whizzes Conquered Wall Street and Nearly Destroyed It Scott Patterson, 322.645 PAT 2010 – The story of four men whose “digitized money-trading machine that could shift billions around the globe with the click of a mouse” sowed the seeds for the unprecedented financial disaster.

The Routes of Man: How Roads Are Changing the World and the Way We Live ToDay Ted Conover, 388.1 CON 2010 – An enthusiastic exploration of six key roadways worldwide.  A look at the costs and benefits of being connected — from ancient Rome to the present.

The Science of Liberty Timothy Ferris, 303.483 FER 2010 – The author argues that the progress of science was the inspiration behind the rise of democracy and liberalism.

Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed Gregg Easterbrook, 330.9 EAS 2009 – The author looks at the sonic boom economy: an explosive time of unprecedented growth and change that will also create anxiety and stress.

The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century  Ian Mortimer, 942.03 MOR 2010 – Important facets of everyday life are shown in this down-to-earth study of the 1300’s.

The Twilight Years: The Paradox of Britain Between the Wars Richard Overy, 941.083 OVE 2009 – During the years between the wars, Britain, although intellectually vibrant, faced “a creeping fear that the West was staring down the end of civilization.”

An Uncommon Passage:  Traveling Through History on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail Edited by Edward K. Muller, 974.87 UNC 2009 – An uncommon book about an important feature of Western Pennsylvania history.

Why Boys Fail: Saving Our Sons from an Educational System That’s Leaving Them Behind Richard Whitmire, 370.154 WHI 2010 – A penetrating and insightful look at a misunderstood and ignored problem. The author looks at the issues and then addresses what actually works for boys.

You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up: A Love Story Annabelle Gurwitch and Jeff Kahn, 306.81 GUR 2010 – After thirteen years of being married, the authors found that “we’re just not that into us.”  Instead of giving up, they’ve held their relationship together by ignoring conventional wisdom.

New Nonfiction Books – August 2009

Lynne

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal Ben Mezrich, 338.761 MEZ 2009 – Two Harvard undergraduates looking for a way to win social success, hacked into the university’s computer system.  The framework for Facebook was born in a Harvard dorm room.

The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us and What We Can Do About It Joshua Cooper Ramo, 973.931 RAM 2009 – How to thrive in a world of unpredictability.

American Passage: The History of Ellis Island Vincent J. Cannato, 325.7 CAN 2009 – Between 1892 to 1924 over twelve million immigrants passed through the gates at Ellis Island.

And Then the Roof Caved In: How Wall Street’s Greed and Stupidity Brought Capitalism to Its Knees David Faber, 332.63 FAB 2009 – The author relates the story behind the economic crisis: the defining theme of which has been greed, coupled with the regulatory failure of the government.

Busted: Life Inside the Great Mortgage Meltdown Edmund L. Andrews, 332.722 AND 2009 – Even as a New York Times economics reporter, the author succumbed to the temptation of subprime lending and became part of the economic catastrophe.

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle Chris Hedges, 302.23 HED 2009 – The author asserts that a culture that cannot distinguish between reality and illusion dies; the society that retreats into fantasy will eventually turn to demagogues and charlatans.

Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur Pamela Slim,658.11 SLI 2009 – How to make a getaway from the corporate grind.

The Evolution of God Robert Wright, 200.9 WRI 2009 – The author presents a sweeping journey through history and the development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

A Failure of Capitalism: The Crisis of ‘08 and the Descent Into Depression Richard A. Posner, 330.973 POS 2009 – The author presents a non-technical examination of the current financial disaster and the efforts to cope with it.

Halfway to Heaven: My White-knuckled and Knuckleheaded Quest for the Rocky Mountain High Mark Obmascik, 796.522 OMB  2009 – A look inside the culture of the mountaineering obsessives who try scaling all 54 of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains in one year, to become part of an elite group known as the  Fourteneers.

Holy Roller: Finding Redemption and the Holy Ghost in a Forgotten Texas Church Julie Lyons, 289.9 LYO 2009 – An inspiring story of a journalists firsthand investigation into the results of faith and prayer in the lives of society’s overlooked people.

Horse Soldiers: The Extraordinary Story of a Band of U.S. Soldiers Who Rode to Victory in Afghanistan Doug Stanton, 958.1047 STA 2009 – The dramatic account of a small band of Special Forces soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban.

How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In Jim Collins, 338.7 COL 2009 – Every institution is vulnerable to decline, but it can be avoided. By the author of Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t.

How Rome Fell Adrian Goldsworthy, 937.09 GOL 2009 – During the second century, the Roman Empire controlled most of the known world.  By the end of the fifth century, the empire had disintegrated, a shadow of its former might.

The Language of Things: Understanding the World of Desirable Objects Dyan Sudjic, 745.401 SUD 2009 – An informative look at the intersection between art, design, and commerce.

The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America’s Promise Joe Scarborough, 320.52 SCA 2009 – A new take on the nation’s political and economic situation.

Packing the Court: The Rise of Judicial Power and the Coming Crisis of the Supreme Court James MacGregor Burns, 347.7326 BUR 2009 – A penetrating look at the nation’s top court by a noted author.

Portfolios of the Poor: How the World’s Poor Live on $2 a Day Daryl Collins, et.al., 339.46 POR 2009 – About 40% of the world’s people live on incomes of $2.00 a day or less. How do the poor find solutions to living on such an amount? A thoughtful report on the “bottom billion.”

Renegade: The Making of a President Richard Wolffe, 324.973 WOL 2009 – The story of how a political newcomer with no money became the world’s most powerful leader.

Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon Craig Nelson, 629.45 NEL 2009 – The dramatic story of the first trip to the moon aboard the 30-story-high Apollo II-Saturn V spaceship.

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work Matthew B. Crawford, 331 CRA 2009 – The author discusses the experience that was once quite common: the activity of making and fixing things with our hands.

Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a World War II Fighter Pilot Bruce and Andrea Leininger, 133.90135 LEI 2009 – The parents of James Leininger were puzzled and disturbed by the nightmares their two-year-old son was having.  They set out on a journey of discovery that led to one conclusion.

Stay Close: A Mother’s Story of Her Son’s Addiction Libby Cataldi, 362.29 CAT 2009 – The poignant story of a mother’s love and her struggles with her son’s drug addiction.

Strokes of Genius: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played L. Jon Wertheim, 796.342 WER 2009 – All the details of the classic tennis match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on July 6, 2008.

The Third Reich at War Richard J. Evans, 940.53 EVA 2009 – A narrative of the war along with the personal stories from a wide range of people during the rise and demise of German military might.

The Whole Five Feet: What the Great Books Taught Me About Life, Death, and Pretty Much Everything Else Christopher R. Beha, 011.73 BEH 2009 – The Harvard Classics were compiled a century ago by Charles Eliot.  The author decides to revisit these classic books over the course of a year.

You Are Here: Why We Can Find Our Way to the Moon, but Get Lost in the Mall Colin Ellard, 153.752 ELL 2009 – How has modern culture become so directionally challenged?

New Biographies – August 2009

Lynne

Age is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life Dara Torres with Elizabeth Weil, B TORRES – From the Olympic medalist who competed at the age 41, comes a memoir about aging gracefully and pursuing your dreams.

Bad Girls Go Everywhere: The Life of Helen Gurley Brown Jennifer Scanlon, B BROWN – The life of the longtime editor of Cosmopolitan and an influential feminist.

The Big Rewind: A Memoir Brought to You by Pop Culture Nathan Rabin, B RABIN – As a child and teenager, pop culture was the author’s means of escape.  Today, pop culture is his life.

Blue Collar, Blue Scrubs: The Making of a Surgeon Michael J. Collins, B COLLINS – The story of a construction worker who decided to become a doctor and his path to becoming a surgeon.

Bobby and Jackie: A Love Story C. David Heymann, B KENNEDY – The complex relationship between RFK and Jackie Kennedy is depicted by a Kennedy biographer.

The Bolter Frances Osborne, B SACKVILLE – The author relates the story of her great-grandmother, Idina Sackville, and her adventurous and scandal filled life as the “high priestess” of the “Happy Valley Set” in Kenya.

Closing Time: A Memoir Joe Queenan, B QUEENAN – The humorist turns his sights on his own coming-of-age in Philadelphia during the 1960s.

Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival Norman Ollestad, B OLLESTAD – Trained by he father from the age of three to become a “Boy Wonder,” the skills he learned saved his life at age eleven when he and his father were victims of an airplane crash during a blizzard.

Duchess of Death: The Unauthorized Biography of Agatha Christie Richard Hack, B CHRISTIE – The romance, scandal and betrayal that marked the life of the  popular novelist is presented in an intimate biography.

Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure: The True Story of a Great American Road Trip Matthew Algeo, B TRUMAN – After his term as president, Mr. and Mrs. Truman decided to hit the road.

Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood Michael Lewis, B LEWIS – The author explores the difference between the idea of fatherhood and his actual experiences.

In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir Neil White, B WHITE – Following conviction for bank fraud, the author spent a year in a prison in Carville, Louisiana, housed in the last leper colony in mainland America.

The Lady in Red: An Eighteenth-Century Tale of Sex, Scandal and Divorce  Hallie Rubenhold, B WORSLEY – The marriage of Lady Seymour Dorothy Fleming and Sir Richard Worsley might have been a fairy tale marriage, but ended in one of the most scandalous and publicized divorces in history.

Lance: The Making of the World’s Greatest Champion John Wilcockson, B LANCE – The remarkable and controversial life of the seven time winner of the Tour de France.

Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon Buzz Aldrin with Ken Abraham, B ALDRIN – The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous persons on the planet; here is the rest of his story.

My Remarkable Journey Larry King, B KING – The life of the iconic interviewer as he looks back over 50 years in broadcasting.

Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal Julie Metz, B METZ – Julie Metz’s life changes forever when her husband suddenly collapses and dies.  She soon learns that he had another life that he had kept hidden from her.

Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress Lee Woodruff, B WOODRUFF – The author of In an Instant, the chronicle of her husband’s recovery from an injury sustained in Iraq, now looks at her life in terms both personal and universal.

Prairie Tale: A Memoir Melissa Gilbert, B GILBERT – The child star of Little House on the Prairie tells the story of her life and her recovery from self-destructive behavior.

Red and Me: My Coach, My Lifelong Friend Bill Russell, B RUSSELL – The great basketball player discusses his relationship with one of the best coaches in all of sports.

Right Time, Right Place: Coming of Age with William F. Buckley Jr. and the Conservative Movement Richard Brookhiser, B BROOKHISER – The author became a National Review senior editor at age 23.  He tells the story of his relationship with the conservative icon throughout their tumultuous friendship.

Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend Larry Tye, B PAIGE – The great story of athlete, showman, and philosopher, Leroy “Satchel” Paige.

A Son of the Game: A Story of Golf, Going Home, and Sharing Life’s Lessons James Dodson, B DODSON – The author of Final Rounds, returns to the world of golf and to the famous courses at Pinehurst, North Carolina to recover a lost passion and to share that passion with his son.

Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne James Gavin, B HORNE – A portrait of the celebrated singer and actress.

We Two: Victoria and Albert: Rulers, Partners, Rivals Gillian Gill, B VICTORIA – An enduring love story and the most influential marriage of the 19th century is related in this personal history by a noted author.

The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America Douglas Brinkley, B ROOSEVELT – The “naturalist president” set aside more than 230 million acres of wild America for posterity between 1901 and 1909, making conservation a universal endeavor.

Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa Mark Seal, B ROOT – In January 2006, Joan Root, a sixty-nine-year-old naturalist and filmmaker was murdered in her home on the shore of a beautiful Kenyan lake.  The author explores this real-life mystery and the remarkable life of a noted conservationist.

New Non-Fiction – June and July 2009

Lynne

The Addict: One Patient, One Doctor, One Year Michael Stein, 362.293 STE 2009 – The world of prescription drug addiction seen through the  story of a woman whose life was taken over by her desire for the next pill.

The American Future: A History Simon Schama, 973 SCH 2009 – The noted historian looks at the multiple crises facing the United States with references to America’s past history.

Are You Kidding Me? The True Story of Rocco Mediate’s Extraordinary Battle with Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open Rocco Mediate and John Feinstein, 796.352 MED 2009 – The dramatic showdown at the 2008 U.S. Open.

The Armchair Birder: Discovering the Secret Lives of Familiar Birds John Yow, 598 YOW 2009 – Interesting facts about the lives of birds outside your window. Columbine Dave Cullen, 371.782 CUL 2009 – A recounting of the horrific events at Columbine High School.

Complexity: A Guided Tour Melanie Mitchell, 501 MIT 2009 – Fascinating and elusive questions are presented that the science of complexity is attempting to answer.

The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite David E. Kessle, r613.2 KES 2009 – Why is it so difficult to resist certain foods and so easy to overindulge?

Essential Pleasures: A New Anthology of Poems to Read Aloud Robert Pinsky, ed., 808.81 ESS 2009 – A wide range of poetry for speaking and listening enjoyment.

Faith Under Fire: An Army Chaplain’s Memoir Roger Benimoff, 956.7044 BEN 2009 – The author’s time as an Army chaplain in Iraq created a crisis of faith and a turning point in his life.

The Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found Mary Beard, 937.7 BEA 2008 – A penetrating look at the world famous archaeological site.

The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women & a Forty-Year Friendship Jeffrey Zaslow, 302.34 ZAS 2009 – Eleven childhood friends formed a special bond growing up in Ames, Iowa.  A bond that has lasted through the years.

Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde Jeff Guin, 364.1552 GUI 2009 – The real story of Bonnie and Clyde is different from the myths that have grown up around them. Fascinating.

The Horse Boy: A Father’s Quest to Heal His Son Rupert Isaacson, 618.92 ISA 2009 – The author was devastated with his son’s diagnosis of autism. Discovering his son’s connection with animals, they went to Mongolia.

House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street William D. Cohan, 332.66 COH 2009 – With the collapse of Bear Stearns in March 2008, the meltdown on Wall Street officially began. How and why?

K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America’s Most Unlikely Tourist Peter Carlson, 947.085 CAR 2009 – The true story of a stranger in a strange land: Khrushchev’s tour across America in 1959.

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto Mark R. Levin, 320.52 LEV 2009 – The talk radio host discusses a conservative approach to government that includes greater freedom for individual Americans.

A Lion Called Christian Anthony Bourke and John Rendall, 599.757 BOU 2009 – The heartwarming story of he reunion of two young men and their pet lion, Christian.

Old World Daughter, New World Mother: An Education in Love and Freedom Maria Laurino, 306.874 LAU 2009 – The author of Were You Always an Italian? returns with a spirited look at life as a second-generation American.

One Hundred Essential Things You Didn’t Know You Didn’t Know: Math Explains Your World John D. Barrow, 510 BAR 2009 – The uses of mathematics in explaining many of life’s most intriguing questions are entertainingly presented.

One Square Inch of Silence Gordon Hempton and John Grossmann, 333.78 HEM 2009 – Silence is our nation’s fastest-disappearing resource. The author is recording the natural terrestrial soundscapes before they vanish.

Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World’s Holy Dead Peter Manseau, 203.7 MAN 2009 – The author traces the trail of religious relics over the centuries.

Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus: How the Jewishness of Jesus Can Transform Your Faith Ann Spangler and Lois Tverberg, 232.9 SPA 2009 – An inspirational tour of Jewish culture during the time of Jesus.

Soldiers Once: My Brother and the Lost Dreams of America’s Veterans Catherine Whitney, 305.90697 WHI 2009 – When the author’s brother, a Vietnam veteran, died, he was 53 years old and living in poverty and had not seen his family in 16 years.

Start Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be Chris Gardner, 158.1 GAR 2009 – The author of The Pursuit of Happyness presents a look at  beginning anew.

The Towering World of Jimmy Choo: A Glamorous Story of Power, Profits, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Shoe Lauren Goldstein Crowe and Sagra Maceira de Rosen, 338.76 CRO 2009 – The behind-the-scenes story of the one of the most talked-about brands. “A smart, sexy business book.”

Unfinished Business: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Life James Van Praagh, 133.91 VAN 2009 – Emotional stories from a well-known medium.

The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education Craig M. Mullaney, 958.104 MUL 2009 – The author had been graduated from West Point, attended Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, but was he prepared for war in Afghanistan?

Valkyrie: The Story of the Plot to Kill Hitler, By Its Last Member Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager, 943.086 BOE 2009 – The author’s patriotism turned to disgust as he learned of the atrocities of the SS. He and his brother joined a conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler.

Weather’s Greatest Mysteries Solved! Randy Cerveny, 304.2 CER 2009 – Sample mystery: Why did T. Rex become extinct? And there’s many more weather conundrums in this fascinating book.

Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What it Means for the Classroom Daniel T. Willingham, 370.1523 WIL 2009 – Why can kids remember the smallest details from their favorite television program, yet miss the most obvious questions on theiw history test?

New Biographies – May 2009

Lynne

A. Lincoln Ronald C. White Jr., B LINCOLN – A well-reviewed, expansive biography of the president whose moral compass holds the key to understanding his life.

Abigail & John: Portrait of a Marriage Edith B. Gelles, B ADAMS – The romantic story of two important figures of early American history.

Abraham Lincoln James M. McPherson, B LINCOLN – A very concise, illuminating portrait of the 16th president.

Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist Michael J. Fox, B FOX – The actor recounts his years with Parkinson’s Disease and learning to live a new life when he was happy with his old one.

The Art of the Heist: Confessions of a Master Art Thief, Rock-and-Roller, and Prodigal Son Myles J. Connor and Jenny Siler, B CONNOR – The story of legendary art thief, Myles Connor.

The Black Girl Next Door Jennifer Baszile, B BASZILE – The author relates her coming-of-age experiences in an exclusive California white suburb in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

Charles Darwin: The Concise Story of an Extraordinary Man Tim M. Berra, B DARWIN – The fascinating story of the man and the idea.

Crazy Love: A Memoir Leslie Morgan Steiner, B STEINER – Even though she seemed to have the perfect life, at 22-years-of-age, the author fell in love with the wrong person.

Growing Up Again: Life, Loves, and Oh Yeah, Diabetes Mary Tyler Moore, B MOORE – The well-known actress recounts her life with diabetes over the course of the past 40 years.

Hands of My Father: A Hearing Boy, His Deaf Parents, and the Language of Love Myron Uhlberg, B UHLBERG – The author’s first language was American Sign Language. His second language was English and as he learned it, he became his father’s ears and mouth in his Brooklyn neighborhood.

Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True Story Isabel Gillies, B GILLIES – Happily married, or so she thought, the author’s marriage dissolved and a friend told her that it “happens every day.”

Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran Azadeh Moaveni, B MOAVENI – Reporting for Time magazine, the author married an Iranian man and learned about life on the inside of this tumultuous country.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti: A Memoir Giulia Melucci, B MELUCCI – Fizzled romances and steamy recipes!

Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy Peter S. Canellos, ed., B KENNEDY – The tumultuous life of the youngest of the Kennedy brothers.

A Little Bit Wicked (Life, Love, and Faith in Stages) Kristin Chenoweth, B CHENOWETH – The story of a talented gal from Kansas who takes Broadway by storm.

Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir Christopher Buckley, B BUCKLEY – The well-known author and only child of famous parents recounts the year in which both of them died.

Love Child: A Memoir of Family Lost and Found Allegra Huston, B HUSTON – The author was four years old when her mother was killed and she was introduced to the film director John Huston with the words, “This is your father.”  Later, at age twelve, she was introduced to her real father, British historian John Julius Norwich.

Mistress of the Monarchy: The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster Alison Weir, B KATHERINE – The story of the royal mistress who became one of the most crucial figures in the history of the British royal dynasties.

Mrs. Lincoln: A Life Catherine Clinton, B LINCOLN – The author illuminates the remarkable, enigmatic life of the First Lady.

Not Now, Voyager: A Memoir Lynne Sharon Schwartz, B SCHWARTZ – A memoir, both serious and amusing, about the world of travel with a personal look at the author’s experiences.

Paul Newman: A Life Shawn Levy, B NEWMAN – The fascinating life of the legendary superstar.

Pretty in Plaid: A Memoir Jen Lancaster, B LANCASTER – Think “David Sedaris with pearls and a supercute handbag.”

Red Princess: A Revolutionary Life B DOLGOROUKY, Sofka Zinovieff – Born in St. Petersburg in 1907, Princess Sophy Dolgorouky’s early life was one of privilege, but ten years later, her family fled to England and then to Paris.

Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World Mary Pipher, B PIPHER – The author of Reviving Ophelia explores her own life story and the lessons she has learned.

Somewhere Towards the End Diana Athill, B ATHILL – The 91-year-old author relates candidly the condition of being old — both the losses and gains.

Through It All: Reflections on My Life, My Family, and My Faith Christine King Farris, B FARRIS – The only sister of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. relates her memories of growing up, family life and her revered brother.

The Ties That Bind: A Memoir of Race, Memory and Redemption Bertice Berry, B BERRY – The author presents a reflective history of her family that encompasses both pain and hope.

Trailblazer: An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin Lorenzo Benet, B PALIN – An up-close view of the vice-presidential nominee from an assistant-editor of People magazine.

The Urban Hermit Sam MacDonald, B MACDONALD – Faced with the truth that both his debts and waistline were out of control, the author devised a plan to change his life.

The Yankee Years Joe Torre and Tom Verducci, B TORRE – The noted manager took the Yankees, once again, to the playoffs and the World Series. What did it take to keep the Yankees on the top of the baseball world?

New Books on CD – May 2009

Richelle

Abraham Lincoln: The American Presidents George S. McGovern, CD B LINCOLN – The U.S. senator and presidential candidate presents an inspiring view of the 16th president.

Acing the Interview Tony Beshara, CD 650.144 BES – Candid advice on dealing with the stressful job interview.

Agincourt Bernard Cornwell, CD F COR – During the Hundred Years War, on October 25, 1415, 6,000 English troops defeated a French brigade of 36,000 men.

The Book of Unholy Mischief Elle Newmark, CD F NEW – In Venice, 1498, rumors abound about an ancient book that holds the secrets to unimaginable power.

The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama Gwen Ifill, CD 973.932 IFI – A look at contemporary politics and the impact of Barack Obama’s rise to political power.

Buyology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy Martin Lindstrom, CD 658.831 LIN – A look at the persuasive strategies that work in regard to branding, marketing, advertising and packaging.

A Darker Place Jack Higgins, CD F HIG – Famous Russian writer Alexander Kurbsky decides he wants to “disappear” into the West.

Enough Already: Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You Peter Walsh, CD 646.7 WAL 2009 – How to deal with the overwhelming “stuff” in our lives.

The Forever War Dexter Filkins, CD 956.7044 FIL – A portrait of the Taliban, the 9/11 events, and the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Heart and Soul Maeve Binchy, CD F BIN – The stories of family, friends, patients and staff from a community heart clinic caught between the old and the new Ireland.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford, CD F FOR – Henry Lee recalls his coming-of-age during World War II and his Japanese girlfriend who was sent to the internment camps.

Intuitive Eating Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, CD 613,25 RES – Get off the roller coaster of chronic dieting and heal your relationship with food.

The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America Steven Johnson, CD B PRIESTLY – A look at the contributions of Joseph Priestly and his influence on the American founding fathers.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon David Grann, CD 918.1 GRA 2009 – A mystery that reaches back centuries and an explorer’s sensational disappearance are featured in this tale of death and madness.

The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter, and the Town That Raised Them Amy Dickinson, CD B DICKINSON – The syndicated advice columnist shares her mistakes and the remarkable story of the wonderful influence of the women from her hometown.

Mounting Fears Stuart Woods, CD F WOO – President Will Lee’s vice president just died in surgery and the new nominee may not be as innocent as once believed.

Nathan Hale: The Life and Death of America’s First Spy M. William Phelps, CD B HALE – The life of the famous patriot whose last words were: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

No Limits: The Will to Succeed Michael Phelps, CD B PHELPS – The swimmer talks about his remarkable success at the Olympic Games.

The Num3rati Stephen Baker, CD 303.483 BAK – Each individual’s digital and electronic transactions are being used by corporations and politicians to transform everyday experiences.

The School of Essential Ingredients Erica Bauermeister, CD F BAU – Once a month, eight students gather in Lillian’s restaurant for a cooking class. Each wants to learn the art of cooking, but each one is looking for a recipe for something beyond the kitchen.

The Silent Man Alex Berenson, CD F BER – CIA agent John Wells thought he had reached his limit, but he is not at all prepared for what is about to happen.

Still Alice Lisa Genova, CD F GEN – Alice, in the prime of her life, finds herself in a desperate battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon Nick Trout, CD 636.089 TRO – The humor and heartache that animals bring to their owners.

Terminal Freeze Lincoln Child, CD F CHI – Scientists unearth an enormous ancient animal in the upper reaches of Alaska, but is it really dead?

Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief James M. McPherson, CD B LINCOLN – The Civil War Scholar discusses how the current responsibilities of the American President were outlined by Abraham Lincoln.

Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Signficance Tony Dungy, CD 170.44 DUN – The noted football coach discusses what is really important in each person’s life.

Very Valentine Adriana Trigiani, CD F TRI – The beginning of a new trilogy by the popular author, features the dynamics of the Roncalli and Angelini families in Manhattan and Italy.

What I Did for Love Susan Elizabeth Phillips, CD F PHI – A crazy night in Vegas leads to an all-for-show marriage for down-on-her-luck Georgie York.

The White Tiger Aravind Adiga, CD F ADI – Servant, philosopher, entrepreneur, and murderer, Balram Halwai is a very complex individual.

The Yankee Years Joe Torre and Tom Verducci, CD B TORRE – What did it take to keep the Yankees on the top of the baseball world?