13 Things That Don’t Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time Michael Brooks, 502 BRO 2008 – A look at the frontiers of science where there may be breakthroughs in the near future.

An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith Barbara Brown Taylor, 248.4 TAY 2009 – A noted author and Episcopal priest discovers the sacred in the small things we do and see.

A Comrade Lost and Found: A Beijing Story Jan Wong, 951 WON 2009 – As a foreign student in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution, the author was asked by a young woman about getting into the United States. To her lasting regret, Wong turned her into the authorities.

Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Seth Shotak, 576.8 SHO 2009 – The senior astronomer at the SETI Institute pits scientific truth against speculation and delivers some important news on the current state of our knowledge.

The Gamble: General David Petraeus and the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2006-2008 Thomas E. Ricks, 956.7044 RIC 2009 – The author of Fiasco recounts the inside story of the Iraq war since late 2005 and the launching of the surge strategy.

The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World Largest Unsolved Art Theft Ulrich Boser, 364.162 BOS 2008 – Shortly after midnight on March 18, 1990, two men broke into the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and committed the largest art heist in history. The mystery is still unsolved.

The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court Cliff Sloan and David McKean, 347.73 SLO 2009 – The power of the Supreme Court was established as John Marshall laid the cornerstone of the distinctive American rule of law in the case of Marbury v. Madison.

How God Changes Your Brain: Breakthrough Findings from a Leading Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, 612.8 NEW 2009 – Based on evidence culled from brain-scan studies, and other research, the authors have concluded that positive spiritual belief changes the human brain for the better.

How We Decide Jonah Lehrer, 153.83 LEH 2009 – How does the human mind make decisions? How can we make those decisions better?

Lucy’s Legacy: The Quest for Human Origins Donald C. Johanson, 569.9 JOH 2009 – Groundbreaking discoveries that are transforming our understanding of how humans have evolved.

The Madness of March: Bonding and Betting with the Boys in Las Vegas Alan Jay Zaremba, 796.323 ZAR 2009 – And you thought the madness was on the basketball court.

Madness Under the Royal Palms: Love and Death Behind the Gates of Palm Beach Laurence Leamer, 305.5234 LEA 2009 – An inside look at an exclusive enclave of wealth and privilege.

No Angel: My Harrowing Undercover Journey to the Inner Circle of the Hells Angels Jay Dobyns and Nils Johnson-Shelton, 364.106 DOB 2009 – The author was the first federal agent to infiltrate the inner circle of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English John McWhorter, 420.9 MCW 2009 – Hundreds of years of fascinating language lore is found in this lively history of the English language.

Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell and Tom Howes, 986.1 GON 2009 – Three American contractors crash-landed in the jungle of Colombia and became prisoners of the terrorist group, FARC, for over five years.

Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line Martha A. Sandweiss, 305.896 SAN 2009 – The noted 19th century scientist, Clarence King, led a double life: as a white explorer and geologist and as a black Pullman porter and steelworker named James Todd.

The Persian Night: Iran Under the Khomeinist Revolution Amir Taheri, 955.054 TAH 2009 – Who really rules Iran? A look at one of the most secretive regimes in the world traces the historical, religious, cultural, and political roots of the current power structure.

Plain, Honest Men: The Making of the American Constitution Richard Beeman, 973.313 BEE 2009 – The title comes from a quote by Pennsylvania delegate Robert Morris as he describes the summer of 1787 and their work to form a radically new form of government.

Practicing Catholic James Carroll, 282 CAR 2009 – The author recounts his own personal story as a young priest and discusses the transformation of the Catholic Church.

A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green Thomas Cahill, 364.66 CAH 2009 – Imprisoned on death row for his role in a fatal shooting during a robbery, 18-year-old Green was transformed by the time of his execution at the age of 30.

Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance Tony Dungy, 170.44 DUN 2009 – The noted football coach discusses what is really important in each person’s life.

Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa R.A. Scotti, 759.5 SCO 2009 – On August 21, 1911, the unthinkable happened — the Mona Lisa vanished from the Louvre. The theft captured the imagination of the world. Here’s the story.

Vicksburg 1863 Winston Groom, 973.7 GRO 2009 – The important Battle of Vicksburg permanently turned the tide of the Civil War. An engrossing narrative.

Where Our Food Comes From: Retracing Nikolay Vavilov’s Quest to End Famine Gary Paul Nabhan, 581.632 NAB 2009 – A pioneer in the effort to buffer humankind against widespread famine was imprisoned by Stalin. The author tells this extraordinary story along with his own efforts to ensure that the seeds which are the future of our food are preserved.

Wired for War: The Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century P. W. Singer, 355.020112 SIN 2009 – What happens when science fiction starts to become reality on the battlefield?

You Are Here: A Portable History of the Universe Christopher Potter, 523.1 LYO 2009 – The life of the universe, now 13.7 billion years old.

Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life Kathleen Norris – What is acedia? Ruminations from a noted author.

American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, The Birth of Hollywood, and the Crime of the Century Howard Blum – On the morning of October 1, 1910 the Los Angeles Times Building was bombed. This was a prelude to the devastation to come.

The Anglo Files: A Field Guide to the British Sarah Lyall – As a young reporter for The New York Times, the author moved to London and began a chronicle of her adopted country.

Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk about Change in the Church and the Quest for MeaningKerry Kennedy – The daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy relates the importance of faith and showcases the thoughts of other Americans.

The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics Leonard Susskind – What is the true nature of black holes? Is our understanding of the entire universe at stake?

China: Getting Rich First Duncan Hewitt – Is it possible for the new China to reconcile its ancient past with the new dreams of modernization and globalization?

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the WorldVicki Myron with Bret Witter –How is possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save an American town, and become famous around the world?

Emotional Awareness: Overcoming the Obstacles to Psychological Balance and Compassion A Conversation Between the Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman – A remarkable exchange that delves into the nature of our emotional lives from the perspectives of science and spirituality.

Empires of the Sea: The Siege of Malta, the Battle of Lepanto, and the Contest for the Center of the World Roger Crowley – In 1521, Suleiman the Magnificent sent an invasion fleet to the Christian island of Rhodes. This was the opening shot in the struggle between rival empires and faiths for control of the Mediterranean.

The First Billion Is the Hardest T. Boone Pickens – At the age of 68, down and out, Pickens turned his remaining investment funds of $3 million into $8 billion in profit. Now, at age 80, he explains what he believes will be the future of energy in America.

Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar Paul Theroux – The prolific and noted author of travel narratives describes his recent journey through Asia.

Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men Michael Kimmel – A look at the cultural and social world of young men through the years between 16 and 26.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution—and How It Can Renew America Thomas L. Friedman – The noted author of The World Is Flat takes a look at America’s loss of focus and the global environmental situation and how these two problems are linked.

The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington Jennet Conant – The story of the British spies who infiltrated the upper echelons of Washington during the early days of World War II.

The Last Undercover: The True Story of an FBI Agent’s Dangerous Dance with Evil Bob Hamer – Posing as everything from a drug dealer to an aging pedophile, the author describes his life as an undercover agent.

The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism Andrew J. Bacevich – The author identifies a triple crisis that confronts America and offers solutions to cope realistically with the future.

Moral Clarity: A Guide for Grown-Up IdealistsSusan Neiman – How is moral philosophy relevant to everyday life? The author presents a philosophical framework for forming clear opinions and taking responsible actions on today’s questions.

Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life Wynton Marsalis with Geoffrey C. Ward – The award-winning musician relates the lessons he has learned from jazz that can help move us all to higher ground.

The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment that Transformed Their Lives Cheryl Jarvis – The author bought a beautiful, expensive necklace along with twelve other women who agreed to share it equally throughout the year. Here’s their story.

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein – The authors demonstrate how “choice architecture” can be established to help individuals be nudged in beneficial directions, rather than to make those choices that make us poorer and less healthy.

A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East Kenneth M. Pollack – A leading Middle East policy analyst advises a more realistic and cohesive approach to the Arab world.

Poisoned Profits: The Toxic Assault on Our Children Philip Shabecoff and Alice Shabecoff – The authors’ research links current rise in childhood disease to industrial toxins that are found both outside and in everyday products.

The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation Marian Wright Edelman – The founder of the Children’s Defense Fund calls on Americans to create a better world for all of our children.

Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief James M. McPherson – With virtually no military experience, President Lincoln emerged as the greatest commander in chief in American history.

The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do Peg Tyre – Struggling throughout elementary and secondary school, boys now account for less than 43% of those enrolled in college.

Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip—Confessions of a Cynical Waiter Steve Dublanica – An inside look at a waiter’s life at an upscale New York restaurant.

The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008 Bob Woodward – The author’s fourth book about the Bush administration takes the reader through the highest levels of decision-making at the White House, Pentagon and State Department.

Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy Eric G. Wilson – Are Americans addicted to happiness? Are we supposed to always be happy?

April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America Michael Eric Dyson – A review of the impact of the death of the leader whose last speech ended with, “I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people will get to the Promised Land.”

Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism Kevin Phillips – Has the financial sector hijacked the American economy and put the country’s future at risk?

Bastard Tongues: A Trailblazing Linguist Finds Clues to Our Common Humanity in the World’s Lowliest Languages Derek Bickerton – The firsthand story of the scientific investigation of what language is, how it works, and how it passes from generation to generation.

The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest Dan Buettner – The author relates nine lessons that can help individuals have a longer life.

Cancer on Five Dollars a Day* (*Chemo Not Included) How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life Robert Schimmel – A stand-up comedian is confronted with stage III non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The Candy Bombers: The Untold Story of the Berlin Airlift and America’s Finest Hour Andrei Cherny – The saga of the men who made the Berlin Airlift a great military and humanitarian success.

The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage Alexandra Harney – How can China offer low prices on goods to the rest of the world?

Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob Bob Delaney – Currently an NBA referee, the author relates his tale as an undercover agent who infiltrated the New Jersey Mob.

Forward from Here: Leaving Middle Age—and Other Unexpected Adventures  Reeve Lindbergh – As the author turns sixty, she reflects on what her mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, once described as “the youth of old age.”

The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live In Hugh Kennedy – A readable history of the Islamic expansion that created an empire from Spain to China.

Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and the Journey of a Generation Sheila Weller – Although these three women were the musical representatives of the girls who came of age in the 1960s, each artist is portrayed individually.

Havanas in Camelot: Personal Essays William Styron – A collection of the late author’s essays including the title essay about the cigar smoking President Kennedy.

Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of CivilizationNicholas Baker – A wide-ranging chronological look at the political and social landscape that gave rise to World War II .

In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams Tahir Shah – Tahir travels across Morocco and collects traditional stories and reveals the layers of culture of which most visitors are unaware.

Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation Cokie Roberts – The story of early America’s influential women and their public roles and private responsibilities.

Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America’s Tradition of Religious Equality Martha C. Nussbaum – Is the legacy of religious freedom that was a triumph of early American history in danger?

Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands Michael Chabon – Essays celebrating the creativity and verve of various authors and literary traditions.

Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope Don Van Ryn – From a national news case, the story of two families whose daughters were misidentified and one was buried under the wrong name.

Pure Goldwater John W. Dean and Barry M. Goldwater, Jr. – The writings of the presidential candidate and an early leader of the conservative movement.

Reappraisals: Reflections on the Forgotten Twentieth Century Tony Judt – Today’s world is so unlike the world of even 20 years ago that we are now part of an “age of forgetting.”

Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-45 Max Hastings – The final year of the Pacific war by a notable author.

Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death Irvin D. Yalom – An encouraging approach to the universal issue of mortality.

The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments George Johnson – Ten of the most fascinating experiments in the history of science are depicted by the New York Times science writer.

Time Bandit: Two Brothers, the Bering Sea and One of the World’s Deadliest Jobs Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand – Fishing in the Bering Sea is a lucrative, but deadly occupation. Two of the masters of this trade have been the focus of TV’s Deadliest Catch and relate the background story of their life’s work.

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle: The Story of an African Childhood Robyn Scott – When the author was 7-years-old, her family decided to move from New Zealand to a converted cowshed in rural Botswana.

Uncertain Peril: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds Claire Hope Cummings – The stories behind the rise of industrial agriculture and plant biotechnology are related along with a description of the Arctic Doomsday Vault that houses millions of seeds.

The World that Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square Ned Sublette – The remarkable tale of the New Orleans’ first century.

Ad Infinitum: A Biography of Latin Nicholas Ostler – An examination of the one constant in the cultural history of the west for over two thousand years.

America 1908: The Dawn of Flight, the Race to the Pole, The Invention of the Model T and the Making of a Modern Nation Jim Rasenberger – Life in America a century ago.

American Crescent: A Muslim Cleric on the Power of His Faith, and the Struggle against Prejudice, and the Future of Islam and America Hassan Qazwini – The author reviews the tenets of Islam and defends it as a faith of peace and diversity.

Boom! Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the ‘60’s and Today Tom Brokaw – The author of The Greatest Generation gives us another portrait of a defining era in American history.

Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship David Fleming – The author recounts the story of how the Pottsville Maroons, a semi-pro football team from the heart of Pennsylvania coal country, was stripped of its championship title.

Children at Play: An American History Howard P. Churdacoff – A fascinating study of the changes throughout American history of children at play and what it tells us about ourselves.

Copernicus’ Secret: How the Scientific Revolution Began Jack Repcheck – The story behind the publication of Copernicus’ masterwork that changed humanity’s view of the cosmos.

Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed Are Tearing America Apart Patrick J. Buchanan – The author asks the question as to whether the America we know will be able to survive.

The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography from the Revolution to the First World War Graham Robb – The story of the remarkable country of France during a tumultuous century.

The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman Nancy Marie Brown – Five hundred years before Columbus, a Viking woman named Gudrid sailed off the edge of the known world.

The Ghost Mountain Boys: Their Epic March and the Terrifying Battle for New Guinea—The Forgotten War of the South Pacific James Campbell – In 1942, the 32nd Division’s Ghost Mountain Boys were assigned the most grueling mission of the entire Pacific campaign.

Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It’s Not Bad to Be Good Wendy Shalit – The author reports on the young women who are rebelling against the current state of teen fashion.

It’s Not About the Hair: And Other Certainties of Life and Cancer Debra Jarvis – An illuminating look at surviving adversity and living through illness and life.

Heroes: From Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar to Churchill and De Gaulle Paul Johnson – An intriguing examination of heroes throughout the centuries that include not only Abraham Lincoln and Joan of Arc, but also Marilyn Monroe and Ludwig Wittgenstein.

Independents Day: Awakening the American Spirit Lou Dobbs – What has happened to America?

Leading Ladies: American Trailblazers Kay Bailey Hutchison – Sixty-three pioneers in many fields of endeavor are illuminated by the first woman senator elected from the state of Texas.

The Living Cosmos: Our Search for Life in the Universe Chris Impey – The fast growing field of astrobiology is depicted in this study that looks at where it’s going, and what it’s likely to find.

Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible Douglas Farah and Stephen Braun – Who is the immensely wealthy and powerful arms dealer who has flooded Africa and Southeast Asia with weapons of war?

The Power of Body Language: How to Succeed in Every Business and Social Encounter Tonya Reiman – Learn what others are saying to you without using words.

The Secret History of the War on Cancer Devra Davis – The official war on cancer has focused on treatment rather than concentrating on the preventable aspects of cancer. Written by a leading researcher from the University of Pittsburgh.

See You in a Hundred Years: Four Seasons in Forgotten America Logan Ward – The author and his wife travel back in time to live the life of a farming family in rural Virginia, 1900.

Shadow Warriors: The Untold Story of Traitors, Saboteurs, and the Party of Surrender Kenneth R. Timmerman – What happens behind the scenes of governmental agencies such as the CIA and the State Department?

Soldier’s Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point Elizabeth D. Samet – What does literature mean to cadets who are preparing to fight a war? The author’s former students also relate what books and movies are meaningful to them after returning from Iraq.

The Terror Dream: Fear and Fantasy in Post- 9/11 America Susan Faludi – An examination of the country’s psychological response to assault of 9/11.

The Ultimate Battle: Okinawa 1945—The Last Epic Struggle of World War II Bill Sloan – The story of the last great clash of World War II which resulted in the deaths of at least 115,000 soldiers, sailors, and airmen from both the United States and Japan.

What’s the Matter with California: Cultural Rumbles from the Golden State and Why the Rest of Us Should Be Shaking Jack Cashill – An intriguing look at the cultural landscape of California.