[bksvol-discuss] New Nonfiction

From: "Jamie Yates, CPhT" <mirxtech@xxxxxxxxx>
To: Bookshare Volunteers <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:44:27 -0400
Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard
by Chip Heath
Published 2010 by Broadway Business
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780385528757
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Combining psychology, sociology, management, and case studies, the authors
of "Made to Stick" tell stories of people and organizations who have
successfully implemented significant changes--even when change is hard. Why
is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities,
and in our own lives?
The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, say Chip
and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller "Made to
Stick." Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two
different systems--the rational mind and the emotional mind--that compete
for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind
wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work;
the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension
can doom a change effort--but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.
In "Switch, " the Heaths show how everyday people--employees and managers,
parents and nurses--have united both minds and, as a result, achieved
dramatic results:
● The lowly medical interns who managed to defeat an entrenched, decades-old
medical practice that was endangering patients.
● The home-organizing guru who developed a simple technique for overcoming
the dread of housekeeping.
● The manager who transformed a lackadaisical customer-support team into
service zealots by "removing" a standard tool of customer service
In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades
of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to
shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. "Switch "shows
that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the
changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world
or changing your waistline.
Publishers Weekly 01/04/2010
The Heath brothers (coauthors of "Made to Stick") address motivating
employees, family members, and ourselves in their analysis of why we too
often fear change. Change is not inherently frightening, but our ability to
alter our habits can be complicated by the disjunction between our rational
and irrational minds: the self that wants to be swimsuit-season ready and
the self that acquiesces to another slice of cake anyway. The trick is to
find the balance between our powerful drives and our reason. The authors'
lessons are backed up by anecdotes that deal with such things as new methods
used to reform abusive parents, the revitalization of a dying South Dakota
town, and the rebranding of megastore Target. Through these lively examples,
the Heaths speak energetically and encouragingly on how to modify our
behaviors and businesses. This clever discussion is an entertaining and
educational must-read for executives and for ordinary citizens looking to
get out of a rut. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.


Giving Church Another Chance: Finding New Meaning in Spiritual Practices
by Todd D Hunter
Published 2010 by IVP Books
Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780830837489
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Hunter found himself disillusioned, burned out, and needing to drop out of
traditional forms of church. He experimented with house churches and other
options but was still dissatisfied. This is his story of how he finds his
way back to the historic practices of the church.
Publishers Weekly 01/11/2010
Hunter ("Christianity Beyond Belief") sought God in many churches, from the
United Methodist Church of his youth through contemporary fundamentalism to
Vineyard, then emerging churches, and finally the Anglican Church. He
discovered that the genuine Christian spirituality youve been dreaming of is
possible by repracticing the spiritual routines of church. Hunter
investigates nine church practicesattendance, prelude, doxology, scripture
reading, sermons, liturgy, offering, communion, benedictionas a launching
pad to life. He avoids lengthy theological dissection of each practice,
instead sharing how each can point to real and lasting life in Jesus. His
words ring true for those tired of church as usual, who want to take Jesus
outside the doors but arent sure why or how. Hunter advocates church for
spiritual nourishment, but hes also about applying church practices to the
heart, then flinging open the church doors to help the world. Hunter
describes repracticing communion as changing Eucharist as a "noun" to
Eucharist as a "verb". That linguistic transformation exactly conveys his
exciting premise for all church practices. "(Mar.) " Copyright 2010 Reed
Business Information.


The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can't Find Good Black Men
by Jimi Izrael
Published 2010 by St. Martin's Press
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780312534851
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
""Sisters decry the shortage of good men and say there is no way she is
settling for less than a good Black man. Not just a good one, but the BEST
one: Denzel Washington. She, of course, has no idea what that means, what
she wants or what a good Black man truly looks like." -from The Denzel
Principle""The Denzel Principle" is the belief that the perfect man--in the
form of Denzel Washington--actually exists off screen and that all Black
women can snag a Denzel of their very own.So what does your very own Denzel
look like? Well, he's rich but earthy, handsome but not pretty, doting but
not docile, tough but vulnerable, political but not radical, passionate but
not hysterical, ambitious but not overbearing, well-read but not nerdy,
manly but not macho, gentle but not feminine, Black but not militant, sexy
but not solicitous, flirtatious but particular...and all that on cue and in
proper measure.Award winning reporter and cultural critic, jimi izrael
offers to set the record straight - from a regular guy's point of view. The
Denzel Principle is straight talk on everything from "Ways Women Can Break
the Hold of the Dizzle," "Ways to Attract Mr. Right," to "Ten Reasons to
Love Ordinary Black Men" and so much more.



Courting Disaster: How the CIA Kept America Safe and How Barack Obama Is
Inviting the Next Attack
by Marc A Thiessen
Published 2010 by Regnery Publishing
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781596986039
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:



Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal
Responsibility
by David M Walker
Published 2010 by Random House
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781400068609
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
He's one of America's most capable, canny, candid, and independent financial
experts. Now David M. Walker sounds a call to action. Comeback America is a
tough-minded, innovative, inspiring guide to help us avoid the approaching
economic abyss and put the country back on track again.
As comptroller general of the United States and head of the Government
Accountability Office (GAO)--"the nation's top auditor"--Walker warned
Congress and the administration as the federal surplus became a giant
deficit under George W. Bush. As president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson
Foundation, he now works full-time to raise public awareness regarding
mounting debt burdens being imposed on future generations. Comeback America
is his crucial manifesto, a way for President Obama to end out-of-control
government spending and reform our tax, retirement, health care, defense,
and other systems--before it's too late.
Walker believes that by 2030, absent significant reforms to current
government programs and policies, federal taxes could double from current
levels, meaning less money and poorer education for kids--which will hurt
families along with our nation's economic strength and position in the
world. If our foreign creditors--such as China--decide to buy fewer of our
Treasury bonds, interest rates will rise and cars and homes will become less
affordable.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Comeback America shows how we can return
to our founding principles of fiscal responsibility and stewardship for
future generations. The book includes bold ideas to control spending, save
Social Security, dramatically alter Medicare, and simplify the tax code--all
taking into account the Obama Administration's current efforts, which
receive never-before-published assessments both complimentary and critical.
Nonpartisan, nonideological, and filled with a love of the country its
esteemed author has spent his life serving, Comeback America is a book for
anyone interested in America's economic future--in other words, a book
everyone should read.
Publisher's Marketing Text:
He's one of America's most capable, canny, candid, and independent financial
experts. Now David M. Walker sounds a call to action. Comeback America is a
tough-minded, innovative, inspiring guide to help us avoid the approaching
economic abyss and put the country back on track again.
As comptroller general of the United States and head of the Government
Accountability Office (GAO)--"the nation's top auditor"--Walker warned
Congress and the administration as the federal surplus became a giant
deficit under George W. Bush. As president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson
Foundation, he now works full-time to raise public awareness regarding
mounting debt burdens being imposed on future generations. Comeback America
is his crucial manifesto, a way for President Obama to end out-of-control
government spending and reform our tax, retirement, health care, defense,
and other systems--before it's too late.
Walker believes that by 2030, absent significant reforms to current
government programs and policies, federal taxes could double from current
levels, meaning less money and poorer education for kids--which will hurt
families along with our nation's economic strength and position in the
world. If our foreign creditors--such as China--decide to buy fewer of our
Treasury bonds, interest rates will rise and cars and homes will become less
affordable.
But it doesn't have to be that way. Comeback America shows how we can return
to our founding principles of fiscal responsibility and stewardship for
future generations. The book includes bold ideas to control spending, save
Social Security, dramatically alter Medicare, and simplify the tax code--all
taking into account the Obama Administration's current efforts, which
receive never-before-published assessments both complimentary and critical.
Nonpartisan, nonideological, and filled with a love of the country its
esteemed author has spent his life serving, Comeback America is a book for
anyone interested in America's economic future--in other words, a book
everyone should read.


The Decision Tree: Taking Control of Your Health in the New Era of
Personalized Medicine
by Thomas Goetz
Published 2010 by Rodale Press
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781605297293
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
In this thoughtful, groundbreaking work, Goetz proposes a new strategy for
thinking about health, one that applies cutting-edge technology and sound
science to put people at the center of the equation. In "The Decision Tree,"
Thomas Goetz proposes a new strategy for thinking about health, one that
applies cutting-edge technology and sound science to put us at the center of
the equation. An individual's Decision Tree begins with genomics, where $400
and a test tube of spit provides a peek at how your DNA influences your
health. It taps self-monitoring and collaborative health tools, where iPhone
applications and next-generation monitoring gadgets can help individuals
successfully change their behavior, once and for all. And it turns to new
screening techniques that detect diseases like cancer and diabetes far
earlier and with far better prospects for our health. Full of thoughtful,
groundbreaking reporting on the impact personalized medicine will have on
the average patient, "The Decision Tree "will show you how to take advantage
of this new frontier in health care.



Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen: Recipes from the East for Health, Healing,
and Long Life
by Yuan Wang
Published 2010 by Da Capo Lifelong Books
Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780738213255
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
The ancient Asian practice of cooking with healing herbs and other
therapeutic foods meets Western palates and kitchens in these quick, easy,
delicious recipes "Ancient Wisdom, Modern Kitchen" reveals how easy it is to
tap into the 3,000-year-old secrets of the Eastern healing arts. This
entertaining and easy-to-use book provides scores of delicious recipes,
anecdotes about various herbs and foods, and all you need to know about
acquiring ingredients--even if you don't know the difference between a lotus
seed and the lotus position.Highlighting "superfoods," such as goji berries,
as well as more familiar ingredients like ginger, garlic, and mint, "Ancient
Wisdom, Modern Kitchen" includes indispensible information: - An overview of
traditional Chinese medicine, herbs, and food therapy
- Details on 100 healthy Asian ingredients
- Healing recipes for common health concerns, including fatigue, menopause,
high cholesterol, weight control, and diabetes
Publishers Weekly 02/08/2010
For the uninitiated, using Chinese herbs can be intimidating. Admitting that
entering the world of traditional Chinese medicine is like learning a new
language, the three authors of this well-penned title highlight key concepts
of east Asian herbal cooking, and lucidly explain their holistic approach to
cooking. Recipes from China, Japan, and Korea, arranged by course, include
informative headnotes, ingredient variations, and notes on how the recipe
ties into Chinese medicine. While cynics may snicker at recipe titles such
as Life-Force Chicken and Mushrooms in Wine, Change-of-Pace Chicken,
Mushroom and Lotus Seed Soup, Take-A-Deep-Breath Baked Lime Apple, and
Expanding-Horizons Chrysanthemum Tea, dishes that may be more familiar to
some American cooks, such as Korean seaweed soup, Garlic Green Beans, and
pot stickers round out the offerings. A section titled Recipes for Common
Health Concerns is a must-read, and the detailed resources/suggested places
to find ingredients will get any cook well stocked for the recipes, no
matter where they live. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.


Workin' It!: Rupaul's Guide to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Style
by Rupaul
Published 2010 by It Books
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780061985836
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
More than just a style guide, this is a navigation system through the bumpy
road of life. Let RuPaul teach you the tried, tested and found true
techniques that will propel you from background player to shining star! No
more playing small, your time is now! "Workin' It!" will provide helpful and
provocative tips on fashion, beauty, style and confidence for girls and
boys, straight and gay - and everyone in between! No one knows more about
life, self-expression and style than RuPaul! With photos by Mathu Andersen
from the new season of RuPaul's Drag Race and a fresh look at style and
inner beauty, "Workin' It!" will pick up where the show leaves off. The book
will be as colourful, fun, and intriguing as RuPaul, with insights into
makeup, clothing choices and the illusion of drag. Fans of RuPaul will get
piece of Ru's philosophy on style and attitude - and how it's more than the
clothes that make the man, or woman! With four colour photos throughout and
a fresh, funky design "Workin' It!" will be the perfect guide to RuPaul -
part style guide, part confidence manifesto, and entirely fabulous!



Thank You for Firing Me!: How to Catch the Next Wave of Success After You
Lose Your Job
by Kitty Martini
Published 2010 by Sterling
Paperback, English. ISBN: 9781402769566
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Unfortunately, unemployment is on the rise--leaving many people anxious
about how to recreate themselves and renew their careers after being fired.
This fresh, funny, and smart guide will be their life saver, providing them
with the information they need to thrive even in this tight economic
environment. It will help jobseekers and prospective entrepreneurs figure
out what they really want to do next, understand the changing job market,
and find work in growth areas such as green technology. There's also advice
on retraining, freelancing and independent contracting, and Internet
marketing options, as well as a chapter devoted specifically to women.
Personal interviews with workers who changed their lives after getting laid
off--and who are now doing what they love--offer additional inspiration.
Publishers Weekly 01/11/2010
This funny and energetic guidebook for the recently (or repeatedly) fired
from entrepreneur and comedian Martini and journalist Reed begins with a
sympathetic but no-nonsense plan for picking yourself up after youve lost a
job, and moves swiftly into the brainstorming and planning necessary to
start the nextand more satisfyingcareer. Readers are challenged to answer
the all-important question What are you passionate about? and strategize
from there with an eye to becoming a self-employed independent contractor.
Martini and Reed investigate such potential growth markets as green
industries and the Gen Y market as well as the new outcropping of
nontraditional jobs for women. Advice on finding community and places to get
help and a plethora of resources elevate this cheerful, encouraging book
into an invaluable resource. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2010 Reed Business
Information.
Publisher's Marketing Text:
Unfortunately, unemployment is on the rise--leaving many people anxious
about how to recreate themselves and renew their careers after being fired.
This fresh, funny, and smart guide will be their life saver, providing them
with the information they need to thrive even in this tight economic
environment. It will help jobseekers and prospective entrepreneurs figure
out what they really want to do next, understand the changing job market,
and find work in growth areas such as green technology. There's also advice
on retraining, freelancing and independent contracting, and Internet
marketing options, as well as a chapter devoted specifically to women.
Personal interviews with workers who changed their lives after getting laid
off--and who are now doing what they love--offer additional inspiration.


How to Defeat Your Own Clone: And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech
Revolution
by Terry D Johnson
Published 2010 by Bantam
Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780553385786
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Part fact, part fiction, this is the first survival guide to the near
bio-enhanced future. Drawing on the reality of the technology that already
exists, this work explores the theoretical, but entirely possible, outcomes
of cloning and other biotechnologies. Send in the clones! On second thought,
maybe not.
CAN IT READ MY MIND?
WILL IT BE EVIL?
HOW DO I STOP IT?
Find out the answers to these and other burning questions in this funny,
informative, and ingenious book from two bioengineering experts who show you
how to survive--and thrive--in a new age of truly weird science.
For decades, science fiction has been alerting us to the wonders and perils
of our biotech future--from the prospects of gene therapy to the pitfalls of
biological warfare. Now that future looms before us. Don't panic! This book
is all you need to prepare for the new world that awaits us, providing
indispensable cautionary advice on topics such as
- bioenhancements: They're not just for cyborgs anymore.
- DNA sequencing and fingerprinting: What's scarier than the government
having your DNA on file? Try having it posted on the Internet.
- human cloning: Just like you, only stronger, smarter, and more attractive.
In other words: more dangerous.
Our future may be populated by designer babies, genetically enhanced
supersoldiers, and one (or more!) of your genetic duplicates, but all is not
lost. How to Defeat Your Own Clone is the ultimate survival guide to what
lies ahead. Just remember the first rule of engagement: Don't ever let your
clone read this book!
Publishers Weekly 11/23/2009
Whether you've dreamed of a future with easy genetic face-lifts and
chocolate-flavored broccoli or shivered from nightmares of viral warfare and
biologically enhanced Richard Simmons clones, this book will set you
straight on the facts behind genetics and cloningand keep you entertained
all the way. Humans, they say, have been practicing genetic engineering for
millennia, beginning with early agricultural practices and the domestication
of wolves and cattle. But now that scientists have sequenced the human
genome, and stem cell research offers potential cures for everything,
bioengineers Kurpinski and Johnson want to warn us away from extreme future
dystopian scenarios such as eco-collapse and ultraintelligent überclones or
a utopian paradise where Money grows on trees. Pigs fly. Your clone may have
the same DNA blueprint as you, but it won't be you.... Your younger,
stronger, healthier clone probably could defeat you in a stand-up fight, but
having read this book, you'll be prepared to outsmart it. Kurpinski and
Johnson have written a science book that is irreverent, timely, accessible,
and, best of all, compulsively readable."(Feb.)" Copyright 2009 Reed
Business Information.


Andy Warhol and the Can That Sold the World
by Gary Indiana
Published 2010 by Basic Books
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780465002337
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
After Andy Warhol unveiled "32 Soup Cans" in 1962, neither America nor the
art world would ever be the same. Indiana offers a witty and opinionated
biography of a momentous work of art--and its deeply troubled creator. 20
b&w photos. In the summer of 1962, Andy Warhol unveiled 32 Soup Cans in his
first solo exhibition at the Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles--and sent the art
world reeling. The responses ran from incredulity to outrage; the poet
Taylor Mead described the exhibition as "a brilliant slap in the face to
America." The exhibition put Warhol on the map--and transformed American
culture forever. Almost single-handedly, Warhol collapsed the centuries-old
distinction between "high" and "low" culture, and created a new and
radically modern aesthetic.In "Andy Warhol and the Can that Sold the World,"
the dazzlingly versatile critic Gary Indiana tells the story of the genesis
and impact of this iconic work of art. With energy, wit, and tremendous
perspicacity, Indiana recovers the exhilaration and controversy of the Pop
Art Revolution and the brilliant, tormented, and profoundly narcissistic
figure at its vanguard.



You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their
Impact on a Generation
by Susannah Gora
Published 2010 by Crown Publishing Group (NY)
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780307408433
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
"You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried" takes readers back to the 1980s,
interviewing key players from the Brat Pack and beyond to show how they
helped shape a generation's visions for romance, friendship, society, and
success. You can quote lines from "Sixteen Candles "("Last night at the
dancemy little brother paid a buck to see your underwear"), your iPod
playlist includes more than one song by the Psychedelic Furs and Simple
Minds, you watch "The Breakfast Club "every time it comes on cable, and you
still wish that Andie had ended up with Duckie in "Pretty in Pink." You're a
bonafide Brat Pack devotee--and you're not alone.
The films of the Brat Pack--from "Sixteen Candles "to "Say Anything"--are
some of the most watched, bestselling DVDs of all time. The landscape that
the Brat Packmemorialized--where outcasts and prom queens fall in love,
preppies and burn-outs become buds, and frosted lip gloss, skinny ties, and
exuberant optimism made us feel invincible--is rich with cultural themes and
significance, and has influenced an entire generation who still believe that
life always turns out the way it is supposed to.
"
You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried "takes us back to that era, interviewing
key players, such as Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, Judd
Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and John Cusack, and mines all the material from
the movies to the music to the way the films were made to show how they
helped shape our visions for romance, friendship, society, and success.
Publishers Weekly 01/11/2010
The phrase was coined by David Blum in the headline Hollywoods Brat Pack,
heralding his cover story for the June 10, 1985, issue of "New York"
magazine with its cover photo of Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Judd Nelson.
The label stuck, Gora notes, and extended to describe other actors: Andrew
McCarthy, Demi Moore, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall.
A former editor at "Premiere", Gora guides the reader through the creation
of the teen cinema of the 1980s, described by the American Film Institute as
the cultural phenomenon which helped make us what we are today. To recall
the era, she interviewed two dozen actors, plus the directors and producers
behind the Brat Packs memorable movies, including "The Breakfast Club",
"Fast Times at Ridgemont High", "Sixteen Candles", "Pretty in Pink", "St.
Elmos Fire" and "Ferris Buellers Day Off". As Gora sees it, The films
changed the way many young people looked at everything from class
distinction to friendship, from love and sex to fashion and music.
Writer-director John Hughess ability to capture adolescent angst is
highlighted. The 1980s youth films maintain their popularity on TV and DVDs,
and Gora gives them near-encyclopedic, comprehensive coverage. "(Feb. 9)"
Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.


Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories
by Peter Hanson
Published 2010 by It Books
Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780061855924
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Discover the secrets of Hollywood storytelling in this fascinating
collection, in which fifty screenwriters share the inside scoop about how
they surmounted incredible odds to break into the business, how they
transformed their ideas into box-office blockbusters, how their words helped
launch the careers of major stars, and how they earned accolades and Academy
Awards. Entertaining, informative, and sometimes startling, "Tales from the
Script" features exclusive interviews with film's top wordsmiths, including
John Carpenter ("Halloween"), Nora Ephron ("Julie & Julia"), John August
("Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"), and David hayter ("Watchmen"). Read
along as: Frank Darabont explains why he sacrificed his salary to preserve
the integrity of his hard-hitting adapta-tion of Stephen King's novella "The
Mist." William Goldman reveals why he's never had any interest in directing
movies, despite having won Oscars for writing "All the President's Men" and
"Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Ron Shelton explains why he nearly cut
the spectacular speech that helped cement Kevin Costner's stardom in "Bull
Durham." Josh Friedman describes the bizarre experience of getting hired by
Steven Spielberg to adapt H. G. Wells's classic novel "War of the
Worlds"--even though Spielberg hated Friedman's take on the material. Paul
Schrader ("Taxi Driver") analyzes his legendary relationship with Martin
Scorsese. Shane Black ("Lethal Weapon") reveals why the unrelenting hype
around his multimillion-dollar script sales caused him to retreat from
public life for several years. "Tales from the Script" is a must for movie
buffs who savor behind-the-scenes stories--and a master class for all those
who dream of writing the Great American Screenplay, taught by those who made
that dream come true.


 The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls:
The Unwritten Rules of America's Pastime
by Michael Duca
Published 2010 by Pantheon Books
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780375424694
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Everyone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it
turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. What truly governs
the Major League game is a set of unwritten rules, some of which are openly
discussed (don't steal a base with a big lead late in the game), and some of
which only a minority of players are even aware of (don't cross between the
catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batter's box). In "The Baseball
Codes," old-timers and all-time greats share their insights into the game's
most hallowed--and least known--traditions. For the learned and the casual
baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining.
At the heart of this book are incredible and often hilarious stories
involving national heroes (like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays) and notorious
headhunters (like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale) in a century-long series of
confrontations over respect, honor, and the soul of the game. With "The
Baseball Codes," we see for the first time the game as it's actually played,
through the eyes of the players on the field.
With rollicking stories from the past and new perspectives on baseball's
informal rulebook, "The Baseball Codes" is a must for every fan.
Publishers Weekly 01/11/2010
Nearly as long as baseball has existed in its current form, so too have
unofficial rules that professional players have strictly adhered to. Yet as
Turnbow demonstrates in this highly entertaining read, every rule of the
code has certain variations. Most casual baseball fans are keenly aware of
many topics that Turnbow broaches, and some are universally agreed
uponhitters admiring home runs is severely frowned on, as is arguing with
ones manager in public view and being caught stealing signs. But other rules
are less cut-and-dried. On the subject of retaliating for a teammate being
hit by a pitch: some believe the pitcher should be plunked in his next
at-bat, while others say it should be a player with corresponding talent to
the hit batter. Turnbow has an example for nearly every conceivable
situation, and with quotes from dozens of former major league players,
managers, and broadcasters, the reader can better understand the actions
that can set off even the most even-tempered ball player. Its a
comprehensive, sometimes hilarious guide to perhaps a misunderstood aspect
of our national pastime, and will come in handy should one ever be involved
in a beanball war. "(Mar.) " Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.
Publisher's Marketing Text:
Everyone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it
turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. What truly governs
the Major League game is a set of unwritten rules, some of which are openly
discussed (don't steal a base with a big lead late in the game), and some of
which only a minority of players are even aware of (don't cross between the
catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batter's box). In "The Baseball
Codes," old-timers and all-time greats share their insights into the game's
most hallowed--and least known--traditions. For the learned and the casual
baseball fan alike, the result is illuminating and thoroughly entertaining.
At the heart of this book are incredible and often hilarious stories
involving national heroes (like Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays) and notorious
headhunters (like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale) in a century-long series of
confrontations over respect, honor, and the soul of the game. With "The
Baseball Codes," we see for the first time the game as it's actually played,
through the eyes of the players on the field.
With rollicking stories from the past and new perspectives on baseball's
informal rulebook, "The Baseball Codes" is a must for every fan.


Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern
History
by David Aaronovitch
Published 2010 by Riverhead Books
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781594488955
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
An absorbing, probing look at the conspiracy theories that operate on the
sidelines of history and the reasons they continue to play such a seditious
role, from an award-winning journalist.
Our age is obsessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere- from
Pearl Harbor to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of
Diana. In this age of terrorism we live in, the role of conspiracy is a
serious one, one that can fuel radical or fringe elements to violence.
For David Aaronovitch, there came a time when he started to see a pattern
among these inflammatory theories. these theories used similarly murky
methods with which to insinuA-ate their claims: they linked themselves to
the supposed conspiracies of the past (it happened then so it can happen
now); they carefully manipulated their evidence to hide its holes; they
relied on the authority of dubious acaA-demic sources. Most important, they
elevated their believers to membership of an elite- a group of people able
to see beyond lies to a higher reality. But why believe something that
entails stretching the bounds of probabilA-ity so far? Surely it is more
likely that men did actually land on the moon in 1969 than that thousands of
people were enlisted to fabricate an elaborate hoax.
In this entertaining and enlightening book -aimed at providing ammunition
for those who have found themselves at the wrong end of a conversation about
moon landings or the twin towers-Aaronovitch carefully probes and explodes a
dozen of the major conspiracy theories. In doing so, he examines why people
believe them, and makes an argument for a true skepticism: one based on a
thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.

Publisher's Marketing Text:
An absorbing, probing look at the conspiracy theories that operate on the
sidelines of history and the reasons they continue to play such a seditious
role, from an award-winning journalist.
Our age is obsessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere- from
Pearl Harbor to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of
Diana. In this age of terrorism we live in, the role of conspiracy is a
serious one, one that can fuel radical or fringe elements to violence.
For David Aaronovitch, there came a time when he started to see a pattern
among these inflammatory theories. these theories used similarly murky
methods with which to insinuA-ate their claims: they linked themselves to
the supposed conspiracies of the past (it happened then so it can happen
now); they carefully manipulated their evidence to hide its holes; they
relied on the authority of dubious acaA-demic sources. Most important, they
elevated their believers to membership of an elite- a group of people able
to see beyond lies to a higher reality. But why believe something that
entails stretching the bounds of probabilA-ity so far? Surely it is more
likely that men did actually land on the moon in 1969 than that thousands of
people were enlisted to fabricate an elaborate hoax.
In this entertaining and enlightening book -aimed at providing ammunition
for those who have found themselves at the wrong end of a conversation about
moon landings or the twin towers-Aaronovitch carefully probes and explodes a
dozen of the major conspiracy theories. In doing so, he examines why people
believe them, and makes an argument for a true skepticism: one based on a
thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.



Strange Days Indeed: The 1970s: The Golden Days of Paranoia
by Francis Wheen
Published 2010 by PublicAffairs
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781586488451
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
A dazzling and disturbing tour of the 1970s, featuring some of the least
well-balanced world leaders and would-be revolutionaries in history,
"Strange Days Indeed" is told with wit and affection. The 1970s were a theme
park of mass paranoia. "Strange Days Indeed" tells the story of the decade
when a distinctive "paranoid style" emerged and seemed to infect all areas
of both private and public life, from high politics to pop culture. The
sense of paranoia that had long fuelled the conspiracy theories of fringe
political groups then somehow became the norm for millions of ordinary
people. And to make it even trickier, a certain amount of that paranoia was
justified. Watergate showed that the governments really were doing illegal
things and then trying to cover them up.Though Nixon may have been foremost
among deluded world leaders he wasn't the only one swept up in the tide of
late night terrors. UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson was convinced that the
security services were plotting his overthrow, while many of them were
convinced he was a Soviet agent. Idi Amin and his alleged cannibalism, the
CIA's role in the Chilean coup, the Jonestown cult, the Indian state of
emergency from '75 to '77 and more are here turned into a delicious carnival
of the deranged--and an eye-opening take on an oft-derided decade--by a
brilliant writer with an acute sense of the absurd.
Publishers Weekly 01/25/2010
The 1970s is the most deranged of decades in this rollicking, lurid
retrospective. Taking Richard Nixons paranoid persecution complex as the
periods zeitgeist, "Private Eye" deputy editor Wheen ("How Mumbo Jumbo
Conquered the World") finds it everywhere. Along with an amusing rehash of
Watergate, his panorama of 70s nuttiness encompasses conspiracy theories,
Hollywood thrillers, the Baader-Meinhof gang, sci-fi novelist Philip K.
Dicks letters to the FBI denouncing his literary agent as a Communist, and
tawdry political intrigues in a Britain beset by strikes, power outages, IRA
bombings, Trotskyist dramaturgy, and coup whisperings. Anthropomorphized,
Wheen writes, the decade would be a meth-swilling vagrant waylaying
passers-by to tell them that the Archbishop of Canterbury had planted
electrodes in his brain. Wheen thinks the periods ravings were both
laughably lunatic and on to something important in a world of covert ops and
oil embargoes, but his paranoia diagnosis is too pat to fully capture the
politico-cultural chaos. Still, writing like Hunter S. Thompson might have
had he been English and sober, Wheen offers a vivid, entertaining guide to
an era of fear and loathing. "(Mar. 2)" Copyright 2010 Reed Business
Information.


Fly Fishing with Darth Vader: And Other Adventures with Evangelical
Wrestlers, Political Hitmen, and Jewish Cowboys
by Matt Labash
Published 2010 by Simon & Schuster
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9781439159972
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
In this debut collection, beloved journalist Labash chronicles the outsized
and outrageous characters who populate America's murky periphery. Matt
Labash has regularly regaled us with his incisive wit, self-deprecation, and
provocative candor. Blessed with his uncanny ability for extracting comic
humanity from even the wariest politicians, con artists, and rogues, as well
as for shedding light on the darkest corners of our American experience,
Labash is a singular talent, and "Fly Fishing with Darth Vader" for the
first time assembles his best feature writing, showcasing the true breadth
of his work.Labash's masterful profiles of the outsized and outrageous
characters who populate America's murky periphery -- Pirate Kingfish
Governor Edwin Edwards, Recovering Crackhead Mayor Marion Barry, Dirty
Trickster Roger Stone -- are published alongside devastating pieces on the
dying cities of our nation such as Detroit and New Orleans. His hilarious
tirades on the health hazards of Facebook and the virtues of dodgeball
seamlessly segue into stories celebrating such joyous but overlooked pockets
of American culture as old-timey gospel and the musicians of the Big Easy's
Second Line. He chronicles Al Sharpton's eating habits on the campaign
trail, fishes the Snake River with Dick Cheney, and investigates the "great
white waste of time" that is our neighbor to the north.Full of his signature
insight and humor and marked by Labash's trenchant grasp of the American
scoundrel, "Fly Fishing with Darth Vader" is the long-awaited debut
collection by one of the funniest and most gifted journalists writing today,
sure to be cherished and talked about for years to come.
Publishers Weekly 01/04/2010
Journalist Labash takes readers to the fringes in his portraits of people
and places outside the mainstream and, very often, beyond our ken. His
subjects are outlandish and unforgettable: take Dave Mudcat Saunders, the
hunting, cussing, NASCAR-loving political strategist who promises to deliver
the rural white vote for the Democrats. Or Kinky Friedman, the Jewish cowboy
running for governor of Texas under the campaign slogan Why the Hell Not?
His profiles of disgraced former Washington, D.C., mayor Marion Barry,
corrupt former Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards, Rev. Al Sharpton, and Vice
President Dick Cheney stand out for their affecting portrayals of the
humanity behind the larger-than-life personas. On occasion, Labash settles
for lampoon and ad hominem attacks rather that insightful critique, as in
his too-easy rant against Facebook or his mean-spirited report from the
floor of an academic conference on adult entertainment. But when he sticks
to profiling the antics of the lunatic journalists, political hacks, and
ego-loving candidates that he so clearly adores, he gives readers a real
glimpse at the strangeness and silliness that suffuse American political
life. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.


The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and
Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created Alice in Wonderland
by Jenny Woolf
Published 2010 by St. Martin's Press
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780312612986
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
"A new biography of Lewis Carroll, just in time for the release of Tim
Burton's all-star "Alice in Wonderland Lewis Carroll was brilliant,
secretive and self contradictory. He reveled in double meanings and puzzles,
in his fiction and his life. Jenny Woolf's "The Mystery of Lewis Carroll
"shines a new light on the creator of "Alice In Wonderland "and brings to
life this fascinating, but sometimes exasperating human being whom some have
tried to hide. Using rarely-seen and recently discovered sources, such as
Carroll's accounts ledger and unpublished correspondence with the "real"
Alice's family, Woolf sets Lewis Carroll firmly in the context of the
English Victorian age and answers many intriguing questions about the man
who wrote the Alice books, such as: - Was it Alice or her older sister that
caused him to break with the Liddell family? - How true is the gossip about
pedophilia and certain adult women that followed him? - How true is the
"romantic secret" which many think ruined Carroll's personal life? - Who
caused Carroll major financial trouble and why did Carroll successfully
conceal that person's identity and actions? Woolf answers these and other
questions to bring readers yet another look at one of the most elusive
English writers the world has known.



Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of Friendship
by Dwayne Raymond
Published 2010 by Harper Perennial
Paperback, English. ISBN: 9780061733598
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
In the spring of 2003, Norman Mailer, who was then eighty years old, invited
an improbable companion into his life: Dwayne Raymond, a young writer who
was waiting tables at a restaurant in Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod,
where Mailer spent most of his final years. Raymond became Mailer's aide in
all matters professional and private, assisting the Pulitzer Prize-winning
author on the four books he published during this time, including his last
novel, "The Castle in the Forest." As Raymond's responsibilities grew, so
too did his closeness to Mailer, who in turn taught him how to navigate his
own personal challenges. In this touching memoir, Dwayne Raymond presents a
loving portrait of Norman Mailer in his twilight years, depicting a quirky
and complex but achingly human man so unlike the Mailer of disquieting
legend. Beautifully written and honestly portrayed, "Mornings with Mailer"
is a personal and revealing story of a great writer, his man Friday, and
their unlikely but enduring friendship.



I Am Ozzy
by Ozzy Osbourne
Published 2010 by Grand Central Publishing
Hardcover, English. ISBN: 9780446569897
Find this book in our catalog.
Jacket Notes:
Osbourne freely admits that his dizzying life of excess should have killed
him. People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. .
. . But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first
time. "They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay:
'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But
then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he
wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies . . .' Now "me," kill
fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the f**king things at
home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the chickens. I shot
the chickens in my house that night.
It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an event.
I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty f**king years. I
survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been
accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on
a quad bike at f**king two miles per hour.
People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I
was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids
from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of
sixty, which one of us would end up with five kids and four grandkids and
houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have put money on
me, no f**king way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words,
for the first time.
A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time.
I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the "devil." I'm
just John Osbourne: a working-class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the
factory and went looking for a good time."


-- 
Jamie in Michigan

Currently Reading: Velva Jean Learns to Drive by Jennifer Niven
Earn cash for answering trivia questions every 3 hours:
http://instantcashsweepstakes.com/invitations/ref_link/49497

See everything I've read this year at: www.michiganrxtech.com/books.html
[bksvol-discuss] New Nonfiction

Other related posts:
