Join us as we explore a multitude of topics and great reads!
This Week's Book Club Selection:
Shyness: How Normal Behavior Became a Sickness by Dr. Christopher Lane. "In the 1970s, a small group of leading psychiatrists met behind closed doors and literally rewrote the book on their profession. Revising and greatly expanding the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM for short), they turned what had been a thin, spiral-bound handbook into a hefty tome. Almost overnight the number of diagnoses exploded. The result was a windfall for the pharmaceutical industry and a massive conflict of interest for psychiatry at large. This spellbinding book is the first behind-the-scenes account of what really happened and why. With unprecedented access to the American Psychiatric Association archives and previously classified memos from drug company executives, Christopher Lane unearths the disturbing truth: with little scientific justification and sometimes hilariously improbable rationales, hundreds of conditions—among them shyness—are now defined as psychiatric disorders and considered treatable with drugs." www.amazon.com
500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late: and the Very Best Places To Eat Them, by Jane and Michael Stern. "Like the population itself, our national diet is wild, iconoclastic, silly, kitschy, devil-may-care, tradition-minded, and tradition-be-damned. 500 Things to Eat is our Life List: the best of the best; the dishes every food-savvy person needs to eat. So if you haven't yet hit the road with this guidebook in your glove compartment, please "join us" and savor for yourself the memorable meals that all those silly TV food shows can only show you." —Jane & Michael Stern. Visit Roadfood.com to learn more about "The most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America."
A BitterSweet Season: Caring for Our Aging Parents - and Ourselves by Jane Gross. In telling the warmhearted story of caring for her own aged and ailing mother, New York Times journalist Jane Gross offers indispensable advice on virtually every aspect of elder care. www.amazon.com
A Box of Darkness: The Story of a Marriage by Sally Ryder Brady is a poignant memoir about a marriage that was as deep and strong as it was mysterious and complex. When Upton died suddenly, Sally Brady discovered that her husband, the love of her life, desired the love of men throughout their marriage and his lifetime. www.sallyryderbrady.com
A Governor's Story: The fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future by Jennifer Granholm and Dan Mulhern. "The economic hurt that happened across America happened first, and most brutally, in America’s manufacturing heartland: Michigan. Jennifer Granholm, the state’s first female governor, tells how one state struggled and pioneered ways out of a perfect economic storm—and offers proven advice for a nation desperate to create jobs." -- www.granholmmulhern.com
A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School by Carlotta Walls LaNier. "A Mighty Long Way is a memoir of one of the nation’s most significant civil rights battles – the integration of Arkansas’s Little Rock Central High School -- as seen through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl, who along with eight other black students, would help to alter the landscape of American education." — www.amightylongway.com
Addie of the Flint Hills: A Prairie Child During the Depression, Deborah Sorace Prutzman and Adaline Sorace. "Addie of the Flint Hills is the autobiography of a small-town American girl whose life is played out against the turbulent economic times of the 1920s and 1930s. Addie wrote this book in reaction to all the news about the economic difficulties America is facing today. She wanted her grandchildren and other members of a younger generation to know that “Today is heaven.” Addie, her parents and her grandparents lived through hard times and, almost without realizing it, built something better for themselves and their communities. Her message is one of hope for the future whatever the present circumstances may bring." – excerpt from www.AdalineSorace.com.
Am I Boring My Dog? And 99 Other Things Every Dog Wishes You Knew, by Edie Jarolim. “Edie Jarolim’s new book, AM I BORING MY DOG, addresses all sorts of questions about choosing and living with a dog. But this is no ordinary dry, informational dog book. The humorous and conversational tone makes this the most palatable dog book in ages…. [It’s] a must-have resource for anyone contemplating getting a dog, all first-time dog owners, dog professionals, and every dog-lover in general; really it’s a book for anyone who wants to do the very best for their dog.” – DogStarDaily.com. Visit Edie's blog at www.willmydoghateme.com.
An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace by Tamar Adler is a practical treatise on the value of cooking. Inspired by M. F. K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf, written in 1942 during wartime shortages, it issues an inspiring, rallying cry to home cooks. www.tamareadler.com
Another Door Opens, by Jeffrey Wands. "When a loved one dies, most of us assume the door to communication with that person has closed. Yet, in this profoundly inspiring book, Another Door Opens, Jeffrey A. Wands offers a different perception – one that suggests that a unique form of contact has opened." -- excerpt from www.jeffreywands.com.
Appetite for America: Fred Harvey and the Business of Civilizing the West - One Meal at a Time by Stephen Fried. The British-born Fred Harvey and his name stood for American hospitality for many years. In an impressive, comprehensively researched tome, Fried tells the intertwined stories of the man, his family, his company, and America. www.stephenfried.com
A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother by Janny Scott. Award-winning reporter Janny Scott has interviewed nearly 200 of Stanley Ann Dunham's friends, colleagues, and relatives, and combed through boxes of personal and professional papers, letters to friends, and photo albums, to uncover the full breadth of her inspiring and untraditional life. www.borders.com
Assisted Loving: True Tales of Doubledating with my Dad, by Bob Morris. What would you do if your eighty year old father dragged you into his hell bent hunt for new love? Bob Morris, a seriously single son, tells you all about it in this warm, witty, and whacky chronicle of a year of dating dangerously. www.assistedloving.com.
Baby, Let's Play House: Elvis Presley and the Women Who Loved Him, by Alanna Nash. Based largely on exclusive interviews with the many women who knew him in various roles—lover, sweetheart, friend, costar, and family member—Baby, Let's Play House explores Presley's love affairs as well as his friendships. The book also spotlights important early girlfriends and the women who dared to turn him down. -- from Amazon.com
Bad Girls Go Everywhere: The Life of Helen Gurley Brown, by Jennifer Scanlon. Scanlon argues in her fascinating biography that Helen Gurley Brown author of the groundbreaking best seller “Sex and the Single Girl” and Editor of Cosmopolitan Magazine for three decades changed the way modern culture views the single woman. Brown defied traditional mores to proclaim the unmarried woman's right to happiness. The first woman to publicly say there was another role available in the conservative context of the 1960s, Brown offered American women a revelation that resulted in a revolution. The first to focus on Helen Gurley Brown, Scanlon's intriguing biography accords Brown a place among the early leaders of the second wave of the feminist movement. In Bad Girls Go Everywhere, Scanlon's impressively researched portrait shows us that Helen Gurley Brown is a woman of fascinating contradictions, carving out her own unique philosophy of pragmatic feminism, a philosophy that defines the lives of millions of women today. www.oup.com.
Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace, by Ayelet Waldman. Recently featured in Newsweek Magazine as one of "Fifty Books for Our Times: What to Read Now and Why," Ms. Waldman sparked a controversy - and ended up on Oprah to defend herself - when she said that she loved her husband more than her children. Now in her memoir, Ms. Waldman answers her critics, and details her struggles with "bad mother anxiety" that so many of us can relate to. Doubleday
Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her, by Robin Gerber. The tragic and redeeming story of how one visionary woman built the biggest toy company in the world and created a global icon. www.harpercollins.com
Be a Dividend Millionaire: A Proven, Low-risk Approach That Will Generate Income for the Long Term by Paul Rubillo. "Despite the fact that they've provided 11% average annual returns over the past 80 years, dividend stocks are still a mystery to many investors. Well, wonder no more! In Be a Dividend Millionaire, Dividend.com founder Paul Rubillo will teach you everything you need to know about dividends – and how best to profit from them." — www.dividendmillionaire.com
Beauty Pays: Why Attractive People Are More Successful by Daniel S. Hamermesh. Most of us know there is a payoff to looking good, and in the quest for beauty we spend countless hours and billions of dollars on personal grooming, cosmetics, and plastic surgery. But how much better off are the better looking? Based on the evidence, quite a lot. www.facebook.com
Big Shift: Navigating the New State Beyond Midlife by Marc Freedman. With personal stories, visionary thinking, and practical advice, The Big Shift offers a new perspective to all the people entering their 40s, 50s, and 60s asking the question: What's next? www.encore.org
Breaking Through the Stained Glass Ceiling by Maureen Fiedler. Interfaith Voices host Maureen Fiedler has released the first book based on Interfaith Voices. It chronicles women of faith who are blazing a path toward full gender equality. The acceptance of women in positions of power is reaching a tipping point. Women are now heading denominations, interpreting scripture, re-imagining religious scholarship and leading worship services previously led only by men. It’s a trend that matters, not only for religion but the world at large. In this book you’ll find interviews with inspiring, thoughtful women from a spectrum of traditions, including denominational leaders, theologians, scripture scholars, feminist thinkers, peace activists, working mothers and religion journalists. www.interfaithradio.org
Brothers and Me by Donna Britt navigates Britt's life through her relationships with men-resulting in a tender, funny and heartbreaking exploration of universal issues of gender and race. It asks: Why, for so long, did Britt-like millions of seemingly self-aware women-rarely put herself first? With attuned storytelling and hard-wrought introspection, Britt finds that even the sharpest woman may need reminding that giving to others requires giving to oneself. www.donnabritt.org
Bullying Prevention and Intervention by Susan M. Swearer, Dorothy L. Espeiage, and Scott A. Napolitano. Grounded in research and extensive experience in schools, this engaging book describes practical ways to combat bullying at the school, class, and individual levels. www.Amazon.com
Chasing the Sun by Richard Cohen. In the grand tradition of the scholar-adventurer, acclaimed author Richard Cohen takes us around the world to illuminate our relationship with the star that gives us life. Whether floating in a skiff on the Ganges as the Sun descends behind the funeral pyres of Varanasi, interviewing psychologists in the Norwegian Arctic about the effects of darkness, or watching tomato seedlings in southern Spain being hair-brushed (the better to catch the Sun’s rays), Cohen tirelessly pursues his quarry. www.richard-cohen.net
Coming Out, Coming Home: Helping Families Adjust to a Gay or Lesbian Child by Dr. Michael LaSala. The discovery that a child is lesbian or gay can send shockwaves through a family. A mother will question how she's raised her son; a father will worry that his daughter will experience discrimination. From the child's perspective, gay and lesbian youth fear their families will reject them and that they will lose financial and emotional support. All in all, learning a child is gay challenges long-held views about sexuality and relationships, and the resulting uncertainty can produce feelings of anger, resentment, and concern.
Through a qualitative, multicultural study of sixty-five gay and lesbian children and their parents, Michael LaSala, a leading expert on this issue, outlines effective, practice-tested interventions for families in transition. www.comingoutcominghome.com
Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half by Steve and Annette Economides. America's Cheapest Familyshows readers how to save up to $3,000 annually on groceries with their proven strategies, tips, tools, and tricks. www.americascheapestfamily.com
Crash Into Me: A survivor's Search for Justice by Liz Seccuro. "Crash Into Me, a memoir, shares the horror of a young woman’s freshman year at the University of Virginia and how her life was forever altered. In 1984, Liz was raped after being drugged at a fraternity party that she attended with a friend. First, the local hospital didn't process rape kits and told her to drive to D.C. for help. Then, university officials insisted campus, rather than Charlottesville police handle the crime and dismissed her with condescension. Twenty-one years later, Seccuro received a letter from her rapist asking for forgiveness." -- www.lizseccuro.com
Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival, by Norman Ollestad. An 11-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a small-plane crash in a blizzard in the California mountains in 1979. Writing 30 years later, Norman Ollestad cuts back and forth between the crash and his memories of his father, who died on the mountain. Crazy for the Storm is not only the story of his survival, but of his own special relationship with his father.
Dangerous Instincts by Mary Ellen O'Toole teaches you how fear and gut feelings often fail to protect you from physical, financial, legal, and professional harm. Instead of relying on gut feelings, you’ll learn to use the SMART method, which I developed and used in the FBI, for making everyday decisions such as how to decide:
- Which neighbor will best protect the spare key to your home
- The best way to confront the parent of a bully
- The safest method for responding to a threat from another person
- How to hire a reliable and trustworthy housekeeper, babysitter or contractor
With straightforward advice that’s easy to implement, Dangerous Instincts teaches you the tools I used as a profiler to evaluate a stranger’s character, weigh the risks of a situation, and use a way of analysis to stay safe. www.maryellenotoole.com
Dating the Second Time Around: Finding Love that Lasts by Dr. Gian Gonzaga. The ultimate dating resource for those getting back into the dating scene! eHarmony Guide to Dating the Second Time Around is a one-stop guide to re-entering the dating scene. Packed with invaluable advice, including self-analysis quizzes, compatibility tests, guidance on how to create the perfect online profile and encouraging success stories, this book is an indispensable tool to make dating the second time around work for you. — Amazon.com
Don't Sing at the Table: Life Lessons from my Grandmothers by Adriana Trigiani. New York Times Bestselling author Adriana Trigiani’s gift for illuminating the profound challenges and issues defining women’s lives has propelled her novels to the top of bestseller lists and earned her a wide, devoted readership. Now, she shares the roots of those insights—the wisdom handed down to her from her unforgettable grandmothers, Lucia and Viola, which she began collecting for her own daughter—with readers everywhere.
Drunk, Stoned Brilliant Dead: the Writers and Artists Who Made The National Lampoon Insanely Great by Rick Meyerowitz. From its first issue in April, 1970, the National Lampoon blazed like a comet, defining comedy as we know it today. To create Drunk Stoned Brilliant Deadformer Lampoon illustrator Rick Meyerowitz selected the funniest material from the magazine and sought out the survivors of its first electrifying decade to gather their most revealing and outrageous stories. The result is a mind-boggling tour through the early days of an institution whose alumni left their fingerprints all over popular culture. www.rickmeyerowitz.com
Dump ‘Em: How to Break Up with ANYONE from Your BEST FRIEND to Your HAIRDRESSER, by Jodyne Speyer. Everybody has that special someone in their life that they can't wait to get rid of. Whether it's a housekeeper, a therapist, or a personal trainer, the time comes when you have to pull the plug on the relationship. Featuring personal stories, useful scripts, and interviews with experts such as Bob Harper from The Biggest Loser, funnyman Adam Carolla, and Michael Jackson's attorney, Thomas Mesereau, Dump 'Em is a practical guide for giving any bad relationship the boot. Jodyne L. Speyer provides a roadmap to finding your own way of saying "thanks, but no thanks." Written with honesty, empathy, and ruthless wit, Dump 'Em will teach you to conquer your fear of confrontation and master the art of the peaceful and permanent breakup. So what are you waiting for? Dump 'em! www.harpercollins.com
Eccentric America by Janet Friedman. "Everything in this extraordinary book is testimony to the fun that author Jan Friedman has had in its compilation. Where else would you encounter a woman who has built her business on ducks wearing diapers? Or a junk modeler legally married to one of his junk robots? Discovering eccentric characters, past and present, and putting on the map the most bizarre events that the USA can offer, Jan has put together an offbeat region-by-region guide to one of the most varied and popular holiday destinations worldwide." — www.eccentricamerica.com
Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life, by Dr. Judith Orloff. This is THE guidebook to staying positive and calm during these stressful times. Dr. Orloff presents new ways to lead a more positive and fulfilling life by facing difficult emotions and overcoming worry using self-care techniques drawn from the fields of biology, psychology and intuitive medicine. Dr. Orloff also shows us how to attract positive relationships and combat emotional vampires who can drain our energy. www.randomhouse.com
Evidence of the Afterlife: the Science of Near Death Experience, by Jeffrey Long MD, with Paul Perry. "There is currently more scientific evidence to the reality of near death experience (NDE) than there is for how to effectively treat certain forms of cancer," states radiation oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Long is his groundbreaking new book Evidence of the Afterlife. Near Death Experience Research Foundation. www.nderf.org
Excuse Me, But I was Next... How to Handle the Top 100 Manners Dilemmas, by Peggy Post.
"Etiquette expert Peggy Post comes to the rescue with an indispensable guide to our most vexing etiquette questions. Peggy addresses these perplexing dilemmas as only she can—with expertise and a direct, personal, down-to-earth style. You’ll learn how to politely say “no” to difficult requests, how to introduce someone if you’ve forgotten her name, how to perform damage control for e-mail bloopers, and much more." - excerpt from www.excuseme.emilypost.comFurious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. "From veteran entertainment reporter Sam Kashner and biographer Nancy Schoenberger comes the definitive account of the greatest Hollywood love story ever told—the romance of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Kashner has interviewed Elizabeth Taylor numerous times and is the only journalist given access to her extensive collection of personal letters and journals, and he and Schoenberger have also interviewed the Burton family at length, including Burton’s actress daughter Kate. This is truly an authorized and singularly informed biography of these two larger-than-life stars, and of their glamorous, volatile, and audacious relationship." --from www.harpercollins.com.
Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World by Stuart Diamond. "Getting More is based on Professor Diamond’s award-winning negotiations course at the Wharton Business School, where it has been the most sought-after course by students for thirteen years. It contains a powerful tool kit that can be used by anyone in any situation: with kids and jobs, travel and shopping, business, politics, relationships, cultures, partners and competitors." www.gettingmore.com
Going out in Style by Doug Keister. Elegant, full-color photographs display the grandeur of the mausoleum, documenting the work of some of America's most noted architects and in some cases the only remaining examples of a particular architect's work. Additionally, photographs of the interiors of some mausoleums show rarely seen Tiffany stained-glass windows. www.amazon.com
Haunted Eastern Shore, Ghostly Tales from East of the Chesapeake, by Mindie Burgoyne. From pitiless smugglers to reluctant brides, the ghostly figures of the Eastern Shore are at once terrifying and tragic. Mindie takes the reader through the nine counties of the Eastern Shore of Maryland, sharing stories uncovered by research gathered from over 50 books, scores of personal interviews and thousands of pages of transcribed oral commentary. www.WritingTheVision.com
Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife, Lisa Miller. "What is heaven? Eighty percent of Americans say they believe in heaven, yet very few of them can articulate anything specific about their belief. Numerous questions surrounding the concept of heaven have existed for ages, and Americans continue to grapple with these ideas. In her new book, Heaven: Our Enduring Fascination with the Afterlife (Harper; March 23, 2010; Hardcover; $25.99), Newsweek Religion editor Lisa Miller provides a groundbreaking history of the afterlife and offers a new understanding of this cherished spiritual ideal." – excerpt from www.LisaXMiller.com.
How Not to Look Old by Charla Krupp. "Forget getting older gracefully—this is the beauty and style bible every woman has been waiting for! How Not to Look Old is the first-ever cheat sheet of to-dos and fast fixes that pay-off big time—all from Charla and her friends, the best hair pros, makeup artists, designers, dermatologists, cosmetic dentists and personal shoppers in the biz." -- www.charlakrupp.com
How to Avoid Being Killed In A War Zone: The Essential Guide to Dangerous Places by Rosie Garthwaite. Whether you're a war correspondent or an aid worker, a tourist worried about an increasingly hostile world or an armchair traveler concerned that your own backyard is fast becoming a war zone, How to Avoid Being Killed in a War Zone will help you survive some of the world's most volatile environments. Well-traveled journalist Rosie Garthwaite offers practical advice drawn from her own personal experience and that of others, including many seasoned colleagues, who have worked in some of the world's most hostile regions. www.goodreads.com
Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg. "Hurry Down Sunshine tells the story of the extraordinary summer when, at the age of fifteen, Michael Greenberg’s daughter was struck mad. It begins with Sally’s sudden visionary crack-up on the streets of Greenwich Village, and continues, among other places, in the out-of-time world of a Manhattan psychiatric ward during the city’s most sweltering months." -- www.michaelgreenberg.org
In the Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time by Peter Lovenheim. With an open mind and a curious spirit, Lovenheim takes us inside the homes, minds, and hearts of his neighbors and asks a thought-provoking question: Do neighborhoods still matter—and is something lost when we live as strangers next door? www.peterlovenheim.com
In the Sanctuary of Outcasts, A memoir by Neil White. Convicted of bank fraud in 1993, Neil White was incarcerated in Carville, Louisiana in the last leper colony in the continental United States. Funny and poignant, In the Sanctuary of Outcasts is an uplifting memoir that reminds us all what matters most. Harper Collins
In the Still of the Night by Ann Rule. From true-crime legend Ann Rule comes this riveting story of a young woman whose life ended too soon — and a determined mother’s eleven-year crusade to clear her daughter’s name. www.annrules.com
It's Always Personal: Emotion in the New Workplace by Anne Kreamer. "WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME you cried at work? Or didn’t know how to respond when one of your colleagues broke down? Did someone at work blow up at you – or did you yell at a co-worker? Do you wish people where you work laughed on the job more — or less? Or didn’t exasperate you constantly? Or showed a little tact and sensitivity? Or didn’t go to such ridiculous lengths to avoid telling it like it is? Guess what? You are not alone." -- from www.annekreamer.com.
Jan’s Story: Love Lost to the Long Goodbye of Alzheimer’s by Barry Petersen. Imagine hearing these words: "She has Alzheimer's." Now imagine that "she" is vibrant, active, loving, healthy...and just 55. Acclaimed CBS News reporter Barry Petersen, writes about hearing the unimaginable: what it meant, what it still means, what he did--and didn't do--and how this beautiful love story needs to be read by the thousands of families who have already heard that same devastating diagnosis...EARLY ONSET ALZHEIMER'S. www.BarryPetersen.com
Knowing Pains: Women on Love, Sex, and Work in their 40s, edited by Molly Rosen.
Have you ever wondered how other women survived their 40s? You'll get an earful in Knowing Pains, an honest, humorous, thoughtful and diverse collection of essays by real women who aren't afraid to tell their age and tell it like it is. Sex, marriage, love, divorce, motherhood, singlehood, passion, obsession. Nothing is off-limits to this startlingly fresh group of new female voices that Molly Rosen has brought together to swap stories and compare notes on the desires, influences and events that have impacted and shaped their midlives. Collectively, they form a true picture of how real women not only survive their 40s, but thrive with dignity, courage and laughter.In honor of those affected by breast cancer, 100% of all book net proceeds will be donated to Breast Cancer Action (www.bcaction.org) to support breast cancer education and advocacy. Available through Knowing Pains (www.knowingpains.com), Amazon, Ingram, and local booksellers.
La Seduction, How the French Play the Game of Life by Elaine Sciolino. "The hidden truth about the French way of life: it’s all about seduction—its rules, its secrets, its pleasures. France is a seductive country, seductive in its elegance, its beauty, its sensual pleasures, and its joie de vivre. But Elaine Sciolino, the longtime Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, reveals that seduction is much more than a game to the French: it is the key to understanding France." — excerpt from www.elainesciolino.com.
Lay the Favorite, A Memoir of Gambling by Beth Raymer. "Lay the Favorite is the story of Beth Raymer’s years in the high-stakes, high-anxiety world of sports betting—a period that saw the fall of the local bookie and the rise of the freewheeling, unregulated offshore sports book, and with it the elevation of sports betting in popular culture."-- Random House
Leisureville, Andrew D. Blechman. "When his next-door neighbors in a quaint New England town suddenly pick up and move to a gated retirement community in Florida called 'The Villages,' Blechman is astonished by their stories, so he goes to investigate. Larger than Manhattan, with a golf course for every day of the month, two downtowns, its own newspaper, radio, and TV stations, The Villages is a city of nearly one hundred thousand (and growing), missing only one thing: children... Blechman delves into life in the senior utopia, offering a hilarious first-hand report on all its peculiarities, from ersatz nostalgia and golf-cart mania to manufactured history and the residents' surprisingly active sex life." – excerpt from www.AndrewBlechman.com.
Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives by Dr. Jim Tucker. "In this very elegant book, Dr. Tucker offers the most convincing scientific evidence for the fact that our consciousness survives physical death. And indeed, takes quantum leaps of creativity in the form of reincarnation. The model that Dr. Tucker presents opens a new vision of who we are, limitless beings that fill up all of space and time."--Deepak Chopra, author of Life After Death: The Burden of Proof.
Making the Golden Years Golden, by Eva Mor. "In today’s economy, and with the current short comings of the health system, Making the Golden Years Golden is a rich source of essential information to anyone planning ahead to his or her retirement. Reading this book will help you to establish a step-by-step plan to protect yourself from costly errors and scams, keeping you well, safe, and providing you with the knowledge to carefully invest for the years ahead." www.goldenyearsgolden.com
Making the Most of Your Money Now, Quinn’s guide to personal finance covers the usual terrain: budgeting, consumer debt, mortgages, college funds and investments. However, not every financial writer is blessed with Quinn’s charm-a blend of Pollyanna and Mary Poppins with a snappy wit thrown in-and her sensible approach to streamlining one’s financial life make this a stellar entry in the genre. —Publisher’s Weekly www.janebryantquinn.com
Man Down: Proof Beyond a Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else by Dan Abrams. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, everyone is familiar with the tired clichés: women are bad drivers and are not good with money; only guys play video games and they give bad directions. Dan Abrams tackles the toughest case of his career in Man Down. Drawing on years of legal experience and research studies, Abrams explains step-by-step why women are better than men in just about every way imaginable, from managing money to flying planes to living longer. Abrams uses his trademark charm to get his point across without opining on the issue himself. Chock-full of fun facts and conversation starters, this book may not end the debate of men versus women, but it will definitely make it more interesting. www.amazon.com, www.dan-abrams.com
MESSAGES: Signs, Visits, and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11, by Bonnie McEneaney. "Messages is a book about hope and the deep and loving connections that go well beyond the boundaries that exist between life and death. Most of the people who are certain they have known after-death communication say these experiences have given them comfort and peace. Part of the purpose of this book is to share these feelings with readers who are struggling with loss or other difficult circumstances and may also need comfort and support." -- excerpt from www.messagesbook.com.
Mom Can I Move Back In With You: A Survival Guide for Parents of Twentysomethings by Perlman Gordon and Susan Morris Shaffer. Is it OK to let your kid move back in with you because he can't seem to commit to any one career-and therefore has no paycheck coming in? What do you do when your child calls you and says that her rent is due and she needs some quick cash? Just how involved should parents be in their adult children's lives? And what do twenty-somethings actually want and need from their parents? While parents are facing an urgent need for answers, few experts are talking about the subject, and there is little conventional wisdom to draw from. In this invaluable book, Gordon and Shaffer identify the complex issues these parents are facing and offer wise and effective strategies for successfully parenting a twenty-something "kid." www.parentingroadmaps.com
Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything by Joshua Foer. "Foer's unlikely journey from chronically forgetful science journalist to U.S. Memory Champion frames a revelatory exploration of the vast, hidden impact of memory on every aspect of our lives. On average, people squander forty days annually compensating for things they've forgotten. Joshua Foer used to be one of those people. But after a year of memory training, he found himself in the finals of the U.S. Memory Championship. Even more important, Foer found a vital truth we too often forget: In every way that matters, we are the sum of our memories. Moonwalking with Einstein draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of memory, and venerabletricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human remembering." - excerpt from Google Product Search. Visit www.joshuafoer.com.
MY LIE: A True Story of False Memory by Meredith Maran. MY LIE is the story of a modern-day witch-hunt as it played out in one woman’s life and family. It’s also a tightly wound psychological, cultural, and neuroscientific portrait of a shameful time in recent American history. www.meredithmaran.com
Nextville: Amazing Places to Live the Rest of Your Life, by Barbara Corcoran. In NEXTVILLE, Barbara Corcoran identifies the top eight trends that are changing where (and how) boomers are retiring. And she helps you figure out what’s most important to you in your next place. www.BarbaraCorcoran.com
No Right to Remain Silent: The Tragedy at Virginia Tech, by Lucinda Roy.
As the former Chair of the Department of English at Virginia Tech University, Professor Roy tells the harrowing tale of her encounter with Seung-Hi Cho, who went on a killing rampage that resulted in the deaths of thirty-two students and faculty members before he ended his own life. Prof. Roy details her attempts to get help for the deeply disturbed Cho, the tragedy that unfolded, and her criticism of the University's response to it. Crown PublishingNot Quite Adults by Richard Settersten, Ph.D. and Barbara E. Ray. “Hopeful and challenging, and offering insight that will help us understand this generation,” Not Quite Adults may change everything about the conversations we have about and with teenagers and twenty-somethings. Learn the real reasons why so many young people are choosing slower paths to adulthood, and the unexpected truth—that it’s good for all of us. There are serious alarms, however, in that not everyone is doing it, or doing well at it. www.notquiteadults.com
Open Wound: The Tragic Obsession of Dr. William Beaumont by Dr. Jason Karlawish.
"I wrote this book because I think a direct line can be drawn between William Beaumont and contemporary researchers who list patents among their scientific discoveries and report the multi-million dollar tally of their grants with the same pride as when they report the results those grants produce. Open Wound is a cautionary tale about how American ambition tragically corrupts a physician’s commitment to science and a research participant’s dignity and well-being." -- Jason Karlawish -- www.jasonkarlawish.comPrevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn. Based on the groundbreaking results of a twenty-year nutritional study by Dr. Esselstyn, a preeminent researcher and clinician, this book illustrates that a plant-based, oil-free diet can not only prevent and stop the progression of heart disease but can also reverse its effects. www.heartattackproof.com
Producer, Lessons Shared from 30 Years in Television by Wendy Walker. Larry King senior executive producer Wendy Walker shares behind the scenes stories, personal insights and empowering advice from her over 30 years as a high powered series producer in this memoir. Visit Wendy Walker's facebook page.
Radio Shangri-La by Lisa Napoli. "Lisa Napoli was in the grip of a mid-life crisis when a chance encounter lead her to the adventure of a lifetime. Leaving behind her job in public radio and her life in Los Angeles, she moved to the tiny Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan to volunteer at the country's first youth radio station. Along the way, she found the world is a beautiful and complicated place, and learns to appreciate life in a way she never imagined." - from www.lisanapoli.com.
Resurrecting Anthony by Linda Cole and Tony Cole. When Linda and Tony Cole's son Anthony experienced a sudden heart attack and brain injury at the age of 12, they were overcome with grief, sorrow, and insurmountable pain. Yet more than a decade later, this family marches on together with meaning and purpose. And now the Coles are ready to share their very personal story of resurrection with you. www.ResurrectingAnthony.com
Robert Redford: The Biography, by Michael Feeney Callan. From Redford’s personal papers—journals, script notes, correspondence—and hundreds of hours of taped interviews, Michael Feeney Callan brings the legendary star into focus. Here is his scattered family background and restless childhood, his rocky start in acting, the death of his son, his star-making relationship with director Sydney Pollack, the creation of Sundance, his political activism, his artistic successes and failures, his friendships and romances. www.amazon.com
Rowing the Atlantic, Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean, by Roz Savage.
"Stuck in a corporate job rut and faced with an unraveling marriage at the age of thirty-six, Roz Savage sat down one night and wrote two versions of her own obituary -- the one that she wanted and the one she was heading for. They were very different. She realized that if she carried on as she was, she wasn't going to end up with the life she wanted. So she turned her back on an eleven-year career as a management consultant to reinvent herself as a woman of adventure. She invested her life's savings in an ocean rowboat and became the first solo woman ever to enter the Atlantic Rowing Race." Simon & SchusterSmart But Feeling Dumb: The Challenging New Research on Dyslexia — And How It May Help You, Warner Publications, by Dr. Harold Levinson.
"Every day thousands of children are labeled "dumb" or learning disabled when in fact they may actually suffer from a hidden form of dyslexia. Smart But Feeling Dumb has already helped thousands of parents with information on these disorders and Dr. Levinson's own remarkable system of treatment. Complete with the case histories and the research that led to his medical breakthrough, and totally updated, expanded, and revised to include the medical establishment's recognition of Dr. Levinson's theories, this book is the definite volume on dyslexia-and the book that shows you how you may be able to get safe, effective, immediate help for your child today." www.dyslexiaonline.comSong of Three Islands: A Story of Mental Illness in an Iconic American Family by Millicent Monks. The story of how a family with one of the most iconic names in American history survived the legacy of mental illness. www.SongOfThreeIslands.com
Soul Survivor: The Reincarnation of a WWII Fighter Pilot, by Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross. "Soul Survivor describes the case of James Leininger, a spectacular example of the phenomenon of young children who seem to remember previous lives. We are fortunate that one of our guides for the story is James' father Bruce, who approaches the situation with a critical attitude. His insistence on doubting each piece of information until it can be verified makes the eventual conclusion that James's parents reach--that he is indeed remembering the life of a deceased World War II pilot--well-earned. Anyone interested in the possibility of past-life memories, or anyone who thinks it can be easily dismissed, needs to read this book. " --Jim B. Tucker, M.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia and author of Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives.
Stalling for Time, My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator by Gary Noesner. "In Stalling for Time, Noesner takes readers on a heart-pounding tour through many of the most famous hostage crises of the past thirty years. Specially trained in non-violent confrontation and communication techniques, Noesner’s unit successfully defused many potentially volatile standoffs, but perhaps their most hard-won victory was earning the recognition and respect of their law enforcement peers." -- Random House. www.garynoesner.com
Stories in Stone by Doug Keister. This guidebook is geared for genealogists and cemetery fans. Several chapters on cemetery symbols include Flora, Fauna, Religious Symbols, Secret Societies, and Mortality Symbols. Other chapters are a guide to cemetery architecture, tomb types and a selection of unique tombs. -- www.keisterphoto.com
Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee. "Amassing stuff is normal in our materialistic culture, but for millions it reaches unhealthy levels, according to the authors of this eye-opening study of the causes of hoarding, its meaning for the hoarder, and its impact on their families. Frost, a professor of psychology at Smith College, and Steketee, dean of the social work school at Brown, gather much anecdotal material from conversations with extreme hoarders and find that for such people, intense emotional meaning is attached to so many of their possessions… even trash." www.amazon.com
Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Life by Hal Needham. Yep that's me, Hal Needham, on the cover doing a fire stunt. When you're on fire you don't dare breathe because if you do, you'll suck those flames right down your throat. I was Hollywood's highest paid stuntman so I should know. -- excerpt from Hal Needham's facebook page.
Sybil Exposed: The Extraordinary Story Behind the Famous Multiple Personality Case by Debbie Nathan. "As fascinating as the story of “Sybil”—a young woman named Shirley Mason who put multiple personality disorderon the map almost 40 years ago—is the shocking evidence that her accounts of dissociation and unspeakable abuse were a carefully crafted fabrication. In this dazzling exposé of a manipulative psychiatrist, an author who’d do anything for fame and a vulnerable girl caught in the middle, journalist Nathan reveals how these three women changed the psychiatric landscape by raising questions of identity that resonated with a generation. The result is a cautionary tale about the ways in which science, in the wrong hands, can capitalize on our collective fears." www.more.com
The Autobiography of an Execution, by David Dow, "captures the author's personal and legal experiences in representing over 100 inmates on death row. The book is a personal memoir of Dow’s encounter with the death penalty system, as he represents defendants and witnesses their executions. Dow, a former death penalty supporter, is a professor of law at the University of Houston Law Center and an internationally recognized defense attorney. He is the founder and director of the Texas Innocence Network." – excerpt from www.deathpenaltyinfo.org.
Need more info? Visit www.amazon.com.The Best of Everything after 50, The Experts' Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money, and More by Barbara Hannah Grufferman is the essential handbook to being a healthy and strong woman over 50. It combines practical girlfriend-to-girlfriend advice from me, with professional expertise from leading authorities in women’s health, nutrition, exercise, makeup, hair, fashion, finance, organization and sex. www.bestofeverythingafter50.com
The Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, by Diane MacEachern. Diane, an environmentalist, delivers a message that is simple, yet revolutionary - if women change the way they spend their money, they can help solve the environmental crisis - and protect themselves and their families too. Discover how to apply the Green Purse Shopping Principles to our busy lives, and the power women hold to make real change. www.biggreenpurse.com.
The Boomers' Guide to Going Abroad by Doris Gallan. Why Not Travel & Live Abroad? Get more for your money, go sooner and more often by planning your own travels. Here is your complete reference on what you can expect when going abroad to travel, live, give and learn. You will refer to this guide again and again. www.babyboomerstraveling.com
The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father's War, by Jan Elvin. "As a child, Jan Elvin thought very little about the tin box her father brought home from World War II. What she would soon learn was that the box had been a gift from an inmate at a German slave labor camp. Her discovery would start her on a long journey to uncover some of the fascinating and horrifying history surrounding the War, as well as a search to understand the man still haunted by its memories." www.janelvin.com
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer. "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is the story of William Kamkwamba, a young man from Malawi, who, at fourteen years old, battled through extreme poverty and hunger to build a series of windmills from scratch that could generate electricity – a luxury enjoyed by only 2 percent in Malawi." -- excerpt from www.bryanmealer.com.
The Cheapskate Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of Americans Living Happily Below Their Means by Jeff Yeager. Jeff has traveled around the country interviewing and surveying hundreds of his cheapskate brethren—people who are living happily and comfortably below their means—to discover common characteristics among cheapskates everywhere: what they buy and own, and how they work, earn, and spend their money. In his new book, Jeff reveals their strategies for spending less, saving more, and being all around happier (and sleeping soundly) while spending far less than the average American. www.UltimateCheapskate.com
Sweet Inventions: A History of Dessert by Michael Krondl captures the stories of sweet makers past and present from India, the Middle East, Italy, France, Vienna, and the United States, as author Michael Krondl meets with confectioners around the globe, savoring and exploring the dessert icons of each tradition. Readers will be tantalized by the rich history of each region’s unforgettable desserts and tempted to try their own hand at a time-honored recipe. A fascinating and rewarding read for any lover of sugar, butter, and cream, Sweet Invention embraces the pleasures of dessert while unveiling the secular, metaphysical, and even sexual uses that societies have found for it. www.sweetinvention.net
The Chocolate Wars by Deborah Cadbury. In her new book Chocolate Wars, Deborah Cadbury, a descendant of the Cadbury dynasty, chronicles her own family history to reveal the rivalries that have driven 200 years of chocolate empire-building. Deborah gives readers an insider look, fleshing out the stories around her family with her familiar competence as a best-selling historian and award-winning documentary maker. -- John Dorian, International Business Times. www.amazon.com
The Coke Machine: the Dirty Truth Behind the World's Favorite Soft Drink, by Michael Blanding. "The Coke Machine takes readers deep inside the Coca-Cola company and its international franchisees to reveal how they became the number one brand in the world, and just how far they'll go to stay there." -- excerpt from www.TheCokeMachine.com.
The Deeds of My Fathers: How My Grandfather and Father Built New York and Created the Tabloid World of Today by Paul David Pope. "Intense rivalry and Borgia-like cunning made the Pope family one of America’s wealthiest and most influential--now the descendant of the two Pope patriarchs chronicles a family whose history bestselling author Nicholas Pileggi has called “the story of the century.” — from www.TheDeedsOfMyFathers.com.
The Divine Canine by the Monks of New Skete. Obedient, devoted, and happy -- that’s what we all want our dogs to be. Let Brother Christopher and the Monks of New Skete show you how to get there through the stories of sixteen unruly dogs who came to them with more than a few lessons to learn. In this engaging and informative companion book to the hit Animal Planet series, the Monks of New Skete, renowned masters in the art of raising and training dogs, demonstrate tried and true techniques for influencing animal behavior, showing how a caring attitude and honest communication can turn any dog into a divine canine. www.amazon.com www.animal.discovery.com
The Employee Rights Handbook by Steven Sack is a comprehensive legal guide in simple English providing all the essential information workers need to protect themselves before, during and after their jobs have ended. Attorney Sack’s comprehensive, up-to-the-minute book is a first-aid kit to understanding one’s job rights, giving you the information and power to fight back, cut a deal if you are fired, and land firmly on your feet. www.TheEmployeesLawyer.com
The English American, a novel by Alison Larkin. "When Pippa Dunn, adopted as an infant and raised terribly British, discovers that her birth parents are from the American South, she finds that “culture clash” has layers of meaning she’d never imagined. Meet The English American, a fabulously funny, deeply poignant debut novel that sprang from Larkin’s autobiographical one-woman show of the same name." www.alisonlarkin.com
The Essential Guide to Prescription Drugs by Dr. James Rybacki. "You or a loved one have been diagnosed with cancer, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, etc. This list is endless—and familiar. Catastrophic illness changes your life—you are now a PATIENT. You’re juggling prescription medicines and medical tests while worrying about drug safety, side effects, FDA recalls and potentially harmful drug interactions. Take a deep breath, and I’ll help you navigate through the conflicting medical news, the latest cancer treatments, stroke and heart attack recovery options and the ever changing world of prescription drugs!" -- excerpt from www.essentialguidetoprescriptiondrugs.com.
The Girls from Ames, by Jeffrey Zaslov. Meet the Ames Girls: eleven childhood friends who formed a special bond growing up in Ames, Iowa. As young women, they moved to eight different states, yet managed to maintain an enduring friendship that would carry them through college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, a child’s illness and the mysterious death of one member of their group. Capturing their remarkable story, The Girls from Ames is a testament to the deep bonds of women as they experience life’s joys and challenges — and the power of friendship to triumph over heartbreak and unexpected tragedy.
The Girls from Ames is the story of a group of ordinary women who built an extraordinary friendship. With both universal insights and deeply personal moments, it is a book that every woman will relate to and be inspired by. www.penguingroup.com.
The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time by Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson is a humorous, insightful tale of adventure, misplaced apostrophes, and the open road. It describes how we took a two-and-a-half month drive around the United States to fix typos in public signage, toting an arsenal of typo correction that included markers, Wite-Out, and chalk—and how we were later summoned to federal court for defacing a historic sign at the Grand Canyon. www.greattypohunt.com
The House at Royal Oak: Starting Over & Rebuilding a Life one Room at a Time, by Carol Rizzoli. "Written with honesty and humor, The House at Royal Oak is a journey to the heart of what it means to start over and chase a dream. Part inspirational account of reinventing yourself at mid-life, part love story about learning what matters most in a relationship, it is above all a book about home—what it means, and the unexpected places we find it." -- excerpt from www.HouseAtRoyalOak.com.
The "I" Diet by Dr. Susan Roberts. "The "i" diet shows you how to gain control over your food instincts to lose an average of 30 pounds, feel satisfied and live craving free." www.instinctdiet.com
The Male Brain, Louann Brizendine, M.D. "Join Dr. Louann Brizendine as she turns her attention to the male brain, showing how, through every phase of life, the 'male reality' is fundamentally different from the female one. Exploring the latest breakthroughs in male psychology and neurology with her trademark accessibility and candor, she reveals that the male brain" is a lean, mean, problem-solving machine, thrives under competition, has an area for sexual pursuit that is 2.5 times larger than in the female brain, and experiences such a massive increase in testosterone at puberty that he perceive others' faces to be more aggressive. "The Male Brain finally overturns the stereotypes. Impeccably researched and at the cutting edge of scientific knowledge, this is a book that every man, and especially every woman bedeviled by a man, will need to own." – excerpt from www.LouannBrizendine.com.
The Man in the Rockefeller Suit by Mark Seal. "The story of Clark Rockefeller is a stranger-than-fiction twist on the classic American success story of the self-made man- because Clark Rockefeller was totally made up. The career con man who convincingly passed himself off as a Rockefeller was born in a small village in Germany. At seventeen, obsessed with getting to America, he flew into the country on dubious student visa documents and his journey of deception began." www.mark-seal.com
The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok is a breathtaking literary memoir about the complex meaning of love, truth, and the capacity for forgiveness among family. Through stunning prose and original art created by the author in tandem with the text,The Memory Palace explores the connections between mother and daughter that cannot be broken no matter how much exists—or is lost—between them. www.thememorypalace.com
The Meter's Running by Jerry Tierstein. Come drive through the tough streets of New York and live the exciting adventures with Jerry Tierstein, voted “New York’s #1 Taxi Driver”. Share his exciting taxi experiences in the greatest city in the world. www.authorhouse.com
The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson is a sweet memoir of Dickinson’s life growing up, and her life as a parent to daughter Emily, in a small town in upstate New York. Full of humor and common sense, the book is about Amy’s life surrounded by an extended family of mostly women- mother, sisters, cousins, and aunts. (excerpt from review by Books on the Brain) www.themightyqueensoffreeville.com
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert Edsel. "The Monuments Men had a mandate from President Roosevelt and the support of General Eisenhower, but no vehicles, gasoline, typewriters, or authority. In a race against time to save the world’s greatest cultural treasures from destruction at the hands of Nazi fanatics, each man gathered scraps and hints to construct his own treasure map using records recovered from bombed cathedrals and museums, the secret notes and journals of Rose Valland, a French museum employee who secretly tracked Nazi plunder through the rail yards of Paris, and even a tip from a dentist during a root canal." — www.monumentsmen.com
The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens by Brook Hauser. "Everybody has The Outfit—the outfit they bought for America. The students who have lived in the country longer have learned how to blend in better, disappearing in brand-name sneakers and low-riding jeans. But each September on the first day of school, the new kids are easy to spot. Some arrive in their native dress, like the Bangladeshi girls in colorful shalwar kameez, or the African boy who walked the halls in goatskin sandals lined with bristly hair. Others try to fit in and fail, like the boy who came from a country that no one had heard of. He wanted American blue jeans but settled for a pair hand-sewn by his uncle instead." -- www.brookehauser.com
The New Intercourses, An Aphrodisiac Cookbook, by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge. "First introduced in 1997 to rave reviews and now an international bestseller from the US to Australia, The New InterCourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook includes more than 145 aphrodisiac recipes for love and romance. Couples everywhere love this book for its romantic results, not to mention its sensual images of food set on the backdrop of the human body, tasty recipes home-tested by couples across the country, and thorough appendix with recommended aphrodisiac vendors, recipes for edible massage oils and bath salts, and charts for choosing the right aphrodisiac for the season of year, time of day, or even stage of the relationship." — excerpt from www.intercourses.com.
The Old Farmer's Almanac — a reference book that contains weather forecasts, tide tables, planting charts, astronomical data, recipes, and articles on a number of topics including gardening, sports, astronomy and farming. The book also features anecdotes and a section that predicts trends in fashion, food, home décor, technology and living for the coming year. www.almanac.com
The Oprah Winfrey Show: Reflections on an American Legacy by Deborah Davis "is a 240-page dedication to Oprah and her 25 years on the air. With 150 photos, a foreword by Maya Angelou, and essays written by those closest to Oprah—including Maria Shriver, Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, Toni Morrison—the book is a testament to how one person's vision has changed the way we look at the world around us, and at ourselves." — Abbe Wright www.oprah.com
The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds, and the Making of an American Legend, by Jeff Leen. "Mildred Burke was an eighteen-year-old waitress in a Kansas City diner when she saw her first wrestling match. A single mother barely scraping by on Depression-era tips, she had the inspiration and guts to crawl between the ropes and try to make something of herself."
"What followed was the astounding odyssey of the most unlikely champion the sporting world would ever see. At 5-2 and 120 pounds, Burke would use both beauty and brawn to captivate audiences across the globe and rise to the top of America’s most masculine pastime. Her story is a lost piece of Americana that is recaptured in The Queen of the Ring, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jeff Leen’s extraordinarily researched account of Burke’s rise to fame and riches." — excerpt from www.TheQueenOfTheRing.com.The Santa Diaries, Memories of a Small Town Christmas by Mala Burt and Laura Ambler. The Santa Diaries is a touching, and often amusing, collection of memories, photographs, recipes, and letters to Santa. Universal in their appeal, the memories are based in St. Michaels, Maryland on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. www.facebook.com
The Sipping Point: A Crash course in Wine by Laurie Forster. In The Sipping Point Laurie
Forster reveals the real essentials of wine without the scientific garble. Discover exactly what you need to know to buy, taste, pair and enjoy wine with ease. www.thewinecoach.comThe Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust by Diana Henriques is the definitive book on the man and his scheme, drawing on unprecedented access and more than one hundred interviews with people at all levels and on all sides of the crime, including Madoff’s first interviews for publication since his arrest. Henriques also provides vivid details from the various lawsuits, government investigations, and court filings that will explode the myths that have come to surround the story. www.DianaBHenriques.com
The Year of Goodbyes by Debbie Levy. This is the true story, told in verse, of a girl living in Germany in 1938. The girl and her family try to lead normal lives as the tide of anti-Semitism rises around them. Throughout 1938, the girl - my mother, Jutta Salzberg - fills her poesiealbum, or autograph book, with inscriptions and drawings from friends and relatives. These entries are the stepping stones through the story of this wrenching, eventful year. -- www.debbielevybooks.com.
They're Your Parents, Too!: How Siblings Can Survive Their Parents Aging Without Driving Each Other Crazy, Francine Russo. "If you or your siblings are caring for aging parents, you’re in a tumultuous new life-passage: Caregiving, Medical help, Legal decisions, Death. Your siblings can be there for you like no one else—or they can drive you crazy and make everything harder. How can you make your family work now? THEY’RE YOUR PARENTS, TOO! is the first book to offer siblings a psychological and practical roadmap through this life-changing family transition." excerpt from www.yourparentstoo.com.
True Prep, It's a Whole New Old World by Lisa Birnbach, the author of The Official Preppy Handbook—and designer Chip Kidd—comes a whole new take on the prep world that Birnbach turned into an international best-selling phenomenon thirty years ago. Knopf Doubleday
Triple Cross: How Bin Laden's Master Spy Penetrated the CIA, the Green Berets, and the FBI, by Peter Lance. This is award-winning investigative reporter Peter Lance's chilling true account of the career of the master spy known to his al Qaeda brothers as "Ali the American"--an explosive narrative revealing the gaping holes in our nation's security net. HarperCollins
Triumph & Hope: Golden Years with the Peace Corps in Honduras, by Barbara Joe is a documentary of one woman's experience in joining the Peace Corps in her sixties. The book takes readers on her autobiographical journey of self-discovery, healing, and a chance for a new beginning. The author's blog is http://honduraspeacecorps.blogspot.com/
Under One Roof Again by Susan Newman. Multi-generations are living together in record numbers—some by choice, others by circumstance. “Boomerang” no longer refers only to college graduates. With unemployment levels high and financial cushions shrinking, adult children, parents, and grandchildren are joining forces. Living under one roof is quickly becoming The New Normal for a huge part of our population—be the arrangements temporary or permanent. www.susannewmanphd.com
Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All Night Runner by Dean Karnazes. "Ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes claims "There is magic in misery." While it would be easy to write off his habit of running for 100 miles at a time—or longer—as mere masochism, it's impossible to not admire his tenacity in pushing his body to reach one extreme goal after another. Sure, it's gory to read about how he lost one of his big toenails from shoe friction during the Western States Endurance Run. But what registers more is that here's a guy competing in an event that includes 38,000 feet of elevation change--the equivalent of scaling the Empire State Building 30 times." -- excerpt from Amazon.com review. Visit www.ultramarathonman.com.
Victory Over Violence: Nancy's Story and The Business of Me by Nancy Salamone is the inspiring story of one woman’s struggle to live a financially independent life free from Domestic Violence, and her quest to help other women achieve independence in their lives too. www.nancysstory.com
Vietnam Mailbag Voices from the War: 1968 - 1972 by Nancy E. Lynch. "From the early 1960s through March 1973 hundreds of thousands of men and women served in Vietnam, in an undeclared and highly controversial war. During the peak years of that conflict, from May 1968 through December 1972, a young reporter, Nancy E. Lynch, relayed the hopes and fears, the joy and the tears, of hundreds of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines from Delaware through the Vietnam Mailbag column she wrote in the Wilmington Morning News." www.vietnammailbag.com
Walking on Eggshells by Jane Isay. "Walking on Eggshells began as my effort to find out what made parents and their grown kids close or distant. The stories I heard were compelling and reassuring. What I found should come as a relief and as a challenge to both generations: a relief because there is so much love, a challenge because there is much to be done." -- excerpt from www.janeisay.com.
Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girlby LouAnn Lofton. Investing isn't a man's world anymore—and that's a good thing for individual portfolios, Wall Street, and the world's financial system. Warren Buffett and the women of the world have one thing in common: They are better investors than the average man. Psychologists and scientists have shown that women have the kind of temperaments that help them achieve long-term success in the market. The calamities of the past several years have only provided more statistical and anecdotal evidence of the same. www.harpercollins.com
Welcome to the Departure Lounge: Adventures in Mothering Mother, by Meg Federico. "The adventure begins when Meg’s mother, Addie, vacationing in Florida, takes a spill. At the hospital, Addie bolts upright on her gurney and yells 'I demand an autopsy!' before passing out cold.
'One minute, she is unconscious, the next, she’s nuts,' observes Meg Federico in this hilarious and poignant memoir of taking care of eighty-year-old Addie and her relatively new (and equally old) husband, Walter, in their not-so-golden years.
Addie’s accident is a portent of things to come over the next two years as Meg oversees her mother’s home care in the Departure Lounge, the nickname Meg gives Addie and Walter’s house in suburban New Jersey. It is a place of odd behaviors and clashing caregivers, where chaos and confusion reign supreme." excerpt from www.randomhouse.comWhat's Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job by Kerry Hannon. Filled with inspiring stories from real people who have changed careers mid-life, What's Next? is an exciting roadmap for anyone looking to make their next job their dream job. www.kerryhannon.com
Why Good People Do Bad Things: How to Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy
New York Times bestselling author Debbie Ford guides us into the heart of the duality that unknowingly operates within each one of us: the force that compels us to live by our values, give and receive love, and be a contributing member of the community; and the force that holds us back, sabotages our efforts, and repeatedly steers us toward bad choices. Harper CollinsWhy Our Health Matters: A Vision of Medicine That Can Transform Our Future by Dr. Andrew Weil. From Amazon.com's review: "A landmark book that shows us exactly how we have let health and medicine become a crisis in our society and what we can all do to resolve it."
"Healthcare is no longer just a public issue; for millions of Americans it is now a crisis on their own doorstep. Cost of medical care today are a leading cause of personal bankruptcy. Although policy makers have weighed in on all sides, in this book, bestselling author Andrew Weil, M.D., identifies the root of the problem. He shows us exactly how we have become embroiled in the present situation and provides a solution that will not only make healthcare affordable, but will also put each one of us on the road to optimum health."
Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart. In this darkly comical look at the sinister side of our relationship with the natural world, Stewart has tracked down over 100 of our worst entomological foes-creatures that infest, infect, and generally wreak havoc on human affairs. From the world's most painful hornet, to the flies that transmit deadly diseases, to millipedes that stop traffic, to the "bookworms" that devour libraries, to the Japanese beetles munching on your roses, Wicked Bugs delves into the extraordinary powers of six and eight-legged creatures. www.amystewart.com
Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart. From Amy Stewart's website: "Stewart takes on over two hundred of Mother Nature's most appalling creations in an A to Z of plants that kill, maim, intoxicate, and otherwise offend. Menacing botanical illustrations and splendidly ghastly drawings create a fascinating portrait of the evildoers that may be lurking in your own backyard. Drawing on history, medicine, science, and legend, this compendium of bloodcurdling botany will entertain, alarm, and enlighten even the most intrepid gardeners and nature lovers."
Willpower by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney. "The power to resist temptation — to pass up dessert, to endure an unpleasant experience, to defer satisfaction — is our "greatest human strength," argue psychologist Roy F. Baumeister and science writer John Tierney in their new book, Willpower. The book delves into the science of our age-old struggle with self-control." -- www.npr.org
Wonder Girl by Don Van Natta Jr. This is the extraordinary story of a nearly forgotten American superstar athlete. Texas girl Babe Didrikson never tried a sport too tough and never met a hurdle too high. Despite attempts to keep women from competing, Babe achieved All-American status in basketball and won gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Olympics. One of the founders of the LPGA, Babe won more consecutive tournaments than any golfer in history. At the height of her fame, she was diagnosed with cancer. Babe would then take her most daring step of all: go public and try to win again with the hope of inspiring the world. www.amazon.com
You: On a Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management by Dr. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz. From Amazon.com's review: "Roizen and Oz will invigorate you with equal parts information, motivation, and change-your-life action to show you how your brain, stomach, hormones, muscles, heart, genetics, and stress levels all interact biologically to determine if your body is the size of a baseball bat or of a baseball stadium. In YOU: On a Diet, Roizen and Oz will redefine what a healthy figure is, then take you through an under-the skin tour of the organs that influence your body's size and its health. You'll even be convinced that the key number to fixate on is not your weight, but your waist size, which best indicates the medical risks of storing too much fat." www.realage.com
You Raising Your Child: The Owner's Manual from First Breath to First Grade by Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D. America’s most trusted doctors, who co-host a daily Sirius/XM radio program for Oprah Radio, once again come to the rescue with wisdom about how to provide an enriching environment with the ultimate goal of raising a child with a healthy body—and mind. www.realage.com
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