Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 5/27/2008 10:30:00 AM

The week of May 27, 2008

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Bird, Sarah. How Perfect Is That. Knopf. Jun. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-307-26828-0. $23.95. F
Verdict: Bird’s latest novel (The Flamenco Academy; The Yokota Officers Club) is a rollicking, laugh-out-loud funny story. The plot stretches credulity at times, but the characters are sharply drawn, the dialog is dead-on, and the sense of place is pitch-perfect. Highly recommended for all libraries.
Background: Blythe Young is an admitted schemer and scammer who went from trailer park biker mama to wife of a scion of Austin society. After her mother-in-law kicks her out of the family for being just too NOKD (Not Our Kind, Dear), Blythe struggles to make ends meet and keep appearances up with her former neighbors. It all falls apart spectacularly during a garden party involving Sam’s Club appetizers, Rohypnol, disgruntled cater-waiters, and a determined IRS agent. She ends up back at the flophouse she occupied in college, where an old friend has now become a house mother of sorts. From there, she and the people around her begin a rocky road to self-discovery and happiness.—Amy Watts, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens

Butler, Robert Olen. Intercourse. Chronicle. Jun. 2008. c.216p. ISBN 978-0-8118-6357-5. $22.95. F
Verdict: These are not stories as much as vignettes or sketches, each presented in less than a page per person—or chicken, as the case may be. Well written, entertaining, and enlightening to a degree, this is recommended for larger fiction collections or for readers looking for something a little different.
Background: Like Butler's last several publications, including Severance, this is a work organized around a concept; here, the stories offer the stream-of-consciousness thoughts of various couples while they are engaged in sexual intercourse. The cast of characters begins with Adam and Eve and proceeds chronologically to include Attila the Hun and his 12th wife, Mozart and a singer, John Wilkes Booth and an actress, and George W. and Laura toward the end. The characters are not solely confined to the famous; two slaves named Benjamin and Hannah and a rooster and a chicken are also included. Generally avoiding the sensual or erotic, these soliloquies embrace the political, psychological, and sociological ruminations of the characters, as if most were bored by what was actually happening and were reminiscing to wile away the time.—Jim Coan, SUNY at Oneonta Lib.

Essex, Karen. Stealing Athena. Doubleday. Jun. 2008. c.400p. ISBN 978-0-385-51971-7. $22.95. F
Verdict: Essex (Kleopatra; Leonardo’s Swans) excels at well-researched historical fiction based on the lives of real women. Her latest is sure to have broad appeal among individual readers and book discussion groups. Highly recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/1/08.]
Background: Ever since Lord Elgin, the English ambassador to the Ottoman court during the Napoleonic era, stripped the Parthenon of its magnificent sculptures, the display of the Elgin marbles in the British Museum continues to stir controversy. While their survival during the Ottoman occupation of Athens was by no means a certainty, Greece has a rather obvious ethical right to them in the present day. In parallel story lines, Essex’s new historical novel explores the creation of these sculptures in the fifth century B.C.E. through the eyes of Aspasia, a female philosopher and courtesan to the great Athenian politician Pericles, and the saga of their removal through Lord Elgin’s wife, Mary, who used her beauty and charm to convince Ottoman authorities to give her husband permission to remove the marbles. Essex extends the parallels between the two women through the story of their respective prosecutions; Aspasia for impiety and sexual offenses and Mary for adultery. Both Pericles and Lord Elgin, likewise, were obsessed with the artwork as their legacy, but the contrasts between the two stories are also quite striking.—Mary K. Bird-Guilliam, Wichita P.L., KS

Leary, Ann. Outtakes from A Marriage. Crown. Jun. 2008. c.272p. ISBN 978-0-307-40587-6. $23. F
Verdict: Leary, wife of actor Denis Leary, follows up on her critically acclaimed memoir, An Innocent, a Broad, with this fun yet not too fluffy debut novel. This glimpse of Hollywood glitz and glamour, coupled with a dose of reality, is an addictive and delightful read. For all popular fiction collections.
Background: Julia married Joe Ferraro when they were both young and dreams of his Hollywood break were far from reality. But then Joe hits the big time with his own successful television show. The couple lives in a fancy apartment in Manhattan with their two young children. Joe’s Golden Globe nomination opens the novel, and we follow Julia as she prepares for the big event. Julia’s just a regular gal, so watching her deal with the star-studded lifestyle (from Botox to designer gowns) is a hoot. But when she inadvertently checks Joe’s voicemail instead of her own and hears a sleazy message from a Southern woman, Julia is in a tizzy. Who is this woman? Is Joe really having an affair? And all this when she’s trying to prepare for the biggest night of their lives.—Beth Gibbs, Davidson, NC

Margolin, Phillip. Executive Privilege. Harper: HarperCollins. Jun. 2008. 368p. ISBN 978-0-06-123621-1. $25.95. F
Verdict: Just in time for the upcoming elections, Margolin’s (Proof Positive) 13th thriller explores the premise of an American president as a serial killer. While the story is fast-paced and features many engaging characters, it is unoriginal, with a predictable twist at the end. Still, given the best-selling success of Margolin’s previous novels, thriller fans may enjoy his latest. Suitable for most public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/1/08.]
Background: When PI Dana Cutler is hired to follow a young female campaign worker, she witnesses a secret meeting between the worker and President Christopher Farrington. When the aide is found murdered the next morning, Dana must go on the run. At the same time, an Oregon lawyer is asked by his firm to work on the legal appeal of another serial killer who says he was wrongly convicted of killing one of the victims, who had worked for Farrington when he had been governor.—Joel W. Tscherne, Cleveland P.L.

Nonfiction

Altman, Joey with Jennie Schacht. Without Reservations: How To Make Bold, Creative, Flavorful Food at Home. Wiley. 2008. 274p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-470-13045-2. $35. COOKERY
Verdict: Altman's recipes are not difficult but are best for those who would like to stretch their culinary skills and invigorate their dish repertoire. For larger public libraries.
Background: Altman has been a professional chef as well as a restaurateur and now hosts two shows on the Food Network (Tasting Napa and Appetite for Adventure). He uses professional expertise to create a cookbook with recipes that have slight twists. Instead of relying on exotic ingredients, he combines commonly found foods in different ways (e.g., Honey Roasted Root Vegetables, Crabcakes with Roasted Poblano Hollandaise, and Chicken with Onion Gorgonzola Sauce). Altman encourages using quality ingredients and techniques so that the dishes attain full flavor and creativity. He includes recipe variations and technique tips throughout and also has suggestions for a well-stocked pantry and kitchen equipment that he finds useful.—Ginny Wolter, Toledo-Lucas Cty. P.L., OH

Bouma-Prediger, Steven & Brian J. Walsh. Beyond Homelessness: Christian Faith in a Culture of Displacement. Eerdmans. May 2008. c.353p. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-8028-4692-1. pap. $24. REL
Verdict: An overview of the challenge of homelessness in the age of displacement, this book offers hope to today’s Christians; recommended.
Background: This collaboration between Bouma-Prediger (religion, Hope Coll.; The Greening of Theology) and Walsh (campus minister, Univ. of Toronto; theology of culture, Wycliffe Coll.) shares the biblical vision of home, homelessness, and homecoming. The authors study homelessness in an economic, ecological, cultural, and psychospiritual manner; cite examples ranging from expulsion from Eden to today’s nomadic business tycoons; and provide interconnected biblical meditations at the end of each chapter. Describing a house as a dwelling and a home as a place made secure by the recognition and imposition of order, they reference modern authors such as Barbara Kingsolver and themes from popular culture to point out instances of bad stewardship, bad economics, bad politics, and the need to tap into the biblical ethic of stewardship to find "home" again.—Leo Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., IA

Clutton-Brock, Tim. Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari. Touchstone: S. & S. May 2008. 240p. photogs. ISBN 978-1-4165-8767-5. pap. $18. NAT HIST
Verdict: This beautifully illustrated and engagingly written book offers behind-the-scenes details on Meerkat Manor, one of the most popular TV series on Animal Planet. Highly recommended and sure to be as popular as the television series.
Background: Most people will recognize meerkats, which are related to mongooses, as those delightful foot-high creatures that stand on their hind legs near their dens to detect danger. Clutton-Brock (Prince Philip Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Univ. of Cambridge) has studied meerkats in South Africa’s Kalahari Desert since 1993 following "The Whiskers" clan, especially a female named Flower (now deceased) and her relatives. Not merely an episode guide to the series, his book is really a chronological story of Flower, starting with her birth in March 2000. The entire Kalahari ecological system is revealed through the day-to-day activities and survival of the Whiskers. The author explores why meerkat societies are structured as they are and draws parallels to other species including humans, especially noting the behaviors and adaptations that allow meerkats to compete and cooperate. Dozens of full-color, full-page photographs enhance the reading experience. The book concludes with a chronology of Flower’s life, Meerkat Project publications, and a genealogy of Flower’s offspring.—Edell M. Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., WI

Eliot, Marc. Song of Brooklyn: An Oral History of America’s Favorite Borough. Broadway. Jun. 2008. c.368p. filmog. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-7679-2014-8. $24.95. HIST
Verdict: While Eliot’s stage-setting introductions are generally fun and informative, his take on the Crown Heights riot of 1991 is not fully sensitive to the accepted facts. Especially welcome, though, is the concluding Brooklyn filmography. On balance, this is a good title for public libraries.
Background: That Brooklyn is no longer the romantic poor relation to royal Manhattan is news to nobody who pays the contemporary creative scene even scant attention. The regular cavalcade of Brooklyn tomes suggests a widespread hankering for tales of the Dodgers’ heyday, stickball, Nathan’s, and Coney Island’s Cyclone. Eliot, a biographer of many celebrities, e.g., Cary Grant, has collected warm anecdotes from a diverse array of famous and regular folks, most from interviews he personally conducted. Certainly, even five years ago Brooklyn native Stephon Marbury of the Knicks was not getting nostalgia page time, as he does here along with Neil Sedaka and Woody Allen. Diverse does not, however, mean representative: we read repeatedly about second-generation immigrants from Russia or the borough’s three Chinatowns but little of the borough’s new first-generation arrivals or their experiences in what is now a high-priced real estate empire.—Scott H. Silverman, Bryn Mawr Coll., PA

Friedman, John S. Out of the Blue: A History of Lightning: Science, Superstition, and Amazing Stories of Survival. Delacorte. May 2008. c.304p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-385-34115-8. $24. SCI
Verdict: This excellent study for a general lay audience is recommended for all popular science collections.
Background: Friedman, a journalist and documentary film producer, gathers the stories of lightning strike survivors, many of whom are religious and see a divine purpose in their survival. Survivors often have mysterious, long-lasting symptoms that confuse doctors, but the author adds that an organization of lightning strike survivors now exists and that medical science is advancing research on their injuries and treatment. Friedman also summarizes lightning mythology and folklore and recounts the history of lightning science, beginning with Ben Franklin’s experiments. But only a few scientists today study lightning, and they still find some aspects of the phenomenon puzzling. Friedman devotes much of his book to detailing a 2003 helicopter rescue of a mountaineering party struck by lightning atop a Wyoming mountain, a strike that killed one climber and severely injured several others.—Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado at Denver & Health Sciences Ctr.

House, Bonnie & others. The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle Cookbook: Stop Diabetes with an Easy-To-Follow Plant-Based, Carb-Counting Diet. Perigee: Putnam. May 2008. c.308p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-399-53421-8. pap. $19.95. COOKERY
Verdict: House's diet makes sense for those yearning to regulate their diabetes, lose weight, and even cleanse their systems of potentially harmful toxins. The cookbook also has helpful tips and recipes that range from quick weeknight dinners to special-occasion meals. Highly recommended for all public libraries wanting to increase their collection of diabetes or vegan cookbooks.
Background: This is a vegan cookbook geared toward intermediate cooks who are either diabetic or have a diabetic in their family. Beyond the usual vegan staples of BBQ tofu or bean chili, the cookbook offers tasty recipes for mock crab cakes with no-mayo tartar and even a nonchocolate chocolate cake. It takes us through breakfast staples, into sauces and soups, and finishes with a most interesting dessert recipe section. Chef House and her coauthors include a helpful glossary of unfamiliar food ingredients, equipment glossary, and a cooking term and technique section. The plant-based substitutions for meat ingredients will be particularly helpful for those who want to make recipes outside of this cookbook but don’t know how to create them with vegan items.—Claire Schaper, Franklin Inst., Philadelphia

Ian, Janis. Society’s Child: My Autobiography. Tarcher: Penguin. Jul. 2008. c.384p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-58542-675-1. $26.95. MUSIC
Verdict: This is as much a survivor’s story as an intimate chronicle of the folk music world. We often feel sorry for Ian—and we’re glad she’s survived (her husband once tried to kill her)—but she doesn’t open up enough for us to admire her. Nevertheless, Ian still fills concert halls with many fans, and most libraries will want a copy of her book.
Background: At 15, Ian wowed the folk and pop worlds with a song about interracial dating, "Society’s Child." A few years later, she was playing center stage at clubs in Greenwich Village and hanging out with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, the Rev. Gary Davis, Dave Van Ronk, Judy Collins, and Janis Joplin. By 1975, her song "At Seventeen" was riding the charts and winning two Grammys. In this plodding and prosaic autobiography, Ian offers a brutally honest portrait of her agonies and ecstasies, her triumphs and her failures. Just as her music career was taking off, her personal life started falling apart. She chronicles her parents’ divorce, the sexual abuse she suffered from the family dentist, her failed marriages, and her financial crises, without pausing long to reflect on the effects of any of these events in her life.—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL

Kaufman, David. Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door. Virgin Bks, dist. by Macmillan. Jun. 2008. c.592p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-905264-30-8. $29.95. FILM
Verdict: Although Doris Day is still the number one box office star of all time, history has not taken her accomplishments very seriously, and little is known about her life after retirement—until now. Kaufman’s definitive biography is highly recommended.
Background: Two recent and very different biographies finally give Day her due. Tom Santopietro’s Considering Doris Day (2007) is an adulatory and detailed survey and analysis of Day’s career in film, records, and TV, but it doesn’t reveal much about her personal life. Here, Kaufman is able to cover both, delivering on his subtitle's "untold story" phrasing. He uncovers juicy details of Day’s nervous breakdown; her relationships, which belied her girl-next-door image; her reclusive life after retirement; and her little-known fourth marriage. Kaufman had unparalleled access to Day’s friends and family, especially her son, Terry Melcher, who also discusses his relationship with Candice Bergen. Three-city author tour.—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA

Lewis, Bernard. Political Words and Ideas in Islam. Markus Wiener. Jun. 2008. c.186p. ISBN 978-1-55876-424-8. $89.95. REL
Verdict: An introductory chapter contextualizing the essays’ themes would have been useful, but a synthesis of these themes can be found in Lewis’s decade-old The Political Language of Islam. Recommended for all larger collections.
Background: Lewis (emeritus, Near Eastern studies, Princeton Univ.; The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror) has for the last half century been one of the foremost Western scholars of the Islamic world; this is not only because of his encompassing erudition but also because of the elegance and charm with which he presents its fruit. Here, his mastery of Turkish, Arabic, and Persian sources is on display in a dozen engaging but dated studies collected from a variety of academic journals and reference works. In broad Orientalist style, Lewis gives anecdote-sprinkled and insightful word histories of key political terms translated into English, e.g., government, state, freedom, consultation, politics, usurper, tyrant, king, register, imperial council, and republic. A central chapter traces "quietist" and "activist" political traditions in Islamic thought, trajectories that compete in Islamic and radical Islamist traditions to this day.—Steve Young, McHenry Cty. Coll., Crystal Lake, IL

Lida, David. First Stop in the New World: Mexico City, the Capital of the 21st Century.
Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Jun. 2008. c.304p. ISBN 978-1-59448-989-1. $25.95. SOC SCI
Verdict: This book does not pretend to be a comprehensive portrait of Mexico City; instead, it offers a window into one very observant immigrant’s view of life in the capital. Thought-provoking and educational but also a satisfying read; recommended for public and school libraries.
Background: It’s easy to see that cities have a dramatic impact on world culture, politics, and economics. Here, journalist Lida argues that anyone seeking to understand the future of civilization in the Americas (especially anyone in the United States) needs to become familiar with Mexico City in particular. Why? Because it is enormous, culturally engaged, relatively affluent, and hugely influential in the Spanish-speaking world. Useful English-language histories and contemporary accounts of Mexico City are few and far between. Lida wades into this information gap with essays and observations on the daily life, social practices, cultural and political realities, habits, and tendencies of Mexico City and its residents, examining in 35 short, readable chapters such topics as language, food, shopping, geography, money, crime, working life, sex, and the cultural landscape.—Emily-Jane Dawson, Multnomah Cty. Lib., Portland, OR

Malhi, Manju. Easy Indian Cookbook: The Step-By-Step Guide to Deliciously Easy Indian Food at Home. Duncan Baird, dist. by Sterling. Jun. 2008. c.216p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-1-84483-619-2. pap. $24.95. COOKERY
Verdict: This cookbook, with its clear ingredient lists, simple directions, and vibrant pictures, is a basic introduction to the diversity of Indian cuisine and suitable for all public libraries.
Background: Step into an Indian restaurant, and the aromas of various spices waft through the air. This essential component is declared upfront in the introduction by Malhi (India with Passion), which states, "Food without spices is like summer without sunshine." Each recipe comes to life through the simplicity of the main ingredients and the complementary spices, which provide depth. For example, the Goan Fish Curry consists of sole fillets and is immersed in over ten flavor-enhancing spices. Part 1 presents the basics: ingredients, techniques, and recipes such as chutney, naan, and spiced rice. Classic restaurant recipes appear in Part 2, such as samosas and rogan josh, along with Luckowi-stykled Lamb Biryani, a more complicated dish to prepare. Best of all, most of the dishes are 30-minute meals from prep to plate.—Kristen Mastel, MINITEX Lib. Information Network, Minneapolis

Matloff, Judith. Home Girl: Building a Dream House on a Lawless Block. Random. Jun. 2008. c.304p. ISBN 978-1-4000-6526-4. $25. LIT
Verdict: Matloff blends humor with considerable storytelling skills to tell this modern tale of pioneering in a multicultural neighborhood. Her book will appeal to lovers of New York City as well as to those longing for a home of their own; strongly recommended for large public collections.
Background: Anyone who has ever bought a neglected fixer-upper hoping to turn it into a dream home will identify with the experience Matloff relays here. Tired of traveling for her job as a foreign correspondent, Matloff convinced her husband, John, that they should settle down in New York City, where she has relatives. She impulsively settled on a rundown-looking 1880s limestone townhouse in West Harlem, but the engineer’s inspection revealed the house to be in even worse shape than it initially appeared; a more careful look at neighborhood activity explained its affordability: Matloff had bought right into the middle of the Northeast cocaine trade. Despite thinking she’d made a terrible mistake, Matloff hired workmen and, accompanied by a series of mishaps, the house’s reconstruction began. Eventually, Matloff and John had a baby boy, a new city administration helped to clean up the area, and the couple grew to appreciate the neighborhood.—Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

McDonald, Brian. Last Call at Elaine’s: A Journey from One Side of the Bar to the Other. St. Martin’s. 2008. c.288p. ISBN 978-0-312-34754-3. $24.95. BEVERAGES
Verdict: While the book's appeal in New York City is obvious, readers outside of that city will still enjoy this tale of redemption. Recommended for most public libraries.
Background: McDonald (Safe Harbor: A Murder in Nantucket) chronicles his time behind the bar of Elaine’s, the renowned restaurant in New York City, a home away from home for a variety of creative, thirsty souls. The book is set against the backdrop of the restaurant and recounts McDonald’s fight with alcoholism and his start as a writer and return to sobriety. His position behind the bar gave him a prime vantage point over its regulars, and his book is peppered with funny anecdotes from his stint there. McDonald’s bartending career was not always glamorous, as stories of blackouts, severe hangovers, and an accident that should have killed him will attest, and the author only finds escape from this hellish time in his life through sobriety and his developing writing career.—Shelley Brown, New Westminster P.L., B.C.

Symynkywicz, Jeffrey B. The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Redemption, from Asbury Park to Magic. Westminster/John Knox. Jun. 2008. c.216p. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-664-23169-9. pap. $16.95. REL
Verdict: The title may be a bit overstated, but the book does offer valuable, if occasionally overlong, insights. While a surfeit of Springsteen books exists, Symynkywicz’s contribution is that he blends his own experience into uncovering the singer’s religious impulse. Libraries having Christopher Sandford’s Springsteen: Point Blank and Rikky Rooksby’s Bruce Springsteen: Songwriting Secrets need not add this title.
Background: Massachusetts-based Unitarian minister Symynkywicz, who has found Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics and music motivating and inspiring at many times in his own life, presents this commentary conveying a powerful sense that Springsteen’s music points toward something deeper and essential in the lives of many who hear his music. The commentary serves as a powerful witness to the resilience and enduring popularity of a musician who has been sharing his music for the last three decades. It may also enable readers to probe Springsteen’s music for further meaning. Those collections seeking a work that highlights one of this country’s last true rock stars and cultural icons will welcome that each chapter explores the history and context of a Springsteen album recorded between the years 1973 and 2007.—Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L. Dist., FL

Weissman, Michaele. God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee. Wiley. May 2008. 288p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-470-17358-9. $24.95. BEVERAGES
Verdict: Weissman’s book will make a good addition to a growing collection about the coffee industry; recommended for public and academic libraries.
Background: Journalist Weissman writes a compelling tale about the culture and industry of specialty coffee. She treks around the world, including the United States, and in the process delivers an absorbing up-close account of the producer-consumer spectrum or coffee chain cycle. Her prose is clear and well paced and sure to engage readers as she shares her adventures about industry leaders from some of the top roasters in the United States and international competitions where winners like Panamanian grower Hacienda La Esmeralda’s "Geisha" coffee earned $130 per pound. She captures the high stakes and obsessive nature of this market. For a more penetrating examination into the history and industry of coffee, check out Mark Pendergrast's Uncommon Grounds.—Christine Holmes, San Jose State Univ. Lib., CA

Zimmerman, Tom. Paradise Promoted: The Booster Campaign That Created Los Angeles 1870–1930. Angel City. 2008. 208p. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-883318-64-2. $35. HIST
Verdict: This witty and informative book manages to entertain readers while giving them a valuable lesson in the dos and don’ts of urban planning. As Los Angeles remains a major destination for tourists (and a very beautiful city in spite of itself), this book belongs in all major libraries. Highly recommended.
Background: Los Angeles has always been something of a fraud. Pictures of sunsets slightly exaggerated in color, mountains overairbrushed just a smidge, beaches seeming to spread into eternity, a climate that rivaled anything the Cote d’Azur could offer, benevolent padres, complacent Indians: all of this combined to create the most hyped city in the United States. Yet, as Angeleno Zimmerman shows, Los Angeles is indeed special. He describes efforts by agencies such as a creative Chamber of Commerce, which beat the drums for a city that barely existed. In 1850, when it was incorporated, two years after it became part of the United States, it was a wide-open, lawless, dusty, desolate place. By 1930, it was the third largest city in the country, both an agricultural center and the entertainment capital of the world, and a vital shipping port with a major role in global economics. Through hundreds of photographs, fliers, railroad pamphlets, and other ephemera, Zimmerman offers a most remarkable look at city promotion and planning gone berserk.—Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA