Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 6/10/2008 9:25:00 AM

The week of June 10, 2008

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Evanovich, Janet. Fearless Fourteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel. St. Martin's. Jun. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-0-312-34951-6. pap. $27.95. M
Verdict: Evanovich’s latest should come with a warning—Read at your own risk: likely to cause uncontrollable laughter. Recommended to all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/08.]
Background: What do a gothic gamer, a geriatric exhibitionist, a demonic monkey, a celebrity diva, and a visionary stalker have in common? They’re all characters in the latest Stephanie Plum novel. Nine million dollars are still missing a decade after a bank robbery, and there’s a link to one of Stephanie’s love interests, cop Joe Morelli. Stephanie and cronies search for the missing cash amid the usual hilarity and mayhem that die-hard fans expect. Crazy antics include vegetable warfare, an encounter with blue dye, a messy fast-food scuffle, and a reality television gig. Bounty hunting takes on new dimensions as a third partner joins Lula and Stephanie. Is matrimony in the stars for a major character? Will Stephanie uncover a shocking secret about one of her men?—Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights

Ferrell, Monica. The Answer Is Always Yes. Dial: Random. 2008. c.383p. ISBN 978-0-385-33929-2. $24. F
Verdict: Using sophisticated prose and an innovative narrative technique, first novelist Ferrell presents an at once painful, ironic, heartrending, and wryly humorous look at a young man aching for acceptance. Fans of literary fiction and coming-of-age tales will feel right at home.
Background: New Jersey misfit Matthew Acciaccatura spends the summer before his freshman year at NYU studying "normal" in the hopes of escaping his friendless youth and transforming himself into a "somebody." The reader follows Matt from his bumpy beginnings to his like success as "Magic," a promoter for the Ecstasy nightclub. Accompanying the narrative of Matt’s ascent are footnotes made by one Dr. Hans Mannheim, a German academic of questionable reliability who became obsessed with Matt’s case after the stunning conclusion to his short-lived "success."—Dora Wagner, Northwestern Coll. Lib., Saint Paul, MN

Keret, Etgar. The Girl on the Fridge. Farrar. 2008. c.176p. tr. from Hebrew by Miriam Shlesinger & Sondrea Silverston. ISBN 978-0-374-53105-8. pap. $12. F
Verdict: An economical but powerful writer, Keret offers flash fiction at its finest in a collection that explores themes of loss, disappointment, rage, and other emotions. Highly recommended for all collections.
Background: Keret (The Nimrod Flipout; The Bus Driver Who Wanted To Be God and Other Stories) has near superstar status in his native Israel, but he is little known in the United States. One hopes that will change with this work. Few of the pieces exceed four pages, but each tells a complete story. The experience of reading Keret is akin to swapping stories with a group of friends over a beer, except for that one guy, nobody knows who he came with, whose tales leave you with a vague sense of unease. Some of the stories are funny, such as "Loquat," where a woman who sends her grandson to chase kids out of a tree winds up shooting at them herself, having learned the technique from watching American action movies. Others, e.g., "Not Human Beings," focus on brutality and what happens when one person tries to act rationally. There is hardly a lemon in the bunch, but if there is, a new story is only a few paragraphs away.—Liorah Golomb, Wichita State Univ. Libs., KS

McPartlin, Anna. Apart from the Crowd. Downtown: Pocket. Aug. 2008. c.430p. ISBN 978-1-4165-6972-5. pap. $15. F
Verdict: The young and quick-witted stars of McPartlin’s insightful second novel (after Pack Up the Moon) enjoy the ups and downs of love and friendship while prodding one another to do the right thing and get their heads out of their "arses" (Irish invective is so much more appealing than the American kind). Charming, cheeky, if occasionally churlish, this crew makes this novel highly recommended for public and academic libraries; it’s a total ride.
Background: Mary Mackey, also known as Mary of the Sorrows, is 26 and tends bar in her dad’s pub. Gorgeous Sam Sullivan, a record company A&R guy from New York just barely out of rehab, settles in the house next door looking for connections to his deceased grandmother. Enter Mary’s aged dog, her journalist/adulterer/overimbibing friend Penny, and her cousin Ivan; mix in Sam’s wrenched back, and Mary wants to hide under the covers. McPartlin’s cast of would-be overachievers skewer themselves as well as the twentysomething world, leaving the reader to acknowledge their pain and applaud their resilience.—Bette-Lee Fox, Library Journal

Steampunk. Tachyon, dist. by Independent Pubs. Group. 2008. 432p. ed. by Ann & Jeff VanderMeer. ISBN 978-1-892391-75-9. pap. $14.95. FANTASY
Verdict: The editors follow up on their acclaimed sf/fantasy anthology, The New Weird, with another first-rate collection of reprinted stories and excerpts. Serving as both a small reference and a thoughtful yet airship-light story collection, their new volume is highly recommended for all libraries that collect speculative fiction.
Background: In their latest collection, the VenderMeers chronicle steampunk, which raises technical power (steam) in 19th-century Victorian settings while tweaking the era’s social structures (punk). Introductory essays neatly define the subgenre’s history and scope, and stories from Michael Moorcock, James Blaylock, Mary Gentle, Michael Chabon, Paul Di Filippo, and Neal Stephenson don’t disappoint. The highlights are diverse: Joe R. Lansdale’s profane and horrific story recasts H.G. Wells’s time machine inventor in the American West as a nasty vampire battling a frontiersman’s steam-powered giant. The delightful ladies of Molly Brown’s "Selene Gardening Society" shame puttering, walrus-mustached husbands into terraforming the moon with a trash catapult. Ted Chiang’s "Seventy-Two Letters" examines the political implications of robotics and cloning in a period story blending scientifically created golems, reproductive technology, and kabbalists. Stepan Chapman reimagines the Russian Revolution with nanotechnology, spybots, and nuclear weapons.—Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

Nonfiction

Boyle, Christina & Cathleen Stahl. Twin Set: Moms of Multiples Share Survive-and-Thrive Secrets. Three Rivers: Crown. Jul. 2008. c.304p. index. ISBN 978-0-307-39352-4. pap. $13.95. CHILD REARING
Verdict: The few worthy tips here are lost in the poor presentation, so while there might be interest among those obsessed with the twinness of twins, this should be avoided.
Background: Both mothers of twins, Boyle and Stahl run a twins web site and here attempt a parenting book on twins. Occasional insights from two pediatricians, who are also the parents of twins and irritatingly referred to as "mommy doc" and "daddy doc," unfortunately provide little medical insight, and, combined with the authors’ gratingly cutesy tone, make for a genuinely grating read. Most of the information is obvious—having more than one diaper-changing station is not exactly a "top mommy secret," as they refer to it—but some is genuinely horrid, such as recommending that "hot new moms of multiples" look for upper-body girdles with flexible boning. The tips from survey respondents lessen the book’s credibility further (e.g., "My twins can be brats, but we give them more leeway...and will toughen up when the twins are in elementary school").—Julianne J. Smith, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI

Bruyneel, Johan with Bill Strickland. We Might as Well Win: On the Road to Success with the Mastermind Behind Eight Tour de France Victories. Houghton. Jun. 2008. c.240p. photogs. index. ISBN 978-0-618-87937-3. $25. SPORTS
Verdict: This book suffers from an identity crisis of sorts, attempting to be part memoir, part cycling/Tour de France history, and part inspirational/business management instruction. Nonetheless, it is essential for fans of cycling, team managers, or tour enthusiasts; optional for business strategy collections.
Background: The grueling Tour de France (this year, 7/5 to 7/27) challenges cyclists with over 2000 miles of terrain and requires the delicate negotiation of countless variables. Its duration means the riders are subjected both to the obstacles inherent to the sport of cycling and to unanticipated daily hazards along the way. Belgian Bruyneel, a former pro cyclist and then team director of eight U.S. Tour de France victories, here with Strickland (executive editor, Bicycling magazine), matches the inspirational understatement of Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About the Bike with nonchalance of his own. A gifted tactician and strategist, analytical and logical, Bruyneel assesses riders and cycling challenges with a deceptive simplicity. Starting each chapter with a maxim of sorts (e.g. "To Earn Confidence, Confide" or "When Failure Is Inevitable, Limit the Damage"), Bruyneel does not lack insight or interesting information, but his episodes can seem too neatly wrapped-up at times.—Ben Malczewski, Ypsilanti Dist. Lib., MI

Cobban, Helena. Re-Engage!: America and the World After Bush. Paradigm. Jun. 2008. 133p. index. ISBN 978-1-59451-551-4. $69; pap. ISBN 978-1-59451-552-1. $14.95. INT AFFAIRS
Verdict: Cobban's affiliation with a "peace church," with its tradition of nonviolence and civic engagement, informs her approach, which more jaded readers may find naive. General readers who are new to the issues discussed will find the text accessible; it could serve as a good discussion guide for civic groups or school classes. Public and school libraries might consider.
Background: Cobban, a longtime journalist and author (Amnesty after Atrocity), is concerned with the current reputation of the United States around the world and how it can be repaired. She emphasizes the ability and potential power of individual citizens, discussing civic groups engaged in current issues that they may join as a way to influence public opinion and effect needed change. Chapters each tackle a big issue—traditional security concerns, global inequality, human rights, climate change, and global power shifts—providing an overview of the subject, examples of previous, better policies, and recommendations for future U.S. policy.—Marcia L. Sprules, Council on Foreign Relations Lib., New York

Dempsey, Sharon. Extreme Parenting: Parenting Your Child with a Chronic Illness. Jessica Kingsley. Jul. 2008. c.208p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-84310-619-7. pap. $21.95. CHILD REARING
Verdict: Although her own story of life with a chronically ill child is woven throughout, Dempsey calmly portrays the array of possible thoughts and feelings. Some British spellings, such as "paediatric," are used but do not detract from this practical manual including resources for the United Kingdom and the United States.
Background: Journalist Dempsey (My Brain Tumour Adventures: The Story of a Little Boy Coping with a Brain Tumour) provides a practical manual for coping with the chronic illness of a child. From diagnosis to the discussion of death, Dempsey reiterates the importance of communication among all those touched by the child’s illness. She acknowledges that every person reacts differently, each situation is different, and time changes things. A toddler requires less explanation and decision-making power than a teenager. Dempsey offers perspectives on the parents, child, siblings, extended family, friends, and the medical team. She emphasizes the need for information as an aid to taking control. She discusses support networks, school issues, and daily life. Each chapter concludes with "Advice and Action Points" that highlight the topic.—Janet Clapp, Athens-Clarke Cty. Lib., GA

Forberg, Cheryl. Prevention®'s Positively Ageless: A 28-Day Plan for a Younger, Slimmer, Sexier You. Rodale. 2008. c.400p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59486-616-6. pap. $19.95. HEALTH
Verdict: Forberg’s evidence-based information, coupled with her enthusiastic approach to middle-aged wellness, will appeal to women in this age group. Recommended for women’s health collections.
Background: Health-savvy consumers, midlife women are looking forward to leading vigorous lives well into their later years and postponing age-related chronic illness and disability as long as possible. This nutritional recipe for increasing longevity comes from Forberg, a dietitian–turned–professional chef and nutritionist for NBC’s The Biggest Loser. Her science-based explanations of how and why some foods promote health and prevent age-related ailments (e.g., fruits, vegetables, green tea, tofu, whole grains) while others increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and other chronic illnesses are readable and authoritative. She also suggests holistic remedies for coping with menopausal symptoms, hair and skin care, maintaining oral health, and fitness. Each chapter includes a week’s worth of healthy menus; recipes and nutrition information, along with web-based research and product resources; and a lengthy bibliography of online professional and nonprofessional articles and reports. Similar titles include Bradley Wilcox and others' The Okinawa Diet Plan, Barbara Kantrowitz and Kelly Wingert's Is It Hot in Here? Or Is It Me?: The Complete Guide to Menopause, and Healthy Women, Healthy Lives: A Guide to Preventing Disease, from the Landmark Nurses’ Health Study.—Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Inst. Lib., Cleveland

Joyce, Kelly. Magnetic Appeal: MRI and the Myth of Transparency. Cornell Univ. Jun. 2008. c.216p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8014-4489-0. $59.95; pap. ISBN 978-0-8014-7456-9. $21.95. MED
Verdict: This is a unique, fascinating, and detailed look at how society and economics influence medical practice. Unfortunately, the specialized content, along with the relatively high price for the hardcover, will put this book out of reach for many public and smaller academic libraries.
Background: Thanks to popular narratives, effective marketing, and society’s emphasis on visualization, MRI images are perceived by the public as the mechanism for an unbiased, infallible window into the inner body. Patient histories and clinical exams may be viewed as inferior, less accurate, and more prone to bias and error. Yet MRI images are not perfect and are not necessarily the best diagnostic tool for all problems, as illustrated in this ethnographic look at the MRI process. Joyce (medical sociology, Coll. of William and Mary) describes how numerical data produced by the MRI machine is translated into images, which are then interpreted by humans. Later chapters examine how advertising, the assembly-line mentality, government regulations, fee-for-service reimbursements, and fear of litigation have pushed medical professionals to perform an increasing volume of MRI scans. —Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida St. Petersburg Lib.

Kaiser, Robert Blair. "R.F.K. Must Die!": Chasing the Mystery of the Robert Kennedy Assassination. Overlook, dist. by Penguin Group (USA). 2008. 432p. index. ISBN 978-1-59020-124-4. pap. $16.50. POL SCI
O'Sullivan, Shane. Who Killed Bobby?: The Unsolved Murder of Robert F. Kennedy. Union Square: Sterling. Jun. 2008. c.560p. photogs. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-4027-5444-9. $24.95. POL SCI
Verdict: Sane, well documented, and convincing, both of these books will hold the reader’s attention and will be popular in public library true-crime collections. For libraries that need to choose between them, Kaiser's is recommended because of the author’s gripping exchanges with Sirhan.
Background: Forty years after presidential contender Robert Kennedy was gunned down on June 5, 1968, after winning the important California primary, both of these authors agree that Sirhan did not kill RFK as an act of free will. Kaiser (A Church in Search of Itself: Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future) presents a revised version of his 1970 book, with additional analysis and a new epilog. His is an engrossing account that includes many interviews he had with Sirhan after the assassination. Kaiser also describes how Sirhan responded to questions asked by Dr. Bernard Diamond, a renowned psychiatrist who repeatedly hypnotized Sirhan to try to establish his motives, guilt, or innocence. Kaiser is convinced (more so now, he says, than in 1970) that Sirhan was programmed—Manchurian Candidate–style—to kill Kennedy and then to forget why he did so. Kaiser does not conjecture who programmed Sirhan to murder RFK but offers a convincing case—and not just to conspiracy theorists—that Sirhan was a patsy and that further hypnosis offers the best hope to answer the many remaining unsettling questions about the murder.
Kaiser credits O’Sullivan, director of the 2007 documentary RFK Must Die, with identifying CIA agents present at the assassination, most notably George Joannides, formerly in charge of the CIA’s mind-control program. O’Sullivan’s new book is a follow-up to his film, positing that the CIA’s reason to have programmed Sirhan to kill RFK was that RFK had pledged to end the Vietnam War and had promised to reopen the investigation of President Kennedy’s assassination. O’Sullivan believes that more than one shooter was involved in RFK’s death: he claims that ten bullets were fired when Sirhan’s gun held only eight. He offers details relating to the ballistics of the gunshots.—Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA

Nicholasen, Michelle & Barbara O'Neal. I Brake for Meltdowns: How To Handle the Most Exasperating Behavior of Your 2-to-5-Year-Old. Da Capo Lifelong. Jul. 2008. c.336p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7382-1167-1. pap. $14.95. CHILD REARING
Verdict: Since the authors are not parenting experts, readers have to put their mixed bag of suggestions in perspective, i.e., they are two moms sharing their experiences. Recommended for public libraries with comprehensive parenting collections where standard works by parenting experts are available.
Background: A producer for Frontline in the 1990s, now a mother of five, Nicholasen and coauthor O’Neal (codirector, Arlington Children’s Ctr.) offer tips on what to do when facing an angry toddler or a stubborn preschooler, distilling common issues (eating, sleeping, toilet training, sibling rivalry) into real situations all parents have experienced (what to do if your child "tosses food" or "takes diapers off all the time"). They show parents how to intervene by providing language that is most often very sensible and would help parents in the middle of a crisis: use logical explanations, limit lecturing, keep calm, ignore whining. Some of the suggested solutions, on the other hand, are questionable: offering candy as bribes, using physical intervention on a child to brush his teeth or to give him a bath as a last resort, installing a gate at the child’s bedroom door to prevent him from getting out of his bedroom at bedtime, to name a few.—Maryse Breton, OCPL, Syracuse, NY

Olsen, Partricia & Petros Levounis, M.D. Sober Siblings: How To Help Your Alcoholic Brother or Sister—and Not Lose Yourself. Da Capo. Jul. 2008. c.224p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-60094-055-2. pap. $14.95. PSYCH
Verdict: This may be the first work specifically addressed to adult siblings of alcoholics. Clear and comprehensive, it is recommended for public libraries.
Background: Nonaddicted siblings of alcoholics must deal with the aftermath of the alcoholic’s behavior affecting colleagues, neighbors, and friends; work with parents and other siblings’ expectations; and come to terms with their own feelings of anger, frustration, and sadness arising from their addicted sibling’s treatment, recovery, and relapse. Journalist Olsen discusses recent work on accepting, helping, and coping with problems of alcoholism, illustrated with examples from her own experience as a sister of alcoholics and others in similar situations. Psychiatrist Levounis (Addiction Inst. of New York) comments in sidebars, summarizing scientific research, treatment options, and other issues of recovery. Together, Olsen and Levounis describe the role of genetics and environment and dual addiction (drugs and/or addictive behavior and alcohol) and dual diagnosis (alcohol and mental health problems) and stress the importance of also treating mental and personality disorders associated with alcoholism. In an epilog, Olsen draws these ideas together in a memoir of her brother Ted, who died suddenly as she was writing the book.—Lucille M. Boone, San Jose P.L., CA

Sasson, Gahl Eden. Cosmic Navigator: Design Your Destiny with Astrology and Kabbalah. Red Wheel/Weiser. Jul. 2008. c.358p. bibliog. ISBN 978-1-57863-420-0. pap. $21.95. PARAPSYCH
Verdict: Sasson's activities and blended interpretations are a revelation to the uninitiated and reinvigorating to the experienced astrologer. The personal and briefly annotated bibliography is likewise illuminating. A great addition for most public libraries.
Background: Besides having one of the coolest titles ever, this book delivers a highly readable fusion of the arts of astrology and the Kabbalah. Sasson (coauthor, A Wish Can Change Your Life) makes the case that the two have always been highly integrated systems and does a superb job making both accessible and relevant to each another using metaphor and story. Not your usual this-is-what-this-means interpretation of chart placements (although he includes his own version), Sasson encourages readers to explore the 12 signs of the zodiac and their corresponding Kabbalah Hebrew alphabet and sphere from the Tree of Life; they are to take on the unique characteristics of each sign for a week in order to integrate, resonate with, and navigate their deeper cosmic messages and soul path.—Janet Tapper, Western States Chiropractic Coll., Portland, OR

Self, Nate. Two Wars: One Hero's Fight on Two Fronts—Abroad and Within. Tyndale House. Jun. 2008. ISBN 978-1-4143-2009-0. $22.99. POL SCI
Verdict: As the debate over the current war in Iraq and Afghanistan rages and the upcoming presidential election draws nearer, this book should serve to explain the experiences and problems facing the military. Recommended for all public libraries.
Background: In 2002, U.S. Special Forces began Operation Anaconda in eastern Afghanistan to locate and destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahikot Valley over a three-week period. On the third day of the operation, a fierce firefight took place at Takur Ghar Mountain after a Navy Seal fell out of a helicopter and was captured by al-Qaeda fighters. Captain Nate Self led a team of Army Rangers to rescue the Seal. The ensuing battle became known as the Rescue on Roberts Ridge. Self’s story has been chronicled in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, on Dateline NBC, and in other books, e.g., Marcus Luttrell’s Lone Survivor. But this is the first time that Self writes of the harrowing battle, outlines his own military career, and, most important, describes another battle—with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nearly one in five returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from some form of PTSD, and high rates of suicides are attributed to it. Numerous veterans and their families have been affected. In addition to his personal account of the war in Afghanistan and PTSD, Self speaks of his religious faith, which helped him cope and survive.—David Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY