Xpress Reviews—First Look at New Books

-- Library Journal, 9/17/2008 10:45:00 AM

The week of September 16, 2008

Fiction | Nonfiction

Fiction

Hunter, Stephen. Night of Thunder. S. & S. Sept. 2008. c.290p. ISBN 978-1-4165-6511-6. $26. F
Verdict: Aging supersniper Bob Lee Swagger, a slightly more geriatric version of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher but just as lethal, returns in a tale that combines guns, drugs, NASCAR, and a supervillain marvelously named Sinnerman. There’s also a sex-crazed good ol’ boy Southern preacher and his incest-based horde of thuggish progeny who are out to make a killing in more ways than one. If this is a morality tale, then the moral is simple—don’t mess with Bob Lee. Highly recommended fun for all popular fiction collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/08.]
Background: This novel picks up after Swagger returns from Japan, where he had sliced and diced bad guys in The 47th Samurai. When Bob Lee’s investigative reporter daughter is nearly killed, Swagger tracks down Sinnerman and his gang in the hills of Tennessee and western Virginia in a one-man quest for justice. As always, the characters are richly drawn, and Hunter has a sure feel for the arena in which the events occur.—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Taylor, Billy. Based on the Movie. Atria: S. & S. 2008. c.320p. ISBN 978-1-4165-4877-5. $24. F
Verdict: Have you ever wondered exactly who or what a key grip or best boy was? Taylor’s first novel will educate you about the "real" movie industry while entertaining you with its outrageous plot and laugh-out-loud dialog. It would be a box-office hit if it were a movie.
Background: Bobby Conlon’s wife has left him for another (younger) man, and he’s fighting a growing prescription-pill addiction. The film he’s working on as a dolly grip is going on location to Texas, and Bobby cannot think of a better place to start his life over. If only the incompetent director, hard-partying gaffers and grips, lovesick producer, and vengeful director of photography weren’t also there. Clearly drawing from his own experiences as a dolly grip on movies like My Cousin Vinny, Taylor writes a convincing and hilarious tale about a nice guy who just cannot seem to catch a break in either his personal or professional life.—Deborah Hicks, Univ. of Alberta, Edmonton

Nonfiction

American Medical Association Complete Guide to Prevention and Wellness: What You Need To Know About Preventing Illness, Staying Healthy, and Living Longer. Wiley. Oct. 2008. c.500p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-470-25130-0. $35. HEALTH
Verdict: Although there is some overlap of material, the book is very well organized and easy for consumers to follow, providing beneficial illustrations, graphs, charts, and tips. Many will find this a valuable wellness and prevention resource. Recommended for public libraries and consumer health wellness collections.
Background: While many books are aimed at patients who are already diagnosed with a particular condition, this latest book from the American Medical Association (AMA) addresses wellness issues in an attempt to prevent patients from developing chronic illnesses and diseases. The first section focuses on general wellness issues like nutrition, exercise, and weight, while the next sections address the prevention of specific chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The book concludes with sections on how to keep children and teens healthy and women’s and men’s health.—Dana Ladd, Community Health Education Ctr., Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Libs. & Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Health Syst., Richmond

Baker, Stephen. The Numerati. Houghton. Sept. 2008. c.256p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-618-78460-8. $26. MATH
Verdict: Baker effectively intertwines stories, insights from interviews, and research into an easy-to-read and enjoyable book. However, it would have benefited from a chapter or two on stickier technology-related issues such as data privacy, stereotyping, and the misuse of data for corporate profit. Still, this title is highly recommended for general readers with an appreciation for contemporary cultural phenomenon. Recommended for all public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/08.]
Background: The Numerati, as Business Week writer and technology issues blogger Baker identifies mathematicians, statisticians, and computer scientists, aggressively mine numerical data to identify patterns and trends that define our collective experience. His new book is a social commentary on how Numerati interpret the data we create as shoppers, voters, lovers, patients, and consumers. Baker introduces us to how data specialists decipher the collective digital trail upon which we find ourselves so swiftly borne. His text illustrates how fundamental and powerful data mining is to government and business to identify digital patterns, trends, profiles, consumer behavior, and attitudes.—Ian D. Gordon, Brock Univ. Lib., St. Catharines, Ont.

Rice, Anne. Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession. Knopf. Oct. 2008. c.256p. ISBN 978-0-307-26827-3. $23.95. REL
Verdict: Rice's private relationships remain under wraps in this poignantly wrought memoir of her return to Catholicism; she allows only very tiny glimpses into her personal tragedies. Essential for any library that holds Rice’s other works. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/08].
Background: Louis, Lestat, Claudia…and Christ the Lord? The author of Interview with a Vampire and Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt offers her spiritual autobiography, explaining the provenance of her writing with heartbreaking honesty and beauty. Rice traces her journey from a devoutly Catholic upbringing in New Orleans—where art, architecture, and gardens intimately intertwine the physical and spiritual—to 38 years of atheism, and then her return to the fold. We see portrayed a woman of fierce intellect and mystical faith whose seemingly secular works actually were literary explorations of her spiritual homelessness. The book ends with a short foray into theology and the internal issues facing the Catholic Church today.—Nancy E. Adams, Harrisburg Univ. of Science & Technology, PA

Sarine, Douglas & Kent Nichols. Ask Ninja Presents the Ninja Handbook. Three Rivers: Crown. Sept. 2008. c.336p. illus. ISBN 978-0-307-40580-7. pap. $14.95. SOC SCI
Verdict: Fans of the web skits and/or teenagers will no doubt enjoy chapter upon chapter of detailed ninja instruction, but anyone else will probably get tired of the repetitive jokes (basic premise: ninja does battle with weird mystical creature, then defeats it in a humorous way). Libraries with specific YA collections will get the most mileage out of this book. Otherwise, not recommended.
Background: Everyone knows that ninjas are supercool—this cannot be denied. But do ninjas write good books? It’s debatable. Sarine and Nichols of Ask-A-Ninja fame, is an attempt to capitalize on the Internet celebrity of its authors. A bit of the endearing humor of the black-clad online ninjitsu instructor finds its way into the handbook, but not really enough to make it appealing to anyone not acquainted with the concept.—John Helling, Bloomfield-Eastern Greene Cty. P.L., IN

Tancer, Bill. Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters. Hyperion. Sept. 2008. c.240p. index. ISBN 978-1-4013-2304-2. $25.95. BUS
Verdict: Tancer presents a testimony to the trove of data available on Internet user behavior and how that behavior can help businesses target consumer trends. Businesspeople and students will find this an engrossing exploration of our culture, and lay readers will appreciate its readability in contrast to scholarly textbooks previously published on the topic.
Background: In Part 1, Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise and author of the weekly column "The Science of Search" on Time.com, takes readers on a captivating trip through search data that he has discovered over the years, including the science of prom-dress searching, New Year's resolutions, and adult entertainment. Part 2 is a primer on the applications of Internet behavior data to find out the way we live our lives in a rapidly evolving and connected world. The influence of Facebook and Myspace on consumer decisions is particularly intriguing. Interspersed throughout are insightful and entertaining charts and graphs.—Mark McCallon, Abilene Christian Univ. Lib., TX

Tyre, Peg. The Trouble with Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Problems at School, and What Parents and Educators Must Do. Crown. Sept. 2008. c.320p. index. ISBN 978-0-307-38128-6. $24.95. SOC SCI
Verdict: Parents, not educators, are the target audience for Tyre's trenchant cultural analysis. Suitable for public libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/08.]
Background: Award-winning education reporter Tyre continues waging the culture war about underachieving boys and how most schools fail them, expanding her January 30, 2006, Newsweek cover story of the same name. Readers get a complete overview of the topic, encountering information on everything from brain science to video games and single-sex schools. Tyre makes wise observations along the way about competitive parenting, the overdiagnosis of ADHD and the subsequent overmedication of boys, and the lack of freedom and physical activity that boys experience in school. She calls for a realistic and nuanced definition of the problems boys face and the possible solutions. And, she asks feminists to stop conflating equity in the workplace with equity in the classroom, urging them to accept that boys needing special attention does not mean that girls should get less.—Fran Mentch, Cleveland State Univ. Lib., Cleveland

Westheimer, Ruth K. with Pierre A. Lehu. Dr. Ruth's Guide to Teens and Sex Today: From Social Networking to Friends with Benefits. Teachers Coll. Pr., Columbia Univ. Sept. 2008. c.160p. ISBN 978-0-8077-4905-0. pap. $13.95. PSYCH
Verdict: Sex expert and TV personality Westheimer (Dr. Ruth's Sex After 50) presents parents with a short, useful guide to understanding the social and sexual lives of modern teenagers. This book would make a fine companion to titles written specifically for young audiences, such as the best-selling "What’s Happening To My Body?" books by Lynda Madaras with Area Madaras.
Background: Recalling Sabrina Weill's somewhat flashier The Real Truth About Teens and Sex, Dr. Ruth’s discussion of adolescent sexuality emphasizes the importance of their cultural lives and parents’ involvement with it. Social networking and hip-hop are examined as cultural phenomena that promote peer pressure and send confusing messages about sexuality, but those topics can also foster conversations and provide valuable lessons. While the author provides extensive web resources, she neglects to mention other titles for parents to share with their teens.—Nick Franklin, Brooklyn P.L.

Wexler, Alice. The Woman Who Walked into the Sea: Huntington's and the Making of a Genetic Disease. Yale Univ. Sept. 2008. c.288p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-300-10502-5. $30. MED
Verdict: Wexler's thoroughly documented and clearly presented history of Huntington's provides a more focused complement to Edwin Black’s study of eugenics in this country, The War Against the Weak. Recommended for academic medical libraries and large public libraries.
Background: Writing again about her family’s history of Huntington’s disease, Wexler (Mapping Fate: A Memoir of Family, Risk, and Genetic Disease) broadens her earlier work to place the disease in a historical context in America. She uses the family of Phebe Hedges, based in East Hampton, Long Island, NY, to show the early effects of what was sometimes called St. Vitus’s Dance and the "witches’ disease" on individuals, their relatives, and their communities. This leads to a look at how the medical and scientific community began to focus on it as a unique entity and how it gradually was seen to fit into the emerging understanding of genetics. Finally, Wexler shows how Huntington’s was viewed by and incorporated into the eugenics movement in the United States. From the early 1900s and continuing even into the 1970s, both affected individuals and the scientific community talked about means of "control," which included enforced sterilization.—Dick Maxwell, Porter Adventist Hosp. Lib., Denver

Willis, Judy. How Your Child Learns Best: Brain-Friendly Strategies You Can Use To Ignite Your Child's Learning and Increase Success. Sourcebooks. Sept. 2008. c.336p. index. ISBN 978-1-4022-1346-5. pap. $14.95. ED
Verdict: With 15 years' experience as a practicing neurologist prior to becoming a teacher, Willis is qualified to integrate brain research into her discussion of learning strategies. Public libraries should have this valuable information for parents of children in the school system or who are being homeschooled. This is also a good addition to professional development collections in academic libraries serving teachers.
Background: Willis's latest work (after Brain-Friendly Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom) is clearly intended for parents, although classroom teachers will find many excellent teaching strategies here as well. She opens with an optional chapter that summarizes the neurological foundation upon which the teaching strategies are based. The second chapter describes various learning strengths and categorizes them into two broad groups: auditory-sequential learners and visual-spatial-kinesthetic learners. The book's remainder presents strategies in the areas of reading, math, social studies, and science that are based on the two learning groups and also subdivided by age ranges. She offers numerous examples of tools, activities, and approaches that will enhance learning and build children’s confidence in their ability to identify and consistently use their learning strengths. Consistent, informed engagement with the child’s learning is key to successful implementation of these suggestions. Although the strategies are targeted for children 12 and under, readers will find many of them useful with older children, and even adults. A detailed glossary and extensive resource section follow the text; however, no citations to the relevant research are provided.—Paula McMIllen, Univ. of Nevada Las Vegas Libs.