Book Reviews

Modern Banking

2007-12-05T03:01:00.000-05:00

Modern Banking is a sequel to the highly successful Modern Banking in Theory and Practice, first published in 1996. Over the last decade many aspects of banking have changed considerably, though the key features that distinguish banks from other financial institutions remain. Some might question the need for a book on banking rather than one on financial institutions - while banks remain special and unique to the financial sector, books need to be devoted to them.

Modern Banking focuses on the theory and practice of banking, and its prospects in the new millennium. The book is written for courses in banking and finance at Masters/MBA level, or undergraduate degrees specialising in this area. Bank practitioners wishing to deepen and broaden their understanding of banking issues may also be attracted to this book. While they often have exceptional and detailed knowledge of the areas they have worked in, busy bankers may be all too unaware of the key broader issues. Consider the fundamental questions: What is unique about a bank? and What differentiates it from other financial institutions? Answering these questions begins to show how banks should evolve and adapt - or fail. If bankers know the underlying reasons for why profitable banks exist, it will help them to devise strategies for sustained growth.

Modern Banking concludes with a set of case studies that give practical insight into the key issues covered in the book:

* The core banking functions
* Different types of banks and diversification of bank activities

* Risk management: issues and techniques
* Global regulation: Basel 1 and Basel 2.

* Bank regulation in the UK, US, EU, and Japan
* Banking in emerging markets

* Bank failure and financial crises

* Competitive issues, from cost efficiency to mergers and acquisitions
* Case Studies including: Goldman Sachs, Bankers Trust/Deutsche Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui, Bancomer

Credits goes out to: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated

New Bankruptcy: Will It Work for You?

2007-12-05T02:58:00.000-05:00

The most up-to-date book available for people considering filing for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 Bankruptcy under the major new reforms.

Features
Everything readers need to know about filing for bankruptcy under the new laws. The 1st edition reflects the latest bankruptcy rules, including changes in your state's exemption laws that let you protect your property.

Written in plain English, Bankruptcy examines the pros and cons of filing for bankruptcy, discusses its possible repercussions, outlines the differences among various kinds of bankruptcy-Chapters 7, 11, 12 and 13 -- and proposes several alternatives to filing. Includes sample, completed bankruptcy forms.

With these compassionate answers in hand, you'll be able to make the best decisions for your financial future.

Congress recently legislated profound changes to the rules for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. Although these changes are intended to limit the number of bankruptcy filings, 90 percent of them occur because of divorce, medical bills or job loss - which means many people will still need to file.

The new rules are complex, but those readers who face out-of-control debt can turn to The New Bankruptcy for plain-English help in choosing the best strategy to get back on their feet. Filled with clear-cut answers and practical suggestions, The New Bankruptcy covers all the issues a potential filer faces, including:

* required paperwork
* qualifying for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
* how Chapter 13 repayment plans work
* which debts are wiped out
* how bankruptcy affects homeowners
* keeping cars and other property
* how bankruptcy affects credit
* alternative ways to handle debt problems

The New Bankruptcy also provides worksheets to help readers determine whether they can file for bankruptcy under the new law, checklists, sample forms and easy-to-use legal charts for all 50 states.

Credits goes out to: NOLO

Rules of the Game

2007-11-05T00:10:00.000-05:00

The author of the phenomenal bestseller The Game returns with the first new Game project in two years: A unique and fantastic two-volume pocket set, featuring Strauss's first-ever how-to guide for pickup artists (The StyleLife Challenge) and a new volume of Game stories (The Style Diaries)

With its unforgettable faux-leather package, page-turning storytelling, and unique insight into the seduction dance between men and women, Neil Strauss's The Game came out of nowhere in 2005 to become required reading for young men all over the world . . . and for the women who love them, loathe them, or are just plain leery of them. With more than a quarter million copies in print, The Game continues to grow in popularity, spawning the ever-increasing growth (especially on the Internet) of the "seduction community." This fall, the pickup artist known as Mystery--one of the central characters in The Game--will star in his own show, The Pickup Artist, on VH1, on which The Game will be prominently featured and Strauss himself will make a guest appearance.
Now, in the first new Game-related project since 2005, Strauss offers an irresistible package for Game devotees: a two-volume, slipcased, leatherette-bound set with two completely new pocket-sized Game books. They include:

• The StyleLife Challenge: Bound in white leatherette, otherwise known as "The White Book." The StyleLife Challenge is the first practical manual/workbook for would-be pickup artists from the man hailed as the World's Greatest Pickup Artist. Featuring a 30, hundreds of tips, exercises , and provent techniques that are certain to turn any AFC (average frustrated chump) into an accomplished PUA (pickup artist).

Credits goes out to: HarperCollins Publishers

The GenoType Diet: Change Your Genetic Destiny to live the longest, fullest and healthiest life possible

2007-11-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

With Eat Right 4 Your Type and the Blood Type Diet book series, Dr. Peter J. d'Adamo started an international health craze and proved that when it comes to dieting, one plan does not fit all. In The GenoType™ Diet, he takes his groundbreaking research to the next level with a customized program that works with your genetic makeup to maximize health and weight loss, as well as prevent or even reverse disease. According to Dr. d'Adamo, a host of environmental factors, including diet and lifestyle, dictate how and when your genes express themselves. With the right tools, you can turn on the good genes and shut down the bad ones.

Using family history and blood type, as well as simple diagnostic tools like fingerprint analysis and measurement of jaw angle, Dr. d'Adamo shows you how to map out your genetic makeup to discover which of the twelve GenoType plans is right for you. Without expensive tests or a visit to the doctor, The GenoType™ Diet reveals previously hidden genetic strengths and weaknesses, and provides a precise diet and lifestyle plan for every individual. Based on the latest and most cutting-edge-genetic research, this is a twenty-first-century plan for wellness and weight loss from a renowned healthcare pioneer.

Credits goes out to: Broadway Books

Dragon Harper

2007-11-04T23:53:00.000-05:00

Life in the Harper Hall is busy for best friends Kindan, Nonala, and Kelsa. As the only female apprentices, Nonala and Kelsa are the butt of jokes and easy targets for the bully Vaxoram and his cronies. But when Kindan springs to Kelsa's defense, he winds up in a fight for his life against the older, bigger Vaxoram - a fight that will lead to a surprising friendship.

Meanwhile, in nearby Fort Hold, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs is about to hatch, and Lord Bemin's beautiful young daughter, Koriana, is determined to Impress one of the delightful creatures. At the hatching, Kindan Impresses a fire-lizard of his own . . . and wins the heart of Koriana. But Lord Bemin mistrusts harpers and will not hear of a match between his daughter and the low-born Kindan.

Then fate intervenes in the form of a virulent plague as fast-spreading as it is deadly. Arising suddenly, as if out of nowhere, the contagion decimates hold after hold, paying no heed to distinctions of birth. In this feverish crucible, friendship and love will be tested to the breaking point and beyond. For with Threadfall scant years away, the Dragonriders dare not expose themselves to infection, and it will fall to Kindan and his fellow apprentices to bravely search for a cure and save humanity.

The price of failure is unthinkable. But the price of success may be even harder to bear.

Credits goes out to: Random House Publishing Group

7th Heaven

2007-11-04T23:43:00.000-05:00

Two cases have pushed detective Lindsay Boxer beyond her limits. In the first, a terrible fire in a wealthy home left a married couple dead and Lindsay and her partner Rich Conklin searching for clues. At the same time, Michael Campion, the son of s ex-governor, with a reputation for partying, has been missing for a month. When there finally seems to be a lead in his case, it is a devastating one. And the combined pressure from the press and the brass is overwhelming.

Assistant District attorney Yuki Castellano plunges into the biggest case of her life to get to the bottom of Michael Campion's disappearance. As fire after fire consumes couples in expensive neighborhoods, Lindsay and her friends in the Women's Murder Club race to find the arsonists responsible. But suddenly the fires are raging too close to home. Frightened for her life and torn between two men, Lindsay confronts the most daunting dilemmas she's ever faced---in a thriller with unexpected twists and emotional extremes of the kind only James Patterson---"the man who can't miss" (Time) can deliver.

Credits goes out to: Little, Brown & Company

In Defense of Food: The Myth of Nutrition and the Pleasures of Eating

2007-11-03T22:21:00.000-04:00

What to eat, what not to eat, and how to think about health: a manifesto for our times

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, the well-considered answers he provides to the questions posed in the bestselling The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Humans used to know how to eat well, Pollan argues. But the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused, complicated, and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists-all of whom have much to gain from our dietary confusion. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." These "edible foodlike substances" are often packaged with labels bearing health claims that are typically false or misleading. Indeed, real food is fast disappearing from the marketplace, to be replaced by "nutrients," and plain old eating by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. Michael Pollan's sensible and decidedly counterintuitive advice is: "Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food."

Writing In Defense of Food, and affirming the joy of eating, Pollan suggests that if we would pay more for better, well-grown food, but buy less of it, we'll benefit ourselves, our communities, and the environment at large. Taking a clear-eyed look at what science does and does not know about the links between diet and health, he proposes a new way to think about the question of what to eat that is informed by ecology and tradition rather than by theprevailing nutrient-by-nutrient approach.

In Defense of Food reminds us that, despite the daunting dietary landscape Americans confront in the modern supermarket, the solutions to the current omnivore's dilemma can be found all around us.

In looking toward traditional diets the world over, as well as the foods our families-and regions-historically enjoyed, we can recover a more balanced, reasonable, and pleasurable approach to food. Michael Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we might start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives and enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

Just in Time: All-New 30-Minutes Meals, Plus Super-Fast 15-Minute Meals and Slow It Down 60-Minute Meals

2007-11-03T22:10:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Rachael Ray, millions of cooks have learned they can put delicious, home-cooked, and healthy meals on the table any night of the week in just 30 minutes.

In this irresistible collection Rachael continues to work her 30-minute magic with nearly 100 awesomely delicious brand-new recipes. From pasta to pizzas, soups to sammies, and chicken, fish, and meat, you'll find a 30-minute-meal to suit every appetite.

But what if you don't have even 30 minutes? No worries, Rachael has you covered with her quickest-ever 15-minute meals. Why order pizza when you can have Provencal Tuna Melts, Italian Surf 'n Turf Salad- even a fabulous paella- on the table in just 15 minutes? You'll never reach for the take0out menus again when super speedy Pea and Parsley Soup with Canadian Bacon and Skillet Tamale Pie are the delicious alternatives.

And what about those days when you want to slow things down a bit? Rachael's got the perfect recipes for those times, too. Her 60-minute meals like Paprika Chicken Stew with Potato Pierogies, Chicken, Corn and Tomatillo Lasagna, and Swordfish Rolls with Spaghetti Squash don't require any more effort from the cook, but they tale advantage of a little extra time in the oven or simmering on the stove to develop those great, deep flavors we all crave on lazy days. Among these dishes are some of Rachael's "Double Duty Dinners," recipes that you cook once, serve twice, but look and taste so different that no one will be the wiser (such as Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Chive Egg Noodles in which the base magically morphs into Tarragon-Tomato Chicken and Bread Soup another night).

You'll also fine fun Rachael Ray signature meals likes:

BLD (meals you can eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner)
MYOTO (Make Your Own Take-Out Meals) that feature ethnic flavors but no mystery or fats
Date Night Dinners and Fancy Fake-Outs that are every bit as elegant as the fare from your favorite little bistro
The Kids Will Eat It meals (besides chicken nuggets) that will bring even the pickiest eaters to the table

This is Rachael's most versatile book yet, the one that will help you get the very most out of every minute you spend in the kitchen- whether you're rushing to the beat of the clock or taking advantage of a little extra time to stop and smell the veggies roasting. Either way you'll be dishing up some of Rachael's most appealing recipes ever- and all on your own schedule.

Credits goes out to: Crown Publishing Group

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

2007-11-01T02:21:00.000-04:00

Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion. It can persuade us to buy something, or remind us of our first date. It can lift us out of depression when nothing else can. It can get us dancing to its beat. But the power of music goes much, much further. Indeed, music occupies more areas of our brain than language does—humans are a musical species.
Oliver Sacks’s compassionate, compelling tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own brains, and of the human experience. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people—from a man who is struck by lightning and suddenly inspired to become a pianist at the age of forty-two, to an entire group of children with Williams syndrome, who are hypermusical from birth; from people with “amusia,” to whom a symphony sounds like the clattering of pots and pans, to a man whose memory spans only seven seconds—for everything but music.
Our exquisite sensitivity to music can sometimes go wrong: Sacks explores how catchy tunes can subject us to hours of mental replay, and how a surprising number of people acquire nonstop musical hallucinations that assault them night and day. Yet far more frequently, music goes right: Sacks describes how music can animate people with Parkinson’s disease who cannot otherwise move, give words to stroke patients who cannot otherwise speak, and calm and organize people whose memories are ravaged by Alzheimer’s or amnesia.
Music is irresistible, haunting, and unforgettable, andin Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks tells us why.

Credits goes out to: Knopf Publishing Group

Clapton: The Autobiography

2007-11-01T02:09:00.000-04:00

"I found a pattern in my behavior that had been repeating itself for years, decades even. Bad choices were my specialty, and if something honest and decent came along, I would shun it or run the other way."

With striking intimacy and candor, Eric Clapton tells the story of his eventful and inspiring life in this poignant and honest autobiography. More than a rock star, he is an icon, a living embodiment of the history of rock music. Well known for his reserve in a profession marked by self-promotion, flamboyance, and spin, he now chronicles, for the first time, his remarkable personal and professional journeys.

Born illegitimate in 1945 and raised by his grandparents, Eric never knew his father and, until the age of nine, believed his actual mother to be his sister. In his early teens his solace was the guitar, and his incredible talent would make him a cult hero in the clubs of Britain and inspire devoted fans to scrawl "Clapton is God" on the walls of London's Underground. With the formation of Cream, the world's first supergroup, he became a worldwide superstar, but conflicting personalities tore the band apart within two years. His stints in Blind Faith, in Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, and in Derek and the Dominos were also short-lived but yielded some of the most enduring songs in history, including the classic "Layla."

During the late sixties he played as a guest with Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan, as well as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and longtime friend George Harrison. It was while working with the latter that he fell for George's wife, Pattie Boyd, a seemingly unrequited love that led him to the depths of despair, self-imposed seclusion, and drug addiction. By the early seventies he had overcome his addiction and released the bestselling album 461 Ocean Boulevard, with its massive hit "I Shot the Sheriff." He followed that with the platinum album Slowhand, which included "Wonderful Tonight," the touching love song to Pattie, whom he finally married at the end of 1979. A short time later, however, Eric had replaced heroin with alcohol as his preferred vice, following a pattern of behavior that not only was detrimental to his music but contributed to the eventual breakup of his marriage.

In the eighties he would battle and begin his recovery from alcoholism and become a father. But just as his life was coming together, he was struck by a terrible blow: His beloved four-year-old son, Conor, died in a freak accident. At an earlier time Eric might have coped with this tragedy by fleeing into a world of addiction. But now a much stronger man, he took refuge in music, responding with the achingly beautiful "Tears in Heaven."

Clapton is the powerfully written story of a survivor, a man who has achieved the pinnacle of success despite extraordinary demons. It is one of the most compelling memoirs of our time.

Credits goes out to: Broadway Books

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth

2007-11-01T02:07:00.000-04:00

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind reveals the missing link between wanting success and achieving it!
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to get rich easily, while others are destined for a life of financial struggle? Is the difference found in their education, intelligence, skills, timing, work habits, contacts, luck, or their choice of jobs, businesses, or investments?

The shocking answer is: None of the above!
In his groundbreaking Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T. Harv Eker states: "Give me five minutes, and I can predict your financial future for the rest of your life!" Eker does this by identifying your "money and success blueprint." We all have a personal money blueprint ingrained in our subconscious minds, and it is this blueprint, more than anything, that will determine our financial lives. You can know everything about marketing, sales, negotiations, stocks, real estate, and the world of finance, but if your money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, you will never have a lot of money -- and if somehow you do, you will most likely lose it! The good news is that now you can actually reset your money blueprint to create natural and automatic success.

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind is two books in one. Part I explains how your money blueprint works. Through Eker's rare combination of street smarts, humor, and heart, you will learn how your childhood influences have shaped your financial destiny. You will also learn how to identify your own money blueprint and "revise" it to not only create success but, more important, to keep and continually grow it.
In Part II you will be introduced to seventeen "Wealth Files," which describe exactly how rich people think and act differently than most poor and middle-class people. Each Wealth File includes action steps for you to practice in the real world in order to dramatically increase your income and accumulate wealth.

If you are not doing as well financially as you would like, you will have to change your money blueprint. Unfortunately your current money blueprint will tend to stay with you for the rest of your life, unless you identify and revise it, and that's exactly what you will do with the help of this extraordinary book. According to T. Harv Eker, it's simple. If you think like rich people think and do what rich people do, chances are you'll get rich too!

Credits goes out to: HarperCollins Publishers

Mesothelioma

2007-10-26T02:06:00.000-04:00

Mesothelioma used to be a rare disease, but because of the widespread use of asbestos it has now been described as an epidemic around the world. There has been an explosion in knowledge about mesothelioma in the past few years, partly stimulated by the formation of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group network. This book represents a state-of-the-art review of the disease, from laboratory through to the bedside, from diagnostic procedures through to treatment and from imaging and early detection through to medico-legal aspects. It will be of interest to any clinician or scientist with any involvement in asbestos-related diseases.

Table of Contents
Contributors
Introduction
1 The North American Experience with Malignant Mesothelioma 1
2 History and Experience of Mesothelioma in Europe 29
3 The History of Mesothelioma in Australia 1945-2001 55
4 Mesothelioma and Exposure to Asbestos in South Africa: 1956-62 87
5 Mesothelioma and Exposure to Asbestos in South Africa: 1962-2000 93
6 Clinical and Palliative Care Aspects of Malignant Mesothelioma 111
7 Pleuroscopy in the Management of Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma 127
8 Pathology of Mesothelioma 143
9 Surgery and Staging of Malignant Mesothelioma 185
10 Imaging in Mesothelioma 201
11 Treatment of Malignant Mesothelioma: Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy 209
12 Gene Therapy for Malignant Mesothelioma - 'Suicide Gene' and Immunological Approaches 223
13 Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and Pleural Mesothelioma 235
14 Doctors in the Courtroom: Medico-Legal Aspects of Mesothelioma in Australia 253
15 Asbestos Fibres and their Interaction with Mesothelial Cells in vitro and in vivo 273
16 Novel Molecular, Epidemiological, and Therapeutic Issues in Mesothelioma: The Role of SV40 295
17 The Molecular Pathogenesis of Mesothelioma 307
18 Immunotherapy of Malignant Mesothelioma 325
19 Epidemiology of Mesothelioma 339
20 Mesothelioma in Japan 351
Index 359

Credits goes out to: Taylor & Francis, Inc.

Malignant Mesothelioma: Advances in Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Translational Therapies

2007-10-26T00:53:00.000-04:00

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, in which the cancer cells are found in the sac lining the chest (pleura) or abdomen (peritoneum). This lethal disease is associated with asbestos and has vast economic and legal implications. As the disease takes approximately twenty years to manifest itself in humans, a wave of diagnoses is expected in the near future. In the United States alone, an estimated 3,500 - 4,000 patients are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually, and it is estimated that over the next 35 years, more than 250,000 people in Western Europe will be diagnosed with the disease. Malignant Mesothelioma, edited by internationally recognized experts in the field, is a comprehensive text that relates science, pathology, clinical aspects and therapy for mesothelioma under one cover. The book integrates the newest research and advances in its discussions of the disease, covering such topics as carcinogenesis, epidemiology, benchwork, endoscopy, multimodality approaches and treatment. It includes discussions on novel approaches to mesothelioma, such as gene therapy, vaccination strategies and immunotherapy, as well as discussions on the legal and economic aspects of the disease. Over 200 illustrations round out the text. An invaluable reference for the medical oncologist, thoracic surgeon, radiation oncologist, pulmonologist, and benchworker interested in the disease.

Table of Contents

1 - The history of mesothelioma 3
2 Asbestos-induced mesothelioma 21
3 SV40-mediated oncogenesis 34
4 Mesothelioma carcinogenesis : in vivo models 60
5 Mesothelial and mesothelioma cell lines 87
6 Cytogenetics of malignant mesothelioma 101
7 Growth factors and malignant mesothelioma 112
8 Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in malignant mesothelioma 124
9 Angiogenesis and mesothelioma 141
10 Immune status and mesothelioma 151
11 Extracellular matrix and mesothelioma : some clues to the invasive behavior of mesothelioma 166
12 Genomics and proteomics in mesothelioma 186
13 Asbestos mineralogy and health effects 209
14 Molecular epidemiology of mesothelioma 225
15 Malignant mesothelioma and erionite 242
16 Determination of asbestos exposure by pathology and clinical history 259
17 Mesothelioma and asbestos exposure 267
18 From monkey to man : the epidemiologic evidence of an association between simian virus 40 and malignancy 293
19 Causes and prevention of technical artifacts when studying simian virus 40 (SV40) in human mesotheliomas 309
20 Molecular detection of simian virus 40 in human mesothelioma 330
21 Malignant mesothelioma following radiation 350
22 Genetics and human mesothelioma 364
23 Clinicians' approach to mesothelioma 369
24 Clinical presentation and natural history of mesothelioma : pleural and pericardial 380
25 Clinical presentation and natural history of mesothelioma : abdominal 391
26 Staging of mesothelioma 402
27 Prognostic factors in mesothelioma 416
28 Radiologic assessment of mesothelioma 433
29 Endoscopic imaging 454
30 Benign mesotheliomas, mesothelial proliferations, and their possible association with asbestos exposure 469
31 Cytology of malignant mesothelioma 481
32 Immunohistochemistry 490
33 Malignant mesothelioma electron microscopy 508
34 Rare variants of mesothelioma 517
35 Differentiating sarcomas from mesotheliomas 527
36 Diagnosis of synovial sarcoma of the pleura and differentiation from malignant mesothelioma 543
37 Pitfalls in the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma 555
38 Management of benign variants of mesothelioma 581
39 First-line chemotherapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma 593
40 Second-line chemotherapy 607
41 Treatment of mesothelioma with radiotherapy 616
42 Intrapleural chemotherapy with and without surgery in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) 631
43 Management of pleural effusions in mesothelioma 638
44 Preoperative chemotherapy and surgery 657
45 Photodynamic therapy for pleural mesothelioma 667
46 Surgery and postoperative radiotherapy 678
47 The development of the Brigham and women's multimodality treatment plan for malignant pleural mesothelioma : a model for improving the treatment of rare diseases 696
48 Peritoneal mesothelioma : the Columbia experience 723
49 Surgery, hyperthermic chemoperfusion, and postoperative chemotherapy : the national cancer institute and Washington hospital center experience 732
50 Pericardial and tunica vaginalis mesothelioma 755
51 New target therapies for malignant mesothelioma 765
52 Gene therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma 778
53 Immunotherapeutic approaches and vaccination strategies 798
54 Economic aspects of mesothelioma 821

Credits goes out to: Springer-Verlag New York, LLC

The Heir

2007-10-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

Blockbuster bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford continues her stunning new series featuring the Deravenels--a powerful family whose lives are filled with drama, intrigue, danger, and revenge.

Edward Deravenel is the king of his company at last: a man who sought and won a business empire—and the favors of many women. Now it is 1918, the war is over, an influenza epidemic is sweeping England, and Edward has a family and a business to protect. He must thread his way between his loyal brother Richard and the treacherous middle brother of the family, George. And the politics of inheritance are intense, as different family factions vie for the honor. The choices include a loyal caretaker, a jealous rumormonger, a charming young woman, a sickly boy, and the scion of the family Edward ousted from power years before. New York Times bestselling author Barbara Taylor Bradford triumphs with a novel about family, love, marriage, and the compromises we're forced to make for power.

Credits goes out to: St. Martin's Press

Ronnie: The Autobiography

2007-10-24T14:14:00.000-04:00

A member of the legendary Rolling Stones since 1976, veteran musician Ron Wood finally tells his story--unsanitized, raw, nasty, and fascinating. This no-holds-barred autobiography also offers a glimpse into the inner workings of the huge machine that allows the Stones to perform so successfully and steadily around the world. Four 8-page color inserts.

From the first time he performed officially as a Rolling Stone, careening down New York’s Fifth Avenue on a flatbed truck playing “Brown Sugar,” Ron Wood has been a key member of the world’s greatest rock and roll band. Now he finally tells his story—unsanitized, raw, nasty and fascinating, Ron Wood is about musicianship at the peak of its powers and also a glimpse at the inner workings of the huge machine that allows the Stones to perform so successfully and steadily around the world. It’s also the story of the big personalities that dominated rock from the 1960’s onward—Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend. And, of course, the bandmates themselves: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Charlie Watts. Chronicling the talent and determination of rock’s greatest generation, Ron Wood will surprise and mesmerize listeners.

Credits goes out to: St. Martin's Press

Christmas with Paula Deen: Recipes and Stories from My Favorite Holiday

2007-10-24T13:53:00.000-04:00

"I've gone through all my books and put together this collection of my most treasured recipes and memories for the holiday season to share with you...You'll find a few new dishes, a sprinkling of new holiday stories, and some family pictures you might not have seen before."

There's no holiday Paula Deen loves better than Christmas, when she opens her home to family and friends, and traditions old and new make the days merry and bright. Filled with Paula's trademark Southern charm and happy reminiscences of Yuletide seasons past, Christmas with Paula Deen is a collection of beloved holiday recipes and stories interspersed with cherished family photographs. Included are Paula's most requested homemade gifts of food; a collection of cookies sure to become your family's favorites; easy dishes for a Christmas breakfast or brunch that will let you enjoy the food and your guests; impressive fare for Christmas dinner and holiday entertaining and, of course, spectacular cakes, puddings, pies, and other sweet things.

"So Merry Christmas, y'all, and best dishes and best wishes from me and my family to yours."

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure

2007-10-22T21:56:00.000-04:00

Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning bestseller, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, sprang from an early passion for the derring-do and larger-than-life heroes of classic comic books. Now, once more mining the rich past, Chabon summons the rollicking spirit of legendary adventures–from The Arabian Nights to Alexandre Dumas to Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser storie–in a wonderful new novel brimming with breathless action, raucous humor, cliff-hanging suspense, and a cast of colorful characters worthy of Scheherazade’s most tantalizing tales.
They’re an odd pair, to be sure: pale, rail-thin, black-clad Zelikman, a moody, itinerant physician fond of jaunty headgear, and ex-soldier Amram, a gray-haired giant of a man as quick with a razor-tongued witticism as he is with a sharpened battle-ax. Brothers under the skin, comrades in arms, they make their rootless way through the Caucasus Mountains, circa A.D. 950, living as they please and surviving however they can–as blades and thieves for hire and as practiced bamboozlers, cheerfully separating the gullible from their money. No strangers to tight scrapes and close shaves, they’ve left many a fist shaking in their dust, tasted their share of enemy steel, and made good any number of hasty exits under hostile circumstances.
None of which has necessarily prepared them to be dragooned into service as escorts and defenders to a prince of the Khazar Empire. Usurped by his brutal uncle, the callow and decidedly ill-tempered young royal burns to reclaim his rightful throne. But doing so will demand wicked cunning, outrageous daring, and foolhardy bravado . . . notto mention an army. Zelikman and Amram can at least supply the former. But are these gentlemen of the road prepared to become generals in a full-scale revolution? The only certainty is that getting there–along a path paved with warriors and whores, evil emperors and extraordinary elephants, secrets, swordplay, and such stuff as the grandest adventures are made of–will be much more than half the fun.

Credits goes out to: Random House Publishing Group

American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic

2007-10-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

From the prizewinning author of the best-selling Founding Brothers and American Sphinx, a masterly and highly ironic examination of the founding years of our country. The last quarter of the eighteenth century remains the most politically creative era in American history, when a dedicated and determined group of men undertook a bold experiment in political ideals. It was a time of triumphs; yet, as Joseph J. Ellis makes clear, it was also a time of tragedies—all of which contributed to the shaping of our burgeoning nation.

From the first shots fired at Lexington to the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the negotiations for the Louisiana Purchase, Ellis guides us through the decisive issues of the nation’s founding, and illuminates the emerging philosophies, shifting alliances, and personal and political foibles of our now iconic leaders—Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and Adams. He casts an incisive eye on the founders’ achievements, arguing that the American Revolution was, paradoxically, an evolution—and that part of what made it so extraordinary was the gradual pace at which it occurred. He shows us why the fact that it was brought about by a group, rather than by a single individual, distinguished it from the bloodier revolutions of other countries, and ultimately played a key role in determining its success. He explains how the idea of a strong federal government, championed by Washington, was eventually embraced by the American people, the majority of whom had to be won over, as they feared an absolute power reminiscent of the British Empire. And he details the emergence of the two-party system—thena political novelty—which today stands as the founders’ most enduring legacy.

But Ellis is equally incisive about their failures, and he makes clear how their inability to abolish slavery and to reach a just settlement with the Native Americans has played an equally important role in shaping our national character. He demonstrates how these misjudgments, now so abundantly evident, were not necessarily inevitable. We learn of the negotiations between Henry Knox and Alexander McGillivray, the most talented Indian statesman of his time, which began in good faith and ended in disaster. And we come to understand how a political solution to slavery required the kind of robust federal power that the Jeffersonians viewed as a betrayal of their most deeply held principles.

With eloquence and insight, Ellis strips the mythic veneer of the revolutionary generation to reveal men both human and inspired, possessed of both brilliance and blindness. American Creation is a book that delineates an era of flawed greatness, at a time when understanding our origins is more important than ever.

Credits goes out to: Knopf Publishing Group

You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty

2007-10-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

The body is the most fascinating machine ever created, and nobody talks about it in ways that are as illuminating and compelling as Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz do. In YOU: The Owner's Manual they showed us how bodies work in general, and in In YOU: On a Diet, they explained how bodies lose weight and stay fit; both books have sold in the millions. Now, in In YOU: Staying Young, the doctors are going to talk to you about what happens as your body ages. As with their previous books, they've conducted tireless research and will introduce fascinating and crucial information in an unforgettable way.

Most people think of the aging of our bodies the same way we think of the aging of our cars: The older we get, it's inevitable that we're going to break down-it could be in just a few ways or it could be in dozens of ways. Most of us hold this notion that once we reach 40 or so, we begin the slow and steady decline of our minds, our eyes, our ears, our joints, our arteries, our libido, and every other system that affects the quality of life (and how long we live it) .

But according to Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz, that's a mistake.

Aging isn't a decline of our systems. It's actually very purposeful. The very systems and biological processes that age us are actually designed to help us when we're a little bit younger. So what's our role as part of the aging population? To learn how those systems work, so we can reprogram them to work the way they did when we were younger. Your goal should be: Die young at any age. That means you live a high quality of life (with everything from working joints to working genitals) until the day you die. Because the doctors' real goal isn't just to make you live longer; it's to allow you to maintain vibrancy throughout your entire life.

The authors will tantalize readers with completely novel concepts---they're not just going to tell you that all you have to do is eat well and sleep lots. They'll explain how our bodies have evolved to ensure 50 years of high quality life, but those same mechanisms can be counterproductive as you age (it's the concept of biologic necessity, rather than just an accident; a biological process that helps you cope better when young unfortunately does opposite as you age). They'll do this by using the metaphor of a city to explain how the body works. Just like your body ages, a city does, too-especially if decisions are made that negatively impact the health of the city, or if too many resources and investments are used in the wrong areas and too few resources are used in the right areas. A once vibrant body can deteriorate if you don't take care of it. But if you revitalize, maintain, and implement new ideas, you'll keep your body at its finest. This allows you to live gracefully and passionately with a fundamentally older infrastructure.

Some examples you'll see throughout the book: Your arteries are like roadways that can be clogged, blocked, or worn down after years of abuse. Your brain is like the energy grid that supplies power to the entire city-and can be knocked out here and there if you let neurological branches fall on your power lines (keys, anyone?). Your skin, in many ways, is like a city's parks and green space-contributing to the overall sense of beauty and vibrancy. Your fat? Yep, landfill.

But really, the ultimate goal isn't just to keep your biological city from turning into a ghost town-to keep you from dying. The goal is to make your body top the "best city to live in" list. It's to make it vibrant, hip, to give it lots of resources and manage them well, and, perhaps most of all, to give it the ability to reinvent itself in the face of changing times.

The book will be full of signature YOU methods to convey the story, including YOU Tests, YOU Tips, and visual and verbal metaphors to bring the science alive; it will be heavily illustrated in the same playful, irreverent style as the previous books. Each section of the book will introduce a theory for why we age, with a quick intro into the science that will be followed by chapters of the health issues that primarily fall under each specific theory of aging.

As always, the doctors' passion for spreading awareness and promoting good health will shine through and make this a funny, educational, essential book.

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Shakespeare: The World as Stage

2007-10-21T18:23:00.000-04:00

A telling glance at one of history's most famously unknowable figures. As sometimes happens with expatriates, journalist Bryson (The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir, 2006, etc.) often turned his attention to his native America during his 20-year residence in England (Made in America, 1995, etc.). Apparently he's now been back home long enough to look the other way in this 12th volume in James Atlas's well-received Eminent Lives series. And who better fits the bill for this assortment of brief biographies than Shakespeare, the literary behemoth who practically defines the Western canon yet boasts a CV that could hardly be slimmer. As the typically wry Bryson observes, "It is because we have so much of Shakespeare's work that we can appreciate how little we know of him as a person. . . . faced with a wealth of text but a poverty of context, scholars have focused obsessively on what they can know." Bryson is just as happy to point out what we can't. To him, Shakespeare is the "literary equivalent of an electron-forever there and not there." Indeed, he makes so much of the fact that so much has been made from the singularly few known facts of the Bard's life that one might say this thin volume's raison d'etre is to identify the many paradoxes surrounding all things Shakespeare, which Bryson candidly illuminates in several deft turns of phrase. That is as good a tack as any to take in this sort of Cliffs Notes-style overview of the rich afterlife and times of Shakespeare, recognized as great, Bryson claims, for his "positive and palpable appreciation of the transfixing power of language"-a point on which even those who don't believe Shakespeare was Shakespeare would agree, anda trait he happens to share with his biographer. Shakespeare redux for the common reader.

Credits goes out to: Kirkus Reviews

Basic Black: The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life)

2007-10-21T17:49:00.000-04:00

Cathie Black is the wise, funny mentor that every woman dreams of having. She was a pioneer in advertising sales at a time when women didn’t sell; served as president and publisher of the fledgling USA Today; and, in her current position as the president of Hearst Magazines, persuaded Oprah to launch a magazine. In 2006 she was named one of Fortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in American Business” for the seventh consecutive year. Now, in the exuberant, down-to-earth voice that is her trademark, Cathie explains how she achieved “the 360° life”—a blend of professional accomplishment and personal contentment—and how any woman can seize opportunity in the workplace.
No matter where you are in your career, Basic Black offers invaluable lessons that will help you land the job, promotion, or project you’re vying for. At the core of the book are Cathie’s candid, personal stories. She walks us through her decision to risk dropping a huge ad agency that handled the USA Today campaign in favor of a small boutique agency run by a wild man. (It was a smash.) She admits that her sometimes brusque style once led to a mutiny of staffers at Ms. (She learned to be more flexible in her managerial style.) She offers a clear-eyed look at what happened during the twenty-eight months between the launch and the close of the much-
buzzed-about Talk magazine. And throughout, she offers fascinating glimpses of media and business personalities, such as Rupert Murdoch, Tina Brown, Frank Bennack, Vic Ganzi, former CosmoGirl! editor Atoosa Rubenstein, Bonnie Fuller, and the legendarily difficult Al Neuharth,founder of USA Today.
Above all, Basic Black is motivating. It provides a close-up look at the keen judgment, perseverance, and optimism that have propelled Cathie Black to the top of her game, along with the kind of straight-up practical advice you get in a one-on-one session with a career coach. You’ll find out how to handle job interviews, which rules to break, and why you should make your life a grudge-free zone. Equally important, you’ll be inspired to pursue your passions and achieve your very best.

Credits goes out to: Crown Publishing Group

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court

2007-10-19T11:19:00.000-04:00

Based on exclusive interviews with the Supreme Court Justices themselves and other insiders, The Nine is a timely and provocative “state of the union” about America’s most elite legal institution. From Anthony Kennedy’s self-importance, to Antonin Scalia’s combativeness, to David Souter’s eccentricity, and even Sandra Day O’Connor’s fateful breach with President George W. Bush, this book offers a rare, personal look at how the individual style of each justice affects the way in which they wield their considerable power.

With the whip-smart analysis for which he is known, Toobin shows how–since Reagan–conservatives were long-thwarted in their attempts to control the Court by some of the very justices they pressured Presidents to appoint. That struggle ended with the recent appointments of John Roberts and Samuel Alito to the Court, and Toobin relays the behind-the-scenes drama in fascinating detail, as well as the ensuing 2007 Court term.

As the Court continues to rule on important issues that will frame the debates in the 2008 elections, it is essential for every American to better understand how the Court operates. And as a CNN senior legal analyst, New Yorker staff writer, and bestselling author, no one is more superbly qualified to bring clarity to a branch of government that has been shrouded in mystery, yet establishes laws that affect the lives of every citizen in America.

Credits goes out to: Doubleday Publishing

The Vixen Diaries

2007-10-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

A true exposé, this book chronicles the personal and professional adventures of this tabloid-laden socialite, dispelling some rumors, while confirming others. It unveils the heavily shrouded Hollywood backrooms and its coveted secrets and reveals an up-close and personal look at a life of fast money and sex.

Here Karrine candidly discusses her interactions with people after the release of Confessions of a Video Vixen and explains how she copes with it all. A provocative and enthralling volume that offers Karrine's ardent fans lessons learned and answers to burning questions, THE VIXEN DIARIES will not disappoint.

Credits goes out to: Grand Central Publishing

Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day

2007-10-17T22:15:00.000-04:00

Joel Osteen reaches one of the largest audiences in the U.S. and across the globe -- more than 42,000 people attend his church every week, and millions more tune in by television to hear his words of inspiration and wisdom. His first book, Your Best Life Now, has sold over 4 million copies and is available worldwide in seventeen languages. His message of hope is helping people find a closer connection with God by learning to apply the principles of Scripture to their everyday lives.

In this new book, Become a Better You, Joel Osteen offers seven simple yet profound action steps that will help readers discover the better things they were born for...their individual purpose and destiny. As charming and passionate on the page as he is in person, Osteen incorporates key biblical principles, devotions, and personal testimonies that will uplift and enlighten readers. He speaks directly to the hearts and concerns of people from every walk of life. People love Joel Osteen -- they love to be in his presence, to hear him speak, and to read what he's written -- they just can't get enough of him.

Become a Better You will encourage and inspire readers to reach their full, unique and God-given potential.

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing during the Change

2007-10-17T22:11:00.000-04:00

Through her bestselling books, groundbreaking PBS specials, and up-to-the-minute clinical knowledge, Dr. Christiane Northrup has earned a place as one of America’s most trusted medical advisors.
In The Wisdom of Menopause, she once again challenges convention with this inspiring look at one of the most commonly misunderstood female health issues. The “change” is not simply a collection of physical symptoms to be “fixed,” Dr. Northrup claims, but a mind/body revolution that brings the greatest opportunity for growth since adolescence. The choices a woman makes now–from the quality of her relationships to the quality of her diet–have the power to secure her health and well-being for the rest of her life. Through her personal story and many fascinating case histories, Dr. Northrup shows:
• How menopause jump-starts changes in the brain, issuing a dramatic wake-up call to body, mind, and emotions
• How to ensure the long-term health of breasts, bones, and heart
• How the body adjusts naturally to changing hormones
• Why bestselling drugs like Premarin may not be the best choice
• How to deal with metabolism shifts, weight gain, sexual problems, and appearance issues
• How to negotiate the challenges of “the empty nest” and midlife marriage
And much more.
In a book destined to be a classic, Dr. Northrup shows women how they can make menopause a time of personal empowerment and positive energy–emerging wiser, healthier, and stronger in both mind and body than ever before.

Credits goes out to: Bantam Books

I Am America (And So Can You!)

2007-10-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

Congratulations -- just by opening the cover of this book you became 25% more patriotic.

From Stephen Colbert, the host of television's highest-rated punditry show The Colbert Report, comes the book to fill the other 23½ hours of your day. I Am America (and So Can You!) contains all of the opinions that Stephen doesn't have time to shoehorn into his nightly broadcast.

Dictated directly into a microcassette recorder over a three-day weekend, this book contains Stephen's most deeply held knee-jerk beliefs on The American Family, Race, Religion, Sex, Sports, and many more topics, conveniently arranged in chapter form.

Always controversial and outspoken, Stephen addresses why Hollywood is destroying America by inches, why evolution is a fraud, and why the elderly should be harnessed to millstones.

You may not agree with everything Stephen says, but at the very least, you'll understand that your differing opinion is wrong.

I Am America (and So Can You!) showcases Stephen Colbert at his most eloquent and impassioned. He is an unrelenting fighter for the soul of America, and in this book he fights the good fight for the traditional values that have served this country so well for so long.

Credits goes out to: Grand Central Publishing

Top 10 of Everything 2008

2007-10-17T21:45:00.000-04:00

With annual sales of 200,000 copies, The Top 10 of Everything is clearly the place people go to get the lowdown on what or who was the best, worst, richest, fiercest, deadliest, or simply biggest of practically anything. It features 600 lists on a diverse range of subjects, from blockbuster movies and music to stellar universities, from crime and punishment to popular drinks. Find out which stars of stage and screen shone the brightest and which terrestrial animals weigh the most. See which habitable buildings are the tallest and which bodies are the largest in the solar system. Check out stats on airlines, crops, natural disasters, and sports. Some of the lists are entirely new; some are updated with the latest news, and all appear on attractively illustrated spreads with excellent background information. “First” and “Fast” fact boxes pinpoint the pioneers and the most recent achievers in various endeavors. It’s entertaining and educational!

Credits goes out to: Hamlyn

World Without End

2007-10-17T21:42:00.000-04:00

Ken Follett has 90 million readers worldwide. The Pillars of the Earth is his bestselling book of all time. Now, eighteen years after the publication of The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett has written the most-anticipated sequel of the year-World Without End.

In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world with The Pillars of the Earth, a sweeping epic novel set in twelfth-century England centered on the building of a cathedral and many of the hundreds of lives it affected. Critics were overwhelmed-"it will hold you, fascinate you, surround you" (Chicago Tribune)-and readers everywhere hoped for a sequel.

World Without End takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge, two centuries after the townspeople finished building the exquisite Gothic cathedral that was at the heart of The Pillars of the Earth. The cathedral and the priory are again at the center of a web of love and hate, greed and pride, ambition and revenge, but this sequel stands on its own. This time the men and women of an extraordinary cast of characters find themselves at a crossroad of new ideas-about medicine, commerce, architecture, and justice. In a world where proponents of the old ways fiercely battle those with progressive minds, the intrigue and tension quickly reach a boiling point against the devastating backdrop of the greatest natural disaster ever to strike the human race-the Black Death.

Three years in the writing, and nearly eighteen years since its predecessor, World Without End breathes new life into the epic historical novel and once again shows that Ken Follett is a masterful author writing at the top of his craft.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food

2007-10-17T21:38:00.000-04:00

As she wages a personal war against sugars, packaged foods, and other nutritional saboteurs, Seinfeld offers appetizing alternatives for parents who find themselves succumbing to the fastest and easiest--and least healthy--choices available to them. From The Publisher: It has become common knowledge that childhood obesity rates are increasing every year. But the rates continue to rise. And between busy work schedules and the inconvenient truth that kids simply refuse to eat vegetables and other healthy foods, how can average parents ensure their kids are getting the proper nutrition and avoiding bad eating habits? As a mother of three, Jessica Seinfeld can speak for all parents who struggle to feed their kids right and deal nightly with dinnertime fiascos. As she wages a personal war against sugars, packaged foods, and other nutritional saboteurs, she offers appetizing alternatives for parents who find themselves succumbing to the fastest and easiest (and least healthy) choices available to them. Her modus operandi? Her book is filled with traditional recipes that kids love, except they're stealthily packed with veggies hidden in them so kids don't even know! With the help of a nutritionist and a professional chef, Seinfeld has developed a month's worth of meals for kids of all ages that includes, for example, pureed cauliflower in mac and cheese, and kale in spaghetti and meatballs. She also provides revealing and humorous personal anecdotes, tear out shopping guides to help parents zoom through the supermarket, and tips on how to deal with the kid that must have the latest sugar bomb cereal. But this book also contains much more than recipes and tips. By solving problems on a practical level for parents, Seinfeld addresses the big picture issues that surround childhood obesity and its long term (and ruinous) effects on the body. With the help of a prominent nutritionist, her book provides parents with an arsenal of information related to kids' nutrition so parents understand why it's important to throw in a little avocado puree into their quesadillas. She discusses the critical importance of portion size, and the specific elements kids simply must have (as opposed to adults) in order to flourish now and in the future: protein, calcium, vitamins, and Omega 3 and 6 fats. Jessica Seinfeld's book is practical, easy to read, and a godsend for any parent that wants their kids to be healthy for a long time to come.

Now and Then

2007-10-17T21:23:00.000-04:00

When a simple case turns into a treacherous and politically charged investigation, Spenser faces his most difficult challenge yet-keeping his cool while his beloved Susan Silverman is in danger.

Spenser knows something's amiss the moment Dennis Doherty walks into his office. The guy's aggressive yet wary, in the way men frightened for their marriages always are. So when Doherty asks Spenser to investigate his wife Jordan's abnormal behavior, Spenser agrees. A job's a job, after all.

Not surprisingly, Spenser catches Jordan with another man, tells Dennis what he's found out, and considers the case closed. But a couple of days later, all hell breaks loose, and three people are dead. This isn't just a marital affair gone bad. Spenser is in the middle of hornet's nest of trouble, and he's got to get out of it without getting stung. With Hawk watching his back, and gun-for-hire Vinnie Morris providing extra cover, Spenser delves into a complicated and far-reaching operation: Jordan's former lover, Perry Alderson, is the leader of a group that helps sponsor terrorists. But Perry doesn't like Spenser poking around his business, so he decides to get to Spenser through Susan. The Boston P.I. will use all his connections both above and below the law to uncover the truth behind Perry's antigovernment organization. But what Alderson doesn't realize is that Spenser will stop at absolutely nothing to keep Susan out of harm's way; nothing will keep him from the woman he loves.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

A Lick of Frost

2007-10-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the fastest growing authors of fiction writing today. Her beloved and bestselling novels feature passionate, courageous heroines who inhabit a contemporary world that has been infiltrated by magic who must fight fierce battles in order to ensure their survival.

In A Lick of Frost, the suspenseful and sexy saga of Meredith Gentry continues. Her aunt, the dark Queen Andais, has commanded Merry, who is half-mortal, half-faerie princess, to attempt to conceive a child, an heir to succeed her on the throne. One by one, consorts have come to her bed to help her save her claim - and her life.

Now Merry has left the faeries society to return to Los Angeles, accompanied by her bodyguards, where she will continue in her efforts to conceive an heir. But Merry and her lovers will be caught between the dark and light courts of faerie and human law. And all facets of her life will inevitably bring her face to face with a fate worse than death.

Credits goes out to: Random House Publishing Group

Book of the Dead

2007-10-17T21:12:00.000-04:00

From America's # 1 bestselling crime writer comes the extraordinary new Dr. Kay Scarpetta novel.

The "book of the dead" is the morgue log, a ledger in which all cases are entered by hand. For Kay Scarpetta, however, it is about to take on a new meaning. Fresh from her bruising battle with a psychopath in Florida, Scarpetta decides it's time for a change of pace, not only personally and professionally but geographically. Moving to the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina, she opens a unique private forensic pathology practice, one in which she and her colleagues-including Pete Marino and her niece, Lucy-offer expert crime-scene investigation and autopsy services to communities lacking local access to modern, competent death investigation technology.

It seems like an ideal situation, until the new battles start-with local politicians, with entrenched interests, with someone whose covert attempts at sabotage are clearly meant to run Scarpetta out of town. And that's before the murders and other violent deaths even begin.

A young man from a well-known family jumps off a water tower. A woman is found ritualistically murdered in her multimillion-dollar beach home. The body of an abused young boy is discovered dumped in a desolate marsh. Meanwhile, in distant New England, problems with a prominent patient at a Harvard-affiliated psychiatric hospital begin to hint at interconnections that are as hard to imagine as they are horrible.

Kay Scarpetta has dealt with many brutal and unusual crimes before, but never a string of them as baffling, or as terrifying, as the ones confronting her now. Before she is through, that book of the dead will contain many names-and the penmay be poised to write in her own.

The first name in forensics. The last name in suspense. Once again, Patricia Cornwell proves her exceptional ability to entertain and enthrall.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

Protect and Defend

2007-10-17T21:08:00.000-04:00

New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn returns with his most explosive political thriller yet. A tour de force of action-packed suspense, Protect and Defend delivers an all-too-realistic and utterly compelling vision of nations navigating the minefield of international intrigue. A true "heavyweight in the political thriller arena" (Minneapolis Star Tribune), Vince Flynn has created a flesh-and-blood hero that readers can cheer for and a "finger-blistering page-turner" they won't dare put down.

In Protect and Defend, the action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches one of the most creative and daring espionage operations ever conceived. The attack leaves a radioactive tomb and environmental disaster in the middle of Iran's second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States for the attack and demands retribution. Privately, Iran's bombastic president wants much more. He wants America and Israel to pay for their aggression with blood.

Enter Mitch Rapp, America's top counterterrorism operative. Used to employing deception, Rapp sees an opportunity where others see only Iranian reprisals that could leave thousands of Americans dead. Rapp convinces President Josh Alexander to sign off on a risky operation that will further embarrass the Iranian government and push their country to the brink of revolution. As part of the plan, CIA director Irene Kennedy is dispatched to the region for a clandestine meeting with AzadAshani, her Iranian counterpart.

But Rapp isn't the only one hatching plans. Iran's President Amatullah has recruited Hezbollah master terrorist Imad Mukhtar to do his dirty work. For decades Mukhtar has acted as a surrogate for Iran, blazing a trail of death and destruction across the Middle East and beyond. When Kennedy's meeting with Ashani goes disastrously wrong, Rapp and Mukhtar are set on a collision course that threatens to engulf the entire region in war. With the clock ticking, Rapp is given twenty-four hours, no questions asked, to do whatever it takes to stop Mukhtar, and avert an unthinkable catastrophe.

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

The Quiet Girl

2007-10-17T21:02:00.000-04:00

Set in Denmark in the here and now, The Quiet Girl centers around Kaspar Krone, a world-renowned circus clown with a deep love for the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, and an even deeper gambling debt. Wanted for tax evasion and on the verge of extradition, Krone is drafted into the service of a mysterious order of nuns who promise him reprieve from the international authorities in return for his help safeguarding a group of children with mystical abilities—abilities that Krone shares. When one of the children goes missing, Krone sets off to find the young girl and bring her back, making a shocking series of discoveries along the way about her identity and the true intentions of his young wards. The result is a fast-paced, philosophical thriller blending social realism with the literary fantastic and pitting art and spirituality against corporate interests and nothing less than the will to war by the industrialized world. The Quiet Girl is a masterful, inventive novel that marks the triumphal return of one of the great writers of the international literary world.

Credits goes out to: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Amazing Grace

2007-10-17T20:58:00.000-04:00

On a warm May night in San Francisco, the Ritz-Carlton ballroom shimmers with crystal and silver as a glittering, celebrity-studded crowd gathers for a charity dinner dance. The evening is perfect–until, just minutes before midnight, the room begins to sway. Glass shatters. And as the lights go out, people begin to scream….

In the earthquake’s aftermath, the lives of four strangers will converge.… Sarah Sloane, the beautiful wife of a financial whiz, watches her perfect world fall to pieces…. Grammy-winning singer Melanie Free, the event’s headliner, comes to a turning point in her life and career…. Photographer Everett Carson, a former war correspondent whose personal demons have demoted him to covering society parties, finds new purpose amid the carnage…and Sister Maggie Kent, a nun who normally works in jeans and high-tops with the homeless, searches through the rubble–and knows instantly that there is much work to be done….

As the city staggers back to life, a chain reaction of extraordinary events will touch each of the survivors.… For Sarah, it begins with the discovery of a crime and a betrayal, then a strength she never knew she had. For Melanie,

volunteering at a refugee camp will open new worlds of possibility. And Everett will be shaken by the unlikely relationship he forges with Maggie, who helps him rebuild his shattered life–and upends her own in the process. But as a year passes, and the anniversary of the earthquake approaches, more surprises are in store–as each discovers the unexpected gifts in a tragedy’s wake…and the amazing grace of newbeginnings.

Throughout these enthralling pages, Danielle Steel creates a stunning array of contrasts–from the dazzle of a society benefit to the chaos of a makeshift hospital, from the pampered lives of rock stars to the quiet heroism of emergency volunteers. It is her most powerful and life-affirming novel to date.

Credits goes out to: Dell Publishing

Home to Holly Springs

2007-10-17T20:52:00.000-04:00

Far from Mitford and his beloved wife Cynthia, Father Tim Kavanagh enters unfamiliar emotional territory in the town of his birth. When he receives a letter postmarked Holly Springs, Miss., that contains a cryptic two-word message written in a precise, old-fashioned hand, Father Tim decides to answer its call and return to his birthplace for the first time in 38 years. On the long drive, he faces unanswered questions and half-forgotten memories: What happened to his boyhood chum and blood brother, Tommy? What caused his father's melancholy that bordered on cruelty? What happened to Peggy, the adored black caregiver who disappeared when he was 11? Who is trying to contact him, and why? As Father Tim awaits the letter writer, he is showered by blessings: He finds that his hometown has been beautifully restored, and he makes peace with an old flame. When the summons comes, it brings both joy and betrayal. He is reunited with his beloved Peggy, only to learn a terrible secret: She was carrying his father's child when she disappeared. When Peggy reveals that Henry, her son and Tim's half-brother, has leukemia and can only survive with a transfusion from a compatible sibling, Tim has to struggle to reach the decision he knows is right. In this setting away from home, we see Father Tim in a new light as he wrestles with his past and explores the origins of his religious convictions. The saga veers into magical theater as Karon (Cynthia Coppersmith's Violet Comes to Stay, 2006, etc.) ties up every loose end in Tim's past. But readers who miss Mitford's colorful eccentrics will be satisfied by Holly Springs's ample supply of quirky characters. Karon's deft interweaving of past and present infusesthe Mitford saga with new energy.

Credits goes out to: Kirkus Reviews

Creation in Death

2007-10-17T20:46:00.000-04:00

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn't save-and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. The city was on edge from a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days, courtesy of a man the media tagged "The Groom"-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims.

When it turns out that the young brunette was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him in on the case-a move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal. The victim was washed in products from a store Roarke owns, and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures.

With the Groom's monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, Eve knows that he has already grabbed his next victim. Time is running out on another woman's life.

And chances are he's working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career-abducting a woman who will test his skills and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

The Chase

2007-10-17T20:42:00.000-04:00

For decades, Clive Cussler has been delighting readers with novels filled with suspense, action, and sheer audacity. Now he does it again, in one of the wildest, most entertaining historical thrillers in years.

April 1950: The rusting hulk of a steam locomotive rises from the deep waters of a Montana lake. Inside is all that remains of three men who died forty-four years before. But it is not the engine or its grisly contents that interest the people watching nearby. It is what is about to come next . . .

1906: For two years, the western states of America have been suffering an extraordinary crime spree: a string of bank robberies by a single man who cold-bloodedly murders any and all witnesses and then vanishes without a trace. Fed up by the depredations of the "Butcher Bandit," the U.S. government brings in the best man they can find-a tall, lean, no-nonsense detective named Isaac Bell, who has caught thieves and killers coast to coast.

But Bell has never had a challenge like this one. From Arizona to Colorado to the streets of San Francisco during its calamitous earthquake and fire, he pursues what is quickly becoming clear to him is the sharpest criminal mind he has ever encountered, and the woman who seems to hold the key to the bandit's identity. Using science, deduction, and intuition, Bell repeatedly draws near only to grasp at thin air, but at least he knows his pursuit is having an effect. Because his quarry is getting angry now, and has turned the chase back on him. The hunter has become the hunted. And soon it will take all of Isaac Bell's skills not merely to prevail . . . but to survive.

Filled with intricate plotting, dazzling signature set pieces, andnot one but two extraordinary villains, this is the work of a master writing at the height of his powers.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

BORAT

2007-10-17T20:38:00.000-04:00

CONTAINS ALL NEW MATERIAL

BORAT: TOURISTIC GUIDINGS TO GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN

JAGSHEMASH! WELCOMES IN KAZAKHSTAN!

In coitus with Kazakh Minister of Information, telelviski journalist Borat Sagdiyev is take great pleasuring himself to present this touristic guidings to Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan–home to many many of Central Asia’s most highly respected sex criminals. This volume is showcase of all that is great of Kazakhstan–marvel at the statistic of Nurek Dam, make your childrens laugh with our jokes about jews and take a peekings inside brandnew Capitalist Supermall Viktor Hotelier’s Shopcity–3 stores and electrical staircare!!

Containings over half the photographs, maps and writings ever produced by Kazakhstan and printed on our finest grade paper (50% tree, 10% asbestos, 22% gypsy, 18% pubis)–this books will surely makings you visit Kazakhstan most urgently! You welcomes–we seeings you soon!

BORAT: TOURISTIC GUIDINGS TO MINOR NATION OF U.S. AND A.

JAGSHEMASH READER!

Subsequents to worldwide successes of his blockbusterings moviefilm, Borat Sagdiyev–televiski journalist and 4th most famous person of Kazakhstan–have in associate with Ministry of Information produce this travel guidings journal to minor nation of US and A. This book a most sensible acquisition if you are think of travel to this country and will instruct you on all you needing know–from how to get cage of your wife through airport, to how to gain entry to an American vagine without spend money.

It also contain most explicit guidings to American peoples–didyou know that there are over 1,000 of them with chocolate colour skin? And that it natural, not makeups!? Learn too of the great American cities–Washingtons DC, New York and Londons–and read truthful accounts of their landmarks: for examples, discover that in realitys, the World Trade Centers of New York City is not near so tall as they saying it is.

Containings many many photographs never before looked upon and writings of most splendid caliber, this book really is a very nice!

Credits goes out to: Doubleday Publishing

Stone Cold

2007-10-17T20:34:00.000-04:00

Oliver Stone and the Camel Club are back in their most dangerous adventure yet, a war on two fronts. Casino king Jerry Bagger from THE COLLECTORS is hunting Annabelle Conroy who conned him out of millions. Stone and his colleagues Reuben, Milton, and Caleb marshal all their resources to protect Annabelle. Yet all their skills may not be enough when a deadly new opponent rips off the veneer of Stone's own mysterious past. Bagger's menace pales next to newcomer Harry Finn's lethality. Seeming a normal family-man, Finn has already killed three men with more targets to come. When Finn also sets his bulls-eye on Stone, his reason why will be the greatest shock of all, making readers reconsider their beliefs in good and evil. As bodies and institutions topple, the story rockets toward a shattering finale that will leave the survivors of this explosive tale changed forever.

Credits goes out to: Grand Central Publishing

Snakehead

2007-10-17T20:28:00.000-04:00

What goes up must come down, and when we last saw Alex Rider, he was as up as can be—in outer space. When he crash lands off the coast of Australia, the Australian Secret Service recruits him to infiltrate one of the ruthless gangs operating across South East Asia. Known as snakeheads, the gangs smuggle drugs, weapons, and worst of all, people. Alex accepts the assignment, in part for the chance to work with his godfather and learn more about his parents. What he uncovers, however, is a secret that will make this his darkest and most dangerous mission yet . . . and that his old nemesis, Scorpia, is anything but out of his life.

From the slums of Bangkok to the Australian Outback to the middle of the Timor Sea, Snakehead is Alex Rider's most action-packed adventure yet.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

Double Cross

2007-10-17T20:26:00.000-04:00

Alex Cross rejoins the police force to face the most diabolical villain he's ever encountered-a serial killer with a hunger for mega-celebrity.

Just when detective Alex Cross thought his life was calming down, he finds himself back in the game-this time to catch a criminal mastermind like no other.

A spate of elaborate murders in Washington D.C. has the whole East Coast on edge. It is like nothing Alex Cross and his new girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, have ever seen. With each murder, the case becomes increasingly complex. There's only one thing Alex knows: this killer adores an audience.

As victims are made into gruesome spectacles citywide, inducing media hysteria, it becomes clear to Alex that the man he's after is a genius of terror-and he's after fame. The killer has the whole city on a string, and he'll stop at nothing to become the most terrifying star that Washington D.C. has ever seen.

The Alex Cross series is the #1 bestselling detective series, with more than 50 million books sold.

Credits goes out to: Little, Brown & Company

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

2007-10-17T20:19:00.000-04:00

At age 10, Steve Martin got a job selling guidebooks at the newly opened Disneyland. In the decade that followed, he worked in Disney's magic shop, print shop, and theater, and developed his own magic/comedy act. By age 20, studying poetry and philosophy on the side, he was performing a dozen times a week, most often at the Disney rival, Knott's Berry Farm.

Obsession is a substitute for talent, he has said, and Steve Martin's focus and daring his sheer tenacity are truly stunning. He writes about making the very tough decision to sacrifice everything not original in his act, and about lucking into a job writing for The Smothers Brothers Show. He writes about mentors, girlfriends, his complex relationship with his parents and sister, and about some of his great peers in comedy Dan Aykroyd, Lorne Michaels, Carl Reiner, Johnny Carson. He writes about fear, anxiety and loneliness. And he writes about how he figured out what worked on stage.

This book is a memoir, but it is also an illuminating guidebook to stand up from one of our two or three greatest comedians. Though Martin is reticent about his personal life, he is also stunningly deft, and manages to give readers a feeling of intimacy and candor. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs collected by Martin, this book is instantly compelling visually and a spectacularly good read.

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Blood Brothers (Sign of Seven Series #1)

2007-10-17T20:15:00.000-04:00

In the small village of Hawkins Hollow, three best friends who share the same birthday sneak off into the woods for a sleepover the evening before turning 10. But a night of pre-pubescent celebration turns into a night of horror as their blood brother oath unleashes a three-hundred year curse.

Twenty-one years later, Cal Hawkins and his friends have seen their town plagued by a week of unexplainable evil events two more times - every seven years. With the clock winding down on the third set of seven years, someone else has taken an interest in the town's folklore. Quinn is a well known scholar of local legends, and despite Cal's protests, insists on delving in the mystery. But when the first signs of evil appear months early, it's not only the town Cal tries to protect, but also his heart.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

T is for Trespass

2007-10-17T20:11:00.000-04:00

tres-pass \'trespes\ n: a transgression of law involving one's obligations to God or to one's neighbor; a violation of moral law; an offense; a sin

-Webster's New International Dictionary

In what may be her most unsettling novel to date, Sue Grafton's T is for Trespass is also her most direct confrontation with the forces of evil. Beginning slowly with the day-to-day life of a private eye, Grafton suddenly shifts from the voice of Kinsey Millhone to that of Solana Rojas, introducing readers to a chilling sociopath. Rojas is not her birth name. It is an identity she cunningly stole, an identity that gives her access to private caregiving jobs. The true horror of the novel builds with excruciating tension as the reader foresees the awfulness that lies ahead. The suspense lies in whether Millhone will realize what is happening in time to intervene.

Though set in the late eighties, T is for Trespass could not be more topical: identity theft; elder abuse; betrayal of trust; the breakdown in the institutions charged with caring for the weak and the dependent. It reveals a terrifying but all-too-real rip in the social fabric. Once again, Grafton opens up new territory with startling results.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life

2007-10-17T20:08:00.000-04:00

In Jim Cramer's Real Money, Cramer offered listeners a general guide to investing, emphasizing basic iprinciples that he has used himself.

In Jim Cramer's Mad Money, Cramer told listeners how to watch his CNBC program and benefit financially from it.

Now in Jim Cramer's Stay Mad for Life, Cramer shows investors at every stage, from recent college grads to retirees, what to do with their money: how to invest it, how to grow it when young, protect it when older, and survive the vagaries of the markets to provide money for their family's essential expenses (mortgage, college tuition) and still retire to a prosperous lifestyle.

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Skinny Bitch in the Kitch

2007-10-17T20:02:00.000-04:00

Skinny Bitches Can Bake Their Cake—And Eat it Too!

Quit your bitching-they've heard you already! You read Skinny Bitch and it totally rocked your world. Now you want to know, "What can I cook that's good for me, but doesn't taste like crap?" Well, lucky for you, the Bitches are on the case. Self-proclaimed pigs, Rory and Kim understand all too well: Life without lasagna isn't a life worth living; chocolate cake is vital to our survival; and no one can live without mac 'n cheese-no one. So can you keep to your SB standards and eat like a whale? Shit yeah, bitches. To prove it, Rory and Kim came up with some kick-ass recipes for every craving there is:

• Bitchin' Breakfasts
• PMS (Pissy Mood Snacks)
• Sassy Soups and Stews
• Grown-up Appetizers
• Comfort Cookin'
• Hearty Ass Sandwiches
• Happy Endings (Desserts)

And a ton more! They are all so good (and easy to make) you're gonna freak out. Seriously. What are you waiting for? Get your skinny ass in the kitchen!

Credits goes out to: Perseus Publishing

Hand of Evil

2007-10-17T20:00:00.000-04:00

With his hand trapped in the door of a speeding car, a man struggles to remain upright as he's dragged along a deserted stretch of San Juan Road in Phoenix's South Mountain Preserve. It's the perfect place to drive a man to his grave -- literally. Starting with a crime so gruesome even prowling coyotes keep their distance from the remains, a killer begins crisscrossing the Southwest on a spree of grisly murders.

A hundred miles away, Ali Reynolds is grieving. The newscasting job she once delighted in is gone and so is the philandering husband she loved and thought she knew. When a member of the family who gave Ali a generous scholarship for her education decades earlier suddenly asks her for a meeting, Ali wonders what it can mean. Before she can satisfy her curiosity, though, Ali receives another startling call: a friend's teenage daughter has disappeared. Ali offers to help, but in doing so, she unknowingly begins a quest that will reveal a deadly ring of secrets, at the center of which stand two undiscriminating killers....

Hand of Evil is Jance at her best, weaving a masterful story of suspense that travels over generations, revealing two very different women with the same horrifying secret. Will Ali become a victim herself, or will she escape from a deadly deceit that no amount of security -- financial or emotional -- can cover up?

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

There's No Place Like Here

2007-10-17T19:57:00.000-04:00

Bestselling author Cecelia Ahern, whose sparkling novels have more than 5.5 million copies in print worldwide, returns with an ambitious, absorbing, and romantic tale of things -- and people -- lost and found People disappear every day, some because they choose to leave their old lives behind, and some for more unpleasant reasons. Things, too, disappear: mittens and cell phones, wallets and luggage. In every case, someone is left behind; someone is left to wonder what happened.

Ever since her classmate Jenny-May vanished when they were ten years old, Sandy Shortt has been obsessed with finding things. Now grown, Sandy's obsession has become a calling, with her own agency devoted to locating missing persons. But with every failed case, Sandy is plagued with questions: Where do missing people go? Are they alive or dead? Did they intend to disappear, or did they suffer some cruel fate? As these questions threaten to consume her, Sandy suddenly finds that she, herself, has disappeared, and that she has found all the answers she's always searched for in a magical place where all lost things and people go.

A romance that explores the meaning of loss and love, There's No Place Like Here is Cecelia Ahern's most satisfying, most inspired, most entrancing novel yet.

Credits goes out to: Hyperion

Blood Dreams

2007-10-17T19:50:00.000-04:00

He's the kind of killer we instinctively fear the most. A killer without boundaries, without conscience, without any fear of being caught. And his latest victim is terrifying proof that no one is safe: the daughter of a powerful U.S. senator.

Now, with the national media calling for justice and a grief-stricken father seeking vengeance, Bishop and his FBI Special Crimes Unit find themselves in a unique situation. This time even psychic cops aren't enough to stop evil. Aid comes in the form of a fledgling civilian organization of unorthodox crime stoppers. Operating outside of any government oversight, without sanction or official authority, they are comprised of a membership every bit as talented and eccentric as Bishop's SCU - if not more so. And that is no coincidence. For Bishop helped launch this organization barely two years before.

Dani Justice knows about monsters. They haunt her nightmares - and her life. But she never expected to find herself doggedly on the trail of a real flesh-and-blood predator so cunning, he's eluded the best law enforcement could send up against him; so deadly, he doesn't hesitate to kill even a senator's daughter. Or a cop.

Dani doesn't want to hunt this killer. She doesn't want to risk the life she's made for herself, or her hard-won peace. But she doesn't have a choice. Because his bloody rampage has hit far too close to home. Because Dani alone commands a weapon powerful enough to destroy him.

And because Dani knows something even Bishop doesn't. Dani knows how the hunt ends. It ends in fire. And blood. And death.

What she doesn't know is who will survive.

Credits goes out to: Dell Publishing

The Darkest Evening of the Year

2007-10-17T19:45:00.000-04:00

With each of his #1 New York Times bestsellers, Dean Koontz has displayed an unparalleled ability to entertain and enlighten readers with novels that capture the essence of our times even as they bring us to the edge of our seats. Now he delivers a heart-gripping tour de force he’s been waiting years to write, at once a love story, a thrilling adventure, and a masterwork of suspense that redefines the boundaries of primal fear–and of enduring devotion.
Amy Redwing has dedicated her life to the southern California organization she founded to rescue abandoned and endangered golden retrievers. Among dog lovers, she’s a legend for the risks she’ll take to save an animal from abuse. Among her friends, Amy’s heedless devotion is often cause for concern. To widower Brian McCarthy, whose commitment she can’t allow herself to return, Amy’s behavior is far more puzzling and hides a shattering secret.
No one is surprised when Amy risks her life to save Nickie, nor when she takes the female golden into her home. The bond between Amy and Nickie is immediate and uncanny. Even her two other goldens, Fred and Ethel, recognize Nickie as special, a natural alpha. But the instant joy Nickie brings is shadowed by a series of eerie incidents. An ominous stranger. A mysterious home invasion.
And the unmistakable sense that someone is watching Amy’s every move and that, whoever it is, he’s not alone.
Someone has come back to turn Amy into the desperate, hunted creature she’s always been there to save. But now there’s no one to save Amy and those she loves. From its breathtaking opening scene to its shocking climax, TheDarkest Evening of the Year is Dean Koontz at his finest, a transcendent thriller certain to have readers turning pages until dawn.

Credits goes out to: Bantam Books

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2007-10-17T11:38:00.000-04:00

After 103 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and with four million copies of The Kite Runner shipped, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel that confirms his place as one of the most important literary writers today.

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them-in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul-they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman's love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

A stunning accomplishment, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a haunting, heartbreaking, compelling story of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love.

Credits goes out to: Penguin Group (USA)

The Kite Runner

2007-10-17T11:16:00.000-04:00

"I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975." So begins The Kite Runner, a poignant tale of two motherless boys growing up in Kabul, a city teetering on the brink of destruction at the dawn of the Soviet invasion.

Despite their class differences, Amir, the son of a wealthy businessman, and Hassan, his devoted sidekick and the son of Amir's household servant, play together, cause mischief together, and compete in the annual kite-fighting tournament -- Amir flying the kite, and Hassan running down the kites they fell. But one day, Amir betrays Hassan, and his betrayal grows increasingly devastating as their tale continues. Amir will spend much of his life coming to terms with his initial and subsequent acts of cowardice, and finally seek to make reparations.

Hosseini's depiction of the cruelty children suffer at the hands of their "friends" will break your heart. And his descriptions of Afghanistan both before and after the war will haunt readers long after they've read the last page. The Kite Runner is a stunning reminder that the dark hearts of adults are made, step-by-step, by the hatred they learn as children, and that all it takes for evil to triumph is for a good man to stand back and do nothing....Summer 2003 Selection

Credits goes out to: Barnes & Noble

The Secret

2007-10-17T03:26:00.000-04:00

Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it.

In this book, you'll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life -- money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You'll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that's within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers -- men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

Credits goes out to: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-10-10T09:58:00.000-04:00

The Barnes & Noble Review Begun a decade ago and encompassing six shelf-bending novels, the seventh and concluding volume of the international literary phenomenon that is the Harry Potter saga comes to a bombshell-packed -- and oh so satisfying -- conclusion in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, arguably the most wildly anticipated release in modern publishing history.

As the novel begins, Harry, Ron and Hermione are on the run from Lord Voldemort, whose minions of Death Eaters have not only taken control of the Minister of Magic but have begun to systematically -- and forcibly -- change the entire culture of the magic community: Muggle-born wizards, for example, are being rounded up and questioned, and all "blood traitors" are being imprisoned. But as Voldemort and his followers ruthlessly pursue the fugitive with the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, Potter finally uncovers the jaw-dropping truth of his existence....

Undoubtedly Rowling's crowning literary achievement, this triumphant final installment not only answers any and all questions surrounding integral characters like Albus Dumbledore, Voldemort, Severus Snape, Neville Longbottom, and Draco Malfoy but also brilliantly deals with some decidedly adult themes -- mortality, faith, duty, honor, etc. -- with a lyrical simplicity that will touch the hearts of readers of all ages. ("Do not pity the dead...pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.") Rowling definitely saved the best for last in this saga; HP7 will exceed the expectations of even the most demanding Harry Potter fan -- a towering, transcendent end to an equally towering and transcendent series.

Credits goes out to: Paul Goat Allen
Credits goes out to: Barnes & Noble