New Nonfiction (with commentary): 1 June 2015
01 June 2015
A new series, published each Monday, sharing a selected list of new nonfiction titles to be published during the week. List originally published at The Reader's Advisor Online. Text in bold is commentary.
Angelos, James - The Full Catastrophe: Travels Among the New Greek Ruins [About recent Greek history. Could be interesting.]
Bright, Jake and Aubrey Hruby - The Next Africa: An Emerging Continent Becomes a Global Powerhouse
Brooks, Amanda - Always Pack a Party Dress: And Other Lessons Learned From a (Half) Life in Fashion [By the fashion director for Barneys New York.]
Cadjan, Nancy - Baby Signing Essentials
Crocker, Betty - The Big Book of Chicken
Douglas, Ron - America’s Most Wanted Recipes Kids’ Menu [Evidently there's a whole series of these. 75,000 first printing.]
D'Souza, Dinesh - That’s Not Fair! Progressivism and the Politics of Envy [D'Souza is a well-known conservative writer. 200,000 first printing.]
Dundas, Zach - The Great Detective: The Amazing Rise and Immortal Life of Sherlock Holmes [Sherlock Holmes is, of course, very big right now.]
Ezarik, Justine - I, Justine: An Analog Memoir [Another big YouTuber memoir, 100,000 first printing.]
Fertig, Judith - The Cake Therapist
Helwig, Jenna - Smoothie-Licious
Kidd, Chip - Judge This [The ad copy is: "A fun, playful look at the importance of first impressions—in design and in life—from acclaimed book designer Chip Kidd."]
Kim, Joseph & Stephan Talty - Under the Same Sky: From Starvation in North Korea to Salvation in America [The author received help in escaping privation in North Korea. This one could perhaps be of interest to fans of Barbara Dimick's Nothing to Envy.]
Kozol, Jonathan - The Theft of Memory: Losing My Father, One Day at a Time [Kozol is best known for his writings about education and segregation, and I am a big fan. Savage Inequalities is one of the few books I remember reading in college. This is a memoir about his father's struggle with Alzheimer's, made all the more immediate because his father was also a noted doctor in the field of neurology.]
Luzzi, Joseph - In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, Healing, and the Mysteries of Love [I was surprised this one has a 100,000 first printing, when the Kozol only had a 40,000. This is a memoir about how Luzzi's wife died from an accident while she was pregnant, but their daughter survived.]
Martin, Wednesday - Primates Of Park Avenue [Another big first printing: 100,000. Memoir by a woman who married into money and the Upper East Side of New York contingent of wealthy and secretive group of Upper East Side mothers.]
Mcdowell, Christina - After Perfect: A Daughter's Memoir [This must be the week for books about wealth and NYC. A memoir by the daughter of a formerly wealthy "wolf of Wall Street."]
Meyer, Joyce - Let God Fight Your Battles: Being Peaceful in the Storm
Mezrich, Ben - Once Upon A Time In Russia: The Rise of the Oligarchs [By the well-known author of Bringing Down the House and The Accidental Billionaires. Actually, I'm a fan, although Mezrich has been faulted for not being 100% accurate or truthful in his nonfiction. 125,000 first printing.]
Moore, Peter - The Weather Experiment: The Pioneers Who Sought to See the Future [About "nineteenth-century meteorologists (who) had to fight against convention and religious dogma." I'm totally gonna get this one.]
Morris, Bob - Bobby Wonderful: An Imperfect Son Buries His Parents [Memoir about caring for his elderly parents. Might appeal to fans of Roz Chast's graphic novel Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?]
Oliver, Isaac - Intimacy Idiot [They're billing Oliver as the next David Sedaris,but I can't say the cover on this one does much for me.]
Phillips, Stevie - Judy & Liza & Robert & Freddie & David & Sue & Me...[Memoir by the agent of Judy Garland, Robert Redford, etc.]
Robertson, Brian J. - Holacracy: The New Management System for a Rapidly Changing World
Roth, Alvin E. - Who Gets What -- and Why [The ad copy: "A Nobel laureate reveals the often surprising rules that govern a vast array of activities — both mundane and life-changing — in which money may play little or no role." I'm going to look into this one too.]
Schwartz, Peter - In Defense of Selfishness: Why the Code of Self-Sacrifice is Unjust and Destructive [In this one Schwartz is "Basing his arguments on Ayn Rand's ethics of rational self-interest." Ugh. Must be a real treat to be married to this guy.]
Smith, Mark Haskell - Naked at Lunch: A Reluctant Nudist's Adventures in the Clothing-Optional World [Investigative journalism; a guy investigates "naked culture" today. My biggest complaint about going to the doctor is that they are always telling me important stuff when I don't have underwear on. I really do prefer to have underwear on when people are telling me important things. I will not be reading this, most likely.]
Styron, William - My Generation: Collected Nonfiction [Essays, reviews, etc., from the novelist best known for Sophie's Choice.]
Unkefer, Agent Dean - 90 Church: Inside America's Notorious First Narcotics Squad
Zaleski, Philip, and Carol Zaleski - The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings [About C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Owen Barfield, and Charles Williams.]
So. What do you think? Anything look good there?