Hartston, William. The Things That Nobody Knows: 501 Mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything. Atlantic Bks. Jun. 2013. 384p. ISBN 9780857896223. pap. $14.95; ebk. ISBN 9780857897169. REF

Should you buy for your library a book with hundreds of questions to which no one knows the answer? If so, you should consider this clever and wry compendium, written by the ever-curious mathematician, writer, and psychologist Hartston. He’s already done several similar, well-researched collections of seemingly “useless information.” Yet these are the mysteries that could keep readers up at night—puzzling over information they didn’t know that they didn’t know. Confused? Well, it’s that celebration of ignorance that makes this book both so much fun and such a conversation starter. While some topics and questions are quite obscure, there is plenty here to please any trivia enthusiast, scientific wonderer, or just the innocently ignorant (or, as it were, perpetually curious). Covering from aardvarks (do you share their DNA?) to zymology (much ado about yeast), the book takes a scientific look at a plethora of stuff you may never need to know, but once you scan the scintillating questions, you’ll want to know more. In the midst of all our knowledge and education, how did we manage to overlook some of these questions—What was the origin of laughter? Who destroyed the nose of the Sphinx? Why are so many female albatrosses lesbian? Topics from the curious (sex, sports, religion) to the mundane (plankton, coffee, hair) are here—and Hartston provides humorous tidbits of historical information about each—piquing our interest but, alas, revealing that the real answer is…there is no answer. Verdict This book goes beyond pop culture interest to engage those truly interested in scientific taxonomies; it’s one of those rare books patrons won’t want to put down and will be talking about for hours around the water cooler. Significant YA appeal as well. —Sharon Verbeten, Brown Cty. Lib., Green Bay, WI

Hock, Randolph. The Extreme Searcher’s Internet Handbook: A Guide for the Serious Searcher. Information Today, Inc. 2013. 336p. illus. index. ISBN 9781937290023. pap. $24.95. REF

The Internet offers vast amounts of information from reliable to questionable, and wading through all the findings can be daunting. librarian Hock’s (Yahoo! To the Max; The Traveler’s Web: An Extreme Searcher’s Guide to Travel Resources on the Internet) work offers readers a wealth of tips to aid in faster and more effective searching. This revised update of the popular work contains recent additions and includes information on social networking, e.g., LinkedIn and Twitter, specialized sites, and improved features. The ten chapters range from “Basics for the Serious Searcher” to “Your Own Place on the Web: Participating and Publishing.” He begins with a discussion of the early Internet, including a time line and a short list of Internet-history resources. Interesting tidbits are highlighted in sidebars, while numerous screenshots add interest. A chart in Chapter 4 comparing the features of four popular search engines is more confusing than clarifying. Chapter 7 deals with the wealth of images and audio and video files available to the public. Several beneficial websites for storing and sharing are included. Chapter 9 provides “Five Tips for Buying Safely,” reminding readers that if “they follow precautions online purchases should be reasonably secure.” While the majority of the handbook covers using the Internet to find information, Chapter 10 focuses on providing material to others, looking at blogs, podcasting, and building your own web presence. Students will appreciate the resource’s clear writing style and its practical suggestions for evaluating the quality of websites. Verdict The affordable price and straightforward content make this a worthwhile purchase for high school and college students, writers, and most circulating collections. —Bobbie Wrinkle, McCracken Cty. P.L., Paducah, KY

McDonald, Linda. Quick Check Guide to Gluten-Free Foods. Barron’s Educational. 2013. 552p. bibliog. ISBN 9781438002422. pap. $8.99. REF

Gluten is what that gives elasticity to dough, and it is found in all sorts of everyday foods. Sensitivity to it causes some people a host of issues including bloating, migraines, fatigue, joint pain, and more. Others suffering from celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis must cut gluten from their diets in order to avoid becoming very ill. Unfortunately, trying to eliminate the substance entirely is a difficult and often overwhelming. This new guide will go a long way to helping people navigate both grocery shopping and eating out. The concise introduction explains what is gluten is, discusses common misconceptions, and includes lists of gluten-free and gluten-containing foods. The bulk of the book is dedicated to a listing of foods divided into categories, such as fats and oils, vegetables, fruits, dairy, etc., as well as a section on restaurants. Each section begins with an overview of the food type as well as shopping tips, standard portions, and any relevant word of caution such as chances for the food type to be cross-contaminated with gluten. Verdict Anyone attempting to live gluten free will find this a comprehensive, highly usable, and portable resource. People will need to remember, however, the books isn’t meant as medical advice, and the information on the foods covered is provided by the companies and restaurants mentioned, not by any lab analysis of the food itself. Further, there are no government rules for gluten-free labeling of foods. —Lisa Ennis, Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Borang, Kajsa Krishni. Principles of Reiki. 128p. ISBN 9781848191389.
Hicks, Angela. Principles of Chinese Medicine. 192p. ISBN 9781848191303.
La Tourelle, Maggie & Anthea Courtenay Principles of Kinesiology. 192p. ISBN 9781848191495
ea vol: Singing Dragon. 2013. pap. $15.95. REF

Those who are interested in alternative medicine can benefit from well-researched, unbiased books that separate effective treatments from unproven or invalidated techniques. This set of three books on kinesiology and Reiki and Chinese medicine will not help anyone trying to separate fact from conjecture. The philosophies behind Reiki and Chinese medicine are clearly presented, while kinesiology is sometimes described in scientific terms to support pseudo-scientific claims combined with elements of spiritualism. Although the titles are well intended, each suffers from major omissions. References are minimal and sometimes lacking entirely. Studies are mentioned but citations are not given. There is no inclusion of possible side effects, or information on when to consult a conventional doctor. Neither do the titles discuss studies showing that such treatments are ineffective, such as Reiki or the use of Riddler’s Reflexes in kinesiology for diagnosis even though there is little scientific evidence to support the use of those techniques. The theory offered to support the practice of surrogate kinesiology, in which the subject is supposed to feel the effects of muscle work through someone else they are in physical contact with, is based on a poor interpretation of how an electrical circuit works. Numerous testimonials are provided without evidence-backed support for claims. Only the volume on Chinese medicine contains a disclaimer regarding self-treatment. The author mentions that acupuncturists use sterile, onetime-use needles but does not encourage individuals to make sure a practitioner is following this procedure. The other books include self-help information and briefly mention untrained practitioners (in Kinesiology ) and the inclusion of orthodox treatment. There are no indexes or glossaries.  Verdict Not recommended. —Susanne Caro, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

Swinney, Bridget. Eating Expectantly: Practical Advice for Healthy Eating Before, During and After Pregnancy.Healthy Food Zone Media. May 2013. 458p. index. ISBN 9780963291707. pap. $19.95. REF

This well-thought-out update draws on the knowledge of registered dietitian Swinney along with a host of expert contributors, providing comprehensive, sound advice on nutrition from preconception to postpartum. While the book is somewhat intimidating in size and scope, it does not need to be read cover to cover; readers need only refer to the specific stage that applies to them at the time. This edition contains updated information regarding nutritional needs based on current research and evidence and includes information tailored to readers whose needs are not always considered in other works; it covers, for example, the needs of women who have had gastric bypass surgery or who have celiac disease. The section concerning fitness is particularly refreshing, as it takes into consideration the elevated exertion capacity of fit women instead of making the standard blanket recommendation that pregnant women should only do low-impact activity and not exceed a heart rate of 140 beats per minute. Certain recommendations were overly cautious (the limit on caffeine is extremely low, and the research on the effect of caffeine during pregnancy is fairly tenuous); these recommendations are relatively standard among medical practitioners, however, and it is understandable that Swinney would err on the side of conservatism. While several sections of the book came across as being overly dense, women wanting in-depth information will not be disappointed. Verdict A thorough, thoughtful, and useful text for those wanting assistance improving their diet before, during, and after pregnancy. —Lauren Sergy, Alberta Lib., Edmonton

LAW & CRIME SCIENCES

A Dictionary of Law. Oxford Univ. (Paperback Reference). 2013. 602p. ed. by Jonathan Law. ISBN 9780199669868. pap. $21.95. REF

Limited to UK legal terminology, this alphabetically arranged dictionary’s entries include each word’s grammar category but exclude its pronunciation. Entries (e.g., “ab intestato”) can be as short as two lines, but the resource also includes 12 full-page entries on topics ranging from “The Terrorism Acts” to the “Appeals System.” Cross references abound, and some of the definitions refer to online further reading; links for “Adoption,” for example, connect the reader to the websites of the UK’s Adoption Register and the British Association for Adoption and Fostering. Internet links are current at the time of this review with the exception of the “Web Links” URL printed on the book’s title page, which redirects to another site. The “Writing and Citation Guide” in the center of the book would be easier to locate had it been placed in the appendix along with the “Abbreviations and Online Legal Resources,” though, like the entires, these sections are extremely helpful to readers. Of the 25 contributors, 23 are legal professionals (academics, solicitors, barristers, lecturers) while two are financial professionals (tax consultant and MBA). Changes found in the seventh edition include updated citations to new cases and the “Online Legal Resources” section. VerdictConcentrating on legal terms used in European, international, human rights, and environmental law, this title is most useful to those patrons in need of UK legal terminology and is equally suitable for law students, practicing attorneys, and the general public. Not a replacement for Bryan Garner’s Dictionary of Legal Usageor Black’s Law Dictionary . —Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX

RELIGION

Voices of Early Christianity: Documents from the Origins of Christianity. Greenwood. (Voices of an Era). 2013. 277p. ed. by Kevin W. Kaatz. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781598849523. $100. Online: ABC-CLIO eBook CollectionREF

The editor’s intention with this book is to teach about early Christianity using primary-source documents, with the title also offering a treatise on how to evaluate and think critically about primary sources. Why were they created? What else was happening at the time? Who are the people and places mentioned? Why were they important? All of these questions and more are answered in detail through the study of documents under the headings of “Early Christian Life,” “The Church,” “Early Christian Women,” “Conflicts of the Early Church,” “Persecution,” and “Church and Politics.” Each subtopic offers an introduction explaining what the relevant issue is; things to “Keep In Mind While You Read”; selected pieces from original documents that were in some cases retranslated from the original Latin or Greek by the editor; boxes that define unfamiliar terms and explain what their meaning is within the text; and an “Aftermath” section that talks about the ramifications of the document on the history of Christianity. Closing each en try are discussion questions, a selection of topics to consider, and a further-reading list that includes books, journal articles, and websites.Verdict The issues that Kaatz discusses resonate strongly today just as they did when they were first created. Kaatz cuts to the heart of what could be an unwieldy subject and provides excellent context and explanations on all the issues he discusses. Readers interested in bettering their understanding of the functions of the Christian religion and the Catholic Church will learn much from the questions and discussions within thisvolume. —Christine Sharbrough, Chelmsford P.L., MA

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Hiro, Dilip. A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Middle East. Interlink. Jul. 2013. 750p. maps. index. ISBN 9781566569040. pap. $25. REF

Hiro is a well-respected expert on Middle Eastern, Islamic, and central Asian affairs, and this latest work illustrates his deep and broad knowledge of this region. The dictionary focuses on those countries encompassed in the geographic area from Egypt to Iran, including Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Yemen. Hiro concentrates on people, places, and events that affected the region during the 20th century, but also includes historical information on religions and religious sects, figures, places, and events that continue to shape the Middle East today. The more than 1,200 clearly written entries cover politics, religions, international relations, politicians, groups, natural resources, literature and art, and myriad other topics, with ample cross referencing. Though they were not available for reveiw, maps and indexes will be included in the published volume; it will not, however, include a bibliography or references. Verdict Hiro displays an admirable even-handedness when covering contentious areas. He gives equal time to both sides of a conflict or disagreement without passing judgment or editorializing, making this an excellent reference source for readers and students interested in solid, fair explanations of the history of, and frequently contentious issues at play in, the Middle East. For this reason, as well as for its very reasonable price tag, A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Middle East is highly recommended for secondary school and college students and for the both the specialist and the general reader interested in the region. —Amanda K. Sprochi, Univ. of Missouri-Columbia

Richter, William L. Historical Dictionary of the Old South. Scarecrow. ( Historical Dictionaries of U.S. Politics & Political Eras). 2013. 592p. bibliog. ISBN 9780810879140. $130. Online: eBooks on EBSCOhost, Overdrive, MyiLibrary, EBL, & Questia REF

In this volume, the second edition of the title, “Old South” refers to presecession South (1790–1861). Richter, who is referred to in the foreword as an “academically trained historian” retired from “his own horseshoeing business,” has written other volumes on the topic, including the first edition of this title. The volume offers a chronology, an introduction (which serves as a historical overview and an explanation of the author’s standpoint), 600 brief alphabetically arranged entries, and a bibliography. Coverage includes a range of topics including people, economics, politics, law, society, and culture. Standout features include the introduction, which is truly a helpful historical overview of the Old South and in and of itself an excellent reference article. Greenwood’s 2000 title Encyclopedia of the Antebellum South may suffice in libraries where this topic gets little traffic, but it does not cover as broad a time frame and focuses more specifically on social history. Verdict Recommended for larger collections and where there is a need, especially in libraries that lack the first edition. Likely a must for southern institutions. —Lura Sanborn, St. Paul’s Sch. Lib., Concord, NH

The Economics of Inequality, Poverty, and Discrimination in the 21st Century. Praeger. 2 vols. 2013. 598p. ed. by Robert S. Rycroft. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780313396915. $110. Online: ABC-CLIO eBook Collection REF

This work is much longer and more comprehensive than Rycroft’s (economics, Univ. of Mary Washington) well-received single volume Economics of Inequality, Discrimination, Poverty, and Mobility , published in 2008. Once again, he examines differing academic and political perspectives on the effectiveness of current social and economic policies in balancing inequity among disparate groups. Emphasis remains on the United States with some attention to similarly prosperous and free societies. The 64 chapters are written by 44 economists, sociologists, philosophers, and lawyers who are acknowledged experts in their fields. Volume One identifies the causes of inequality, poverty, and discrimination, and Volume Two offers solutions to those problems. Each volume is divided into five sections: “Measurement”; “Inequality and Mobility”; “Institutions and Choices”; “Demographic Groups and Discrimination”; and “Policy.” Chapters range in length from 15 to 20 pages each, with several including charts, tables, and graphs, and all offering notes and an extensive bibliography. The set concludes with biographical information about contributors and a comprehensive subject index. The entries are objective, insightful, and thought-provoking. They are so well written and researched that not only scholars but also casual readers will be completely satisfied with the data and information in each article. Undergraduate students will find the work particularly useful for papers and reading assignments in classes that address the conflicting paradigms of affluence, destitution, education, race, economic advancement, and mobility. Verdict A full and fair treatment of a complex subject that greatly expands on Rycroft’s earlier work on the topic. It will find broad appeal among generalists, specialists, and students of economic and social issues related to equality and discrimination. —Rob Tench, Perry Lib., Old Dominion Univ., Norfolk, VA

The Blue Angel. 

A rather absentminded but upstanding professor (Emil Jannings, The Last Laugh) seriously falls for a sultry nightclub performer (Marlene Dietrich), leading to a downfall that leaves him playing the clown in more ways than one. Josef von Sternberg’s classic early sound-era tragedy benefits from a restoration effort that improves on Kino’s 2001 two-disc DVD release but fails to include its alternate English-language version and extras (interview, screen test, commentary, etc.). A valuable core collection foreign-film title.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp. 2 discs. color. 163 min. Criterion Collection. 1943. DVD ISBN 9781604657036. $29.95; 1-disc Blu-ray ISBN 9781604657029. $39.95.

An honorable British officer (Roger Live­sey) who served in the Boer War and in World War I and then as a retired general in charge of the home front campaign in World War II adheres to a code of fair play exemplified by his friendship with a German officer (Anton Walbrook) who ends up marrying his gal (Deborah Kerr). Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s lavish fictional biopic has been stunningly restored, and while the lauded picture should be embraced by classic-movie buffs, Powell’s The Red Shoes dances circles around it.

The Other Son. color. 105 min. In French, Hebrew, & English w/English subtitles. Cohen Media Group. 2011. DVD UPC 741952741091. $24.98; Blu-ray UPC 741952742098. $29.98.

Teenaged Israeli and Palestinian boys switched at birth, along with their parents and siblings, experience the gamut of emotions—denial, anger, acceptance—in dealing with such an affront to their identities. Complex enough without its political implications, director Lorraine Lévy’s film scrupulously examines personal, religious, and cultural conflicts with commendable conviction but little in the way of surprises. Predictable but still credible, Son offers a lesson on prejudice for open audiences.

That Obscure Object of Desire. color. 103 min. In French w/English subtitles. Lionsgate. 1977. Blu-ray UPC 012236123187. $29.99.

Tristana. color. 98 min. In Spanish w/English subtitles. Cohen Media Group. 1970. DVD UPC 741952740896. $19.98; Blu-ray UPC 741952741893. $24.98.

Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel (1900–83), a subversive surrealist best known for Belle de Jour (LJ 3/15/12), gives fresh meaning to the phrase “love is blind” in Desire. An older, well-to-do widower (Fernando Rey) becomes obsessed with his maid—an attractive woman whose alternately hot-and-cold demeanor is realized by having different actresses (Angela Molina and Carole Bouquet) portray her from scene to scene or even within the same scene. In this swan song, the mischievous director delves into sexual politics and the absurd nature of attraction. Tristana is the first pairing of Buñuel with his Belle star, Catherine Deneuve. Here, she is an orphan taken in by a womanizing aristocrat (Rey, again) who finally takes her as his lover. Seamlessly segueing into dream sequences that reveal Tristana’s feelings toward her guardian, the film follows the doomed course of a relationship built on manipulation. A 30-minute interview with Buñuel scholar Peter Evans sheds welcome light on the director’s work. For serious film buffs.

For 20 years after first being exposed to the works of German choreographer Pina Bausch (1940–2009), acclaimed filmmaker Wenders (Wings of Desire; Paris, Texas) wanted to bring her unique dances to the screen. However, existing film technology did not allow him to achieve his vision. With new advances in 3-D film technology, he had what he needed. He and Bausch were working to bring the project to fruition when she died suddenly in 2009. The project was canceled, but the dancers reminded Wenders that several of Bausch’s masterpieces had been specifically scheduled in the coming season so that they could be filmed. With that, the project began anew as a tribute to Bausch rather than a chronicle about her. The film focuses on four of Bausch’s best works: Le Sacre du Printemps, Café Müller, Kontakthof, and Vollmond; all are performed by the dancers of Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal. The commentary addresses the unique forms of production and choreography; soloists perform original pieces in her honor, often outdoors in the town of Wuppertal. Extras include audio commentary by Wenders, The Making of “Pina” featurette, deleted scenes, the theatrical trailer, and an English subtitle translation. An accompanying 38-page booklet features interviews, credits, and additional information on the production. VERDICT This reviewer regrets not having seen the original 3-D version of the film, which was met with great critical acclaim for bringing the viewer into the dances. Still, this high-def version is stunning. The creativity, choreography, and dancer involvement are brilliant. Very highly recommended for dance or entertainment collections; a great purchase for any library.—Tom Budlong, Atlanta

 Duke. color. 87 min. Mark Jean, Vet Street Prod. for Hallmark Movie Channel, dist. by Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment, 800-869-3603; Amazon.com. 2013. DVD UPC 883476092188. $14.93. Closed-captioned. F/TV

Inspired by a true story, this heart-warming and gut-wrenching film recounts the experience of U.S. Marine sergeant Terry Pulaski (played with understated grace by TV veteran Steven Weber), who returns from a tour of Afghanistan disabled from shrapnel in his back and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The combination ruins his marriage, his relationship with his daughter, and his ability to hold down a job and cope with life in general. Duke is a stray border collie who wanders into the Pulaski family’s life and provides the comfort and companionship for Terry that he doesn’t find with humans. Feeling overwhelmed and alone, Terry and Duke take to the road and live as vagabonds for ten years. When Duke falls seriously ill, a penniless Terry leaves his canine friend at a vet’s office to be euthanized. In true Hallmark fashion, miracles happen and a heartbreaking event becomes a means for reconciliation, illumination, and renewed spirit. The fast pace of this story doesn’t leave much opportunity for either character or plot development, yet it by no means spoils this joyful viewing experience. According to the Nielsen Ratings, Duke received the second-highest rating for an HMC premier film. VERDICT A comment from Terry while he’s repairing a young girl’s bike sums up the movie: “everything is worth fixing.” That couldn’t be truer. Highly recommended.—Edell M. Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., WI

Copper: Season One. 3 discs. color. 440+ min. BBC America, dist. by BBC Home Entertainment, www.bbcdvd.com. 2012. DVD UPC 883929264285. $49.98; Blu-ray UPC 883929264278. $59.98. SDH subtitles. F

When Kevin Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones) finishes his second tour of duty with the Union army, he returns home to find his young daughter dead and his wife missing. As a New York City metropolitan police detective, his attention is soon diverted by other violent crimes and punishments. Moving back and forth between the mean streets of Five Points and affluent Fifth Avenue in the waning days of the Civil War, Corcoran finds only deceit and lies. He may be the last honorable man in this debauched, lawless, and corrupt city. This gripping BBC America original production features an ensemble cast of actors relatively unknown to U.S. audiences, excellent writing, and outstanding set design and wardrobe. Unlike many other British period pieces that have come to our shores, there is nothing genteel about these characters, the stories, or the setting; a second season is already in production. VERDICT A brutal, raw, and compelling cop show set in New York City, with a historical twist. Viewers who enjoy adult police dramas will want to seek out this one.—Linda Frederiksen, Washington State Univ. Lib., Vancouver

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The following titles are reviewed in the May 15 print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

FICTION

Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best. color. 97+ min. Ryan O’Nan, Tide Rock Films Character Brigade & Taggart Prods., dist. by Oscilloscope Labs, www.oscilloscope.net. 2013. DVD UPC 896602002470. $29.99. F/COMEDY

Lillie. 4 discs. 672+ min. John Gorrie & others, ITV Studios, dist. by Acorn Media, 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2013. DVD ISBN 9781598288766. $49.99. Closed-captioned. F

ARTS & HUMANITIES

 Fela Kuti: Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense; Berliner Jazztage ’78. color. 146 min. Dennis Marks, BBC TV, dist. by Kino Lorber, www.kinolorber.com. 2012. DVD UPC 738329099121. $24.95. MUSIC

 In Good Time: The Piano Jazz of Marian McPartland. color & b/w. 85 min. Huey, Films by Huey, dist. by AV Café, 877-228-2233; www.theavcafe.com. 2012. DVD ISBN 9780972929455. MUSIC

Orchestra of Exiles. color & b/w. 85+ min. Josh Aronson, Aronson Films, dist. by First Run Features, 800-229-8575; www.firstrunfeatures.com. 2013. DVD UPC 720229915359. $27.95. music

China Heavyweight. color. 89+ min. In Chinese & Sichuanese w/English subtitles. Yung Chang, Eyesteelfilm, dist. by Zeitgeist Films, www.zeitgeistfilms.com. 2013. DVD UPC 795975114936. $29.99. SPORTS

The Four Minute Mile: A Brilliant Moment in Sports History. 2 discs. color. 184 min. Jim Goddard, CB Seven Prods., dist. by BFS Entertainment, www.bfsent.com. 2012. DVD UPC 066805309724. $29.98. SPORTS/biopic

Knuckleball! color. 85+ min. Ricki Stern & Annie Sundberg, FilmBuff, Break Thru Films in assoc. with Major League Baseball Prods., dist. by MPI Media, www.mpimediagroup.com. 2013. DVD ISBN 9780788616310. $24.98. SPORTS

SOCIAL SCIENCES

 Time Team: Unearthing the Roman Invasion. 3 vols. 582+ min. Robert Marshall & others, dist. by Athena Learning, 888-870-8047; www.acornonline.com. 2012. DVD ISBN 9781598287707. $59.99. SDH subtitles. ANCIENT HIST

Feeding Your Baby. color. 25 min. Kara Korhonen, Bite Size Babies, www.bitesizebabies.com; Amazon.com. 2012. DVD UPC 884501774956. $24.95. PARENTING

 It Was Rape. color. 60 min. Jennifer Baumgardner, dist. by Soapbox Prods., 646-486-1414; www.soapboxinc.com/shop. 2013. $250. Public performance.

Lockers: A Teen Relationship Series. color. 52 min. with tchr’s. guide. Anthony Ladesich, Mile Deep Films & Monkjack Prods., dist. by Metropolitan Organization To Counter Sexual Assault (MOSCA), www.mosca.org. 2012. $189 + $7 s/h. Public performance. PSYCH/SOC SCI

The Dordogne: A Video Tour of the Perigord Region of Southwest France. color. 56+ min. John Woods, Woods Prods., dist. by Amazon.com. 2012. DVD UPC 726779209191. $14.95; Blu-ray UPC 884501786843. $19.95. Public performance. TRAV

Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines. color. 54+ min. Kristy Guevara-Flanagan, Vaquera Films, dist. by New Day Films, www.newday.com. 2013. DVD ISBN 9781574881105. $95; acad. libs. $295 (Rental: $95) + $15 s/h. Public performance; closed-cationed. WOMEN’S STUDIES

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Out on a Limb. color. 61+ min. Daria Price, Under the Sign Prods., www.outonalimbdocumentary.com. 2012. DVD UPC 614141999996. $125; acad. libs. $295. Public performance. MED

Baldacci, David. King and Maxwell. Grand Central. Nov. 2013. ISBN 9781455521319. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781455521227; lib. ebk. ISBN 9781455551453. CD: Hachette Audio. THRILLER
No plot details yet, but here’s what you need to know about this latest Sean King and Michelle Maxwell title from Baldacci. It’s the sixth book in a series whose previous titles have all hit the top spot on the New York Times best sellers list; TNT has just ordered a ten-episode television series based on King and Maxwell’s exploits, with Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn slated for the leads; and there’s a 700,000-copy first printing.

Banks, Russell. A Permanent Member of the Family. Ecco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2013. 300p. ISBN 9780061857652. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062096746. Downloadable: HarperAudio. SHORT STORIES
From The Sweet Hereafter to Lost Memory of Skin, Banks writes morally wrenching tales that make us think. Here we get to think many times over, as this is a collection of 12 stories featuring troubled characters in a troubled nation, all yearning for connection. Look for a six-city tour to Boston, Miami, New York City, Nashville, Raleigh, and Washington, DC.

Child, Lincoln & Douglas Preston. White Fire. Grand Central. Nov. 2013. 384p. ISBN 9781455525836. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781455525850; lib. ebk. ISBN 9781455551484. CD: Hachette Audio. THRILLER
Pendergast thrillers have done very nicely, thank you (2012’s Two Graves reached No. 1 on the New York Times ebook best sellers list and No. 8 on the hardcover list), but this one should get special attention because of intriguing literary allusions. In contemporary times, Corrie Swanson is examining the remains of several miners killed in a series of grizzly bear attacks in 1876 Roaring Fork, CO, when she discovers something shocking. She’s immediately silenced by the town’s leaders, who are mindful of Roaring Fork’s reputation as a high-end resort. FBI Special Agent Pendergast arrives to investigate just as arson breaks out, and a meeting between Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde figures in the backstory. In fact, key to the plot is the reputed discovery of a new Sherlock Holmes story, actually written by Child and Preston and approved by Doyle’s estate.

Griffith, Nicola. Hild. Farrar. Nov. 2013. 560p. ISBN 9780374280871. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780374711016. HISTORICAL/LITERARY
Since Griffith has won the Tiptree, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards, the Premio Italia, and the Lambda Literary Award six times, you’re well advised to grab this fictionalized portrait of a girl name Hild who grew up in seventh-century Britain and became St. Hilda’s of Whitby. Griffith gives us a determined and uncannily perceptive Hild who seems capable of predicting the future (or at least of human behavior), a trait that puts her in the life-and-death position of being made the king’s seer. The writing itself is uncannily perceptive, with none of the flowery excess of some historical fiction writing, though the detailed narrative runs close to 600 pages. I thought of Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall even before I noted the comparison in the promotion. With a reading group guide.

Hammett, Dashiell. The Hunter and Other Stories. Nov. 2013. Mysterious: Grove/Atlantic. Nov. 2013. 256p. ed. by Julie M. Rivett & Richard Layman. ISBN 9780802121585. $25. SHORT STORIES
Edited by Rivett, Hammett’s granddaughter and a noted scholar on the master of hardboiled crime fiction, and Hammett biographer Layman, this book should get some attention. Among its entries are new stories found in Hammett’s archives, some rarely published pieces, and screen treatments that had vanished into various film-industry files. Here, for instance, you’ll find “The Kiss-Off,” which served as the basis for the Sylvia Sydney–Gary Cooper vehicle City Streets. There’s lots of editorial contextualizing, which should delight both fans and newbies. 

Lynch, Paul. Red Sky in Morning. Little, Brown. Nov. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9780316230254. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780316230247; lib. ISBN 9780316250344. HISTORICAL/LITERARY
“Night sky was black and then there was blood, morning crack of light on the edge of the earth.” That’s the opening line of Lynch’s debut novel, just another substantiation of the adage that the Irish can really, really write. If Dublin-based Lynch’s taut, absorbing, acerbically lyrical prose weren’t enough, there’s the intense and revelatory plot. Having killed a man in 1832 County Donegal whose father is an expert tracker now bent on vengeance, Coll Coyle goes on the run—all the way to the cholera-soaked work camps of the Philadelphia railroad. Lynch draws partly on actual events at a camp where recent evidence suggests that violence rather than illness led to the deaths of 57 Irish workers. Get it for all smart readers.

Miles, Jonathan. Want Not. Houghton Harcourt. Nov. 2013. 400p. ISBN 9780547352206. $26. LITERARY
Miles’s delicious debut, Dear American Airlines, was good enough to merit a front-page review in the New York Times Book Review and earned best-book plaudits from the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. So the cognoscenti will be anticipating this second novel, a study of how we desire—and desire too much—in this you-deserve-everything world. He explores this theme through three storylines—about a freegan couple living off the grid in Manhattan, a fading linguist in midlife crisis, and a New Jersey debt-collection magnate remaking his life. Tellingly, the novel opens on a date we reserve for the unreserved celebration of our bounty: Thanksgiving. Another tough, funny story from Miles; with a 50,000-copy first printing.

Smith, Martin Cruz. Tatiana: An Arkady Renko Novel. S. & S. Nov. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9781439140215. $25.99; ebk. ISBN 9781439153185. CD: S. & S. Audio. POP FICTION
Famed for Arkady Renko, the sharp, incorruptible, quietly compassionate police inspector who first appeared in Gorky Park, Smith has two Hammett Prizes and a Golden Dagger Award to his name. But this book is billed as something more than mystery, with Arkady’s latest case reflecting troubles in the new Russia. After investigative reporter Tatiana Petrovna dies in a fall from the sixth floor of a Moscow apartment building, Arkady listens to tapes made by Tatiana that detail the cover-up of terrible crimes. His investigation leads him to Kaliningrad, geographically cut off from the rest of Russia, and a teenage chess hustler named Zhenya. Cultural study, character study, packet of thrills—this book should keep you busy.

Bloom, Paul. Just Babies: The Origins of Good and Evil. Crown. Nov. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9780307886842. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780307886866. CD: Random Audio. PSYCHOLOGY
Are we inherently good? Are we inherently evil? Are these traits inborn? Are they learned? Bloom, Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology at Yale, has spent years researching these crucial, much-debated questions and has an answer. He argues that morality is hardwired, showing that babies and toddlers can distinguish between good and bad actions and can feel empathy, guilt, shame, and anger. Alas, they are also naturally bigoted, tending to confine their moral sense to like individuals—those within their own group. But if we can learn to stop playing with rattles and saying gah-gah, we can learn to overcome the limits of this inborn morality. An important topic, and since Bloom’s 2011 TED Global talk has been viewed more than a million times, he is a known quantity.

Brotton, Jerry. A History of the World in 12 Maps. Viking. Nov. 2013. 544p. ISBN 9780670023394. $40. HISTORY
Maps would seem to represent a clear-cut reality, but as Brotton shows, often they have been used to push imperial, religious, or economic aims or ideas. Thus, the 12 maps he discusses here, which date from ancient Greece to Renaissance Europe to Google Earth and take in Buddhist and Islamic realms as well as the West, can give us in-depth cultural understanding of several millennia of human history. An award-winning author and professor of Renaissance studies at Queen Mary University of London, Brotton has an excellent idea here (who doesn’t love maps?). Check out the 48-page full-color insert.

Gardiner, John Eliot. Music in the Castle of Heaven: A Portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach. Knopf. Nov. 2013. 608p. ISBN 9780375415296. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780385351980. MUSIC
Founder of the Monteverdi Choir and Players and L’Orchestra Révolutionnaire et Romantique, renowned conductor Gardiner knows—and loves—his Bach. He’s in fact one of our best interpreters of Bach (I swear by my disc of the B Minor Mass) and has been communing with the great composer since World War II, when one of only two authenticated portraits of Bach hung in his parents’ home during World War II for safekeeping. Here he gets inside Bach’s music to tell us how it is constructed and how it works its magic.

Halperin, Mark & John Heilemann. Double Down: Game Change 2012. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Nov. 2013. 512p. ISBN 9781594204401. $29.95. CD: Penguin Audio. POLITICS
National political correspondent for New York magazine and senior political analyst for Time, respectively, Halperin and Heilmann scored big with Game Change, a New York Times best seller that chronicled the 2008 presidential election. Now they’re back with coverage of the 2012 election, drawing on hundreds of interviews as they narrate events from the convention to Mitt Romney’s stumbles to the affirmation Barak Obama received at the polls. Already much anticipated.

Klíma, Ivan. My Crazy Century. Grove. Nov. 2013. tr. from Czech by Craig Cravens. 576p. ISBN 9780802121707. $30. AUTOBIOGRAPHY/HISTORY
If this were merely the autobiography of a world-class writer, second recipient of the Franz Kafka Prize, that would be enough. But, more tellingly, it’s the autobiography of a man who suffered under two totalitarian regimes: as a child, Klíma spent four years in the Terezin (Theresienstadt) concentration camp outside Prague, and thereafter he lived under Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, banned from publication for 20 years though he appeared in samizdat with Václav Havel, Milan Kundera, and others. Hence, he has a lot to say about the 20th century—and, knowing Klíma, he’ll say it well.

Robb, Graham. The Discovery of Middle Earth: Mapping the Lost World of the Celts. Norton. Nov. 2013. 448p. ISBN 9780393081633. $28.95. HISTORY
The Celts once reigned from the Black Sea to Scotland, contributing mightily to the ancient world with their work in the arts and the sciences. Then came Julius Caesar and the end of a civilization, though some Druids (the Celtic intelligentsia) communed in Britain for one last stand. Bicycling along the Heraklean Way, an ancient route stretching from Portugal to the Alps, Robb learned some fascinating things about the Celtic use of celestial mathematics to organize their world. Will his account be good? Just note that Robb is the author of three prize-winning biographies, each one selected as a New York Times Best Book of the Year

Dawidoff, Nicholas. Collision Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football. Little, Brown. Nov. 2013. 352p. ISBN 9780316196796. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780316254991; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316251846. FOOTBALLDawidoff doesn’t play professional football—he’s a Pulitzer Prize finalist for The Fly Swatter, the best-selling author of The Catcher Was a Spy, and honored by Conde Naste for his travel book, In the Country of Country—but with a locker and an office in the scouting department of the New York Jets, he got a good look at how pro football operates. Originating as a New York Times Magazine cover story; with 75,000-copy first printing.

Easterbrook, Gregg. The King of Sports: Football’s Impact on American Society. Thomas Dunne Bks: St. Martin’s. Nov. 2013. 368p. ISBN 9781250011718. $25.99; ebk ISBN 9781250011725. FOOTBALL
A contributing editor at several noteworthy magazines (e.g., the Atlantic Monthly) and author of the ESPN.com blog “Tuesday Morning Quarterback” (good enough to get 2.4 million unique page hits per month), Easterbrook used access to the Virginia Tech football program to detail not just the sport itself but its broad impact—arguing, for instance, that it has helped strengthen both American cities and colleges. Then there’s the problem of how college-age players are exploited. Not your average sports book.

Fagone, Jason. Ingenious: A True Story of Invention, Automotive Daring, and the Race To Revive America. Crown. Nov. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780307591487. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780307591500. SOCIAL SCIENCE
More than 300 teams worldwide responded to sf enthusiast’s Peter Diamandis’s announcement that he would give $10 million to anyone who built an easily mass-produced car that could zoom 100 miles on the energy equivalent of a gallon of gas. Fagone follows four of these teams, including a bunch of inner-city high schoolers and an Illinois team whose motto was “Someone Has To Do Something, and That Someone Is Us.” First serial to the Atlantic.

Holland, James. Dam Busters: The True Story of the Inventors and Airmen Who Led the Devastating Raid To Smash the German Dams in 1943. Atlantic Monthly. Nov. 2013. 464p. ISBN 9780802121691. $28. HISTORY
On May 16, 1943, 19 specially adapted Lancaster bombers soared away from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire, intent on bombing to smithereens three dams deep within Germany. It was a suicide mission, cobbled together in ten weeks and using untested technology, and it succeeded. British military expert Holland gives us the lowdown on a key World War II maneuver.

Katz, Jon. The Second-Chance Dog: A Love Story. Ballantine. Nov. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9780345531179. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780345545558. MEMOIR/PETS
After he moved to Bedlam Farm in upstate New York, Katz met Maria, a gentle artist seeking to regain her footing. The only roadblock to a relationship? Maria’s dog, Frieda, a rottweiler-shepherd mix that had run wild for several years in the Adirondacks and was Maria’s ferocious guardian. With love, perseverance, and five hundred dollars’ worth of beef jerky, Katz managed to win over Frieda and get his beloved. The New York Times best-selling author again warms our hearts while celebrating the human-animal bond.

Kosslyn, Stephen & G. Wayne Miller. Top Brain, Bottom Brain: Surprising Insights into How You Think. S. & S. Nov. 2013. 224p. 9781451645101. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781451645125. PSYCHOLOGY
Right brainers are intuitive, left brainers are analytical, and Kosslyn says it’s all hogwash; there’s no scientific proof. Director of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University, he challenges the old orthodoxy by arguing that the brain operates according to patterns best described as Mover, Adaptor, Stimulator, and Perceiver. So which pattern fits your brain? Take Kosslyn’s test.

McCall, Bruce & David Letterman. This Land Was Made for You and Me (But Mostly Me): Billionaires in the Wild. Blue Rider Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Nov. 2013. 96p. ISBN 9780399163685. $25.95. HUMOR
Small but biting, this large-format book offers a mock survey of the superrich among us and their indulgences, e.g., a floating motorized giant designer teepee and Galapagolf, a very exclusive miniature golf course you know where. New Yorker artist and writer McCall and late-night hero Letterman will draw readers.

Majd, Hooman. The Ministry of Guidance Invites You To Not Stay: An American Family in Iran. Doubleday. Nov. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780385535328. $26.95; ebk. ISBN 9780385535335. MEMOIR/CURRENT EVENTS
A former film and music executive and now contributing editor at Interview magazine, Iranian American Hajd here writes about his recent year-long stay in Iran with his new wife—blonde yoga instructor Karri—and enfant son. He had lived there only as a child, so this was both homecoming and eye-opener. His intimate stories, from his securing a bootlegger and an Internet connection that convinced the censors he was in New York to Karri’s struggles with a headscarf, give us a distinct view of the country.

Menaker, Daniel. My Mistake. Houghton Harcourt. Nov. 2013. 256p. ISBN 9780547794235. $24; ebk. ISBN 9780547794242. MEMOIR
A former New Yorker and Random House editor, Menaker examines a life lived well if not perfectly. He’s bold enough to explore his years at The New Yorker, where he stayed for 26 years despite discouragement from William Shawn, and the perpetual self-doubt that has dogged him, particularly owing to his role in his brother’s inadvertent death. Certainly of interest to memoir fans and literati.

Parks, Phaedra. Secrets of the Southern Belle: How To Be Nice, Work Hard, Look Pretty, Have Fun, and Never Have an Off Moment. Gallery: S. & S. 256p. ISBN 9781476715452. $23. SELF-HELP
If Parks can be a fabulous homemaker, managing partner of a boutique law firm specializing in entertainment, intellectual property rights, civil, and criminal litigation, and star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, you can, too. Okay, maybe you can’t be a TV star, but Parks is here to how to be a Southern Belle. Hot on the blogs.

Redman, Jason & John Bruning. The Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader. Morrow. Nov. 2013. 304p. 9780062208316 $26.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Harper Audio.MEMOIR/MILITARY
Decorated Navy SEAL Lieutenant Redman served in Columbia, Peru, Afghanistan, and Iraq before leading a mission against al Qaeda in 2007 that left him grievously wounded by machine-gun fire. During the several years and 37 surgeries he needed to recover, Redman became famous for the sign on his door at Bethesda Naval Medical Center admonishing visitors not to feel sorry for his wounds. This inspirational biography of his SEAL training, service, and recovery is getting a 100,000-copy first printing.

Rosenblatt, Roger. The Boy Detective: A New York Childhood. Ecco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780062241337. $19.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062241337. MEMOIR
A multithreat author—as a journalist, he’s won two George Polk Awards, the Peabody, and the Emmy, and he’s also given us fiction, nonfiction, and Off-Broadway plays—Rosenblatt has triumphed recently with several affecting (and New York Times best-selling) memoir/meditations, including Making Toast. Here he recalls his postwar Manhattan childhood, framing his story with the walk he took from Gramercy Park to Madison Square Park one winter night after teaching a class on East 28th Street. This should be a charmer.

Sifton, Elisabeth & Fritz Stern. No Ordinary Men: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans Von Dohnanyi, Resisters Again Hitler in Church and State. New York Review Books. Oct. 2013. 160p. ISBN 9781590176818; ebk. ISBN 9781590177020. HISTORY
Few Germans resisted the Nazis once they came into power; among those who did, theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his brother-in-law, Hans von Dohnanyi, stand out. Told by Sifton, daughter of Reinhold Niebuhr, and Stern, University Professor Emeritus and the former provost of Columbia University, this work chronicles the efforts of both men to combat the Nazi regime while showing that the Resistance movement was broader than we have understood. A story that needs to be heard.

Weir, Alison. Elizabeth of York: A Tudor Queen and Her World. Ballantine. Nov. 2013. 432p. ISBN 9780345521361. $28; ebk. ISBN 9780345521385. BIOGRAPHY
We know all about Henry VIII’s famous wives—and even more famous daughter—but what about his mother, who legitimized the new Tudor dynasty as the only living descendent of Yorkist King Edward IV? (She was sister to the little princes rumored to have died in the Tower.) The popular Weir, who has tackled many of England’s great royal women in biography and fiction, here takes on Elizabeth of York in what appears to be the only biography currently available for lay readers.

 Thomas, Cathy. 50 Best Plants on the Planet: The Most Nutrient-Dense Fruits and Vegetables, in 150 Delicious Recipes. Chronicle. 2013. 352p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781452102832. pap. $29.95. COOKING

Working alphabetically from arugula to watermelon, Orange County Register columnist Thomas explains how plants with a high ratio of nutrients to calories can benefit your health. As you sample outstanding recipes like shrimp and grapefruit salad (with a zippy ginger-infused vinaigrette), you’ll learn how cactus can soothe a hangover, how kiwis can improve digestion, and how snap peas can support heart health. The book includes nutritional analysis for each plant and recipe but lacks category indexing. Readers will need to judge whether recipes suit their diet (e.g., low-fat, gluten-free) or should be avoided. VERDICT Thomas’s simple, fresh dishes will appeal to farmers’ market lovers, meat-free Monday participants, vegetarians, and fans of substantial salads.

 Foung, Jessica Goldman. Sodium Girl’s Limitless Low-Sodium Cookbook. Wiley. 2013. 256p. photogs. index.ISBN 9781118123775. pap. $25. COOKING

Foung, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2004, writes the popular Sodium Girl blog (sodiumgirl.com), in which she documents her experiences living a low-sodium lifestyle. In her debut cookbook she shares adventurous, flavorful recipes (some new, some from her blog, and some from celebrity chefs) and useful advice, such as how to cut salt from your favorite recipes, including buffalo wings and Bloody Marys. Also provided is information on handling diet-challenging situations and environments (e.g., restaurant outings, trips abroad, college dining halls). She lists a sodium count for each dish, as well as her favorite salt-free cookbooks. Entertaining prose and stunning photographs offset a difficult-to-read typeface. VERDICT Foung’s cheerful, can-do attitude will inspire anyone struggling to adopt a low-sodium diet.

Lee, Edward. Smoke & Pickles: Recipes from a Southern Kitchen. Artisan: Workman. May 2013. 304p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781579654924. $29.95. COOKING

Korean American chef Lee, the three-time James Beard Award–nominated owner of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, KY, has appeared on Bravo’s Top Chef and Food Network’s Iron Chef America . His collection of contemporary, complex Southern favorites features strong Asian influences: darkly braised lamb shoulder simmers in a mix of bourbon, sorghum, black bean paste, and chocolate, for example, and chicken-fried pork steak gets breaded in crushed ramen noodles. Distinctive pickles, cocktails, sides, snacks, and desserts round out this meaty cookbook, which includes beautiful photographs and considered anecdotes. VERDICTAsian fusion cuisine is extremely popular right now, making this a good choice for most collections. Best for experienced cooks.

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The following titles are reviewed in the May 15 print issue. Visit Book Verdict for the full reviews.

Danziger, Lucy. The Drop 10 Diet Cookbook: More than 100 Tasty, Easy Superfood Recipes That Effortlessly Peel Off the Pounds. Ballantine. 2013. 256p. photogs. index. ISBN 9780345531667. pap. $20. COOKING

Good Housekeeping Magazine Eds. Good Housekeeping 400 Calorie Chicken: Easy Mix-and-Match Recipes for a Skinnier You! Hearst: Sterling. 2013. 160p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781618370570. spiral-bound. $14.95. COOKING

Heller, Marla & Rick Rodgers. The Everyday DASH Diet Cookbook: Over 150 Fresh and Delicious Recipes To Speed Weight Loss, Lower Blood Pressure, and Prevent Diabetes. Grand Central. Jun. 2013. 224p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781455528066. $25.99. COOKING

Lillien, Lisa. Hungry Girl 200 Under 200: Just Desserts. Griffin: St. Martin’s. May 2013. 400p. photogs. index.ISBN 9780312676742. pap. $19.99. COOKING

Moore, Michael. Blood Sugar: The Family. New Holland, dist. by Sterling. 2013. 240p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781742573090. $35. COOKING

Morris, Julie. Superfood Smoothies: 100 Delicious, Energizing, & Nutrient-Dense Recipes. Sterling. May 2013. 208p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781454905592. $16.95. COOKING

Weight Watchers International. Weight Watchers 50th Anniversary Cookbook: 250 Delicious Recipes for Every Meal. Weight Watchers Intl. May 2013. 320p. photogs. index. ISBN 9781250036407. $29.99. COOKING

Delbanco, Nicholas. The Art of Youth: Crane, Carrington, Gershwin, and the Nature of First Acts. New Harvest. Nov. 2013. 224p. ISBN 9780544114463. $25. BIOGRAPHY/ARTS
Delbanco investigates prodigious talent and what delivering on it really means by focusing on three artists who couldn’t keep delivering because they died young: Stephen Crane, Dora Carrington, and George Gershwin. Or had they already done their best work? From an elegant author of fiction and nonfiction; his Lastingness: The Art of Old nicely bookends this new title.

Garfield, Simon. To the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing. Gotham Bks: Penguin Group (USA). Nov. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9781592408351. $27.50. REFERENCE/WRITING
From love letters to letters of recommendation, from early letter-writing manuals to epistolary novels to the correspondence of famous folks ranging from Erasmus to Princess Diana, this work discusses the art of letter writing and its swift shrinkage in the Internet era. From the author of the beloved best seller, Just My Type.

Hilburn, Robert. Johnny Cash: The Life. Little, Brown. Nov. 2013. 608p. ISBN 9780316194754. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780316248693. BIOGRAPHY/MUSIC
Decades-long music critic/editor for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn had advantages when penning this big bio of country music legend Cash. He not only was a friend of Cash but also had access to many of Cash’s private papers through his estate. With a 50,000-copy first printing.

Hood, Ann. Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting. Norton. Nov. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780393239492. $24.95. NEEDLEWORK
Get out your needles. Award-winning author Hood (The Red Thread) has asked 27 writers, from Elizabeth Berg and Ann Patchett to Sue Grafton and Andre Dubus III, for original essays on what knitting has meant to them.

Johnson, Paul. Mozart: A Life. Viking. Nov. 2013. 176p. ISBN 9780670026371. $25.95. MUSIC
Noted historian Johnson’s subjects have ranged from Napoleon to Darwin to Jesus, so why not that transcendent musical genius, Mozart? Johnson rethinks aspects of Mozart’s life from health to finances but focuses on the magisterial music. Especially nice for generalists.

Keller, Timothy. Encounters with Jesus: Unexpected Answers to Life’s Biggest Questions. Dutton. Nov. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9780525954354. $19.95. RELIGION
Famed pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, Keller argues that Jesus didn’t give easy answers to our most basic questions, e.g., What’s my purpose? What does it mean to live successfully? Am I part of the problem or part of the solution? Here he evokes ten crucial encounters in the New Testament to show how Jesus wanted us to ponder these concerns. From a hugely best-selling author.

Lewisohn, Mark. Tune In: The Beatles—All These Years. Crown Archetype. Nov. 2013. 1248p. ISBN 9781400083053. $40; ebk. ISBN 9780804139342. CD/downloadable: Random Audio. MUSIC
The author of the highly regarded Complete Beatles Recording Sessions and Complete Beatles Chronicle, Lewisohn knows his Fab Four stuff. Here, he offers the first in a trilogy chronicling the band, giving us deep detail on their lesser-known Liverpool and Hamburg years. Imagine, still revelations after all this time.

O’Connor, Flannery. A Prayer Journal. Farrar. Nov. 2013. 112p. ed. by W.A. Sessions. ISBN 9780374236915. $18; ebk. ISBN 9780374709693. LITERATURE
Written in 1946–47 while O’Connor was at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and only recently discovered, this devotional journal shows the author speaking directly to God, working out both her religious sentiments and her literary aspirations. Fans will appreciate the insight into her work.

Solomon, Deborah. American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell. Farrar. Nov. 2013. 512p. ISBN 9780374113094. $30; ebk. ISBN 9780374711047. BIOGRAPHY/FINE ARTS
Praised for her biographies of Jackson Pollack and Joseph Cornell (and fussed at for focusing on art instead of film when interviewing Steve Martin about his art world–based novel at New York’s 92nd Street Y in 2010), noted art critic Solomon makes a surprise leap to rock-solid Americana artist Norman Rockwell. But as she says, Rockwell painted “a history of the American people that had never happened,” and she goes on to detail his not-so-apple-pie personality; he even ended up in treatment with psychotherapist Erik Erikson. This work  should surprise some folks.

Wall, Mick. AC/DC: Hell Ain’t a Bad Place To Be. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2013. 448p. ISBN 9781250038746. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250038746. MUSIC
Famed British rock writer Wall, who has chronicled Led Zeppelin, Guns ‘n’ Roses, and Metallica, moves on to AC/DC. The band started in Australia in 1973 with Scottish brothers Angus and Malcolm Young and has been going strong since then, having sold something like 200 million albums. Their story is rock’s story, and fans will want.

Wasson, Sam. Fosse. Eamon Dolan: Houghton Harcourt. Nov. 2013. 672p. ISBN 9780547553290. $32. BIOGRAPHY/PERFORMING ARTS
Bob Fosse won an astonishing eight Tony Awards for his choreography, and the celebrated Fosse style of dance is indelible. But he acted and directed, too, and Wasson—not a dance critic but a cultural historian who writes most frequently on film—should give him larger context in this biography. I just hope he’s taken a few jazz dance classes, if only for fun. With a 40,000-copy first printing.

Choi, Roy & others. L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food. Anthony Bourdain Bks/Ecco: HarperCollins. Nov. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780062202635. $29.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062202642. COOKERY.MEMOIR

Chopra, Deepak. What Are You Hungry For?: The Chopra Solution to Permanent Weight Loss, Well-Being, and Lightness of Soul. Harmony, dist. by Crown. Nov. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780770437213. $26. CD/downloadable: Random Audio. COOKERY/SELF-HELP

De Laurentiis, Giada. Giada’s Feel Good Food: My Healthy Recipes and Secrets. Clarkson Potter, dist. by Crown. Nov. 2013. 256p. ISBN 9780307987204. $32.50; ebk. ISBN 9780307987204. COOKERY

Drummond, Ree. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Holidays! 135 Step-by-Step Recipes for Simple, Scrumptious Celebrations. Morrow. Nov. 2013. 352p. ISBN 9780062225221 $29.99.COOKERY

Lagasse, Emeril. Emeril’s Cooking with Power: 100 Delicious Recipes Starring Your Slow Cooker, Multi Cooker, Pressure Cooker, and Deep Fryer. Morrow. Nov. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780061742989. $25.99. COOKERY

Goodyear, Dana. Anything That Moves: Renegade Chefs, Fearless Eaters, and the Making of a New American Food Culture. Riverhead: Penguin Group (USA). Nov. 2013. 336p. ISBN 9781594488375. $27.95. COOKERY

Valastro, Buddy. Family Celebrations with the Cake Boss. Nov. 2013. ISBN 9781451674330. $30. COOKERY

Vatinet, Lionel. A Passion for Bread: Lessons from a Master Baker. Little, Brown. Nov. 2013. 304p. ISBN 9780316200622. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780316255738; lib. ebk. ISBN 9780316255721.COOKERY

Wells, Patricia. My Two French Kitchens: Recipes and Lessons from Paris and Provence. Morrow. Nov. 2013. 352p. ISBN 9780062088918. $35.COOKERY

White, Michael & Andrew Friedman. Classico e Moderno. Ballantine. Nov. 2013. 448p. ISBN 9780345530523. $50. COOKERY

Hot Authors from Julius Erving to Shirley MacLaine

Erving, Julius & Karl Taro Greenfeld. Dr. J: My Life Above the Rim and Behind Closed Doors. Harper: HarperCollins. Nov. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780062187925. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062188038. MEMOIR/SPORTS

Feldman, Corey. Coreyography: A Memoir. St. Martin’s. Nov. 2013. 288p. ISBN 9780312609337. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250038784. MEMOIR/FILM

Huston, Anjelica. Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York. Scribner. Nov. 2013. 256p. ISBN 9781451656299. $25; ebk. ISBN 9781451656312. CD: S. & S. Audio. MEMOIR/FILM

Nolte, Nick. Rich Man, Poor Man: A Memoir. Morrow. Nov. 2013. 320p. ISBN 9780062219572. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062219596. lrg. prnt. MEMOIR/FILM

MacLaine, Shirley. What If…: A Lifetime of Questions, Speculations, Reasonable Guesses, and a Few Things I Know for Sure. Atria. Nov. 2013. 224p. ISBN 9781476728605. $23; ebk. ISBN MEMOIR/FILM

Tyson, Mike & Paul Sloman. Undisputed Truth: Subtitle TK. Blue Rider Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Nov. 2013. 368p. ISBN 9780399161285. $27.95. MEMOIR/FILM