NON-FICTION
THE ONION: OUR DUMB WORLD, by The Onion
A news-parody compendium of world non-facts features incorrect statistics for all of the earth’s independent nations, from Afghanistan’s “Allah’s Cat Box” and the world’s rejected flag designs to the planet’s most annoying handicrafts and the Ukraine’s “Bridebasket of Europe.” 300,000 first printing.
THE FIRST CAMPAIGN, THE: GLOBALIZATION, THE WEB, AND THE RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, BY Garrett M. Farrar Graff
An informative, insightful study of politics in the twenty-first century looks at the implications of globalization and technology for the presidential campaign of 2008, arguing that technology has changed the way in which a campaign needs to be run, emphasizing the role of the Web as a political tool that has transformed domestic issues into global ones. (see review below)
Kirkus Reviews 2007 October #1
Having invented most modern technology, including the Internet, the United States is walking blind and backwards into the future, argues a former Howard Dean webmaster and current Washingtonian editor. Ardent tech-evangelist Graff offers an incisive and fairly persuasive text laying out the reasons why the 2008 presidential campaign will not only be extraordinarily important, but unlike any ever seen before. New technologies have reshaped not only the electoral scene but the fabric of everyday life, and 2008 is the first time in a half-century that neither party has a sitting executive to nominate. Therefore, writes the author, “the first campaign of a new era is upon us.” Given his background, it’s not surprising that the author focuses heavily on the importance of Internet technology. Although there are times when he comes off as just another e-cheerleader from the golden days of the dot-com boom, Graff is realistic enough in his acknowledgement that no matter how web-savvy a candidate may be, if there’s no message to deliver, voters won’t care: “The candidate who best understands that the internet isn’t an end to itself but merely a means to an end—a chance to pull people in and get them involved in the political process—will triumph.” Some of the most interesting sections lay out the tough issues the country faces (everything from globalization to climate change), making the case that 2008 and the following decade may well be the last chance “to make changes and address those looming challenges before they begin to become truly painful.” Graff is mostly hopeful, though he paints a bleak picture of lagging educational standards and politicians so woefully out of step with the times that as recently as 2001, Sen. Dianne Feinstein was quoted saying, “I don’t believe the Senate should be on the internet until we get rid of pedophilia and pornography.”A smart handbook for the politically plugged-in.
LOOKING FOR HAMLET, by Marvin Hunt
An investigation into the historical and theatrical perspectives of Shakespeare’s tragic prince offers insight into why his character has endured throughout history, explaining Hamlet’s world and troubled mind, as well as his timeless reflection of humanity’s hopes and doubts.
THE TWELVE SECOND SEQUENCE, by Jorge Cruise
A revolutionary new weight-loss program for busy people explains how to burn twenty percent more calories and fat to help readers lose weight quickly and easiily, presenting two simple, twice-a-week workouts that target belly fat and maximize the calories the body burns twenty-four hours a day. 400,000 first printing.
JIM CRAMER’S STAY MAD FOR LIFE, by Jim Cramer
The influential investment authority outlines a comprehensive program for investors at every stage of life, from college graduates to retirees, with suggestions on how to make money when young, protect it when older, provide for a family’s essential expenses, and still enjoy a comfortable and prosperous retirement. 500,000 first printing.
A BOUND MAN, by Shelby Steele
A leading black intellectual offers a thoughtful and illuminating analysis of the complex racial issues confronting candidate Barack Obama in his quest for the presidency, assessing the unique–and disparate–challenges that threaten his support in both the white and black communities. By the author of The Content of Our Character. 75,000 first printing.
CREEM: AMERICA’S ONLY ROCK ‘n’ ROLL MAGAZINE
A retrospective of twenty years of rock-and-roll history as recorded by the popular genre magazine features more than 25,000 iconoclastic photographs, articles, and graphic artist illustrations, including contributions from Lester Bangs, Dave Marsh, Greil Marcus, Robert Crumb, Robert Christgau, and Cameron Crowe. 40,000 first printing.
THE GENOTYPE DIET, by Peter J. D’Adamo
The creator of the Eat Right 4 Your Type diet program presents a customized approach that works with one’s genetic makeup to maximize one’s overall health and weight loss, explaining how to use family history, blood type, and simple diagnostic tools to determine which GenoType plan is the best and offering precise diet and lifestyle choices for each. 100,000 first printing.
HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB, by Sylvia Boorstein
The Buddhist teacher draws on more than three decades of practice and teaching to share her secret to happiness, explaining how the three parts of the Buddhist path–mindfulness, concentration, and effort–can draw us out of the confusion and struggle of daily life to cultivate connections with friends, family, colleagues, and strangers. 30,000 first printing.
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES: SPECIAL COMMENTS ON THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION’S WAR ON AMERICAN VALUES, by Keith Olbermann
The host of MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann shares his pithy observations and commentary on the mismanagement, cronyism, brutality, duplicity, cynicism, and lack of accountability at the highest levels of the Bush administration, condemning a government that has lost its ability to distinguish between leading and ruling a nation. 150,000 first printing.
MEET THE NEXT PRESIDENT: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE WHITE HOUSE CANDIDATES, by Bill Sammon
A voter’s guide to the upcoming 2008 presidential campaign evaluates the platforms and positions of its major candidates, in a resource by a senior White House correspondent that offers insight into how Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John McCain, and others view key issues.
SECRET BOOK OF GRATITUDE, by Rhonda Byrne
The best-selling author and producer of The Secret offers inspiring quotes and affirmations to encourage personal journaling and reflection on gratitude and abundance, equipping individuals with a powerful tool to transform their lives and experience more joy. 500,000 first printing.
HOW THE SOUTH COUND HAVE WON THE CIVIL WAR: THE FATAL ERRORS THAT LED TO CONFEDERATE DEFEAT, by Bevin Alexander A military historian and author of How Wars Are Won looks at the costly errors that cost the South victory during the Civil War and outlines the tactical and strategic approaches the Confederacy should have used that could have changed the course of the war. 30,000 first printing.
WHEN ASIA WAS THE WORLD, by Stewart Gordon
Tracing the history of Asia between A.D. 700 and 1500, a critical study describes the important influence of Asia’s great civilization on the West, as traveling merchants, scholars, philosophers, and religious figures brought the wisdom of China and the Middle East to medieval Europe during the Dark Ages.
WHITE HEAT: THE EXTREME SKIING LIFE, by Wayne Johnson
An evaluation of the practice of extreme skiing by the National Ski Patrol emergency worker and author of Don’t Think Twice describes the sport’s competitions and death-defying challenges while citing the achievements of such athletes as Jerry Martin, Vinko Bogata, and Shake McConkey
FICTION
THIRD STRIKE: A BRADY COYNE/ J.W. JACKSON MYSTERY, by Philip Craig & William Tapply
When a union striker is killed in an engine room explosion and accused of setting the bomb that ended his life, J. W. Jackson is entreated by the victim’s widow to prove the man’s innocence, in a disturbing case that exposes suspicious relationships among strikers, boat owners, and the midnight activities at a Martha’s Vineyard loading dock. 17,500 first printing
T IS FOR TRESPASS, by Sue Grafton
A latest installment in a best-selling series shifts readers to the voice of sociopath Solana Rojas, who uses a stolen identity as a private caregiver to gain access to her intended victims while endeavoring to outmaneuver private investigator Kinsey Millhone. 1,200,000 first printing.
THE VENETIAN BETRAYAL, by Steve Berry
Ex-secret agent Cotton Malone and his partner, the enigmatic Cassiopeia Vitt, are pitted against ruthless Central Asian dictator Irina Zovastina as they scour the globe in search of the final resting place of Alexander the Great, unaware that his grave holds the key to a deadly modern mystery that could save the lives of millions. 350,000 first printing.
THE OVERLOOK, by Michael Connelly (Paperback)
Having left the LAPD’s Open Unsolved Unit for the prestigious Homicide Special squad, Harry Bosch investigates the murder of a doctor whose death is linked to the theft of a dangerous radioactive substance that Harry fears may be part of a large-scale terrorist plot. Reprint
SOMEONE TO LOVE, by Jude Deveraux (Paperback)
Still grieving three years after his fiancée’s mysterious suicide, Jace Montgomery discovers a clue about her death that leads him to purchase an English fortress, where he encounters a headstrong ghost who died under similar circumstances. By the author of First Impressions.
BLOOD DREAMS, by Kay Hooper
When the daughter of a powerful U.S. senator becomes the latest victim of a bloodthirsty serial killer, FBI agent Noah Bishop and his Special
Crimes Unit must join forces with a rogue civilian agency, structured much like Bishop’s team of psychics and originally founded by Bishop as a privately funded resource team, to stop the maniac before it is too late. 175,000 first printing.
SHADOW MUSIC, by Julie Garwood
Betrothed to a stranger by King John, Gabrielle, the last of her royal line, is in possession of a powerful secret that could plunge the entire highland Scottish kingdom into anarchy, while her growing love for Colm MacHugh, a fearsome and powerful warrior, could cost her everything, as hidden enemies threaten to destroy them both. 300,000 first printing.
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, by Colleen McCullough
A seventh installment in the popular Masters of Rome series retells the story of Antony and Cleopatra from a meticulously researched perspective that features detailed historical and psychological details about the love affair that transformed the ancient world. By the author of The October Horse. 125,000 first printing.
BEETHOVEN WAS ONE-SIXTEENTH BLACK: AND OTHER STORIES, by Nadine Gordimer
A new collection of short fiction by the Nobel Prize-winning author addresses issues of race, identity, politics, and more in the title story about an anti-apartheid activist and academic who pursues questions of his own racial identity; “Dreaming of the Dead,” in which Susan Sontag and Edward Said return in the dreams of a friend; and “Alternative Endings,” about how writers choose to end their stories
HAND OF EVIL, by Judith Jance
Struggling with the fallout of a failed marriage and halted career, former L.A. news anchorwoman Ali Reynolds finds her tenacious new life in her Arizona hometown threatened by the murder of a real estate tycoon, a case that places her at a crossroads between old loyalties and new friendships. 200,000 first printing.
Popularity: 78%
