Book reviews and more!

Posts tagged with ‘Non-Fiction’

SCAPEGOAT: A HISTORY OF BLAMING OTHER PEOPLE, by Charlie Campbell

March 20, 2012

IDIOSYNCRATIC, ABSORBING, INSIGHTFUL, snarky overview of the phenomenon of “scapegoating” throughout history.

Grade: SOLID B

SCAPEGOAT: A HISTORY OF BLAMING OTHER PEOPLE
The Overlook Press
2012

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MY RUSSIAN GRANDMOTHER AND HER AMERICAN VACUUM CLEANER, by Meir Shalev

March 18, 2012

WARM-HEARTED, FUNNY, OFFBEAT memoir of an eccentric family, set in the earliest years of the state of Israel.

Grade: B PLUS

MY RUSSIAN GRANDMOTHER AND HER AMERICAN VACUUM CLEANER: A FAMILY MEMOIR
Knopf
2011

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THE SONG OF THE APE, by Andrew R. Halloran

March 17, 2012

FASCINATING BOOK DETAILS research into chimpanzee language, including surprising new observations by the author.

Grade: B PLUS

THE SONG OF THE APE: UNDERSTANDING THE LANGUAGES OF CHIMPANZEES
St. Martin's
2012

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IMMORTAL BIRD, by Doron Weber

March 14, 2012

A BRIGHT, CREATIVE TEEN who died tragically young is remembered and celebrated in his dad’s touching memoir.

Grade: B PLUS

IMMORTAL BIRD: A FAMILY MEMOIR
Simon and Schuster
2012

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THE ORDER OF DAYS, by David Stuart

March 11, 2012

THE ANCIENT MAYA CALENDAR and concept of time explained vividly by a distinguished scholar. Debunks 2012 myths!

Grade: B PLUS

THE ORDER OF DAYS: THE MAYA WORLD AND THE TRUTH ABOUT 2012
Crown
2011

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MARY BOLEYN, by Alison Weir

March 10, 2012

MARY BOLEYN, MISTRESS and later sister-in-law to Henry VIII, is richly envisioned in this adept biography.

Grade: B PLUS

MARY BOLEYN: MISTRESS OF KINGS
Ballantine
2011

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SEE ME NAKED, by Amy Frykholm

March 7, 2012

THOUGHTFUL COLLECTION OF people’s true stories about reconciling their sexuality with their Christian beliefs.

Grade: B PLUS

SEE ME NAKED: STORIES OF SEXUAL EXILE IN AMERICAN CHRISTIANITY
Beacon Press
2011

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SPACE CHRONICLES, by Neil deGrasse Tyson

March 1, 2012

CHARISMATIC U. S.  ASTROPHYSICIST Neil deGrasse Tyson delivers an impassioned pro-space exploration argument.

Grade: B PLUS

SPACE CHRONICLES: FACING THE ULTIMATE FRONTIER
W. W. Norton and Company
2012

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EXTREME WEATHER, by Bonnie Schneider

February 27, 2012

INFORMATIVE, IF SLIGHTLY TERRIFYING! Meteorologist’s overview of/survival guide for extreme weather conditions.

Grade: SOLID B

EXTREME WEATHER: A GUIDE TO SURVIVING FLASH FLOODS, TORNADOES, HURRICANES, HEAT WAVES, SNOWSTORMS, TSUNAMIS, AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS
Palgrave Macmillan
2012

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EFFIE, by Suzanne Fagence Cooper

February 22, 2012

FASCINATING BIOGRAPHY, RICH with newly released letters, of Victorian art figure Effie Gray Ruskin Millais.

Grade: B PLUS

EFFIE: THE PASSIONATE LIVES OF EFFIE GRAY, JOHN RUSKIN, AND JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS
St. Martin's
2011

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