Book
Shelf: 2003 Books
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This web page lists all books appearing on the pages of Executive Times during 2003. You can
click on the title to jump to the detailed book review. Click on the
picture of the jacket cover to jump to amazon.com where you can purchase a
copy of the book. You can jump to an issue of Executive Times by hitting the date in the “Issue
Date” column.
Key to Ratings: ••••• Outstanding
book-read it now •••• Highly recommended ••• Recommended •• Mildly recommended • Read if your
interest is strong DNR Do Not Read: Take a
Pass
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Title (Click on Link to go to Book Review) |
Author(s) |
Rating |
Issue Date |
Comments |
Click on Picture to Purchase at
amazon.com |
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Abanes, Richard |
••• |
Saints Revealed. From Joseph Smith at the
beginning to the 2002 Olympics, Abanes presents a history of Mormonism that
reveals them to be a cult, not the Christian religion they present to the
world. |
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Albom, Mitch |
••• |
Otherworldly. A harmless, sentimental effort to
imagine life in heaven being introduced to the recently departed by five
people whose lives you affected in some form or other while you were on
earth. |
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Ali, Monica |
••• |
Elsewhere. Readers take an enjoyable journey into
the immigrant Bangladesh community in London through Ali’s skilled mastery of
description, dialogue and plot. |
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Ready
For Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Work and Life |
Allen, David |
DNR
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Oz. Wizard of productivity takes readers behind the
curtain where they find: not much. 160 pages of recycled, repetitive,
rambling drivel. Take a pass and do something productive instead. |
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Ambrose, Stephen E. |
••• |
Spirit of Optimism. Read this farewell
book from a fine chronicler of people and events and come away feeling better
about America, Americans, and our many individual and collective
achievements. |
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Perfect
Enough: Carly Fiorina and the Reinvention of Hewlett-Packard |
Anders, George |
••• |
Sell. Anders tells ample stories about the past and
present career of Carly Fiorina and her achievement of landing the top H-P
job and merging with Compaq. Engaging stories make this book a pleasure to
read. |
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Antilla, Susan |
••• |
Explosive. Life for women trying to succeed
on Wall Street in recent decades was worse than you ever imagined. Antilla
tells what happened, how women sued, how Wall Street made changes, and how
legal strategists kept things quiet and inexpensive. |
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Armstrong, Lance |
••• |
Discomfort. How do you spend your time? Tour de
France champion and cancer survivor provides dozens of stories that reinforce
the reality that every second brings us closer to or further away from our
goals. |
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Atwood, Margaret |
•••• |
Tomorrow. Finely-crafted novel of what our world
could become as we experience the missteps of genetic experiments, corporate
imperialism, the values of games and media, and the ability of one person to
make all the difference. |
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To
Begin the World Anew: The Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders |
Bailyn, Bernard |
••• |
All-American Ambiguity. Bailyn analyzes several
leading founders of the United States and succinctly describes both their key
contributions and the inconsistencies and real humanity of their lives. |
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Baker, Nicholson |
•• |
One a Day. Each chapter opens with the lighting of
the fireplace with a match. Readers are invited into the mind of the lighter
which Baker exposes day by day in multiple ways. Quirky and interesting. |
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Baldacci, David |
• |
No Twain. Weak dialogue, unsympathetic characters,
lame story, slow plot development. Happily, it’s not too many pages. Modeled
after a story Mark Twain didn’t write. Our loss. |
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Barbash, Tom |
••• |
Good Grief. College-friend gives insider
perspective on Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Howard Lutnick and what happened before
and after the events of 9/11. Whatever readers think of Lutnick now will be
amended after reading this book. |
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Barry, Max |
••• |
Affinities. Corporate marketing becomes malevolent
in this creative satire. If you think marketing is already evil, you’ll love
this book. |
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Bell, Derrick |
••• |
A Path to Happiness. An opportunity to eavesdrop as
this lawyer and professor reminisces about the decisions he’s made to follow
an ethical path to happiness. |
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Benson, Herbert |
••• |
Hit the Switch. Departure from factless self-help
books presents insights from decades of mind-body research and proposes
practical ways to generate a trigger leading to some form of
self-transformation. |
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Berenson, Alex |
••• |
Penny Wise. How did Wall Street and corporations
become so focused on quarterly earnings? Read this well-paced reflection on
events in recent decades that brought us to our current situation of
corporate scandals and the low reputations of corporate executives. |
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Berg, Elizabeth |
••• |
Yes, Virginia. Griffen becomes a Santa and finds
out what’s important in life. Berg’s dialog is always spot on, and her
insights into human nature are rich, let alone her settings in our very own
neighborhood. |
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Berger, Thomas |
••• |
Ambiguous. Psychological novel of two long-time
friends reaching middle age, feeling different about themselves and each
other. Finely written. |
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Bing, Stanley |
••• |
Worklife. Few novels capture what real office work
is like. Here’s the exception, with the occasional exaggeration for pleasure.
Interesting times when a comment like that in the title can lead to a sexual
harassment suit. |
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J.R.R.
Tolkien’s Sanctifying Myth: Understanding Middle Earth |
Birzer, Bradley J. |
••• |
Holy Hobbits. What the value of myth is to all of
us, and what myth, Middle Earth, and Catholicism meant to Tolkien who wanted
to return England to its pre-World War I bucolic life. |
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Blanchard, Ken |
•• |
Steady As She Goes. Expecting seasickness, nausea
and a DNR rating for the latest from the perennially sappy Blanchard, we came
away nodding in agreement with some of the practical and useful thoughts from
this new offering. |
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Blumenthal, SIdney |
••• |
Soldier. Recent history written by Clinton top aide
who weaves his personal story into the context of events. Well written by
talented journalist, the 800 pages may be more than some readers want to
absorb. |
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Borowitz, Andy |
•• |
Snickers. When you pick up this book to read and
not buy while snacking at the bookstore, you may chuckle, smile or snicker,
but don’t expect to laugh out loud or spit out your latte. |
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Bossidy, Larry and
Ram Charan |
••• |
What It’s All About. If you’re an executive, you
should know the discipline of execution, which is what executives do. The
authors present a primer on what this means for today’s organizations. |
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Bowden, Mark |
•• |
Stupid Addict. An account of a week in the life of
Joey Coyle who tried to get away with keeping the $1 million that fell off an
armored truck, and that he found on the street. Depressing. |
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Boyle, T.C. |
••• |
Acidic. If you can dig a return to the 1960s and
can dig a communal, rural back-to basics-life, you’ll find this book totally
cool. Boyle writes masterfully and captures dialogue, drugs, and places with
precision. |
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High
and Mighty: SUVs: The World’s Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got There |
Bradsher, Keith |
••• |
Pigs on Stilts. SUV lovers will feel their blood
pressure elevate on every page of this SUV-bashing book by NY Times
writer. Those who loathe SUVs will find plenty of facts to support their
position. SUV myths are debunked. |
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Brands, H.W. |
••• |
Eloquence. Skilled historian presents brief bio of
former President, whom we now call Tommy. Tightly packed with personal
formation, academic success, wartime leadership, and postwar missteps in
peacemaking. |
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Bronson, Po |
••• |
Glimmers. Bronson’s wandering the country to find
out how others have answered this question provide glimmers of self-knowledge
for readers, glimmers of newly discovered talents. Savor this slowly and
listen for the glimmers that may change your life. |
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Brown, Dan |
••• |
Templars. Fast-paced thriller along the lines of
Cussler or Ludlum. Imaginative, yet connected enough to real groups like Opus
Dei and the Templars to make readers wonder. Fine vacation reading. |
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Bryce, Robert |
••• |
Me First. The rot at Enron started at the head. The
lack of integrity and character, the self-serving, the arrogance of the
bright, are revealed in all their venality in this fascinating book. |
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Bryson, Bill |
•••• |
Connections. Bryson’s wit and basic questions grabs
our attention and holds it as the answers lead to more questions about
astronomy, geology, chemistry, biology, and physics. |
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Buchan, Elizabeth |
•••• |
Sweet. Rose’s assistant takes her husband and her
job in the same week. Through Buchan’s wit, grace, charm, poignancy, and very
fine writing, readers enjoy Rose’s gradual transformation through the stages
of grief and into a new life. |
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Buckley, Christopher |
••• |
The Two Schlep. Informative, historically accurate,
walking tours of Washington, DC, peppered with a humorist’s élan and a fan’s
enthusiasm. Read our disclosures in the full review before you accept our
rating. |
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Buckley, Jr., William
F. |
•• |
Origins. The roots of the modern conservative
movement can be found in the John Birch Society and among the followers of
Ayn Rand. Buckley uses the genre of historical fiction to tell readers what
he thinks happened at the creation. The portrayal of Alan Greenspan, who was
a Randian, is a gem. |
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Burbick, Joan |
••• |
Pantomime. Thoughtful and well-written perspective
on the women who represented the rodeo and reinforced a way of life in the
American West that never really happened. |
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Backfire: Carly
Fiorina’s High-Stakes Battle for the Soul of Hewlett-Packard |
Burrows, Peter |
•• |
Unfriendly fire. Fiorina is the villain out to
destroy all the good that Bill and Dave built at H-P. Too negative for our
taste, but interesting to read alongside Anders’ more flattering Perfect
Enough. Besides, if we expect to find souls in companies, we have more
problems than Fiorina’s style. |
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Carroll, James |
•• |
Legacy. Recollections by father and son narrators
of what happened to trio of teens in Germany in the weeks before the wall was
erected. Secrets that were kept are revealed. A legacy is passed along from
one generation to another. Understanding develops over time, and with
perspective. |
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Golf
for Enlightenment: The Seven Lessons for the Game of Life |
Chopra, Deepak |
DNR
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Lights Out. Our first exposure to a Chopra book
left us wondering what others find good about his writing. Take a pass, or
just play through. |
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The
5 Patterns of Extraordinary Careers: The Guide for Achieving Success and
Satisfaction |
Citrin, James M. |
•••• |
Provocative. No matter what degree of success or
satisfaction you’ve achieved in your career, you’ll find something to think
about when you read this insightful book based on analysis of successful
executives. |
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Clinton, Hillary
Rodham |
•• |
Lifeless. Political junkies may enjoy this 534 page
memoir, but most readers will find the writing detached and revealing little
about the author. Sometimes it reads like a travelogue; other times like a
policy essay. |
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Codrescu, Andrei |
•• |
Dreams. Poets use words and images to show us who
we are and where we are heading. This collection does that well, whether we
like the images or not. |
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A
Consumer’s Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America |
Cohen, Lizabeth |
•• |
Citizen Shopper. Prosperity arrived to Postwar
America in the form of government action prompted by consumers active in
political processes pushing for national action. Cohen presents what we had,
what we lost, and what we can restore. |
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Collins, Billy |
••• |
Gallops. If you’ve not read any poems by our
current poet laureate, you may as well start with this latest collection.
Finely written. Some funny; some sad. |
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The Big
House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home |
Colt, George Howe |
•• |
Twits. Fine writing about a Boston Brahmin family’s
100-year attachment to a Cape Cod summer home that they almost sell outside
the family because of neglect and cluelessness. |
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Conant, Jennet |
••• |
Catalyst. Thanks to the money Alfred Loomis spent
on a private research lab, the Allies were able to use radar to win World War
II. |
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Cook, Robin |
• |
Slippery Slope. Unethical medical behavior leads to
major crimes and punishment. Poor writing overall, with weak dialogue,
predictable plot, and shallow character motivation. |
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I
Am What I Ate … and I’m Frightened!! : and Other Digressions from the Doctor
of Comedy |
Cosby, Bill |
•• |
Yummy. Savor a funny exploration of the joys and
sorrows of eating, especially everything that’s not good for you. Readers can
almost hear Cosby’s voice and pacing of the text. |
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Craig, Amanda |
••• |
Dreamy. Reprise of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream using the form of an English extended family and friends on
vacation in Tuscany, where all the magic happens. Clever and deft writing
provides an amusing diversion. |
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Crichton, Michael |
••• |
Mechanical Plague. Typical weak dialogue and
writing, but strong plot full of wildly creative ideas. Scary story of the
merger of biology and technology. A quick read. |
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Fat Land: How
Americans Became the Fattest People in the World |
Critser, Greg |
•• |
First Circle of Fat Hell. A tedious and fascinating
account of how we’ve gotten so fat, and why Earl Butz takes a lot of the
blame. Some interesting case studies and a shocking view of the future. |
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Croft, Barbara |
•• |
Spinning. Debut novel from short story writer spins
together the life of Jim Moon with tales from the Civil War, his Iowa
marriage, the way the World’s Columbian Exposition captivated him, and how he
died in New York. Lyrical, confusing at times, and replete with sub=plots that
seem to go nowhere. |
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Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly |
•• |
White Hats. A respite from the business scandal
books. From interviews with executives who’ve done a good job, we learn how
business can be done well, and the hurdles that need to be overcome. |
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Culinary Institute of
America |
• |
Bland. Interesting photos and clear descriptions of
basic cooking methods that may be helpful for kitchen novices. Boring recipes
lead readers to want to eat out. |
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D’Souza, Dinesh |
••• |
Compelling. D’Souza delivers an articulate case for
conservatism in the form of letters from him to a college student. Whether
you agree or disagree with D’Souza’s politics, his writing is fine and his
case is compelling. |
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Daum, Meghan |
• |
Addicted. Debut novel pokes fun at NYC self
centeredness and Midwestern political correctness as protagonist leaves NYC
seeking an improved quality of life, but finding cycles of addiction and
recovery. |
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The
New Culture of Desire: 5 Radical Strategies That Will Change Your Business
and Your Life |
Davis, Melinda |
• |
Oh O. Thanks to something called The Human Desire
Project, we know way too much about what people want and the lengths to which
they’ll go to get it. Some desires should be sublimated. |
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E2:
Using the Power of Ethics and Etiquette in American Business |
Davis, Phyllis |
• |
Right Shoulder. More etiquette than ethics, and few
business leaders want to read about etiquette. Agreed with her name tag
advice (right shoulder). Read our excerpt on
business meetings before taking on the whole book. |
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DeStefano, Anthony |
••• |
Cute. Upbeat and comforting view of life in heaven,
especially for those who have recently lost loved ones. Even included our
image: “,,, reading a really good book by the fireside with a hot cup of tea
nearby…” |
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Dexter, Pete |
•••• |
Raw. Superb writing about dimensions of pain and
the struggles of relationships. Sparse writing style keeps readers happily
glued to every page. |
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Boy Genius:
Karl Rove, the Brains Behind the Remarkable Political Triumph of George W.
Bush |
Dubose, Lou |
••• |
Turd Blossom. Largely self-taught, Rove lives and
breathes politics, and has been right more than wrong in the advice he’s
given. Read this book and find out more about his nicknames and talents. |
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Eco, Umberto |
• |
Liar’s lair. Hard to figure out when Baudolino is
lying, or what he’s saying in the first place. Read the full review to find
out why we abandoned the text and listened to an audio version instead. |
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Epstein, Joseph |
••• |
Green. Witty, thoughtful, exploration of the many
dimensions of envy and the variety of forms in takes during our lives. |
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Ferris, Timothy |
••• |
Look Up. Outstanding science writer takes readers
into the world of amateur astronomers and the contributions they make. Makes
you want to buy a telescope and look up at the night sky. |
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Fialka, John J. |
••• |
Yes, Sister. Fialka traces the arrival of small
groups of nuns in America in the 19th century through their 1965
apex of 179,000 sisters, to today’s situation where half the remaining
sisters are aged seventy and older. |
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Follett, Ken |
••• |
Soars. Interesting and appealing heroes and villains
whom we cheer or jeer as the action unfolds. Heroes in trouble at every turn,
and villains get lucky far too often in this exciting tale of the Danish
resistance during World War II. |
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How
to Become a Great Boss: The Rules for Getting and Keeping the Best Employees |
Fox, Jeffrey J. |
••• |
Straightforward. Brief, clear and plain talk about
being a boss. Even if you hate “how to” books, you may find some of this
inspiring, practical and usable. |
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Lies: And the Lying
Liars Who Tell Them … a Fair and Balanced Look at the Right |
Franken, Al |
••• |
Truths. Had Fox not complained about the title, we
might have skipped reading this one. Turns out to be less humorous and more
serious than we expected. Franken may not be the best spokesman for his
positions, but he presents enough facts to cheer those who are weary of the
Right. |
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Fried, Stephen |
••• |
Fathers. Three books in one: Temple Har Zion’s
search for a new rabbi; Fried’s deepening religious observance; and the ways
that fathers and sons relate. Readers from any religious tradition, or none,
will find this book fascinating to read. |
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Garten, Jeffrey E. |
•• |
Manifesto for CEO Action. 22 “shoulds” for
executive involvement in public policy that may raise your blood pressure and
stimulate your thinking. |
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The
Greater Good: How Philanthropy Drives the American Economy and Can Save
Capitalism |
Gaudiani, Claire |
••• |
Generosity. Have you concluded that America is rich
because we are generous? You may increase your charitable giving after
reading this book. |
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Authentic
Leadership: Rediscovering the Secrets to Creating Lasting Value |
George, Bill |
••••• |
Journey. Outstanding book by former Medtronic CEO,
who “gets it.” There are five dimensions to being an authentic leader:
understanding why you want to lead, practicing solid values, leading with a
heart, establishing connected relationships, and showing self-discipline.
Read this book now. |
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Who
Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Inside IBM’s Historic Turnaround |
Gerstner, Louis V. |
•••• |
Fandango. Former head of IBM discloses why he took
the job, how key decisions were made, and what it took to transform the
organization. Well written, insightful, with some “aha” moments for long-time
IBM watchers. |
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Gingrich, Newt |
• |
Revolting. Former Speaker of the House presents an
imaginative, and probably plausible,
version of what could have happened at the Battle of Gettysburg,
messing with the memories we have of what really happened. Newt may wish this
had happened, but readers know what really took place. |
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The
Importance of Being Lazy: In Praise of Play, Leisure, and Vacations |
Gini, Al |
••• |
Time Out. Philosophy professor provides
well-developed rationale for taking breaks in various forms, including an
extended vacation. Read while working, not while relaxing. |
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Giuliani, Rudolph W. |
••• |
Like a Rock. Whether you like Rudy and his positions
or not, you’ll enjoy reading his 14 points for leadership and his many
practical examples of leading effectively. |
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Leading
Geeks: How to Manage and Lead People Who Deliver Through Technology |
Glen, Paul |
DNR
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All Geek to Him. Geeks aren’t as different from the
rest of us as Glen proposes. There may be worse books on the business shelves
this season, but we haven’t read them (yet). |
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Rude
Awakenings: Overcoming the Civility Crisis in the Workplace |
Gonthier, Giovinella |
• |
Excuse Me. More than you’d ever want to know about
solving problems in the workplace. Readers who experience a civility crisis
in the workplace will probably love this book. The rest of us are the case
studies. Take a pass. |
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Gore, Al and Tipper |
•• |
256,000 words. 256 pictures on the theme of family
show the diversity and uniqueness of American families. |
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Triumph
and Tragedy in Mudville: A Lifelong Passion for Baseball |
Gould, Stephen Jay |
••• |
Champion. Gould loved baseball almost as much as
paleontology, and his writing on the sport soars. Posthumous collection of
essays appeals both to fans of baseball and fans of fine writing. |
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Greeley, Andrew M. |
•• |
O’Malley’s Return. Greeley reprises the crazy
O’Malleys and sends them to Rome in 1978 for two papal conclaves. Relaxing,
predictable, and entertaining with clean and wholesome intimate
relationships. |
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Greeley, Andrew M. |
•• |
Academic. Greeley reprises detective Bishop Blackie
Ryan who solves a murder mystery at The university (which all know is
the University of Chicago). Pleasant and entertaining, but dialog gets
tedious after a while. |
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Grisham, John |
• |
Heroes. Success at high school football isn’t what
life is all about. The players and coaches who achieve that success don’t
merit hero status. If for some reason you’re interested in that or if you
like Grisham’s writing, this book’s for you. |
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Grisham, John |
• |
Reform. Warning: this book only worth reading by
rabid Grisham fans or people who want to read whatever’s popular. Weak
characters, poor dialogue. It’s all here. |
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Grove, Andrew S. |
••• |
Immigration and Naturalization. The charming story
of the early life of Intel CEO Andy Grove with life lessons for all readers.
From his birth through his arrival in America following the Hungarian
Revolution. |
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Guterson, David |
• |
Dense. Lazy writer overplays guilt and scene, but
fails to get enough details right to allow a willing suspension of disbelief.
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Hackett, Joyce |
•• |
Lingering Melody. Debut novel embraces the cello,
grief, concentration camp life and its aftermath, love, loyalty, and
survival. Tightly written inner and outer journey of a fascinating woman and
a cello named the Savant. |
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Haddon, Mark |
••• |
Unique. Creative debut novel uses a narrator with
autism to reveal the story and allow readers a glimpse into the world view of
those with autism. Best debut novel read so far this year. |
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Haig, Brian |
•• |
Uncle. Haig pumped out too many pages without
honing his writing skills. With his latest, we cried “uncle.” Predictable
plot in military, legal non-thriller. |
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Halberstam, David |
••• |
Friends Forever. Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby
Doerr and Dominic DiMaggio didn’t just play baseball on the same team, they
became lifelong friends. Read and find out from an award-winning writer why
they have no regrets about how they’ve lived their lives. |
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Halpin, Brian |
••• |
Instructive. You don’t need to be a teacher to
enjoy and learn from this reflection on what makes us happy or sad at work.
Bosses, co-workers and situations resonate for anyone who has ever worked. |
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Creating
True Peace: Ending Violence in Yourself, Your Family, Your Community, and the
World |
Hanh, Thich Nhat |
••• |
Teacher. The practice of peace always begins right
here, right now. Busy executives may enjoy the excerpt
about taking time to live, and using a tea meditation to nourish mutual
understanding and happiness. |
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Hansen, Ron |
••• |
Franco-American Treats. French tourists find
Nebraska, love, fine wine from the magic waters of Frenchman’s Creek. Given
Hansen’s versatile writing skills, readers will laugh at loud. |
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Hemley, Robin |
•• |
Exploitation. Were the Tasaday fakes, or really a
primitive, unspoiled tribe at the time news stories about them were spread
worldwide? Were those who called this a scam the real liars? If you care
about these questions, this is the book for you. |
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Henry, Shannon |
••• |
Fly on the Wall. The moguls let a reporter sit in
on the dinners of their monthly investment club. She lets readers in on what
happened behind closed doors and how the investments of this group of experts
performed. |
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Holmes, Rupert |
••• |
Secrets. Fine writing offers plot, dialogue and
memorable characters in the context of a study and reflection on how
self-interest, friendship and relationships interact. |
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Blue
Latitudes: Boldly Going Where Captain Cook Has Gone Before |
Horwitz, Tony |
•• |
South Pacific Overtures. Nothing we’ve read in
years is quite like this odd book. Author and cohorts roam around to places
where Cook went and compare what those places are like now to what they were
like in Cook’s time. |
|
|
|
Pigs
at the Trough: How Corporate Greed and Political Corruption Are Undermining
America |
Huffington, Arianna |
••• |
Sharply Pointed. Witty, sometimes tiresome,
cleverly written smorgasbord of corporate scandals and proposals for reform.
Enjoy her irreverent writing style and pointed judgments. |
|
|
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Hynes, Samuel |
••• |
Ebullient. Vivid images of one man’s formative
years during the Depression, and the wisdom he’s able to covey today about
those times. Upbeat memoir with the right balance of mischief and struggle. |
|
||
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Of
Paradise and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order |
Kagan, Robert |
•• |
John Wayne and Cheese-Eating Surrender Monkeys.
Useful primer on the basis of the current relationship between the U.S. and
Europe. Made us want to learn more. |
|
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|
Keillor, Garrison |
•• |
Ups and Downs. Spotty novel of Minnesota writer who
produces a hit, moves to New York, and discovers failure. Touching at times,
hilarious now and again, tedious after a while. |
|
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Keneally, Thomas |
••• |
Thoughtful. Keneally reveals the flaws of human
nature in multiple characters of this well-written novel, calling our
attention to who is innocent and who is not. |
|
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A
Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land
We Love |
Kennedy, Caroline |
••• |
Salute. Just the right resource book to fill a
space on your bookshelf. A comprehensive collection that’s inspiring and
thought-provoking, whether you’re happy or depressed about life in these
United States. |
|
|
|
Journal
of the Dead: A Story of Friendship and Murder in the New Mexico Desert |
Kersten, Jason |
•• |
Dry. Journalist takes sensational and macabre story
and presents it a piece at a time, with little insight and flair. |
|
|
|
King, Ross |
••• |
Soars. Open these pages and leave behind your
images from The Agony and the Ecstasy. Learn things you never knew about the
great artist and one of his masterworks. |
|
||
|
King, Stephen |
••• |
Classic. King’s character development reaches a
high point in this book. Allowing multiple narrators, the voices of each
character show King’s ability to bring characters to life and keep them
differentiated. |
|
||
|
Knight, Michael |
••• |
Mesmerizing. Nine well-written short stories full
of imaginative plots, and enough character development to please readers. |
|
||
|
Krakauer, Jon |
••• |
Quest for Truth. Well-written exploration of the
sources and formation of modern Mormon Fundamentalists and their violent and
bloody quest for creating and preserving religious faith in the West. |
|
||
|
The
Pleasures of Slow Food: Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors, and
Recipes |
Kummer, Corby |
••• |
Triple Treat. Atlantic columnist presents
comprehensive introduction to the global slow food movement, captivating
photography, and a stewpot of recipes. |
|
|
|
The
Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed
America |
Larson, Erik |
••• |
Monumenal. Brings alive the creation of the World’s
Columbian Exposition (the White City) by the architects who made it happen,
and unravels how a grizzly serial killer (The Devil) preyed on vulnerable
fairgoers. |
|
|
|
Starving
to Death on $200 Million: The Short, Absurd Life of The Industry Standard |
Ledbetter, James |
• |
Let it Die. Unless you’re in the publishing
business, enjoy Ledbetter’s good writing, or miss the days of the Internet
bubble, there’s little reason to spend any time reading this book. |
|
|
|
Lehane, Dennis |
••• |
Islands of the Mind. Well-crafted psychological
novel that leaves readers wondering about what is appearance and what is
reality. Open the shutters of your mind and enjoy. |
|
||
|
Leonard, Elmore |
••• |
Moves. Leonard presents tightly packed short
stories with memorable characters, skillful dialogue, and great imagery. |
|
||
|
Lewis, Michael |
••• |
Facts. Liar’s Poker author examines major league
baseball and why the Oakland A’s win so games while spending so little money
on players. Great lessons for any business about paying attention to the
right performance measures. |
|
||
|
Lipman, Elinor |
••• |
Personality. Romantic, not sloppy story or medical
resident, Alice, and her unusual suitor, Ray. Lots of funny scenes and
throwaway lines as well as some complicated mother-daughter relationship
expectations. |
|
||
|
Loehr, Jim and Tony
Schwartz |
••• |
Energizing. Most executives have managed the stress
part of personal energy management, but often falter in finding the right
methods for recovery to regain energy. This book tells stories about what has
worked for clients, including athletes. |
|
||
|
Lukacs, John |
••• |
Forceful. Short, breezy, clear and opinionated
historical perspective on three dimensions of the great Winston Churchill.
The writing sparkles. |
|
||
|
Mallinson, Allan |
••• |
Charge! Readers who enjoy Patrick O’Brian’s naval
fiction set during the Napoleonic wars will enjoy Mallinson’s portrayal of
the cavalry. |
|
||
|
The
Maverick and His Machine: Thomas Watson, Sr. and the Making of IBM |
Maney, Kevin |
••• |
Character. Maney presents Watson in many
dimensions: self-absorption; ambition; effective leadership; motivation;
shady practices; insecurity; over-confidence and pride. Like today’s CEOs. |
|
|
|
Martin, Steve |
•• |
Neurotic. Memorable, obsessive-compulsive narrator
unveils Everyman beneath the disorder. Creative and interesting, but not as
well written as Shopgirl.
|
|
||
|
Maxwell, Frederic Alan |
••• |
Madman. Many facets of the journey of Steve Ballmer
from suburban Detroit to a partnership with Bill Gates that changed the
world. |
|
||
|
Thinking
for a Change: 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work |
Maxwell, John C. |
• |
Pastoral. Hundreds of quotes tied together by
stories and upbeat, positive thoughts. Ideal for self-help fans; shallow for
most of us. |
|
|
|
McDemott, Alice |
••• |
Bruised. McDermott uses fine writing in a coming of
age story to explore the many ways we humans bruise each other as we try to
love and care for someone else. |
|
||
|
McPherson, James M. |
••• |
Pulitzer Docent. A well-informed compact guide to
what happened and where during the battle of Gettysburg. Ideal for pleasure
readers. |
|
||
|
Meloy, Maile |
•••• |
Family Ties and Lies. Rare for a debut novel to win
four-stars. This tale of four generations and the lies that unite them should
win awards. Meloy’s writing soars, and we come to know her characters for all
their human qualities and frailties. |
|
||
|
Micklethwait, John |
••• |
Company Brief. Breezy explanation and history of
where companies came from and the consequent benefits to society of this
revolutionary structure. Great respite from corporate scandal stories. |
|
||
|
Millhauser, Steven |
••• |
Betrayal. Three novels plumb the dimensions of love
and betrayal through fine writing, imaginative settings, and characters that
reveal themselves with many of the complexities of human nature. Millhauser
at his best. |
|
||
|
Bush’s
Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential |
Moore, James and
Wayne Slater |
••• |
Relentless. Political junkies of all stripes will
read the vignettes presented about Rove and come away thinking about how much
they know and don’t know about this close advisor. |
|
|
|
Morgan, Edmund S. |
••• |
Statesman Scientist. As Morgan says early on, this
is a short biography “meant only to say enough about the man to show that he
is worth the trouble.” It’s no trouble at all to turn the pages of this
well-written life of Franklin. |
|
||
|
Mortimer, John |
••• |
The End? Could this be the last of the Rumpole
books? If so, savor each of the week’s worth of stories in this book, and
hope that this is not the end. |
|
||
|
Eleanor
and Harry: The Correspondence of Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman |
Neal, Steve |
•• |
New Friends. Following FDR’s death, Harry Truman
and Eleanor Roosevelt needed each other, and through their letters, and
Neal’s light commentary, we see how they used each other, got to know each
other, and eventually became friends. |
|
|
|
Nelson, Lee J. |
• |
Welcome Back Kafka. Schemes and schemers,
alienation and strangeness, in a New York City apartment, told with all the
charm that Franz Kafka would have used. Read if you’re up for a downer. |
|
||
|
Noor, Queen |
•••• |
Personal. If there’s only one memoir you read this
year, make it this one. Noor describes her relationship with King Hussein,
family life, and politics with an articulate voice helping you learn more
than you may expect about the Middle East and about personal, loving
relationships. |
|
||
|
North, Oliver |
• |
Do As ISEG. 200 good pages out of 600; just try to
find them. Acronyms, slow-moving plot, weak dialogue: all here for your
reading distraction. |
|
||
|
The
Majesty of the Law: Reflections of a Supreme Court Justice |
O’Connor, Sandra Day |
••• |
Pedagogic. O’Connor shares her love of the law but
reveals little about the inner workings of the court, and tells nothing that
would reveal her approach to issues coming before the court. |
|
|
|
Olmstead, Kathryn S. |
• |
Why Spy? Tedious tale of FBI star witness against
her former comrades in the 1940s and 1950s, sometimes telling the truth and
sometimes lying. |
|
||
|
Otsuka, Julie |
••• |
Injustice. Debut novel takes on Japanese internment
during WWII with care and precision capturing the impact on the members of
one family at that time. Poetic voice creates lasting images. |
|
||
|
Parker, Robert B. |
••• |
Spenser Vintage 2003. Master detective Spenser
accepts six Krispy Kremes as payment to work on solving a decades-old murder.
Memorable characters, interesting plot and realistic dialogue. |
|
||
|
Parker, Robert B. |
••• |
Serial. Fourth installment in Jesse Stone mysteries
brings serial killers to Paradise, and allows Stone to match wits with smart
criminals. Great dialogue, as usual. |
|
||
|
Patterson, Robert |
• |
Punt. Air Force officer who carried nuclear
“football” for two years in Clinton White House delivers poorly written
screed based on personal observations, especially one incident on a golf
course in September 1996. |
|
||
|
Posner, Gerald, L. |
••• |
Infighting. Exploration of twenty years of fumbled
investigations and misplaced priorities leads to one conclusion: 9/11 did not
need to happen. |
|
||
|
Powell, Sophie |
••• |
Dreamy Debut. Finely crafted, brief, first novel
with enchanting view of a child’s fantasy in Wales, and the adults around her
who struggle with intimacy and strained relationships. |
|
||
|
Preston, Richard |
••• |
Dark Biology. Before you line up for your smallpox
shot, read this book. It’s more likely that a modified smallpox would be used
as a weapon, and the vaccine would do no good. |
|
||
|
Prosek, James |
••• |
Hooked. Well-written story of author’s journey
around the world, fishing, painting, and writing about these adventures. All
readers will enjoy the anecdotes, characters and adventure, whether we fish
or not. |
|
||
|
Proulx, Annie |
••• |
Annie Got Her Gun. No more obtuse prose from
Proulx. Funny, satiric, absorbing story. Anti-big business, coming of age,
community values. |
|
||
|
Putnam, Robert D. |
••• |
Capital. Something to think about and learn from
the twelve case studies of how different people are trying to build social
capital from branch libraries to schoolchildren leading community change.
Read excerpt
about how UPS builds social capital. |
|
||
|
Reiner, Carl |
••• |
Yuks. Funny and poignant stories from Reiner’s life
make readers feel like we’re sitting across the dinner table listening to him
relate anecdotes that lead us to laughing or crying with him. |
|
||
|
Rice, Anne |
•• |
How r u gonna keep ‘em? New vampire Tarquin
Blackwood narrates this tedious tale to old vampire standby Lestat, who
should have killed Quinn to make a long story short. Usual Rice. |
|
||
|
Robinson, Lewis |
••• |
Maine Man. Debut collection of stories from Maine
writer Lewis Robinson reveals great talent. Lovers of short stories shouldn’t
overlook this writer. |
|
||
|
Rowling, J.K. |
••• |
Growing Up. Finest installment in the series so
far. Adolescent Harry behaves erratically, and even Dumbledore appears
vulnerable. The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher brings bureaucracy
to Hogwarts. |
|
||
|
Schieffer, Bob |
••• |
Conversational. CBS reporter tells engaging stories
about his work and life that will leave readers with many good feelings, and
lots of good laughs. |
|
||
|
Scott, Anne |
•• |
Imagery. Debut novel of estate agent trying to sell
the belongings and creations of an artist, the late owner of Villa Calpurnia,
a Main Line Philadelphia 19th century stone home. From many perspectives,
we get to learn about the late artist and her art. |
|
||
|
Scott, Willard |
• |
Yadda. Occasionally pithy, sometimes inspirational,
but usually vapid and monotonous
comments from old people, some famous, some not. Read it and some away older,
not necessarily wiser. |
|
||
|
The
Older the Fiddle, the Better the Tune: The Joys of Reaching a Certain Age |
Scott, Willard |
• |
Yadda. After reading this, you’ll be older, but not
necessarily wiser. Collection of vapid comments from famous and not-so-famous
people. |
|
|
|
Scotti, R. A. |
••• |
Stormy. Not a print version of the Weather Channel,
but a captivating and riveting story of places and people who faced an
amazing storm that caught New Englanders by surprise. |
|
||
|
Siebert, Muriel |
••• |
Mickie’s Moves. Entertaining chronicle of how the
first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange did it, and how
she’s since vanquished many of her adversaries. |
|
||
|
Slater, Robert |
•• |
Rollback. Pleasant story about unassuming and
talented executives who built a gigantic and successful business. Some
repetition and a few dozen really boring pages. |
|
||
|
Smiley, Jane |
•••• |
Real Estate. Smiley immerses readers into the real
estate boom of the 1980s and the S&L debacle through a tale of the faith
we place in others and where than can lead us. |
|
||
|
Stange, Maven |
••• |
Compelling. Rarely seen photos document the impact
of rural migration to Chicago, and the creation of “the black capital of
America” on the South Side. |
|
||
|
A
People Adrift: The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America |
Steinfels, Peter |
••• |
Turbulence. A readable and insightful exploration
of recent decades of change for the Catholic Church, the impact of the sexual
abuse scandals, and what’s likely to happen next. |
|
|
|
Stone, Robert |
•• |
Doo Voo. Superb writing wasted on weak characters.
Rural Minnesota professor’s affair with stereotyped seductress from Caribbean
island leads him into spirit world to neither find nor lose his soul, but
change his life. |
|
||
|
Swartz, Mimi and
Sherron Watkins |
••• |
Living Large. Hubris, office politics, chaos,
greed. At some point, we’ll tire of the Enron rehashing, but Watkins’ involvement
in this one caught our attention, and lead to pleasure in reading the horrid
tale. |
|
||
|
Jarhead: A Marine’s
Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles |
Swofford, Anthony |
••• |
Unscrewed. Talented writer and former Marine sniper
presents poetic images of life, fear, despair and exhilaration as a Marine
interspersed with the salty tongue used by one Marine to another. |
|
|
|
Final
Accounting: Ambition, Greed, and the Fall of Arthur Andersen |
Toffler, Barbara Ley |
••• |
Assimilated. Business ethics professor joins
Andersen, becomes assimilated by their culture, and compromises her values.
Great inside view of Andersen, and thought provoking about whether we share
the values of those with whom we work. |
|
|
|
Tolkien, Simon |
••• |
Inheritance. Yes, J.R.R. Tolkien’s grandson can
write. Come to the Old Bailey and find a trial, an interesting set of
characters, well-crafted plot and good dialogue. |
|
||
|
Feeding a
Yen: Savoring Local Specialties from Kansas City to Cuzco |
Trillin, Calvin |
••• |
Yummy. When Trillin writes about food, readers want
to both read and eat. When you can’t find a food you love and miss, add it to
your own “Register or Frustration and Deprivation” or go to the place where
you can feed your yen. |
|
|
|
Truman, Margaret |
•• |
Curtains. Unless you’re a lover of Washington, DC
or a reader or prior Truman mysteries set there, there’s no reason to read
this book. |
|
||
|
Turow, Scott |
•••• |
Paradise Lost and Regained. Turow’s best novel yet
tackles death penalty errors, love, loss, human nature and redemption.
Lawyers, judges, criminals, and other readers will love this book. |
|
||
|
Ultimate
Punishment: A Lawyer’s Reflections on Dealing with the Death Penalty |
Turow, Scott |
••• |
Evolution. Novelist and lawyer shares his real life
struggle over his position on the death penalty. Read and watch your thinking
evolve with his. |
|
|
|
Von Drehle, David |
••• |
Burning. Absorbing combination of three stories:
immigrant working conditions in NYC; a devastating factory fire; the
political shift to the left laying a foundation for the New Deal. Read and
see if you agree that a single event can lead to dramatic social changes. |
|
||
|
Becoming
Friends: Worship, Justice, and the Practice of Christian Friendship |
Wadell, Paul |
••• |
You’ve Got a Friend. Gifted teacher Wadell has been
writing about friendship since his doctoral dissertation. Latest offering is
animated, engaging, and expands our understanding of what it is to be and to
have a friend. |
|
|
|
Walker, Alice |
••• |
Comforting. New poems, many of which reveal the
meanings of house and home, creating a special place for readers to spend
some time in refuge and in pleasure. |
|
||
|
Watson, Larry |
•••• |
Artistic Vision. Must one understand an enigma in
order to portray it to others? Well-crafted novel presents complicated
relationship between artist and model, and their respective spouses. Intimacy
and alienation co-exist. |
|
||
|
Watts, J.C. |
••• |
Preacher. Sermonizing biography of this former
congressman. He’s who he is because of how his parents raised him in a small
Oklahoma town. First hundred of 275 pages brings us through high school. |
|
||
|
The
Courage to be Catholic: Crisis, Reform and the Future of the Church |
Weigel, George |
••• |
Fiddling with Fidelity. Weigel’s clear cut and
direct solution to the current crises in the Catholic Church: return to the
faithfulness you never had. |
|
|
|
Weisberger, Lauren |
• |
Role Models. Odd novel of the relationship between
the boss from hell and a naïve and submissive assistant in a job a million
women would die for. Some funny parts, then pathos, then ennui. Unappealing
characters. |
|
||
|
Weiss, Gary |
•• |
Unwise Guys. Business Week reporter uses the life
of Louis Pasciuto to describe some ways that the Mafia operates on Wall
Street. Meet unsavory characters doing bad things. |
|
||
|
Wicker, Tom |
••• |
Like Ike Lite. Think of this book as Ike Lite. Chug
it down and move on. Lovers of stout should read something else. |
|
||
|
Wilcox, James |
•• |
Charm. Life in Tula Springs presents encounters
with real characters and some prolonged chuckling at their relationship
foibles. Some serious brushes with racial and religious tolerance. |
|
||
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Key to Ratings: ••••• Outstanding
book-read it now •••• Highly recommended ••• Recommended •• Mildly recommended • Read if your
interest is strong DNR Do Not Read: Take a
Pass
|
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