Non-Fiction of Choice

Allen, John L., Jr. Conclave The Politics, Personalities and Process of the Next Papal Election. Image/Doubleday, 2002. The subtitle lists the main contents of this book. If you are furious about who will be involved in the next papal election, what the procedures will be or even what previous popes were like, reading this will be interesting to you. Allen gives facts and opinions about previous popes as well as other officials in the world of the Catholic Church. He explains the various officials and duties of the people listed and speculates on the future for them in regards to the next papal election. To those of us not familiar with the Catholic Church or Papacy, this is a visit to an amazing world.

Best, Joel. Damned Lies and Statistics: Untangling Numbers From the Media, Politicians and Activists. University of California Press, Berkeley, 2001. Statistics are a useful way of making sense of the world. Because they can be easily misused or misinterpreted, it is important for persons to learn to think critically about them. When evaluating a statistic, three basic questions should be asked: who created it, why did they create it, and how was the statistic created? Best, a professor and chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware, concisely explains problems with statistics and teaches how to understand and critically evaluate them. Examples of some familiar and widely circulated inaccurate statistics, such as the number of young girls dying of anorexia each year, and a late 1990's "epidemic" of burnings of black churches in Alabama, add clarity. This is a book well worth reading at any time, but especially in this election year when both parties use statistics to support their contentions.

Evans, Anthony. The Perfect Christian: How Sinners Like Us Can Be More Like Jesus. Word Publishing, 1998. In easy to read style, author Tony Evans details how Christians can live holy "near perfect" lives while on earth by applying the rules that Jesus left as a model. Quoting from the book of the James, the half brother of Jesus, Evans relates passages from this book in the Holy Bible to daily everyday living. Evans states that through prayer, denying of self, controlling the tongue, loving one another and living and studying the Word of God, Christians can be more like Jesus in their daily walk through life. Each chapter of this book ends with a self test to measure how the believer stacks up. An interesting book of self examination that will cause Christians to really look deep within themselves to pull out the best person they can be.

Farmer, Richard Allen. How Sweet the Sound: The Message of Our Best-Loved Hymns. InterVarsity Press, 2003. Richard Allen Farmer has enjoyed hymns of the church for many years. They have enriched his daily walk. In this book he discusses 25 hymns which are listed under four divisions: About God, About Christ, About the Church, About Worship. His intention is not to give an exhaustive list of hymns or thorough explanations of them. He simply wants to help others to better understand and appreciate something which can be a real blessing to many. Choose one or more hymns to read about at a sitting and then think about it through your day. Or sleep on it. Use it as a devotional or as part of a program at church. Just read, enjoy and be blessed. You may even catch yourself singing.

Klein, Edward. The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America’s First Family For 150 Years. St. Martin’a Press, 2003. In this probing expose, renowned Kennedy biographer Edward Klein-a bestselling author and journalist personally acquainted with many members of the Kennedy family-unravels one of the great mysteries of our time and explains why the Kennedys have been subjected to such a mind-boggling chain of calamities. Drawing upon scores of interviews with people who have never spoken out before, troves of private documents, archives in Ireland and America, and private conversations with Jackie, Klein explores the underlying pattern that governs the Kennedy Curse. The reader is treated to penetrating portraits of the Irish immigrant Patrick Kennedy; Rose Kennedy's father, "Honey Fitz"; the dynasty's founding father Joe Kennedy and his ill-fated daughter Kathleen, President Kennedy, accused rapist William Kennedy Smith, and the star-crossed lovers, JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette. Each of the seven profiles demonstrates the basic premise of this book: The Kennedy Curse is the result of the destructive collision between the Kennedy's fantasy of omnipotence-an unremitting desire to get away with things that others cannot-and the cold, hard realities of life.

LaSalle, Mick. Complicated Women: Sex & Power in Pre-Code Hollywood. Thomas Dunne Books, 2001. In the pre-Code Hollywood era, between 1929 and 1934, women in American cinema took lovers, had babies out of wedlock, got rid of cheating husbands, enjoyed their sexuality, led unapologetic careers, and, in general, acted the way many think women only acted after 1968. Before then, women on screen had come in two varieties-sweet ingénue or vamp. Then two stars came along: Greta Garbo, who turned the femme fatale into a woman whose capacity for love and sacrifice made all other human emotions seem pale; and Norma Shearer, who succeeded in taking the ingénue to a place she'd never been: the bedroom. In their wake came a deluge of other complicated women-Marlene Dietrich, Jean Harlow, and Mae West, to name a few. Then, in July 1934, the draconian Production Code became the law in Hollywood and these modern women of the screen were banished, not to be seen again until the code was repealed three decades later. A thorough survey and a tribute to these films, Complicated Women reveals how this was the true Golden Age of women's films. He takes us back, with wit, passion, and intelligence, to those brief shining years of the early 1930s when Hollywood women movie stars like Norma Shearer or Jean Harlow could be erotic, funny, and independent--with no hell to pay!

LaSalle, Mick. Dangerous me: Pre-Code Hollywood & the Birth of the Modern Man. Thomas Dunne Books, 2002. LaSalle, a film critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, believes that the leading men of Hollywood's pre-Code era represent a distinct break from their wimpy or exaggeratedly heroic predecessors in the silent era. They could truly be called "dangerous," both to others and to themselves, because they lived (and frequently died) by their own rules. Using the same mix of accessibility and insider knowledge he used so successfully in Complicated Women, author and film critic Mick LaSalle now turns his attention to the men of the pre-Code Hollywood era. The five years between 1929 and mid-1934 was a period of loosened censorship that finally ended with the imposition of a harsh Production Code that would, for the next thirty-four years, censor much of the life and honesty out of American movies. Dangerous Men takes a close look at the images of manhood during this pre-Code era, which coincided with an interesting time for men-the culmination of a generation-long transformation in the masculine ideal. By the late twenties, the tumult of a new century had made the nineteenth century's notion of the ideal man seem like a repressed stuffed shirt, or a deluded optimist. The smiling, confident hero of just a few years before fell out of favor, and the new heroes who emerged were gangsters, opportunists, sleazy businessmen, shifty lawyers, shell-shocked soldiers-men whose existence threatened the status quo. In this book, LaSalle highlights such household names as James Cagney, Clark Gable, Edward G. Robinson, Maurice Chevalier, Spencer Tracy, and Gary Cooper, along with lesser-known ones such as Richard Barthelmess, Lee Tracy, Robert Montgomery, and the magnificent Warren William. Together they represent a vision of manhood more exuberant and contentious-and more humane-than anything that has followed on the American screen.

Leamer, Laurence. Sons of Camelot: The Fate of an American Dynasty. William Morrow & Company, 2004. Sons of Camelot is the compelling story of the Kennedy sons and grandsons in the aftermath of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It is one of the most intimate biography ever written about the Kennedys, with the cooperation of family and friends who spoke with insight and depth about their lives. Among the many stunning portraits in the book is the definitive account of John F. Kennedy Jr.'s life, including interviews with his ten closest friends, none of whom has ever talked to an author before. Based on five years of rigorous research and unprecedented cooperation from the five surviving sons of Robert Kennedy, the four Shriver sons, Maria Shriver, and other Kennedys, Sons of Camelot is not only the most authoritative account, it is by far the most revealing book ever written about these lives. Falling far short of the great ambitions their patriarch, Joseph P. Kennedy, envisioned for his family, the lives of his youthful progeny are instead characterized by over-whelming drama full of exalted aspirations, notable achievements, and the most spectacular mishaps, excesses, and tragedies. Yet among them are those whose remarkable accomplishments have led to better lives for all Americans and for others around the world. Heartbreaking and inspiring, Sons of Camelot is a spellbinding history of individuals and a family.

Levine, Evan S., M.D. What Your Doctor Won't (or Can't) Tell You: Doctors, Hospitals, Drugs, Insurance--What You Need to Know to Take Charge of Your Own Health Care. G. Putnam's Sons, 2004. All who have had encounters with the health care system in our nation in recent years will benefit from reading this young cardiologist's comments on the system and its practitioners. He gives an insider's view of the myriad of problems within the system and suggests needed improvements. Perhaps of most significance to the reader are his tips on how individuals and families can best manage their own care, which they must learn to do if they hope to obtain the best the system has to offer. He gives practical advice on how to choose a doctor, seeking second opinions, how to survive a hospital stay, and how to get the most economical prescription drugs.

Meyers, Joyce. Seven Things That Steal Your Joy. Warner Faith, 2004. This author's idea of being joyful in the Lord doesn't include the false joy we tend to see during Sunday morning hand shaking sessions - toothy smile, and repetitive "Bless you" breathed more out of habit than belief. This book reveals seven things that steal one's joy, and follows up with seven things to help keep "real" joy in one's life. Joyce Meyers believes joy is the source of a Christian's strength. It's the balance one needs to be strong and truly happy, setting him or her apart from others. Seeking God's Will instead of one's own is one of the subjects Meyers discusses. She also points out that one doesn't need signs on how to behave as a Christian, because God writes it upon the heart. Obey His word, walk in the spirit, and it will all come naturally. Meyers believes Christians should stop taking themselves so seriously and have a little fun by enjoying life and enjoying their relationship with God. Meyers' teachings can be very direct - outspoken even -- but never at the expense of others. It took years of trials and tribulations for Joyce to learn the truths she generously shares in this book. An inspired read!

Ogilvie, Lloyd John. The Greatest Counselor in the World. Vine Books, 1994. "Can we trust anyone to understand our deepest fears and insecurities?" Everyone has decisions to make and feelings and problems to deal with. Sometimes we just need someone to talk to, someone to soothe our being, someone to help us get our footing. The Holy Spirit is available to listen, guide us and teach us. When we need emotions and memories healed, the Holy Spirit is available. The Holy Spirit is often forgotten and misunderstood. Lloyd Ogilvie has listened to people for years as a pastor and counselor. He writes about the Holy Spirit and how we can relate our needs to this third person the the Trinity. What can be a difficult topic to understand becomes clear in his almost conversational writing style.

Peterson, Peter G. Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004. When George W. Bush took office in 2001 our nation's ten-year budget balance was projected to be a surplus of $5.6 trillion. By 2004 the surplus had evaporated, and the ten-year budget projection is for a deficit of $5 trillion. In addition, our current account deficit--the difference between what we owe other nations and what they owe us--is increasing. In 2003, the United States imported capital at the unprecedented rate of $4 billion every working day. Some claim that deficits don't matter. Peterson thinks they matter a great deal, and that it is imperative that the government and citizens take action now to ensure our nation's survival into the future. Peterson, former chairman of the New York Federal Reserve and a founder of the Concord Coalition, explains these issues in terms the layman can understand. Basic numbers referenced are primarily from easily accessible primary sources. He concludes on a positive note with a chap.

Pollack, John. John Pollack. Pantheon Books, 2004. This is an entertaining book from an ex political speechwriter who had had enough and decided to make a change and do something different. He decided to build a cork boat. Following is a review from School Library Journal: Pollack tells how he realized his lifelong dream of building a boat from wine-bottle corks. The project involved calling on restaurants (an agonizingly slow process that he grew to loathe); boat design (and redesign) with his architect partner; asking for 60,000 free corks from a supplier; construction (with numerous setbacks) in a Washington, DC, garage by dozens of volunteers who came and went; and the stressful completion of the vessel just barely in time to meet his third self-imposed deadline. The boat was shipped to Portugal (the home of cork) for a trip down the dam-filled Douro from the Spanish border to the Atlantic, with his co-designer and a few family members and friends along to help row. The journey took much longer than planned. This wonderfully inspiring story, told in an amusing and suspenseful way, shows how hard work and perseverance can make improbable dreams happen. Pollack gives credit to his project partner, who remains a friend even though they had serious differences along the way. His tone is so can-do and engaged with life that it cannot fail to affect readers positively.

Severson, Kim with Cindy Burke. The trans fat solution : cooking and shopping to eliminate the deadliest fat from your diet. Ten Speed Press, 2003. There are those who think that I'm gullible for believing this book, but it convinced me. This is a small book, easy to read and understand. The author explains what makes up trans fats, how and why they are bad for us and includes some recipes. Trans fats are described as shortening type products, partially hydrogenated oils (not butter or lard) that the body does not know how to process. The author also explains how to figure out what is in your food using current labels since labeling is not required for trans fat. This book does not appear to be selling anything but better health, but I suggest you see for yourself.

Weiss, Murray. The Man Who Warned America: the Life and Death of John O'Neill, the FBI's Embattled Counterterrorism Warrior.Regan Books, 2003. Long before his FBI contemporaries and other federal authorities recognized Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda as a primary threat to America, John O'Neill became convinced of the danger they posed. When the FBI and others in the U.S. government failed to heed his warnings and help him pursue and apprehend Bin Laden and his associates, O'Neill became disillusioned and, ultimately, resigned from the FBI. Ironically, just days after assuming the post of director of security at the World Trade Center, he was killed in the 9/11 attack. He was a complex, seemingly indefatigable person, intriguing to read about.

October 13, 2004