Non-Fiction of Choice

Albow, Keith. Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson. St. Martin’s Press, 2005. The Scott Peterson murder case is the most gripping and highly publicized crime story of the 21st Century. It has captivated a public hungry for the answer to one question: Why would a man with no known history of violent crime or mental illness, with a pretty wife about to give birth to his son, brutally murer her? To get "inside Peterson's head," the national media turned to forensic psychiatrist Keith Ablow, M.D. Inside the Mind of Scott Peterson takes readers into the mind of a killer. Albow contends that Scott Peterson's empathy for others was shattered by a three generation "blood line" of childhood loss and abandonment. This caused Peterson to expertly "imitate" a person, while having no true, core self. An addiction to sex took root in his psyche because this was the only area if his life where his true core self could emerge. When Peterson met Amber Frey, while his wife was pregnant, it triggered the "perfect" psychological storm. He murdered Lacie in order to be free to be with Amber where he most felt alive. Using contacts at the FBI, and hiring private investigators and researchers, Ablow delves deeply into Scott Peterson’s life story to answer the question: How did an All American boy turn into a ruthless killer?

Bickel, Bruce and Stan Jantz. Guide to Cults, Religions, & Spiritual Beliefs: A User Friendly Approach. Harvest House Publishers, 2002. This book covers the major religions and cults of the world today. The authors, Bruce and Stan, discuss how the major religions got started and what they believe about God, man and salvation. Since both of the authors are Christian, the book compares how these false religions measure up to Christianity. The authors tell the audience from the start that are not trying to coax or convince anyone into becoming a Christian, but only want to present a neutral presentation of the facts about other religions. Once the evidence is laid out, the authors leave it up to the readers to make up their own minds about what they choose to believe. With humor and clear explanations of the facts, this book makes learning about other religions and their beliefs very enlightening.

Borgenicht, David. Sesame Street Unpaved: Scripts, Stories, Secrets, and Songs. Children’s Television Workshop/Hyperion, 1998. Packed with photos, drawings, song lyrics, and excerpts from the scripts, Sesame Street Unpaved is a behind the scenes history of one of the most popular and long-running shows ever produced. Originally conceived as a show that would feature human characters with only an occasional appearance by the Muppets, Sesame Street really took off once the producers noticed that test audiences of children paid more attention when the Muppet characters were on the screen. Now it’s impossible not to think of the Muppets in connection with this program: Kermit the Frog, Ernie and Bert, Big Bird, The Count, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster . . . the list goes on and on as we get complete character sketches of all the beloved Muppet characters and commentary on memorable occurrences such as the death of Mr. Hooper the Grocer or the day when Snuffleupagus was revealed as real and not just an "imaginary friend" of Big Bird. This delightful book is a must-read for anyone with fond memories of the show.

Brown, Marcia "Sparkles." Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry: Identification and Values. Collector Books, 2000. Most collectors of vintage jewelry know that items with certain signatures such as Eisenberg, Coro, Trifari, and Haskell are valuable and sought-after. But have you ever wondered about the value of the unsigned pieces in your collection? Unsigned Beauties of Costume Jewelry is a valuable and interesting guide for examining pieces without signatures. In this book packed with color photographs of items from her personal collection, Brown provides a history of costume jewelry, timelines of fashion trends to establish possible dates for pieces, suggestions for care, restoration, and storage of items, and a glossary of collectible jewelry terminology. Brown’s display of her own collection is thorough, covering the expected jewelry items such as earrings, necklaces, and pins, as well as more unusual pieces such as hair ornaments, shoe buckles, fur clips, and cigarette cases. Before you put your grandmother’s old jewelry in the garage sale, get out your magnifying glass and take a good close look at it—and at this book.

Eyman, Scott. Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer. Simon & Schuster, 2005. While the book primarily is devoted to telling the story of how Mayer went from dealing in scrap metal to running the classiest movie studio in Hollywood and then describing Mayer's eventual fall from grace, a wide cast of characters fills out Mayer's story. This book relates commonly circulated stories as well as some new ones. However, Eyman meticulously has researched his subject and allows his readers to draw their own conclusions by evaluating the validity of some of these stories which would be considered question-able. Eyman also provides his reader with an exacting description of the dynamics that came into play while Mayer was running a large movie studio, as well as, the dynamics within his own family. The list of those people Eyman interviewed while writing this book is mind-boggling. Many of his interviewees have died since he began this book which makes a lot of the information provided in this book even more significant. This book was long overdue and I am glad the author took this project on while there were still enough people alive who could provide first hand information about the subject. Finally, a book about the much maligned Louis B. Mayer that is balanced and objective!!!

Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink : The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. Little, Brown and Co., 2005. This is a small book, 277 pages, with a big impact. Most people make snap judgments at some point in their lives. Very likely, we do it all the time and just don’t think about it. Gladwell describes the process and explains it to a degree that is understandable to the unscientific mind. In a nutshell, this is a very interesting book about how and why we make the choices we do and what part intuition plays in it. When you read it, in the blink of an eye you will want to go discuss it with someone else. It will definitely make you think.

Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point : How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown and Co., 2000. This is not an easy book to describe. The author puts forth three rules of epidemics -- The law of the few, the stickiness factor and the power of context to describe a theory of social dynamics that impacts behavioral change in the masses. He presents convincing examples of change such as the abrupt drop in crime on New York's subways, or the unexpected popularity of a novel, as epidemics. Gladwell researches and searches for the catalysts that precipitate the "tipping point" that generates those epidemic events. The "tipping point" occurs when something that begins small turns into something very large. We tend to think of epidemics as having a negative connotation but the epidemics described in The Tipping Point are positive as often as not. I found the book to be entertaining and thought provoking. I am now trying to figure out how to start my own epidemic.

Jamieson, Alex. The Great American Detox Diet : 8 Weeks to Weight Loss and Well-Being. Rodale, 2005. When Morgan Spurlock, the star of Super-Size Me, gained nearly 30 pounds after a month of eating at McDonald’s for every meal, nobody was more horrified than his fiancée Alex Jamieson, a vegan chef and holistic health counselor. When his liver showed signs of damage just 20 days into his fast-food diet experiment, she knew he'd need serious help to recover at the end of his "gastrointestinal form of hari-kari."[p.viii] The Great American Detox Diet is her prescription for helping him shed the chub as well as rid his body of the chemical additives (such as propylene glycol alginate—yuck) so prevalent in fast food. She notes that since a British medical journal recently reported that eating fast food just twice a week increases one's risk of developing insulin resistance, a pre-diabetic condition, you don't need to have gorged yourself on McDonald’s to benefit from her quick-results plan. Jamieson does a noble job of spelling out the detrimental effects on the body of sugar, caffeine, and an overload of fat, carbs, and protein, all of which are present in your typical fast-food meal, let alone a "super-sized" one. (Spurlock's diet included a repulsive 30 pounds of added sugar and added sweeteners over the course of the month.)[p22] Those horrified by Fast-Food Nation will find familiar territory here, but will also receive constructive advice on how to alter one's diet for the better. Jamieson also spurns wheat, corn, and dairy products, citing them as potential allergens (interestingly, she points out they're all heavily subsidized by the government), and she recommends viable sugar and caffeine substitutes. Nearly 90 recipes round out her treatise on healthy eating, and although some are not unusual (revamped versions of Guacamole, for example, and Oatmeal Raisin Cookies), a few others like Miso Tofu Cheese Spread will be a bit of an acquired taste for those so accustomed to burgers and fries.

Keller, Phillip. What Makes Life Worth Living. Kregel Publications, 2003. Phillip Keller wrote A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23.  He brings new meaning to Psalm 23 by explaining the ways of a shepherd and sheep as he knows from the experience of herding and caring for sheep.  When he was seventy -five years old he wrote about the values, experiences and people that make life vibrant and whole. He wrote as  a person who felt much and deeply.   There is no scholarly jargon or pretense in this book but everyday living and breathing and being.  Sometimes I can only read a paragraph before I must stop to consider the passage.  Sometimes a chapter is my devotional food for the day.  However you read it you will be blessed and enriched.  These two books of Keller's are wonderful.

MacArthur, John. Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do With You. W Pub. Group, 2002. Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Jesus chose ordinary men - fisherman, tax collectors, political zealots - and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from utter uselessness. MacArthur draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original twelve disciples for today's modern disciple - you.

McNair, Kirk, ed. Foreword by Gene Stallings. What It Means To Be Crimson Tide. Triumph Books, 2005. In this compilation of anecdotes, 60 players who wore the crimson and white over a 75-year period tell of their love and gratitude for the University of Alabama and the experience of having been a part of Crimson Tide football.  The book is divided into decades beginning with the 1930s and includes a section covering the new millennium.  Lifetime Crimson Tide fans will recognize the names of every player in the book. The not-so-knowledgeable reader will recognize many names including "Hootie" Ingram, Bart Starr, Lee Roy Jordan, Mal Moore, Joe Namath, Ray Perkins, Ken Stabler, John Hannah, John Croyle, Bob Baumhower, Ozzie Newsome, Major Ogilvie, Jeremiah Castille, Joey Jones, Mike Shula, Bobby Humphrey, Jay Barker, Andrew Zow, Shaud Williams, and Wesley Britt. What It Means To Be Crimson Tide is a moving and entertaining tribute to what makes Crimson Tide football what it is today.

Nani, Cristel. The Diary of a Medical Intuitive. L.M. Press, 2004. This book is wonderful and I heartily recommend it to anyone seeking to understand the often confusing and mystical subject of medical intuition and energy psychology. I have a tremendous interest in energy medicine and intuitive phenomena. I have read countless books in those areas and I regard Christel Nani's book as a standout. It reads simply, and yet it revealed insights I either had never seen before or which were written in a way that made those insights jump out at me. I also appreciate the author's tone. It was very much in sync with the book's content. In other words, she came across as genuine and sincere not only because of what she said but because of the way she said it. I have read many of Carolyn Myss's books which carry a similar theme. While the authors speak the same language, I believe devoted readers of Myss will gain something from Christel Nani's book. I'm glad I found it. Highly recommended!!

Goldsmith, Olivia and Amy Fine Collins. Simple Isn’t Easy: How to Find Your Personal Style and Look Fantastic Every Day. HarperPaperbacks, 1995. It would be easy to overlook this small mass-market paperback in the midst of so many flashy and splashy guides to fashion and style available in the local book-store, but Simple Isn’t Easy is a book worth reading if you’ve ever found yourself standing in front of your closet and staring at the contents as if you had just witnessed a train wreck. The authors take what they call the Zen approach to personal style: that is, that you’re better off with less, when the less really works for you, and that if you take time to try on every piece of clothing you own (if you cringe at this point, you’re not alone) you will begin to see why certain items flatter and others do not. The authors give tips on creating a personal "uniform" when you have discovered your own best items and make suggestions for how to fine-tune a look to your body type. One warning: with the recent death of Olivia Goldsmith, this book has assumed collectible status and even though it is not a hardback, copies are becoming more expensive and difficult to locate. If you own one, hold on to it!

Petro, Joseph. Standing Next to History: An Agents' Life Inside the Secret Service. Thomas Dunne Books, 2005. Joseph Petro was a special agent in the secret service.  His assignments included years of protecting presidents, vice presidents and Pope John Paul II when he visited the United States in 1987.  In this account, he tells of the people he guarded and especially his time with the Reagans who he liked very much.  It is interesting to read of such a secretive way of life and makes us more aware of what life would be like under the protective eye of the Secret Service.

Schoch, Robert. Pyramid Quest: Secrets of the Great Pyramid and the Dawn of Civilization. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penquin, 2005. Traditionally, scientists and other scholars have argued that Egyptians constructed the Great Pyramid in one remarkable burst of activity during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu (2551—2528 B.C.). Drawing on archaeological and scientific scholarship in their third collaboration, geologist Schoch and writer McNally challenge this view and conclude that the foundation of the edifice can be traced to the earliest Egyptian empires, as far back as 7000–5000 B.C. Among their assertions are that the Great Pyramid may not have been a tomb (no mummy has ever been found inside), but served other cultic and mythological purposes, with both the external and internal areas serving different roles in different eras; between 1500 and 500 B.C., for instance, the pyramid was probably used for ritual training and initiation. Schoch devotes more than a third of the book to appendixes that provide details on such topics as the pyramid's external dimensions, its passages and chambers, and the dating of the structure. Although the book will be controversial for some, it contains such a wealth of information about ancient Egypt and the science of the construction of the pyramids that it may be the only guide to the Great Pyramid most readers will ever need.

Stewart, Jon. America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction. Warner Books, 2004, written and edited by Jon Stewart, Ben Karlin, David Javerbaum.** *This book is funny. It looks like a serious middle school or high school textbook, but it is not. Do not let your child read this before you do. Whether you are a fan of The Daily Show and Jon Stewart or not, this book is still funny. Note that I did not say that it is nice or clean or enlightening. I said that its funny and I am saying that it is satirical and extremely entertaining. Read this bestseller for yourself and enjoy it.

Storm, Howard. My Descent Into Death: A Second Chance at Life. Random House, 2005. While visiting Paris on a European tour nearly 20 years ago, 38-year-old Storm, then an atheist and art professor at Northern Kentucky University, was stricken with an almost lethal attack of peritonitis. In this necessarily subjective but absorbing chronicle of what is essentially a conversion, the writer describes a descent into Hell, where he confronted his anger and self-centered personality. After praying for the first time, he was rescued by Jesus and brought to heaven for an extensive conversation with Jesus and various angelic beings on topics that include the Holocaust, God's plans for the earth, angelology and, of course, what happens to us when we die. Blending traditional Christian theology with a doctrinal eclecticism more common to New Age philosophy, Storm's book may appeal to readers hungry for reassurance, both about the possibility of eternal life and the meaning of our choices here on earth.

Wallace, Daniel J. The Lupus Book: A Guide for Patients and Their Families (3RD ed.). Oxford University Press, 2000. One of the world's leading authorities on lupus, who has treated over 2,000 lupus patients, discusses the newest breakthroughs in drug treatments and alternative therapies, as well as updated information on the immune system.  This was suppose to have been user friendly language but it wasn't in laymen terminology.

Wayne, Jane Ellen. The Leading Men of MGM. Avalon Publishing Group Inc., 2004. The men in Wayne's book—some producers (Louis B. Mayer, Irving Thalberg), but mostly actors (Clark Gable, John Gilbert, Elvis Presley, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, Spencer Tracy)—are, theoretically, connected because they were all big names on MGM's roster. Really, though, they're all here so that Wayne (The Golden Girls of MGM) can dish the dirt, which she does, shovel-like. The Tracy chapter delves into his long history of alcohol abuse and his decades-long relationship (of convenience, says Wayne) with Katharine Hepburn (who, Wayne reports, mothered him while putting up with constant abuse and his refusal to divorce his wife and marry her). Tracy's story is more sad than entertaining, as is the chapter on the miserable decline of Peter Lawford. More tawdry—and fun—are the sections on Gable and Sinatra, where Wayne first shows what unlikely romantic leads they each were (Gable had big ears and false teeth; Sinatra was a "skinny, unknown singer who acted like a celebrity") before getting to the real meat of their careers: who they slept with, when, and if they were any good. Although suspiciously thin on attribution—Wayne has a mysterious, Kitty Kelley–like way with the sources of her more sensational material—this is an undeniably enjoyable selection of Hollywood juice.

Wayne, Jane Ellen. The Golden Girls of MGM. Carroll & Graf Publishers, 2002. Wayne, a seasoned biographer of studio-era stars, serves up fun dish on the gals from the studio that once billed itself as having more stars than there are in the heavens. She presents them all-Jeanette, Joan, Judy, Ava, Liz and more-in breathless style, paying equal attention to the undergarments they didn't wear and to the men they loved most. With the adeptness of someone familiar with her subjects and not afraid to read minds, Wayne eases in and out of the stars' thinking as they love, drink, act, divorce and attempt suicide. Throughout all these goings-on, there is the overwhelming presence of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In Sunset Boulevard, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) complained it was the pictures that got small, but this book makes the case that it was the studios that died and ruined movies. All Wayne's subjects appear to be controlled by studio head Louis B. Mayer, through both his direct actions and the influence of his thinking. As Wayne tells it, he kept lovers from marrying and dictated roles his stars resented. Yet generally, the stars remembered him fondly, e.g., Jeanette MacDonald, who said after his death, "One of the greatest sad nesses of life is to realize [sic] how much you owe someone when it's too late...." For diehard fans, there's not much new here, but what is, is choice.

Yancey, Philip. Reaching for the Invisible God: What Can We Expect to Find? Zondervan Publishing House, 2000. This book is aimed at every Christian who has ever asked: How am I supposed to have a "relationship" with someone I can’t see, hear, or touch? Many Christian believers, especially if they have ever had an experience that made them feel extremely close to God, are unnerved, disappointed, or angry when God seems to have withdrawn from their lives---when troubles come, or when they are left with unanswered questions, and this person with whom they are supposed to have a relationship seems very far away and gives no answers. Never an author to steer clear of hard questions, Yancey explores the difficulties of keeping faith when doubt is very strong and gives examples of Biblical figures who also had their doubts, such as Jeremiah, Job, and Thomas; he provides stories of some of his own experiences as well. Warmly personal, intelligent, and provocative, Reaching for the Invisible God is a challenging book with its theme of doubt being necessary for faith to exist. Yancey is not for everyone, but for the reader who is tired of platitudes and easy answers, he could be the perfect read.

October 12, 2005