Biographies, Lyrics, and America

Along the Way: The Journey of a Father and Son by Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez
In this remarkable dual memoir, film legend Martin Sheen and accomplished actor/filmmaker Emilio Estevez recount their lives as father and son. In alternating chapters--and in voices that are as eloquent as they are different--they tell stories spanning more than fifty years of family history, and reflect on their journeys into two different kinds of faith.

Honky Tonk Girl: My Life in Lyrics by Loretta Lynn
Loretta Lynn is one of the most beloved country music stars of all time. A pioneer for women in music, she was the first woman to be named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association, and she continues to play to packed houses across the country. Now, for the first time, this "Honky Tonk Girl" collects her lyrics and in her own words tells the stories that inspired her most popular songs.

The World America Made by Robert Kagan
What would the world look like if American were to reduce its role as a global leader in order to focus all its energies on solving its problems at home? And is America really in decline? Robert Kagan, New York Times bestselling author and one of the country's most influential strategic thinkers, paints a vivid, alarming picture of what the world might look like if the United States were truly to let its influence wane.

NY Times Bestselling Nonfiction

The Art of Intelligence: Lessons from a Life in the CIA's Clandestine Service by Henry A. Crumpton: Number 3 on the bestseller list
For a crucial period, Henry Crumpton led the CIA's global covert operations against America's terrorist enemies, including al Qaeda. In the days after 9/11, the CIA tasked Crumpton to organize and lead the Afghanistan campaign. With Crumpton's strategic initiative and bold leadership, from the battlefield to the Oval Office, U.S. and Afghan allies routed al Qaeda and the Taliban in less than ninety days after the Twin Towers fell. At the height of combat against the Taliban in late 2001, there were fewer than five hundred Americans on the ground in Afghanistan, a dynamic blend of CIA and Special Forces. The campaign changed the way America wages war.

My Cross to Bear by Gregg Allman with Allan Light: Number 4 on the bestseller list
As one of the greatest rock icons of all time, Gregg Allman has lived it all and then some. For almost fifty years, he's been creating some of the most recognizable songs in American rock, but never before has he paused to reflect on the long road he's traveled. Now, he tells the unflinching story of his life, laying bare the unvarnished truth about his wild ride that has spanned across the years. 

Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard: Number 6 on the bestseller list
The anchor of The O'Reilly Factor recounts one of the most dramatic stories in American history—how one gunshot changed the country forever. In the spring of 1865, the bloody saga of America's Civil War finally comes to an end after a series of increasingly harrowing battles. President Abraham Lincoln's generous terms for Robert E. Lee's surrender are devised to fulfill Lincoln's dream of healing a divided nation, with the former Confederates allowed to reintegrate into American society. But one man and his band of murderous accomplices, perhaps reaching into the highest ranks of the U.S. government, are not appeased.

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen: Number 7 on the bestseller list
In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead—and celebrating it all—as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more. From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

India, Food, and James Brown

India Becoming: A Portrait of Life in Modern India by Akash Kapur
The son of an Indian father and an American mother, Akash Kapur spent his formative years in India and his early adulthood in the United States. In 2003, having established a life in the West, he returned to his birth country for good, eager to be part of its exciting growth and modernization. What he found was a nation even more transformed than he imagined, where the changes were fundamentally altering Indian society, for better and sometimes for worse. To further understand these changes, he sought out the Indians experiencing them firsthand--young and old, across classes, in cities, and in the countryside. The result is a rich tapestry of live being altered by economic development, and a fascinating insider's look at many of the most important forces shaping our world today.

Taste What You're Missing: The Passionate Eater's Guide to Why Good Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey
Whether it's a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup, maple-cured bacon sizzling hot from the pan, or a salted caramel coated in dark chocolate, you know when food tastes good to you. But you many not know the amazing story behind why you love some foods and can't tolerate others. Now, in Taste What You're Missing, the first book that demystifies the science of taste, you'll learn how your individual biology, genetics, and brain create a personal experience of everything you taste--and how you can make the most of it.

The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by RJ Smith
Forget Elvis Presley. Forget Bob Dylan. Forget the Beatles. The most important musician of the twentieth century was James Brown. Full of unprecedented research and never-before-heard interviews, The One is a portrait of a man whose fascinating life helps us understand the music he made. The musical genius, who all but created funk and dominated R & B and pop, was born into abject poverty in South Carolina and raised in rural Georgia amid violent racial tensions. He grew up in a brothel owned by his aunt, landed in juvenile prison at age sixteen, and upon his release met his first bandmates, members of the group that would become the Famous Flames. From the Chitlin' Circuit to the Apollo Theater, Brown amassed fourty-four Billboard Top 40 hit singles, played up to 350 shows a year at his peak, and was a showman like no other.

Fenway, Tao Song, and Rock N Roll

Fenway 1912: The Birth of a Ballpark, a Championship Seaons, and Fenway's Remarkable First Year by Glenn Stout

In anticipation of the one hundredth anniversary of America's most beloved ballpark, Fenway 1912 is the untold story of how Fenway Park came to be and its remarkable first season. 1912 was a leap year, the year the Titanic sank, and it was also the year baseball's original shrine was born. While the point was still drying and the infield grass still coming in, the Red Sox embarked on an unlikely season that culminated in a World Series battle against the Giants that stands as one of the greatest ever played.

Tao Song and Tao Dance: Sacred Sound, Movement, and Power from the Source for Healing, Rejuvenation, Longevity, and Transformation of All Life by Dr. & Master Zhi Gang Sha
Master Sha reveals new sacred Tao Song mantras that carry Tao frequency and vibration, which can transform the frequency and vibration of life. Sacred Tao Song mantras and Tao Dance carry Tao love, which melts all blockages and Tao light, which heals, prevents sickness, purifies and rejuvenates soul, heart, mind, and body, and transforms relationships, finances, and every aspect of life.

Every Night's a Saturday Night: The Rock 'N' Roll Life of Legendary Sax Man Bobby Keys by Bobby Keys
Born in Slaton, Texas, some fifteen miles southeast of Lubbock, Bobby Keys has lived the kind of life that qualifies as a rock 'n' roll folktale. In his early teens, Keys bribed his way into neighbor Buddy Holly's garage band rehearsals, then took up the saxophone because it was the only instrument left unclaimed in the school band. While still in his teens, he convinced his grandfather to sign his guardianship over to Crickets drummer J.I. Allison so that Keys could go on tour.

Paris, Birdwatching, and Heart Defects

The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris by John Baxter
In this enchanting memoir, acclaimed author and long-time Paris resident John Baxter remember his yearlong experience of giving "literary walking tours" through the city. Baxter sets off with unsuspecting tourists in tow on the trail of Paris's legendary artists and writers of the past. Along the way, he tells the history of Paris through a brilliant cast of characters: the favorite cafes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and James Joyce; Pablo Picasso's underground Montmartre haunts; the bustling boulevards of the late-nineteenth century fianeurs; the secluded "Little Luxembourg" gardens beloved by Gertrude Stein; the alleys where revolutionaries plotted; and finally Baxter's own favorite walk near his home in Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession by Mark Obmascik
Every January 1, a quirky crowd storms out across North America for a spectacularly competitive event called a Big Year--a grand, expensive, and occasionally vicious 365-day marathon of birdwatching. For three men in particular, 1998 would become a grueling battle for a new North American birding record. Bouncing from coast to coast on frenetic pilgrimages for once-in-a-lifettime rarities, they brave broiling deserts, bug-infested swamps, and some of the lumpiest motel mattresses known to man.

Immortal Bird: A Family Memoir by Doron Weber
A family's love lies at the heart of this gifted boy's fight to survive. Born with a congenital heart defect that required surgery when he was a baby, Damon Weber lives a big life with spirit and independence that have always been a source of pride to his parents, Doron and Shealagh. But when Damon is diagnosed with a new illness as a teenager, his triumphant coming-of-age tale turns into a darker and more dramatic quest: his family's race against time and a flawed health care system.

Girl Scouts, Kidnapping, and Romney

First Girl Scout: The Life of Juliette Gordon Low by Ginger Wadsworth
When Juliette Gordon was growing up in the late 1800s, she climbed trees, swam in rivers, and hiked on tall cliffs. With her cousins and friends, she sewed costumes and put on plays, sketched and painted, and reached out to help other kids who were less fortunate. Juliette, or Daisy, as her friends and family called her--knew that most girls her age weren't so lucky; they didn't have the opportunities to play, create, and enjoy outdoor activities the way she did. And when Daisy became an adult, she out to do something to change that.

We Is Got Him: The Kidnapping that Changed America by Carrie Hagen
in 1874, a little boy named Charley Ross was snatched from his family's front yard in Philadelphia. A ransom note arrived the next day, demanding $20,000 for Charley's return. The city was about to host America's centennial celebration, and the mass panic surrounding the Charley Ross case jeopardized city politics and plunged the nation into hysteria. The desperate search led the Philadelphia and New York police departments to inspect every building in Philadelphia, set up saloon surveillance in New York's notorious Five Points neighborhood, and elicit citizens' participation in a national manhunt.

The Real Romney by Michael Kranish and Scott Helman
Mitt Romney has masterfully positioned himself as front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Even though he's become a household name, the former Massachusetts governor remains an enigma to many in America, his character and core convictions elusive, his record little known. Who is the man behind the sweep of dark hair, distinguished white sideburns, and high-wattage smile? He often seems to be two people at once: a savvy politician, and someone who will simply say anything to win. A business visionary, and a calculating dealmaker. A man comfortable in his faith and with family, and one who can have trouble connecting with average voters.

New Biographies!

Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope by Gabrielle Giffords & Mark Kelly
As individuals, congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, showed Americans how optimism, an adventurous spirit, and a call to service can help change the world. As a couple, they became a national example of the healing power found in deeply shared love and courage. Their arrival in the world spotlight came under the worst of circumstances. On January 8, 2011, while meeting with her constituents in Tucson, Arizona, Gabby was the victim of an assassination attempt that left six people dead and thirteen wounded. Gabby was shot in the head; doctors called her survival "miraculous."

No Higher Honor: A Memoir of My Years in Washington by Condeleezza Rice
From one of the world's most admired women, this is former National Security Advisor and Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice's compelling story of eight years serving at the highest levels of government. In her position as America's chief diplomat, Rice traveled almost continuously around the globe, seeking common ground among sometimes bitter enemies, forging agreement on divisive issues, and compiling a remarkable record of achievement.

Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin
When Charles Dickens died in 1870, The Times of London successfully campaigned for his burial in Westminster Abbey, where thousands flocked to mourn the best recognized and loved man of nineteenth-century England. His books had made them laugh, shown them squalor and greed of English life and also the power of personal virtue and the strength of ordinary people--through the likes of David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, Little Nell, and many more. In his last years Dickens drew adoring crowds to his public appearances, had met presidents and princes and he had amassed a fortune.

Black Friday, Midwives, and Vonnegut

Soft Target by Stephen Hunter
Black Friday. America's largest shopping mall. Suburban Minneapolis. 3:00P.M.
Ten thousand people jam the aisles, the corridors, the elevators, and the escalators of America, the Mall--a giant Rubik's Cube of a structure with its own amusement park located in the spacious center atrium. Of those people, nine thousand nine hundred and eighty-eight have come to shop. The other twelve have come to kill.

Maria by Eugenia Price
Born in Charles Town, South Carolina, Mary, a skilled midwife, accompanied her first husband, British soldier David Fenwick, when his regiment fought the Spanish in Cuba. When Spain agreed to give all of Florida in exchange for the city of Havana, Mary (who will become known as Maria) and her husband were forced to relocate to the newly British garrison town of St. Augustine, Florida.

And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life by Charles J. Shields
Kurt Vonnegut remains one of the most influential, controversial, and popular novelists of the twentieth century. Millions know him as a counterculture guru, antiwar activist, and satirist of American culture. But few outside his family and friends knew the full arc of his extraordinary life.

Teen Pick of the Week: Soul Surfer

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton
They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the passion that drives her to surf? Or that nothing--not even the loss of her arm--could come between her and the waves? That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a teenage girl with God on her side, resolutely pushing aside her pain and panic while being rescued and brought back to shore. "When can I surf again?" was the first thing Bethany asked after her emergency surgery, leaving no doubt that her spirit and determination were part of a greater story--a tale of personal empowerment and spiritual grit that shows the body is no more essential to surfign, perhaps even less so, than the soul.

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