AltWeeklies Wire
'Manual of Trickery and Deception' Not Nearly So Intriguingnew
The title is misleading because John Mulholland’s essay (on how the CIA could exploit conjurers’ tricks for covert purposes) isn’t a “manual of deception." Most of the essay is about one thing: how to secretly drop poison into a bad guy’s drink.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Rick Lax |
12-17-2009 |
Nonfiction
Stephen Elliott's Lacerating, All-Over-the-Place Memoir Pulls No Punchesnew
Whenever I read or hear "meta" or "postmodern" or "fiercely honest," I usually head for a lowbrow potboiler. But I'm not sure how else to describe The Adderall Diaries, a fiercely honest, postmodern work that's also more compulsively readable than the most pulpish thrillers.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Steve Friedman |
11-13-2009 |
Nonfiction
Kennedy Memoir 'True Compass' Recaps the Life of a Dynasty's Last Lionnew
We've heard the word "epic" summoned so often to describe Ted Kennedy’s life, it's no surprise he starts his autobiography with a device out of Homer.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Chuck Twardy |
10-02-2009 |
Nonfiction
Try As He Might, Glenn Beck Can't Turn a Paperback Book into a Flat-Screen TVnew
Glenn Beck is great on TV; he shouts, he scoffs, and he cries. But when he writes, one thing becomes clear: The man has absolutely nothing of consequence to say. In Common Sense, Beck uses every trick in the book to cover this up.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Rick Lax |
08-14-2009 |
Nonfiction
Surviving Sudan: 'Out of Exile' Chronicles Displaced People's Tragic Talesnew
Exile is the fourth book in Dave Eggers' Voice of Witness series, and it shows that McSweeney's admirable project has improved along the way.
Las Vegas Weekly |
John Freeman |
01-08-2009 |
Nonfiction
Martin Amis Favors Language Over Logic to Make Sense of 9/11new
It's not surprising that a writer known more for his turns of phrase than his political acumen turned in The Second Plane, an aesthetically pleasing work of weak analysis.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Stacy J. Willis |
09-11-2008 |
Nonfiction
David Carr Asks Himself the Toughest Questions in 'The Night of The Gun'new
Before it delivers the inevitable jolt of redemption, The Night of The Gun is a maddening book, dangerous in large doses to anyone who has ever romanticized the outlaw appeal of the addict, frequently absurd and offensive to those drunks and dope fiends who have somehow managed to ask for help and get on with their lives.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Steve Friedman |
08-15-2008 |
Nonfiction
Lee Siegel vs. The Internetnew
Self-expression, Siegel argues, is not art. One's take on Against the Machine may depend on how one comes down on that claim.
Las Vegas Weekly |
T.R. Witcher |
02-21-2008 |
Nonfiction
Picasso Triumphantnew
The latest volume of the painter's biography is another masterpiece.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Richard Abowitz |
01-25-2008 |
Nonfiction
Hunter Storiesnew
Gonzo celebrates the life and work of outlaw journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Las Vegas Weekly |
Craig Vetter |
01-17-2008 |
Nonfiction
