AltWeeklies Wire
'Slavery by Another Name' Examines Post-Civil War Convict Labornew
Douglas Blackmon argues -- passionately, forcefully and convincingly -- that by any measure, blacks in the states of the former Confederacy saw their freedom so warped and constrained in the decades after the Civil War that the overwhelming majority were not in any meaningful way free.
The Texas Observer |
Todd Moye |
12-17-2008 |
Nonfiction
Lewis Hyde's Classic Manifesto 'The Gift' Gets a Timely Re-Releasenew
What this book conveys more than almost any other book I've read is the sense of abundance artists develop from grounding their sense of self in something other than money or "stuff." At this time, perhaps more than any other, this book will also speak to readers who don't necessarily consider themselves artists.
Montreal Mirror |
Juliet Waters |
12-15-2008 |
Nonfiction
This 'Almanac' is Less a Book, More a Shot Heard 'round the Sportswriting Worldnew
For all of those who absolutely love the sport of basketball, but have grown tired of the tired cliches that weigh the game down, then Macrophenomenal is your new bible -- proof that if there is any justice in this cruel world, sports writing as we know it is about to change for the better.
The Portland Mercury |
Ezra Ace Caraeff |
12-12-2008 |
Nonfiction
'Digging for Dirt' is a Testament to Ol' Dirty Bastard's Whole Beingnew
Pharrell Williams put it best when he said Ol' Dirty Bastard was "insanely genius, geniusly insane." But Jaime Lowe's new biography offers a more complete history of a man spiraling down a rabbit hole of drug addiction and fame.
Charleston City Paper |
Mark Glenn |
12-10-2008 |
Nonfiction
'Big Necessity' Looks at Some of the Problems with Poopnew
If we can remember the political dimensions of this most personal act, George suggests, we may one day find our way out of the muck.
New Haven Advocate |
Jason B. Jones |
12-09-2008 |
Nonfiction
Malcolm Gladwell Examines the Secret of Success in 'Outliers'new
Gladwell uses birthdays, tight-knit communities and circumstance to show why some make it and others don't.
Montreal Mirror |
Juliet Waters |
12-05-2008 |
Nonfiction
Harmon Leon's Latest Book is an Error-Filled Report from America's Underbellynew
Thanks in no small part to the book's countless textual errors, Leon comes across more as a witless lunkhead than a loveable rapscallion. His complete disinterest in cultural analysis has the quality of a bad show on Comedy Central, and American Dream is ultimately about as entertaining and fulfilling as a couple hours of TV.
The Portland Mercury |
Justin W. Sanders |
12-04-2008 |
Nonfiction
Tags: Harmon Leon, The American Dream
Thom Hartmann's Latests Explains How to Think Like a Republicannew
Cracking the Code explains how the left wing can exploit the techniques of the right. While that sounds like a snoozy topic, Hartmann drops in enough anecdotes and ripped-from-the-headlines (or, from politicians' speeches and campaign ads) examples to keep it lively.
The Portland Mercury |
Amy J. Ruiz |
12-04-2008 |
Nonfiction
'Barf Manifesto' is So Great You'll Wanna Pukenew
Not a rant so much as a pair of roiling bursts of text, Bellamy's book has feminist intent, but ultimately it presents an artistic credo, in the manner of Andre Breton's paeans to Surrealism.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Johnny Ray Huston |
12-04-2008 |
Nonfiction
'The Big Rich' Covers Almost a Century of Texas Oilnew
For those with an interest in contemporary Texas history this is a must-read; indeed, its reach stretches well beyond Texas. The oil rich of Texas loomed large on the national horizon, and there was a time that if they pawed the earth, politicians trembled.
The Texas Observer |
Dave Richards |
12-03-2008 |
Nonfiction
'Guilty' Examines Arab Bashing on the Big Screennew
Six years into a costly war fought on Arab soil, one might expect American media to demonize the enemy, rationalizing the necessity of killing and maiming hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians. But perhaps because of popular revulsion at the war, Shaheen finds cause for hope.
The Texas Observer |
Steven G. Kellman |
12-03-2008 |
Nonfiction
Once-Respected Physicist Frank Tipler Goes Off the Deep End in Latest Booknew
Tipler's main thesis in The Physics of Christianity is that the tenets of Christianity, from the Virgin Birth to the coming Apocalypse, can all be explained by physics -- no faith required.
NOW Magazine |
Joseph Wilson |
11-24-2008 |
Nonfiction
'The Double Life of a Rebel' Looks at Poet Arthur Rimbaudnew
This handy, brief biography is published by Atlas & Co. in its continuing series of "Eminent Lives."
The Memphis Flyer |
Leonard Gill |
11-21-2008 |
Nonfiction
New Bio Puts Lusty Dusty Springfield in Her Historical Placenew
Annie J. Randall blends scholarly interest with groupie fascination in Dusty! Queen of the Postmods, which goes so far as to suggest that Dusty was not only cool but also postmodern.
New York Press |
Felicia Feaster |
11-20-2008 |
Nonfiction
McSweeney's Editor Gives Us a Quiz to the White Housenew
This is a multiple-choice review. Mimicking So You Want to Be President?, a book of political humor from John Warner (editor of the literature and humor site McSweeney's Internet Tendency), your knowledge of the presidency will be tried. Even if you fail, you'll still know enough to be vice president.
Weekly Alibi |
Tom Gibbons |
11-18-2008 |
Nonfiction
