AltWeeklies Wire
If You're Not a Diehard David Cross Fan, 'I Drink' Will Likely Disappointnew
There are a few brilliant moments ("A Free List of Quirks for Aspiring Independent Filmmakers," "Ask a Rabbi," "Heaven," "Things to Do When You Are Bored"), but I Drink for a Reason is kind of underwhelming.
Philadelphia Weekly |
Liz Spikol |
09-28-2009 |
Nonfiction
Road to Somewhere: David Byrne's Energizing 'Bicycle Diaries'new
The underlying message here is that while bicycling may be a political movement, it can also be liberating and fun at the same time. I'm hoping Byrne's book now heralds bicycling's offbeat entry into the American mainstream, just as his wacky persona hit the big time thanks to our parents' taste in pop music.
The Portland Mercury |
Matt Davis |
09-25-2009 |
Nonfiction
'Cheap' Tackles the Fraught Practice of Buying and Selling Cheap Goodsnew
For its catchy title and relatively few pages, Cheap is a weighty book. Shell reveals the dizzying connections between price and poverty, using statistics, historical accounts, and scientific and sociological explanations. She spent two years doing research, traveling to Sweden, the birthplace of IKEA, and China, "factory to the world."
The Texas Observer |
C.B. Evans |
09-23-2009 |
Nonfiction
Rod Blagojevich's Book: Think Socrates, Not Icarusnew
The Governor isn't mythological material, though it contains plenty of myth. But it's a fine warning on the pitfalls of democracy.
Chicago Reader |
Mick Dumke |
09-21-2009 |
Nonfiction
'Our Noise' Tells the Story of Merge Records, and Tells it Wellnew
The book is remarkably candid; it thoroughly examines interpersonal and financial problems, not just triumphs. Because of the candor, we believe the portrayal of Merge as a genuinely noble label, with an uncommon blend of ethics, frugality and business savvy.
INDY Week |
Brian Howe |
09-18-2009 |
Nonfiction
So-Called Manifesto for Sustainable Cities is a Far Cry from Global Vision it Claims to Espousenew
A new book called Albert Speer & Partner: A Manifesto for Sustainable Cities aims to address the urban-planning end of the spectrum and clarify best practices in the field. Unfortunately, despite its grandiose title (a manifesto!), the book is a simple monograph on the work of one architecture and planning firm, and a platform only for its views.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Zane Fischer |
09-10-2009 |
Nonfiction
'Localist Movements in a Global Economy' Explores Localism's Meaning, Potential and Challengesnew
David Hess has marshaled the intellectual arguments for localism using history, present success stories, and economic arguments. It is precisely in answering questions from friends and enemies that Hess' book is important.
East Bay Express |
Jay Youngdahl |
09-09-2009 |
Nonfiction
'Deeply Rooted' Profiles Farmers Who Refuse to Fit the Agribusiness Moldnew
Even though Lisa Hamilton narrows her focus to the extent that Deeply Rooted doesn't capture the breadth that it might have otherwise, she still conveys the raw truth that a positive food future lies in the hands of irascible individuals rather than corporations and captains of industry.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Zane Fischer |
08-27-2009 |
Nonfiction
With 'The Waxman Report' Henry Waxman Shows 'How Congress Really Works'new
Assisted by Joshua Green, a senior editor at the Atlantic, Waxman has written an informative, fast-moving manifesto against the gut-the-government politics that have been in vogue since the Reagan administration.
Chicago Reader |
Mick Dumke |
08-24-2009 |
Nonfiction
'Methland' Tracks a Drug Through America's Cracks and Faultlinesnew
Meth is a drug with no celebrities, and Nick Reding treats his subjects with respect, despite close calls with former addicts who play disc golf with him one minute and threaten his life the next. But Methland's attempt to combine personal reflections on identity and place with an examination of the drug's role in a small town's economic struggles seems formally stale.
San Francisco Bay Guardian |
Brandon Bussolini |
08-19-2009 |
Nonfiction
In 'Hound Dog,' Songwriting Duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Remember Redefining Postwar Pop Musicnew
Hound Dog: The Leiber and Stoller Autobiography is a delightful read. Both men are terrific storytellers, witty and succinct, with a sharp eye for the telling detail.
Baltimore City Paper |
Geoffrey Himes |
08-18-2009 |
Nonfiction
Ronald Dworkin's Doomed Wish for Rational Politicsnew
Democracy in America is still much as de Tocqueville described it: illogical persnickety white folks, especially not-overly-educated non-urban white folks, asserting their independence. So why does a grown-up intellectual like Dworkin, a distinguished legal theorist with Ivy credentials, believe that these people, these Americans, are going to participate in a reasoned debate about anything?
Artvoice |
Bruce Fisher |
08-17-2009 |
Nonfiction
Suzanne Simons Gives Us a New -- and Timely -- Biography of the Man Behind Blackwaternew
Heroic in Master of War's opening pages, Simons ends her portrait with Erik Prince sputtering in impotent rage against a media he believes has unfairly maligned his company.
INDY Week |
Gerry Canavan |
08-14-2009 |
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
The New Art Book 'The Art of Touring' Moves Past the Mythology of the Roadnew
A multimedia tribute to the road life, the book includes photographs, essays, journal entries, comics, paintings, collages -- and, on the accompanying DVD, plenty of footage by and of touring bands, onstage and off.
Chicago Reader |
Miles Raymer |
08-10-2009 |
Nonfiction
