Linda M. Castellitto

Romp and circumstance

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

It’s always a challenge to select the perfect graduation gift. (Do kids these days even use pen sets?) Books to the rescue! With their mix of advice, humor and encouragement, any entry in this quartet would make a thoughtful gift for those about to leap into the real world.

YOUR FUTURE LIES AHEAD
Anyone who’s delivered a graduation speech, or listened to one, or hopes to make one someday—so, pretty much everyone—will enjoy Everything is Going to Be Okay. This quirky illustrated book sprang from the clever mind and skillful pen of Bruce Eric Kaplan (BEK), perhaps best known for his witty single-panel cartoons for The New Yorker. He’s also served as a writer for “Six Feet Under” and “Seinfeld” and written seven other books. Two of his earlier tales feature Edmund and Rosemary, a loving and lovably neurotic Brooklyn couple. In Everything is Going to Be Okay, the duo has a new challenge: Edmund’s been asked to make a college graduation speech, but he worries he won’t be able to come up with anything interesting or meaningful. It’s not helping that the cat is silently judging him, someone’s already talked about the places people will go, and he has an irresistible urge to extra-thoroughly clean their apartment. Rosemary eventually gets Edmund to just write the speech, and off they go to the college. Despite intense nervousness, Edmund launches into his talk, which goes swimmingly—and then takes an unexpected turn . . . actually, a lot of longer-than-expected turns. The book is funny throughout, but it’s here that Kaplan makes evident his gift for finding (and creating) humor and sweetness at the intersection of quotidian and profound. Just as Edmund and Rosemary send off the graduates with a sense of possibility and well-being, so, too, will readers turn the last page of Everything is Going to Be Okay.

READY, SET, GO!
Jenny Blake knows about post-college life because she’s experienced it twice: first, when she took a leave of absence from UCLA in her junior year, and again when she returned to UCLA two years later to finish her degree and graduate with the class of 2005. She’s been a career development program manager and internal coach at Google since 2006, and she launched LifeAfterCollege.org in 2007. Now, she offers the lessons she has learned in Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want. Blake confides that, while she’s always been a go-getter (she finished college in three years with a double major and honors, while working full-time beginning at age 20), she found herself exhausted at age 25 and unsure what she wanted to do next. She writes, “I finally . . . took steps to figure out what I wanted, and who I really was under the shiny veneer of achievement.” The author urges readers to view the book not as a narrative meant to be read beginning to end, but as a sourcebook that can be used to find specific information (on, say, taxes or etiquette or health) or thought-provoking exercises to help establish long-term goals. Advice from college graduates, tidbits from Twitter and quotes from famous figures make for interesting, quick reads, and “Jenny’s Tips” address seemingly every question that might cross a graduate’s mind, regarding work, money, home, family, dating, health and plenty more. This guide will prove at once useful, inspiring and reassuring for graduates who are ready to embark on an exciting new phase of life but aren’t quite sure where or how to begin.

THE SAVVY SECRETARY
Lynn Peril has long been thinking and writing about women in history and pop culture; she’s the author of Pink Think: Becoming a Woman in Many Uneasy Lessons and College Girls: Bluestockings, Sex Kittens and Coeds, Then and Now. This time around, she takes on the workplace in Swimming in the Steno Pool: A Retro Guide to Making It in the Office. There are some four million secretaries in the United States, Peril writes, and she’s been one for 20 years, even as she published a zine, got a graduate degree and wrote books. But despite the accomplishments of office-workers everywhere—who include writers, artists, filmmakers, parents, entrepreneurs and future executives—there remain certain stereotypes regarding the secretary role: “husband-hunting, pencil-pushing, coffee-getting, dumb-bunny, sex-bomb.” Peril chronicles and questions those assumptions and offers up myriad snippets of secretary-centric history, including newspaper articles, advertisements and anecdotes. Fans of vintage fashion and ephemera (not to mention the TV show “Mad Men”) will delight in the plentiful visuals, many of which are hilariously sexist by today’s standards. Sidebars include “Wife versus Secretary (1936)” and “Pants in the Office.” Peril notes that secretarial schools, shorthand and formal dress codes have gone by the wayside, even as new avenues are opening up via the virtual-assistant role. Graduates curious about the evolution of women in the workplace will find plenty to think about here, as will those who decide that they, too, are administratively inclined.

FIGURING IT ALL OUT
Graduation is one of many occasions sure to inspire the big question: “What does it all mean?” In Driving with Plato: The Meaning of Life’s Milestones, author Robert Rowland Smith examines the big moments we humans have in common—from Taking Exams and Casting Your First Vote to Moving House and Retiring. Smith expands on the formula that made his Breakfast with Socrates: An Extraordinary (Philosophical) Journey Through Your Ordinary Day popular by viewing grand milestones (as opposed to everyday ones) through the lens of philosophy. This appealing, readable and thought-provoking mashup of musings touches on everything from virginity (Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” the movie The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Christ and Leonardo da Vinci are cited) to the midlife crisis (Nietzsche, menopause, Greek myths, gray hair). Through it all, Driving with Plato offers an excellent framework for sizing up what’s vital. Those who worry that staying up until 3:00 a.m. discussing the meaning of life might be an activity limited to their college years will find this book handy for inciting just those sorts of free-wheeling conversations any time (and anywhere). As Smith writes, “Yes, to philosophize is to learn how to die, as Montaigne said, but it’s also to learn how to live.”

It’s always a challenge to select the perfect graduation gift. (Do kids these days even use pen sets?) Books to the rescue! With their mix of advice, humor and encouragement, any entry in this quartet would make a thoughtful gift for those about to leap…

Nonfiction

Wit and wisdom

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

From poking fun at single life to celebrating neuroses, these illustrated books make excellent gifts for readers who appreciate the unexpected.

Single life, in poems
Writer Beth Griffenhagen (single) and artist Cynthia Vehslage Meyers (formerly single) have put pen to paper to create a witty, wistful ode to single-dom in Haiku for the Single Girl. Women surely will relate to each short poem with a rueful sigh, sympathetic eye-roll or knowing smile. Meyer’s line drawings nicely complement the haiku, whether the subject is cleavage, biological clocks, lost love or gaydar. From “I feel its approach,/Inevitable as death:/Internet dating” to “Men don’t realize/We women thrill to conquest/As much as they do,” Haiku for the Single Girl offers insight and entertainment in hilarious and easily digestible bits.

Consider the quicksand
Roz Chast is a longtime cartoonist for the New Yorker. She’s also an anxious person (it runs in her family) and an insomniac. Those two characteristics have been happily married in What I Hate from A to Z, Chast’s neurotic, comical and—depending on your anxiety level—unsettling compendium of the author’s pet peeves and personal nightmares. Her clever take on the big, often bad world in which we live depicts a balloon as an “imminent explosion” and undertow as “the ocean, pulling you to your watery grave.” There are positive takes, too, like the upside of mausoleums: If the person inside is still alive, at least they can bang on the door and be let out. Chast’s collection would make a splendid gift for your favorite worrywart, or a warning for the carefree sort who should worry just a little bit more.

Love and hope, online
Ah, love at first sight . . . the stolen glances, the thrill of the unknown. But what if the moment passes without a word? There’s always the Internet, specifically the Missed Connections section of Craigslist. In Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found, Sophie Blackall muses on love and relationships and describes her own near miss: In 2009, a subway seatmate stepped off the train and mouthed “Missed Connections” to her through the window. She looked up the phrase online and, after reading hours’ worth of Missed Connections listings, her popular blog was born. Using Chinese ink and watercolor paints, she interprets ads by men and women, young and old, sassy and shy. Her lovely book offers a testament to romance in its many forms, from a fleeting encounter to decades-long yearning, with titles like “Greenpoint Laundromat,” “We Shared a Bear Suit” and—hooray!—“I Can’t Believe I Found You.” 

Laughing through the ages
What if Susan B. Anthony were on “Sex and the City”? Or Odysseus checked out Facebook? Or Brahms fell asleep during a Liszt concert? Those are just a few of the many hilarious historical oddities pondered by Kate Beaton, creator of the celebrated Hark! A Vagrant. She began the weekly webcomic in 2007, and today, her website gets 1.2 million monthly hits. In Hark! A Vagrant she takes a fresh and funny look at the literary canon (noting that Robinson Crusoe’s Friday got a raw deal, and the Brontës romanticized “douchey behavior”), plus politics, science, gangsters, saints . . . whatever inspires her skilled pen and sharp mind.

From poking fun at single life to celebrating neuroses, these illustrated books make excellent gifts for readers who appreciate the unexpected.

Single life, in poems
Writer Beth Griffenhagen (single) and artist Cynthia Vehslage Meyers (formerly single) have put pen to paper to create a…

NonfictionBusiness & Finance

What to do after the tassels are turned

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Ah, graduation. So much excitement, so much to think about! Whether the grad in your life is concerned with a job hunt, finances or big dreams, these five books offer guidance and humor for those dipping a toe in the real-world waters.

STRAIGHT TALK

When Charles Wheelan gave a commencement-weekend speech at his alma mater, Dartmouth, in 2011, he vowed to avoid platitudes and instead offer honest, useful advice—collected here, in 10½ Things No Commencement Speaker Has Ever Said. Rather than reminding students that “commencement means beginning,” he shared things he wishes he’d heard at his own college graduation, like “Some of your worst days lie ahead” and “Your time in fraternity basements was well spent.” No need for alarm, though—Wheelan isn’t advocating a gloomy outlook or post-graduation visits to the local Delta Tau Whatever. Rather, he’s letting graduates know that there will be “grinding self-doubt and failure” along with joy and success, and the camaraderie you build during college is invaluable. He’s right, of course, and his other exhortations are similarly witty and wise. Slyly humorous illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Peter Steiner add to the fun.

FLY HIGH

Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger has been a household name since he executed an emergency airplane landing on the Hudson River in 2009. His memoir, Highest Duty, was a bestseller; now, he’s back with Making a Difference, a book about other people’s outstanding achievements. His subjects—standouts in government, education, business and more—have all faced adversity, and their responses to difficult, even horrible, situations showed character and solidified leadership. For example, when Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen was called to duty after Hurricane Katrina, he was tapped to replace the head of FEMA after just one week. When Allen explained to his team what needed to be done, their relief was palpable; someone was finally offering priorities and support. “This was a leadership moment for which Allen . . . had been preparing for his whole life,” writes Sullenberger. That theme resonates in the book, as does the importance of caring for those who work for you. Aspiring leaders will find plenty to emulate.

LIVING THE DREAM

Six years ago, while commiserating over post-college angst, four young men decided to amp up the bucket-list concept: They’d strike out and achieve their dreams—no matter how quirky or impossible-seeming—while helping others do the same. What began as a tour in a Winne­bago turned into much more: an MTV reality show; more than 80 life-list items accomplished; and the publication of What Do You Want to Do Before You Die?. For the book, the four guys—known collectively as The Buried Life—asked artists to illustrate the kooky and poignant dreams of their fans. The collages alternate with heartfelt essays by the guys, and other inspiring achievers. There are also photos of the gang with a variety of people, including President Obama (#95); a newborn (#74); and security guards trying to stop them from streaking in a stadium (#50). Not only is this collection interesting, but its colorful pages could serve as inexpensive artwork for a first apartment.  

FINANCIAL FINESSE

Personal finance expert Jack Otter believes that with emotions in check and information in hand, money matters can be managed well and with confidence. In Worth It . . . Not Worth It?, he empowers the new generation to make good decisions about spending, noting, “Most money decisions seem complicated only because someone has a financial interest in confusing you.” Otter, executive editor of CBSMoneyWatch.com, addresses “either/or” propositions regarding credit cards, loans, travel, real estate, investing and more; the “Getting Started” section is aimed at students/recent graduates/first-job-holders (e.g., Live with Mom and Dad vs. Go Solo in Squalor). The book’s eye-catching graphics and spare, pithy text make a complete read-through painless, even for the finance-shy. This guide will be a valuable, much-used resource for long-term planning, daily decisions and whatever crops up in between.

LAYING THE GROUNDWORK

In Getting from College to Career, an updated guide to, oh, everything graduates need to do before even thinking about job interviews, Lindsey Pollak offers tips, commiseration and humor. After all, while she may be a LinkedIn spokesperson and best-selling author, she wasn’t always a media star. When it was time to find her first job, she was stumped. Then, she called internship contacts, bought a suit, made lists—and landed an offer. A multi-pronged approach succeeded, but, “The challenge is that you never know which combination will ultimately work, so you have to try them all.” Pollak’s voice is friendly yet authoritative, and her advice is detailed but not overwhelming. This is a truly useful guide that will make resume-writing and job-interviewing a whole lot easier. Now go get ’em!

Ah, graduation. So much excitement, so much to think about! Whether the grad in your life is concerned with a job hunt, finances or big dreams, these five books offer guidance and humor for those dipping a toe in the real-world waters.

STRAIGHT TALK

When Charles Wheelan…

Animals

Animal magnetism

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

We humans sure do love our pets. When we’re not cuddling, thinking about or talking to them, we love to read about our favorite animals.

It’s impossible to look at Under­water Dogs without smiling, whether at the wild grin on the face of Buster the Cavalier King Charles spaniel or the cautiously inquisitive snout of Comet the golden retriever, as seen from photographer Seth Casteel’s perspective under water. Casteel’s splashy pictures, which went viral earlier this year, strike a happy chord: Dogs dive in enthusiastic pursuit of tennis balls; the photographer captures them in all their bulging-eyed, floppy-tongued glory. Canines of all shapes, ages and sizes appear here, but Casteel’s message is universal: “[Dogs] teach us that if you just jump in, you might have fun along the way.” This delight-inducing book makes an excellent argument for taking a plunge, watery or otherwise.

FASCINATING FELINES

The Life & Love of Cats is filled with gorgeous color photos of domestic and wild felines: Russian blues, Siamese, lions, leopards, Bengal tigers and more. In accompanying essays, Lewis Blackwell shows us why cats have so many admirers and delves into the history of “the cat-human/human-cat relationship.” He notes that an archaeological dig revealed a cat’s skeleton from 7500 BCE carefully buried alongside a human grave—“an indication of a cat that was a highly treasured part of society”—and that, over the centuries, the role of the cat was elevated, then devalued, then raised up again. Today, there are 600 million pet and stray cats roaming the world. Blackwell offers much to ponder, whether the eternal question, “What does the cat think of us?” or the physical beauty of precious kittens, impossibly fluffy cats and calmly regal white tigers.

UGGIE, AUTHOR

Oh, Uggie, he of the bowties, pretty brown eyes and career success that most humans would envy, never mind dogs. He’s done it again: While many of us have been embroiled in a daily struggle to find the darn car keys, the Jack Russell terrier has gone and written a book, Uggie: My Story. He told—er, barked—it to Wendy Holden, and reassures readers, “Where human conversations cannot be remembered precisely, I have recreated them to the best of my canine ability.” One would expect nothing less from Uggie, who, like many Hollywood sorts, had a bit of a rough start as a hyperactive puppy. He was taken in by Omar von Muller, a veteran trainer who got Uggie’s unfortunate impulses under control. Uggie shares lots of behind-the-scenes dish on his rise to fame and his work on movies like Water for Elephants and The Artist. Adorable, often hilarious photos appear throughout, and Uggie lets readers know what it’s really like to be cute and in demand.

We humans sure do love our pets. When we’re not cuddling, thinking about or talking to them, we love to read about our favorite animals.

It’s impossible to look at Under­water Dogs without smiling, whether at the wild grin on the face of Buster the Cavalier…

Animals

Fabulous felines, charming canines

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

If you're looking for a holiday gift for an animal aficionado, look no further than these six new books, which celebrate (and justify!) our fascination with and devotion to our furry friends. From photography-laden treats to amazing true stories to beautiful poetry, these cat-and-dog tales will be well-received, indeed.

GRACEFUL AND GORGEOUS
The Elegance of the Cat: An Illustrated History will incite ooh-ing and ahh-ing among cat-lovers and photographers alike. But this large-format beauty isn't just about pretty kitties—it's also a cat-historian's (catstorian's?) delight. Author Tamsin Pickeral offers a thoughtful examination of the role of the cat through the centuries, plus detailed information on 50 breeds. Pickeral notes that, in the Middle Ages, cats were persecuted due to a rise in Christianity and a mistrust of cats' link to polytheism and magic. This cat-hatred had stunning big-picture consequences: "[T]he mass slaughter of cats across Europe during the Middle Ages neatly coincided with the sweeping devastation of the Black Death," which was spread via flea-infested rats—whose numbers swelled in the absence of their chief predators.

Felines fared better in subsequent eras and are, of course, the object of much affection today, whether in homes worldwide, "Garfield" comic strips, or any number of videos online. Then there are the cat shows, which became popular in the late 1800s. The two world wars were a fallow time for cat-breeding, Pickeral reports, but enthusiasm redoubled after WWII and continues apace. Cat-breeders and readers seeking a purebred cat will find The Elegance of the Cat a valuable tool, thanks to descriptions of 50-plus breeds' appearance, personality and origins—plus Astrid Harrisson's stunning photos of cats in nature, at play, or perhaps practicing their cat-show poses.

A FELINE OMNIBUS
In the cat-book universe, The Big New Yorker Book of Cats surely is high on the Most Wanted list: Its 300-plus pages are a feline-appreciation wonderland of fiction, poetry, essays, cartoons and covers culled from the magazine's nearly nine decades in print—and its contributors' seemingly endless willingness to ponder, and attempt to capture, that which makes cats so . . . cat-like. According to the magazine's film critic, Anthony Lane, it's an ever-entertaining and, often, ultimately fruitless pursuit. Lane writes in the foreword, when musing on why there are no cats in the New Yorker offices, "[Y]ou cannot fact-check a cat. . . . In contrast to the magazine, and to this capacious book, cats are unreadable, and happy to remain so. Unlike writers, and related pests, they cannot be controlled." That's thoroughly celebrated here, in four sections (Fat Cats, Alley Cats, Cat Fanciers, Curious Cats) and a sizable amalgam of words and pictures—all reflecting the kaleidoscope of emotions and beliefs cats can provoke, from fascination to frustration, curiosity to an overwhelming urge to cuddle.

Writers including James Thurber, Jamaica Kincaid, E.B. White and Margaret Atwood, plus numerous cartoon and cover artists (cover-cats had their heyday in the 1970s, it seems), pay homage to cats in their many guises. The Big New Yorker Book of Cats is thought-provoking, fun, and great to look at — plus, it's the perfect size to comfortably host a sprawling cat (or a couple of kittens).

OH, GO AWAY ALREADY
Grumpy Cat probably doesn't like Grumpy Cat: A Grumpy Book. The first-time author has a career many would envy. This year alone, she's been on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, the cover of New York magazine, TV shows like "Good Morning America" and "CBS Evening News," and made an appearance at SXSW. Not bad for a one-and-a-half-year-old, but Grumpy Cat isn't just any toddler. She's a cat who's also an Internet meme, thanks to her perma-frown, which her owners say is due to feline dwarfism. Grumpy Cat has 1.9 million Facebook likes and a lot to say, and her writerly debut lays it out like so: "I dream of a world in which everyone sulks in their own corner, occasionally emerging to judge one another and feel disgust for everything around them." Grumpy Cat explains why she hates dogs, shares her arrest record and creates a gift guide "for the person who doesn't deserve anything," including such choices as an "ergonomic litter box" (unmade bed) and "bouncing ball" (fragile vase). There are also plenty of photos: family pictures, meme-ified shots, and some un-skillfully Photoshopped ones—though it must be said, using a paw to manipulate a computer-mouse is nothing like handling a real mouse, so rough edges are to be expected.

Reading Grumpy Cat in one sitting, while easy to do, might be a bit much for cheerier sorts: The negativity, while often visually adorable, is relentless and may result in a bad mood, which . . . wait a minute. It works! She's a grumpy genius.

AMAZING CANINES
Rebecca Ascher-Walsh's author photo for Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life with Dogs is notable not only because it's adorable, but because the image of her—smiling broadly, eyes squeezed shut as the pit bull she's holding gives her a big, wet kiss—is the embodiment of her book: the pit bull is a dog she helped get adopted. Presumably Ascher-Walsh, an animal activist, didn't adopt the dog herself because she's already got a couple of her own (photo, page 6), but there's seemingly no limit to her affection for animals, especially the ones she's profiled here. Each story is accompanied by photos, and dog-centric facts are sprinkled throughout. For example, "Dogs can distinguish smells 1,000 to 10,000 times better than a human"—fascinating on its own, and even more so when that ability is central to the story of Effie, who sniffed out her owner's cancer. Then there's Shana, who saved her owners during a snowstorm (she dug a tunnel and dragged them to safety), and Rose, who works as a courthouse dog (she comforts children testifying about traumatic events).

Devoted is filled with fascinating true stories of canine heroism, dare-devilry (Hooch and his owner scuba-dive), and always, love.

Dogs let it all hang out in the spectacular stop-action photography of Carli Davidson's Shake.

DOGS, INTERRUPTED
Shake is a full-color compendium of full-on adorableness, featuring all sorts of dogs in mid-shake. Some squint as if caught in a wind tunnel, others maintain eye contact while their twisting jowls release astounding arcs of drool, and still others transform from merely poofy to fantastically fluffy. In 2010, photographer Carli Davidson began taking pictures of rescue dogs mid-shake. She posted the shots on Facebook, they went viral in 2011, and a book was born: 61 dogs, a stark black background, and glorious side-by-side photos. Davidson notes in her introduction that she borrowed the idea of photographing an animal mid-motion from Eadweard Muybridge, who photographed horses in 1878. She adds that the project "has given me insight into the universality of how much we love our pets, and how excited we are to see our heroes in a new way."

Davidson's high-speed photography technique, plus her dog-wrangling ability, make for a fun new way to look at dogs—and an inevitable yearning to hug a hound, starting with the ones in this book. Those faces 

PRAISE AND JOY
Poet Mary Oliver has won the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize, and her 2012 collection, A Thousand Mornings, was a New York Times bestseller. Oliver has another hit on her hands with Dog Songs: Poems, in which we learn that the talented poet is just like the rest of us in at least one way: She loves her dogs—the ones she grew up with, the ones who've departed this earth, the ones she shares time with today. In this book of poems (plus one poetic essay), Oliver honors and reflects on the human-canine connection through her experiences with Percy, Ben, Bear, Henry and Ricky, the winsome Havanese with whom Oliver shares her author photo. Finely done line-drawings of Oliver's dogs add to the warmth of the Dog Songs experience, which is a lovely gift for dog-lovers, or anyone who smiles at lines like these:

Running here running there, excited,
hardly able to stop, he leaps, he spins

until the white snow is written upon
in large, exuberant letters,
a long sentence, expressing
the pleasure of the body in this world.

"Because of the dog's joyfulness, our own is increased," Oliver writes, and the reader responds simply, "Of course."

If you're looking for a holiday gift for an animal aficionado, look no further than these six new books, which celebrate (and justify!) our fascination with and devotion to our furry friends. From photography-laden treats to amazing true stories to beautiful poetry, these cat-and-dog tales will be well-received, indeed.
Family & Relationships

Love, and all that jazz

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

As Valentine’s Day draws nigh, our thoughts turn to romance. These three books explore dating and relating from a variety of viewpoints.

Any woman who’s tired of relatives, friends and co-workers who ask, “Why are you still single?” will appreciate Sara Eckel’s It’s Not You: 27 (Wrong) Reasons You’re Single. The author, inspired by her 2011 New York Times "Modern Love" column, has penned a smart, I’ve-got-your-back debunking of the most common remarks made to unmarried women, especially those 30ish and older. Eckel, who married at 39, believes that being unmarried is due to one simple thing: not having met the right person. But after being told that she and her single friends were too needy, unrealistic or picky, she wondered why this blame-assigning mindset is so prevalent. One reason, she writes: “We’re a nation that believes strongly in personal efficacy—if there’s something in your life that isn’t working quite the way you’d like, then the problem must begin and end with you.” That myth shows up in all 27 of the wrong reasons Eckel explores, from “You’re Too Intimidating” to “You Should Have Married That Guy.” Eckel encourages readers to push aside the naysaying, enjoy life as it is right now and remember that the question isn’t why you’re single, it’s, “Why are near strangers so often compelled to demand answers?” 

GEEKS OF ENDEARMENT

Eric Smith’s The Geek’s Guide to Dating is a pop-culture compendium of advice for dating, with clever geek lingo and analogies galore. Smith (founder of the website Geekadelphia) offers sound tips for readers who spend so much time behind their computers that they haven’t learned the nuances of courtship. Topics include Selecting Your Character (identifying your interests and strengths), Search Optimization (where to meet geeks) and Building a Bulletproof Wardrobe (no LED belt buckles, please). Smith’s advice is straightforward, whether reminding readers to approach others with respect or suggesting that they “Start a conversation, not a debate.” Fun illustrations, plus charts, lists and what-if scenarios add to the good-hearted guidance. May the force be with you.

FOR MATURE AUDIENCES

There’s girl-talk, and then there’s Sex After . . . Women Share How Intimacy Changes as Life Changes, a no-topic-is-taboo collection gleaned from interviews with 150 women ages 20-something to 80-something (and a few men, too). Iris Krasnow, author of the popular The Secret Lives of Wives, specializes in writing about women’s relationships. In Sex After . . ., she wanted to go beyond stereotypes and explore what real women are experiencing: “And may that truth release you into becoming your authentic and fullest sexual self, after the honeymoon, after cancer, after boredom, after divorce, after wrinkles—until death do you part.” She alternates well-researched passages full of relevant statistics and quotes with frank stories about sex after major life events such as childbirth, illness, infidelity and more. While 20-somethings are enjoying “hooking-up culture,” Krasnow notes that young ladies aren’t the only ones having fun. She also finds “rocking grandmothers who attend Tantric sex workshops and are as lusty as teenagers.” Those skeptical of Krasnow’s assertion that, in the realm of sex, “the 70s are the new 40s” surely will change their minds after reading this lusty litany.

As Valentine’s Day draws nigh, our thoughts turn to romance. These three books explore dating and relating from a variety of viewpoints.

NonfictionCrafts, Hobbies & HomeArt

The strange and the wonderful

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Bibliophiles know books are the perfect gifts, rendering “they’re so hard to buy for” an empty lament. To wit, this trio of titles truly has something for everyone. All hail the curious mind!

TATTED UP
Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them takes a daring approach: There are no photos here. Instead, Wendy MacNaughton illustrates more than 60 tattoos, along with their hand-lettered origin stories curated by Isaac Fitzgerald. MacNaughton’s artfully rendered black-and-white line drawings of her subjects provide a neutral canvas for her full-color interpretations of their vibrant tattoos. Of course, the stories make these body-art vignettes whole: From sad to silly, emotional to eccentric, it’s fascinating to learn what can inspire such an everlasting form of self-expression. Chiming in are artists, professors, a naval officer, pizza aficionados and many more. This is a great gift for the tattooed, the tattoo considerers, art lovers and anyone curious about tattoo whys and wherefores but too shy to ask.

TANTALIZING TRIVIA
The explosive cover art for 1,339 Quite Interesting Facts to Make Your Jaw Drop is a reasonable facsimile of readers’ brains after they’ve experienced this compendium of wildly interesting, weirdly true facts. The authors are the masterminds of popular BBC quiz show “QI”: John Lloyd is creator, John Mitchinson is director of research, and James Harkin is senior researcher. They’re also the authors of 2013’s best-selling 1,227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off, the creation of which led them right to this follow-up book. “Once you are in the Fact Zone, everywhere you look, astonishing new facts seem to wave and demand inclusion,” they explain. There are loads of facts here, on topics as varied as music, milk, Darwin, straitjackets and earlobes. For example: “There are only two sets of escalators in Wyoming,” and “A slug’s anus is on its head.” Now get out there and win on “Jeopardy!”

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES
Step aside, yarn-bombers and artisanal cheese-makers—the rogue taxidermists are here, and Robert Marbury leads the charge with Taxidermy Art: A Rogue’s Guide to the Work, the Culture, and How to Do It Yourself. The book shares taxidermy’s origins, as well as illustrated how-tos for the aspiring taxidermist. It’s also an illuminating look at those who practice the craft today, via page after page of disturbingly beautiful (or beautifully disturbing) works by artists worldwide. Chicago’s Jessica Joslin combines animal bones and intricate metalwork in pieces that are at once robotic and fluid; Julia deVille embellishes her taxidermy with jewels, thus “dazzling us with death”; and Marbury practices “vegan taxidermy” by using toy stuffed animals instead of formerly living creatures. Taxidermy Art is a truly interesting read, rife with intriguing history, talented artists, memorable images—and skull-bleaching instructions, too.

 

This article was originally published in the December 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Bibliophiles know books are the perfect gifts, rendering “they’re so hard to buy for” an empty lament. To wit, this trio of titles truly has something for everyone. All hail the curious mind!
CookbooksAnimals

Celebrating the joys of a dog’s life

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Warning: These books will make you want to adopt a dog. Or another. Maybe even several. The pooches featured in the five books here do everything from joy riding to going for a swim (or at least a dog paddle).

OUT FOR A SWIM
So, you’ve memorized the images in Seth Casteel’s Underwater Dogs (2012) and long for more? Never fear, Underwater Puppies is here! It’s worth the wait: These delightfully damp puppies are even sweeter than those that came before, not least because most of the pups are so very tiny (or: automatically cute). Casteel is a master at capturing the looks on their faces, and the effect is irresistible, whether the subject is Sugar (a boxer who serenely floats among the bubbles) or Bentley (a French bulldog whose expression says, what is going ON here?). The dogs pictured hail from shelters and rescue groups and serve as a reminder that, as Casteel writes, “adoption is a fantastic option when considering bringing a puppy into your life.” And how.

JUST BREATHE
Do you know someone who needs a chill pill? Here’s one in book form: Lessons in Balance: A Dog’s Reflections on Life by 9-year-old Scout, the pit bull star of the Tumblr blog “Stuff on Scout’s Head.” And that’s exactly what you get in this book—photo after photo of Scout calmly balancing all sorts of items on his head, with sayings like “Acknowledge your feelings” and “Look beyond appearances.” Turning the pages is a surprisingly hypnotic experience. After a while, the objects fade, and the consistency of Scout’s mellow gaze prompts a feeling of tranquility. The images can be a hoot, for sure: The bunch of asparagus on Scout’s head is funny, the soap-bubble is impressive and the hourglass is poignant. But the humorous images don’t belie the message. As object-placer and owner Jennifer Gillen writes, “From [Scout] I’ve learned to be present and mindful, focus on the task at hand, and complete it.”

DINING A DEUX
If you live alone, it can seem easier to favor quick-and-easy meals. But there’s another way! Judith Jones offers time-tested strategies for feeding yourself and your canine companion in Love Me, Feed Me: Sharing with Your Dog the -Everyday Good Food You Cook and Enjoy. An esteemed editor at Knopf for 50-plus years who edited the likes of Julia Child and Jacques Pépin, Jones has also written cookbooks herself. She now raises grass-fed cattle on her farm in Vermont, with her dog, Mabon, by her side. He’s her kitchen compatriot, as well, which is eminently sensible of him, since Jones is a longtime champion of cooking for pets. She began in 1933 at age 9, when cans of wet food and bags of kibble were not available. “I liked sharing some of what we were eating with a creature I treasured. It was my way of caring for her,” she writes. In Love Me, Feed Me, she offers 50-plus recipes for meats, pasta and more, along with plenty of photos and stories. Clever tips abound, like this one: Why struggle to scrape a pot clean when you’ve got an eager dog who’s happy to help with the task?

HIT THE ROAD, FIDO
Ah, hitting the road—the time-honored tradition that celebrates freedom, possibility and the delights of windblown hair. In Dogs in Cars, photographer Lara Jo Regan, best known as the guardian of the beloved Mr. Winkle, captures “the pure joy of a dog in its most heightened state” via a gorgeously photographed collection of dogs with eyes alight, tongues flapping, fur ruffled by the breeze. The pooches look thrilled (and beautiful—Regan knows her lighting), and will inspire an urge to hug any nearby pets. All of the images were taken in California and showcase the state’s natural beauty: palm trees, mountains, beaches, glorious skies. Cars range from a 1979 Cadillac Eldorado to a 2014 Toyota Prius (there’s a golf cart, too), and indexes at the back identify the various cars and dog breeds. Dogs in Cars is a fun gift for dog lovers, road-trippers, car aficionados and anyone who wants to gaze upon joy, page after page.

FURRY FRIENDS
Brittni Vega’s Harlow & Sage (and Indiana): A True Story About Best Friends is a sweet and funny story told from Harlow the Weimaraner’s perspective. (Thankfully, Harlow doesn’t use the mangled English favored by some Internet sensations—she would never spell cheese with a “z”!) The book began as an Instagram account in 2013, with wonderful photos of the adventures of Harlow and her older sister Sage. Alas, Sage died a few months later. In an effort to assuage everyone’s sadness, Vega and her husband brought home Indiana, a Dac-hshund puppy. Following along as the dogs and their humans move from fresh grief to fond memories, from begrudging acceptance to true sisterhood, is a lovely experience. There’s lots of dog-centric hilarity, too, which makes Harlow & Sage a great choice for reading to or with kids.

 

This article was originally published in the December 2014 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Warning: These books will make you want to adopt a dog. Or another. Maybe even several. The pooches featured in the five books here do everything from joy riding to going for a swim (or at least a dog paddle).
NonfictionBusiness & Finance

A makeover for your daily grind

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

With the new year comes glorious possibility, which makes this a perfect time to think about improving your outlook and productivity at the office. This trio of books offers ideas, support and strategies in equal measure, no matter your goal: Want to get more done? Banish distractions? Feel connected to your work? These titles are here to help—and inspire.

When it comes to work, what gets you revved up? Analysis or action, efficiency or innovation? Do repetitive tasks drive you bonkers, or are they soothing? While most of us can easily answer those questions, in Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style, Carson Tate points out that most of us don’t actually take the answers into account when we plan our workdays. Calendars and to-do lists are great for some people, but for others, they’re highly detrimental.

“The truth is that the problem is not you. It’s how you are trying to overcome your busyness that is the problem,” Tate says. The workplace productivity expert and career coach explains that, based on research into brain activity and work styles—plus her own experiences and those of her clients—there’s no single, right way to achieve productivity. Instead, there are four predominant “productivity styles”: Prioritizer, Planner, Arranger and Visualizer. A 28-question quiz, the Productivity Style Assessment, will guide readers toward identifying their own style, as well as the styles of their bosses and co-workers. Tate’s on-point assessments of what works for those styles (and what’s never going to, so don’t try to force it!) are supremely useful.

Four detailed case studies are interesting and inspiring, and subject-specific chapters like “Lead a Meeting Revolution” and “Tame Your Inbox” offer hope for the harried. Work Simply is an insightful, supportive book for those who want to do more and better (and have some fun along the way) but haven’t quite figured out how.

FINDING FOCUS
Ah, our techno-centric era—the immediacy of texting, the wonders of wireless, the ability to take photos of anything at any time and send them to anyone. Amazing, sure, but also a recipe for feeling scattered, stressed and always behind. Edward M. Hallowell understands: He’s an M.D. specializing in attention deficit disorder (ADD) and the author of 14 books on the topic, including the best-selling Driven to Distraction.

In Driven to Distraction at Work: How to Focus and Be More Productive, he sets his sights on the six most prevalent time-wasters, from compulsive email-checking to ineffective multitasking to being unable to say no. These distractions are all part of what he calls Attention Deficit Trait (ADT), or “a severe case of modern life.”

While conditions such as ADD and ADHD are genetic, ADT is situational—people may suffer from it at work, but are just fine at home. Wherever it happens, it doesn’t feel good; restlessness, frustration and an inability to focus are the unfortunate result. But there’s hope in these pages.

Based on his treatment of thousands of patients, Hallowell offers ways for readers to identify the distractions in their lives and learn how to deal with them. For example, those who are “toxic worriers” should “Get the facts. Toxic worry is rooted in lack of information, wrong information, or both.”

If achieving “flexible focus” (which he defines as a balance of logical and creative thinking) is proving a challenge, “Draw a picture. Visuals clarify thinking. Draw a diagram, construct a table, cover a page with zigzags. . . . You may soon see the bigger picture you’d been looking for coming into focus.”

Hallowell’s voice is knowledgeable, accessible and, above all, encouraging. We can do it!

GETTING YOUR GROOVE BACK
Christine Carter gets things done: She’s a sociologist at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center; is the best-selling author of Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents; has been cited in The New York Times; interviewed on TV by the likes of Oprah and Dr. Oz; and is raising two daughters. But, as she explains in The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work, not long ago, even she found herself completely overwhelmed and exhausted. Something had to change.

“I needed to get my groove back, to live in my sweet spot . . . that point of optimum impact that athletes strike on a bat or racquet or club, that place where an athlete has both the greatest power and the greatest ease,” she writes. And couldn’t we all benefit from a life that’s easier—less harried, less stressful and more balanced? Carter acknowledges that it might be difficult to achieve a state of flow when there’s so much going on, but her “Sweet Spot Equation” promises to help readers achieve a happier, more relaxed life via tips, strategies and examples in five major areas: Take Recess, Switch Autopilot On, Unshackle Yourself, Cultivate Relationships and Tolerate Some Discomfort. Her data is fascinating, her strategies empowering and, while avid readers of balance-your-life books will have encountered these concepts before, Carter’s take offers fresh approaches; the “Work on your eulogy, not your resume” and “Distinguishing mastery from perfectionism” sections are excellent examples. It’s heady stuff, but if it means getting closer to that sweet spot, it’s definitely worth the effort.

 

This article was originally published in the January 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

With the new year comes glorious possibility, which makes this a perfect time to think about improving your outlook and productivity at the office. This trio of books offers ideas, support and strategies in equal measure, no matter your goal: Want to get more done? Banish distractions? Feel connected to your work? These titles are here to help—and inspire.
Pop CultureAnimals

Thinking out of the (gift) box

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

It’s always fun to give a gift that’s truly memorable (in a good way, of course), and this trio of books won’t steer you wrong. Ordinary is overrated!

RODENT ROMANCE
Jane Austen’s books have been adapted, reimagined and mashed up in seemingly every possible way—until A Guinea Pig Pride & Prejudice, in which writer Alex Goodwin and set designer Tess Gammell join forces to offer an entirely new, adorably hilarious take on the classic story. As in the original, there’s all manner of matchmaking and dissembling afoot—but the feet here are tiny, and they belong to nine guinea pigs who make this photographic retelling most compelling indeed. Gaze into Elizabeth’s shiny black eyes and ponder their effect on Mr. Darcy; feel the tension as Darcy and Mr. Bingley have a rounded-nose-to-rounded-nose stare-down; sigh at Lady Catherine’s displeased moue and towering lavender hat! This affectionate, quietly dramatic homage is the perfect gift for Austen-philes, Austen-newbies, guinea-pig aficionados and anyone who appreciates a tale well told.

ALL ABOUT YOU
Most of us know about IQ tests, BMI charts, Myers-Briggs types and Rorschach blots, but those who want to more thoroughly plumb their own depths will be thrilled with The Test Book. It’s got 64 self-assessments in five sections: personality, health, career, lifestyle and beliefs. After all, as authors Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler write, “When it comes down to it, people care about two things: understanding themselves and being understood by others.” These tests will help you reach those lofty goals, whether you’re the sort to read front to back (including the interesting introduction about the history of personality tests) or just jump in at random with tests like “Am I crazy?”or “How strong am I?” or “Who should I employ?” or “Is it love?” This book is the perfect gift for people who are inquisitive, competitive, contemplative or perhaps just want to entertain with something besides Pictionary at their next party. 

OFF-KILTER COMICS
Like many cartoonists, Reza Farazmand got his start in college, via UC San Diego’s student newspaper. These days, he has a popular web comic, which is at the heart of Poorly Drawn Lines: Good Ideas and Amazing Stories. It contains strips old and new, plus a few short stories and essays; those not immune to existential crises will enjoy think pieces like “Maybe There’s More to Life Than Standing Behind Babies at IKEA.” The comic’s outlandish characters run the gamut: There are chatty mountains, profane ants, a silently judgmental bird who prefers not to whistle and a dude who over-identifies with his beard. Comic fans will dig it, as will those who enjoy funny art but can’t commit to graphic novels and anyone who’s ever wondered if owls feel pressured by stereotypes (and feel compelled to memorize Wikipedia entries on the sly).

 

This article was originally published in the December 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

It’s always fun to give a gift that’s truly memorable (in a good way, of course), and this trio of books won’t steer you wrong. Ordinary is overrated!
NonfictionMemoirAnimals

Amazing animals

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Whether you need a gift for a staunch dog- or cat-person, or someone who treasures all creatures, here are three perfect picks! Discover a cult poet's fondness for felines, rediscover the work of a famed dog portraitist or learn more about sharing space and interacting with animals. 

FELINE FAMILY
It's likely that Charles Bukowski’s On Cats will prove surprising as well as captivating. After all, the late writer's fans admired his macho-hooligan persona as much as his poems and novels. But with this book of newly published work, the word is out: The man really loved cats. In poems and essays, he shares his admiration, frustration, inspiration and adoration of his cats; he and his wife lived with between four and nine, depending on how many strays they took in. He declares, "A cat is only ITSELF. . . .This is a representative of the strong forces of LIFE that won't let go." And, regarding his art: "Writing is also my cat. Writing lets me face it." Photos throughout show the author's delight in his pets—which just might inspire cat-lovers to become Bukowski fans, and vice versa. On Cats would be a meaningful gift for either, or both.

DARLING DOGS, REVISITED
A flip through Dogs As I See Them is all it will take to convince readers of Lucy Dawson's immense talent . . . and the introduction will inspire dismay when it reveals that Dawson is no longer with us. But as Ann Patchett admiringly notes in the foreword, this book marks the re-publication of a book of drawings "as timely and relevant today as they were when Dawson drew them in England in the 1930s." Dawson was known for her dog-portraits, sold in books; as playing and post cards; and as commissions (including a Christmas card for the Royal Family). It's easy to see why her work captivated then, and why it remains so vibrant today: She wholly captured her subjects in all of their sleepy, hyper, floppy, panting, bone-gnawing glory. The artist's brief stories about the dogs add context and fun. Indeed, there's "upsidedownish" Nanki Poo, "conscientious" George and regal Wanda, who "dislikes [music] of a jazzy nature." Dog-lovers and art aficionados will be thrilled at the chance to discover (or rediscover) Dawson's singular talent. 

ANIMAL PLANET
It's an animal-lover's fantasy: Author Tracey Stewart lives with four dogs, two pigs, three rabbits, a hamster, a parrot, two guinea pigs and two fish, plus her two kids and her husband Jon (yes, that Jon Stewart, former host of “The Daily Show”). Tracey, a former veterinary tech and newly minted proprietor of a rescued-farm-animal sanctuary, shares her wisdom and experience with our furry, scaly and feathered friends in Do Unto Animals. Her passionate belief in the value and power of caring for animals resonates through this super-smart, heartfelt book, beautifully illustrated by Lisel Ashlock, which combines memoir, education and advocacy. For example, "Dog-ese," "Cat-ese," and "The Real Pig Latin" help us speak their (body) language, and Stewart's take on backyard animals is healthy and helpful (she calls them "The Landscaping Team"). Her knowledge of farm animals is likewise helpful and impressive. Animal lovers of all stripes will find this an engaging, useful guide, and a source of boundless inspiration.

Whether you need a gift for a staunch dog- or cat-person, or someone who treasures all creatures, here are three perfect picks! Discover a cult poet's fondness for felines, rediscover the work of a famed dog portraitist or learn more about sharing space and interacting with animals.
NonfictionBusiness & Finance

Keeping your career on course

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

A new year is dawning, full of hope and possibility . . . and, probably, lots of things to catch up on now that the holiday break is behind you. But don't despair! This way lies inspiration and innovation, thanks to a trio of new books that offer fresh approaches to work. Whether you want to rethink your goals, improve your focus or forge a new path, these titles offer strategies, perspective and encouragement.

WORK OUTSIDE THE BOX
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the path to career success is dotted with promotions. Rick Whitted wants us to consider: Why is this a universal truth? Does this approach actually work? The author, a small-business-banking veteran, posits that our emphasis on getting promoted leads to tunnel-vision, and we're missing opportunities along the way. In Outgrow Your Space at Work, he notes that we're so focused on moving forward that "we become restless, less confident, and discontent—even if the status quo is actually good." Instead of pushing for promotions and jumping ship if we don't get them, he argues, we should really think about what interests and excites us about work. 

Often, there's opportunity in an existing role: for mastery, deepening of skills and outgrowing your space by viewing a promotion as "a result, not a strategy." The Four Ps of Promotion section explores common motivations: Position, Pay, Personal Security and Personal Satisfaction (his careerwhitt.com site offers a deeper dive). Then, it's time to tackle Nine Steps to Outgrowing Your Space at Work. For example, in Master the Basics, the author advises using the company playbook, "a process, model, or manual they use to operate the business," to make sure your work is in line with what's valued and rewarded (vs. diligently focusing on the wrong things). This thought-provoking, hope-inspiring book is perfect for workers who want more than to eternally chase the next new gig. After all: "growth, not a promotion, is the key to having a successful career that will endure the span of your work life." 

FOCUS ON FOCUS
We're all distracted, aren't we? Thanks to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and the endless loop of constant connection, there are lots of ways to easily distract ourselves from pretty much anything we set out to do. But it doesn't have to be that way! In Part I of Deep Work Cal Newport, five-time author and Georgetown University assistant professor, deftly and thoroughly extols the virtues of "Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit." Science backs it up: We must plan for focused time and "batch" smaller tasks, because brain processes vital to learning can only be achieved via intense focus. (If we switch between tasks, "a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task.")

Still, Newport writes, technology isn’t all bad: "If you can create something useful, its reachable audience . . . is essentially limitless—which greatly magnifies your reward." How to create that useful stuff? Some take a week or month to focus on a single project, while others use hour-long segments. Newport makes an excellent case for doing the hard work now to reap the benefits for years to come, and his profiles of people who've embraced deep work are illuminating and encouraging. That includes the author himself: His first year of deep work, he started his job as a professor and published four papers. In his third year, he wrote a book, co-parented an active toddler and published nine papers. What should readers' first step be? That's easy: Do the deep work of immersing yourself in Deep Work. 

UNPREDICTABLE PATHS
Despite the variations on "It's not your father's career!" flying around lately, today's increasingly peripatetic career paths are a lot like Farai  Chideya's own mother's work experience: She was first a journalist, then a medical technologist, a teacher and is now a certified master gardener. As the author notes in her fifth book, The Episodic Career, "We live in a globalized economy where not just jobs but also entire career tracks are created and destroyed in front of our eyes." We've got to be open to the idea that we may not end up using our skills and experience in ways that are continuous or predictable. It's daunting and exciting, but it also means we need to pay close attention to how “today's decisions will affect . . . tomorrow's earnings and savings."

How are people handling several careers in sequence, or perhaps a couple at the same time? Numerous interesting stories about people in a wide range of careers (tech writer, park ranger, fundraiser, welder, sex therapist, CEO) are woven through this well-written book, which has at its center a Myers-Briggs-esque Work/Life Matrix that Chideya says will help you "Know yourself, set your goals, play by your own rules." Readers can answer four key questions (about risk, social impact, innovation vs. execution and decision-making); examine 16 archetypes and relevant job profiles; and use what they discover to "steer away from long-term dissatisfaction with work, and plot new paths." Chideya's research on the changes in America's work culture and economy provides context, and there are plenty of role models via the book's wealth of stories about people who took risks, bounced back and found unexpected satisfaction in the unanticipated.

A new year is dawning, full of hope and possibility . . . and, probably, lots of things to catch up on now that the holiday break is behind you. But don't despair! This way lies inspiration and innovation, thanks to a trio of new books that offer fresh approaches to work. Whether you want to rethink your goals, improve your focus or forge a new path, these titles offer strategies, perspective and encouragement.
NonfictionMemoirArts & Culture

Humorous reflections on fame and fortune

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Curious about what it’s like to be a child actor, a standup comedian, a podcast star or some combination of the above (and beyond)? You’re in luck: These memoirs offer a fascinating peek behind the curtain of fame. 

In Scrappy Little Nobody, Anna Kendrick chronicles her journey from auditioning for roles at age 5 to being a Tony-nominated singer (High Society) and Oscar-nominated actress (Up in the Air). “[P]erforming is all I’ve cared about since the first time I can remember caring about anything,” she writes. While Kendrick shares self-deprecating and I’m-just-like-you sentiments in her memoir, she also expresses pride in her uncommon career, noting that theater work “gave me a basic work ethic that I may not have gotten if I started in film and television. I worked six days a week, eight shows a week. . . . I was held accountable for my work.” A heavy load for sure, but Kendrick persevered, getting more and more high-profile roles (The Twilight Saga, Into the Woods, Pitch Perfect) along the way. Plenty of revelations about the non-magical side of moviemaking and an irreverent Reading Group Guide round out this entertaining, appealing first book.

COMEDY OF THE MIND
On a recent talk show appearance, Norm Macdonald said his book, Based on a True Story, is 50 percent true and 70 percent made-up. That feels about right; this elliptical memoir loops its way through Macdonald’s life so far, bringing the reader along on a hallucinatory road trip filled with strange characters who may or may not be real people. When he’s being more straightforward, Macdonald shares stories both funny and poignant from his formative years in rural Canada and details his experiences competing on “Star Search” and being the new kid on “Saturday Night Live.” At book’s beginning, he says standup comics are “never in one place long enough to experience anything but the shabbiest of love.” But at book’s end, he writes, “I’ve been lucky. If I had to sum up my whole life, I guess those are the words I would choose, all right.” Both feel like moments of honesty shoring up a performance-art-esque tale. 

SIMPLE REQUESTS
After reading You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain, readers will want to be Phoebe Robinson’s friend. But they better not try to make her TBF (The Black Friend), “a singular dash of pepper in a bowl of grits.” Witty, truth-telling commentary abounds here, and it’s delightful. Robinson wasn’t always this confident; she uses her childhood relationship with her hair as a metaphor for her growing awareness of the assumptions projected onto black people—women in particular—based on their hairstyles: “‘[H]ire-ability,’ acceptance, and attractiveness are all on the line when someone wears his or her hair naturally? That’s a lot of weight to assign to a physical attribute.” Indeed. She now has a thriving career in standup, as well as acting, and writing for the New York Times, Glamour and “Broad City”—and she wears her hair however she wants. Chapters like “Dear Future Female President: My List of Demands” and “People, Places, and Things That Need to Do Better” are funny and on-target, while personal stories in “Uppity” and “The Angry Black Woman Myth” illustrate how systemic racism has affected the way she communicates every single day. It’s exhausting, yes, but Robinson is hopeful: “We all have some growing to do. So let’s try and get better together. Cool?”

READING AMY
Amy Schumer is a household name, thanks to her hilarious, award-winning TV series, “Inside Amy Schumer”; her worldwide comedy tours; and the movie Trainwreck, which she wrote and starred in. In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Schumer says, “I wanted to share these stories from my life as a daughter, sister, friend, comedian, actor, girlfriend, one-night stand, employee, employer, lover, fighter, hater, pasta eater, and wine drinker.” And that she does, in a book that’s a mix of funny, smart, straightforward, raunchy and sweet. A more serious side of Schumer emerges here, as well. When she explores the ways her parents’ tumultuous marriage and an abusive dating relationship have affected her, she plumbs her pain to share what she’s learned and demonstrates that she’s a survivor in more ways than one. The tattoo story is in there, too, as well as a strong stance for gun control, a stand against body-shaming and ultimately a case for being OK with imperfection: “My vulnerability is my ultimate strength,” she proclaims. With this book, she proves that writing is a close second.

TALL AND HANDSOME
Joel McHale hit his head a lot as a kid. Did this lead to his becoming a comedian and actor (“Community,” “The Great Indoors,” Ted), host of E! Network’s “The Soup” and a relentless commercial pitch-man? In Thanks for the Money: How to Use My Life Story to Become the Best Joel McHale You Can Be, McHale hints at a link between his multiple head injuries and his fearless quest for attention, performance and money. McHale’s fondness for dark, somewhat disturbing humor will be familiar to fans and makes for an entertaining through-line in the book, which begins at childhood—well, before childhood, really (see the detailed and discomfiting “Mama-and-Papa-Sutra”). He was born in Rome, Italy, grew up in Seattle and takes us up to now, with a variety of weird and wacky pit stops along the way—a Mr. McHale’s wild ride, if you will. Said pit stops include “Midbook Reading-Retention Puzzles,” an infographic called “How to Survive a Chevy Chase Attack” and a response to rumors about hair implants (yep, he got ’em—twice). Insider info ranges from celebrity quirks to career strategies to details on the free stuff you get once you’re wealthy and don’t really need it. This is an edgy, entertaining memoir/self-help combo from a sharp, successful showbiz guy.

 

This article was originally published in the November 2016 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Curious about what it’s like to be a child actor, a standup comedian, a podcast star or some combination of the above (and beyond)? You’re in luck: These memoirs offer a fascinating peek behind the curtain of fame.

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