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NonfictionChildren's & YAReligion & SpiritualityArts & CultureArt

Many happy returns from perennial favorites

Review by MiChelle Jones

A special holiday gift from a picture-book master, Eric Carle's Dream Snow Pop-up Advent Calendar. In this scene from Carle's bright, colorful world, a tree stands in the snow with presents underneath and Santa nearby – and a field of windows hiding trinkets to be added to the tree. (Meanwhile, the calendar's cover, sleeve and dimensions will likely trigger a visceral reaction in those old enough to remember when music came on vinyl!)

From the heavens

Two chance encounters inspired Chuck Fischer's move away from the holiday themes of his two previous books: a 1960s children's Bible in New York, and a daytrip during a stint at the American Academy in Rome. Fischer's paintings are always gorgeous, but In the Beginning: The Art of Genesis, features especially outstanding works, inspired by and based on religious masterpieces (all of which are listed on a pullout at the end of the book). Working again with paper engineer Bruce Foster, Fischer includes a stunning mosaic – like spread recounting the saga of Adam and Eve, a monumental Tower of Babel and a Tiffany-esque depiction of Jacob's Ladder. Text by Curtis Flowers retells the stories and discusses symbolism in the images, making ample use of mini books and pullouts.

Cosmic: The Ultimate 3-D Guide to the Universe starts with a bang – a pop-up of the Big Bang, complete with sound. From there, it's off on a journey through planets, asteroids and other space – bound objects, including the Hubble Telescope and the Space Shuttle. As spectacular as paper engineer Richard Ferguson's pop – ups of the planets and the Apollo 15 lunar lander are – and they really are incredible – author Giles Sparrow's text makes it a great gift for space fans, whether they love pop – ups or not.

You might as well make it a twofer with Moon Landing, by Richard Platt and paper engineer David Hawcock. Published in advance of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, the book is also loaded with history on space flight, referencing the people, politics and technology that put men on the Moon. The representations of the spacecraft – a command module and lunar module that dock (!), a super-long Saturn V, a Gemini capsule – are beyond cool. Lucky ones who receive both Moon Landing and Cosmic will end up with two pop-up lunar landers.

Children's tales

Big brother Charlie was able to convince the irascible Lola to try peas and other foods in I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato; now he faces another seemingly impossible task in Lauren Child's made-for-bedtime story Charlie and Lola's I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed Pop-up!. This year the pops are even better, with twirling pajama-clad dogs, Laura up a tree and milk-sipping tigers. Flaps, dials and oozing toothpaste will help wear out little tykes trying to resist sleep (maybe even Lola).

Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart released the first book in their new Encyclopedia Mythologica series, Fairies and Magical Creatures, this summer. In Brava Strega Nona!, the pop-up wizards interpret Tomie dePaola's Caldecott Honor – winning depiction of a magical grandma as only they can. Spreads of a sea of pasta, a courtyard full of celebrating villagers, and a meal served al fresco under an arbor bring the beloved tale to life.

Nonfiction pops

With Sabuda and Reinhart having left beasts behind, Lucio and Meera Santoro, the husband-and-wife team who soared to great heights in 2007's Journey to the Moon, take on Predators. They start with a gigantic spider, even more menacing rendered in the Santoros' trademarked swing pop-ups; pull out the informative mini-pops if you dare. Much pleasanter – even if the actual animals might be just as dangerous – are the bald eagle rising majestically from a navy-blue background, a scaly crocodile and snow – white (naturally) polar bears. Clever mini flaps advise on distinguishing between crocodiles and alligators (here's an idea: stay away from both); discuss how a species hunts and whether it's endangered and how to tell a leopard by its spots (a tiger by its stripes, etc.)

For the past few years, Robert Crowther has explored various transportation options, Trains in 2006 and Flight the following year. Now he's onto Ships and he starts at the beginning of the story, with Egyptians, Romans and Vikings. Crowther's books pack a lot of information into a deceptively simple, accessible design that combines pulls and flaps with large – and small – scale pops of vessels. He explains everything from propellers to ports, poles to oars, simple sailing craft to complex ocean liners and aircraft carriers.

As easy as . . .

The cover of French designer Marion Bataille's ABC3D alone – a hologram that cycles through the first four letters of the alphabet – is worth the price of admission. Inside is no less enchanting: letters spring, unfold or flip into place as the pages are turned. "C" flips to become "D," conjoined lowercase "i" and "j" share a red spiraled dot, appropriated angled black strokes on vellum change "O" and "P" to their successors, and so on.

David A. Carter's Yellow Square continues his inventive pop – up puzzles. Using his signature palette, he challenges readers to find the graphic element, in this case a yellow square, hidden amid a pull – up "swirligig," net – encased Seuss – like towers, a Mondrian – inspired construction and a jiggly tree.

Do it yourself

If reading the above has left you inspired to try your own pop – ups, you won't find a better resource than The Pocket Paper Engineer, the second work by renowned instructor Carol Barton. The book is a step – by – step guide to 10 projects exploring two essential pop – up elements: platforms and props (spirals, tabs, etc.). Barton's own works are in collections such as the Getty Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum.

A special holiday gift from a picture-book master, Eric Carle's Dream Snow Pop-up Advent Calendar. In this scene from Carle's bright, colorful world, a tree stands in the snow with presents underneath and Santa nearby - and a field of windows hiding trinkets to be…

SportsPop CultureGraphic Novels & ComicsComicsArts & Culture

For your favorite bro’s library

Review by Martin Brady

Outta the park

The baseball books lead off with Harvey Frommer's timely Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House That Ruth Built. Frommer provides a nostalgic, factually keen description of the formidable ball yard through its many baseball seasons, 1923 through 2008 (set to be replaced in 2009 by a new facility). He also interpolates hundreds of quotable quotes from dozens of ballplayers and managers (Yankees and otherwise), front – office executives, broadcasters, newspaper writers, team employees and even garden – variety fans, all of whom share their unique perspectives on the great games they witnessed and the specialness of the Yankee Stadium baseball experience. The photographs are even more gratifying: black – and – white and color stills stirringly evoke the Yankee legacy, from Ruth and Gehrig through Rodriguez and Rivera. The foreword is by longtime stadium PA announcer Bob Sheppard, a legend in his own right, who observed the Bronx Bombers firsthand for some 50 years, through good times and bad.

In a similar vein, but loaded with fan – friendly extras, comes Babe Ruth: Remembering the Bambino in Stories, Photos & Memorabilia. Co – authored by Julia Ruth Stevens (Ruth's adopted daughter) and versatile journalist Bill Gilbert, this volume basically avoids the Bambino's legendary excesses, instead focusing on his humble Baltimore youth, his meteoric rise as home – run king, his iconic Yankee status, his role as baseball ombudsman, his life as a family man, and his eventual decline and widely mourned death. The archival photos, some rarely seen, are fabulous, dramatically capturing Ruth the ballplayer at various career stages but just as often portraying his lovable self with loved ones, friends and fans (especially the kids). The book includes captivating reproductions of Ruth memorabilia, including his birth certificate, player contracts, game tickets and programs, and a signed team photo of the famed 1927 Yankees ballclub.

When World War II broke out, FDR made it a point to keep major league baseball going for morale purposes, never mind the hostilities' eventual impact on the game's talent pool. When Baseball Went to War, edited by Bill Nowlin and Todd Anton, serves as a tribute to those who traded the playing fields of America's pastime for the killing fields of Europe and Asia. The text primarily pulls together individual player profiles – Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Warren Spahn, etc. – detailing their war service and pre – and postwar careers. Even more interesting are the stories of lesser – known individuals such as Lou Brissie, who rebounded from war – related injuries to make the grade as a pro. Ancillary essays focus on the home front during wartime, including Merrie A. Fidler's piece on the All – American Girls Base Ball League, which sheds some factual light on an era immortalized in the film A League of Their Own. The book concludes with lists of major –

Pass the ball

Two seasons ago, Tom Callahan's excellent biography Johnny U included an exciting blow – by – blow account of the historic 1958 NFL sudden – death title game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants. In The Glory Game: How the 1958 NFL Championship Changed Football Forever, Hall of Famer and former sportscaster Frank Gifford, with an assist from Peter Richmond, attempts the same idea but with an elaborate twist. Gifford, a Giants receiver and running back and member of the '58 squad, uses the game itself more as a jumping – off point to interview surviving members of the two teams and to reminisce about his own career and those of players who have passed on. The narrative toggles between personal reflections and game specifics, and Gifford brings in the memories of reporters, wives and other onlookers to help create a detailed and contextual overview of the contest itself. Recommended for "old school" football fans.

With the advent of the Web has come outr

Pop culture heroes

Devotees of the TV show "How I Met Your Mother" may best appreciate the humor of The Bro Code, compiled by sitcom screenwriter Matt Kuhn under the guise of the character Barney Stinson (as portrayed by actor Neil Patrick Harris). Yet it's definitely funny stuff, with Kuhn laying out all the do's and don'ts of contemporary brotherhood – with much of it having to do with the opposite sex. For example: "A Bro will drop whatever he's doing and rush to help his Bro dump a chick." Or, "A Bro shall never rack jack his wingman." (Translation: Steal a buddy's girl.) Much of this – etiquette on grooming, clothes, sports, channel – surfing, pizza – ordering, drinking and so on – will read like common sense to most regular stand – up guys, but it's codified here with hip style and features some humorous graphics. Bottom line? It's all about supporting one another, however best and most realistically possible. Article #1: "Bros before ho's."

Finally, for that guy who just may not want to grow up, there's The DC Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book Featuring Rare Collectibles from the DC Universe. Author Martin Pasko has fashioned an interesting, nuanced history of the comic – book giant, founded during the Great Depression and the eventual purveyor of beloved American superheroes – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. – as well as a long string of Westerns, Army adventures ("Sgt. Rock"), sci – fi tales and pop – culture – inspired ephemera. The main draw in this sturdy, ring – bound showcase are the marvelous photos – of cover art, story pages, early pencil sketches, company correspondence, internal memos, etc. – plus production stills from spinoff movies and TV shows. Hardcore fans will particularly relish the plastic – wrapped inserts containing reproduced memorabilia from the company's long history, including public service comics, promotional items, greetings cards, posters, bookmarks, stickers, etc. Pasko's final chapter tells of DC's corporate repositioning in 1989 as a part of the Warner Bros. movie studio, with a discussion of the marketing and new – media development that has gone on since. Paul Levitz, DC's current president and publisher, provides the foreword.

 

Outta the park

The baseball books lead off with Harvey Frommer's timely Remembering Yankee Stadium: An Oral and Narrative History of the House That Ruth Built. Frommer provides a nostalgic, factually keen description of the formidable ball yard through its many baseball seasons, 1923 through 2008…

LiteratureArts & Culture

The Magician’s Book

Review by Trisha Ping

Romances with books can be just as rocky as the human variety. Critic Laura Miller, who writes about literature for publications like Salon and the New York Times, discovered that the hard way. She fell in love with C.S. Lewis’ Narnia as a child—and then felt betrayed and duped when, as a teen, she realized that the stories she adored could be read as Christian allegories. Still, when asked to write about a book that changed her life, she returned to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—and, to her surprise, discovered that she could still get lost in Lewis’ world.

In The Magician’s Book: A Skeptic’s Adventures in Narnia, Miller delves into Lewis’ biography, the tradition of children’s literature, the power of myth and the history of fairy tales. She also talks to fellow Narnia fans, from personal friends to well-known writers like Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke and Jonathan Franzen. The thoughtful, incisive essays explore every aspect of these novels, which, in Miller’s words, “are far larger than they seem from the outside.”

“I can’t read the Chronicles the way I once did, with the same absolute belief,” writes Miller, yet in The Magician’s Book, she vividly portrays that feeling of enchantment. More than a literary critique or an exercise in nostalgia, these essays are a tribute to the power and depth of story and imagination, and to the pure joy of reading. Though the grown critic realizes how the magician does his tricks, something of the childhood magic remains.

Romances with books can be just as rocky as the human variety. Critic Laura Miller, who writes about literature for publications like Salon and the New York Times, discovered that the hard way. She fell in love with C.S. Lewis' Narnia as a child—and then…
NonfictionFictionLiteratureEssaysClassicsArts & Culture

Classic books never go out of style

Review by Lacey Galbraith

Classics re-imagined

Translator Burton Raffel gives new life to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. The epic poem has long been celebrated for its satiric wit and humor; together on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, 30 strangers pass the time by telling two stories apiece.

Raffel is a celebrated scholar whose previous translation of Beowulf has sold more than a million copies. Retaining the joy and irreverent fun of the original, he brings the Canterbury Tales' 14th-century Middle English to the 21st century. While many versions of the poem have existed, this edition is, in the truest sense, unabridged and complete; for the first time, stories such as "Melibe" and "The Parson's Tale" are translated in their entirety. The Canterbury Tales has entertained readers for centuries, and this handsome and beautifully done edition is the perfect gift for someone looking to add the best of the classics to their bookshelves.

Wake Up: A Life of the Buddha by Jack Kerouac is a classic of a different sort. Written in 1955, it's a history of the life of the Buddha, and until now, it has never been released in book form. Raised a Catholic, Kerouac was drawn to the Indian Mahayana Buddhist tradition, a school "sweeter" and less rigorous than Zen Buddhism. Kerouac's novels Mexico City Blues, Tristessa, Visions of Gerard and, most notably, The Dharma Bums, are heavily influenced by Buddhist teaching; Wake Up is the prelude text, the book Kerouac wrote first, the one to influence everything after.

It was while sitting in a California public library that Kerouac initially came across a book of Buddhist and Taoist translations. Reading texts such as the Diamond Sutra and the Lankavatara Scriptures, he was transfixed and changed by the words before him. As Robert Thurman remarks in his introduction to Wake Up, "mercy and compassion were the facets of the wisdom of enlightenment that most spoke to Kerouac's Christo – Buddhist heart."

Classic collections

Though known for his novels 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell was also a prolific essayist and literary critic. All Art Is Propaganda: Critical Essays and Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays are two new collections – published in tandem – that showcase Orwell's sometimes overlooked talents as a nonfiction writer. Compiled by New Yorker staff writer George Packer, the pieces are "the work Orwell started doing to pay the bills while he wrote fiction," he says, And yet, Packer writes, Orwell's "reviews, sketches, polemics, columns … turned out to be the purest expression of his originality."Born Eric Arthur Blair in 1903 in India, where his father was a British civil servant, Orwell served with the Imperial Police in Burma and fought on the side of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. In Facing Unpleasant Facts he tells of tramps ("The Spike"), mad elephants ("Shooting an Elephant") and the cruelties of childhood ("Such, Such Were the Joys"). In All Art Is Propaganda, he takes on the culture at large, reviewing Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator and T.S. Eliot's poetry, and providing incisive commentary in pieces such as "Politics and the English Language," "Confessions of a Book Reviewer" and "Reflections on Gandhi."The work assembled in these two collections proves the breadth of Orwell's talent. As Packer states in his introduction, "Orwell shows, again and for the last time, that a great work of art can emerge from the simple act of seeing oneself and the world clearly, honestly, and without fear."

A contemporary of Orwell's, Graham Greene wrote a stream of classic novels, including The Power and the Glory, The End of the Affair and The Quiet American, before his death in 1991. Graham Greene: A Life in Letters is an exhaustive collection of the author's correspondence. Edited by Richard Greene (no relation), it marks the first time such a volume has been put together. Greene once estimated that in the course of a year, he wrote at least 2,000 letters. He corresponded with brothers and sisters, wives and girlfriends, children and grand – children. There are letters here to fans, business associates and literary figures of the day such as Evelyn Waugh, Muriel Spark, V.S. Pritchett and Elizabeth Bowen. Many have only recently been discovered; for years they were hidden, stashed inside the hollow of a book. Comprehensive in scope, the letters are an insightful look at one man's varied – and very well lived – life.

Classic variety

Turn to any page in Once Again to Zelda: The Stories Behind Literature's Most Intriguing Dedications by Marlene Wagman – Geller and there will be a story of romance, passion, drama or inspiration. With an international roster of authors, and a list of titles running from the contemporary to the canonical, Once Again to Zelda (the title is taken from the dedication of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby) is a delight. Inspiration for the book came by way of Grace Metalious' Peyton Place. When Wagman – Geller read the dedication, "To George, for all of the reasons he knows so well," she had to learn the story behind the story. One juicy detail led to another, and now Wagman – Geller is what she calls a "Dedication Detective."In Once Again to Zelda, she reveals how Ayn Rand's husband shares his Atlas Shrugged dedication with his wife's lover, and explains the moving tale behind John le Carre

1001 Books for Every Mood by Hallie Ephron, Ph.D., is the one guide sure to help a reader navigate the aisles of any bookstore or library. The daughter and sister of screenwriters, Ephron writes detective novels and reviews books for the Boston Globe, and the titles she's chosen are an eclectic mix. There isn't a table of contents but rather a "Table of Moods" with such options as books "to Laugh and Cry at the Same Time," books "to March into Battle," and books "to Bend Your Mind." There's even a category for those readers in the mood "to Join the Circus."In addition to determining a book's status as fictional or true, literary or a page – turner, Ephron includes such important factors as whether a book is brainy, family – friendly, movie – related or, yes, a good read for the bathroom. Ephron provides quick plot summaries for each entry, and with 1,001 options from which to choose, the chances are high of finding the perfect book for that perfect someone.

Classics re-imagined

Translator Burton Raffel gives new life to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. The epic poem has long been celebrated for its satiric wit and humor; together on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, 30 strangers pass the time by telling two stories apiece.

Raffel is a celebrated…

PhotographyFilmArts & Culture

Names in lights

Review by Pat H. Broeske

Leading men tell all

There are similarities to the careers and lives of Robert Wagner and Tony Curtis. Both were contract players who went on to 1950s – era stardom and a cool '60s ride. Each reaped the rewards of fame by paling with starry names – and enjoying women galore. After wedding famous actresses, both were in "storybook" marriages breathlessly covered by fan magazines.

That's where the similarities end, as detailed in Wagner's Pieces of My Heart, written with Scott Eyman. This holiday tell-all delivers the goods. Wagner grew up privileged, just off the Bel – Air Country Club golf course, where he caddied for the likes of Clark Gable and Fred Astaire. Just 22 when he began a four – year affair with the much older Barbara Stanwyck (she was 45) he later famously married and divorced and remarried Natalie Wood. Her 1981 death in the waters off Catalina Island continues to haunt him. Yet Wagner, who went on to find fame as a TV stalwart and is now married to Jill St. John, knows he's had an amazing ride.

A star is born

Tony Curtis enjoyed all the amenities a life in the Hollywood spotlight can bring – but you wouldn't know it to read his story, told in American Prince: A Memoir, written with Peter Golenbock. But then, the former Bernie Schwartz had a hardscrabble New York childhood: he's always been quick to use his fists. Curtis came to Hollywood by way of acting school, following a Navy stint. His pretty boy looks were his calling card-and date bait. Opening with a tryst with young Marilyn Monroe, his book does considerable bed – hopping. It was an affair with a 17 -year-old leading lady that put an end to his marriage to popular actress Janet Leigh. (Curtis says Leigh's treatment of him had left him "emotionally vulnerable.") The ugly split may have turned some of Hollywood's powerful figures against Curtis. Or so he believes. He had a string of marriages and saw his career spiral downward, despite starring in bona fide classics, including Some Like It Hot and Sweet Smell of Success.

He left Hollywood when the phone stopped ringing. Now living in Las Vegas, he's been happily married for 10 years (wife Jill has a horse ranch). For the record, he's not on the greatest terms with daughter Jamie Lee Curtis. But he's working on it.

Inside a curious mind

Alfred Hitchcock didn't go for happy endings, but he sure liked blondes. But what was behind the master of suspense's obsession with actresses including Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, Kim Novak, Doris Day, Janet Leigh and Tippi Hedren? In Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies, Donald Spoto offers a compelling psychological examination. As the author of two other Hitchcock tomes, Spoto has the credentials and sources to explore how Hitchcock's psyche impacted his films and their casting. Self – loathing and friendless with unresolved issues toward women, Hitchcock could be a cruel taskmaster. What he did to Hedren (mother of actress Melanie Griffith) during the making of The Birds and especially Marnie, was nothing short of sexual harassment – even physical abuse. (Class act that she is, Hedren eventually made her peace with Hitchcock.) The plot of Vertigo (in which James Stewart "remakes" Kim Novak into his dream woman) played to his habit of making actresses "to his dream ideal of blonde perfection." Of course, those blondes often wound up in nightmarish situations in Hitchcock's iconic films.

The Hollywood lifestyle

In the world of show business, some of the hottest properties aren't on the screen but, rather, in the rarefied worlds of Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and Holmby Hills. Leading Beverly Hills real estate broker Jeffrey Hyland knows that terrain better than anyone, as revealed in the massive, lushly illustrated The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills. This amazingly researched and illustrated history of nearly 50 incredible estates, from the ground up (as they were built), includes a who's who of notables involved, as well as an authoritative look at the convergence of architectural styles (and audacity) that are as integral to Southern California as palm trees – and it comes in a carrying case with attached handle. For looky – loos, this may be the ultimate home tour.

A studio revealed

If you saw and enjoyed PBS's five-hour documentary about Warner Bros. Studios that aired in September, you only skimmed the surface. You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story by Richard Schickel and George Perry, gives the complete saga, with a wealth of images from the archives of the 85 – year – old studio. Founded by four brothers, Warner Bros. famously popularized sound with 1927's The Jazz Singer. Its first big star was Rin Tin Tin. The studio also claimed the esteemed John Barrymore (grandfather of Drew Barrymore). But its key performers were as gritty as the movies that became the studio signatures. James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart were among those who made their mark here. Moving decade by decade (the '70s were as exciting as the '30s), the book takes us right up to The Dark Knight and Sweeney Todd, and charts the evolution of modern legends, including Clint Eastwood, who penned the foreword.

Eastwood's own metamorphosis is captured in Clint Eastwood: A Life in Pictures. Edited by Pierre – Henri Verlhac, with a foreword by Peter Bogdanovich, it follows his journey from hubba – hubba beefcake model to his status as a revered filmmaker – actor, accepting accolades and statuettes at Cannes and the Oscars. Now there's a Hollywood ending.

Beyond the best

The B-List: The National Society of Film Critics on the Low-Budget Beauties, Genre – Bending Mavericks, and Cult Classics We Love is edited by David Sterritt and John Anderson. The National Society of Film Critics is known for highbrow taste (in 2002 they turned out The A-List: 100 Essential Films). But in this entry, the members fess up about the guilty pleasures on their DVD shelves. A chapter on "Provocation and Perversity" goes bonkers for Nic Cage's loony tunes performance in Vampire's Kiss. Another on "Dark and Disturbing Dreams" salutes The Rage: Carrie 2. Here and there, a title's inclusion gives pause; Platoon a B-movie? But the bulk of the lineup reminds us why it's OK to love movies that have never made a "10 best" list.

Some of the B-titles are included in David Thomson's "Have You Seen… ?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films. It's a welcome companion to his authoritative Biographical Dictionary of Film. Arranged alphabetically, titles from 1895 to 2007 are examined on varying levels (audacious themes, forgotten performances, the tenor of the day, etc.). The erudite Thomson isn't without a sense of humor. Of Liz Taylor in Cleopatra, he notes, "Her eyelashes needed cranes!"

Leading men tell all

There are similarities to the careers and lives of Robert Wagner and Tony Curtis. Both were contract players who went on to 1950s - era stardom and a cool '60s ride. Each reaped the rewards of fame by paling with starry names…

HistoryArts & CultureArt

Red, white and blue gifts

Review by Linda M. Castellitto

William G. Scheller, author of Columbus and the Age of Discovery and America's Historic Places, among others, puts his history chops to excellent use in America: A History in Art—The American Journey Told by Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, and Architects. The book is arranged in chronological order, from the first Americans to the new millennium. Commentary and captions accompany the 300-plus reproductions, from paintings to photos, political posters to objets d'art. Social, political, economic and geographic context are explored in detail, too. For example, regarding Caltrans 7 (a Los Angeles Department of Transportation building completed in 2004), Scheller notes that, just as the architectural firm's name, Morphosis, doesn't include "meta" as a way to indicate design is changeable and fluid like our surroundings, the building itself is wrapped in a sheath that opens or closes based on the heat and light that touches it. Scheller writes, "The United States has been since its inception … a study in the balance of pragmatism and idealism; of stubborn cultural independence and slavish devotion to the foreign; of conservatism and experimentation." The artists represented here shore up that assertion: looking at America through the lens of creations by Currier & Ives, Georgia O'Keeffe, Dorothea Lange, Andy Warhol and scores of lesser-known talents is a history lesson indeed.

A CELEBRATION OF DANCE
Ailey Ascending: A Portrait in Motion is a gorgeous, heartfelt celebration of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 50th anniversary. Photographer Andrew Eccles writes in the afterword that he met Ailey in 1989 and that Ailey "choreographed our session, he kept it alive, he made it move." Ailey died three months after that encounter, but his energy and vision live on. In addition to the Dance Theater, which grew from a small troupe that had its 1958 debut at Manhattan's 92nd Street Y to a 30-member company that tours the world, there is the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, The Ailey School, the Ailey II repertory ensemble and numerous community and outreach programs. Ailey Ascending's large format and its text/image combination enhance the feeling of experiencing the dancers' world. Introductory pieces by Judith Jamison, artistic director and former lead dancer; Anna Deavere Smith; Khephra Burns and former Essence editor Susan L. Taylor describe Ailey's gifts, dedication and influence on the world of dance. The photos capture the grace of the Ailey dancers, and the range of compositions—close-ups of sculpted faces and bodies, a quartet onstage, a lone dancer stretching in front of a window as the city races by behind her—encourage contemplation and appreciation. This book is a fitting tribute to Ailey's work, which, as Burns and Taylor write, "was dance and theater, black and universal and wholly American."

PRESIDENTIAL LEGACIES
The Kunhardt family has been maintaining a collection of Lincoln memorabilia and writing about him for five generations. Now, the authors of Lincoln: An Illustrated Biography are back with the follow-up volume Looking for Lincoln: The Making of an American Icon, published to commemorate the bicentennial of our 16th president's birth. It's an "exploration of how Lincoln was remembered and memorialized in the first six decades after his life," as Doris Kearns Goodwin writes in the introduction. Accordingly, the book begins on the day of Lincoln's assassination; readers may pore over eyewitness accounts, photos of Ford's Theatre and other materials associated with April 14, 1865. The book's exhaustive attention to detail continues apace – it includes photos of Lincoln's family and friends; wartime remembrances; Frederick Douglass' recollections of his first and last encounters with the president; and more. A photo gallery makes a fitting conclusion: the book offers a variety of perspectives on Lincoln's legacy, and the images show different aspects of one of our most revered presidents.

History and architecture buffs, as well as those with a penchant for artfully done pop-up books (or perhaps the Griffin & Sabine trilogy), will delight in Chuck Wills' Thomas Jefferson, Architect: The Interactive Portfolio. Packaged in a sturdy protective sleeve, the book is filled with reproductions of architectural drawings, letters and sketches nestled in translucent pockets or secured behind flaps bearing photos of the structures in which Jefferson had a hand. This volume focuses on four in Virginia: his home at Monticello, the Virginia State Capitol, the University of Virginia and his retreat at Poplar Forest. "Jefferson has rightly been called 'the author of America,' but he can just as accurately be called 'the architect of America'," Wills says, making his case via well-written text on Jefferson's education, creations and influence on U.S. architecture. The opportunity to examine drawings, photos and descriptions of various structures makes for a heightened reading experience, one that surely will spark or renew interest in this American icon.

FIRST FAMILY TO YOURS
It's been 45 years since John F. Kennedy's presidency was tragically cut short, but the national fascination with his family remains strong. The Kennedy Family Album: Personal Photos of America's First Family will delight Kennedy-philes and photography fans with a peek into the family's daily life. The photos, by Bob Davidoff—who for 50 years was photographer-in residence at the family's Palm Beach home, until his death in 2004—depict things readers might expect: stylish adults shopping at high – end stores; cousins frolicking outdoors; and every holiday a festive event. Text by Linda Corley, a longtime producer for PBS, brings context, color and life to the images. 

There are poignant ones—JFK a few days before he was killed; matriarch Rose over the years, as she grew frail but retained her sparkle—and funny ones, from a young Maria Shriver conducting her first interview (she turned the tables on an inquisitive journalist) to Caroline Kennedy wrestling with her cousins. The Kennedy Family Album is a lovely keepsake of an important era in American history.

MAKING ART
Scrapbooking supplies—stickers, colored paper, ribbon, adhesives—line the aisles of craft and general merchandise stores, but scrapbooking, while wildly popular now, is hardly a new trend. In Scrapbooks: An American History, designer, writer and scrapbook-collector Jessica Helfand presents a visual history of these "ephemeral portraits," from the 19th century to the present. The books featured here had to meet Helfand's five criteria: they must be beautiful, tell a story, be eclectic and American, and represent celebrities and ordinary folk alike. As such, readers can explore the pages of scrapbooks created by Zelda Fitzgerald (photos, magazine covers, reviews) and Lillian Hellman (correspondence, drafts of her radio broadcasts), as well as civilians Dorothy Abraham (valentines, calling cards, a piece of school chalk) and Lawrence Metzger (invitations, canceled stamps). Pre-manufactured memory and baby books began to appear in the early 1900s, representing what the author calls a "significant cultural shift," noting "the anticipation of memory as a core emotional need … was a uniquely twentieth-century conceit." Just as Helfand worked to display and offer insight into these revealing keepsakes, she has succeeded in making Scrapbooks a valuable cultural artifact in its own right.

William G. Scheller, author of Columbus and the Age of Discovery and America's Historic Places, among others, puts his history chops to excellent use in America: A History in Art—The American Journey Told by Painters, Sculptors, Photographers, and Architects

NonfictionLiteratureLifestylesArts & Culture

The perfect holiday reads

Review by MiChelle Jones

October 1843 was the worst of times for Charles Dickens, Les Standiford explains in The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits. Despite early successes and a secure place in the literary canon, at 31, Dickens found his career, finances and marriage at low points. And yet, he rallied to write one of the most enduring tales of all time in just six weeks. Showing how the Carol (as Dickens referred to the novella) developed in Dickens' mind—inspired by a lifelong love of Christmas, a belief in social responsibility and a hope of quick financial rewar—is just one of the accomplishments of Standiford's entertaining book. He also covers the publishing and copyright industry of the mid-1800s, the history of the Christmas holiday and provides a view of life in England during the Victorian Age. Standiford includes a succinct paraphrasing of A Christmas Carol as well as a rundown of some of the thousands of adaptations and parodies of the work.

As an antidote to the more saccharine expressions of holiday cheer, turn to John Grossman's fourth holiday book, Christmas Curiosities: Odd, Dark, and Forgotten Christmas. Culled from the author's collection of antique postcards and advertisements, this parade of evil spirits, surly Santas and bad children also has a (slightly) softer side, showing the evolution of the old elf from European figure to all-American icon.

Christmastime in the city
Whether you use A Very New York Christmas as a planner for Christmases future or memory book of Christmases past, this little book makes a delightful Christmas present. Featuring the beautiful artwork found on Michael Storrings' NYC-themed holiday ornaments, the book takes readers on a colorful watercolor tour of Manhattan and the other boroughs, starting with the Macy's parade. Snowflakes—Swarovski at Saks and Baccarat at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue—follow, along with St. Patrick's Cathedral, the Plaza, the Guggenheim, scenes of Central Park and a giant menorah. Then it's on to the American Museum of Natural History's Origami Tree and the tricked out Dyker Heights neighborhood before returning to Times Square for New Year's Eve. A map at book's end (rendered in watercolor, of course) shows the location of all the pictured sites.

Visions of gingerbread

If decorating a tree isn't enough of a challenge, try the confectionary wonders in Susan Matheson and Lauren Chattman's witty The Gingerbread Architect: Recipes and Blueprints for Twelve Classic American Homes. For each of the architectural styles, architect Matheson and former pastry chef Chattman include ingredients, step – by – step instructions, a dollop of history and suggestions for even more elaborate decoration. Even those of us who lack patience or coordination may be tempted to try the structures, which include an urban brownstone, an art deco gem, a Corbusier – esque "modern" house, a Victorian farmhouse and a Cape Cod.

Simpler gingerbread creations are described in Yvonne Jeffery's The Everything Family Christmas Book, along with a Spirit of Christmas Present-worthy bounty of holiday-themed games, lists of Christmas movies and TV shows, party ideas, decorating tips, etc. This is a great resource for new families or households, someone hosting the family Christmas for the first time or otherwise seeking to establish new traditions. Among the treats Jeffery includes: suggestions for reducing holiday stress and dealing with guests; the top gifts of various decades and how much they cost; and how the holiday is observed around the world.

Holidays on nice

Have a box of tissues handy when you sit down with Ed Butchart's More Pages from the Red Suit Diaries; David Sedaris, he ain't. Butchart was the official Santa at Georgia's Stone Mountain Park for 18 years and in this follow-up to 2003's Red Suit Diaries, he shares more heartwarming stories of his adventures as a real-bearded Santa. In vignettes familiar to viewers of made-for-TV holiday movies (and a couple reminiscent of Miracle on 34th Street), Butchart astounds little kids with his insider knowledge, puts parents at ease and delights in seeing second-generation visitors. He also makes a few miracles happen through the ministry he founded with his late wife, Friends of Disabled Adults and Children (FODAC).

October 1843 was the worst of times for Charles Dickens, Les Standiford explains in The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits. Despite early successes and a secure place in the…

LiteratureArts & Culture

Conan Doyle steps out of the shadow of Sherlock Holmes

Review by Chris Scott

The "death" of Sherlock Holmes in 1893's "The Final Problem" sparked worldwide grief. As recounted by Russell Miller in The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Prince of Wales was said to be particularly anguished. In the City of London, workers sported black armbands or wore black mourning crepe tied round their top hats; in New York 'Keep Holmes Alive' societies sprang into being." Conan Doyle, by then one of the world's most popular authors, found himself reviled – one old lady hit him with her handbag. But he'd had enough of Holmes and was happy to send him over the Reichenbach Falls in Moriarty's grasp. The detective had come to eclipse everything Conan Doyle did. He wanted to move on, saying the killing of Holmes was self – defense, "since if I had not killed him, he would certainly have killed me."Miller's new biography of Conan Doyle is a masterful compilation of the life and times of the man who, despite his efforts at literary homicide, is remembered principally as the creator of Holmes and his friend and colleague, Dr. Watson.

One of the joys of the book is to see Conan Doyle's myriad inspirations for the characters, locations and plots with which Conan Doyle filled his most famous stories. Miller presents Dr. Joseph Bell, one of Conan Doyle's instructors at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, who could deduce a patient's illness at a glance by observing what others merely saw. The plot of The Hound of the Baskervilles is revealed to have originated in a chance encounter with a young journalist on a sea voyage from South Africa. Conan Doyle himself, and his experience as a struggling physician, provided a model for Dr. Watson, the chronicler of Holmes' remarkable skills.

But as Conan Doyle always took pains to point out, his life consisted of much more than Sherlock Holmes. Miller's book therefore emphasizes the "other" Conan Doyle, the man whose long life was filled with adventures every bit as wondrous and sometimes as dangerous as any fictional detective. As a writer, Conan Doyle made his reputation on historical novels and short stories, painstakingly researched works that sold well but that never received the serious acclaim he hoped for. His love of action and his jingoistic patriotism led him to volunteer for service in the Boer War and World War I, both of which he defended tirelessly even as they became bloody morasses. On the home front, the firmly anti – religious author often fought for reform, whether railing against Britain's archaic divorce laws or championing those wrongfully accused of crime. He was a formidable advocate, Miller notes, because "once Conan Doyle made up his mind he was unstoppable, impervious to argument, blind to contradictory evidence, untroubled by doubt." But his final crusade, in the cause of spiritualism, nearly destroyed his reputation, leading as it did to a published article in which he forcefully presented "proof" for the existence of fairies.

Conan Doyle was a remarkable, complicated man and The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle does great justice to this great author, finally bringing him out of the shadow of his greatest creation.

Chris Scott reads Holmes stories in Nashville.

The "death" of Sherlock Holmes in 1893's "The Final Problem" sparked worldwide grief. As recounted by Russell Miller in The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle, "The Prince of Wales was said to be particularly anguished. In the City of London, workers sported black armbands or…

MusicArts & Culture

The remarkable life of a blues icon

Review by bookpagedev

It’s a long way from Stovall, Mississippi, to the South Side of Chicago. Yet once Muddy Waters had his fill of sharecropping and made the trek north in 1943, he would embark on a legendary career that established him as a pre-eminent American bluesman. Veteran music writer and Memphis resident Robert Gordon has written a well-documented, anecdote-filled biography of Waters (born McKinley Morganfield) in Can’t Be Satisfied, a book that also functions as a mini-history of American blues, focusing on Waters contemporaries such as Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon and Big Bill Broonzy, as well as the important recording work accomplished at Chicago’s Chess Studios. Waters first came to the attention of folklorist Alan Lomax, who made some vital yet primitive recordings of his distinctive slide-guitar stylings in 1941. When Waters finally left his hardscrabble Mississippi Delta roots behind, he became an icon of the blues world, with all the attendant adulation and personal ups and downs that status entails. Gordon’s compellingly written narrative captures Waters’ amazing life on the road, the incredible cast of generally unknown but gifted sidemen who surrounded him, including pianist Otis Spann, harmonica player Little Walter and guitarist Jimmy Rogers, as well as the local color of life in the Windy City, where the blues was revered but remained almost a cultish pursuit until British rockers like The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton brought international attention to it in the 1960s. In many ways, modern-day gangsta-rappers have nothing on Waters, who often held court over a music culture characterized by cash money, guns, booze, a welter of wives and lovers, and often-illegitimate offspring. Yet while many of his contemporaries were left by the wayside imprisoned, victimized by drugs or just plain tired of the life Waters persevered, continuing to sing and play almost to his death in 1983 at the age of 70. The blues were around way before I was born, Waters once said. They’ll always be around. Long as people hurt, they’ll be around. Gordon’s book captures this truth in riveting fashion, providing a portrait of a man who was certainly no saint but was, without question, an essential and vastly influential artist. The book’s extensive footnotes offer a treasure trove of interesting facts and fascinating stories about the American blues scene. The volume also includes a brief but poignant foreword by Keith Richards and 16 pages of black-and-white photos.

It's a long way from Stovall, Mississippi, to the South Side of Chicago. Yet once Muddy Waters had his fill of sharecropping and made the trek north in 1943, he would embark on a legendary career that established him as a pre-eminent American bluesman.…

PhotographyNatureHistoryArts & CultureArt

Know it all

Review by Alison Hood

Life lessons, love, work, peace and the future of our precious planet: these are the subjects under idiosyncratic discussion by 50 notable individuals interviewed in writer/photographer Andrew Zuckerman's sublime, engaging book Wisdom, which is accompanied by a DVD of the author's documentary of the same name. Zuckerman, who says he has always enjoyed meeting accomplished older people spent months traveling the globe to glean words of wisdom from an eclectic, over – age – 65 group of luminaries, which includes Nelson Mandela, Kris Kristofferson, Chinua Achebe, Judi Dench, Jane Goodall, Andrew Wyeth, Billy Connolly, Vaclav Havel and Clint Eastwood.

For each interview, the author composed seven original questions, asking for candid thoughts on the definition and nature of wisdom and human life here on Earth.

The far-ranging, pointed and often surprising responses, along with dramatic color photographic portraits of the interviewees, make for a hope-filled, inspirational book for all generations, as evidenced by this graceful and succinct contribution from Nelson Mandela: "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."

HEADLINE NEWS
The New York Times, that dominant icon of the Fourth Estate, is celebrated in all its page-one glory in The New York Times: The Complete Front Pages, 1851-2008. This is a heavyweight knockout of a book, a reprinted compilation of more than 300 front pages organized into 16 historical eras—from the Civil War (one notable, oddly low-key headline from September 1862 touts Lincoln's controversial Emancipation Proclamation by stating "Highly Important: A Degree of Emancipation") to the Cold War to our post-9/11 times of uncertainty.

This amazing encyclopedia of journalism is finely enhanced by pertinent, reflective essays written by Times staffers such as William Safire, William Grimes, Gail Collins and Thomas L. Friedman. From its witty, trenchant opening by Times executive editor Bill Keller to the final front-page weigh-in on the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal, much of the news "that's fit to print" is here, along with a magnifying glass (thankfully) and a three-DVD set of all the Times front pages, with indexing and online links to complete articles. The featured front pages have been selected with significant historical insight and artfully arranged to make an exceptional reference for aficionados of journalism, history and world affairs. A newspaper's front page is, by design, an eclectic and far – ranging mix of stories and is, says Keller, "imperfect, evolving and quite possibly endangered."

This extraordinary, eye-popping collection of reportage may, at least for now, ensure its survival.

AROUND THE WORLD
Though the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have passed, the world still has its collective eye on China. China: Portrait of a Country compiled by Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Liu Heung Shing, and with thoughtful, intelligently nuanced essays on Chinese history and photography by journalist James Kynge and art critic Karen Smith, focuses on an often mysterious and complex culture. This groundbreaking photographic book relays a stunning visual story of the birth and growth of modern China, from 1949 to present day, in photos from 88 Chinese photographers (along with their individual biographies), including those by Chairman Mao's personal photographer, Hou Bo. From formalized propaganda shots and portraits of Party leaders to the candid recordings of daily life in cities and rural regions, China offers readers incredible insight into the country's physical, emotional and spiritual infrastructures, an intimate perspective ably enhanced by cogent, well-researched captions and quotes from Chinese intellectuals and artists, as well as international historians, diplomats and academicians. The collected images are disturbing, memorable and moving—from the frame of carnage and crushed bicycles in Tiananmen Square, to a toddler exuberantly waving a copy of Mao's Quotations, to the quiet delight of four elderly women as they totter around the Forbidden City on tiny bound feet.

Emblazoned across the cover of Canadian artist and writer Patrick Bonneville's Timeless Earth: 400 of the World's Most Important Places are Kofi Annan's wise words: "We should emphasize what unites us much more than what divides us." This gorgeous book shows, in hundreds of pages of incomparable color photos, cogent fact and wake-up-call quotations, the absolute necessity of that statement. This is a book with sweeping breadth: it is a rallying call to support mankind's common heritage, as well as an atlas and guide to at least 400 UNESCO World Heritage sites, which are natural and cultural places vital to mankind. It is a virtual passport for the armchair globetrotter and an enticement to those who long to explore our planet.

Divided into three sections, "The Natural World," "Human Culture" and "The Modern World," Timeless Earth offers concise data about each site and its present state of preservation, accompanied by sumptuous photography that almost makes the text superfluous (almost). A maps section, which locates hundreds of World Heritage Sites, rounds out the volume. Timeless Earth represents an adventure that transports readers to wilderness preserves, parks and waterways, monuments, cities and mountain ranges from the Amazon to the Serengeti, from Versailles to Istanbul and back to the Rockies. As a peerless tour leader, this information-packed reference will not disappoint.

FINE ART
Remember that art history class you took in college? Well, if you're a bit fuzzy on your ancient artifacts, Florentine frescoes, Klee, Klimt or Kandinsky, pick up Art—and you'll need strong biceps to do it. This stupendous compendium explores everything to do with artistic expression: use of color, composition and medium; theory and technique; themes, schools and movements, artworks and artists. Kicked off by a small poetic essay by Ross King (Brunelleschi's Dome), a team of international art experts offers a crash course in art appreciation, then leads readers through six chronological sections (from prehistory to contemporary) devoted to pre-eminent artworks and artists. Chock-full of gorgeous color reproductions and images, helpful timelines, detailed close – ups, artists' biographies, and with histories and explanations written in clear, concise prose, Art is a standout book for any student or aficionado, a volume King aptly describes as "an admirable feat and a true joy."

Norma Stephens, longtime colleague of the late, legendary photographer Richard Avedon, knew well his love of performance, especially the theater. "He looked with a reverent, unsentimental eye at performers, always acknowledging the craft and the complexity," she says in Performance: Richard Avedon, a bold, intriguing archive of more than 200 portraits capturing the performers—actors and directors, musicians, comedians and dancers—who dominated 20th-century stage and screen.

This predominantly black-and-white collection of images includes many of Avedon's best – known photos, notably the stunning nude of dancer Rudolf Nureyev and the sexy-vampy headshot of Marilyn Monroe, but also features lesser-known photo galleries of theatrical performers, musicians and dancers exuberantly engaged in their art. Enlivened by personal recollections and memoi- style essays from critic John Lahr and artists Mike Nichols, Andre Gregory, Mitsuko Uchida and Twyla Tharp, this volume will help readers appreciate anew the carefully crafted underpinnings—Avedon's own brand of staging and, thus, performance—and psychological insight of this artist's work and photographic legacy.

Life lessons, love, work, peace and the future of our precious planet: these are the subjects under idiosyncratic discussion by 50 notable individuals interviewed in writer/photographer Andrew Zuckerman's sublime, engaging book Wisdom, which is accompanied by a DVD of the author's documentary of the same…

Arts & CultureArt

The media of the messages

Review by MiChelle Jones

Steven Heller's Iron Fists: Branding the 20th Century Totalitarian State concentrates on the aesthetic programs of the Nazis, Italy's fascists, Russia's Marxists and China's Communists. Heller begins with an overview of each regime's rise to power, overall design identity and the cult of personality that grew around each of the leaders: Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin and then Stalin, and Mao.

Heller assumes a basic familiarity with design movements, yet the book is also accessible to non-experts through abundant illustrations and because some of the concepts transcended their regimes to become either prototypical or iconographic. These include the striking diagonals and photomontages of Russian Constructivist posters and the ubiquitous red plastic-covered Little Red Book of Mao's writings. But nothing comes close to the overreaching and frighteningly successful design campaign instituted by the Nazis, which, as Heller puts it, "ultimately became a textbook example—indeed a perverse paradigm—of corporate branding." To that end, he discusses the use of typefaces, photographs of Hitler, posters and almost every other sort of media put in service of the Nazi platform.

Ennis Carter's Posters for the People: Art of the WPA celebrates the 75th anniversary of FDR's New Deal through posters created between 1935 and 1943 by the Works Progress Administration. Of the 35,000 designs created (and more than two million posters printed), there are only 900 in the Library of Congress collection. This leaves many posters waiting to be rediscovered; one such cache was the impetus of this book.

Brief, informative essays by Carter and Christopher DeNoon (Posters of the WPA) open the book, but for the most part the 500 reproduced posters, grouped according to "values being promoted and the actions being encouraged," speak for themselves. Some are quaint and innocent (lots of milk drives, children's art classes, farm events), some less so (quite a few tout treatment for syphilis). Among the most striking designs: posters integrating intricate patterns drawn from Native American pottery and textiles; a travel series showcasing national parks and other sites; and a surprisingly gorgeous trade zone poster featuring stylized black ships with colorful smokestacks against a blue background.

Steven Heller's Iron Fists: Branding the 20th Century Totalitarian State concentrates on the aesthetic programs of the Nazis, Italy's fascists, Russia's Marxists and China's Communists. Heller begins with an overview of each regime's rise to power, overall design identity and the cult of personality that…

Pop CultureArts & Culture

Gladwell’s secrets of success

Review by John T. Slania

After exploring the dynamics of social change in The Tipping Point, and decision-making in Blink, Malcolm Gladwell turns to the subject of success in his new book, Outliers. Written in Gladwell's typical breezy, conversational style, Outliers seeks to discover what makes people smart, wealthy or famous. Gladwell argues that in studying successful people, we spend too much time on what they are like and not enough time on where they are from. In other words, he believes that it is "their culture, their family, their generation and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringings" which determines their success.

One of the joys of Gladwell's writing is the way he explains complex theories using everyday examples. In Outliers, he makes the case that success is sometimes shaped by the smallest factors. Take a person's birthday. The most successful Canadian hockey players are born in January, February and March, Gladwell writes, simply because the cut-off date for age class hockey in Canada is January 1. Thus, those born after that date are held back a year, giving them an age and size advantage.

Environment also plays a big role in success. Gladwell compares the lives of two geniuses: physicist Robert Oppenheimer and a little-known Missouri man named Christopher Langan. Both were tested and found to have high IQs. But Gladwell argues that Oppenheimer had a huge advantage being raised in a wealthy, educated family, while Langan was born into a poor, broken family. Oppenheimer went to Harvard and Cambridge and helped develop the nuclear bomb. Langan had poor grades in school, never finished college and makes money competing on TV game shows.

Then there is the factor of opportunity in shaping success. Why was Bill Gates successful? Well, he was smart, but he also grew up when the personal computer was coming of age, offering him opportunities to tinker and create new software. Gladwell's unique perspective challenges readers to think about intelligence, success and fame in a new way. Outliers is a clever, entertaining book that stimulates readers' minds and broadens their perspectives. It is, in its own way, genius.

After exploring the dynamics of social change in The Tipping Point, and decision-making in Blink, Malcolm Gladwell turns to the subject of success in his new book, Outliers. Written in Gladwell's typical breezy, conversational style, Outliers seeks to discover what makes people smart, wealthy or…

MusicArts & Culture

Hoagy, Lil and all that jazz

Review by bookpagedev

Some of the most prominent figures in early jazz and the glory days of pop music make their bows in Richard M. Sudhalter’s Stardust Melody: The Life and Music of Hoagy Carmichael and James L. Dickerson’s Just for a Thrill: Lil Hardin Armstrong, First Lady of Jazz. Had Hoagy Carmichael (1899-1981) written no other song but Star Dust, his place in music history would be secure. But that tune, which dates back to 1926, was essentially just the beginning of his luminous career. Ahead lay such destined-to-be standards as Georgia on My Mind, Heart and Soul and In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening. Sudhalter, who is a jazz musician himself and a prodigious researcher, presents a sensitive, meticulously documented account of Carmichael’s life as a composer, recording artist, actor and radio and television personality. Central to understanding Carmichael, Sudhalter asserts, is understanding his unwavering affection for his home state of Indiana. To Carmichael, Indiana symbolized the mythic rural home and simple life (both metaphors for youth) that he yearned for. He was born in Bloomington, spent most of his early years there and attended Indiana University. Although he studied law and was finally admitted to practice, it was always jazz that fascinated him. His bands played proms and fraternity parties throughout the region. During this period, he met and began performing with his major musical influence, the brilliant but doomed cornetist Bix Beiderbecke. A procession of gifted lyricists, including Frank Loesser and Johnny Mercer, wrote the words to Carmichael’s melodies. But Sudhalter’s research shows that Carmichael often came up with themes and key phrases and sometimes heavily edited the lyrics provided him. This goes a long way toward explaining why his songs have such a consistent voice and point of view. After Carmichael moved to Hollywood to write songs for the movies, he gradually began to act in them as well. His signature role was Cricket, “the laid-back, laconic, piano-playing sage,” in the 1944 Bogart and Bacall classic To Have and Have Not. Later, he moved into television drama. His big disappointments, Sudhalter says, were that he never wrote a successful Broadway musical nor a long-form “serious” piece, even though he tried both. With the advent of rock n’ roll in the mid-1950s, Carmichael’s run as a popular songwriter came to an end. Just for a Thrill, Jim Dickerson’s biography of Lil Hardin Armstrong, is built more on admiration than information. Except for her songs, documentary remnants of this second wife of Louis Armstrong are scarce. But this doesn’t make Dickerson’s assertion of her musical importance any less valid, and he has performed heroically in tracking down and interpreting the biographical tidbits that do remain.

Lillian Beatrice Hardin was born in Memphis in 1898. She studied piano there and enrolled briefly at Fisk University in Nashville before moving with her mother to Chicago in 1917. After taking a job demonstrating sheet music, she was invited to join a local band. From then on, she worked principally as a performer. Both she and Louis Armstrong were married to other people when they met. But in 1924, they tied the knot, and she became, in fact if not in name, his manager. She also wrote songs for him to record and played on many of his sessions. As Armstrong’s career flowered, however, and his infidelities became more flagrant, the artistic commonality that once held them together slowly vaporized. They divorced in 1938.

Dickerson credits Lil with nagging Armstrong to become a headliner with his own band instead of playing the loyal sideman in someone else’s group. Although he was a supreme trumpet player even as a young man, Dickerson says, Armstrong was too shy and reticent to assert himself. This was where Lil came in. To compensate for a paucity of autobiographical material, Dickerson contextualizes what he has, describing in great detail, for instance, the turn-of-the-century Memphis Lil grew up in. He also chronicles Armstrong’s life. In her later years, Lil Hardin Armstrong saw such stars as Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson and Peggy Lee record her songs. She ran a restaurant, designed clothing (including stage costumes for her ex-husband) and taught music and French. On Aug. 27, 1971, just over a month after Louis Armstrong died, she performed at a concert in his memory. As she finished her opening selection, St. Louis Blues, she collapsed at the piano and died. She was rumored to have been working on her autobiography, but Dickerson says it has never surfaced. Edward Morris reviews from Nashville.

Some of the most prominent figures in early jazz and the glory days of pop music make their bows in Richard M. Sudhalter's Stardust Melody: The Life and Music of Hoagy Carmichael and James L. Dickerson's Just for a Thrill: Lil Hardin Armstrong, First Lady…

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