2018 School Spending Survey Report
My Song
A Memoir The Time of Our Lives
Belafonte, Harry with Michael Shnayerson. My Song: A Memoir. Knopf. Nov. 2011. 448p. ISBN 9780307272263. $30; eISBN 9780307700483. lrg. prnt. CD: Random Audio. MEMOIR/PERFORMING ARTS Brokaw, Tom. The Time of Our Lives: Past, Present, Promise. Random. Nov. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9781400064588. $27; eISBN 9780679643920. lrg. prnt. CD: Random Audio. HISTORY Brower, Sam. Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Oct. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9781608192755. $26. LAW Chast, Roz. What I Hate: From A to Z. Bloomsbury, dist. by Macmillan. Oct. 2011. 64p. ISBN 9781608196890. $15. CARTOONS Collins, Judy. Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music. Crown Archetype. Oct. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780307717344. $26; eISBN 9780307717368. CD: Random Audio. MEMOIR/PERFORMING ARTS Covey, Stephen R. The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life's Most Difficult Problems. Free Pr: S. & S. Oct. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781451626261. $28. CD: S. & S. Audio. SELF-HELP Cussler, Clive. Built for Adventure: The Classic Automobiles of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt. Putnam. Nov. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780399158100. $50. AUTOMOBILES The Dalai Lama. A Profound Mind: Cultivating Wisdom in Everyday Life. Harmony, dist. by Crown. Oct. 2011. 208p. ISBN 9780385514675. $24; eISBN 9780307952448. RELIGION Deen, Paula. Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible: The New Classic Guide to Delicious Dishes with More Than 300 Recipes. S. & S. Oct. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9781416564072. $26.99. COOKING Fenoli, Randy. It's All About the Dress: Savvy Secrets, Priceless Advice, and Inspiring Stories To Help You Find "The One." Grand Central. Nov. 2011. 240p. ISBN 9780446585071. $26.99. FASHION Graedon, Joe & Teresa Graedon. Top Screwups Doctors Make and How To Avoid Them: Don't Be a Statistic. Crown Archetype. Oct. 2011. 272p. ISBN 9780307460912. $25; eISBN 9780307460936. HEALTH/MEDICINE Jarvis, Jeff. Public Parts: How Sharing in the Digital Age Is Revolutionizing Life, Business, and Society. S. & S. Oct. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9781451636000. $26.99. TECHNOLOGY Kaling, Mindy. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). Crown Archetype. Nov. 2011. 224p. ISBN 9780307886262. $25; eISBN 9780307886286. $25. CD: Random Audio. MEMOIR/TELEVISION Keaton, Diane. Then Again. Random. Nov. 2011. 240p. ISBN 9781400068784. $26; eISBN 9781588369420. CD: Random Audio. MEMOIR/FILM Leibovitz, Annie. Pilgrimage. Random. Nov. 2011. 248p. ISBN 9780375505089. $50. PHOTOGRAPHY Markoe, Merrill. Cool, Calm, and Contentious. Villard. Nov. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780345518910. $24; eISBN 9780345518934. HUMOR Marley, Bob. Plain and Simple Wisdom from 56 Hope Road. Harmony, dist. by Crown. Nov. 2011. 176p. ISBN 9780385518833. $16: eISBN 9780307952455. MEMOIR/MUSIC Neely, Patrick & Gina Neely. The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook: Down Home Meals for Every Occasion. Knopf. Nov. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780307592941. $28.95; eISBN 9780307700629. COOKING O'Neal, Shaquille with Jackie MacMullan. Shaq Uncut: Tall Tales and Untold Stories. Grand Central. Nov. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9781455504411. $27.95. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio. MEMOIR/SPORTS O'Rourke, P.J. Holidays in Heck: A Former War Correspondent Experiences Frightening Vacation Fun. Atlantic Monthly. Nov. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780802119858. $23. HUMOR Rice, Condoleezza. Untitled White House Memoir. Crown. Nov. 2011. 448p. ISBN 9780307587862. $30; eISBN 9780307952479. MEMOIR/POLITICS Roberts, Jon & Evan Wright. American Desperado: My Life; From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset. Crown. Nov. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780307450425. $26; eISBN 9780307450449. CD: Random Audio. MEMOIR/TRUE CRIME . And Nothing but the Truthiness: The Rise (and Further Rise) of Stephen Colbert. St. Martin's. Oct. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780312616106. $25.99. BIOG/PERFORMING ARTS
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Well-known singer and actor Belafonte begins his memoir in 1964, when he and Sidney Poitier brought $70,000 in cash to Mississippi to help the struggling Civil Rights Movement. Belafonte has been politically active throughout his life (he does not back away from his public statement that George W. Bush is a "terrorist"), and one strand of his memoir deals with the causes he has supported. He also discusses his private life—born in poverty in New York City and of Jamaican heritage, Belafonte saw service in the U.S. Navy and has had several failed marriages. He covers his public career as an American entertainment icon (which solidified with his 1956 album, ) and his interactions with many politicians and celebrities, e.g., Paul Robeson, Poitier, Marlon Brando, and Robert Kennedy, among many others. How these different strands interweave—the anger generated by the poverty and racial discrimination of his early years, the socially conscious reformer, and the well-respected entertainer—make for a potent memoir of our times. Beyond the usual interest generated by celebrity biographies, Belafonte's civil rights activism and involvement in other social causes give his memoir broader relevance. Recommended. [See Prepub Alert, 5/2/11.]—Bruce R. Schueneman, Texas A&M Univ.-Kingsville
In this neurotic spin on the classic alphabet book, longtime staff cartoonist Chast () shares a few of her least favorite things, with each letter suggesting a horror that you may never have even considered worrying about before: G for general anesthesia, K for kites, S for spontaneous human combustion, V for vision loss. As Chast writes in her introduction, this book "certainly won't take away any of your anxieties. If anything, it might add to them." While not all of the entries will resonate with everyone (who's afraid of Jell-O 1-2-3?), Chast's funny, fuzzy-lined drawings make even the most mundane object send chills of unease down your spine. Avoiding any truly scary subject matter, this spoof is suitable for readers of all ages, though hypochondriacs and fans of Chast's twisted sense of humor will especially rejoice.—Ingrid Bohnenkamp, Portland P.L., ME
Collins, with hits like "Both Sides Now" and "Someday Soon," has recorded more than 40 albums. She has published several books, mostly memoirs (1987's and 1998's ). Again and again, Collins comes back to the themes of addiction and suicide. But who can blame her? She and her son were both addicts, and her son committed suicide at the age of 33. In her latest memoir, Collins concentrates on the 1960s, when she and her fellow "folkies" (Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and others) were embarking on their careers and believed that their music could change the world. Collins rubbed elbows with everyone from Pete Seeger to Jimi Hendrix, all the while struggling with an addiction to alcohol and a custody battle for her young son, Clark. She is candid about her addiction and recovery and her lovers—most notably, Stephen Stills, who wrote "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" for her. Currently, Collins is happily married and still performing, and she continues to believe "that music can change the world." An honest assessment of the life of an acclaimed performer amid the turbulence of the 1960s. Baby boomers will especially enjoy this. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/11.]—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA
In 1977, Keaton won our hearts as the ditzy, goofy, and adorable Annie Hall in Woody Allen's Academy Award-winning movie. Her carefree and happy-go-lucky attitude, tempered by her insecurities, in many ways launched her career, though she had already appeared in Allen's and her first big role came in on Broadway. Until this eloquent, thoughtful, and often funny memoir, we knew little about Keaton's life and her family. With an ingenious approach, Keaton weaves together with her own story a memoir of her mother, Dorothy, in whom Keaton finds deep inspiration. She offers a few glimpses of her relationships with Allen, Warren Beatty, and Al Pacino, and her descriptions of her family, especially Grammy Hall and Keaton's brother, Randy, eerily parallel Annie's family in Allen's movie. The brilliance of Keaton's memoir, however, comes in her deep probing of the power and love of family and its influence on our relationships with our own children. This is a powerful memoir, written with verve by a woman who takes time to think as she writes. [See Prepub Alert, 5/9/11.]—Henry L. Carrigan Jr., Evanston, IL
There are many NBA fans, this reviewer included, who consider Shaquille O'Neal among the most charming and downright funny sports superstars of the past 20 years. His second autobiography after , which left off at the end of the 2000 season, this is written with MacMullan (NBA columnist, ESPN.com; coauthor with Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson Jr., )—and it captures Shaq's personality, verve, and honesty. The new book revisits the past and also chronicles O'Neal's journey to his 2011 retirement with four NBA titles. Shaq talks about his childhood and his relationship with his stepfather, addresses the conflicts he has had on and off the basketball court, and discusses his charities and other interests, including his studying to become a police officer in Los Angeles and Miami Beach. Readers looking for Shaq's opinions of his famous teammates (Kobe Bryant, Anfernee Hardaway, LeBron James) will not be disappointed. After all, this is ! An enjoyable read recommended to all NBA and O'Neal fans.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL
In this neurotic spin on the classic alphabet book, longtime New Yorker staff cartoonist Chast (Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, Health-Inspected Cartoons, 1978–2006) shares a few of her least favorite things, with each letter suggesting a horror that you may never have even considered worrying about before: G for general anesthesia, K for kites, S for spontaneous human combustion, V for vision loss. As Chast writes in her introduction, this book "certainly won't take away any of your anxieties. If anything, it might add to them." Verdict While not all of the entries will resonate with everyone (who's afraid of Jell-O 1-2-3?), Chast's funny, fuzzy-lined drawings make even the most mundane object send chills of unease down your spine. Avoiding any truly scary subject matter, this spoof is suitable for readers of all ages, though hypochondriacs and fans of Chast's twisted sense of humor will especially rejoice.—Ingrid Bohnenkamp, Portland P.L., ME
Collins, with hits like "Both Sides Now" and "Someday Soon," has recorded more than 40 albums. She has published several books, mostly memoirs (1987's Trust Your Heart and 1998's Singing Lessons). Again and again, Collins comes back to the themes of addiction and suicide. But who can blame her? She and her son were both addicts, and her son committed suicide at the age of 33. In her latest memoir, Collins concentrates on the 1960s, when she and her fellow "folkies" (Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and others) were embarking on their careers and believed that their music could change the world. Collins rubbed elbows with everyone from Pete Seeger to Jimi Hendrix, all the while struggling with an addiction to alcohol and a custody battle for her young son, Clark. She is candid about her addiction and recovery and her lovers—most notably, Stephen Stills, who wrote "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" for her. Currently, Collins is happily married and still performing, and she continues to believe "that music can change the world." Verdict An honest assessment of the life of an acclaimed performer amid the turbulence of the 1960s. Baby boomers will especially enjoy this. [See Prepub Alert, 4/25/11.]—Rosellen Brewer, Sno-Isle Libs., Marysville, WA
There are many NBA fans, this reviewer included, who consider Shaquille O'Neal among the most charming and downright funny sports superstars of the past 20 years. His second autobiography after Shaq Talks Back, which left off at the end of the 2000 season, this is written with MacMullan (NBA columnist, ESPN.com; coauthor with Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson Jr., When the Game Was Ours)—and it captures Shaq's personality, verve, and honesty. The new book revisits the past and also chronicles O'Neal's journey to his 2011 retirement with four NBA titles. Shaq talks about his childhood and his relationship with his stepfather, addresses the conflicts he has had on and off the basketball court, and discusses his charities and other interests, including his studying to become a police officer in Los Angeles and Miami Beach. Readers looking for Shaq's opinions of his famous teammates (Kobe Bryant, Anfernee Hardaway, LeBron James) will not be disappointed. After all, this is Shaq Uncut!
VERDICT An enjoyable read recommended to all NBA and O'Neal fans.—Todd Spires, Bradley Univ. Lib., Peoria, IL
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