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Biography and Memoir  | General Nonfiction

Biography and Memoir

Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer’s Life
By Kathleen Norris
A memoir based on the ancient concept of “soul weariness” explores the phenomenon’s relevance in modern culture, meditating on the ways in which depression-like acedia influenced the author’s experiences as a writer, a family member, and a patient.

Blue Genes: A Memoir of Loss and Survival
By Christopher Lukas
The author of Silent Grief offers a compelling memoir about growing up with a family legacy of depression, bipolar disorder, and suicide, as the author details his own battle with bouts of depression and his struggle with grief over the suicide of his brother, Tony, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Common Ground.

A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity: A Memoir
By Bill O’Reilly
The controversial commentator and author of The O’Reilly Factor offers an intimate account of the people, places, and experiences that have shaped his life, helped launch his career as an influential television personality, and molded his views on America, its place in the world, and modern-day issues.

Epilogue
By Anne Roiphe
Following the loss of her beloved husband, Roiphe traces her experiences with grief and widowhood, and her efforts to make new friends when her daughters place a singles ad for her in a literary journal.

An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir
By Elizabeth McCracken
The author of The Giant’s House traces her marriage and relocation to France at the height of her writing career, her devastation over her stillborn son in her ninth month of pregnancy, and her heart-wrenching grieving process.

Harry S. Truman: The 33rd President, 1945-1953 (The American Presidents)
By Robert Dallek
Traces the thirty-third president’s unlikely rise to power and his role in bringing America into the nuclear age, in a portrait that covers such topics as his perspectives on civil rights and labor, his clashes with Douglas MacArthur over the conduct of the Korean War, and his dramatic reelection in 1948.

In Search of Bill Clinton: A Psychological Biography
By John Gartner
An analysis of the private life of the forty-second president offers insight into the complexities of his personality behind the headlines, in a report that discusses such topics as his childhood in the shadow of an abusive stepfather, his infidelity, and his post-presidential work as a statesman and supportive husband during Hillary’s presidential campaign.

Lion of Jordan: The Life of King Hussein in War and Peace
By Avi Shlaim
A thought-provoking study of the life of King Hussein of Jordan examines the dominant role of the Jordanian leader in Middle Eastern politics during his long reign, his secret dialogue with Israeli leaders beginning in 1963, his role as a consistent proponent of peace with Israel, and his lasting legacy for the Middle East.

The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives
By Cheryl Jarvis
Describing how thirteen women combined forces and funds to jointly purchase a valuable diamond necklace that they would co-own, with each woman holding the necklace for twenty-eight days each year, Jarvis reveals how a simple agreement to share a piece of jewelry became a study in friendship, sharing, adventure, possibility, and the power of giving back.

Nothing to Be Frightened Of
By Julian Barnes
Based on his own memories and those of his philosopher brother, this insightful memoir about Barnes’s family offers a thoughtful meditation on the inevitability of human mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, and an argument for, against, about, and with God.  By the author of Arthur & George.

The Pages in Between: A Holocaust Legacy of Two Families, One Home
By Erin Einhorn
A reporter describes her journey back to her native Poland to uncover the true story of her mother’s childhood and the Polish family that had saved her during the Holocaust, revealing a decades-old land dispute linked to a promise to hide the Jewish child in exchange for possession of their house.

Reagan: The Hollywood Years
By Marc Eliot
A revealing new biography of America’s fortieth president focuses on his career in Hollywood, covering more than thirty years of Reagan’s film and television work, his two marriages, his two runs as the president of SAG, his relationship with agent Lew Wasserman, and the link between his role as leading man and president of the United States.

Résistance: A Woman’s Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France
By Agnes Humbert
A diary by a Parisian art historian and key member of the French Resistance during the German occupation of 1940 recounts her group’s betrayal to the Gestapo, her imprisonment and deportation to Germany, and the brutal treatment she and her friends endured in labor camps.

The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine
By Somaly Mam
In a compelling memoir, a Cambodian woman sold into sexual slavery by her grandfather at the age of twelve describes the brutality of the sex trade in Southeast Asia, the horrors she experienced until she managed to escape, and her role as an activist and advocate for the victimized young women whom she has rescued from the region’s brothels.

Scattershot: My Bipolar Family
By David Lovelace
An account of the author’s experiences with his predominantly bipolar family discusses his childhood witness to his parents’ and brother’s struggles with their own symptoms, his own development of bipolar disorder, and his observations about how his family’s illness and religious faith are connected.

Something for the Pain: One Doctor’s Account of Life and Death in the ER
By Paul Austin
An ER doctor’s memoir describes the psychological impact of his profession, explaining how his daily exposure to critical illness, injury, and tragedy in the industrial setting of a modern hospital rendered him bitter and estranged from his family.

Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur
By Halima Bashir, with Damien Lewis
A Sudanese doctor speaks out about the horrors of the civil war between black Africans and the Arab-led Sudanese government as she describes her outrage over the treatment of female prisoners of the Arab government, the retaliation she faced after speaking out, and her personal struggle for survival, in a harrowing memoir of courage, family, and hope.

General Nonfiction

The Activist: John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison,  and the Myth of Judicial Review
By Lawrence Goldstone
Traces the events surrounding and legacy of the 1803 legal decision regarding judicial review that ultimately gave the Supreme Court the right to determine how the Constitution and its laws are interpreted, in an account that argues that such power was never intended for non-elected officials in a checks-and-balances system.

Against Medical Advice: A True Story
By James Patterson and Hal Friedman
A nonfiction account by the best-selling suspense author follows a family’s decades-long struggle with their son’s mysterious medical disorder that, from the age of five, induced violent physical tics and prompted traumatic treatments, a nightmarish situation that also pitted the family against a disheartening medical establishment.

Against Us: The New Face of America’s Enemies in the Muslim World
By Jim Sciutto
A senior foreign correspondent for ABC News draws on his long firsthand experience in the Middle East to reassess changing attitudes toward the U.S. in the Muslim world, offering an alarming study of the depth, scope, and nature of anti-American sentiment among moderates as well as radical Islamic fundamentalists.

America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy
By Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft
Two leading foreign policy experts and former national security advisors  representing both sides of the political spectrum dissect the most significant foreign policy challenges facing the U.S. and broadly agree on the need to adapt to a new international environment.

American Lightning: Terror, Mystery, the Birth of Hollywood, & the Crime of the Century
By Howard Blum
A narrative history details a deadly explosion that ripped through the offices of the Los Angeles Times in October, 1910, part of a planned assault on one hundred American cities, the investigation – led by master detective William J. Burns – that followed, and the arrest and sensational trial of two union activists for the crime.

Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency
By Barton Gellman
The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of Contending with Kennan evaluates the ways in which Dick Cheney has redefined the role of the American vice presidency by assuming unprecedented responsibilities and wielding history-making power.

Anticancer: A New Way of Life
By David Servan-Schreiber
Outlines the author’s treatment of and remission from brain cancer, challenging traditional beliefs about typical practices and the body’s ability to heal, identifying the environmental and lifestyle factors that promote cancer growth, and outlining conventional and alternative therapies.

Before You Do: Making Great Life Decisions
By T. D. Jakes
A guide by the author of Reposition Yourself identifies twenty-five spiritual and psychological tools for reevaluating one’s place in life before making decisions about relationships with family, friends, and others, in a resource that covers such topics as anger management, finances, and parenting.

Beside Every Successful Man: A Woman’s Guide to Creating a Stay-at-Home Partnership with Your Husband
By Megan Basham
Offers an alternative for women who do not want to join the corporate rat race that explains how women can work from home by helping their spouses pursue a joint financial goal, in a guide that offers practical advice and hands-on suggestions that can benefit a family, marriage, and household income.

Bliss to You: Trixie’s Guide to a Happy Life
By Trixie Koontz as told to Dean R. Koontz
The late “service dog and co-blogger” of best-selling novelist Dean Koontz shares a whimsical and uplifting collection about living life to its fullest and finding joy in everyday experiences.

Bob Schieffer’s America
By Bob Schieffer
A volume of signature pieces by an award-winning commentator for Face the Nation covers a wide range of topics, from today’s most relevant issues and the human condition to the legacies of presidents and the everyday elements of life, in an anthology that also features original writings by the author on his life and work.

Breakthrough: The Changing Face of Medicine
By Suzanne Somers
The best-selling author of Ageless introduces the concepts of breakthrough medicine and explains how to use its innovative new treatments and techniques to prevent and eliminate the problems associated with aging through a program of nutrition, hormone balance, nutritional supplements, and more.

Capitol Men: The Epic Story of Reconstruction Through the Lives of the First Black Congressmen
By Philip Dray
A compelling history of the Reconstruction era is viewed from the perspective of America’s first black members of Congress and their key role in promoting such reforms as public education for all children, equal rights, and protection from Klan violence in the wake of the Civil War, profiling such figures as Robert Smalls, Robert Brown Elliott, and P.B.S. Pinchback.

Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters
By Bill Tancer
An Internet analyst responsible for monitoring the aggregate online research of more than ten million users every day draws on extensive online intelligence to share lesser-known insights into how people use the Web, navigate, and search for information, in an account that also explains how his work can help businesses to target consumer trends.

Danger and Opportunity: An American Ambassador’s Journey Through the Middle East
By Edward Djerejian
A former ambassador to Syria and Israel analyzes political, cultural, and military factors that are shaping today’s Arab and Muslim worlds, in a report that features his recommendations to the U.S.’s next president and suggestions for addressing current world challenges.

The Devil We Know: Dealing with the New Iranian Superpower
By Robert Baer
A former CIA operative provides a firsthand analysis of the growing power of Iran in the Middle East and its control of much of the world’s energy resources, examining its use of military force and terrorism to undermine those it considers enemies, assessing the implications of Iranian rule, and offering a provocative look at what America must do to preserve its security.

Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
By Vicki Myron, with Bret Witter
Myron traces the discovery of a half-frozen kitten in the drop-box of her small-community Iowa library and the feline’s development into an affable library mascot whose intuitive nature prompted hundreds of abiding friendships, in a tale told against the backdrop of the town’s struggles with the 1980s farm crisis.

Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes? Bodies, Brains, and Behavior – The Science Behind Sex, Love, and Attraction
By Jena Pincott
An enlightening and entertaining look at human sexuality answers more than one hundred questions about the science behind attraction, love, and sex, in a question-and-answer volume organized into three sections: Behaviors; Bodies; and Brains – that covers everything from “can your genes make you adulterous?” to “why do some men smell better to you than others?”

The Duel: Pakistan in the Flight Path of American Power
By Tariq Ali
Ali examines the increasing violence and political turmoil affecting Pakistan, the only Islamic state in possession of nuclear weapons and America’s closest ally in its battle against terrorism, as well as prospects for peace and stability in the region in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.

The Failure Factory
By Bill Gertz
The best-selling author of Enemies and Treachery argues that liberal Democrats, entrenched bureaucrats, and big-government Republicans are undermining American security and interests both here and abroad, skewering current Democratic presidential candidates, the FBI director, and other politicians for their roles in the crisis.

The First Billion Is the Hardest
By T. Boone Pickens
The legendary hedge-fund manager describes his battle back from financial disaster as he entered his seventh decade of life and the many vital lessons he learned along the way, including how to believe in oneself even if those around you do not.

The Forever War
By Dexter Filkins
An award-winning New York Times correspondent furnishes a firsthand account of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, from the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 to the modern-day wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, offering a compelling study of the people involved from all sides of the conflict.

The Freedom Agenda: Why America Must Spread Democracy (Just Not the Way George Bush Did)
By James Traub
Citing the inaugural address in which George W. Bush outlined the promotion of international democracy as a central foreign-policy theme, a cautionary analysis of America’s efforts to advance democracy considers its progress before and throughout the Bush administration.

The Grand Inquisitor’s Manual: A History of Terror in the Name of God
By Jonathan Kirsch
A provocative and popular history of the Inquisition traces the sources of its power, posing a controversial argument that its examples have inspired acts of violence in the modern West.

Green Goes with Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet
By Sloan Barnett
A straightforward guide to understanding how to render a home less toxic identifies the harmful effects of everyday household items and foods, in a volume of eco-friendly alternative options that also addresses such topics as the myths about toy-industry recalls, organic foods, and hazardous chemicals.

The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
By Annette Gordon-Reed
The author traces the history of the Hemings family from its origins in early eighteenth-century Virginia to its dispersal after Jefferson’s death in 1826, in an account that describes their family ties to the third president against a backdrop of Revolutionary America and the French Revolution.

Icarus at the Edge of Time
By Brian Greene
A futuristic retelling of the Icarus myth follows the starship Proxima on its generations-long odyssey into the farthest reaches of known space and on Icarus’s odyssey, despite the warnings of his father, to explore the mysteries of a black hole, a journey that will forever transform his life, in a scientific fable highlighted by images from the Hubble Space Telescope.

In a Time of War: The Proud and Perilous Journey of West Point’s Class of 2002
By Bill Murphy, Jr.
Documents the experiences of two West Point cadets whose class was the first in a generation to graduate during wartime, in an account that traces the first five years of their post-graduation service on the front lines.

Intrepid: The Epic Story of America’s Most Legendary Warship
By Bill White and Robert Gandt
An official history of the storied USSIntrepid and those who sailed with it follows the legendary aircraft carrier from its construction; through its service during World War II at Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, and other Pacific battles; through its part as the recovery ship for America’s early astronauts and service in Vietnam; to its role as an air and space museum in New York City.

The Irregulars: Roald Dahl & the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington
By Jennet Conant
Describes the covert intelligence operations of allied forces during World War II as experienced by wounded RAF pilot Roald Dahl, a patriot who used his charm and wits to infiltrate the upper reaches of Georgetown society and who worked with such figures as Churchill, Roosevelt, and spy chief William Stephenson to influence U.S. policy in favor of England.

The King and the Cowboy: Theodore Roosevelt and Edward the Seventh, Secret Partners
By David Fromkin
An analysis of the unlikely friendship between Edward VII of England and President Theodore Roosevelt traces their collaborative efforts during the Algeciras conference of 1906 while explaining how their alliance served as a catalyst for an international power shift.

Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Odds
By Jenny McCarthy
The best-selling author of Louder Than Words shares stories of support and healing as submitted by parents of autistic children from all over the country, in a volume that also touches on the author’s own experiences as an advocate for her son.

Murder by Family: The Incredible True Story of a Son’s Treachery and a Father’s Forgiveness
By Kent Whitaker
Recounts the devastating murder of the author’s wife and son by a gunman who was hired by his other son, an event that prompted a spiritually healing bond between the author and his son, who was sentenced to death for his part in the crime.

The Night of the Gun: A Reporter Investigates the Darkest Story of His Life, His Own
By David Carr
A confessional account of the author’s struggles with addiction traces his rise from a crack house regular to a columnist for The New York Times, describing his experienced with rehabilitation, cancer, and single parenthood.

The Numerati
By Stephen Baker
In a study of the mathematical modeling of humankind, a financial journalist offers a provocative study of the Numerati, an elite, global cadre of mathematicians and computer scientists, and how their analyses and predictions are transforming the way we live, work, buy, vote, and more.

The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own
By Nina Garcia
A companion to the popular The Little Black Book of Style identifies the essential articles of a classic and stylish wardrobe that includes clothing, cosmetics, and accessories, in a guide that features lighthearted sidebars and fashion-industry trivia.

Orange County: A Personal History
By Gustavo Arellano
A follow-up to Ask a Mexican weaves the pundit’s family story with the history of Orange County and the modern Mexican immigrant experience, in an account that follows his ancestors’ arrival in the United States, his own struggles as an illegal immigrant, and the region’s transformation into a place of violence.

Planet Google: How One Company’s All-Encompassing Vision Is Transforming Our Lives
By Randall Stross
A New York Times columnist and author of eBoys draws on interviews with Google’s CEO and the heads of its newest businesses to trace the story of the company’s ambitions and influence, covering such topics as its acquisition of YouTube to its role in reshaping business and culture.

Prevention Magazine’s Flat Belly Diet!
By Liz Vaccariello
Drawing on the resources of the popular health magazine, Vaccariello counsels readers on how to target middle-body fat stores using strategic food combinations, in a guide that also makes recommendations for reducing stress, sleeping more productively, and staying committed to a healthier lifestyle.

The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life
By Robert A. Vogel and Paul Tager Lehr
A lifestyle primer based on the practices of the Pritikin Longevity Center clarifies contradictory recommendations about diet and exercise while outlining a ten-step plan for losing weight safely and maximizing one’s longevity, in a guide that is complemented by recipes and comprehensive eating plans.

Rapture for the Geeks: When AI Outsmarts IQ
By Richard Dooling
In an entertaining and provocative study, the author of the critically acclaimed White Man’s Grave looks at the rapid pace with which technology is changing, as well as the impact on human life in a high-tech world in which computers surpass humans in intelligence.

The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small: Charting a Course for the Next Generation
By Marian Wright Edelman
A founder of the Children’s Defense Fund evaluates what has been achieved and what still needs to be done in order to make the nation safe and fair for children in an uplifting call-to-arms that is presented as a series of open letters to the author’s grandchildren, the nation’s leaders, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Secret War with Iran: The 30-Year Clandestine Struggle Against the World’s Most Dangerous Terrorist Power
By  Ronen Bergman
A top Israeli investigative reporter exposes the covert counter-jihad that the CIA and Mossad have been fighting against Iran and Hizbollah terrorists throughout the past three decades, in an account that draws on classified intelligence to reveal Hizbollah’s past attempts to infiltrate the U.S.

The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America
By James Bamford
A follow-up to The Puzzle Palace and Body of Secrets looks at the National Security Agency in the wake of September 11th, its role in the Bush administration’s controversial domestic wiretapping program, and its ongoing search for information about America’s elusive enemies.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
By Alice Schroeder
Highlighted by extensive interviews with Buffett, as well as family, friends, and colleagues, a detailed portrait of the life and career of legendary investment guru Warren Buffett sheds new light on the man, as well as on the work, ideas, business principles, strategies, and no-nonsense insights that have guided his phenomenally successful business endeavors.

The Source: Unleash Your Natural Energy, Power Up Your Health, and Feel 10 Years Younger
By Woodson Merrell
A leading integrative medicine physician outlines a six-step, three-week program for combating exhaustion and tapping one’s latent energy, in a recipe-complemented guide that blends the latest findings in medicine and neuroscience with ancient eastern practices to address key problems and enable maximum health.

Stalin’s Children: Three Generations of Love and Betrayal
By Owen Matthews
Traces the journalist author’s investigation into his own family history, during which he discovered how his grandparents were individually arrested and ultimately executed by the KGB, his mother and aunt were separated and miraculously reunited, and his parents were harassed and deported from Russia.

Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq
By Linda Robinson
This inside account of General David Petraeus’s attempt to turn around a failing war ties together military operations in Iraq and the internecine political drama that is at the heart of the civil war.

To Have the Heart to Hope
By Maya Angelou
The best-selling author of Even the Stars Look Lonesome and Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now brings together personal reminiscences, hard-won wisdom, and inspirational ideas in a new collection of short essays that include “Loving and Living Are Bold Words,” “Giving,” “Good Living Is Hard Work,” and others.

The Trouble With Boys
By Peg Tyre
Outlines the social, educational, and economic trends that have led to a crisis among America’s male children, including a lack of male role models, video-game addiction, and the demands of the  “No Child Left Behind” policy; discusses the potential repercussions; and offers helpful suggestions on how to make changes to alleviate the problem.

Whatever it Takes: One Man’s Plan to Change Harlem and America
By Paul Tough
An intriguing portrait of African-American activist Geoffrey Canada, creator of the Harlem Children’s Zone, describes his radical new approach to eliminating inner-city poverty, one that proposes to transform the lives of poor children by changing their schools, their families, and their neighborhoods at the same time.

Where War Lives: A Journey Into the Heart of War
By Paul Watson
A best-selling work in Canada by Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent describes the personal and professional challenges he met after being born without a right hand, the dangers he faced while taking his famous photograph in Somalia, and his concerns about the impact of the picture on the life of Sergeant Cleveland’s family and the world’s perceptions about terrorism.

Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran
By Andy Taylor
An intimate account by the celebrated ex-lead guitarist of the popular 1980s pop band traces his story from his first efforts as a musician at the age of five, to his successes with the Grammy Award-winning band, to his independent achievements, in a volume that addresses such topics as his controversial reputation and the legal and interpersonal disputes that drove the band apart.

Zen and Now:  On the Trail of Robert Pirsig and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
By Mark Richardson
A journalist recounts his odyssey retracing the cross-country motorcycle trip taken by Robert Pirsig and his son, Chris that inspired the classic philosophical narrative Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, detailing his journey from Minneapolis to San Francisco as he encountered many of the people and places that inspired the original work.

8/08