Week of July 5, 2012
In the Garden Of Beasts
Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin
The best-selling author of Devil in the White City documents the efforts of William E. Dodd, the first American ambassador to Hitler's Germany, to acclimate to a residence in an increasingly violent city where he is forced to associate with the Nazis while his daughter pursues a relationship with Gestapo chief Rudolf Diels.
News and Reviews
Bossypants
The breakout star of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock gives a humorous account of her life, as well as behind-the-scenes stories from her hit shows.
News and Reviews
I Remember Nothing
And Other Reflections
In a hilarious collection of personal essays, the best-selling author of I Feel Bad About My Neck discusses her career in journalism, divorce, a long-anticipated inheritance with unanticipated results, the evolution of her relationship with her email inbox and more.
News and Reviews
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling numerous medical and scientific discoveries.
News and Reviews
Turn Right at Machu Picchu
Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
A re-creation of Hiram Bingham III's discovery of the ancient citadel of Machu Picchu, in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Describes Bingham's struggles with rudimentary survival tools and his experiences at the sides of local guides.
News and Reviews
Unlikely Friendships
47 Remarkable Stories From the Animal Kingdom
A collection of stories about animals that have forged unlikely, abiding bonds with other animals of different species, from Koko the gorilla and All Ball the kitten to Owen the hippo and the tortoise Mzee.
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
Alexandra Fuller's book traces the stories of her parents' respective childhoods in Kenya and England, recounts her own upbringing in Africa and offers insight into the impact of their beliefs and the waning of the British empire on her parents' marriage.
News and Reviews
F in Exams
The Very Best Totally Wrong Test Answers
Humor writer Richard Benson collects hilariously wrong test answers.
News and Reviews
The Eighty-Dollar Champion
Snowman, The Horse That Inspired a Nation
Elizabeth Letts traces the story of a champion equine jumper and the Dutch farmer who rescued him from the slaughterhouse, recounting the way the farmer discovered the horse's jumping talents and trained him to compete against the world's most expensive thoroughbreds.
I Feel Bad About My Neck
And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
A new collection of witty essays by the author of Wallflower at the Orgy offers a hilarious look at the ups and downs of being a woman of a certain age, discussing the tribulations of maintenance and trying to stop the clock, menopause, empty nests, her experiences of being a White House intern during the JFK years and more.
News and Reviews
Outliers
The Story of Success
The author of Blink identifies the qualities of successful people, posing theories about the cultural, family and idiosyncratic factors that shape high achievers, in a resource that covers such topics as the secrets of software billionaires, why certain cultures are associated with better academic performance, and why The Beatles earned their fame.
News and Reviews
Destiny of the Republic
A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President
This narrative account of President James Garfield's political career offers insight into his background as a scholar and Civil War hero; his battles against the corrupt establishment; and Alexander Graham Bell's failed attempt to save him from an assassin's bullet.
News and Reviews
The Devil in the White City
Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America
An account of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 relates the stories of two men who shaped the history of the event — architect Daniel H. Burnham, who coordinated its construction, and serial killer Herman Mudgett.
News and Reviews
Born To Run
A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Recounts the author's experiences with the reclusive Tarahumara Indians, whose techniques allow them to run long distances with ease, and describes his training for a 50-mile race with the tribe and a number of ultramarathoners.
News and Reviews
The Greater Journey
Americans in Paris
The best-selling author of 1776 tells the story of the generations of American artists, writers and doctors who traveled to Paris — the intellectual, scientific and artistic capital of the Western world — fell in love with the city and its people, and changed America through what they learned there.














