Glenn Beck's Common Sense, by Glenn Beck

 

A:  George Hiltzik          P:  Threshold Editions          C:  Politics/Government

NYT: -          USAT:  2          PW:

 

Inspired by Thomas Paine, Fox News star and occasional stand-up comedian Glenn Beck lays out how he feels both political parties have failed the American people, and what we as citizens can do to restore hope to our nation.

 

Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, by Mark R. Levin

 

A:                                 P:  Threshold Editions          C:  Politics/Government

NYT:  13       USAT:   13       PW:  10

 

Mark Levin, conservative radio talk show host, launches his defense on the American values and Constitutional values that he hold dear, as liberalism encroaches further.  Levin's experience in the Reagan administration and as an attorney are the foundation of his criticism of the New Deal and nearly Democratic policy that has followed.Horse Soldiers, by Doug Stanton

 

A:  Sloan Harris/ICM      P:  Scribner          C:  Other

NYT:  6         USAT:  5          PW:  2

 

Horse Soldiers unearths a previously unpublicized story about Special Forces troops who unconventionally defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan while on horseback and dramatically outnumbered.  After a first round of success, the mission turns nearly impossibly difficult and intense.  The book reads like an improbable action film of the Rambo sort, but Doug Stanton's research and writing ability grounds the tale in reality.

 

Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson

 

A: Laurie Harper             P: Penguin            C: Memoir

NYT: -           USAT: 120        PW: -

 

Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools, focusing specifically on ones for girls, that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As the book chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

 

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

 

A: - Tina Bennett           P: Little, Brown        C: Self Help/Improvement

NYT:  31         USAT:  31       PW:  27

 

In this landmark work, the author of Blink and The Tipping Point asks what makes high-achievers different. Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris

 

A: Steven Barclay Agency    P:  Little Brown   C: Memoir

NYT:               USAT:  21       PW:

 

In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life to the most deeply resonant human truths. Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, his sixth essay collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing.

 

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, by Steve Harvey

 

A:                     P:  Amistad                   C:  Self Help/Improvement

NYT:  16            USAT:   16         PW:  18

 

From the host of the popular "Steve Harvey Morning Show" comes a funny, honest, and foolproof guide for all women that takes them inside the heads of men and shows how men think about love, sex, and commitment.

 

The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch

 

A: David Black   P: Hyperion       C: Self Help/Improvement

NYT:                  USAT:   63         PW:

 

Based on the extraordinary final lecture by Carnegie Mellon University professor Pausch, given after he discovered he had pancreatic cancer, this moving book goes beyond the now-famous lecture to inspire readers to live each day with purpose and joy.

Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes, by the staff of Lifetime Television

 

A:                    P: Voice       C: Self Help/Improvement

NYT:                  USAT:   7         PW:

 

Who isn't sick of fad diets and gimmicks that rarely work?  Cook Yourself Thin is the cookbook version of the popular Lifetime television series, providing recipes that are low-fat, healthy and delicious.  Even better, the meals are designed with busy lifestyles in mind.

 

Excuses Begone, by Wayne Dyer

 

A:                    P: Hay House       C: Self Help/Improvement

NYT:                  USAT:   4         PW:  2

 

Are self-doubt and internal excuses getting in the way of your well-being and emotional development?  PBS sensation Wayne Dyer thinks so and has the solution. Self-defeat, begone!

 

An Inconvenient Book, by Glenn Beck

 

A:  George Hiltzik                    P:  Threshold Editions                   C:  Politics/Government

NYT:              USAT:   21         PW:

 

Glenn Beck is ready to tell you what's wrong with the world around you.  Al Gore is the primary target (as you might have guessed from the title), but Europeans take a few intellectual shots as well as poor people.  Somewhat gleefully offensive and politically incorrect, Beck is full of opinions, and whether you're outraged or in agreement, you'll find something on each page to react to.

 

A Bold Fresh Piece Of Humanity, by Bill O'Reilly

 

A:                     P:  Broadway     C:  Memoir

NYT:  36                  USAT:  19         PW:

 

In somewhat of a turn from his previous politically charged books, Bill O'Reilly looks back on his childhood and the influences on his life.

 

The Love Dare, by Stephen Kendrick and Alex Kendrick

 

A:                     P:  B&H            C:  Self Help/Improvement

NYT:                 USAT:  39          PW:

 

Part of the storyline of the popular 2008 Christian film Fireproof, The Love Dare is a devotional set over forty days and designed to help couples with their marriage.  Each day features a Bible verse, a challenge and an area to journal in a collective search for true love.

 

Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution, by David Zinczenko

 

A:                  P: Rodale Press         C: Health/Fitness

NYT:                  USAT: 25             PW:

 

Based on the popular column appearing in both "Men's Health" and "Women's Health" magazines, this work is a comprehensive guide to what to eat at home, from the supermarket, even at a fast-food counter.

 

What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff

 

A: Ellen Goldsmith         P: Workman Publishing Group    C: Parenting/Education

NYT: -               USAT: 64          PW: -

 

The book that every pregnant woman has on their bookshelf or nightstand is updated for today's expecting woman, including advice on Botox and tattoos in it's fourth edition.

 

Renegade, by Richard Wolffe

 

A:  Kristine Dahl/ICM.      P:  Crown   C: Politics/Government

NYT: 3               USAT:   3        PW: 2

 

Theodore White's Making of the President, 1960 is still considered the classic of the non-fiction mini-genre of presidential race stories, but Richard Wolffe, a columnist for the Daily Howler, gives Pres. Obama remarkably similar treatment in Renegade, following the now President for a year, focusing largely on his conflict with Sen. Hillary Clinton.

 

Home Game, by Michael Lewis

 

A:        P:  Norton   C: Memoir

NYT: 3               USAT:    1       PW: 2

 

Adapted from a series of essays for the website Slate, Michael Lewis looks at his experience raising three children and the unexpected adventures that ensued from fatherhood.

 

The Last Best Hope, by Joe Scarborough

 

A:      P:  Crown Forum     C:  Politics/Government

NYT:  2            USAT:   2          PW:  1

 

Former congressman and current MSNBC host Joe Scarborough has a plan to reclaim conservatism from the political movement's series of recent defeats.  Scarborough isn't interested in the personal attacks and over the top nuttiness of some of his Republican cohorts, but that also makes for a slightly drier read.

 

Are You Kidding Me?, by Rocco Mediate with John Feinstein

 

A:  Esther Newberg    P:  Little, Brown    C:  Sports/Fitness

NYT:  1            USAT:   1         PW:

 

Rocco Mediate almost won the U.S. Open last year but he happened to run into some guy named Tiger Woods.   Sportswriter John Feinstein helps bring Rocco's story to life creating a sympathetic story of the underdog running with the big dogs of the PGA.

The Yankee Years, by Joe Torre

 

A: David Black           P: Doubleday          C: Memoir
NYT: 14           USAT:  12           PW:

 

Twelve straight playoff appearances, six American League pennants, four World Series title, this is the definitive story of a dynasty--the Yankee years--from the most successful and most respected baseball manager of the modern era.

 

Crazy For The Storm, by Norman Ollestad
A:                  P:  Ecco                        C:  Memoir
NYT:  1           USAT:              PW:
At the age of 11, Norman Ollestad was the only survivor of a small plane crash.  As an adult, Ollestad looks back on the crash, his quest to survive, and the skills his renaissance man father taught him.
Divine Soul Songs, by Zhi Gang Sha
A:                  P:  Atria                        C:  Self Help/Improvement
NYT:               USAT:              PW:  1
A doctor trained in Western medical practices and Eastern philosophies, Dr. Sha teaches how soul songs are the secret to unlocking peace and success in this life.
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch
A: David Black   P: Hyperion                   C: Self Help/Improvement
NYT:                USAT:   63         PW:  60
Based on the extraordinary final lecture by Carnegie Mellon University professor Pausch, given after he discovered he had pancreatic cancer, this moving book goes beyond the now-famous lecture to inspire readers to live each day with purpose and joy.
Prairie Tale, by Melissa Gilbert
A:                  P:  Simon Spotlight            C:  Memoir
NYT:             USAT:  2            PW:  1
Adopted into a showbiz family, Melissa Gilbert found fame quickly as the star of TV's Little House on the Prairie.  From there, Gilbert found all the troubles you might expect when money and Hollywood collide.

 

The Girls From Ames, by Jeffrey Zaslow

A:                     P:  Gotham       C:  Other
NYT:               USAT:  8           PW:  6
Jeffrey Zaslow, co-author of The Last Lecture and Wall Street Journal columnist, looks into the power of friendship through the lens of eleven women who grew up in Ames, Iowa and remain friends decades later.  Zaslow learned of the women via a letter he received after a column he wrote about the power of friendship, then spent time learning about the women, their struggles and their successes.