Have A Little Faith, by Mitch Albom

A:  David Black        P:  Hyperion       C:  Self Help/Improvement
NYT:  1     USAT:  1     PW:  1

A more cynical man than I might say that Mitch Albom is returning to the formula that made him famous with Tuesdays with Morrie, in which an older wise man teaches him the way to really live life, but I prefer to assume that the somewhat similar themes are more of a coincidence.  Albom looks at the lives of two religious figures in his life (a pastor and a rabbi) and ponders the deep questions in life.

Arguing with Idiots, by Glenn Beck (and others)

A:                          P:  Threshold Editions     C:  Politics/Government
NYT:  2      USAT:  2     PW:  2

Glenn Beck explains how win arguments with those who don't understand the intellectual world of Beck.  Big government is the enemy and knowledge is the cannon firing at the walls of ignorance.

 

True Compass, by Edward Kennedy

A:                          P:  Twelve                      C:  Memoir
NYT:  3      USAT:  3     PW:  3

The legendary (and, if you ask some, infamous) Ted Kennedy wraps up his recently finished life with his memoir, discussing the highs and lows of his fifty years in the public eye.
The Life of My Life, by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi

A:               P:  Atria                         C:  Memoir
NYT:  1      USAT:  1     PW:  1

After thirty years in the spotlight, Patrick Swayze was diagonsed with terminal cancer.  He fought bravely, buoyed by the love of his wife, and this book details their life together and, of course, stories of the movies that made Swayze famous.

The Murder of King Tut, by James Patterson and Martin Dugard

A:  Jennifer Rudolph Walsh     P:  Little Brown     C:  True Crime
NYT:  1      USAT:  1     PW:  1

We might generally expect ficitious murders from James Patterson (well, stories about fictitous murders, actually), but this time, he turns a historical murder mystery into a non-fiction novel of sorts.  Patterson and Dugard dug through the archelogical records to create a storyline that might explain what really happened to the boy king.

High on Arrival, by Mackenzie Phillips with Hilary Liftin

A:                             P:  Simon Spotlight      C:  Memoir
NYT:  2      USAT:  2     PW:  2

At this point, most people have heard the shocking incest allegations from former One Day at a Time star Mackenzie Phillips's memoir, but there's a bit more to this book that the standard "I used to be famous, and here's how I screwed my life" story than can fill many celebrity books.  Phillips tells a gut-wrenching story of struggling with addiction and shares something that might help someone else in their journey.

Where Men Win Glory, by Jon Krakauer

A:  John Ware      P:  Doubleday     C:  Biography
NYT:  3    USAT:  3     PW:  3

Jon Krakauer makes an effort to get to the bottom of the Pat Tillman story, and emerges with a story that the reader will almost wish was fiction, but instead is heartbreakingly real as a NFL star walks away from millions of dollars to fight for his country, only to have that same country betray him in life and death.

The Greatest Show on Earth, by Richard Dawkins

A:  Holly Bemiss   P:  Free Press    C:  Science/Theology
NYT:  2     USAT:  2     PW:  2

If you're a believer in the modified theory of creationism called intelligent design, Richard Dawkins has a few words for you, with a parade of evidence for evolution.

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

A: Tina Bennett       P: Little, Brown      C: Self Help/Improvement
NYT:  46      USAT:  46      PW:  44

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.

Official Book Club Selection, by Kathy Griffin

A:  Trena Keating   P:   Ballantine     C:  Memoir
NYT:  4     USAT:  4    PW:  4

You have to wonder how long Kathy Griffin can say she's on the "D List", after winning several Emmy awards and now with a best-selling memoir.  Kathy settles a few scores with famous people she feel slighted her and also tells an interesting story about her life in the process.

Living With Confidence in a Chaotic World, by David Jeremiah

A:  Sealy Yates   P:  Thomas Nelson    C:  Self Help/Improvement
NYT:         USAT:  1     PW:  

The senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, David Jeremiah unlocks prophetic clues about the end of this world and gives advice to believers on how to keep their head above the waters of heathenism, etc.

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

A:      P: Amistad       C: Self Help/Improvement
NYT:      USAT:  36      PW:  35

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.