Culture of Corruption, by Michelle Malkin

A:            P:  Regnery       C:  Politics/Government
NYT:  5     USAT:  5     PW:  5

It turns out, Barack Obama wasn't bad enough.  Michelle Malkin contends he brought a posse of criminals and thieves with him, including...wait for it...his wife, Michelle.  Malkin pores over perceived crimes and misdemeanors building a case that the "hope" and "change" that were promised were really just a facade for a criminal enterprise.

Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell

A: Tina Bennett       P: Little, Brown      C: Self Help/Improvement
NYT:  41      USAT:  41      PW:  41

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.

 

In The President's Secret Service, by Ronald Kessler

A:  Scott Miller/Trident Group     P:  Crown     C:  Other
NYT:  4     USAT:  4     PW:  4

Previously, the Secret Service had a very strict "no publicity" policy, but during the Bush Administration, someone decided it would be a good idea to allow a reporter unprecedented access to the agency and its usually tightlipped men in uniform.  It turns out that some of our presidents weren't quite the model citizens you might have believed and have occasionally have been in life-endangering situations.  Somewhat unfortunately, the author seems to approach the agency from a bit of a conservative perspective, so the Republican presidents are a bit more noble than their Democratic counterparts.

Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall

A:  Larry Weissman   P:  Knopf     C:  Health/Fitness
NYT:  11     USAT:  2     PW:  2

Christopher McDougall, a writer for Men's Health magazine, was trying to find out why his feet hurt after running, so he went to an appropriate source for an answer:  those who run distances far beyond the 26 miles of a marathon, racking up mileages in the triple digits.  His quest led him to the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico, who routinely run hundreds of miles at a time, barefoot.
A Bold Fresh Piece Of Humanity, by Bill O'Reilly

A:                     P:  Broadway     C:  Memoir
NYT:  44     USAT:  22         PW:  2

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 Healing of America, by T.R. Reid

A:  Gail Ross Literary Agency     P:  Penguin     C:  Politics/Government
NYT:  1     USAT:  1     PW:  1

Besides having one of the best covers of the year, NPR and Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid seems to have picked the perfect time to discuss the health care system in America.  He uses a nagging shoulder injury to examine the healing process in different cultures around the world, and spends quite a bit of time wondering what we're getting here in America for our outsized expenditures.

Catastrophe, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann

A:  Writers' Representatives     P:  Harper/HarperCollins    C:  Politics/Government
NYT:  10     USAT:  10     PW:  10

Apparently, Barack Obama is a man to be feared.  You have likely made up your mind about whether that theory is true or not already, so pundit Dick Morris' book is likely to either appeal to you or not, based on that premise.  Morris would like you to act now before it's too late.  The world is at stake.

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

A:      P: Threshold Editions      C: Politics/Government
NYT: 23      USAT:  23      PW: 22

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.

Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers

A:  Andrew Wylie  P:  McSweeney's   C:  Other
NYT:  3     USAT:       PW:  2

Dave Eggers looks at a Syrian couple's horrific experience during and following the landing of Hurricane Katrina.  Mixing in American attitudes towards those of Arab origin and the overwhelming sadness that accompanies nearly any tale of Katrina, Eggers assembles a story that would have likely remained unfortunately untold.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child

A:           P:  Knopf   C:  Other
NYT:         USAT:       PW:  4

Possibly the most famous cookbook of all time makes another run on the bestseller list, undoubtably from its exposure in the film Julie and Julia.  The next question:  will the aspic make a comeback in American kitchens?

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

A:      P: Amistad       C: Self Help/Improvement
NYT:      USAT: 31      PW: 30

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:  72     PW:  72

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.

A Big Little Life, by Dean Koontz

A:  Robert Gottlieb   P:  Hyperion   C:  Memoir
NYT:  1     USAT:  1     PW:  1

A dog taught Dead Koontz how to really live.  I'm sure there's more to this book than that, but at this point, this might be one touching dog book too many.