It's memoir time! You had to suspect that post-mortem titles by Edward Kennedy and Patrick Swayze would surge up the charts, but possibly because I'm hopeless naive, I thought once the shocking revelation from Mackenzie Phillips' book was Oprahfied might keep her off the bestseller lists. Malcolm Gladwell (who has a collection of his New Yorker articles coming this month) and Steve Harvey may not ever go away, but otherwise there was largely a clean sweep of the charts for new titles. David Jeremiah, a California pastor, shows up for a month, but to balance things out, we have noted atheist Richard Dawkins. While I'm trying to wash the image of Glenn Beck in a weird miltary outfit from my brain, the book of the month might be the utterly depressing but fascinating Pat Tillman bio by Jon Krakauer. First of all, Krakauer is a masterful writer, but the amount of research he put into trying discover what really happened to Tillman in Afghanistan and how he got there makes his book nearly a must read. ...
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dan Gibson is a writer and editor who cannot resist the siren's call of Tucson, Arizona, moving away several times only to be drawn back again. He joined The Editorial Department in spring of 2009 to co-manage Between the Lines and to monitor and report on all manner of publishing trends. Between bouts of glazed-over staring at a computer screen, he tries to spend as much time as he can with his family, the stack of compact discs piled on his desk and playing soccer.
Author Testimonials
I've come to think of TED as my easily accessible writing family. Like a good family, TED tells me what works, what doesn't, and shows me how to push forward. Peter Gelfan lends an incredible mind to this process, and your website offers writers information they'll not find anywhere else.
Charlene Dietz
Torreon, NM
Need some professional guidance on a manuscript you've written or are writing? Have you considered hiring TED and want to know more about what to expect? Check out our Downloadable Guide for New & Prospective Clients.(Left click to view or print. Right Click/Save As... to save for future reference.)
Need some professional guidance on a manuscript you've written or are writing? Have you considered hiring TED and want to know more about what to expect? Check out our Downloadable Guide for New & Prospective Clients. (Left click to view or print. Right Click/Save As... to save for future reference.)
