January Magazine | Book Reviews & Author Interviews

Landing in the Executive Chair by Linda Henman
So you scrabble and you scramble and you poke and prod and push your way to the top. You step on all the heads necessary to take the big corner office and, once you get there, you sit back with a big scary sigh and say, “What now?”

The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet
Half a century after the debut publication of The Curve of Time, the first person account of a young widow’s travels with her five children on a 25-foot coastal cruiser of the shores of British Columbia still captivates.

Just Tell Me What to Eat! by Timothy S. Harlan
You can barely turn on a television or open a newspaper anymore without reading about obesity: how its cutting a swath through the health of America. It almost seems that, as a culture, we’re out of control, and we just don’t know what to do.

The Tattooed Girl by Dan Burstein, et al.
Something happens when a book goes all mega-seller. Take, for instance, Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series. It just seems that, without much seeming effort and all of a sudden people want to start running in your tracks and scraping off a bit of what you’ve created.

Celebrating the 2010-2011 Season of the Vancouver Canucks by Andrew Podnieks
Considering the way it all turned out -- cars on fire and a city in shame -- some would say the Vancouver Canucks hockey club doesn’t have anything to celebrate about their most recent season. Those people would be wrong.

Rawhide Down by Del Quentin Wilber
While the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert are still somewhat shrouded in mystery, more details about the 1981 attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan emerge as time goes on.

Pacific Air by David Sears
How Fearless Flyboys, Peerless Aircraft, and Fast Flattops Conquered the Skies in the War with Japan is Pacific Air’s subtitle but could just as easily be a quite accurate sell line because it describes the book so completely.

Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed-Down World by Lisa Bloom
Lisa Bloom, lawyer, author, famous daughter (to women’s rights attorney, Gloria Allred) and frequent television talking head, is trying to rekindle girl power. Think is a smart book that calls on women and girls to assess what it means to be part of a culture that often rewards beauty over brains.

The Natural Laws of Good Luck by Ellen Graf
Ellen Graf’s The Natural Laws of Good Luck is one of those memoirs that, if it were presented to you as fiction, you’d scoff and send it back. Incredible but true, then, that this is the story of the author’s own marriage.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
Larson is a phenomenal writer and his ability with creative and narrative non-fiction is near-legendary. A former Wall Street Journal and Time contributor, Larson is best known as the author of Devil in the White City, his riveting 2003 look at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Pragmatics of Human Communication by Paul Watzlawic, Janet Beavin Bavelas and Don D. Jackson
Our first reaction when it spilled out of its packaging was, “Wait. Really? What?” The title, after all, does not inspire the idea that this will be an easy Sunday read and, truly, it felt as though some sort of mistake had been made.

Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred: Seriously Geeky Stuff to Make with Your Kids by David Erik Nelson
Ever sat around and said, “Wow: I wish I could help my kids make an electro-didgeridoo.” Or, why think small? Why not a whole Electro-Skiffle Band? And, sure, not all of us are into music. So maybe you’ve always wanted to make a water rocket with your children, but you just didn’t know how.

Bringing Adam Home: The Abduction That Changed America by Les Standiford
America seems to lose its collective innocence once or twice a generation.

Powering the Dream: The History and Promise of Green Technology by Alexis Madrigal
We feel a certain arrogance, perched here as we are on the edge of the brave new world. We know that new things are close by: a whole revolution of them. And us? We’re going to be part of the change. All of us. It’s a new day.

WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy by David Leigh and Luke Harding
In the autumn of 2010, a media event occurred that, over the fullness of time, will likely alter the course of history when an avalanche of previously secret diplomatic documents were released on an unsuspecting public.

The Healthy Home by Myron Wentz and Dave Wentz
The subtitle of The Healthy Home is frightening: “Simple Truths to Protect Your Family from Hidden Household Dangers.” That is, it would be frightening if the material the book contained had been organized in a less childish way.

Ugly Beauty: Helena Rubinstein, L’Oréal and the Blemished History of Looking Good by Ruth Brandon
British historian, biographer and novelist, Ruth Brandon, has been making a habit of writing very good books on art and culture-related topics.

Half a Glass: The Realist’s Guide by Craig Price
No one likes a party pooper, yet in Half a Glass humorist and professional speaker, Craig Price, advises readers to get their poopyness in hand and use it all for good, instead of evil.

Collaboration Soup by Delia Horwitz and Paula Vigneault
I want to live in Delia Horwitz and Paula Vigneault’s world. I want to go to the place where meetings are filled with joyous, meaningful exchanges rather than ever being boring and frustrating. Professional facilitators, Horwitz and Vigneault tell us early on that our dream is not only a possible reality, it’s right within our grasp.

The Investment Answer by Daniel Goldie and Gordon Murray
Let me see a show of hands: How many of you have seen the endless parade of commercials touting one investment firm’s advantages over another, as well as the ones Charles Schwab runs that say all the big guys are full of bull? I thought so. Me too.

Being the Boss: The 3 Imperatives for Becoming a Great Leader
What does it take to be a great boss? I have had my share of bad bosses -- and my share of good ones. Even great ones. For me, the secret is inspiration. Great bosses know how to lead with inspiration, not fear. But that’s another story.

Meditation for the Love of It: Enjoying Your Own Deepest Experience by Sally Kempton
Love comes up again and again in Meditation for the Love of It by former swami Sally Kempton. Love of yourself -- inner and outer -- and, in many very real ways, love of others, too. In her foreword to the book, Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) likens Meditation for the Love of It to a road map. “Think of the book as the most important travel guide you’ll ever encounter.”

Naked Fitness by Andrea Metcalf
It’s true: there’s nothing quite as sexy as... well... sex. And if you don’t want to be subtle about it, why not be blatant? It worked for Jamie Oliver a decade ago when he erupted onto the international television chef scene as The Naked Chef and it’s not doing anything at all to hurt Andrea Metcalf and her Naked Fitness program even though, as far as I can tell, there isn’t a lot very “naked” about it.

The Best American Crime Reporting 2010 edited by Stephen J. Dubner
Publisher Ecco Books’ Best American Crime Reporting series, now in its ninth year, is a must-read for anyone interested in first-class journalism and reportage, great writing, criminology, true-crime tales and the human (criminal) condition.

Best Books of 2010: Non-Fiction

The Europe Book by Lonely Planet
It’s absolutely true that I never met a Lonely Planet book I didn’t like. The outfit brings a certain bold and contemporary stance to the way they view the world.

Tapping the Source by William Gladstone, Richard Greninger and John Selby
There are certain people for whom seeking the answers to all the questions is more or less a hobby.

The Adventurer’s Handbook by Mick Conefrey
Though The Adventurer’s Handbook is nominally set up in true handbook style, it’s really more like a history of adventure with tidbits and tales from some of the most dramatic adventures -- and adventurers -- of all time.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2011 looks at the top trends and destinations for the coming year. What’s hot (wine and olive tasting in Croatia, for a start) and what’s not? (Gated communities geared at foreign retirees in Panama.)

Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit by Loren C. Steffy
If you’re looking for a little light reading or a fun holiday gift, keep looking: Drowning in Oil is not it.

Death in Salem: The Private Lives Behind the 1692 Witch Hunt by Diane E. Foulds
In some ways Death in Salem does not stand alone. There are more complete books -- and more scholarly ones -- on the Salem Witch Trials. That said, though, journalist Diane E. Foulds casts her eyes on the players rather than the play itself. It makes for interesting reading.

Northern Kids by Linda Goyette
The fourth entry in Brindle & Glass’ Courageous Kids series, Northern Kids follows the pattern set by the previous books in telling regional children’s stories in their own voices.

Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder
Esteemed historian and author, Timothy Snyder offers up a more chilling vision of WWII in Europe than has been seen before. In the preface he sets things up with simple words we know are irrefutable.

A Chip Off the Old Black by Arthur Black
Arthur Black’s special view of the world is a very Canadian take on the sort of corn-fed folksy humor that has gotten to be quite rare in the age of irony.

They Dared Return: The True Story of Jewish Spies Behind the Lines in Nazi Germany by Patrick K. O’Donnell
There are so many remarkable things about They Dared Return one barely knows where to begin. When you reflect on all of the stories you’ve heard about spies in Nazi Germany, the last thing you consider is the possibility that some of those spies might have been Jewish.

How the Scots Invented Canada by Ken McGoogan
There is a certain delicious levity in Ken McGoogan’s newest book. A certain hands-on-hips insouciance that fans of his sterling quartet of books on arctic exploration might not be expecting.

Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book
In the fifth edition of Dr. Susan Love’s Breast Book, out this month from DaCapo, Love writes about the “shift in the paradigm we use to think about the breast and its problems. A slow revolution, you could say, and a good example of how these things happen.”

Wander Woman: How High-Achieving Women Find Contentment and Direction by Marcia Reynolds
Even women who don’t consider themselves to be high achievers will find consolation and potential direction in Wander Woman. Organizational psychologist and certified master coach Marcia Reynolds here explores some of the feminine myths woven through the modern corporation.

The Zero-Mile Diet by Carolyn Herriot
From the very first, The Zero Mile Diet makes the 100 Mile Diet seem like last week’s news. That’s no accident. Bestselling author and accomplished seed grower and vendor Carolyn Herriot has pushed the idea of sustainability right to the very edge. Never mind being able to find everything you eat within a 100 mile radius. What about finding everything you need right in your own backyard?

Leave the Light On by Jennifer Storm
Las Vegas-based Central Recovery Press publishes books with a very tight focus. As their name implies, all of CRP’s titles deal with issues of addiction and recovery.

Angel of Death Row by Andrea D. Lyon
No matter what your personal thoughts on the death penalty, Angel of Death Row will give you something to think about. The book is not, after all, about the moral questions in play here. At least, not on the surface of things. It is the story of defense lawyer Andrea D. Lyon, who has successfully defended the lives of 19 inmates sentenced to death.

Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion Through the Astonishing World of Math by Alex Bellos
The title alone earns it a second look. With that title Here’s Looking at Euclid promises to deliver the impossible: math that is fun. Who knew it could even be done?

Raising Confident Readers by J. Richard Gentry
Did you know that four out of ten American children eight-years-old can’t read on their own? It’s not because they aren’t being taught, but rather because they aren’t being exposed to books and reading during their formative periods. Childhood literacy expertly J. Richard Gentry would change all of that.

The Empowered Patient by Elizabeth Cohen
While being a talking head on CNN doesn’t make you a medical expert, it does establish you as someone who knows how to ask questions and get answers.

The Smart Swarm by Peter Miller
The first and most obvious question, when faced with The Smart Swarm, is what is a National Geographic editor going to have to share with me about business that I’m going to care about?

You’re Grounded Forever... But First Let’s Go Shopping by Susan Shapiro Barash
Author and gender studies teacher Susan Shapiro Barash examines the fraught mother-daughter relationship in You’re Grounded Forever... But First Let’s Go Shopping.

Four Word Self Help by Patti Digh
The entire philosophy behind Four Word Self Help is summed up in a Lin Yutang quote at the beginning of the introduction: “The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” On the path to writing this book, author Patti Digh (Life Is A Verb, 37days) gave up cream and sugar, clothing with patterns and toxic people.

Pink Brain Blue Brain by Lise Eliot
All new operators of tiny babies should be required to get their hands on a copy of Pink Brain Blue Brain by Dr. Lise Eliot, something that will be easier now that this spiffy paperback edition has been released by Mariner.

Animal Factory by David Kirby
David Kirby asks some thought-provoking questions. One of the scariest of them is this: will anyone want to listen?

Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language by Robert McCrum
There’s something deliciously industrious about Globish, novelist, journalist and premature curmudgeon Robert McCrum’s take on how English took over the world.

Halifax: Warden of the North by Thomas H. Raddall
First published in 1948, In some ways, having a crisp new copy of Thomas H. Raddall’s Halifax: Warden of the North in hand seems like something of a miracle.

Baby Body Signs by Joan Liebmann-Smith and Jacqueline Nardi Egan
While it’s interesting to know when a snoring baby is okay and when the snoring might be a sign of sleep apnea and it’s probably not a bad thing to know what sort of freckles might signal a rare genetic disorder, is this really information that new parents should be loaded up with?

How to Achieve Heaven on Earth edited by John E. Wade II
It’s not at every time in our lives that we feel the need for chicken soup moments. If, however, you feel the desire to be uplifted, you could do worse than How to Achieve Heaven on Earth.

Idiot America: How Stupidity Became A Virtue in the Land of the Free by Charles P. Pierce
Idiot America is a book that is at once searing and loathsome and splendid. Pierce looks at many of the things that are true about America and forces us to look at them in a way we might not have before.

Clean, Green & Lean by Walter Crinnion
It was refreshing to encounter Clean, Green & Lean, a diet and lifestyle book written by a leading naturopathic physician. It’s a book that promises to help you lose weight in a healthful way while at the same time helping to save the planet: a combination that’s right for this moment and author Crinnion seems the correct person to bring the message.

Becoming Normal by Mark Edick
The audience for this book is quite specific, but it’s also large and mostly under-serviced. The central theme in this personal memoir is learning how to regain your life and re-find your way after addiction.

The Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves by Andrew Potter
No matter what you make of Andrew Potter’s path to bring us back to reality, it’s an interesting journey. A philosophical one, in many ways.

If It Takes A Village, Build One by Malaak Compton-Rock
One of the most refreshing things about celebrity humanitarian Malaak Compton-Rock’s If It Takes A Village, Build One is its accessibility.

Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll by Robert Hofler
Seventies Hollywood excess is perfectly rendered in Party Animals, Robert Hofler’s latest foray into the seamier side of Tinseltown.

Momover: The New Mom’s Guide to Getting it Back Together by Dana Wood
Momover: The New Mom’s Guide to Getting it Back Together is not a book for everyone. In fact, if it’s not for you, you already know and have moved on to the next item. Fair enough.

Stephanie Meyer: The Unauthorized Biography of the Creator of the Twilight Saga by Marc Shapiro
In 2006, the Twilight phenomenon began. A previously minor sub-genre of the vampire novel, the vampire romance, suddenly became big among teenage girls. The Harry Potter saga was coming to an end -- the final volume was published in 2007, only a few months later -- and there was room for something new.

How to Defeat Your Own Clone by Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson
How to Defeat Your Own Clone is based on the premise that you will require special skills to survive the biotech revolution. Except it’s funny. Only it’s kind of not.

Flawless by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell
In 2003, a group of highly skilled Italian thieves broke into an airtight and crack proof vault in Antwerp, Belgium. It’s estimated that they got away with close to half a billion dollars in diamonds, gold and other precious and valuable loot. Estimated, that is, because none of the haul was ever recovered.

I See Rude People by Amy Alkon
I See Rude People is a kind of post-modern Miss Manners or rather, as the subtitle tells us, “One woman’s battle to beat some manners into impolite society.”