Kirkus Star
THE KIRKUS STAR
Awarded to Books of Exceptional Merit

BROWSE BOOK REVIEWS




BEA 2012 Nonfiction (page 2)


Cover art for THE GOOD SON
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 18, 2012

"Mostly entertaining but not a standout. Coulda been a contender, but the author touches too lightly on the hard questions about celebrity, violence and money in America."
FOXSports.com columnist Kriegel (Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich, 2007, etc.) tells the story of a Youngstown, Ohio, lightweight boxer whose brief championship reign included a notorious 1982 bout that ended with the death of opponent Duk Koo Kim. Read full book review >
Cover art for FREE MARKET REVOLUTION
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 18, 2012

"What would Howard Roark do? Maybe find a more persuasive apology for Randian money-grubbism."
"Capitalism is the system of selfishness--of rational selfishness." Ayn Rand acolytes Brook (Neoconservatism: An Obituary for an Idea, 2010) and Watkins sing the same old hymn, with a slightly different chorus, to the same old choir. Read full book review >
Cover art for DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT THE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 11, 2012

"The tedious format only occasionally dulls the author's sharp descriptive and analytical skills."
The author of Don't Know Much About History and similar titles returns with a sometimes-saucy handbook on the American presidency. Read full book review >
Cover art for SURVIVING SURVIVAL
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 10, 2012

"Survivors of traumatic events often do not recover without help from others, and Gonzales' excellent book is an education for those wishing to be of use in a stressful, often frightening world."
How can the world smite thee? Let us count the ways... Read full book review >
Cover art for HOW CHILDREN SUCCEED
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 4, 2012

"Well-written and bursting with ideas, this will be essential reading for anyone who cares about childhood in America."
Turning the conventional wisdom about child development on its head, New York Times Magazine editor Tough (Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America, 2008) argues that non-cognitive skills (persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence) are the most critical to success in school and life. Read full book review >
Cover art for JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 4, 2012

"A fine examination of a life, well deserving a place alongside David McCullough's study of Adams père."
A neglected president receives his due as a statesman and practical politician. Read full book review >