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New and Notable Nonfiction: January 2012

Cover art for QUIET
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 24, 2012
Kirkus Star QUIET: THE POWER OF INTROVERTS IN A WORLD THAT CAN'T STOP TALKING
by Susan Cain
"An intriguing and potentially life-altering examination of the human psyche that is sure to benefit both introverts and extroverts alike."
An enlightened Wall Street survivor exhorts wallflowers everywhere to embrace their solitude-seeking souls and fully appreciate the power of the lone wolf. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE LIFE OF SUPER-EARTHS
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 24, 2012
Kirkus Star THE LIFE OF SUPER-EARTHS: HOW THE HUNT FOR ALIEN WORLDS AND ARTIFICIAL CELLS WILL REVOLUTIONIZE LIFE ON OUR PLANET
by Dimitar Sasselov
"As short, cogent and stimulating as John Gribbin's Alone in the Universe (2011), but far more optimistic. Readers should check out both."
Since astronomers discovered the first planet circling another star in 1995, they've found hundreds; predictably, this has energized the debate on whether life exists beyond Earth. Sasselov (Astronomy/Harvard Univ.) reviews the hard evidence in favor (not much) before proceeding to explain discoveries and simulations that suggest we are not alone. Read full book review >
Cover art for THE LIVING END
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 17, 2012
THE LIVING END: A FAMILY MEMOIR OF FORGETTING AND FORGIVING
by Robert Leleux
"Leleux sweeps readers from New York to Texas to rural Tennessee on a family pilgrimage--an understated work that highlights the emotional rewards of caring for a loved one."
A memoir of Alzheimer's during its final stages and of a family's attempt to provide support for a spirited grandmother whose changed outlook allowed a vital relationship to move from estrangement to reconciliation. Read full book review >
Cover art for REVOLUTION 2.0
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 17, 2012
REVOLUTION 2.0: THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE IS GREATER THAN THE PEOPLE IN POWER: A MEMOIR
by Wael Ghonim
"A remarkable personal testament that will be cited by future historians of both Facebook and the Arab Spring."
A demonstration of the power of social networking by a Google engineer named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2011. Read full book review >
Cover art for LIFE SENTENCES
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 17, 2012
LIFE SENTENCES: LITERARY JUDGMENTS AND ACCOUNTS
by William H. Gass
"Stately pronouncements from a master of the form."
A wry, mannered retrospective collection of essays by octogenarian Gass (A Temple of Texts, 2006, etc.). Read full book review >
Cover art for THE TENDER HOUR OF TWILIGHT
NONFICTION
Released: Jan. 10, 2012
THE TENDER HOUR OF TWILIGHT: PARIS IN THE '50S, NEW YORK IN THE '60S: A MEMOIR OF PUBLISHING'S GOLDEN AGE
by Richard Seaver, edited by Jeannette Seaver
"A rich record of the vicissitudes of publishing during an inimitable time and place."
A dense, detailed, priceless eyewitness account of the making of a literary generation between Paris and New York. Read full book review >