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New & Notable Nonfiction: February 2012

Cover art for SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, SHIELD OF FAITH
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 28, 2012
Kirkus Star SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, SHIELD OF FAITH: RELIGION IN AMERICAN WAR AND DIPLOMACY
by Andrew Preston
"A frank, exhaustive, marvelously readable study."
A sharp, clear, deeply researched examination of the consistent application of the founding religious principles to American foreign policy, from the colonists' sense of a Protestant exceptionalism to President Barack Obama's "Good Niebuhr Policy." Read full book review >
Cover art for THE AMERICAN WAY OF EATING
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 21, 2012
THE AMERICAN WAY OF EATING: UNDERCOVER AT WALMART, APPLEBEE'S, FARM FIELDS AND THE DINNER TABLE
by Tracie McMillan
"Attentive foodies may already know much of the information, but on the whole, McMillan provides an eye-opening account of the route much of American food takes from the field to the restaurant table."
An exposé on the production and consumption of food in America. Read full book review >
Cover art for BRAVE DRAGONS
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 14, 2012
BRAVE DRAGONS: A CHINESE BASKETBALL TEAM, AN AMERICAN COACH, AND TWO CULTURES CLASHING
by Jim Yardley
"An expert journalist compresses the culture class of nations into one palatable sports season."
A unique, engaging way to view the Americanization of China: through the introduction of an NBA coach to a professional Chinese basketball team. Read full book review >
Cover art for RED PLENTY
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 14, 2012
Kirkus Star RED PLENTY
by Francis Spufford
"A highly creative, illuminating, genre-resisting history."
The strange, sad, hilarious story of the Soviet Union's blind pursuit of a Communist paradise, told through a mix of history and fiction, using both to get to the truth. Read full book review >
Cover art for THIS WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 14, 2012
Kirkus Star THIS WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER: NEW SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS TO IMPROVE YOUR THINKING
edited by John Brockman
"A winning combination of good writers, good science and serious broader concerns."
Edge.org founder and publisher Brockman (Culture: Leading Scientists Explore Civilizations, Art, Networks, Reputation, and the Online Revolution, 2011, etc.) asks a group of eminent scientists and writers their views on the question, "What Scientific Concept Would Improve Everybody's Cognitive Toolkit?" Read full book review >
Cover art for GYPSY BOY
NONFICTION
Released: Feb. 14, 2012
GYPSY BOY: MY LIFE IN THE SECRET WORLD OF THE ROMANY GYPSIES
by Mikey Walsh
"A poignant memoir that bears comparison to the bestselling Running With Scissors--but better written and far darker."
Grim, well-told memoir of a boyhood among the much-maligned Romany Gypsy "travelers" of Britain. Read full book review >