NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 2, 2012
"A captivating, solidly documented work rendered with wit and humor."
NPR contributor Fine (
Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living, 2008, etc.) reports on his year spent in Northern California researching the hazy world of medical marijuana.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 6, 2012
"A liberal-minded but still evenhanded primer for all students of U.S. history."
A terrifically useful wide-lens survey of the United States in the last half of the 20th century.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 7, 2012
"Less self-absorbed than Luis Alberto Urrea, less cynical than Charles Bowden, less otherly obsessed than William Vollmann--and right in the pocket, a necessary chronicle of a weird corner of America."
A savage journey into terror, cacti, drugs, desperation and all-around anomie in the superheated atmosphere of the desert Southwest.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 7, 2012
"Brown is as smart as he is puckish, and there are plenty of laughs on this terrific trip through modern fame."
A hilarious collection of strange-but-true tales of encounters between the rich and famous.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 7, 2012
"Whether read straight through or dipped into at random, in times of despair or not, this is a most helpful musical sourcebook through every kind of blue."
A comprehensive, sharply written journey through the music of sadness, of every stripe and from every genre.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 14, 2012
"Bold, gripping, original and occasionally darkly funny."
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 14, 2012
"Not for all readers, but prime in its class--literate, learned and wise criticism, with scarcely a breath of cynicism or disdain."
A winner of just about every major literary award exercises his considerable critical chops, ruminating on the works
of poets, photographers, writers and other artists.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 15, 2012
"An engrossing biography of a woman worthy of iconic status."
Published to coincide with what would have been her 100th birthday, this biography of the iconic Julia Child (1912–2004) does full justice to its complex subject.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 16, 2012
"A mesmerizing journey through time, across cultures and into one woman's rich personal history."
The haunting account of an investigative journalist's efforts to uncover her family's hidden Sephardic Jewish past.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 16, 2012
"An exciting, inspiring and essential book for anyone interested in American theater."
NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 20, 2012
"Editor Davison (English/De Montfort Univ.) supplies necessary contextual information and footnotes generously, but stays in the shadows and allows us to truly enjoy Orwell's impressive chronicles."
A co-editor of George Orwell's
Complete Works offers a lushly annotated edition of Orwell's diaries from 1931 to 1949.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 20, 2012
"A tour-de-force journey through the natural world."
An examination of the all-encompassing role that the atmosphere plays in shaping our lives.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 21, 2012
"A potent reminder of the explosiveness of 1960s politics and how far elements of the government were (and perhaps still are) willing to go to undermine civil liberties."
A kaleidoscopic look at the FBI's willingness to undermine American citizens during the 1960s.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 21, 2012
"A consummate professional explores the attic of his life, converting rumination to art."
The acclaimed novelist (
Sunset Park, 2010, etc.), now 65, writes affectingly about his body, family, lovers, travels and residences as he enters what he calls the winter of his life.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 21, 2012
"An original, fascinating scientific history of how human memory and a series of inventions have driven the advance of civilization."
Every living organism possesses a memory, however primitive, but Homo sapiens carried it to a dazzling level, writes technology journalist Malone (
The Future Arrived Yesterday: The Rise of the Protean Corporation and What It Means for You, 2009, etc.) in this ingenious, richly complex account of how humans exchange, record, preserve and manipulate information.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 27, 2012
"Not for all readers, but Gorra's approach will appeal to scholars, fans of the James family, and lovers of important novels and those who create them."
Gorra (English/Smith Coll.;
The Bells in Their Silence: Travels Through Germany, 2004, etc.) blends a focused biography of Henry James (1843–1916) with the story of his composition of
The Portrait of a Lady (1881).
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 27, 2012
"An innovative, marvelous book about comedy, stereotypes and the struggle to steer through the sometimes-fierce internal debates over African-American identity in a society still struggling with its racial past."
A provocative, compelling exploration of one of the most controversial elements of the black entertainment world.
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NONFICTION
Released: Aug. 28, 2012
"Cleareyed, compassionate and hopeful."
The award-winning author of
Death at an Early Age (1967) tells the stories of the later lives of poor children who grew up in the Bronx.
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NONFICTION
Released: Sept. 25, 2012
"A copiously examined life rendered with humor and heart."
Veteran character actor Tobolowsky, perhaps best known for his role in
Groundhog Day, offers a beguiling collection of autobiographical essays detailing his experiences in and out of show business.
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