New York Times Best Seller List

Author: Dave Pelzer

Best Part About This Book: It’s unlike anything you’ve read before. And it’s considered an example of endurance and championing overcoming child abuse.

What’s Missing: Coherence, accuracy of fact, and explanation of the absolutely crazy details of child abuse he claims he went through.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

This book may be the most famous of child abuse stories. It spent over 200 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List. Yet I am surprised at how much people trust its veracity, especially as there are many holes in his story. For example, why does he view his father as his hero when he watches the abuse and doesn’t put a stop to it? Why is he the only one treated like a dog in the family, while his brothers receive exemplary treatment? Why does he never do anything wrong throughout the book, but only seeks to please his mother, forgive her, and pray to God? Who taught him the Lord’s prayer that he whispers toward the end of the book? How could he pretend he was the pauper from “The Prince and the Pauper” when he was only in kindergarten? Was he a well-versed reader of Mark Twain?

I finished this book disgusted with its claim of being uplifting and a soaring triumph over evil. Instead it’s been credited with the beginning of the genre “misery lit.”

And there is a morbid fascination to watch the increasing seriousness of his mother’s treatment, from lying for hours in a bathtub to getting stabbed in the stomach.

My final conclusion is that there is no doubt that Mr Pelzer suffered serious mistreatment from his parents; he had to be taken away from the California authorities. What I would ask of him, however, is to paint a fair and clear picture of everything that happened, and explain the holes in his story (such as how he could go to school for years dressed in rags and stealing food from other children in California without anyone reporting to the authorities). His parents had been dead for years when he published the book; his grandma says it belongs in the fiction section, while his brother similarly wrote a book about his own abuse. Who knows the extent of the truth of his story? Perhaps not even Pelzer himself.

I hope that his story is truly a source of hope for fellow survivors. Whether true or not, perhaps knowing you’re not alone in this type of situation is tantamount.

Author: Irma S. Rombauer

Best Part About this Book: Out of all my cookbooks, I enjoy this one because it provides recipes for some of the most basic foods, like French toast.

What’s Missing: Pictures! Color. It’s in daunting black-and-white small print, and sometimes presentation is everything with food. If there’s no photos, how do you know if it looks right?

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

How to Carve a Turkey

This cookbook is a perennial favorite and contains recipes from the simple to the exotic. It’s so big it’ll look like the mother of your other cookbooks. The 75th anniversary edition came out recently.

Eggs Tips and Tricks

Slow Cooked Chicken Dish

“Why is it that some ideas or behaviors or products start epidemics and others don’t? And what can we do to deliberately start and control positive epidemics of our own?” p. 14

Author: Malcolm Gladwell

Best Part About This Book: You’ll walk away from this book knowing so much more random information about studies conducted on everything from drugs, suicide, and graffiti to the three most influential types of people.

Worst Part About the Book: Is this really applicable to entrepreneurs and businessmen? I think so, but it’s hard to say.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Malcolm Gladwell, in my mind, came across as this smooth, suave, and confident young man from his writing style. Then I saw his picture, and he looked goofy and kind of crazy. He’s got a shock of curly black hair and he’s rather thin. More like a genius-type than an athlete, but why should that surprise me?

An example of the Tipping Point, an ad that cost supposedly 15 million euro, courtesy Guiness:

Malcolm Gladwell’s Favorite Reads

http://www.howwedrive.com/category/booknews/

Best books … chosen by Malcolm Gladwell

New Yorker contributor Malcolm Gladwell is the author of The Tipping Point and Blink. His newest work is the current best-seller Outliers: The Story of Success.

The Blind Side by Michael Lewis (Norton, $14). Lewis is the finest storyteller of our generation, and this is his best book. Supposedly about football (the title refers to the side of the field a quarterback is blind to), it’s actually an extraordinary story about love and redemption.

Should I Be Tested for Cancer? by H. Gilbert Welch (Univ. of Calif., $15). One of those gems to come out of the academic press failing to get the attention it deserves. It asks a seemingly nonsensical question: Are there situations when you shouldn’t be tested for cancer? And the answer is yes. If you’re worried about cancer, this lucidly argued book will be a godsend.

Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (Morrow, $28). I don’t need to say much here. This book invented an entire genre. Economics was never supposed to be this entertaining.

Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt (Knopf, $25). One of the heirs to the Freakonomics legacy. A very clever young writer tells us all sorts of things about what driving says about us. I kept waiting for the moment when my interest in congestion and roads would run its course. It never did.

Nixon Agonistes by Garry Wills (Mariner, $15). A classic from the early ’70s by one of the great political writers of his time. Written just before Richard Nixon resigned, it’s as devastating a portrait of him as has ever been written.

The Opposable Mind by Roger Martin (Harvard Business School Press, $27). Explores what makes great CEOs stand out from their peers. I realize that there are thousands of business books on the subject, but, trust me, this is the first to really answer the question.

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Author: Agatha Christie (Click here for interviews with the Queen of Crime)

Best Part About the Book: Christie’s writing style is so perfectly suited for a creepy page turner. No wonder she’s sold more books than any other female author. Delicate, precise, and oh-so-British, her descriptions of each character are at once realistic and larger-than-life at the same time. Nothing is more important than the ending in a suspense novel, and this one is a masterpiece.

What’s Missing: To me, this is the ultimate and ideal suspense novel.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is quality fiction as well as unmatchable whodunnit horror. If you figure out the plot before it’s finished, I believe you’d be a genius. Quite a nice touch to thematically bind the plot through a work of poetry. A film was made based on the book. Watch part one here:

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Part Six

Part Seven

Part Eight

Watch the rest on Youtube…

Author: Alexandra Ripley

Best Part About the Book: Ummm. Hmmm. That’s a toughie. I’ll get back to you on that one.

What’s Missing: Character development, staying true to the portrayals that were so beloved of Margaret Mitchell’s, and good writing.

I read this book because I was desperate to get more information on the outcome of Scarlett and Rhett’s relationship. Ripley changed their story into a torrid romance novel and the only thing that stayed true to Scarlett’s character was an occasional “Fiddle-dee-dee.” Gone With the Wind lovers, read it if you must. But I feel confident that afterwards, you will continue to choose to decide for yourself how Scarlett’s life really turned out.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars

Author: Patricia Schultz (click to read an interview)

Best Part About This Book: The typefaces and organization of the book make finding your ideal vacation very easy. Besides that… it’s the ideal book to settle down with in front of a fire and daydream.

What’s Missing: Many of the suggested must-see places are hotels. Which, as I am a budget traveler, am much less likely to pay for. Hostels for me.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The book is organized by Europe (Great Britain and Ireland, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Scandinavia) then Africa, The Middle East, Asia, Austrailia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands, The United States of America and Canada; Latin America (Mexico and Central America, South America and Antarctica) and finally the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda. What a list, eh? Don’t ask me why Antarctica’s included in Latin America. Italy’s given the most credit with 62 spots by far, but that’s no surprise since Patricia Schulz lived there and wrote a book called “Made in Italy.” Although this is just one person’s opinion, she does manage to hit all the “must-see’s” (like the Great Wall of China or the Eiffel Tower) mixed with the everyday variety (Arthur Bryant’s barbeque in Kansas City). Of course since this was a bestseller some of these “little-known” places are going to become touristy…nevertheless this is a good collection of the most recognized must-see places. It’s become my personal travel Bible.

To find more travel industry secrets…
Click Here!

South Africa

Cambodia

Peru

Mexico

Scroll Down for Video Testimonials from Church Members

• “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26 Book of Mormon)

  “And moreover, I say unto you that there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.” Mosiah 3:17“Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God, for behold they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual…” Mosiah 2:41

  Author: According to the Latter-Day Saints, the book is a collection of the writings of prophets, a second witness with the Bible.

  What’s the Best Part of This Book: It helps you to feel nearer to Jesus Christ. If you’re looking for truth in any form, you will find it in this book.

  What’s Missing: Literal proof of its veracity. It’s up to the reader to pray to find out if it’s true.

  Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

  The Book of Mormon is a text listed as one of the top 100 most influential books ever published. Latter-day Saints believe that the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the book after a direct revelation from God that none of the churches on the Earth at that time contained a fullness of the truth. It’s started a movement that now represents almost 13 million members around the globe. Visit here to get a free copy of the book. It’s been translated into over 80 languages.

  Visit lds.org if you’d like to learn about one of the fastest growing religions in the world.

  140 Million Copies of The Book of Mormon

  http://ldsmediatalk.com/2008/09/02/140-million-copies-of-the-book-of-mormon/comment-page-1/#comment-26701

  by Larry Richman, Posted September 2nd, 2008

  The Church has just distributed the 140 millionth copy of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ according to a news release on Newsroom.lds.org. The Church currently sells about 5 million copies a year.

  The Book of Mormon is currently available in 107 languages. You can read The Book of Mormon online in nine languages: Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. While there (at scriptures.lds.org), you can also listen to it (by clicking Listen at the top of any page) or download the audio files in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Audio files in more languages are being prepared now.

  The Newsroom also has a great story about Understanding the Process of Publishing the Book of Mormon. You can also read a general story about translating Church materials.

  In 2003, Book magazine searched for the twenty novels and nonfiction titles that have had the greatest impact on the history of America–the ones that have led to concrete, definable changes in the way Americans live their lives. They named the Book of Mormon one of the “20 Books That Changed America.”

  Watch Betty speak about her conversion:

  Watch David Archuleta, LDS American Idol finalist, sing his testimony

  More Testimonials from LDS Members:

  http://www.mormonsbelieve.org/category/testimony-of-the-book-of-mormon

  http://mormanity.blogspot.com/2005/08/why-i-believe-book-of-mormon-is-true.html

  http://oldfashionedgirl07.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/the-book-of-mormon-my-testimony/

  Watch Revered President Hinckley Speak About The Book of Mormon

  Watch an Eighteen-Year-Old LDS Beauty Queen

  A Convert to the LDS Faith on his Conversion

  Watch The founder of More Good Foundation, from Italy:

Author: Mary Higgins Clark (Click to learn more about this bestselling author)

Best Part About the Book: I didn’t guess who did it. That’s the point of a suspense novel, right?

What’s Missing: This isn’t the type of suspense novel I’d read over and over again, like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, for example.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Click to Buy

Mary Higgins Clark kept me going till the final page in this book. Avid fans say it wasn’t her best, but I enjoyed the plot, and the killer was sufficiently creepy to hold the book together. A one-time pleasure read.

Author: J.K. Rowling (Click to learn more about one of the most successful authors of our time)

Best Thing About the Books: In my opinion, it’s that it’s got people excited about reading again. Reading anything is better than not reading at all. Besides which, Rowling (rhymes with bowling) creates an entire world which truly comes to life, everything that fantasy should be.

What’s Missing: Well, I think the books are good and I’d recommend them to anyone. Although, what planet do you live on, if you haven’t read them yet? I wouldn’t, however, call them the best of children’s books ever. I would vote Roald Dahl for that award.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Click Here to View Harry Potter Memorabilia

The Harry Potter series is a seven-book group. Each one can be judged for its own merits; my favorite is number 4, I think. The first book was not nearly as thrilling; the series gets better as Rowling goes along. The legions of followers Harry Potter has created is evidenced by the fact that only Oprah is a richer woman than Rowling. Harry Potter and his creator both are now household names. It’s a little creepy to think so many people around the world have read the same book at the same time. If Rowling had put a subliminal message in the books, think of what mass influence that would have. . . Sorry, I don’t mean to be paranoid.

Click Here to Buy Harry Potter Seven on Amazon

Author: Michael Pollan (Click to read and watch interviews with this health-conscious author)

Who Should Read It: Anyone interested in the development of America’s unhealthy obsession with food, and one author’s proposed way to fix it

Best Part About the Book: Offers common sense advice about America’s favorite topic: losing weight

What’s Missing: Radically new information.

I did something a little unusual with this book. I read it backwards. Sometimes it helps me get through nonfiction books that aren’t about entertaining, but about getting important information out, which is how I would classify this book. The author has gotten a good discussion going on how eating and meals used to be, and although he comes across as slightly preachy at times, the advice he gives, such as eat smaller portions, have meals together as a group, and eat like the Mediterraneans do, all makes sense. Slightly harder to swallow is the idea that we should be spending more money on food. Higher quality food, he suggests, means more vitamins and ultimately a higher price. Whereas that frozen burrito that has zilch to recommend it besides its unusually low price of 10 in a package for a dollar. He says take the higher road, pay a higher price, and ultimately, live a longer life.

This book I believe is a bestseller because of its timeliness. I have long been fascinated and horrified by the frequent dieting and food obsession of my friends, who nevertheless are often overweight. Pollan’s right. It’s sad he has to spell this stuff out, but it’s true. We don’t enjoy eating anymore, yet we eat more than ever, and eat less healthy than ever, so more than ever, we need to fight the tide of Western food manufacturers. The book is organized into handy bullet points so skimming/quick reading to get important ideas is easy.