Freelance
Shelf Life
Larry Cox
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‘Fundamentals of Photography: The Essential Handbook for Both Digital and Film Camera’
By Tom Ang (Knopf, $25)
Ang, an award-winning photographer and a leading authority on digital photography, shares many of his secrets in this comprehensive, essential guide. The contents include such topics as the fundamentals of light, working with color, processing the image and outputting the image along with tips for buying and using various cameras. Whether beginner or an old pro, using a film camera or digital, today’s photographer will find this up-to-date books very useful.
‘Flat Earth’
By Christine Garwood (St. Martin’s Press, $27.95)
Christopher Columbus was not the explorer who discovered the Earth was round. According to Dr. Garwood, the idea of a spherical world was accepted in educated circles as early as the fourth century B.C. She adds that it was not until the 19th century that the notion of a flat word took hold and she claims the bizarre notion persists to this very day despite Apollo missions and widely publicized pictures of the “blue ball” as seen from space. Based on a range of original sources, this fascinating history of flat-Earth beliefs raises issues that are central to the history and philosophy of science, its relationship to religion and the making of human knowledge about our natural world.
‘Have You Seen . . .?’
By David Thomson (Knopf, $39.95)
This marvelous book is a literary tip of the hat to more than 1,000 films, from masterpieces to oddities, from guilty pleasures, to classics. As Thomson points out in his introduction, there are even a few disasters. The reference, which begins with the 1948 horror-classic, “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein,” and ends with “Zabriske Point” released in 1970, is a companion volume to “Thomson’s Biographical Dictionary of Film” published in 1975, and is, itself, an incredible achievement. The crisp essays in this collection are fun, informative and a literary feast for movie lovers.
‘The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth-Century New York’
By Matthew Goodman (Basic Books, $26)
Goodman, a frequent contributor to such publications as The American Scholar, The Utne Reader and the Harvard Review, chronicles the summer of 1835, when the New York Sun newspaper convinced its readers that the moon was inhabited. The story, which was quickly picked up by other publications, created a sensation. Told in rich, historic detail, “The Sun and the Moon” brings the raucous world of 1830s New York to life and reveals how this outrageous story, and others like it, popularized the penny papers and made America into a nation of newspaper readers.
‘The Well-Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself’
By Hannah Holmes (Random House, $25)
Holmes, a columnist for Discovery Channel online, has traveled to the far corners of the Earth in her quest to better understand its history, study dinosaurs, volcanic ash and dust among other things. Her new book explores something a little closer to home: the creature, homo sapiens. In her research, she reveals such tidbits as our brains consume 20 percent of our daily calorie intake, women are more likely than men to wake up mid-surgery, and sleeping in a ratty old T-shirt can trigger a biological reaction in the person beside you. The perfect blend of an engaging, witty narrative and good science make this a highly entertaining book.
‘Hitler’s Private Library: The Books That Shaped His Life’
By Timothy W. Ryback (Knopf, $25.95)
This is a strange little book about a strange little subject. According to the author, the education of Adolf Hitler was formed largely through the books in his personal library. Many of the books from his collection were recently discovered at the Library of Congress. Hitler read everything from “Don Quixote,” “Robinson Crusoe,” and Shakespeare to Henry Ford’s rabidly notorious anti-Semitic tract, “The International Jew.” Ryback, who has written for such publications as The Atlantic Monthly, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal, provides a remarkable view into Hitler’s intellectual world and personal evolution.
‘Meltdown: How Greed and Corruption Shattered Our Financial System and How We Can Recover’
By Katrina vanden Heuvel and the editors at The Nation (Nation Books, $15.95)
Many of the writers and editors at The Nation, America’s oldest weekly magazine, saw our economic meltdown and collapse years before it became a part of our daily lives. In a series of articles gleaned from the past 20 years, the observers who saw it all coming now offer up a vision of how we can survive and move forward. Highlights include Robert Sherrill on why the bubble popped, Christopher Hayes on the coming foreclosure tsunami, Barbara Ehrenreich on the implosion of capitalism and Thomas Frank on the rise of market populism. Also explored is what President Obama and his administration must do to ensure a more secure future for America.
‘Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid’
By Dr. Denis Leary (Viking, $26.95)
This book will make you laugh, cry, and, yes, even anger you. Leary, the Oscar-nominated actor and comedian, has written one of the most snarky, smart and witty books of the year. Part memoir, part self-help tome and completely entertaining, “Why We Suck” is perfect reading for those who agree that skinny jeans are for skinny people, NyQuil is a perfect solution for noisy children, most kids are not cute, and Americans are hated throughout the world because we generally elect dopes and crooks as our political leaders. Leary, who received a doctorate of humane letters from Emerson College in Boston, goes to the head of the class for providing this rollicking literary roller coaster ride. A word of warning: hold on tight!