Feel like life won't cut you a fair deal? Or believe that to get what you want you must tolerate what you've been given? And then, ultimately you stand up for yourself and take care of your own needs? Then Augusta Olsen is a woman with whom you will empathize, who will disgust and amaze you. Yet, you find yourself identifying with her on her journey from girlhood, trying to recover from her mother's death; through marriage, adultery and childbirth; to an older woman. As for the bees - you'll have to read for yourself.
-Cristen

Bud Caldwell has lived in shelters and the occasional foster home almost all his life. His only possession is a cheap suitcase containing souvenirs from his dead mother. His life begins when he runs off from a dreadful family, bent on finding the man he is sure is his father, a famous jazz musician. The Newbery Award winner is as witty as it is wrenching, and it paints a vivid picture of Depression era Flint, Michigan. Ages 10 and up.
-Claudia

Doctorow's novel begins with the discovery of a crucifix, stolen from an Episcopal church, on the roof of a synagogue clear across town. City of God then blooms into the Great American Judeo-Christian epic. Encompassing the movies, popular song and the history of mankind along the way, this is a magnificent, eloquent piece of work.
-Claudia

How could such a landmark scientific case be overlooked for over twenty years? This was the first question that came to my mind after reading As Nature Made Him , the disturbing account of the famous case which has been cited as proof over the past thirty years that we are not born male or female but that our sense of being male or female is based primarily on how we are raised. For the first time, David Reimer speaks candidly about his life as the subject of the first infant sex reassignment case performed on a developmentally normal child and disputes the "success" of the study done on him during his first fourteen years.

David Reimer was born a healthy baby boy, the older of identical twin boys, on August 22, 1965 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His two young parents Ron and Janet were naturally excited about their new additions to the family. David was named Bruce at the time of his birth and it wasn't until fifteen years later that he changed his name to David. At eight months old they were circumcised. What seemed to be a harmless, routine procedure would change Bruce's life forever.

The circumstances surrounding the "routine" circumcision seem to mirror a Shakespearean tragedy. The night before, Winnipeg experienced one of its worst snowstorms in thirty years and the doctor scheduled to perform the procedure was not available. Bruce suffered a botched circumcision. His penis was completely burned off.

The circumstances couldn't get better for a scientist wanting to explore the theories of nature versus nurture. Here we have healthy, identical twin boys, a subject and a control, and young, desperate parents not knowing what to do with their baby boy. After seeing Dr. John Money, the leading sex researcher out of Johns Hopkins, on a TV program speaking about his sex change clinic at Johns Hopkins and the two "successful" male-to-female sex changes performed there, Ron and Janet decided to contact him to see if he could help with Bruce's situation.

An avid supporter of the nurture theory, Dr. Money proceeded to convince Ron and Janet that babies are born with a "psychosexual blank slate" and could be sexually reassigned anytime before they reached two and a half years of age without any major problems. Convinced that sexual reassignment was their best option for Bruce to live a normal life, Ron and Janet decided to have Bruce, now twenty-one months old, sexually reassigned to be a baby girl, Brenda Lee.

This famous case has been accepted as a success for thirty years, even though at age fifteen Brenda Lee underwent a second sex change to become the boy that she always felt she was. Now 35 years-old and happily married, David tells his torturous story for the first time exposing the sickening hubris and sloppy medical practices of the respected sex researcher, Dr. John Money. Colapinto tells David's story, revealing the obvious inconclusiveness of a case that set the precedent for sex reassignment as standard treatment for thousands of newborns with similarly injured or irregular genitals.




-Susan

I may not seem like the Martha Stewart type, but I have definitely fallen for this cookbook compiled from The Best of Martha Stewart Living magazine. This luscious collection features simple, familiar food, easy recipes, and mouth-watering, full-color illustrations. It's not low fat cooking, but it is food that comforts and nourishes the soul.
-Susan

What probably began as mere observations scribbled on bar napkins and matchbook covers has become a somewhat eclectic guide for understanding cross-cultural communication boundaries. Hilarious and humbling, each page provides the reader insight into the immense world of words, and the impact their use, or misuse in these cases, can have on the "innocent bystander." A lighthearted, pocket-sized plethora of mangled English.
-Gretchen

The person I prepare dinner for with some regularity has always declared that the proof of a good cook is his/her soup. Creating a wonderful homemade soup can be downright therapeutic, and partaking of same a comforting food experience. Great Soups by food writer Broderick provides a wealth of recipes from around the world, emphasizing the freshest ingredients. Full-color photographs by Robin Matthews inspire one to get out the soup kettle and start chopping up things. Bon appetit!
-17.50

Following the success of Chuck's first two four-wheel drive guides, I expect this, the third book in his catalog, to be every bit as popular. With twelve months of research, and approval from BLM, USFS and Moab specialists, this work is a must for adventurers travelling to Moab. Well done again, Chuck!
-John

As with all Institutions, a regular check of creaky mechanisms is needed. It really is what you learn after you know it all that counts. And basing multimillion-dollar decisions on antiquated assumptions is what the establishment does best. Baseball does this as well as the most constipated reactionary could dream of. This book is by a sabremetrician who can write, and he's right on. Forget all of those Rounder homilies and flatitudes and see what the Present State of the Game could be. Then figure out whether you should laugh or cry.
-Mark

Groopman is one of those rare persons who can skillfully and successfully navigate two careers at once. Many will recognize his name as a New Yorker writer. In his other incarnation, he is a researcher and clinician. Second Opinions is a series of medical vignettes that encompasses both careers. Readers are informed of the importance of second opinions, how drug field-testing is done, and how to circumvent HMOs.
-Susan

For you Ivins fans - or for those of you who could use a good dose of political reality - get ready. Stepping slightly away from her usually humorous writing style, Ivins' perfectly timed exposé leads us on an educational, enlightening and frightening journey through the life of a privileged (to say the least) Texan. For anyone who has wondered - or assumed they knew about - the record and beliefs behind Bush, this book is a must. With Ivins-like clarity and bite, I ask, "Will the real "W" please stand up?"
-Cristen

Similar to his earlier classic western Blessed McGill, The Borderland is a full-spectrumed novel of early-day Texas, set mostly in pioneer Austin. It's got it all: love stories, sex, bloody battle scenes, many real historical figures, good guys and a full cast of baddies. It's a swell change-of-pace read.
-Dick

First of all, there are some things wrong with this book (for instance, the author is a working member of the financial establishment), but overall, it has some really scary things to tell you. Like 40% of middle-class income goes directly to taxes without passing go. Like most loopholes in the tax codes are only for the filthy rich. Like if you screw up on your records and filing you will be bludgeoned beyond recognition. Remember Boston. Remember the Alamo. Read our lips: No More Taxes. Now, take a moment.
-Mark

The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father by Jim Wight (Ballantine $25.00)

One of the best things about this biography of Alfred Wight by his son is that it does nothing to diminish the admiration of millions of readers for the veterinarian-author known as James Herriot. People around the world will appreciate the warmth, humor and generosity with which this wonderful storyteller treated his family, his patients and his friends. Even though Jim was in practice with his father for twenty years, he learned much about his early life from letters and journals saved by his grandmother. For James Herriot fans, here is a real and unexpected pleasure.


-Phyllis

As with all Institutions, a regular check of creaky mechanisms is needed. It really is what you learn after you know it all that counts. And basing multimillion-dollar decisions on antiquated assumptions is what the establishment does best. Baseball does this as well as the most constipated reactionary could dream of. This book is by a sabremetrician who can write, and he's right on. Forget all of those Rounder homilies and flatitudes and see what the Present State of the Game could be. Then figure out whether you should laugh or cry.


-Claudia

Crichton brings to life the sights, smells and dangers of 14th century France in his latest novel. When four modern-day archaeology students travel back in time to rescue their professor, death is a real possibility at every turn. They face tournament fighting, an evil ruler and his ax-wielding knights, hangings and, of course, the dreaded plague and pestilence. The last 300 pages read like one long chase scene. I was captivated.
-Meg

Call it speculative, alternative or counter-factual history, What If? is a unique collection of essays on the near misses of history's significant military engagements. James McPherson examines a possible Gettysburg fought one year earlier. Stephen Ambrose considers a failed invasion of Normandy. My favorite is the depiction of a Japanese victory at Midway. Thought provoking.
-Meg