The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to be Perfect, by Margo Maine and Joe Kelly, Wiley, 2005, $24.95, 279 pp. Bulimia: It's not just for teenagers anymore. A growing number of middle-aged women are succumbing to media's pressure of poor self-image and going the route of bulimia and anorexia. Maine, a clinical psychologist, offers them hope.

Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir, by Susanne Antonetta, Counterpoint, 2001, $26.00, 242 pp. In the vein of Silent Spring, Antonetta takes a tale of environmental catastrophe and makes it personal. Body Toxic is the heartbreaking story of a family in New Jersey's Pine Barrens as they try to cope with toxic agents around their environment, and inside their bodies.

The Bold Vegetarian Chef: Adventures in Flavor With Soy, Beans, Vegetables and Grains, by Ken Charney, John Wiley & Sons, 2002, $19.95, 313 pp. In his quest to stamp out bland vegetarian food, Charney gives us The Bold Vegetarian Chef. In it he includes over 200 tested recipes along with kitchen tips and techniques for insuring success.
Bonanza: The Bubble Gum Kid, #2002, by George S. Elrick, Whitman Publishing Co., 1967, .39, 249 pp. Little Joe and Hoss take a wannabe outlaw under their wing and in no time have trained him to be the unlikely hero of the story. From the once wildly popular BIG LITTLE BOOK series by Whitman Publishing Co.

The Book of Beads, by Janet Coles and Robert Budwig, Simon and Schuster, 1990, $22.95, 125 pp. Simon and Schuster made a good attempt at capitalizing on the bead frenzy of the late eighties/early nineties with this book. Chock full of color illustrations, The Book of Beads is a good resource for novice constructionists and veteran collectors alike. Includes resource list of stores and beading associations. Who knew?

A Book of Cut Flowers, by Sheila Okun, William Morrow and Co., 1983, $10.00. This pocket sized book is truly a treasure. Each entry is partnered with a vibrant watercolor by Mary Close. Okun doesn't mess around with the descriptions. They're concise and to the point without cheating the reader on information. Gardeners beware: This isn't a book about growing flowers.

The Book of Hard Choices: How to Make the Right Decisions at Work and Keep Your Self-Respect, by James A. Autry and Peter Roy, Morgan Road Books, 2006, $23.95, 272 pp. The problem with this book is it hinges on the premise that all choices are black and white: Some right, others wrong. An executive facing a red financial sheet may approve lay-offs that have a dire affect on the families of employees laid off for years to come. While an executive with a conscience may try to hang onto the employees through tough times, thus putting the survival of the Company at risk. Who made the right choice? People before profits, or the other way around?

The Book of Unusual Knowledge, by Publications International Staff, Publications International, Ltd., 2012, $10.00, 704 pp. The Book of Unusual Knowledge packs all manner of facts into its 700-plus pages. There's information on artists, Hollywood, athletes, history and more. Although there seems no rhyme or reason for the inclusion of topics at hand, and with very few source credits (not even its editors are credited) and no bibliography, its contents seem suspicious at best. Still, Unusual Knowledge remains a well of fascinating tid-bits.

The Book on Bush: How George W. (Mis)leads America, by Eric Alterman and Mark Green, Viking, 2004, $24.95, 419 pp. Who wrote the book on Bush? Alterman and Green did, that's who. Their conclusion: G. Dubya's a bold faced liar. No surprise there, but the scope of the lies is alarming.

A Bookshelf of Our Own: Works That Changed Women's Lives, by Deborah G. Felder, Citadel Press, 2005, $22.95, 302 pp. Felder takes her reader on a walk through the most important books in women's literature, devoting each chapter to a separate title. There are fifty in all, and some of her choices are surprising.

Born to Buy: The Commercialized Child and the New Consumer Culture, by Juliet B. Schor, Scribner, 2004, $25.00, 275 pp. It's no news that kids are increasingly the targets of Madison Avenue advertising execs. The news here is why they're being targeted and the personal consequences of it. Fortunately, all is not lost. Along with the criticism are some thoughts on how to "decommercialize" your kids.

Boy Genius: Karl Rove, the Brains Behind the Remarkable Political Triumph of George W. Bush, by Lou Dubose, Jan Reid and Carl M. Cannon, Public Affairs Reports, 2003, $15.99, 253 pp. Written by seasoned reporters who covered Rove extensively while making a name for himself as a political consultant in Texas, Boy Genius reveals the dirty business of consulting in American politics.

The Boy Who Looked Like Shirley Temple, by Bill Mahan, Fawcett Crest, 1983, $2.95, 245 pp. A child star himself, Mahan captures the atmosphere of '30s Hollywood in this novel about an eight-year-old movie star during the great depression. It's a wild read matched only by the untamed antics of the stories protagonist.

Boys Will Be Boys: Breaking the Link Between Masculinity and Violence, by Myriam Miedzian, Lantern Books, 2003, $22.00, 354 pp. Men suck. At least that's the premise of Miedzan's book. In it the author dissects the causes of violence in today's culture and lays it squarely at the feet of the male gender. Rather than raising the call for erradication through hormone therapy though, she offers practical solutions with successful track records.

The Bradbury Chronicles: Stories in Honor of Ray Bradbury, edited by William F. Nolan and Martin H. Greenberg, Roc, 1991, $19.95, 328 pp. Twenty-two sci-fi writers offer original stories in fitting tribute to Ray Bradbury. A few of the stories are based on Bradbury creations; others are wholly original. Even Bradbury himself conjures up a new tale.

Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers, by Alissa Quart, Perseus Publishing, 2003, $25.00, 256 pp. Quart describes the world of today's teen; one in which the race for name-brand products has been stepped up a notch. In a culture that hinges popularity on everything from shoes to college admissions, it's little wonder modern adolescence is fraught with anxiety disorder. Freaky brain-washed world.

The Bridges of Madison County, by Robert James Waller, Warner Books, 1992, $14.95, 171 pp. This is a love letter to love. Sure the author's focus is too much on Francesca as she flirts with adultery and not enough on Robert who has a more interesting story by far (or so Waller hints at it), but the story is so eloquently written we can forgive him for it. Too, we can forget we're reading a romance.
Brotherhood, edited by Hannah Beate Haupt, Lilla Heston, Joy Littel and Sarah Solotaroff, McDougal, Littell & Co., 1972, 151 pp. This collection of poems and short stories is the stuff seventies Humanities majors cut their teeth on. It's full of multiculturalism-styled themes before they even had a word for it. The collection is gutsy and daring while retaining a sense of hope that many current curriculums lack. Hippy dippy? You bet!
A Brown Puppy and A Falling Star, by Elizabeth Ross, Whitman Publishing Co., 1965, 15 cents, 25 pp. A Brown Puppy follows the quest of Brown Puppy to find a fallen star. He believes if he finds it his wish for a home will come true. It is folly, of course, out of which Brown Puppy's redemption eventually emerges. Illustrated by Florence Sarah Winship.

Buddha Mind, Buddha Body: Walking Toward Enlightenment, by Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax, 2007, $14.95, 146 pp. In Buddha Mind, Hanh uses the tradition of Buddhism to illustrate how to cultivate a happy mind. Happiness, he contends, is like any other habit, and our minds can be trained for it.

Building a Character, by Constantin Stanislavski, Theatre Arts Books, 1976, 292 pp. In this follow-up to his An Actor Prepares, Stanislavski switches his focus on technique to the external drapery of a character. Stanislavski's the big cheese of acting technique, and at 292 pages the sheer volume of this book should instill awe in even the most cynical toward acting.

Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves, by Adam Hochschild, Houghton Mifflin, 2005. $26.95, 468 pp. This inspirational tale documents the true story of what could arguably qualify as the very first grassroots human rights campaign: The fight to ban slavery in the British Empire. Prizewinning author Adam Hochschild shines.

The Bush Dyslexicon: Observations on a National Disorder, by M.C. Miller, W. W. Norton & Co., 2002, $14.95, 304 pp. There's nothing funny about dyslexia, but in the right hands (Miller's) and under the right circumstances (leading the Free World), it's a stitch. Kudos to Miller who could have written an entertaining book just poking fun at George W. Bush's malapropisms. Instead, the author goes the extra mile, using the president's blunders to make a poignant statement about the presidential election process. Updated.

Bush's Brain, by James Moore and Wayne Slater, John Wiley & Sons, 2003, $27.95, 395 pp. In Bush's Brain, Moore and Slater assert the real power behind the oval office comes from Karl Rove. The authors should know; they've been following the Texas political adviser for fifteen years.

Bushwomen: Tales of a Cynical Species, by Laura Flanders, Verso, 2004, $22.00, 342 pp. In Bushwomen, Flanders - host of Your Call public radio - examines the role of women in the Bush administration in rolling back affirmative action and women's rights. Ironic roles considering they wouldn't have the positions they have if not for the progressive rights campaigns of others.

Bushworld: Enter at Your Own Risk, by Maureen Dowd, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2004, $25.95, 523 pp. Dowd has been covering G. Dubya since 1999 in her New York Times column, cleverly likening him and his cronies to a space alien regime filled with neocons and ideologues that just don't jive with twenty-first century Earth.

QUICKIES A : C : D-E : F : G : H : I-K : L : M
N-O : P-Q : R : S : T : U-V : W : X-Z
TOP