Non-Fiction

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. "I know that this book has been wildly popular this year, so I’m adding it to the list as the rare bad review.  Dr. Jahren writes as if her experience as a female in a male dominated field is universal, and includes sweeping stereotypes.  As a woman in almost the same field, I found the book derogatory and difficult to read.  Non-scientists may find it an interesting glimpse into the world of biology research, but should be warned that her story is not the story of all lab girls".

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle"Written by the current (8th) Countess of Carnarvon, about the 5th who married into the house (aka Downton Abbey) in 1898. Almina was the illegitimate but loved and spoiled daughter of Alfred Rothschild, and came to the house with endless supplies of money for parties and renovations.  She was a humanitarian, and turned the house into a state of the art hospital during WWI and personally paid for the best doctors and care for all the patients.  Her husband was the co-discoverer and complete funder of the search for King Tut, and she joined him on most of his trips to Egypt, throwing lavish parties there.  Many details from the show were lifted from her life and the house.  A great read for an Downton fans."

The Language of Man. Learning to Speak Creativity.  by Larry Robertson.  (Link goes to website - will be available on Amazon soon, but better for author if you order directly anyway).  I've been listening to a lot of podcasts lately about creativity, which is why I was so excited when Larry told me about his new book.  It's about creativity in PRACTICE.  He uses neuroscience, philosophy and the experiences of MacArthur Fellows (the "genius grant" awardees) to make a compelling case that we are wired to be creative.  It's SO smart.  It doesn't just tell you that creativity is not the sole purview of a few fortunate people - it shows you. In the words of Brigid Schulte from the Washington Post: “Within the first few pages of his fascinating new book, The Language of Man, Larry Robertson shatters deeply-held myths that creativity and genius are the birthright of a mere handful of elites, bringing the vaunted notion of genius out of the clouds and into our everyday lives. In a carefully constructed argument, backed by wide-ranging research from neuroscience to philosophy and the engaging stories of some of the most creative people on the planet, Robertson instead shows how creativity, more than anything, is a mindset, a habit, a choice, and the limitless and necessary birthright of us all. The accessibility of creativity this book reveals and the possibility it opens our eyes to are utterly captivating.”

The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory and The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-1940 by William Manchester. "These are the first two in what was to be a trilogy of Churchill biographies by Manchester. Manchester died in 2004, but journalist Paul Reid is finishing the third one, and it's supposed to be published late this year. So let's read the first two and then we can all go to the party at midnight at Barnes & Noble on the eve of the release of the third and final volume." (Context:  this contribution was added the year the last Harry Potter book came out.  As it happens, the final volume was, indeed, released in 2012.)

Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht. “Aliza is better known as @DKNYPRGIRL on Twitter, and she is a fan-fucking-tastic author.  This book is a career guide and story-driven book about how not to suck at PR and journalism.  It’s fantastic and awesome and I have already bought 10 copies as gifts for the 20 somethings in my life.  I think you’ll like it because you will leap to your feet with glee at the great advice she gives because it’s all stuff we’ve known and done for years.  This book is AWESOME.”

Lee Miller: A Life By Carolyn Burke. "Lee Miller is the Forest Gump of the art & photography world.  She was a muse of Man Ray, Conde Nast & other arty men, then ended up taking all the most amazing photos of WW2 as a correspondent for Vogue (inc. bathing in Hitler’s tub). Wild."

Let’s Take The Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship – Non-Fiction by Gail Caldwell. Gail Caldwell and Caroline Knapp (author of Drinking: A Love Story) became best friends after meeting over dogs. “If you love dogs and women....this is the book for you.”  “It says a lot that Gail Caldwell’s ferociously anguished chronicle of her best friend’s terminal cancer, that it manages to be, among many other things, a properly intelligent examination of the way in which dogs can help heal our past, enhance and challenge our knowledge of ourselves, even shed light on the mysterious workings of the human soul. If female friendship is the beating heart of this book, then a bond with a dog is the vein of pure tenderness that runs through its pages. You feel that the women’s friendship would never have existed in quite the same way without this crucial, balancing canine element." 

Letters to a Young Poetby Rainer Maria Rilke “Written in the earliest part of the last century, these letters from Rilke to a young, struggling poet outline how one can live a life that matters. Rilke's insights and gorgeous writing stand the test of time - his point of view is as relevant today as it was when he wrote it all down.”

The Library Book by Susan Orlean. "I cried several times when I read this book which tells the story of the great LA Library fire in 1986 which reduced nearly the entire collection to ashes. Orlean weaves the story of how the collection was built with how they found the perpetrator with such clarity - you know exactly how the things that burned had found their way to the library, which makes their loss even more sharp and painful. If you love libraries, and books, you will love this book. It's also designed to feel like a library book in your hand, which I appreciated greatly."

Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat by Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas.  "This book is one of the best auto-biographies I’ve ever read, and definitely the best cooking biography.  Grant Achatz, a James Beard award winning chef is the uber-creative force behind Alinea, named the best restaurant in North America by Gourmet.  The book covers his childhood working in his parents’ restaurant, his work through the ranks at The French Laundry in his 20s and his close relationship with Thomas Keller, through his creation of his ultra modern and ground-breaking Alinea.   Soon after opening Alinea and winning accolades, Achatz was diagnosed with Stage 4 tongue cancer at age 33 and subsequently lost the ability to taste, eat and swallow.  Chef Achatz writes so honestly about his life, dreams and his fight against the cancer that I really felt like I knew him while reading.  I cried and laughed throughout.  Interspersed with Achatz’s writing are chapters and bits from Nick Kokonas, who began as a regular customer and became Achatz’s business partner and support system."