Miscellaneous Books

The author draws upon a variety of literature ranging from biblical stories to political legends and speeches to illustrate the catalog of virtues--self-discipline, compassion, work, responsibility, friendship, courage, perseverance, honesty, loyalty, faith--that he believes are foundational to strong moral character. Most selections are introduced by a short thematic note, e.g., "an honest heart will always find friends." Bennett's elevation of these virtues to moral absolutes renders the book's view of morality rather simplistic. In addition, the collection's lack of attention to women's and non-Western voices encourages the view that the experience of virtue belongs primarily to Western males.

George Foreman shocked the world when he regained the heavyweight boxing championship at the age of 45. Now, Foreman candidly tells the story of his childhood, his family, his triumphs and tragedies in and out of the ring, and gives readers the inside scoop on how he used his desire, drive, and faith to make his return to boxing glory anything but an impossible dream.

A whirlwind journalistic tour through the 20th century, this was selected by the American and Canadian Booksellers Associations as "The 1987 Book of the Year." The news stories are written in a "You Are There" style by a team of 30 of today's news reporters, with many illustrations and cross references to later developments. There is an extensive index, and annual updates are scheduled. Unfortunately, directions for using this are found only on the back flap of the book jacket. This could be a problem, as the cross-reference system is somewhat confusing, leading either to a brief calendar or an article or (in some cases) an entirely inaccurate citation. Contemporary accounts or an encyclopedia will better serve researchers and students.

This is an oversized browsing book filled with magnificent pictures taken from space. As can be guessed from its title, most of the photographs are of portions of the earth's surface. The concise text consists of short quotations from astronauts and cosmonauts describing the emotional impact of being in space. Naturally, the comments are predominantly from Americans and Soviets, but among the 18 nations represented are France, Germany, Syria, and India. Each commentary is given in the speaker's native language with an English translation. A truly beautiful book.

General Powell may have undertaken this book as a form of paid political test marketing, but it turns out to be a success of an altogether different kind. We don't learn from this book if Powell is presidential material, but his recounting of the various steps of his career give us an unrivaled view of the ins and outs of military bureaucracy and shows how the modern American military, with its consistent emphasis on can-do attitudes and actual results, is a much more congenial place for realizing one's talents than our still-alarmingly pigeonholing general society.

This work contains the actual experiences of J. Frank Norfleet, a Texas rancher, and his 30,000 mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. This true story takes the reader from the Atlantic to the Pacific in Norfleet's four year chase after a gang of international swindlers. Prior to his contact with this gang, Norfleet had been a man of peace, with kindest feeling toward all humanity and malice toward none. This is a wonderful adventure which will keep the reader enthralled.

NRA membership has roughly quadrupled over the last 25 years, boasts NRA: An American Legend, an illustrated history of the organization that celebrates its leaders, political activities and advertising campaigns since the organization was chartered in 1871. Author and columnist Jeffrey L. Rodengen (The Legend of Halliburton) covers such subjects as the evolution of rifle and pistol design; the role of NRA's magazine, American Rifleman, in reporting on WWII; and the birth of gun control legislation under Lyndon Johnson ("NRA's darkest days"). The book is filled with photographs and sidebars that spotlight various eminent riflemen such as sharpshooter Elizabeth Servaty Topperwein, the first female NRA member. Foreword by Tom Clancy.

"The Prehistory of the Far Side: A Tenth Anniversary Exhibit," by Gary Larson, is a slightly different volume in the "Far Side" book series. This book collects Larson's cartoons, but there's more: according to the foreword, the purpose of the book is "to reveal some of the background, anecdotes, foibles, and 'behind-the-scenes' experiences related to this cartoon panel." Part of the book's fun is figuring out what parts of this "behind-the-scenes" material are for real and what parts are just further jokes on Larson's part.

Limbaugh's send-up of American liberalism was a 13-week PW bestseller.

Paul Dickson, one of the country's leading authorities on American slang, offers the first comprehensive collection of fighting words and war time phrases Americans have used from the Civil War to the Iraq War. This definitive dictionary, updated and expanded to include the events of September 11 and the war on terrorism, is arranged war by war and reveals military slang at its most colorful, innovative, brutal, and ironic. Dickson also shows how language mirrors the unique experience of each conflict. For example, World War II brought unprecedented linguistic experimentation, innovation, and abbreviation, including " dogface, quisling, blitz, and the immortal GI as well as the rich stew of pidgin English used to communicate with the native peoples of the South Pacific. Raw frustration and cynicism surface in the slang of the Vietnam War, with a record number of synonyms for the verb to kill, including blow away, dust, get some grease, waste, and zap.

Beginning with a brief overview of the Revolutionary War, War Slang reveals the thoughts, attitudes, and environments of America’s fighting men and women from the last 230 years. An incomparable reference work, War Slang serves the language lover and military historian alike by adding a brilliant and provocative new dimension to the understanding of war.