Non-Fiction Books
Committed
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The movie adaptation of Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love will be opening in theaters this August. It is still May as I write this, yet the cover from the book is already showing up again everywhere I look.
Finding Oz
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In many respects this is a biography of L. Frank Baum, with immensely enjoyable stories about his family history, his early childhood in the outskirts of Syracuse, New York,
The Professor and the Madman
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The making of the Oxford English Dictionary is more interesting than you might think.
You Are Not a Gadget
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This is a very difficult book to describe because the author is the kind of genius who has ideas that are so visionary I at times have the feeling I’m only grasping ten percent of what he is trying to communicate
The Best Dog in the World
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This charming and informative work is a collection of 111 vintage portraits of children with their dogs. The photographs are all from 1875-1925 and include fascinating information about the dog breeds that were being developed at that time.
Manhood for Amateurs
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Chabon’s writing in this collection of essays appears, as usual, to be effortless, as if his words were typed out directly from his mind and onto paper without any editing or revising necessary. He has a natural gift and an unmistakable, charming voice that is apparent in everything he writes.
The Lost City of Z
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There are many reasons to read this book, the primary one being the ending, which I will refrain from saying anything about, even though I really, really want to. The second reason would be the catalogue of countless gruesome ways to die in the Amazon,
Don’t Dump the Dog
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This book on dog training is an unusual addition to the category. Instead of the conventional attitude of empathy and patience for the beleaguered dog owner, Grim writes with unapologetic irritation and sarcasm toward those who would give up their dogs.
Neither Here nor There
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This was a gift from somebody who remembered that I enjoyed Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, a comedic account of his hike along the Appalachian Trail. Neither Here nor There is similar in spirit—comedic
Tokyo Vice
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I normally stay as far away as possible from books that include words like “crime boss,” “FBI,” and “death threats.” But I made an exception for Tokyo Vice, first because it was given to me as a Christmas present,