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Web Exclusive Reviews: Week of 11/19

-- Publishers Weekly, 11/19/2007

NONFICTION

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master=20 Storyteller

John Truby. Faber and Faber, $35 (656p) ISBN 9780865479517

Teacher and screenplay doctor Truby (responsible for popular = screenwriting=20 software Blockbuster) brings his complicated but time-tested = story=20 development system to print for the first time, a 22-point process = that=E2=80=99s more=20 thorough=E2=80=94=E2=80=9Can extremely precise map of your entire = plot=E2=80=9D that =E2=80=9Cshow[s] you the=20 most dramatic way to tell your story=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94but also = more unwieldy than the=20 traditional =E2=80=9Cthree-act=E2=80=9D technique. For example, the = first seven steps Truby=20 introduces apply to structure: develop =E2=80=9Cweakness and = need=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Cdesire=E2=80=9D in your=20 hero, give him an =E2=80=9Copponent=E2=80=9D and a = =E2=80=9Cplan=E2=80=9D for overcoming that opponent, then=20 throw in a =E2=80=9Cbattle=E2=80=9D that leads to = =E2=80=9Cself-revelation=E2=80=9D and, finally, a =E2=80=9Cnew=20 equilibrium.=E2=80=9D Chapters build on each other, fleshing out these = steps with a=20 number of terms and concepts (character types include hero, main = opponent, ally,=20 fake-ally opponent and fake-opponent ally) that alternate between cagey = (the=20 =E2=80=9Ccharacter web=E2=80=9D) and confusing (the nearly = indistinguishable =E2=80=9Cdesigning=20 principle,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9Ctheme line=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Cmoral = argument=E2=80=9D). Further frustration arises in=20 Truby=E2=80=99s examples, old movies retrofitted with his techniques = (most notably=20 The Godfather and Tootsie) rather than a script that = has=20 actually been put through Truby=E2=80=99s paces (or, even better, a new = script invented=20 just to demonstrate the steps). Following Truby=E2=80=99s complex system = may yield a=20 memorable screenplay, but writers without great patience may find it = more=20 trouble than it=E2=80=99s worth. (Nov.)

Bets, Drugs and Rock & Roll: The Rise and Fall of the = World=E2=80=99s=20 First Offshore Sports Gambling Empire

Steve Budin with Bob=20 Schaller. Skyhorse, $24.95 (256p) ISBN 9781602390997

With an abundance of clich=C3=A9s and hubris, Budin, a bookmaker and = offshore=20 gambling pioneer, tells of his rise and inevitable fall in the world of=20 international gambling. After learning from his father, a master = bookmaker,=20 Budin goes into the business himself, stumbling upon the idea to take = his=20 operation offshore=E2=80=94making it, technically, a quasi-legal = enterprise as far as=20 U.S. law is concerned. In a conversational style, Budin relates his = decadent=20 adventures in Panama and Costa Rica=E2=80=94sleeping with his young = employees, smoking=20 three joints a day, popping magnums of champagne like cans of = soda=E2=80=94but he relies=20 too often on tired phrasing and street-tough posturing. Despite all his = claims=20 of legitimacy (=E2=80=9CWe were operating in a gray area,=E2=80=9D = =E2=80=9Cwe always wanted to be above=20 board=E2=80=9D), he glorifies repeatedly the gangster mentality that = typifies gambling=20 in popular culture, lionizing his father, =E2=80=9Cthis big monster in = the background=20 waiting to chew anybody up,=E2=80=9D and indulging in tales of employee = intimidation:=20 =E2=80=9Cit certainly must have seemed like we were going to kill him. I = can=E2=80=99t say that=20 wasn=E2=80=99t by design.=E2=80=9D Rather than examine the intricacies = of offshore gambling=E2=80=94a=20 story with implications in both the underworld and the corporate = arena=E2=80=94Budin=20 just rehashes the old clich=C3=A9s of bookies, broken arms and concrete = shoes.=20 (Oct.)

The Case of Abraham Lincoln: A Story of Adultery, Murder and = the=20 Making of a Great President

Julie M. Fenster. Palgrave MacMillan, $24.95 (256p) ISBN=20 9781403976352

In excruciating detail, author Fenster chronicles the 1856 case of = murdered=20 blacksmith George Anderson, and the role of young Illinois attorney and = former=20 congressman Abraham Lincoln. As the early days of the murder = investigation=20 unfold, a parallel narrative documents Lincoln=E2=80=99s stalled career; = at the time, he=20 =E2=80=9Cdescribed himself as a flat failure,=E2=80=9D watching other = politicos =E2=80=9Cmov[ing]=20 effortlessly into a life of luxury=E2=80=9D while Lincoln =E2=80=9Ccame = home from his speaking=20 tours=E2=80=A6 and went right back to buying groceries and mucking out = the stall of his=20 horse.=E2=80=9D When Lincoln decides to take on the defense of = George=E2=80=99s wife, the main=20 suspect (for less than $100), it proves a brilliant and pivotal career = move. The=20 case became a phenomenon: =E2=80=9CFor infamy, Springfield had never = seen anything like=20 it=E2=80=A6for complexity, it was far more interesting than the average = property case.=E2=80=9D=20 Cannily, Lincoln figured it would become =E2=80=9Ca lawyer=E2=80=99s = showcase,=E2=80=9D and rose to the=20 opportunity. Serving as =E2=80=9Cthe backdrop for a year of sweeping = transition for=20 Abraham Lincoln,=E2=80=9D the case is also entangled with the = establishment of the=20 Republican party that Lincoln would champion. Unfortunately, the = changing winds=20 of politics and the specifics of the murder case don=E2=80=99t make a = perfect union; the=20 story moves in fits and starts, making this meticulous and intimate look = at the=20 legendary Lincoln a worthwhile but labored read. (Nov.)

Choice: True = Stories=20 of Birth, Contraception, Infertility, Adoption, Single Parenthood, and=20 Abortion

Edited by Karen E. Bender and Nina de Gramont. = Macadam/Cage,=20 $24 (350p) ISBN 9781596920637; $15 paper 9781596920620

This collection, compiled by two savvy fiction writers fed up with = the=20 bumper-sticker mentality of most pro-life and pro-choice arguments, = illuminates=20 the volume of options, obstacles and ambivalence that reproduction = brings=20 through personal, often painful stories of real women. Examining almost = every=20 angle of the pregnancy experience are two dozen writers, editors and = educators,=20 including novelist Jacquelyn Mitchard (The Deep End of the = Ocean),=20 writer=E2=80=99s writer Francine Prose (Reading like a Writer) = and editor=20 Elizabeth Larsen (one of the creators of Sassy magazine). = Collectively=20 celebrating the courage of the choice=E2=80=94whatever that choice may = be=E2=80=94Bender and de=20 Gramont offer these stories as a bulwark against the criminalization of = women=E2=80=99s=20 reproductive options (the book was conceived amidst South = Dakota=E2=80=99s proposed=20 abortion ban); among these tales of women choosing to terminate = pregnancies, to=20 have children with men unfit to raise them, to fight against their own = bodies to=20 become pregnant, to keep an at risk-pregnancy both doctors and ministers = advise=20 against, that purpose is powerfully realized. Each tale is unique, and=20 politically charged buzz terms (RU-486, Roe V. Wade, etc.) gain = new=20 impact nestling alongside these writers=E2=80=99 honest quests for basic = human needs:=20 love, nurturing, and above all, possibility. (Nov.)

Dogs I Have Met: And the People They = Found

Ken Foster. Lyons, $14.95 paper (192p) = ISBN=20 9781599211299

In this moving sequel to his 2006 bestseller The Dogs Who Found = Me,=20 Foster introduces readers to dogs and owners he encountered while = promoting his=20 earlier book. In many cases, the dogs had been rescued from death by = people who=20 had =E2=80=9Cdecided that they were worth the work of saving,=E2=80=9D = and Foster interweaves=20 their remarkable stories with updates on his own life and the dogs who = continue=20 to change his life in surprising ways. The stories are as diverse as the = dogs=20 themselves, from a woman who found a pregnant, one-eyed stray in the = exact spot=20 where she had been involved in a car crash six years earlier that killed = her=20 best friend, to a man certain that his adoption of a pit bull saved him = from=20 Hurricane Katrina. Foster concludes with a more detailed look at the = animals=20 affected by Katrina=E2=80=99s devastation, including a moving tribute to = the volunteers=20 who helped give shelter to the dogs of New Orleans. Dog lovers will = welcome this=20 new collection of moving and poignant canine stories. = (Oct.)

The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden = Lives=20 and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words

Anu Garg. Plume, $13 paper (192p) ISBN 9780452288614

Garg, logophilic founder of wordsmith.org and the 600,000-subscriber=20 A.Word.A.Day email newsletter, jam-packs his latest good-natured,=20 reader-friendly book (after Another Word A Day) with terms = exotic and=20 domestic, lessons in etymology and surprising tricks of the linguist = trade, such=20 as the fact that =E2=80=9Cas a copyright trap=E2=80=A6 encyclopedia = publishers are known to add=20 a fictitious biography or two to their works.=E2=80=9D Divided into = several short=20 chapters, each with a unique focus, Garg covers topics like the = =E2=80=9Clanguage mint=E2=80=9D=20 successes (=E2=80=9CGrok,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CScofflaw,=E2=80=9D = =E2=80=9CTeetotal=E2=80=9D), words that come from fictional=20 character names (=E2=80=9CPrufrockian,=E2=80=9D = =E2=80=9CThrottlebottom,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CZelig=E2=80=9D), food-speak=20 (=E2=80=9CEpicurean,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CJulienne,=E2=80=9D = =E2=80=9CPostprandial=E2=80=9D) and units of measurement = (=E2=80=9CDol,=E2=80=9D=20 =E2=80=9CMillihelen,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CMiner=E2=80=99s Inch=E2=80=9D). = =E2=80=9CLexperts,=E2=80=9D as Garg calls them, will enjoy=20 testing themselves with 77 trivial pursuit-style questions, though = readers may=20 bemoan the lack of a comprehensive index. Otherwise, Garg=E2=80=99s = latest little gem=20 will be enjoyed by anyone with a thing for words, language and history.=20 (Nov.)

3D""=20 Gilded Lili: Lili St. Cyr = and the=20 Striptease Mystique

Kelly DiNardo. Back Stage, $24.95 (236p) ISBN = 9780823088898

Contemporary =E2=80=9Cstripper chic=E2=80=9D and the = =E2=80=9Cneo-burlesque movement=E2=80=9D have spurred=20 new interest in Lili St. Cyr, one of America=E2=80=99s best-known = postwar striptease=20 artists, and this swift, engaging biography from freelance writer = DiNardo is=20 sure to satisfy, offering not only a portrait of the pioneering sex = symbol but=20 also a carefully researched history of the burlesque industry from the = mid-1800s=20 to its 20th century heyday. Most enthralling, however, is the delicious = dossier=20 of St. Cyr=E2=80=99s lovers; although her official husband-count is six, = her love=20 affairs=E2=80=94with both men and women=E2=80=94may number into the = hundreds. Ironically, she=20 battled loneliness all her days, sinking into despair and heroin = addiction=20 toward the end of her life. The story of the burlesque queen with the = physique=20 of a goddess makes for great reading, and gossip hounds will delight in = rumors=20 that =E2=80=9CGilded Lili=E2=80=9D taught Marilyn Monroe many of her = best-known sexpot=20 affectations. (Even more intriguing, sources claim that St. Cyr had a=20 clandestine love affair with the blonde bombshell.) DiNardo shows = admirable=20 skepticism while reporting the salacious morsels long associated with = St. Cyr,=20 sorting the stage siren=E2=80=99s real life from the legend that grew = around her.=20 Despite the rigors of fame, Lili proves strikingly = self-aware=E2=80=94=E2=80=9CYears of=20 adulation=E2=80=A6spoiled me,=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D she = admitted=E2=80=94making her as tragic and sympathetic a=20 figure as any of the famously troubled stars who followed. = (Oct.)

In Praise of Flattery

Willis Goth Regier. Univ. of Neb., $21.95 (232p) ISBN = 9780803239692

The research is thorough and the writing compelling in historian = Regier=E2=80=99s=20 latest, but the appeal of this academic exploration of the art and = history of=20 flattery will likely be quite limited. The author of Book of the = Sphnix=20 and editor of Masterpieces of American Indian Literature, = Regier=20 compiles 128 =E2=80=9Crules=E2=80=9D of flattery culled from artists, = authors, philosophers,=20 statesmen and kings that take readers through the history of what = happens =E2=80=9Cwhen=20 praise seeks a reward=E2=80=9D (Rule 1). Explaining flattery=E2=80=99s = role in professional and=20 personal relationships through time and around the world, = Regier=E2=80=99s far-reaching=20 study includes forays into business, art, fable, family, government, = gift-giving=20 and God, as well as a double handful of illustrations. Despite its = brevity,=20 readers will need patience to stick with it; if they do, they=E2=80=99ll = be rewarded=20 with a trove of rhetorical-philosophical gems: =E2=80=9CFlatteries are = the building=20 blocks of fame,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CPoets are the aristocracy of = flattery,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CFlattery is the=20 school for praise.=E2=80=9D Unfortunately, the total is significantly = lesser than the=20 sum of its parts. (Nov.)

Lives of the Ancient Egyptians

Toby Wilkinson. Thames = &=20 Hudson, $40 (336p) ISBN 9780500051481

Sifting through 3000 years of Egyptian history, Wilkinson = (Genesis=20 of the Pharaohs) presents detailed portraits of 100 ancient = Egyptians,=20 mostly men who comprised the civilization=E2=80=99s small, literate = ruling class and=20 left their imprint on everything from tombs to papyrus. Rulers range = from the=20 iron-fisted leader Narmer, depicted in temple decorations beating a = bound=20 captive in 3000 BC, to the powerful and popular female pharaoh, = Hatshepsut, who=20 reigned in the 18th Dynasty. Wilkinson gives equal attention to everyday = citizens, such as Naunakht, who, during the late Ramesside Period, cut = her two=20 ungrateful daughters from her will; Mes, a treasury scribe during = Ramesses II=E2=80=99s=20 reign, emerged victorious in a century-long family feud and the details = of his=20 court case are inscribed for perpetuity on his tomb=E2=80=99s walls. = Lavishly=20 illustrated with 200 photos, 80 of them in color, this volume = beautifully gives=20 a voice to long-dead souls, both regal and more ordinary, whose = ambitions, loves=20 and disappointments resemble ours in significant ways. = (Nov.)

Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot=20 Relationships

David Levy. HarperCollins, $24.95 (334p) = ISBN=20 9780061359750

In this wide-ranging examination of the emotional and physical = relations=20 between humans and the inanimate objects of their desire, AI guru Levy=20 (Robots Unlimited) first addresses the question of love with = robots,=20 and moves on to consider the mechanics of actually having sex with them. = In=20 order to put the reader at ease with the possibility of human-robot = love, Levy=20 compares the phenomenon to the ways in which humans fall in love with = each=20 other, their pets, and even their motorcycles. From there, Levy argues, = it is a=20 short emotional step to the affection people can be expected to display = towards=20 robots. Some readers may be turned off by Levy=E2=80=99s fairly graphic = descriptions of=20 the mechanics of having sex with robots, and may wonder why Levy chose = not to=20 include recent research on the human genome that could one day lead to = replacing=20 human =E2=80=9Cparts,=E2=80=9D potentially making us more robot-like = ourselves. Though Levy=E2=80=99s=20 topic is undeniably on the fringe, it will appeal to readers keen on = pondering=20 futuristic scenarios. (Nov.)

Possessing the Pacific: Land, Settlers, and Indigenous People = from=20 Australia to Alaska

Stuart Banner. Harvard, $35 (388p) ISBN=20 9780674026124

This investigation of 19th-century white settlement in the Pacific = explores=20 why colonists=E2=80=99 strategies for appropriating land from native = people varied so=20 widely from place to place. Banner (How the Indians Lost Their = Land) identifies three central factors: the speed of white=20 settlement, the extent of native people=E2=80=99s political = organization, and, most=20 importantly, agriculture, which colonists equated with ownership. When = colonists=20 encountered indigenous farming people, the colonists recognized the = natives=E2=80=99=20 land ownership. Thus, when the British arrived in New Zealand, they = conceded the=20 agricultural Maori=E2=80=99s property rights, and tried to buy the land. = But when=20 American settlers arrived in California, the non-agricultural native = population=20 struck them as primitive, and the settlers refused to acknowledge Indian = ownership. Banner sketches the ongoing impact of these colonial = encounters,=20 underscoring that indigenous people=E2=80=99s property rights today are = based on what=20 unfolded 150 years ago. Occasionally, Banner states the obvious, as when = he=20 notes that the British ability to take control of New Zealand boiled = down to the=20 Brits having more =E2=80=9Cpower=E2=80=9D than the Maori. Yet his = overarching argument is an=20 important one: dispelling the myth that colonization patterns were = driven by=20 policies set at home. This original and significant study will appeal to = readers=20 hoping to understand an issue whose ramifications are still felt today.=20 (Nov.)

Switching Time: A Doctor=E2=80=99s Harrowing Story of = Treating a Women with=20 17 Personalities

Richard Baer. Crown, $24.95 (360p) ISBN 9780307382665

Psychotherapist Baer=E2=80=99s compelling and engaging memoir traces = his journey=20 through the treatment of a patient=E2=80=99s extraordinary case of = multiple personality=20 disorder. When Karen Overhill seeks out Baer=E2=80=99s help for her = depression, she soon=20 divulges lost hours and past abuse. Baer soon receives a letter from=20 seven-year-old Claire who =E2=80=9Clives inside Karen,=E2=80=9D and = discovers there are more=20 personalities, or =E2=80=9Calters,=E2=80=9D living within adults, = teenagers, children, boys and=20 girls. Realizing that all he knows about multiple personalities = he=E2=80=99s gleaned=20 from journals and textbooks rather than clinical experience, Baer uses = hypnosis=20 to communicate with the alters, discovering the horrendous abuse that = led to the=20 creation of each personality. By nurturing them=E2=80=94especially the = children=E2=80=94over=20 several years and with the aid of Holdon and Katherine, the alters who = function=20 as parent/guardians to the rest, Baer guides them to accept integration. = Meanwhile, Baer=E2=80=99s marriage dissolves and budget cuts force him = to release all=20 his patients except Karen, for whom he comes to care deeply. In this = moving and=20 informative memoir, Baer gives readers fascinating insights not only = into a rare=20 disease, but also the journey of two individuals determined to = understand and=20 overcome all the odds. (Oct.)

Young Stalin

Simon Sebag Montefiore. Knopf, $35 (480p) ISBN=20 9781400044658

Russian historian and author Montefiore presents an exciting, = exemplary=20 biography of the nondescript peasant boy who would become the most = ruthless=20 leader in Soviet history, a prequel of sorts to his Stalin: The = Court of the=20 Red Tsar. Born in 1878 in the Caucasus of Georgia to an = overprotective=20 mother (who had already lost two sons) and a father opposed to education = (=E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m a=20 shoemaker and my son will be one too=E2=80=9D), Stalin possessed a = talent for poetry and=20 mischief. Amidst his mom=E2=80=99s trysts (with men she hoped would = further Stalin=E2=80=99s=20 education), his father=E2=80=99s alcohol-fueled violence and the = powder-keg environment=20 of the Caucasus, Stalin turned from priesthood training to gang life and = petty=20 crime. As he grew, so did his hatred of Tsarist Russia, leading him to = meet the=20 initial Bolsheviks, and to more spectacular and violent capers. From the = start,=20 Stalin proved a remarkable talent for meticulous planning, a skill that = would=20 become vital to the revolutionaries and, later, to his iron-fisted = reign. Using=20 recently opened records, Montefiore turns up intriguing new information = (like=20 the =E2=80=9CFagin-like=E2=80=9D role he played among =E2=80=9Ca = prepubescent revolutionary street=20 intelligence=E2=80=9D network), Montefiore captures in an absorbing = narrative both=20 Stalin=E2=80=99s conflicted character=E2=80=94marked by powerful = charisma and deep paranoia=E2=80=94and=20 the revolution=E2=80=99s early years with stunning clarity. = (Oct.)

LIFESTYLE

3D""=20 =20 The Family Dinner Fix: Cooking for the Rushed

Sandi Richard. Scribner, $22.95 paper (192p) ISBN=20 9781416541233

Food Network Canada star Richard presents a wealth of quick,=20 family-pleasing recipes for harried cooks in a compilation that = redefines=20 =E2=80=9Cuser-friendly.=E2=80=9D Emphasizing fresh over prepared = ingredients without going=20 overboard (she=E2=80=99s not above the occasional can of = Campbell=E2=80=99s Cream of Mushroom),=20 Richard=E2=80=99s time-conscious approach begs comparison to megastar = (and fellow Food=20 Network personality) Rachael Ray. Though Richard=E2=80=99s far more = personal style is an=20 obvious difference, the key innovation Richard contributes is in her = meticulous=20 organization: aside from ingredients and steps, each recipe includes a = list of=20 necessary equipment, nutrition and exchange information for U.S. and = Canadian=20 readers and =E2=80=9Creal photos=E2=80=9D that do away with = image-enhancing special effects: =E2=80=9Cif=20 the dish is ugly, I think the reader needs to know that ahead of = time!=E2=80=9D But=20 that=E2=80=99s not all: there=E2=80=99s also a primer on =E2=80=9CMeal = Planning for the 21st Century,=E2=80=9D=20 shopping lists for each week=E2=80=99s dishes, indexes organized by = protein, fat content=20 and total time commitment, and even ratings from her family = (veggie-laden=20 Mediterranean Pizza rates a solid 10, while a faithful take on = Fettuccini=20 Carbonara scores an 8.5). Skilled cooks will appreciate the emphasis on = easy=20 crowd-pleasers like Thai Chicken Wraps, Red Snapper with Pineapple Salsa = and=20 Baked Ham with Apricot Sauce, while novices will find a surefire = confidence=20 boost in Richard=E2=80=99s encouraging, detailed recipes and = delightfully off-the-cuff=20 commentary. (Nov.)

Snake Oil Science: The Truth about Complementary and = Alternative=20 Medicine

R. Barker Bausell. Oxford Univ., $24.95 (368p) ISBN=20 9780195313680

A biostatistician, author and Senior = Research=20 Methodologist at the University of Maryland, Bausell looks at the = alternative=20 methods used by more than 36 percent of Americans to treat pain and = illness by=20 posing the question, =E2=80=9CIs any complementary and alternative = medical therapy more=20 effective than a placebo?=E2=80=9D In short, his answer is no; what, = then, is actually=20 happening in patients (and professionals) who swear by the medical = utility of=20 such complementary and alternative medicines (=E2=80=9CCAMs=E2=80=9D) as = acupuncture, deep=20 breathing exercises and megavitamin therapy? Step by step, Bausell = builds a=20 rigorous case against CAM, beginning with a look at the history of CAMs = and=20 placebos, then the =E2=80=9Cpoorly = trained scientists=E2=80=9D=20 and flawed studies (among more than 300 analyzed for this book) = that have=20 historically supported CAM=E2=80=99s efficacy. A breakdown of the = placebo effect=E2=80=99s hows=20 and whys follows (are people hardwired for susceptibility?), along with = a look=20 at =E2=80=9Chigh-quality studies=E2=80=9D and =E2=80=9Csystematic = reviews=E2=80=9D (including an Italian study=20 that finds natural opioid secretion in the brain responsible for the = perceived=20 benefits of placebos) which largely support Bausell=E2=80=99s answer. = Entertaining and=20 informative, with plenty of diverting anecdotal examples, Bausell offers = non-professionals and pros a thorough look at the science on CAM, along = with a=20 complementary lesson in the methods of good medical research.=20 (Nov.)

Streetwear: The Insider=E2=80=99s Guide

Steven Vogel. Chronicle, $25 paper (352p) ISBN = 9780811860369

In this energetic =E2=80=9Cstreet fashion bible,=E2=80=9D freelance = writer and former pro=20 skateboarder Vogel asks fashion designers around the globe, =E2=80=9Chow = do you define=20 streetwear?=E2=80=9D Contrasting considerate discussion with bold = graphics, cityscapes,=20 glossy product photographs (T-shirts, hoodies and sneakers are = well-represented)=20 and gritty portraits of the folks involved, this volume makes both an=20 introductory =E2=80=9Cwho=E2=80=99s who=E2=80=9D and a serious inquiry = into the history, boundaries and=20 direction of the subculture. Though subjects exhibit plenty of hope and=20 enthusiasm, many worry over the mainstreaming of street culture; what = =E2=80=9Cstarted=20 as an artistic or social movement=E2=80=9D has begun =E2=80=9Cto shift = focus entirely on to=20 product and consumerism,=E2=80=9D says the founder of Virginia retail = outlet=20 Commonwealth. Unsurprisingly, product is given a large measure of = attention, and=20 an index for would-be purchasers provides contact info; otherwise, the = book is=20 dominated by profiles of artists, entrepreneurs, labels and stores, and = is=20 capped with a list of magazines, web sites and books for further = reading.=20 Interviews range in tone from contemplative to funny to irreverent = absurdity,=20 capturing a diverse cross-section of the population. Though the = constantly=20 evolving subculture may be better chronicled by a regularly published = magazine,=20 this book=E2=80=99s impressive graphic design and heartfelt attitude = make it a shining=20 time capsule for the current moment. (Nov.)

ILLUSTRATED

3D""=20 =20 Planet Ocean: Voyage to the Heart of the Marine Realm

Laurent Ballesta and Pierre Descamp, = preface by=20 Jean-Michel Cousteau, trans. from the French by the authors. = National=20 Geographic, $40 (366p) ISBN 9781426201868

One of the few volumes of marine photography that devotes a chapter = to each=20 one of the planet=E2=80=99s different marine environments, this is one = book that lives=20 up to its title. Ballesta and Descamp, along with their editorial = colleagues and=20 advisors at the World Conservation Union (IUCN), have created a truly=20 encyclopedic overview of the amazing range of habitats and ecologies = found in=20 Earth=E2=80=99s oceans (rather than stick to the easily-visited locales = that populate=20 most marine photography roundups). The full-bleed images are stunning, = capturing=20 intricacies of structure, texture and color that pre-digital film simply = could=20 not. Most chapters are devoted to a particular geographic feature rather = than a=20 specific location=E2=80=94=E2=80=9CThe Undersea Prairies,=E2=80=9D = =E2=80=9CPolar Oceans,=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CThe Coral Reefs,=E2=80=9D=20 =E2=80=9CThe Oases of the Open Ocean=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94and each includes = a short introduction; a two-page=20 spread from IUCN experts on topics vital to =E2=80=9Cthe endangered = seas=E2=80=9D (sustainable=20 fishing, ocean governance, aquaculture, tourism, etc.); and short = passages on=20 specific critters, plants and geography Aside from occasionally=20 difficult-to-read white-on-blue text, this is an outstanding resource = for the=20 classroom or the home that will give readers of any age a thorough, = breathtaking=20 overview of the world underwater. (Nov.)

FICTION

Best New American Voices 2008

Edited by Richard Bausch. Harcourt, $15 paper (432p) ISBN=20 9780156031493

Each year the nation=E2=80=99s most driven would-be writers seek out = the structure=20 and support of the many creative writing MFA programs and=E2=80=94as = this volume=20 proves=E2=80=94produce inspired work under their auspices. Now in its = eighth year, this=20 series showcases stories nominated by workshop directors and instructors = and=20 selected, in this case, by guest editor Bausch (Thanksgiving = Night). A=20 number of the writers featured in this edition breathe new life into = familiar=20 themes=E2=80=94the University of Iowa=E2=80=99s Leslie Jamison takes on = heartbreak, Stanford=E2=80=99s=20 Suzanne Rivecca examines sexual abuse, University of Massachusetts, = Amherst=E2=80=99s=20 Jedediah Berry looks at death, Elizabeth Kadetsky represents the = Wesleyan=20 Writers Conference with a tale of innocence lost, and Adam Stumacher of = the=20 Wisconsin Institute takes on political strife=E2=80=94but just as many = craft deftly=20 original stories that defy easy categorization; one standout example is = a=20 playful story from the University of Mississippi=E2=80=99s Christopher = Stokes, =E2=80=9CThe Man=20 Who Ate Michael Rockefellar,=E2=80=9D set in colonial Indonesia and = narrated by a shrewd=20 native. In his introduction, guest editor Bausch says that = literature=E2=80=99s ongoing=20 quest is =E2=80=9Cto make something lasting out of the confusions of = living=E2=80=9D; these=20 imaginative debut artists offer happy proof that the challenge is still = being=20 met. (Oct.)