TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of December 16, 1973

FictionNonfiction
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THE JOY OF SEX
Alex Comfort
Cover of THE JOY OF SEX

THE JOY OF SEX

by Alex Comfort · Crown

52 wks on list

An updated, thirtieth-anniversary edition of the classic illustrated guide to human sexuality addresses current concerns about sex and health, advising readers on how to balance responsible practices with a satisfactory sex life.

4
IN ONE ERA AND OUT THE OTHER
Sam Levenson
Cover of IN ONE ERA AND OUT THE OTHER

IN ONE ERA AND OUT THE OTHER

by Sam Levenson · Simon & Schuster

13 wks on list

The beloved humorist and author Sam Levenson finds that some of his old worldviews don't fit the new one he now sees. Levenson's grew up the youngest of eight children in a large Jewish immigrant family in New York. He evolved from a Spanish teacher in Brooklyn to working the Catskills circuit as a comedian. By the 1950s, Levenson was a fixture in American homes as television personality, appearing and guest hosting numerous times on classic shows like This Is Show Business, Two For The Money, and The Ed Sullivan Show. For several years, he hosted his own variety show on CBS called The Sam Levenson Show, where the set doubled as a school classroom and where guests often evoked Levenson's love of learning, teaching and family. Through his lens, looking back on his life, we see how the world has transformed. His wit and humor make for timeless observations on money, technology, and life, that endeared Levenson to millions of Americans over the last 50 years.

5
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UPSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE
J.B. West with Mary Lynn Kotz
Cover of UPSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

UPSTAIRS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

by J.B. West with Mary Lynn Kotz · Coward, McCann & Geoghegan

6 wks on list

In this New York Times bestseller, the White House chief usher for nearly three decades offers a behind-the-scenes look at America's first families. J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state.In his beloved, multi-million copy bestseller, J. B. West, whom Jackie Kennedy called "one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met," provides an absorbing, one-of-a-kind history of life among the first ladies. Alive with anecdotes ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt's fascinating political strategies to Jackie Kennedy's tragic loss and the personal struggles of Pat Nixon, Upstairs at the White House is a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors.

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COSELL
Howard Cosell
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THE ONION FIELD
Joseph Wambaugh
Cover of THE ONION FIELD

THE ONION FIELD

by Joseph Wambaugh · Delacorte Press

12 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A fascinating account of a double tragedy: one physical, the other psychological.”—Truman Capote This is the frighteningly true story of two young cops and two young robbers whose separate destinies fatally cross one March night in a bizarre execution in a deserted Los Angeles field. “A complex story of tragic proportions . . . more ambitious than In Cold Blood and equally compelling!”—The New York Times “Once the action begins it is difficult to put the book down. . . . Wambaugh’s compelling account of this true story is destined for the bestseller lists.”—Library Journal

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.