TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of May 31, 1992

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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GIVE WAR A CHANCE
P. J. O'Rourke
Cover of GIVE WAR A CHANCE

GIVE WAR A CHANCE

by P. J. O'Rourke · Atlantic Monthly Press

3 wks at #1 · 6 on list

The #1 New York Times bestseller from "one of America's most hilarious and provocative writers . . . a volatile brew of one-liners and vitriol" ( Time). Renowned for his cranky conservative humor, P. J. O'Rourke runs hilariously amok in this book, tackling the death of communism; his frustration with sanctimonious liberals; and Saddam Hussein in a series of classic dispatches from his coverage of the 1991 Gulf War. On Kuwait City after the war, he comments, "It looked like all the worst rock bands in the world had stayed there at the same time." On Saddam Hussein, O'Rourke muses: "He's got chemical weapons filled with . . . with . . . chemicals. Maybe he's got The Bomb. And missiles that can reach Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Spokane. Stock up on nonperishable foodstuffs. Grab those Diet Coke cans you were supposed to take to the recycling center and fill them with home heating oil. Bury the Hummel figurines in the yard. We're all going to die. Details at eleven." And on the plague of celebrity culture, he notes: "You can't shame or humiliate modern celebrities. What used to be called shame and humiliation is now called publicity." Mordant and utterly irreverent, this is a modern classic from one of our great political satirists, described by Christopher Buckley as being "like S. J. Perelman on acid." "Mocking on the surface but serious beneath . . . When it comes to scouting the world for world-class absurdities, O'Rourke is the right man for the job." — Los Angeles Times Book Review "The funniest writer in America." — The Wall Street Journal

3
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BACKLASH
Susan Faludi
Cover of BACKLASH

BACKLASH

by Susan Faludi · Crown

28 wks on list
4
3
HEAD TO HEAD
Lester Thurow
Cover of HEAD TO HEAD
5
1
TWO NATIONS
Andrew Hacker
Cover of TWO NATIONS

TWO NATIONS

by Andrew Hacker · Scribners

5 wks on list

A profound analysis of the conditions that keep blacks and whites dangerously far apart in their ability to participate in the American dream. In this groundbreaking study, Hacker offers a fresh and disturbing examination of the divisions of color and class in 1990s America.

6
THE WAY I SEE IT
Patti Davis

THE WAY I SEE IT

by Patti Davis · Putnam

3 wks on list

The daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan tells the story of a deeply troubled family hiding behind the lights of Hollywood and the presidency.

7
3
WHO WILL TELL THE PEOPLE
William Greider
Cover of WHO WILL TELL THE PEOPLE

WHO WILL TELL THE PEOPLE

by William Greider · Simon & Schuster

4 wks on list

Who Will Tell the People exposes the hidden power dynamics in American democracy and inspires citizens to reclaim their voice and reshape the system for the greater good. Who Will Tell the People is a passionate, eye-opening challenge to American democracy. Here is a tough-minded exploration of why we’re in trouble, starting with the basic issues of who gets heard, who gets ignored, and why. Greider shows us the realities of power in Washington today, uncovering the hidden relationships that link politicians with corporations and the rich, and that subvert the needs of ordinary citizens. How do we put meaning back into public life? Greider shares the stories of some citizens who have managed to crack Washington’s “Grand Bazaar” of influence peddling as he reveals the structures designed to thwart them. Without naiveté or cynicism, Greider shows us how the system can still be made to work for the people and delineates the lines of battle in the struggle to save democracy. By showing us the reality of how the political decisions that shape our lives are made, William Greider explains how we can begin to take control once more.

8
NEW
THE SILENT PASSAGE
Gail Sheehy
Cover of THE SILENT PASSAGE

THE SILENT PASSAGE

by Gail Sheehy · Random House

1 wks on list

Gail Sheehy's landmark bestseller has become the bible for women concerned about menopause. Since The Silent Passage was originally published in the early 1990s, Gail Sheehy, a member of the board of the New York Menopause Research Foundation, has been at the forefront of the newest research on menopause. She has also continued to interview countless women throughout the country on the subject. In this updated and expanded edition, she presents essential new data in chapters on The Perimenopause Panic, Menopause in the Workplace, Estrogen and Brainpower, and New Frontiers in Treatment. Candid, enlightening, inspiring, and witty, with the latest information on everything from early menopause to Chinese medicine and natural remedies, The Silent Passage is an indispensable reference for every woman.

11
6
PLAYING IN THE DARK
Toni Morrison
Cover of PLAYING IN THE DARK

PLAYING IN THE DARK

by Toni Morrison · Harvard University Press

3 wks on list

Morrison brings her genius to this personal inquiry into the significance of African-Americans in the American literary imagination. Through her investigation of black characters, narrative strategies, and idiom in the fiction of white American writers, Morrison provides a perspective sure to alter conventional notions about American literature.

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THE DISUNITING OF AMERICA
Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr
Cover of THE DISUNITING OF AMERICA

THE DISUNITING OF AMERICA

by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr · Norton

9 wks on list

The bestseller that reminded readers of what it means to be an American is more timely than ever in this updated and enlarged edition, including "Schlesinger's Syllabus", an annotated reading list of core books on the American experience. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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