TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of December 27, 1998

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THE GREATEST GENERATION
Tom Brokaw
Cover of THE GREATEST GENERATION

THE GREATEST GENERATION

by Tom Brokaw · Random House

21 wks at #1 · 2 on list

In this superb book, Tom Brokaw goes out into America, to tell through the stories of individual men and women the story of a generation - America's citizen heroes and heroines who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America. This was a generation united by common values - by duty, honour, courage, service and love of family and country. Here you'll meet people like Charles Van Gorder, who set up during D-Day a MASH-like medical facility in the middle of the fighting, and then came home to create a clinic and hospital in his hometown. You'll hear ex-President George Bush talk about how, as a Navy Air Corps combat pilot, one of his assignments was to read the mail of the enlisted men under him, to be sure no sensitive military information would be compromised. You'll meet Trudy Elion, winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine, one of the many women in this book who found fulfilling careers in the changed society as a result of the war. And you'll meet Martha Putney, one of the first black women to serve in the newly formed WACs. In the spirit of Band of Brothers, The Greatest Generation tells the stories of ordinary men and women caught up in extraordinary events - individuals united by a common purpose - working, living and dying in the service of their country.

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THE AMERICAN CENTURY
Harold Evans with Gail Buckland and Kevin Baker
Cover of THE AMERICAN CENTURY

THE AMERICAN CENTURY

by Harold Evans with Gail Buckland and Kevin Baker · Knopf

4 wks on list

The story of the last 100 years in the life of the United States, and that of the 20th century. In this century, America became the largest economic and military power, sent men to the moon and opened a branch of McDonalds in Moscow. Over 900 photographs, cartoons and illustrations are included.

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THE ENDURANCE
Caroline Alexander
Cover of THE ENDURANCE

THE ENDURANCE

by Caroline Alexander · Knopf

2 wks on list

This book recounts the ordeal of Ernest Shackleton and his crew who attempted to make the first crossing on foot of the Antarctic continent but who became trapped on the ice floes for twenty months in the attempt.

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FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME
Michael Jordan. Edited by Mark Vancil
Cover of FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

by Michael Jordan. Edited by Mark Vancil · Crown

7 wks on list

Photographs combine with Jordan's personal anecdotes and reminiscences to chronicle the life and times of the great basketball player, detailing his college and professional career, the murder of his father, and the business of basketball

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LINDBERGH
A. Scott Berg
Cover of LINDBERGH

LINDBERGH

by A. Scott Berg · Putnam

12 wks on list
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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Laura Schlessinger and Stewart Vogel
Cover of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

by Laura Schlessinger and Stewart Vogel · Cliff Street/HarperCollins

14 wks on list

Everybody knows the Ten Commandments, right? Let's see. There's something about stealing, lying, murdering...ah...but that's only three...what are the rest? More people claim to live by the Ten Commandments than seem to know what they are, let alone what they mean. And in this modern, jet-propelled, nuclear, genetic-engineered world, how important are they? Each day we make innumerable decisions about things that don't really seem earth-shattering in importance. So what if we break a promise? So what if we are married but find passion in another bed? So what if we are too focused on work, TV, or clubs to spend time with family? In The Ten Commandments, Dr. Laura Schlessinger, America's "Mommy" and the conscience of talk radio, reminds is that it is in everyday decisions that we give meaning to our lives or diminish it; and she shows us why adhering to the higher ideals and consistent morality found in the Commandments can create a life of greater purpose, integrity, value, and lasting joy. The Ten Commandment's are the first direct communication between a people and God. Designed to elevate our lives above mere frantic, animal existence to the sublime levels humanity is capable of experiencing, they are the blueprint of God's expectations of us and His plan for a meaningful, just, loving, and holy life. Each of the Ten Commandments asserts a principle, and each principle is a moral focal point for real-life issues relating to God, family, sex, work, charity, property, speech, and thought. These principles, and the Commandments they are based upon, are as relevant today as they were in Biblical times. Written in collaboration with Rabbi Steward Vogel, The Ten Commandments is a modern application of God's laws, incorporating lively discussion on the Bible and the Judeo-Christian values derived from it. Filled with passion, emotion, and provocative, profound insight. The Ten Commandments will move, enlighten, inspire, educate, and entertain you. You won't be able to look at even mundane moments in your life the same way again. I am the Lord, your God, who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery Acceptance of God as the ultimate author of morality and leaning of life. You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence Beware of idolatry. Attaining money, power, stimulation, professional success, and accumulating possessions, while legitimate pursuits, are not the ultimate purpose of life. You shall not take the Name of the Lord, your God, in vain How we acknowledge or deny God and godliness through our words and deeds. Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it Recognize the value of time by refocusing on the most important elements of life; family, obligations to others, prayer, kindness, justice, and decency. Honor your Father and your Mother The obligation to parents reinforces the concepts of treating others responsibly in spite of sentiment or situation. You shall not murder Each human being is the essence of uniqueness, yet equally created in God's image. Not only can a life by physically taken, but demoralization and humiliation can kill our souls. You shall not commit adultery Sexual relations are made special and hole through a consonantal marriage. The honoring of commitments provides the family stability necessary for individual growth and health, community peace, and societal welfare. You shall not steal Respecting the property and reputation of others provides mutual safety, peace, and prosperity. You shall not bear false witness against your fellow While we should keep far from falsehood, knowing when information could or should be shared can make the differences between destroying and helping others. You shall not covet Desire for the possessions of others destroys relationships and leads us to violate the other Commandments.

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A WALK IN THE WOODS
Bill Bryson
Cover of A WALK IN THE WOODS

A WALK IN THE WOODS

by Bill Bryson · Broadway

27 wks on list

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The classic chronicle of a “terribly misguided and terribly funny” (The Washington Post) hike of the Appalachian Trail, from the author of A Short History of Nearly Everything and The Body “The best way of escaping into nature.”—The New York Times Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes—and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. For a start there’s the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson’s acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America’s last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is a modern classic of travel literature. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

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THE VICTORS
Stephen E. Ambrose
Cover of THE VICTORS

THE VICTORS

by Stephen E. Ambrose · Simon & Schuster

3 wks on list

From the bestselling author of 'Band Of Brothers', 'The Victors' is a portrait of the extraordinary courage and fortitude displayed by thousands of ordinary men. It covers the war in Europe, from D-Day to Berlin. Originally published: New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

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