TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of October 29, 2000

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ON WRITING
Stephen King
Cover of ON WRITING

ON WRITING

by Stephen King · Scribner

2 wks on list

ON WRITING is a delightful Pandora's Box - Find out what books and films influenced the young writer, his first idea for a story, the true life tale that inspired CARRIE. For the first time, here's an intimate autobiographical portrait of his home life, his family and his traumatic recent accident. Citing examples of his work and those of his contemporaries such as John Grisham and Raymond Chandler, King gives excellent tips for writers on how to avoid pitfalls and how to use the tools of the trade from building characters to pace and plotting, the importance of dialogue and description - as well as practical advice on presentation and representation. Discover the symbolism, themes and the three deep interests that power all his work. This is a unique insight in the wildly imaginative works and the mind of the master.

4
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NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD
Stephen E. Ambrose
Cover of NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD

NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD

by Stephen E. Ambrose · Simon & Schuster

7 wks on list

NOTHING LIKE IT IN THE WORLD is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad – the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other labourers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks. The US government pitted two companies – the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads – against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. Locomotives, rails and spikes were shipped from the East through Panama or around South America to the West, or lugged across the country to the Plains. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise, with its huge expenditure of brainpower, muscle and sweat, comes vibrantly to life.

5
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SHADOWS OF A PRINCESS
P. D. Jephson
Cover of SHADOWS OF A PRINCESS

SHADOWS OF A PRINCESS

by P. D. Jephson · HarperCollins

1 wks on list

An explosive account of the life of Diana, the late Princess of Wales, from the man who was by her side throughout the most turbulent period of her life.

6
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MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER
Tina Sinatra with Jeff Coplon
Cover of MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER

MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER

by Tina Sinatra with Jeff Coplon · Simon & Schuster

1 wks on list

Frank Sinatra seemed to have it all: genius, wealth, the love of beautiful women, glamorous friends from Las Vegas to the White House. But in this startling and remarkably outspoken memoir, his youngest daughter reveals to us an acutely restless, lonely and conflicted man. Through his marriages and front-page romances and the melancholy gaps between, Frank Sinatra searched for a contentment that eluded him. For the first time Tina writes candidly about the wedge his manipulative fourth wife, Barbara Marx, drove between father and daughter. MY FATHER'S DAUGHTER, with its unflinching account of Sinatra's flaws and foibles, will shock many of his fans. At the same time, it is a deeply affectionate portrait written with love and warmth, a celebration of a daughter's fond esteem for her father and a respect for his great legacy. The world remembers Frank Sinatra as one of the giants of the show business. In this book from someone inside the legend, Tina Sinatra remembers him as something more: a father, and a man.

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DRUDGE MANIFESTO
Matt Drudge with Julia Phillips
Cover of DRUDGE MANIFESTO

DRUDGE MANIFESTO

by Matt Drudge with Julia Phillips · New American Library

2 wks on list

The Internet journalist shares his opinions on politics, the media, big business, and modern life in a compilation of editorials, articles, and essays.

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IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE
Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins
Cover of IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE

by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins · Putnam

22 wks on list

The #1 New York Times bestseller from the cancer survivor who became a four-time Tour de France champ. In 1996, young cycling phenom Armstrong discovered he had testicular cancer. In 1999, he won the Tour de France. Now he's a new father and a memoirist: with pluck, humility and verve, this volume covers his early life, his rise through the endurance sport world and his medical difficulties.

10
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NATURAL BLONDE
Liz Smith
Cover of NATURAL BLONDE

NATURAL BLONDE

by Liz Smith · Hyperion

4 wks on list

"Americas top gossip columnist spills the beans as she traces five decades of battling press agents and editors and landing celebrity scoops." (Variety) From Tallulah Bankhead to Joan Crawford to the Kennedys and Madonna, the ultimate insider, Liz Smith has hobnobbed, air-kissed, and lunched with just about everybody who's been anybody over the last half century and then rushed to tell the world all about it. Now, in this candid, down-to-earth autobiography, she tells all about herself, and does it with the kind of style and warmth that has made her one of the most widely read columnists in history. But she wasn't always famous, and in Natural Blonde she reveals how a young woman from rural Texas came to New York hell-bent on making something of her life. From her salad days as a small-time reporter, typist, and proofreader to her triumphs at the Daily News, Newsday, New York Post and her 1995 Emmy for reporting, Liz tells what it's really like to be seen and heard by millions of people every day. One of the most quoted people of our time, she offers a rare, private peek into the real person behind the witty quips and media coverage. Certainly one of the most eagerly anticipated autobiographies in years, Natural Blonde will give Liz Smith readers the item they've been waiting for the ultimate inside scoop from the "Grande Dame of Dish."

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LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE
Sylvia Browne with Lindsay Harrison
Cover of LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE

LIFE ON THE OTHER SIDE

by Sylvia Browne with Lindsay Harrison · Dutton

13 wks on list

Renowned psychic, spiritual teacher, and #1 New York Times bestselling author of End of Days Sylvia Browne has changed millions of lives with her unique gifts. Now, she leads readers on an adventure of the spirit: a surprising glimpse into the next world, where their loved ones patiently await them. Take a journey you will never forget and discover the answer to life’s greatest question: “What’s on The Other Side?” In this extraordinary and inspirational book, Sylvia reflects upon her past experiences, hypnosis sessions, and research to tell the truth about The Other Side. She explains the process of leaving this world for the next, and what circumstances foretell our next incarnation on Earth. Filled with stunning revelations and stories of those who have visited The Other Side, this uplifting book is the ultimate guide to finding peace in the afterlife.

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FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS
James Bradley with Ron Powers
Cover of FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS

by James Bradley with Ron Powers · Bantam

24 wks on list

Chronicles one of the bloodiest battles of World War II, focusing on the men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.

15
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EYEWITNESS TO POWER
David Gergen
Cover of EYEWITNESS TO POWER

EYEWITNESS TO POWER

by David Gergen · Simon & Schuster

5 wks on list

From Nixon to Clinton, Watergate to Whitewater, few Americans have observed the ups and downs of presidential leadership more closely over the past thirty years than David Gergen. A White House adviser to four presidents, both Republican and Democrat, he offers a vivid, behind-the-scenes account of their struggles to exercise power and draws from them key lessons for leaders of the future. Gergen begins Eyewitness to Power with his reminiscence of being the thirty-year-old chief of the White House speechwriting team under Richard Nixon, a young man at the center of the Watergate storm. He analyzes what made Nixon strong -- and then brought him crashing down: Why Nixon was the best global strategist among recent presidents. How others may gain his strategic sense. How Nixon allowed his presidency to spin out of control. Why the demons within destroyed him. What lessons there are in Nixon's disaster. Gergen recounts how President Ford recruited him to help shore up his White House as special counsel. Here Gergen considers: Why Ford is one of our most underrated presidents. Why his pardon of Nixon was right on the merits but was so mishandled that it cost him his presidency. Even in his brief tenure, Ford offers lessons of leadership for others, as Gergen explains. Though Gergen had worked in two campaigns against him, Ronald Reagan called him back to the White House again, where he served as the Gipper's first director of communications. Here he describes: How Reagan succeeded where others have failed. Why his temperament was more important than his intelligence. How he mastered relations with Congress and the press. The secrets of "the Great Communicator" and why his speeches were the most effective since those of John Kennedy and Franklin Roosevelt. In 1993, Bill Clinton surprised Gergen -- and the political world -- when he recruited the veteran of Republican White Houses to join him as counselor after his early stumbles. Gergen reveals: Why Clinton could have been one of our best presidents but fell short. How the Bill-and-Hillary seesaw rocked the White House. How failures to understand the past brought Ken Starr to the door. Why the new ways in which leadership was developed by the Clinton White House hold out hope, and what dangers they threaten. As the twenty-first century opens, Gergen argues, a new golden age may be dawning in America, but its realization will depend heavily upon the success of a new generation at the top. Drawing upon all his many experiences in the White House, he offers seven key lessons for leaders of the future. What they must have, he says, are: inner mastery; a central, compelling purpose rooted in moral values; a capacity to persuade; skills in working within the system; a fast start; a strong, effective team; and a passion that inspires others to keep the flame alive. Eyewitness to Power is a down-to-earth, authoritative guide to leadership in the tradition of Richard Neustadt's Presidential Power and the Modern Presidents.

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THE ART OF HAPPINESS
the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler
Cover of THE ART OF HAPPINESS

THE ART OF HAPPINESS

by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler · Riverhead

89 wks on list

In this unique and important book, one of the world's great spiritual leaders offers his practical wisdom and advice on how we can overcome everyday human problems and achieve lasting happiness. The Art of Happiness is a highly accessible guide for a western audience, combining the Dalai Lama's eastern spiritual tradition with Dr Howard C. Cutler's western perspective. Covering all key areas of human experience, they apply the principles of Tibetan Buddhism to everyday problems and reveal how one can find balance and complete spiritual and mental freedom. For the many who wish to understand more about the Dalai Lama's approach to living, there has never been a book which brings his beliefs so vividly into the real world.

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