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Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of March 21, 2004

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2
NEW
THE PASSION
Cover of THE PASSION

THE PASSION

by · Tyndale

"Authors of the Passion Gospels present a double perspective: that of the time of Jesus and that of their own time following the destruction of the Temple. Within this historical context, the author addresses the questions of anti-Semitism and the family quarrels between Jews and Christians with the vitriol that was acceptable within their rhetorical tradition. Questions about Jesus' Passion - his trial and the purpose of his suffering - are expertly answered in this re-release, which has a new introduction by the author."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

3
AMERICAN DYNASTY
Kevin Phillips
Cover of AMERICAN DYNASTY

AMERICAN DYNASTY

by Kevin Phillips · Viking Press

9 wks on list

An acerbic, withering account of the ascent of the Bush family to the pinnacle of the American political and social elite and the implications of the dynasty's hold on power for democracy in America. With an unerring instinct for fakery and humbug,Phillips traces the convoluted trail of Bush mendacity through three generations. The picture he paints of a family willing to do ANYTHING to hold power and a country so craven as to vote for it is both very funny and completely dismaying in equal measure.

4
1
THE PRICE OF LOYALTY
Ron Suskind
Cover of THE PRICE OF LOYALTY

THE PRICE OF LOYALTY

by Ron Suskind · Simon & Schuster

8 wks on list

A Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter's explosive account of the inner workings of the George W. Bush administration, the most secretive White House of modern times. This vivid, unfolding narrative is like no other book that has been written about the Bush presidency -- or any that is likely to be written soon. At its core are the candid assessments of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill, for two years the administration's top economic official, a principal of the National Security Council, and a tutor to the new President. He is the only member of Bush's innermost circle to leave and then to agree to speak frankly about what has really been happening inside the White House. O'Neill's account is supported by Suskind's interviews with many participants in the administration, by transcripts of meetings, and by voluminous documents that cover most areas of domestic and foreign policy. The result is a disclosure of breadth and depth unparalleled for an ongoing presidency. As readers are taken to the very epicenter of government, this news-making volume offers a definitive view of the characters and conduct of Bush and his closest advisers as they manage crucial domestic policies and global strategies at a time of life-and-death crises. Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell, Christine Todd Whitman, and many of their aides are seen in an intimate, "unmanaged" way -- as is Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, O'Neill's close friend and ally. Along the way, the central conflicts of this administration's governance -- between politics and policy, ideology and analysis -- are starkly visible through the lens of recent events and the revelation of the often unseen intentions that underlie actions. In this book Suskind draws on unique access to present an astonishing account of a President so carefully managed in his public posture that he is unknown to most Americans. Now, he will be known.

5
2
THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS
Brian Greene
Cover of THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS

THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS

by Brian Greene · Knopf

4 wks on list

The author argues that recent scientific discoveries about the birth of the universe require us to replace outmoded ways of seeing the world, bridging the chasm between science and spirituality, the physical realm and the soul.

6
2
LIES (AND THE LYING LIARS WHO TELL THEM)
Al Franken
Cover of LIES (AND THE LYING LIARS WHO TELL THEM)

LIES (AND THE LYING LIARS WHO TELL THEM)

by Al Franken · Dutton

29 wks on list

Al Franken, one of America's savviest satirists has been studying the rhetoric of the Right. He has listened to their cries of 'slander', 'bias' and even 'treason'. He has examined the Bush administration's policies of squandering our surplus, ravaging the environment, and alienating the rest of the world. He's even watched Fox News. A lot. And in this fair and balanced report, Al bravely exposes them all for what they are: liars. Lying, lying, liars.

8
2
GHOST WARS
Steve Coll
Cover of GHOST WARS

GHOST WARS

by Steve Coll · Penguin

2 wks on list

Comprehensively and for the first time, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll tells the secret history of the CIA's role in Afghanistan, from its covert programme against Soviet troops from 1979-89, to the rise of the Taliban and the emergence of bin Laden, to the secret efforts vy CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998. Based on extensive firsthand accounts, Ghost Wars is the inside story that goes well beyond anything previously published on US involvement in Afghanistan.

10
NEW
DUDE, WHERE'S MY COUNTRY?
Michael Moore
Cover of DUDE, WHERE'S MY COUNTRY?

DUDE, WHERE'S MY COUNTRY?

by Michael Moore · Warner

#1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Moore's incisive examination of the failures of the United State's political system, paired with thoughtful guidance on how to move forward. In case anyone in Washington hasn't noticed, Americans are fed up with the status quo. In this, the first shot fired over the bow of the 2004 Presidential election, Michael Moore aims to unseat the man who slithered into the White House on tracks built by the bloody hands of Enron and greased with the oil of his daddy. As if an unelected, semi-literate president weren't problem enough, America's Democrats have managed to take the liberty out of "liberal," signing on with the G.O.P. for dirty corporate money and the ill-gotten gains of globalization. The "left" is just as satisfied as the right to stand idly by as the chasm between the haves and the have-nots grows wider and wider. Thank god for Michael Moore because Dude, Where's My Country tells us precisely what went wrong, and, more importantly, how to fix things. In a voice that is fearless, funny, and furious, Moore takes readers to the edge of righteous laughter and divine revenge.

13
1
PERFECTLY LEGAL
David Cay Johnston
Cover of PERFECTLY LEGAL

PERFECTLY LEGAL

by David Cay Johnston · Portfolio

6 wks on list

Now updated with a new prologue! Since the mid-1970s, there has been a dramatic shift in America's socioeconomic system, one that has gone virtually unnoticed by the general public. Tax policies and their enforcement have become a disaster, and thanks to discreet lobbying by a segment of the top 1 percent, Washington is reluctant or unable to fix them. The corporate income tax, the estate tax, and the gift tax have been largely ignored by the media. But the cumulative results are remarkable: today someone who earns a yearly salary of $60,000 pays a larger percentage of his income in taxes than the four hundred richest Americans. Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter David Cay Johnston exposes exactly how the middle class is being squeezed to create a widening wealth gap that threatens the stability of the country. By relating the compelling tales of real people across all areas of society, he reveals the truth behind: • "Middle class" tax cuts and exactly whom they benefit. • How workers are being cheated out of their retirement plans while disgraced CEOs walk away with millions. • How some corporations avoid paying any federal income tax. • How a law meant to prevent cheating by the top 2 percent of Americans no longer affects most of them, but has morphed into a stealth tax on single mothers making just $28,000. • Why the working poor are seven times more likely to be audited by the IRS than everyone else. • How the IRS became so weak that even when it was handed complete banking records detailing massive cheating by 1,600 people, it prosecuted only 4 percent of them. Johnston has been breaking pieces of this story on the front page of The New York Times for seven years. With Perfectly Legal, he puts the whole shocking narrative together in a way that will stir up media attention and make readers angry about the state of our country.

14
NEW
WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU?
Bill O'Reilly
Cover of WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU?

WHO'S LOOKING OUT FOR YOU?

by Bill O'Reilly · Broadway

23 wks on list

From the mega-bestselling author of The O'Reilly Factor and The No Spin Zone, a no-holds-barred exposé of the people and institutions who are letting Americans down – and what we should do about it. Bill O’Reilly is mad as hell – and he’s not going to let you take it anymore. In his most powerful and personal book yet, this media powerhouse and unstoppable truth-teller takes on those individuals and institutions in American life who are failing in their duties – big-time. In his inimitable style, mixing wit, pugnacity, and plain common sense, O’Reilly kicks butt and takes (and also names) names – from crooked corporate weasels to venal politicians to lazy and/or politically correct bureaucrats to sexually predatory priests and the Church hierarchy that protects them to a media establishment rife with political bias and economically hooked on violence and smut. At the same time that he calls the famous and powerful to account, he dares to get personal, questioning just how much our closest friends, families, and lovers do look out for us, and delivering a powerful message about personal responsibility and self-reliance in an uncertain world. He forces us to ask just how much genuine altruism is left in a society that thrives on self-indulgence and ruthless competition. Who’s Looking Out for You? is a book that boldly confronts our worst fears and biggest problems in a post-9/11, post-corporate-meltdown world. Its sage, candid advice on regaining control and trust in these troubled times will resonate with the millions of readers and viewers who have come to believe in Bill O’Reilly as the man who speaks for them.

15
NEW
HOLLYWOOD, INTERRUPTED
Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner

HOLLYWOOD, INTERRUPTED

by Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner · Wiley

1 wks on list

These are some of the reasons why Hollywood's misbehaving stars do what they do, but over the past few years, their stories have become so outrageous that it's hard to tell what they're actually thinking -- if they're thinking at all! In this entertainment industry expose, Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner pull back the curtain to reveal the twisted culture of Hollywood and the preposterous penchants of today's high-profile celebrities. From John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and Anne Heche to Eddie Murphy, Oliver Stone, and Courtney Love, Hollywood, Interrupted presents the mind-altered behavior of the most reality-challenged celebrities from all walks of life and every genre. Hollywood, Interrupted explores how the pathological behavior of celebrities has destroyed comedy, snuffed relationships, and demeaned family values. Each chapter delivers a meticulously researched, interview-infused, attitude-heavy dispathch -- which analyzes and deconstructs the myths created by celebrities and their way-too-protective handlers. You'll enter a world where: Celebrities and Hollywood power players engage in "cyber," "off-line" sex and subterfuge with a young America Online customer service agent; "Young Hollywood" swing clubs and "porno-tainment" become mainstream diversions; Statutory rapist Roman Polanski can win a Best Director Oscar, but can't collect it because of the criminal conviction against him in the United States; Some of the most famous stars send their children to an elite high school with a curriculum that includes extracurricular cross-dressing and a mandatory pseudo-therapeutic program called "Mysteries"; Celebrity nannies get so stressed they've formed a Beverly Hills support group; Matthew Perry, Robert Downey Jr., and Ben Affleck, among others, vacation at "five star" rehab resort centers; Hollywood Madame Heidi Fleiss can emerge from prison a born-again celebrity, ready to cash in. Frequently hysterical and occasionally frightening, Hollywood, Interrupted digs deep to uncover how in Hollywood cults rule, Dr. Feelgood stands ready to fill your prescription, celebrity kids shoot speedballs, and your neighbor runs a brothel. Both entertaining and engaging, Hollywood, Interrupted reveals the real Hollywood and mocks the movie mavens, sitcom screwballs, and musical misfits who view being on medication, under house arrest, in rehab, or on deathwatch as just part of the job.

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