TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of December 2, 2007

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
Jump to
1
I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!)
Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello and Allison Silverman
Cover of I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!)

I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!)

by Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello and Allison Silverman · Grand Central

11 wks at #1 · 6 on list

The host of the popular Colbert Report show celebrates the lighter side of the modern world's most relevant issues, providing straightforward discussions of such topics as faith, politics, and how the author believes the country can reacquire its nerve. 500,000 first printing.

2
BOOM!
Tom Brokaw
Cover of BOOM!

BOOM!

by Tom Brokaw · Random House

2 wks on list

In The Greatest Generation, his landmark bestseller, Tom Brokaw eloquently evoked for America what it meant to come of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War. Now, in Boom!, one of America’s premier journalists gives us an epic portrait of another defining era in America as he brings to life the tumultuous Sixties, a fault line in American history. The voices and stories of both famous people and ordinary citizens come together as Brokaw takes us on a memorable journey through a remarkable time, exploring how individual lives and the national mindset were affected by a controversial era and showing how the aftershocks of the Sixties continue to resound in our lives today. In the reflections of a generation, Brokaw also discovers lessons that might guide us in the years ahead. Boom! One minute it was Ike and the man in the grey flannel suit, and the next minute it was time to “turn on, tune in, drop out.” While Americans were walking on the moon, Americans were dying in Vietnam. Nothing was beyond question, and there were far fewer answers than before. Published as the fortieth anniversary of 1968 approaches, Boom! gives us what Brokaw sees as a virtual reunion of some members of “the class of ’68,” offering wise and moving reflections and frank personal remembrances about people’s lives during a time of high ideals and profound social, political, and individual change. What were the gains, what were the losses? Who were the winners, who were the losers? As they look back decades later, what do members of the Sixties generation think really mattered in that tumultuous time, and what will have meaning going forward? Race, war, politics, feminism, popular culture, and music are all explored here, and we learn from a wide range of people about their lives. Tom Brokaw explores how members of this generation have gone on to bring activism and a Sixties mindset into individual entrepreneurship today. We hear stories of how this formative decade has led to a recalibrated perspective–on business, the environment, politics, family, our national existence. Remarkable in its insights, profoundly moving, wonderfully written and reported, this revealing portrait of a generation and of an era, and of the impact of the 1960s on our lives today, lets us be present at this reunion ourselves, and join in these frank conversations about America then, now, and tomorrow.

3
1
CLAPTON
Eric Clapton
Cover of CLAPTON

CLAPTON

by Eric Clapton · Broadway

6 wks on list

Aimed at Eric Clapton fans, this set includes Eric Clapton: The Complete Guide to his Music, Eric Clapton Chord Songbook, matching double audio CD of all the songbook tracks, and a Rock with Eric Clapton: How to Play 2 DVD set.

4
1
RESCUING SPRITE
Mark R. Levin
Cover of RESCUING SPRITE

RESCUING SPRITE

by Mark R. Levin · Pocket

2 wks on list

A radio talk-show host describes his family's relationship with a remarkable rescue dog named Sprite, a beautiful, loving, and gentle animal whose deteriorating health taught the entire family a lesson in friendship, love, joy, and grief.

5
THE AGE OF TURBULENCE
Alan Greenspan
Cover of THE AGE OF TURBULENCE

THE AGE OF TURBULENCE

by Alan Greenspan · Penguin Press

9 wks on list

In this series of essays, Ayn Rand presents her stand on the persecution of big business, the causes of war, the default of conservatism, and the evils of altruism. The foundations of capitalism are being battered by a flood of altruism, which is the cause of the modern world's collapse. This is the view of Ayn Rand, a view so radically opposed to prevailing attitudes that it constitutes a major philosophic revolution. Here is a challenging new look at modern society by one of the most provocative intellectuals on the American scene. This edition includes two articles by Ayn Rand that did not appear in the hardcover edition: “The Wreckage of the Consensus,” which presents the Objectivists’ views on Vietnam and the draft; and “Requiem for Man,” an answer to the Papal encyclical Progresso Populorum.

6
3
QUIET STRENGTH
Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker
Cover of QUIET STRENGTH

QUIET STRENGTH

by Tony Dungy with Nathan Whitaker · Tyndale

19 wks on list

A biography of the coach of the Indianapolis Colts and the first African American football coach to lead his team to a Superbowl victory concentrates on his religious life as well as his career in football.

7
3
LONE SURVIVOR
Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson
Cover of LONE SURVIVOR

LONE SURVIVOR

by Marcus Luttrell with Patrick Robinson · Little, Brown

21 wks on list

Four U.S. Navy SEALs fought to the death against 150 armed Taliban in the Afghan mountains. Now, two years later, the lone SEAL survivor pens this spellbinding, first-hand account, a heartbreaking, yet inspiring story of heroism, courage, and sacrifice. 8-page b & w photo insert.

9
1
AMERICAN CREATION
Joseph J. Ellis
Cover of AMERICAN CREATION

AMERICAN CREATION

by Joseph J. Ellis · Knopf

3 wks on list

He explains how the idea of a strong federal government, championed by Washington, was eventually embraced by the American people, the majority of whom had to be won over, as they feared an absolute power reminiscent of the British Empire. And he details the emergence of the two-party system - then a political novelty - which today stands as the founders' most enduring legacy." "But Ellis is equally incisive about their failures, and he makes clear how their inability to abolish slavery and to reach a just settlement with the Native Americans has played an equally important role in shaping our national character."--BOOK JACKET.

10
1
MUSICOPHILIA
Oliver Sacks
Cover of MUSICOPHILIA

MUSICOPHILIA

by Oliver Sacks · Knopf

5 wks on list

‘A humane discourse on the fragility of our minds, of the bodies that give rise to them, and of the world they create for us. This book is filled with wonders’ Daily Telegraph Oliver Sacks’ compassionate tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own minds. In Musicophilia, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians and everyday people – those struck by affliction, unusual talent and even, in one case, by lightning – to show not only that music occupies more areas of our brain than language does, but also that it can torment, calm, organize and heal. Always wise and compellingly readable, these stories alter our conception of who we are and how we function, and show us an essential part of what it is to be human.

11
5
SLASH
Slash with Anthony Bozza
Cover of SLASH

SLASH

by Slash with Anthony Bozza · HarperEntertainment

3 wks on list

The memoir from the legendary Guns N Roses guitarist reveals, with raw-edged candor, his life and times. As raucous and edgy as his music, this book sets the record straight and tells the real story as only Slash can. Photos throughout.

12
NEW
THE WAR
Geoffrey C. Ward
Cover of THE WAR

THE WAR

by Geoffrey C. Ward · Knopf

7 wks on list

Enriched by maps and hundreds of photographs, the companion volume to the forthcoming PBS series, "The War" is the story of World War II captured in the hearts, minds, words, and deeds of those who made history at its most essential level: on the battlefields and on the homefront.

13
NEW
THE NINE
Jeffrey Toobin
Cover of THE NINE

THE NINE

by Jeffrey Toobin · Doubleday

8 wks on list

From the best-selling author of A Vast Conspiracy and The Run of His Life comes Too Close to Call--the definitive story of the Bush-Gore presidential recount. A political and legal analyst of unparalleled journalistic skill, Jeffrey Toobin is the ideal writer to distill the events of the thirty-six anxiety-filled days that culminated in one of the most stunning Supreme Court decisions in history. Packed with news-making disclosures and written with the drive of a legal thriller, Too Close to Call takes us inside James Baker's private jet, through the locked gates to Al Gore's mansion, behind the covered-up windows of Katherine Harris's office, and even into the secret conference room of the United States Supreme Court. As the scene shifts from Washington to Austin and into the remote corners of the enduringly strange Sunshine State, Toobin's book will transform what you thought you knew about the most extraordinary political drama in American history. The Florida recount unfolded in a kaleidoscopic maze of bizarre concepts (chads, pregnant and otherwise), unfamiliar people in critically important positions (the Florida Supreme Court), and familiar people in surprising new places (the Miami relatives of Elián González, in a previously undisclosed role in this melodrama). With the rich characterization that is his trademark, Toobin portrays the prominent strategists who masterminded the campaigns--the Daleys and the Roves--and also the lesser-known but influential players who pulled the strings, as well as the judges and justices whose decisions determined the final outcome. Toobin gives both camps a treatment they have not yet received--remarkably evenhanded, nonpartisan, and entirely new. The post-election period posed a challenge to even the most zealous news junkie: how to keep up with what was happening and sort out the important from the trivial. Jeffrey Toobin has now done this--and then some. With clarity, insight, humor, and a deep understanding of the law, he deconstructs the events, the players, and the often Byzantine intricacies of our judicial system. A remarkable account of one of the most significant periods in our country's history, Too Close to Call is endlessly surprising, frequently poignant, and wholly addictive.

14
NEW
DON’T BET AGAINST ME!
Deanna Favre and Angela Hunt
Cover of DON’T BET AGAINST ME!

DON’T BET AGAINST ME!

by Deanna Favre and Angela Hunt · Tyndale House

2 wks on list

The wife of Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, Deanna became a reluctant celebrity overnight when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. Now cancer-free, Deanna shares the role her faith has played in her life--from her years as a single mom and her high profile marriage to Brett to her battle with breast cancer.

15
1
THE HEROIN DIARIES
Nikki Sixx with Ian Gittins
Cover of THE HEROIN DIARIES

THE HEROIN DIARIES

by Nikki Sixx with Ian Gittins · Pocket

7 wks on list

A brutally honest rock memoir, The Heroin Diaries chronicles Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx’s descent into heroin addiction and his harrowing fight for recovery at the height of fame. When Mötley Crüe was at the height of its fame, there wasn’t any drug Nikki Sixx wouldn’t do. He spent days—sometimes alone, sometimes with other addicts, friends, and lovers—in a coke- and heroin-fueled daze. The highs were high, and Nikki’s journal entries reveal some euphoria and joy. But the lows were lower, often ending with Nikki in his closet, surrounded by drug paraphernalia and wrapped in paranoid delusions. Here, Nikki shares the diary entries—some poetic, some scatterbrained, some bizarre—of those dark times. Joining him are Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Slash, Rick Nielsen, Bob Rock, and a host of ex-managers, ex-lovers, and more. Brutally honest, utterly riveting, and surprisingly moving, The Heroin Diaries follows Nikki during the year he plunged to rock bottom—and his courageous decision to pick himself up and start living again.

16
NEW
THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY
A. J. Jacobs
Cover of THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY

THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY

by A. J. Jacobs · Simon & Schuster

2 wks on list

Now a TV series Living Biblically streaming on CBS All Access! From the New York Times bestselling author of The Know-It-All comes a fascinating and timely exploration of religion and the Bible. A.J. Jacobs chronicles his hilarious and thoughtful year spent obeying―as literally as possible―the tenets of the Bible. Raised in a secular family but increasingly interested in the relevance of faith in our modern world, A.J. Jacobs decides to dive in headfirst and attempt to obey the Bible as literally as possible for one full year. He vows to follow the Ten Commandments. To be fruitful and multiply. To love his neighbor. But also to obey the hundreds of less publicized rules: to avoid wearing clothes made of mixed fibers; to play a ten-string harp; to stone adulterers. The resulting spiritual journey is at once funny and profound, reverent and irreverent, personal and universal and will make you see history’s most influential book with new eyes. Jacobs’s quest transforms his life even more radically than the year spent reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica for The Know-It-All. His beard grows so unruly that he is regularly mistaken for a member of ZZ Top. He immerses himself in prayer, tends sheep in the Israeli desert, battles idolatry, and tells the absolute truth in all situations—much to his wife’s chagrin. Throughout the book, Jacobs also embeds himself in a cross-section of communities that take the Bible literally. He tours a Kentucky-based creationist museum and sings hymns with Pennsylvania Amish. He dances with Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn and does Scripture study with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He discovers ancient biblical wisdom of startling relevance. And he wrestles with seemingly archaic rules that baffle the twenty-first-century brain. Jacobs’s extraordinary undertaking yields unexpected epiphanies and challenges. A book that will charm readers both secular and religious, The Year of Living Biblically is part Cliff Notes to the Bible, part memoir, and part look into worlds unimaginable. Thou shalt not be able to put it down.

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