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Week of May 3, 2009

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LIBERTY AND TYRANNY
Mark R. Levin
Cover of LIBERTY AND TYRANNY

LIBERTY AND TYRANNY

by Mark R. Levin · Threshold Editions

12 wks at #1 · 4 on list

Don’t miss syndicated radio host and author Mark Levin's #1 New York Times acclaimed and longtime bestselling manifesto for the conservative movement. When nationally syndicated radio host Mark R. Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny appeared in the early months of the Obama presidency, Americans responded by making his clarion call for a new era in conservatism a #1 New York Times bestseller for an astounding twelve weeks. As provocative, well-reasoned, robust, and informed as his on-air commentary, with his love of our country and the legacy of our Founding Fathers reflected on every page, Levin’s galvanizing narrative provides a philosophical, historical, and practical framework for revitalizing the conservative vision and ensuring the preservation of American society. In the face of the modern liberal assault on Constitution-based values, an attack that has resulted in a federal government that is a massive, unaccountable conglomerate, the time for reinforcing the intellectual and practical case for conservatism is now. In a series of powerful essays, Levin lays out how conservatives can counter the tyrannical liberal corrosion that has filtered into every timely issue affecting our daily lives, from the economy to health care, global warming to immigration, and more.

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COLUMBINE
Dave Cullen
Cover of COLUMBINE

COLUMBINE

by Dave Cullen · Twelve

2 wks on list

Ten years in the works, a masterpiece of reportage, this is the definitive account of the Columbine massacre, its aftermath, and its significance, from the acclaimed journalist who followed the story from the outset. "The tragedies keep coming. As we reel from the latest horror . . ." So begins a new epilogue, illustrating how Columbine became the template for nearly two decades of "spectacle murders." It is a false script, seized upon by a generation of new killers. In the wake of Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech, the imperative to understand the crime that sparked this plague grows more urgent every year. What really happened April 20, 1999? The horror left an indelible stamp on the American psyche, but most of what we "know" is wrong. It wasn't about jocks, Goths, or the Trench Coat Mafia. Dave Cullen was one of the first reporters on scene, and spent ten years on this book-widely recognized as the definitive account. With a keen investigative eye and psychological acumen, he draws on mountains of evidence, insight from the world's leading forensic psychologists, and the killers' own words and drawings-several reproduced in a new appendix. Cullen paints raw portraits of two polar opposite killers. They contrast starkly with the flashes of resilience and redemption among the survivors. Expanded with a New Epilogue

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HOUSE OF CARDS
William D. Cohan
Cover of HOUSE OF CARDS

HOUSE OF CARDS

by William D. Cohan · Doubleday

6 wks on list

A blistering narrative account of the negligence and greed that pushed all of Wall Street into chaos and the country into a financial crisis. At the beginning of March 2008, the monetary fabric of Bear Stearns, one of the world’s oldest and largest investment banks, began unraveling. After ten days, the bank no longer existed, its assets sold under duress to rival JPMorgan Chase. The effects would be felt nationwide, as the country suddenly found itself in the grip of the worst financial mess since the Great Depression. William Cohan exposes the corporate arrogance, power struggles, and deadly combination of greed and inattention, which led to the collapse of not only Bear Stearns but the very foundations of Wall Street.

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MIGHT AS WELL LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW
Marie Osmond with Marcia Wilkie
Cover of MIGHT AS WELL LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW

MIGHT AS WELL LAUGH ABOUT IT NOW

by Marie Osmond with Marcia Wilkie · New American Library

3 wks on list

Now available in trade paperback-the illuminating New York Times bestseller from the American icon. The beloved superstar reveals her thoughts on her milestones and missteps, career pressures and expectations, her popular line of collectible dolls, marriage and divorce, depression, weight issues, and the incredible joys and challenges in being a working mother raising eight children. Marie's resilience and familiar humor will have every reader feeling at home with this international icon as she imparts her insights on surviving the school of life and graduating with a degree in unstoppable optimism.

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JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I'D DROPPED MY LAST EGG
Kathie Lee Gifford
Cover of JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I'D DROPPED MY LAST EGG

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I'D DROPPED MY LAST EGG

by Kathie Lee Gifford · Ballantine

1 wks on list

“From her head down to her gnarly (no longer!) toes, Kathie Lee is pure dame. And she’s served up a cocktail of wit and wisdom with a decidedly salty rim!”—Meredith Vieira Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg is Kathie Lee Gifford’s triumphant laugh-out-loud celebration of forging ahead with gusto, even long after we’re old enough to know better. Age, after all, isn’t a number, it’s a state of mind, and being fertile isn’t just about having babies, it’s about being passionate and creative. Writing with the candor of a friend who knows where the bodies are buried, Kathie Lee reveals the truth every woman of a certain age knows but won’t admit: that we love our kids every second of every day but are counting the minutes till they’re ready to go off to college, that even though gravity is a constant force, not all parts of our bodies droop at the same rate, and that life and show business share one simple rule: “Don’t sit by the phone and wait for a man or a job.” Full of warmth, humor, and down-to-earth wisdom, this wonderful book is a delectable read for grown-ups of all ages. Praise for Just When I Thought I’d Dropped My Last Egg “I’ve been through a couple of calamities with Kathie Lee and nobody handles them better. You could blow her up, cook her and hang her out to dry and she will still survive and have some laughs doing it.”—Regis Philbin “Kathie Lee has always entertained me with her humor, wry wit, and penchant for pinpointing all of our very human foibles with great accuracy and hilarity. Now she does it again. This charming memoir filled with amusing anecdotes about herself and her family, friends, and colleagues brought a smile to my face but also touched me. Her insight is as remarkable as she is.”—Barbara Taylor Bradford “Gifford dishes about everything.”—The Tampa Tribune “Fans will be delighted . . . by the book’s mix of earnest life lessons and self-conscious kookiness.”—Publishers Weekly “Outrageously funny . . . [Gifford’s] quirky sense of humor shines through.”—Wichita Falls Times Record News

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THE YANKEE YEARS
Joe Torre and Tom Verducci
Cover of THE YANKEE YEARS

THE YANKEE YEARS

by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci · Doubleday

11 wks on list

The definitive story of one of the greatest dynasties in baseball history, Joe Torre's New York Yankees. When Joe Torre took over as manager of the Yankees in 1996, they had not won a World Series title in eighteen years. In that time seventeen others had tried to take the helm of America’s most famous baseball team. Each one was fired by George Steinbrenner. After twelve triumphant seasons—with twelve straight playoff appearances, six pennants, and four World Series titles—Torre left the Yankees as the most beloved manager in baseball. But dealing with players like Jason Giambi, A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Roger Clemens, and Randy Johnson is what managing is all about. Here, for the first time, Joe Torre and Tom Verducci take readers inside the dugout, the clubhouse, and the front office, showing what it took to keep the Yankees on top of the baseball world.

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ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA
Chelsea Handler
Cover of ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA

ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA

by Chelsea Handler · Simon Spotlight Entertainment

37 wks on list

Welcome to Chelsea Handler's world—a place where absurdity reigns supreme and a quick wit is the best line of defense. When Chelsea Handler needs to get a few things off her chest, she appeals to a higher power—vodka. Seems reasonable, when considering that she discovered her boyfriend was having an affair with a Peekapoo and she had to pretend to be honeymooning with her father in order to upgrade to first class. In this highly entertaining, deliciously skewed collection, Chelsea mines her past for stories about her family, relationships, and career that are at once singular and ridiculous. Whether she’s convincing her third-grade class that she has been chosen to play Goldie Hawn’s daughter in the sequel to Private Benjamin, deciding to be more egalitarian by dating a redhead, or looking out for a foulmouthed, rum-swilling little person who looks just like her...only smaller, Chelsea has a knack for getting herself into the most outrageous situations. Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea showcases the candor and irresistible turns of phrase that have made her one of the freshest voices in comedy today.

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A LITTLE BIT WICKED
Kristin Chenoweth with Joni Rodgers
Cover of A LITTLE BIT WICKED

A LITTLE BIT WICKED

by Kristin Chenoweth with Joni Rodgers · Touchstone

1 wks on list

"Life's too short. I'm not."You might know her as a Tony Award-winning Broadway star, who originated the role of Galinda the Good Witch in the smash musicalWickedand won a Tony for 1999'sYou're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Or you may recognize her from her starring roles on TV --The West Wing,Pushing Daisies,Sesame Street...oh, and her Huge Hit SitcomKristinon NBC. (Huge hit. L.A. breast-implant huge. Ask either of the people who watched it.) Or maybe you saw her sexy spread inFHMmagazine? Or her appearance on Pat Robertson'sThe 700 Club? Kristin is a wonderful collection of contradictions -- but everyone who's ever met her remembers her as the little girl with the big voice. At four foot eleven, Kristin Chenoweth is an immense talent in a petite but powerful package.In this lively, laugh-out-loud book, Kristin shares her journey from Oklahoma beauty queen to Broadway leading lady, reflecting on how faith and family have kept her grounded in the dysfunctional rodeo of show biz. The daughter of an engineer and a nurse, Kristin was singing in front of thousands at Baptist conventions by age twelve and winning beauty pageants by age twenty-two. (Well, actually she was second runner-up almost every freaking time. But, hey, she's not bitter.) On her way to a career as a professional opera singer, she stopped in New York to visit a friend and went on a whim to an audition. Through a combination of talent, hard work, and (she's quick to add) the grace of God, Kristin took Broadway by storm. But of course, into every storm, the occasional drizzle of disaster must fall.Filled with wit, wisdom, and backstage insight,A Little Bit Wickedis long on love and short on sleep; it's essential reading for Kristin's legions of fans and an uplifting story for anyone seeking motivation to follow his or her dreams -- over the rainbow and beyond.

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THE LOST CITY OF Z
David Grann
Cover of THE LOST CITY OF Z

THE LOST CITY OF Z

by David Grann · Doubleday

8 wks on list

**NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING ROBERT PATTINSON, CHARLIE HUNNAM AND SIENNA MILLER** The story of Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett, the inspiration behind Conan Doyle's The Lost World Fawcett was among the last of a legendary breed of British explorers. For years he explored the Amazon and came to believe that its jungle concealed a large, complex civilization, like El Dorado. Obsessed with its discovery, he christened it the City of Z. In 1925, Fawcett headed into the wilderness with his son Jack, vowing to make history. They vanished without a trace. For the next eighty years, hordes of explorers plunged into the jungle, trying to find evidence of Fawcett's party or Z. Some died from disease and starvation; others simply disappeared. In this spellbinding true tale of lethal obsession, David Grann retraces the footsteps of Fawcett and his followers as he unravels one of the greatest mysteries of exploration. ‘A riveting, exciting and thoroughly compelling tale of adventure’ JOHN GRISHAM ‘A wonderful story of a lost age of heroic exploration’ Sunday Times ‘Marvellous ... An engrossing book whose protagonist could out-think Indiana Jones’ Daily Telegraph ‘The best story in the world, told perfectly’ Evening Standard

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JESUS, INTERRUPTED
Bart D. Ehrman
Cover of JESUS, INTERRUPTED

JESUS, INTERRUPTED

by Bart D. Ehrman · HarperOne

7 wks on list

For almost 1,500 years, the New Testament manuscripts were copied by hand––and mistakes and intentional changes abound in the competing manuscript versions. Religious and biblical scholar Bart Ehrman makes the provocative case that many of our widely held beliefs concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Trinity, and the divine origins of the Bible itself are the results of both intentional and accidental alterations by scribes. In this compelling and fascinating book, Ehrman shows where and why changes were made in our earliest surviving manuscripts, explaining for the first time how the many variations of our cherished biblical stories came to be, and why only certain versions of the stories qualify for publication in the Bibles we read today. Ehrman frames his account with personal reflections on how his study of the Greek manuscripts made him abandon his once ultra–conservative views of the Bible.

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PRICELESS MEMORIES
Bob Barker with Digby Diehl
Cover of PRICELESS MEMORIES

PRICELESS MEMORIES

by Bob Barker with Digby Diehl · Center Street

1 wks on list

In front of the camera, he has been invited into the homes of millions of Americans as host of The Price Is Right, Truth or Consequences, Miss USA, Miss Universe, The Rose Parade, and many other programs and specials. Now Bob Barker shares stories of favorite contestants, episodes, celebrity encounters, and behind-the-scenes happenings. Beyond his public persona, he will open up about his personal life. From being raised on a Native American reservation by a single mother through the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, to training as a pilot in the Navy during World War II, through his romance with the love of his life and high school sweetheart, Dorothy Jo, and his success at retirement. His support of animal rights has always been a central part of his life. Bob delves into stories of how he has taken on Hollywood and the government in his crusade, including his anti-fur stand-off with beauty pageants, his involvement in uncovering animal abuse in movies and television, and the legislation he helped to pass. He also shares personal stories of rescuing animals, from dogs to elephants. For the innumerable fans who have welcomed Bob into their homes over the last fifty years, this book will be like catching up with a dear and familiar friend who continues to lead a full and endlessly interesting life.

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A LION CALLED CHRISTIAN
Anthony Bourke and John Rendall
Cover of A LION CALLED CHRISTIAN

A LION CALLED CHRISTIAN

by Anthony Bourke and John Rendall · Broadway

6 wks on list

In 2008, a YouTube clip became an internet phenomenon. It showed the emotional reunion of two young men and their pet lion, Christian, after they had left him in Africa to be introduced into his rightful home in the wild. Anthony 'Ace' Bourke and John Rendall visited London from Australia in 1969 and bought a boisterous lion cub in Harrods. But Christian soon grew from cuddly cub to King of the Kings Road in London, and the only way to avoid him being incarcerated in a zoo was to place him under the expert care of George Adamson in Kenya. Ace and John did not return to see their lion for a year. A Lion Called Christian tells their touching story, accompanied by stunning photographs. It's a unique and extraordinary tale of its time that resonates again today with a worldwide audience, thanks to the internet age, and is destined to become one of the great classics of animal literature.

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