TheBestseller
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Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of October 12, 2014

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KILLING PATTON
Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
Cover of KILLING PATTON

KILLING PATTON

by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard · Holt

9 wks at #1 · 3 on list

Readers around the world have thrilled to Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, and Killing Jesus—riveting works of nonfiction that journey into the heart of the most famous murders in history. Now from Bill O’Reilly, anchor of The O’Reilly Factor, comes the most epic book of all in this multimillion-selling series: Killing Patton. General George S. Patton, Jr. died under mysterious circumstances in the months following the end of World War II. For almost seventy years, there has been suspicion that his death was not an accident—and may very well have been an act of assassination. Killing Patton takes readers inside the final year of the war and recounts the events surrounding Patton’s tragic demise, naming names of the many powerful individuals who wanted him silenced.

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13 HOURS
Mitchell Zuckoff with members of the Annex Security Team
Cover of 13 HOURS

13 HOURS

by Mitchell Zuckoff with members of the Annex Security Team · Twelve

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE The harrowing, true account from the brave men on the ground who fought back during the Battle of Benghazi. 13 HOURS presents, for the first time ever, the true account of the events of September 11, 2012, when terrorists attacked the US State Department Special Mission Compound and a nearby CIA station called the Annex in Benghazi, Libya. A team of six American security operators fought to repel the attackers and protect the Americans stationed there. Those men went beyond the call of duty, performing extraordinary acts of courage and heroism, to avert tragedy on a much larger scale. This is their personal account, never before told, of what happened during the thirteen hours of that now-infamous attack. 13 HOURS sets the record straight on what happened during a night that has been shrouded in mystery and controversy. Written by New York Times bestselling author Mitchell Zuckoff, this riveting book takes readers into the action-packed story of heroes who laid their lives on the line for one another, for their countrymen, and for their country. 13 HOURS is a stunning, eye-opening, and intense book--but most importantly, it is the truth. The story of what happened to these men--and what they accomplished--is unforgettable.

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WHAT IF?
Randall Munroe
Cover of WHAT IF?

WHAT IF?

by Randall Munroe · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

4 wks on list

From the creator of the wildly popular webcomic xkcd, hilarious and informative answers to important questions you probably never thought to ask Millions of people visit xkcd.com each week to read Randall Munroe's iconic webcomic. His stick-figure drawings about science, technology, language, and love have an enormous, dedicated following, as do his deeply researched answers to his fans' strangest questions. The queries he receives range from merely odd to downright diabolical: - What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool? - Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns? - What if a Richter 15 earthquake hit New York City? - Are fire tornadoes possible? His responses are masterpieces of clarity and wit, gleefully and accurately explaining everything from the relativistic effects of a baseball pitched at near the speed of light to the many horrible ways you could die while building a periodic table out of all the actual elements. The book features new and never-before-answered questions, along with the most popular answers from the xkcd website. What If? is an informative feast for xkcd fans and anyone who loves to ponder the hypothetical.

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JESUS ON TRIAL
David Limbaugh
Cover of JESUS ON TRIAL

JESUS ON TRIAL

by David Limbaugh · Regnery

2 wks on list

In Jesus on Trial, New York Times bestselling author David Limbaugh applies his lifetime of legal experience to a unique new undertaking: making a case for the gospels as hard evidence of the life and work of Jesus Christ. Limbaugh, a practicing attorney and former professor of law, approaches the canonical gospels with the same level of scrutiny he would apply to any legal document and asks all the necessary questions about the story of Jesus told through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. His analysis of the texts becomes profoundly personal as he reflects on his own spiritual and intellectual odyssey from determined skeptic to devout Christian. Ultimately, Limbaugh concludes that the words Christians have treasured for centuries stand up to his exhaustive enquiry—including his examination of historical and religious evidence beyond the gospels—and thereby affirms Christian faith, spirituality, and tradition.

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THE ROOSEVELTS
Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
Cover of THE ROOSEVELTS

THE ROOSEVELTS

by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns · Knopf

3 wks on list

New York Times Bestseller A vivid and personal portrait of America’s greatest political family and its enormous impact on our nation, which expands on the hugely acclaimed seven-part PBS documentary series, bringing readers even deeper into these extraordinary leaders’ lives With 796 photographs, some never before seen The authors of the acclaimed and best-selling The Civil War, Jazz, The War, and Baseball present an intimate history of three extraordinary individuals from the same extraordinary family—Theodore, Eleanor, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Geoffrey C. Ward, distilling more than thirty years of thinking and writing about the Roosevelts, and the acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns help us understand for the first time that, despite the fierce partisanship of their eras, the Roosevelts were far more united than divided. All the history the Roosevelts made is here, but this is primarily an intimate account, the story of three people who overcame obstacles that would have undone less forceful personalities. Theodore Roosevelt would push past childhood frailty, outpace depression, survive terrible grief—and transform the office of the presidency. Eleanor Roosevelt, orphaned and alone as a child, would endure her husband’s betrayal, battle her own self-doubts, and remake herself into the most consequential first lady in American history—and the most admired woman on earth. And Franklin Roosevelt, born to privilege and so pampered that most of his youthful contemporaries dismissed him as a charming lightweight, would summon the strength to lead the nation through the two greatest crises since the Civil War, though he could not take a single step unaided. The three were towering personalities, but The Roosevelts shows that they were also flawed human beings who confronted in their personal lives issues familiar to all of us: anger and the need for forgiveness, courage and cowardice, confidence and self-doubt, loyalty to family and the need to be true to oneself. This is the story of the Roosevelts—no other American family ever touched so many lives.

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THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Naomi Klein
Cover of THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING

by Naomi Klein · Simon & Schuster

2 wks on list

From Naomi Klein, author of the #1 international bestsellers, The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, a must-read on how the climate crisis needs to spur transformational political change We seem to have given up on any serious effort to prevent catastrophic climate change. Despite mounting scientific evidence, denialism is surging in many wealthy countries, and extreme fossil-fuel extraction gathers pace. Exposing the work of ideologues on the right who know the challenge this poses to the free market all too well, Naomi Klein also challenges the failing strategies of environmental groups. This Changes Everything argues that the deep changes required should not be viewed as punishments to fear, but as a kind of gift. It's time to stop running from the full implications of the crisis and begin to embrace them. Naomi Klein is an award-winning journalist, syndicated columnist and author of the international bestsellers, The Shock Doctrine and No Logo. She is a member of the board of directors for 350.org, a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis, a Puffin Foundation Writing Fellow at The Nation Institute, and a former Miliband Fellow at the LSE. She holds an honorary Doctor of Civil Laws from the University of King's College, Nova Scotia.

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A PATH APPEARS
Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Cover of A PATH APPEARS

A PATH APPEARS

by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn · Knopf

1 wks on list

An exploration of how altruism affects us, what are the markers for success, and how to avoid the pitfalls—with scrupulous research and on-the-ground reporting from the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalists and bestselling authors of Half a Sky and Tightrope Kristof and WuDunn will inspire you to "change lives for the better, including your own (The New York Times Book Review). In their recounting of astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress, we see the compelling, inspiring truth of how real people have changed the world, underscoring that one person can make a difference. A Path Appears offers practical, results-driven advice on how best each of us can give and reveals the lasting benefits we gain in return. Kristof and WuDunn know better than most how many urgent challenges communities around the world face to­day. Here they offer a timely beacon of hope for our collective future.

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ONE NATION
Ben Carson with Candy Carson
Cover of ONE NATION

ONE NATION

by Ben Carson with Candy Carson · Sentinel

19 wks on list

PLEASE NOTE: This is a summary of the book and NOT the original book. One Nation by Ben Carson M.D and Candy Carson - A 30-minute Summary Inside this Instaread Summary: Overview of the entire book Introduction to the Important people in the book Summary and analysis of all the chapters in the book Key Takeaways of the book A Reader's Perspective Preview of this summary: Chapter 1 To secure the future for the next generation, Americans need to take quick, decisive, and prayerful action. Problems facing the U.S. today include: lack of education, bigotry, elitism, moral issues that have divided the people, and financial issues. The nation's leaders need to return to morality, common sense, and manners in order to work together and find solutions. Individuals should educate themselves and their children, hold their political officials accountable, learn how to compromise, and pray for wisdom. Bullying seems to be on the rise in the nation's schools. Children are learning to be bullies by watching the adults in their lives. In order to put an end to the bullying problem in the schools, adults need to set a good example by working harder to see things from the other person's perspective, ignoring the rules of political correctness, and engaging in intelligent discussions. In addition to common sense and manners, people need to be educated. A good education gives a person power. Courage is also required to stand up to secular progressives and other bad influences who want to lead the U.S. away from the values set up by the founding fathers in the Constitution. If individuals take action on their own, collectively they can pass on to the next generation a country they can be proud of....

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THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE
Jeff Hobbs
Cover of THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE

THE SHORT AND TRAGIC LIFE OF ROBERT PEACE

by Jeff Hobbs · Scribner

1 wks on list

Meet the tourists, former classmates at Yale who, seven years later, must confront the people they've become while forging lives in Manhattan. David, a hedge fund wunderkind who forfeited idealism for wealth, hopes that a more fulfilling life lies ahead in the suburbs. His wife, the beautiful Samona, to whom David returns home nightly with nothing left for her, wonders whether her marriage is stripping away her best years. Ethan, a successful furniture designer with a magnetic sexuality, seeks something darker and more uncertain than the power lunches, needy family, and unsatisfying relationships that comprise his life. Rounding out the group is the story's unnamed narrator, a freelance reporter struggling to stay afloat -- financially, professionally, and emotionally -- who shares complicated histories with each of them. When Ethan and Samona have a chance encounter at a gallery opening, they meet each other's needs. As our narrator traverses the city and gradually reconstructs the events that underlie the present circumstances, his own mysterious role comes into ever sharper focus. Only later, after David commissions Ethan to design some conference rooms at his firm and a secret triangle is formed, does our narrator begin to tie all the pieces together. With The Tourists, Jeff Hobbs delivers a striking and stylish debut about the dark and sometimes destructive aspects of physical attraction and love, marital disillusionment, and the inevitable disappointments life can bring.

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WAKING UP
Sam Harris
Cover of WAKING UP

WAKING UP

by Sam Harris · Simon & Schuster

3 wks on list

'An extraordinary book . . . It will shake up your most fundamental beliefs about everyday experience, and it just might change your life.' Paul Bloom ___ For the millions of people who want spirituality without religion, Sam Harris's new book is a guide to meditation as a rational spiritual practice informed by neuroscience and psychology. Throughout the book, Harris argues that there are important truths to be found in the experience of contemplatives such as Jesus, Buddha and other saints and sages of history-and, therefore, that there is more to understanding reality than science and secular culture generally allow. Waking Up is part seeker's memoir and part exploration of the scientific underpinnings of spirituality. No other book marries contemplative wisdom and modern science in this way, and no author other than Sam Harris-a scientist, philosopher, and famous sceptic-could write it. ___ 'A demanding, illusion-shattering book.' Kirkus Reviews 'A pleasure to read.' Huffington Post

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UNPHILTERED
Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach
Cover of UNPHILTERED

UNPHILTERED

by Phil Robertson with Mark Schlabach · Howard Books

4 wks on list

Following the huge success of Happy, Happy, Happy, the Number One US bestseller that has sold over 1.25 million copies, Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson shares the principles that have shaped his career and his personal, business, political, hunting, faith and family life. In this inspirational and entertaining book, you will learn what makes Phil Robertson tick. Robertson shares his views on faith-and how it has totally changed his way of life and how he treats others; family-how he raised his kids and is raising grandkids while teaching them the life principles he lives by; ducks-and the business principles that started the Duck Commander empire; marriage-including what he's learned from his own marriage; and of course, his opinions on controversial topics like gun control, taxes, prayer in school, and the government. UnPHILtered is the ultimate guide to everything Phil Robertson believes in. Balancing his sometimes off-the-wall comments with his strong focus on home and family life, it is sure to spark discussion, laughs, and a sincere appreciation for Phil's unique approach to life.

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LEAN IN
Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell
Cover of LEAN IN

LEAN IN

by Sheryl Sandberg with Nell Scovell · Knopf

73 wks on list

#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • “A landmark manifesto" (The New York Times) that's a revelatory, inspiring call to action and a blueprint for individual growth that will empower women around the world to achieve their full potential. In her famed TED talk, Sheryl Sandberg described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which has been viewed more than eleven million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto. Lean In continues that conversation, combining personal anecdotes, hard data, and compelling research to change the conversation from what women can’t do to what they can. Sandberg, COO of Meta (previously called Facebook) from 2008-2022, provides practical advice on negotiation techniques, mentorship, and building a satisfying career. She describes specific steps women can take to combine professional achievement with personal fulfillment, and demonstrates how men can benefit by supporting women both in the workplace and at home.

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THINGS THAT MATTER
Charles Krauthammer
Cover of THINGS THAT MATTER

THINGS THAT MATTER

by Charles Krauthammer · Crown Forum

28 wks on list

From America’s preeminent columnist, named by the Financial Times the most influential commentator in the nation, a must-have collection of Charles Krauthammer’s essential, timeless writings. A brilliant stylist known for an uncompromising honesty that challenged conventional wisdom at every turn, Krauthammer dazzled readers for decades with his keen insight into politics and government. His weekly column was a must-read in Washington and across the country. Don’t miss the best of Krauthammer’s intelligence, erudition and wit collected in one volume. Readers will find here not only the country’s leading conservative thinker offering a pas­sionate defense of limited government, but also a highly independent mind whose views—on feminism, evolution and the death penalty, for example—defy ideological convention. Things That Matter also features several of Krautham­mer’s major path-breaking essays—on bioeth­ics, on Jewish destiny and on America’s role as the world’s superpower—that have pro­foundly influenced the nation’s thoughts and policies. And finally, the collection presents a trove of always penetrating, often bemused re­flections on everything from border collies to Halley’s Comet, from Woody Allen to Win­ston Churchill, from the punishing pleasures of speed chess to the elegance of the perfectly thrown outfield assist. With a special, highly autobiographical in­troduction in which Krauthammer reflects on the events that shaped his career and political philosophy, this indispensible chronicle takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the fashions and follies, the tragedies and triumphs, of the last three decades of American life.

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DIARY OF A MAD DIVA
Joan Rivers
Cover of DIARY OF A MAD DIVA

DIARY OF A MAD DIVA

by Joan Rivers · Berkley

7 wks on list

The legendary comedian presents the contents of her diary, offering insights, quips, musings, and critiques on her daily life, pop culture, and celebrities.

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IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE
Hampton Sides
Cover of IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE

IN THE KINGDOM OF ICE

by Hampton Sides · Doubleday

8 wks on list

From the best-selling author of Ghost Soldiers comes a taut, intense narrative about the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the largest manhunt in American history. Reprint. A best-selling book.

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