November 12th, 2009 § § permalink
November 9th, 2009 § § permalink
Sequel to "An Inconvenient Truth"
Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis is an inspiring call to action for those ready to fight for solutions that really work—including some bold initiatives that were deemed impossible only a short time ago but are now gaining support around the world.
Since the publication of the New York Times bestseller An Inconvenient Truth and the release of the Academy Award–winning film of the same title, Mr. Gore has led more than 30 “Solutions Summits” with top scientists, engineers, and policy experts to examine every solution to the climate crisis in depth and detail. Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis draws on conclusions developed through those summits as well as on extensive independent research, describing how the bold choices necessary to save the earth’s climate should also be the foundations of policies worldwide to create new jobs and stimulate sustainable economic progress. As they did with An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Gore and Mrs. Tipper Gore will donate 100 percent of the proceeds of the book to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group dedicated to spreading awareness about the climate crisis and how to solve it. (Extracted and adapted from Rodale)
About the Author:
Al Gore receiving the Nobel Peace Price 2007 by Wikipedia
Albert Arnold “Al” Gore, Jr. is the recipient of a number of awards. He and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Gore received a Primetime Emmy Award for Current TV in 2007, and a Webby Award in 2005. Time named Gore as a runner-up for its 2007 Person of the Year.
He also starred in the 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2007 and wrote the book An Inconvenient Truth: The Planetary Emergency of Global Warming and What We Can Do About It, which won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album in 2009. (Wikipedia)
November 9th, 2009 § § permalink
9789673203918
I remember reading and watching multiple versions of movies and animations of A Christmas Carol as a kid.. and always had the same feeling… that ironically, though I like the idea of a time traveler visiting me, I didn’t like to know the future so much in case I have been or will be as bad as Scrooge ever was.
Published in Oct 1843, this Charles Dickens tale begins on Christmas Eve, 7 years after the death of Ebenezer Scrooge’s business partner Jacob Marley. That night, the ghost of Jacob Marley appears before Scrooge and warns him that his soul will be bearing heavy chains for eternity if he does not change his greedy ways, and also predicts that a series of other ghosts will follow.
The first, the Ghost of Christmas Past, takes Scrooge to the scenes of his boyhood and youth which stir the old skinflint’s gentler and tenderer emotions. The second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes Scrooge to the home of his nephew Fred to observe his game of Yes and No and to the humble dwelling of his clerk Bob Cratchit to observe his Christmas dinner. The third spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, harrows Scrooge with dire visions of the future if he does not learn and act upon what he has witnessed. The last ghost was the most haunting of the three. It still is to me, sometimes.
In the end, of course, Scrooge becomes a different man, treating his fellow men with kindness, generosity, and compassion, and gaining a reputation as a man who embodies the spirit of Christmas.
This November, A Christmas Carol comes alive at cinemas worldwide and is played by Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey, Jim Carrey.. and many others.
November 5th, 2009 § § permalink
9780061703010
In Ace of Cakes: Inside the World of Charm City Cakes, Duff Goldman, Food Network’s indomitable “Ace of Cakes,” reveals the inspiration behind some of the most outrageous and extraordinary, gravity and reality-defying confectionary creations in the world. An eye-popping collection of photos, illustrations, stories, reflections, collages, and memorabilia celebrating the eccentric Baltimore bakery where everything takes off, Ace of Cakes is a truly delectable volume that shows the magic that can happen when creativity is king and “no limits” is the mantra.
Book Description
When Duff Goldman, Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes,” envisioned Charm City Cakes in Baltimore nearly a decade ago, his goal was to make wonderful cakes for friends and family. As word spread about his fabulous creations, his dream grew into a nationally renowned business staffed by a team of talented professionals, including musicians, artists, and creative souls with experience in architectural modeling, graphic design, deejaying, coffee making, performance art, dog walking, sculpture, painting and more.
(Read more at HarperCollins)
November 4th, 2009 § § permalink
9780552775342
The International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award is the world’s most valuable (worth €100,000) annual literary prize for a single work of fiction published in English and is a Dublin City Council initiative, in partnership with IMPAC. The nominations come from 163 libraries in 123 cities and 43 countries worldwide. Cllr. Emer Costello, the Lord Mayor of Dublin announced on Monday, 2 Nov ’09, that 156 titles have been nominated for 2010.
Previous winners of the prestigious award include Man Gone Down by Michael Thomas (2009), De Niro’s Game by Rawi Hage (2008), Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (2007), and The Master by Colm Tóibín (2006). Many previously nominated books of other awards are included in the 2010 list. Dublin City Council will announce the shortlist on 14th April 2010 and the Lord Mayor will reveal the winner on 17th June 2010.
And here are the nominees for the 2010 award:
- A Girl Made of Dust by Nathalie Abi-Ezzi
- The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
- Machine by Peter Adolphsen (translated by Charlotte Barslund)
- My Father’s Wives by Eduardo Agualusa (translated by Daniel Hahn)
- Chicago by Alaa Al Aswany (translated by Farouk Abdel Wahab)
- The Hakawati / Storyteller by Rabih Alameddine
- The Story of a Widow by Musharraf Ali Farooqi
- The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam
- When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
- The Only Son by Stéphane Audeguy (translated by John Cullen)
- Man in the Dark by Paul Auster
- The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker (translated by David Colmer)
- The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee
- The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (translated by Alison Anderson)
- Exit Lines by Joan Barfoot
- A Country Called Home by Kim Barnes
- The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
- The Black Tower by Louis Bayard
- City of Thieves by David Benioff
- Beautiful Children by Charles Bock
- Blood Trail by C.J. Box
- Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden
- The Angel Maker by Stefan Brijs (translated by Hester Velmans)
- People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
- Black Flies by Shannon Burke
- The China Lover by Ian Buruma
- The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri (translated by Stephen Sartarelli)
- America, America by Ethan Canin
- The man who stole the Mona Lisa by Martin Caparrós Valfierno (translated by Jasper Reid)
- His Illegal Self by Peter Carey
- The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton
- The Island of Eternal Love by Dai’na Chaviano (translated by Andrea G. Labinger)
- The Other Hand / Little Bee by Chris Cleave (translated by Tina A. Kover)
- The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
- God of Speed by Luke Davies
- The 10pm Question by Kate de Goldi
- The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- The Trout Opera by Matthew Condon
- Codex 632: The Secret Identity of Christopher Columbus by José Rodrigues dos Santos (translated by Alison Entrekin)
- The White King by Gyorgy Dragoman (translated by Paul Olchvary)
- Frida’s Bed by Slavenka Drakulic (translated by Zoric Pribichevich)
- The Voyage of the Short Serpent by Bernard du Boucheron (translated by Hester Velmans)
- In Zodiac Light by Robert Edric
- Good to a Fault by Marian Endicott
- So Brave, Young and Handsome byLeif Enger
- The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
- Blonde Roots by Bernardine Evaristo
- The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante (translated by Ann Goldstein)
- Strange Music by Laura Fish
- Wanting by Richard Flanagan
- The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford
- There are Ants in My Sugar by Annica Foxcroft
- The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
- Blackout by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza (translated by Benjamin Moser)
- The Spare Room by Helen Garner
- Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
- Learning to Fly by Shehani Gomes
- The Jewish Messiah by Arnon Grunberg
- The Prince by Manu Gunasena The Prince
- Cockroach by Rawi Hage
- Blackstrap Hawco: Said to be About a Newfoundland Family by Kenneth J. Harvey
- Ashes of the Amazon by Milton Hatoum (translated by John Gledson)
- This Part of the World by Samuel Hazo
- Settlement by Christoph Hein translated by Philip Boehm
- The Believers by Zoe Heller
- The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemon
- The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
- People of the Whale by Linda Hogan
- Show Me The Sky by Nicholas Hogg
- The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt
- The Sorrows of an American by Siri Hustvedt
- Artic Chill by Arnaldur Indridson (translated by Victoria Cribb and Bernard Scudder)
- Gems in the Cracks by Rowley Jeffrey
- Beijing Coma by Ma Jian
- Swimmer’s Rope by Stephanie Johnson
- The Outcast by Sadie Jones
- Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
- Waltenberg by Hedi Kaddour (translated by David Coward)
- Kieron Smith, Boy by James Kelman
- A Time To Every Purpose Under Heaven by Karl Ove Knausgard (translated by James Anderson)
- World Made By Hand by James Howard Kunstler
- Something To Tell You by Hanif Kureishi Something To Tell You
- Telex from Cuba by Rachel Kushner
- Murisa by Feri Lainscek (translated by Erica Johnson Debelsak)
- Little Monsters by Charles Lambert
- Red Dog, Red Dog by Patrick Lane
- The Lost Colours of the Chameleon by Mandla Langa
- Lavinia by Ursula LeGuin
- The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
- The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam by Lauren Liebenberg
- Molly Fox’s Birthday by Deirdre Madden
- Human Love by Andrei Makine (translated by Geoffrey Strachan)
- The End of the Jews by Adam Mansback The End of the Jews
- Pilcrow by Adam Mars-Jones
- The Lighted Rooms by Richard Mason
- We Are Now Beginning Our Descent by James Meek
- The Same Earth by Kei Miller
- After River by Donna Milner
- Sashenka by Simon Sebag Montefiore
- The Language of Others by Clare Morrall
- A Mercy by Toni Morrison
- The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
- Diablerie by Walter Mosley
- 1940 by Jay Neugeboren
- The Legend of Redenta Tiria by Salvatore Niffoi (translated by Shaun Whiteside)
- Blossoms of the Savannah by H. R. Ole Kulet
- Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson
- Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan
- Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
- The Truth Commissioner by David Park
- Novel About My Wife by Emily Perkins
- City of Refuge by Tom Piazza
- Lush Life by Richard Price
- God’s Own Country byRoss Raisin
- The Garland of Fate by Ruana Rajepakse
- Serena by Ron Rash
- Cost by Roxana Robinson
- Home by Marilynne Robinson
- Hotel Crystal by Olivier Rolin (translated by Jane Kuntz)
- Wolf Totem by Jian Rong (translated by Howard Goldblatt)
- The Armies by Evelio Rosere (translated by Anne McLean)
- Indignation by Philip Roth
- An Atlas of Impossible Longing by Anuradha Roy
- The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie
- Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell
- Death With Interuptions by José Saramago (translated by Margaret Jull Costa)
- New Lives: The Youth of Enrico Turmer in letter and prose by Ingo Schulze (translated by John E. Woods)
- Falling by Anne Simpson
- Chef by Jaspreet Singh
- American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
- Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
- How the Soldier Repairs the Gramaphone by Sasa Stanisic (translated by Anthea Bell)
- The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
- The Great Karoo by Fred Stenson
- Anathem by Neal Stephenson
- Reading by Lightning by Joan Thomas
- The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
- A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
- The Collector of Worlds by Illija Trojanov (translated by William Hobson)
- The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas The Slap
- A Blessed Child by Linn Ullmann (translated by Sarah Death)
- A Tuesday Like Today by Cecilia Urbina (translated by Clare E. Sullivan)
- The Reunion by Simone van der Vlugt (translated by Michelle Hutchinson)
- This Night’s Foul Work by Fred Vargas (translated by Sian Reynolds)
- The Informers by Juan Gabriel Vasquez (translated by Anne McLean)
- Beyond Suspicion by Tanguy Viel (translated by Linda Coverdale)
- Fanon by John Edgar Wideman
- Breath by Tim Winton
- Piano Angel by Esther Woolfson
- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
- Sea of Many Returns by Arnold Zable
- Escher’s Loops by Zoran Zivkovic
(Source: IMPAC Dublin Award)
November 4th, 2009 § § permalink
Stephanie Laurens by Sigrid Estrada
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens began writing historical romances as an escape from the dry world of professional science. Her hobby quickly ballooned into a career with the publication of her wildly popular novels about the Cynster family. She currently has 30 novels and 4 novellas published, all of which are continually in print. All of her novels have been translated into other languages and are published around the globe. Her last 15 books have been New York Times bestsellers, many in both hardcover and mass market editions.
From her home outside Melbourne, Australia, where she lives with her husband and two feline princes, Stephanie continues to pen her signature historical romances set in Regency England. Her latest work, Beyond Seduction, is the sixth book in a group of novels about the members of the exclusive Bastion Club introduced in the novel The Lady Chosen.
All of Stephanie’s historical romances form part of the larger “World of Stephanie Laurens.”
(Harper Collins)
Writtings by Stephanie Laurens include:
November 3rd, 2009 § § permalink
97814051954851
October 28, 2009
Oil Panic and the Global Crisis: Predictions and Myths
The future of oil and our dependence upon it is one of the most important issues of the twenty-first century. As oil prices have surged, two rival camps have emerged to forecast the pending oil crisis. One claims that depletion of oil and natural gas is imminent and will be followed by global chaos, while the other predicts that if we support technological innovation and trust the free markets, humanity will be spared.
In Oil Panic and the Global Crisis: Predictions and Myths award winning scholar Steven Gorelick navigates the arguments between the two camps and in doing so tackles some of the twenty-first century’s most important questions:
- Are we on the verge of running out of oil, or are Peak Oil predictions outdated?
- What warnings do the oil shortage scares of the 20th century offer us today?
- Why are there such extraordinarily different views on the future of oil?
- What is the role of environmental and economic issues in determining our future use of oil?
- What lessons can be drawn from the production history of other non-renewable resources?
- Will oil sands, coal, natural gas, and fuel alternatives provide solutions to our energy needs?
- How will the needs of developing nations, such as China and India, affect global consumption?
(Read more at Wiley Press Room)
November 2nd, 2009 § § permalink
Book Description:
The Heretic's Daughter by Kathleen Kent
Martha Carrier was one of the first women to be accused, tried and hanged as a witch in Salem, Massachusetts. Like her mother, young Sarah Carrier is bright and willful, openly challenging the small, brutal world in which they live. Often at odds with one another, mother and daughter are forced to stand together against the escalating hysteria of the trials and the superstitious tyranny that led to the torture and imprisonment of more than 200 people accused of witchcraft. This is the story of Martha’s courageous defiance and ultimate death, as told by the daughter who survived.
Kathleen Kent is a tenth generation descendent of Martha Carrier. She paints a haunting portrait, not just of Puritan New England, but also of one family’s deep and abiding love in the face of fear and persecution.
( Hachette Book Group)
Book Review:
Courtesy of Hachette Book Group
Thomas and Martha Carrier did really exist and Kent is their descendent! It evokes such deep emotions towards the family-lineage – on how they ultimately survived the Salem witch trials.
Kent has written the book in such detail that I practically felt like I was standing right there in New England watching everything happen- I could even imagine and feel how cold the winter was. It is a very moving story which makes you realise just how much wrongful accusations can cause the death of so many innocent people and change the lives of those around them.
November 2nd, 2009 § § permalink
November 2nd, 2009 § § permalink
9780099546184
A couple of months back, I watched the trailer to The Time Traveler’s Wife on the big screen. My immediate reaction at the end when Eric Bana starts to disappear in front of Rachel McAdams eyes, I thought, “I need to read this novel before the movie comes out!”
I did. I read and immersed myself in the love story between Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshaire. I must say, the author, Audrey Niffenegger is a wonderful story-teller! Not only did I leave all my other books on my bed half-read, she had left me wondering often how I’d feel if I have my own time-traveling partner to look out and wait for. Will he ever appear? Would it be a curse to meet someone like that? Would I even want to be someone like that?
Though the chemistry between the lovebirds was good, the movie was not up to my expectations – many colourful characters were missing (Ingrid, Charisse, Kimy etc) and scenes were so obviously altered from the original. Some critics said that the movie was disappointing, too much of a farce. I’d say the movie would be a good prelude to those wanting more. To those who have not read the book.
9780224085625
As for me, I’m contemplating the idea of reading Niffenegger’s second novel. The one that hit the stores just a few weeks ago. The one that has a ghost. A ghost whose body has just been buried in the cemetery nearby. A ghost that haunts in Her Fearful Symmetry.
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