» 2009 » December BookGalaxo.com

Wolf Hall. By Hilary Mantel. Henry Holt; 531 pages; $27. Fourth Estate; £18.99
With a 21st-century sense of evil mixed with irony, Ms Mantel takes us right back into the 16th-century mind. A deserved winner of the Man Booker prize.

American Rust. By Philipp Meyer. Spiegel & Grau; 384 pages; $24.95. Simon & Schuster; £12.99 Set in America’s crumbling industrial heartland, Mr Meyer’s first novel is a paean to the end of empire—a book that is as painful as it is enjoyable.

Ultimatum. By Matthew Glass. Grove Atlantic; 400 pages; $24. Atlantic Books; £9.99
Politics meets the rising tide of climate change. Copenhagen’s hotels should put a copy in every room.

Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Too Much Happiness. By Alice Munro. Knopf; 320 pages; $25.95. Chatto & Windaus; £17.99
The Canadian winner of the 2009 Man Booker International prize is as dark and funny as she was when she started writing short stories nearly 60 years ago.

Love and Summer. By William Trevor. Viking; 224 pages; $25.95 and £18.99
An elegant novel that shows how beautifully and humanely this 81-year-old Irish craftsman still can write.

The Glass Room. By Simon Mawer. Other Press; 416 pages; $14.95. Little, Brown; £16.99
The story of a room with a world-historical view, by a novelist who has an inquisitive, and quite un-English, interest in history and science.

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi by Geoff Dyer

Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi. By Geoff Dyer. Pantheon; 304 pages; $24. Canongate; £12.99
Mr Dyer is one of the most interesting young English writers. Every Dyer novel seems to end in a moment of ecstatic transformation. This time, though, there is darkness visible. His fourth novel, this is by far his best.

Your Face Tomorrow: Poison, Shadow and Farewell. By Javier Marías. Translated by Margaret Jull Costa. New Directions; 480 pages; $24.95. Chatto & Windus; £18.99
Mr Marías has seized the spy thriller and turned it into a novel of ideas.

In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. By Daniyal Mueenuddin. Norton; 249 pages; $23.95. Bloomsbury; £14.99
A remarkable debut by a Punjabi writer who has gained plaudits from Mohsin Hamid and Salman Rushdie. A small book that reveals, in every detail, the extent to which life in Pakistan is dictated as much by whom you know as what you do.

The Winter Vault. By Anne Michaels. Knopf; 352 pages; $25. Bloomsbury; £16.99
Set against the building of the Aswan dam, this is a novel of violence, death and bereavement, and about survivors who are also mourners, by the author of “Fugitive Pieces”.

Economics and Business: Best Book 2009

December 22nd, 2009 § 1 comment § permalink

The Economist: The Best Books 2009

Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial Systems—and Themselves. By Andrew Ross Sorkin. Viking; 624 pages; $32.95. Allen Lane; £14.99 A riveting fly-on-the-wall account of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and what came afterwards.

Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World. By Liaquat Ahamed. Penguin Press; 564 pages; $32.95. Heinemann; £20. A history of the generation that invented the modern central banker. Winner of this year’s Financial Times/Goldman Sachs business book of the year award.

How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities. By John Cassidy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 416 pages; $28. Allen Lane; £25. A sharp look at the roots of the financial crisis that turns into an excellent history of economic thought, by a British writer at the New Yorker.

Poorly Made in China: An Insider’s Account of the Tactics Behind China’s Production Game. By Paul Midler. Wiley; 256 pages; $24.95 and £16.99. A useful analysis by a consultant who advises Western companies on what to do about China’s manufacturing problems. Many laboratories protect their reputation by hiding, rather than revealing, what they test and whistle-blowing is punished rather than rewarded.

Results of Contest #3

December 22nd, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Wow! We certainly didn’t expect so many entries for this round of contest. Thank you for visiting the blog… and taking part in this Contest #3.

As mentioned before, there are only 3 books that are up for grabs in this Contest #3. We had a mini lucky draw (had to find a bigger bag to fill in more names) earlier today to determine the winners of the book, The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks. The 3 copies were provided at the courtesy of MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd.

Kiran Kumar
Linda Susanna Lee
John Cheah

The Lucky One is about US Marine Logan Thibault who experiences a sudden streak of luck after finding a buried photograph of a young woman, during his tour of duty in Iraq. When he returns to Colorado, Thibault still thinks about this mysterious woman and so, he sets out on a journey across the country to find her.

Also, due to the overwhelming response and in the spirit of giving this Christmas, we have decided to give 2 consolation prizes away – a black note book each courtesy of Page One Publishing Group. The 2 winners are:

mun
Andrew a/l Guanabalan

All winners will be contacted via email.

Thank you.. and remember to look out for the next contest… anytime, next month.

♥ Have a Blessed Christmas & a Wonderful New Year 2010 from all of us at Book Galaxo! ♥

Fallen by Lauren Kate

December 21st, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

ISBN: 9780385618021

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori…

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – and goes out of his way to make that very clear – she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret… even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Lauren Kate in Author Spotlight

Picture of Kate Lauren. Photo © Mischa Kuczynksi

“I went to college in Atlanta and got to spend some time in Savannah, which is a lush, lovely, and very polite town. But the south is also such an embattled place, still recovering from its civil war scars in a way I think other parts of the country don’t like to think about. Setting Luce’s reform school on the grounds of an old Civil War Academy opened up all these cool possibilities to allude to the *big* battle that’s coming in the series.”

“I guess I’ve always had a thing for cemeteries. Growing up, I had a friend who lived right behind a pretty decrepit old cemetery, and we’d sneak in there all the time to make up stories about the people whose tombstones we read. In Fallen, Cam attempts to do this with Luce—though for some strange reason, she finds it unromantic…

Click here to read more about Lauren Kate.

- Random House, Inc.

Flirting for Dummies – Essential Tips!

December 17th, 2009 § 0 comments § permalink

Flirting for Dummies, as featured in the Sunday Times Style Magazine, is the latest book to be published by Wiley, written by Flirting Expert, Elizabeth Clark. Available from the end of May 2009 in all good bookstores and on Amazon.co.uk.

Many people would love to be able to improve their flirting skills and avoid getting flustered when dealing with people they’re attracted to. This easy-to-follow manual to mastering the art of flirting, offers indispensable advice on working the dating scene and reinvigorating your love life. Exploring key areas including; listening and communication skills, body language and self-image, Flirting For Dummies provides you with all the tools you need to boost your self-confidence and engage with people in a natural and charming way.

Flirting For Dummies:

Features illustrative photographs to provide examples of flirting in action
Gives advice on getting to grips with flirting basics and how to get noticed
Covers how to develop a killer rapport with body language
Provides advice on taking the next step
Gives ‘Top Ten’ tips such as opening lines and flirting faux pas

Flirting for Dunnies by Elizabeth Clark

Related books:

How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You by Leil Lowndes

How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You by Leil Lowndes

What is the recipe for making some-one fall in love you? This witty guide lets you into the secret! It is full of spot-on tips and information based on solid research into the way human behaviour, sexuality, body-language, and the essential differences between men (‘the hunter’) and the women (‘the huntress’) think and communicate. You will learn how to meet that perfect some-one, what you should do on your first date, what you should talk about, how you can make a great impression, how you can turn your partner on and make him/her fall head over heels in love with you! Includes techniques such as: How to get sexy ‘Bedroom Eyes’ How to awaken primal, unsettling sexy feelings in your partner How to GIVE first date butterflies How to learn in one hour what will drive you partner wild in bed. And much, much more.

What Every Body Is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins

What Every Body Is Saying by Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins

He says that’s his best offer. Is it?
She says she agrees. Does she?
The interview went great—or did it?
He said he’d never do it again. But he did.

Read this book and send your nonverbal intelligence soaring. Joe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to “speed-read” people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviors. You’ll also learn how your body language can influence what your boss, family, friends, and strangers think of you. You will discover:
The ancient survival instincts that drive body language
Why the face is the least likely place to gauge a person’s true feelings
What thumbs, feet, and eyelids reveal about moods and motives
The most powerful behaviors that reveal our confidence and true sentiments
Simple nonverbals that instantly establish trust
Simple nonverbals that instantly communicate authority

Filled with examples from Navarro’s professional experience, this definitive book offers a powerful new way to navigate your world.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus by John Gray

You can’t live with them – and you can’t live without them! This is a lively book on successful communication between the sexes, allowing people all over the world to work out what makes members of the opposite sex tick and learn to understand their verbal and non-verbal language, ultimately reaching a point of harmony where it becomes possible to live, work and love together. The advice teaches you to: motivate the opposite sex and get what you want; avoid arguments and promote fruitful communication; learn what will really impress your mate and score points with the opposite sex; learn about the real emotional needs of the opposite sex and the behaviours associated with these needs; and discover the keys to keeping love alive – and staying together long term.

Why Men Don’t Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease

Why Men Don't Have a Clue and Women Always Need More Shoes by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease

An hilarious and perceptive look at the tactics of men and women from those consummate people-waters, Barbara and Allan Pease.

Why are men clueless about romance, love and relationships? Why do they avoid making commitment? Why do men tell lies to women and think they can get away with it? On the other hand, why do women cry to get their own way with men and why do women insist on talking a subject to death? And why do women need more shoes instead of more sex?

The gulf between the sexes, the misunderstandings and conflicts are still as present in our lives in the twenty-first century as they were when Adam first fell foul of Eve.

Let Allan and Barbara Pease – the internationally renowned experts in human relations, communication and body language – help you transform the way in which you relate to the opposite sex.

Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease

Why Men Want Sex and Women Need Love: Unravelling the Simple Truth by Allan Pease and Barbara Pease

Sex is like air: it′s not important unless you aren′t getting any. And the international bestselling authors Allan & Barbara Pease focus their insight and wit on this, the most important, yet often most frustrating and confusing part of any loving relationship. With cutting edge research and groundbreaking analysis, Allan and Barbara reveal why men want sex and women want love.

In this practical, humorous and easy-to-read guide Allan and Barbara help the reader discover the truth about their partner – or future partners. And most importantly, they translate the science into a highly entertaining read then teach you what you can do about it! This is a must-have book for anyone who wants to get the most from their relationship. It provides the answers both men and women are desperate to learn.

Barack Obama’s Biography

December 17th, 2009 § 2 comments § permalink

Photo by Pete Souza

Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii. Obama previously served as the junior United States Senator from Illinois from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008.

Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for United States Senate in 2004. During the campaign, several events brought him to national attention, such as his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary election for the United States Senator from Illinois as well as his prime-time televised keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004.

Obama began his run for the presidency in February 2007. After a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Clinton, he won his party’s nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Obama is the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

(Read more at Wikipedia)

Writings by Barack Obama include:

Writings on Barack Obama include:

Barrack H. Obama: The Unauthorized Biography by Webster Griffin Tarpley
Barack, Inc: Winning Business Lessons of the Obama Campaign by Barry Libert
Barack Obama for Beginners: An Essential Guide by Bob Neer
Barack Obama: The Movement for Change by Anthony Painter
Barack Obama: The Official Inaugural Book by Tom Brokaw
Hopes and Dreams: The Story of Barack Obama by Steve Dougherty
How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election by Chuck Todd and Sheldon Gawiser
Obama: From Promise to Power by David Mendell
Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photos by Deborah Willis and Kevin Merida
Obama: The Postmodern Coup by Webster Tarpley
Obama’s Challenge: America’s Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency by Robert Kuttner
Say It Like Obama: The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision by Shel Leanne
Say It Like Obama and WIN!: The Power of Speaking with Purpose and Vision by Shel Leanne
The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate by David Freddoso
The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield

Sini Sana: Travels in Malaysia: Send MPH your travel stories!

December 15th, 2009 § 2 comments § permalink

The diverse culture of Malaysia invites travellers both local and foreign to marvel at towering cityscapes where modernity dazzles with luxury or go through old trunk roads surrounded by oil palm plantations to get to breathtaking mountains, caves, beaches and the tropical rainforests. And, of course, every traveller is amazed by food that can be exotic or a fusion of everything you know!

Perhaps during a jungle trek, you stumbled upon an enchanting place, or had a (nonfatal) swim with wild animals. Maybe you once spent an afternoon befriending villagers who had never met an urbanite off the beaten track before. If you were a journalist invited on a ‘famtrip’, did you encounter something outside the usual itinerary of visiting the most popular marketplaces, skyscrapers and restaurants? You might have enjoyed the tranquillity of a hideaway before it was discovered and destroyed in the name of progress and development. Here is a chance to recapture those scenes.

MPH GROUP PUBLISHING is looking for true travellers’ tales, preferably on places outside the tourist hubs in Malaysia. Stories should be in the form of travelogues with rich, firsthand descriptions of sights and sounds and even tastes. We want engaging stories that will move us to visit the places for ourselves and also to understand why we should preserve the beauty of such places. This is not a travel guide; we do not want to know just where to visit and how to get there. We do not want photographs; the words in the story should capture all the wonders. Tentatively entitled Sini Sana: Travels in Malaysia, we aim to publish the book in 2010, depending on the number of submissions we receive.

Travel stories must be original, nonfiction, between 3,000 and 5,000 words, and must not have been previously published. We invite submissions from both emerging and established writers. Manuscripts must be edited, typed double-spaced with 12pt font and emailed to editorial@mph.com.my. Please include your name, address, telephone number and email address. You may submit as many pieces as you wish. Faxed or handwritten submissions will not be entertained and manuscripts will not be returned. We will contact you only if your piece has been selected for inclusion in the compilation. Writers whose submissions are selected will be expected to work with the editors to fine tune their stories.

DEADLINE: 31 January 2010

PAYMENT: A small flat fee and two copies of the collection