Books Reviews - Page 14

Baseball fans waiting for the spring thaw will enjoy whiling away the chilly weeks with this unique compendium of 2,500 trivia questions about players, games, teams, statistics, records and rules—with a unique twist. A battery-operated mini-computer, embedded in the cover, generates question numbers at random, invites you to pick the correct multiple-choice answer, then tells you if you’re right or wrong. Step up to this plate, slugger, and you’ll find out pretty fast just how well you know America’s pastime.
—Neil Pond, American Proflle

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You’ll find it hard to believe your eyes as you browse through these full-color, large-format photos of unusual, eccentric and outright odd homes, churches, castles, museums, opera houses and other structures that defy the imagination. If you ever get bored of your ordinary-looking four walls, Bizarre Buildings brings dozens of the world’s most unique architectural offerings to your coffee table.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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With a clever cover treatment that makes it look “retro” and well-browsed, this slender little tribute to one of winter’s best, most universal pastimes is packed with sled facts and trivia (such as a sidebar on Hollywood’s most famous sled, Rosebud from Citizen Kane), sledding tips and techniques, suggestions on “making do” with cafeteria trays and garbage-can lids, and advice on how to stay safe and warm on the slopes. And to top it all off—“après sledding” recipes for hot cocoa and hot toddies! If you haven’t swooped and swooshed down a snow-covered slope in ages, The Sled Book will make you feel a kid again.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Amaze friends, baffle family members and confound co-workers with this collection of close-up, “on the street” tricks and illusions that anyone can easily master. Step-by-step instructions and photo illustrations make all the moves clear, and dozens of sidebar tidbits offer performance suggestions and additional advice. Even if you’ve never wanted to make people think you can float, push your thumb through your ear or make any number of everyday items do extraordinary things, you’ll nonetheless get a kick out of seeing just how such slight-of-hand is done by David Blaine, Chris Angel and other polished pros.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.” “Luca Brasi sleeps with the fishes.” “Leave the gun—take the cannolis.” The Godfather contributed dozens of memorable quotes to the pop-cultural lexicon, and this handy little collection of its many durable bits of wisdom, advice and assorted crime-family counsel—illustrated with photos and other graphics that evoke the epic’s time and place—enshrines the dynamic dialog of the classic 1972 movie into a digest that cinema lovers will treasure.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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No, this book won’t reveal the mysteries of ancient Egypt. It will, however, keep puzzle fanatics entertained for hours with more than 1,000 word challenges, numerical conundrums, visual brainteasers and other mental “parlor games” that have delighted and bedeviled for the past century. There’s also a fascinating overview of some of history’s greatest puzzles and the people who invented them, including showman P.T. Barnum, author Lewis Carroll and others who loved giving the ol’ grey matter a brisk workout.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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The Man of Steel gets a scholarly breakdown from his comic-book origins to his portrayal through the years by actors Clayton Collyer, Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Christopher Reeve and Smallville’s Tom Welling. Intensely researched and painstakingly detailed, it may be a bit of heavy lifting for casual readers. But diehard Super-fans across the generations will relish its meaty, meticulous look at the life, legacy and indestructibility of an all-American icon.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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Look—that cloud looks like a juggling bear! That one’s a skateboarder! And there’s the Michelin Man…with a gun! Anyone who’s ever looked up in awe at the surprising, serendipitous shapes clouds can sometimes take will love this little collection of beautiful, whimsical and even amazing photos taken by members of the Cloud Appreciation Society.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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In his once-a-year, logistics-defying jaunt around the globe, jolly ol’ Saint Nick doesn’t travel on milk and cookies—the traditional snack left for him by Americans—alone. That’s the premise of this fanciful collection of more than 70 festive Christmas-season recipes that Santa has collected from all over the world, tested to perfection in his North Pole kitchen and now shares. This year, try leaving some Hungarian pancakes, Greek holiday bread, German goose with red cabbage and kale, or a piece of French log cake by the fireplace. Father Christmas will thank you for it!
Neil Pond, American Profile

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An insider on the rock scene since the 1960s, photographer Lynn Goldsmith clicked away with her camera for three decades, capturing an amazing array of stars both onstage and off. Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, The Rolling Stones, The Police and dozens of other performers headline this impressive collection of 245 images, a visual tour of the frequently glamorous, sometimes gritty but never less than fascinating realm of rock ’n’ roll royalty at work, at rest and at play.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

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