Books Reviews

Almanac of the Infamous, The Incredible and the Ignored
Written and illustrated by Juanita Rose Violini
Softcover, 295 pages ($19.99)

Phantom hitchhikers, spontaneous combustions, showers of stones. These and 363 more of history's mysteries—one corresponding to every day of the year—are here for you to ponder in this entertaining, engrossing and altogether enchanting chronicle of oddities, enigmas and other assorted wrinkles of weirdness. Well-researched and creatively illustrated, it's a refreshing stretch for the imagination. Read and marvel!
—Neil Pond, American Profile

posted on: 11/15/2009

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Herblock
By Haynes Johnson and Harry L. Katz
Hardcover, 304 pages ($35)

Signing his work as "Herblock," Herb Block of "The Washington Post" was one of America's most significant political cartoonists of the 20th century. This collection, timed to what would have been his 100th birthday, features 250 reproductions of Block's artistry—plus another 18,000 more on an accompanying DVD. It's an opinionated, pen-and-ink snapshot of a changing, often turbulent world, from the Great Depression to the modern era of international terrorism, with commentary that puts every cartoon into context.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

posted on: 11/15/2009

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An American Family: Three Decades With The McGarveys
Photographed by Pam Spaulding
Hardcover, 224 pages ($42)

In 1977, "Louisville Courier Journal" photojournalist Spaulding began following a local family for what was intended to be a yearlong project about new parents. It turned into 30 years—and the most complete, comprehensive snapshot of a family ever recorded. Spanning three generations and presented now in book form, these images—of backseat car squabbles, graduations, pet burials and the McGarveys' many other rituals, routines, celebrations and sorrows—are a remarkable window onto a world of personal moments that represent a sweeping, spectacular view of the greater American experience.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

posted on: 11/15/2009

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Barns of Illinois
Photos by Larry Kanfer / Text by Alaina Kanfer
Hardcover, 120 pages ($39.95)

Barn lovers, this one's for you. The husband-and-wife team of Larry and Alaina Kanfer takes you on a tour of the many structures across Illinois that continue to stand as a connection between the present and the past of America's heartland. From weathered shells to proudly restored structures now used as schools, businesses and, yes, even for agriculture, they're an enduring tribute to the land, people and traditions of the Midwest. (Available at press.uillinois.edu)
—Neil Pond, American Profile

posted on: 11/8/2009

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Travelin' Man: On the Road and Behind the Scene with Bob Seger
By Tom Weschler and Gary Graff
Hardcover, 192 pages ($27.95)

For more than a decade beginning in the late 1960s, Tom Weschler was Bob Seger's tour manager—and, wielding his 35mm camera, a photographer with unrestricted access to the grueling formative stages of a Detroit-based career that would eventually go nationwide with hits like "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man," "Night Moves" and "We've Got Tonight." With a foreword by John Mellencamp, an afterword by Kid Rock, commentary by noted rock journalist Gary Graff and more than 150 photos, 'Travelin' Man' presents a unique insider's view of one of rock 'n' roll's hardest-working, hit-making musical icons on his trajectory to superstardom.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

posted on: 11/8/2009

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Gil Cohen: Aviation Artist
Hardcover, 144 pages ($49.95)

In an ongoing career that began in the 1950s, Gil Cohen illustrated all kinds of pulpy covers for men's "adventure magazines" and paperback books. But his heart was always in the air—he loved painting airplanes. This stunning collection of his widely acclaimed, mostly war-themed "aviation art," from canvas biplanes of World War I to weightless Russian cosmonauts in space, both celebrates the engineering marvels of flight and depicts the human emotions of dramatic moments captured in time by his talented brushstrokes.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

posted on: 10/25/2009

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The Weiser Field Guide to Ghosts
By Raymond Buckland
Softcover, 189 pages ($14,95)

You'll be a big hit at the Halloween party with all the nifty info in this handy-dandy compendium about things that go bump in the night. With a thorough rundown of all sorts of apparitions, wraiths and other assorted boogymen, plus tales of spooky encounters, legendary spirits and haunted places throughout history, it's perfect candlelight reading for a dark, stormy night!
—Neil Pond, American Profile

from Amazon.com

posted on: 10/18/2009

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Obsolete
By Anna Jane Grossman
Hardcover, 192 pages ($15.95)

Ever get the feeling life is passing you by? Well, it is—at alarming speed! This clever, cheeky and captivating little book takes a playful (and sometimes painfully true) look at car cigarette lighters, cursive writing, girdles, lickable stamps, pay phones, slide projectors, video stores and more than 120 other once-indispensable objects, services and conventions that are going bye-bye fast, if not already gone.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

from Amazon.com

posted on: 10/11/2009

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New York Yankees 365
Foreword by Don Mattingly
Hardcover, 744 pages ($29.95)

Baseball fans can open a new page of colorful Yankee history and highlights, from Babe Ruth to Derek Jeter, for every day of the year with this bountiful collection of photos from the archives of the Associated Press. Former first baseman Don Mattingly, one of the most celebrated Yankees of all time, provides the introduction and recalls the pride, professionalism and tradition that goes with the famous pinstripes.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

from Amazon.com

posted on: 10/11/2009

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Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Sports Spectacular
Softcover, 486 pages ($18.95)

The "Bathroom Reader" folks turn their wide-ranging, fact-grazing gaze on the world of sports with this handy-dandy compendium of tidbits, anecdotes, origins, quotes, trivia and factoids about football, baseball, basketball, tennis, golf, hockey, tennis, bowling, wrestling, racing, paintball and many other competitive odds 'n' ends. Sports fans of every stripe will want to keep it handy anywhere—like the bathroom—they might need something endlessly browsable at their, shall we say, disposal.
—Neil Pond, American Profile

from Amazon.com

posted on: 10/4/2009

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