"Taubes argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates—not fats and not simply excess calories—has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today." I love this book because it does for weight loss what I like to do in my own field: Push aside the conventional wisdom, which is often wrong, and explain what's really happening. This is a must-read for anyone that's struggled with weight loss, and my guide for this next year.
Another suggestion from Jeff. A great new fantasy novel, with part 2 coming soon.
Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
Classic sci-fi from the masters, regarding a violent first contact with aliens. Set in the 1980's, with the politics of that day.
"Ten years have passed since the shocking attacks on the World Trade Center, and after seven years of conflict, the last U.S. combat troops left Iraq - only to move into Afghanistan, where the 10-year-old fight continues. The war on terror rages with no clear end in sight."
First of the Harry Bosch crime fictions novels.
The latest book by historian David McCullough tells the "story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians, architects, and others of high aspiration who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, ambitious to excel in their work." McCullough: "Not all pioneers went west."
Excellent Polish sci-fi novel finally translated properly to English. There was a major Hollywood movie of this with George Clooney, but also a less-well known Russian version, which is on Netflix.
BTW, Alessandro Juliani was " Lieutenant Gaeta on BSG. Excellent reading of the book.
Forget the zombie apocalypse. Once we have robots everywhere, the robot uprising is going to be the real problem!
Star Wars (Dramatized) by George Lucas, narrated by Mark Hamill, Anthony DanielsFrom the 1981 NPR broadcast. There are also versions for Empire and Jedi.
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Dominion by Eric Van Lustbader, narrated by Jeremy Davidson. Latest entry in the Jason Bourne series , which has been continued in decent fashion by Van Lustbader.
Carte Blanche: The New James Bond Novel by Jeffery Deaver, narrated by Toby Stephens. The new James Bond novel, in which the venerable spy is updated for the modern era and operates outside the law.
The Second Coming of Steve Jobs by Alan Deutschman, narrated by Charles Stransky - Arguably the best book (so far) about Steve Jobs' "third act" returning to Apple (It covers acts 1 and 2 as well). Certainly better than "iCon" which turns into a lovefest at the end.
In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir by Dick Cheney, with Liz Cheney; narrated by Edward Herrmann. Insider account of the Bush White House from the former vice president, plus of course his entire political history. Fascinating because of the history he witnessed and of course affected.
Overhaul: An Insider's Account of the Obama Administration's Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry by Steven Rattner, narrated by Joe Barrett. "This first real look inside Team Obama mixes political warfare and big-business shakeups in equal proportions, and comes from a uniquely informed source. Steve Rattner is not just the man brought in by the president to save the auto industry, he is a former New York Times financial reporter who also earned a place among the top tier of Wall Street's most informed investment bankers and corporate experts."
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, narrated by Dylan Baker. A great official biography of a very complicated person you'd never want to know personally.
11/22/63 by Stephen King, narrated by Craig Wasson, is a nice twist on time travel and alternative history, and unlike many of King's recent books doesn't rely on some mystical twist (well, aside from the time portal of course). A surprisingly strong book that really captures the vibe of the 60s, similar to shows like "Mad Men".
The End: The Defiance and Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1944-1945 by Ian Kershaw and narrated by Sean Pratt. Yes, it's "yet another book on World War II," and one of many excellent WWII titles from this year alone. But this one is particularly fascinating, seeking to discover exactly why and how Germany lasted for so long in 1944-5 when it was abundantly clear the war was already lost. There is almost no parallel to this in history. Excellent, excellent book.
