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 A SHORT HISTORY OF NEARLY EVERYTHING
by Bill Bryson
Obviously, the title is rather jokey, and Bryson writes with a light, humorous touch. But don’t be fooled. This is a serious book. Bryson has talked to premier minds in the various branches of science, asking questions that any interested layman would ask. How do we know how old the earth is? How do we know the universe is expanding? How do we know what atoms are made of? The result is a basic introduction to the various branches of science and a comment on the current state of knowledge in that branch. For a literature guy like me, it is an informative, fascinating, sometimes humorous and sometimes disturbing book. I would highly recommend it to non-scientists. It’s long, so don’t be in a hurry, and if you can find the illustrated edition, read that.
 NO ORDINARY TIME: FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: THE HOME FRONT IN WORLD WAR II
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
I have read several of Goodwin’s books, and I have loved them all. This is my favorite. She writes history that sucks you into the moment. The greatest historians make you feel as if you lived through the time period, and Goodwin does that. Her portrayal of the extremely complex relationship between Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt is exceedingly well done.
 TEAM OF RIVALS: THE GENIUS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
This book has been much in the news because it apparently influenced the thinking of Barack Obama. Kearns again writes beautifully and examines Lincoln's evolving relationships with his cabinent members, especially Seward, Chase and Stanton, all of whom are analyzed with sensitivity and insight. Years ago I read Stephen B. Oates' biography of Lincoln and thought no one would ever write a better one. Team of Rivals, however, is at least as good.
 TERRIBLE LIZARD: THE FIRST DINOSAUR HUNTERS AND THE BIRTH OF A NEW SCIENCE
by Deborah Cadbury
I loved this book. I learned a lot about archeaology. I am amazed at how little these early archeaologists had to work with and how much they accomplished. But I was more captivated by the narrative of social and intellectual upheaval created by the early dinosaur discoveries. Talk about a world view being turned on its head! Cadbury writes well and accessibly.
 IRVING BERLIN: A DAUGHTER'S MEMOIR
by Mary Ellin Barrett
I teach some courses in American popular music, so I read a lot of books on the subject. I ordinarily never read biographies of famous people written by their children. Often they are uncharitable, agenda driven, and devoid of insight. This book is a grand exception. It's well written, extremely insightful and does more than any other single book to clarify our picture of who Irving Berlin really was. If you are young and don't know about Irving Berlin, you might want to check him out. He was America's greatest songwriter in the 20th century. Among other things, he wrote "God Bless America" and "White Christmas."
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