Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business

John Mackey, Rajendra Sisodia (Get this book)
Mackey and Sisodia, leaders of the corporation Conscious Capitalism, describe the movement in the context of Mackey's reflections as cofounder of Whole Foods Market. The term conscious capitalism refers to businesses that serve the interests of all major stakeholders customers, employees, investors, communities, suppliers, and the environment. Mackey and Sisodia cite companies such as Southwest Airlines, Google, the Container Store, Whole Foods Market, and Nordstrom as embracing this sound vision of reality. A very solid examination.--Booklist

The Lost Girls of Rome

Donato Carrisi (Get this book)
With references to the Monster of Florence, a medieval serial murderer, and a secret Vatican sect, Carrisi's second literary thriller draws readers into a labyrinth of evil. In his derelict Rome villa, Jeremiah Smith lies comatose, "Kill Me" carved in his chest. The emergency responder physician begins working and then sees evidence that Smith is her twin sister's killer. With that, Carrisi's noir narrative descends into surrealism, soon drawing in Sandra Vega, police forensic analyst. A powerful psychological drama.--Kirkus

Reply All... and Other Ways to Tank Your Career

Richie Frieman (Get this book)
This funny yet serious little book is by the Modern Manners Guy on the Quick and Dirty Tips network. Publicity material calls it a guide to fixing workplace faux pas, and for this project, Frieman has gathered quotes, stories, and anecdotes from all kinds of people and has assembled those pieces into a lighthearted but pointedhelpful, in other wordshandbook on manners in the workplace. Office workers should remember this important point: Nowadays it's pretty normal for people to transition to a different profession at least a few times in their working life. In other words, you gotta get along, over and over.--Booklist

Tatiana (Arkady Renko Novels)

Martin Cruz Smith (Get this book)
In Smith's latest Arkady Renko novel, the Russian investigator seeks the truth about a young reporter's apparent suicide. Tatiana Petrovna is one of the last occupants of a Kaliningrad apartment building that developers want to raze. When she falls six stories to her death, authorities are quick to rule the tragedy as a suicide. Renko suspects otherwise and gets his boss' permission to look into it. Anyone who enjoys crime novels but hasn't read Smith is in for a treat. Read this book, then look for other Arkady Renko adventures.--Kirkus

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

Lisa Gardner (Get this book)
In Gardner's seventh Detective D. D. Warren thriller, the Rose Killer is re-creating the crimes of Harry Day, a serial killer who kept the skin of his victims as a souvenir153 vials of souvenirs. In this strong addition to the series, Gardner retains her place on thrillerdom's top tier.--Booklist

Jim Cramer's get rich carefully

James J. Cramer (Get this book)
Cramer, former hedge fund manager, host of CNBC's Mad Money, and founder of TheStreet.com, asserts that conservative investors need not shy away from stocks. Cramer identifies several megatrends (and stocks) that promise strong returns, including technology that embraces the holy trinity of social, mobile, and the Cloud; healthy eating; frugality; biotechnology; and energy. Drawing on his long experience, both mistakes and successes, Cramer demystifies the stock market and offers sound investing advice and an insightful overview of the market for cautious investors.--Booklist

River Road

Jayne Ann Krentz (Get this book)
Summer River is a small town in the middle of Northern California's wine country. This peaceful, serene spot is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of larger cities. In this return to romantic suspense, bestseller Krentz brings warmth and mystery to the sleepy burg. Lucy Sheridan returns to Summer River after the death of her beloved aunt and finds an old corpse stuffed into the chimney of her aunt's house. Krentz has done a solid job of melding the excitement of a thriller with the sweetness of new passion.--Publisher's Weekly

The Wisdom of the Myths: How Greek Mythology Can Change Your Life

Luc Ferry (Get this book)
Ferry brilliantly illustrates the basis of Greek philosophy in the structure of its myths. "Mythology is at the core of ancient wisdom," writes the author, "the foundation for that great edifice of Greek philosophy that would subsequently sketch out, in conceptual form, the blueprint of a successful life for human kind, mortal as we are." His retelling of Greek myths is impressive, and his true gift is his exploration of all the poets, including, but not limited to, Homer, Appollodorus, Ovid, Nonnus and Pindar, all of who have added to these myths. A worthy, fun way to enjoy ancient myths while learning some pure philosophy.--Kirkus

The Stories of Frederick Busch

Frederick Busch (Get this book)
Sterling collection of short fiction by a late master (1941-2006) of the short story form. A typical Busch story finds the central character not quite sure of his (rarely, her) place in the world and with some change in the works, sometimes wanted and sometimes not: "I was nine years old and starting to age." It's not a cheery world that Busch inhabits, but it's full of meaning, and no living writer quite gets at that meaning with the same literate determination. Well-chosen and broadly representative: an ideal introduction to Busch for those new to him and a welcome anthology for those who already know his work.--Kirkus

Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books

Wendy Lesser (Get this book)
A lover of books reflects on her abiding passion. More than a decade ago, Threepenny Review founder and editor Lesser wrote about the pleasures and insights gained from rereading (Nothing Remains the Same, 2002). Now, in a kind of prequel to that book, the author steps back to ask a broader question: Why read at all? She ends her celebration of books with 100 titles, culled through "excruciating excisions and hesitant substitutions." A gift of pleasure from one reader to another.--Kirkus

The Invention of Wings

Sue Monk Kidd (Get this book)
Inspired by the true story of early-nineteenth-century abolitionist and suffragist Sarah Grimk', Kidd paints a moving portrait of two women inextricably linked by the horrors of slavery. Sarah, daughter of a wealthy South Carolina plantation owner, exhibits an independent spirit and strong belief in the equality of all. Thwarted from her dreams of becoming a lawyer, she struggles throughout life to find an outlet for her convictions. Handful, a slave in the Grimk' household, displays a sharp intellect and brave, rebellious disposition. Kidd is a master storyteller, and, with smooth and graceful prose, she immerses the reader in the lives of these fascinating women as they navigate religion, family drama, slave revolts, and the abolitionist movement.--Booklist

The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger, and a Forgotten Genocide

Gary J. Bass (Get this book)
A thoroughgoing, long-overdue excoriation of the actors behind the humanitarian crisis that propelled the creation of Bangladesh. Bass largely lets the words of President Richard Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger from White House tapes reveal their perfidious actions on the world stage during the Pakistan-India crisis of 1971-1972. By revisiting these tapes and other primary sources, Bass holds these leaders to a much-needed reckoning. A deeply incisive lesson for today's leaders and electorate.--Kirkus

In the blood

Lisa Unger (Get this book)
The Hollows is once again a poor choice for someone trying to keep a secret in this latest thriller from best-selling author Unger (Heartbroken, 2012, etc.). This time, it's Sacred Heart College in the upstate New York town that attracts an unhappy outsider seeking refuge. Lana Granger remains haunted by her mother's murder; her father, still on death row for the crime, keeps trying to make contact with her. Another scary winner from an accomplished pro.--Kirkus

Falling upwards : how we took to the air

Richard Holmes (Get this book)
The biographer of two great Romantics relates yet another romantic tale--the story of the human passion to fly up, up and away in a beautiful balloon. Holmes begins with a memory--a flying dream from childhood--mentions Daedalus and Icarus, some balloons in literature, films and popular culture, and then lifts off into another of his delightfully soaring histories. He notes that the French were the first to use balloons for military purposes (reconnaissance), then tells us about some of the most notable balloon pioneers, including Andre-Jacques Garnerin, who also pioneered parachutes. Meticulous history illuminated and animated by personal passion, carried aloft by volant prose.--Kirkus

Tell Me

Lisa Jackson (Get this book)
A tenacious reporter won't let personal ties to a decades-old case stop her from finding the truth. On the advice of her agent, Savannah Sentinel reporter and author Nikki Gillette is looking for fodder for her latest true-crime novel when she realizes that the perfect subject is about to be released from prison. You'll need your own detective's notebook to keep tabs on all the characters and connections on display here. Even so, Jackson (You Don't Want to Know, 2012, etc.) shows a mastery of the true-crime thriller formula that will please fans.--Kirkus

How to Age in Place: Planning for a Happy, Independent, and Financially Secure Retirement

Mary A. Languirand, Ph.D., Robert F. Bornstein, Ph.D. (Get this book)
Psychologists Languirand and Bornstein penned this guide after concluding that there was "no comprehensive, user-friendly book" that addressed post-retirement living, which may mean remaining in one's own home or moving to a new residence where one can live (and age) as independently as possible. In easy-to-navigate chapters, the authors cover topics including finances (IRAs, annuities); services (health care and accessible shopping); and housing options (including how to "retrofit" for future needs). Older readers will find a wealth of practical suggestions from the authors a couple who, nearing retirement age themselves, amicably confess to having given up spicy wings and to taking a "tumble" while out conducting their own neighborhood "walkability" test.--Publisher's Weekly

Brown Dog: Novellas

Jim Harrison (Get this book)
In this exercise in well-effected repackaging, Brown Dog's tales are lifted from other Harrison collections and gathered in a single volume, which is just right. When we first met Brown Dog, he was a barroom horndog generally taken for an Indian and able to wheedle a drink or two out of passing anthropologists for his trouble. Rollicking, expertly observed, beautifully written. Any new book by Harrison is cause for joy, and having all the Brown Dog stories in one place is no exception.--Kirkus

The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease

Daniel E. Lieberman (Get this book)
In thoroughly enjoyable and edifying prose, Lieberman, leads a fascinating journey through human evolution. He comprehensively explains how evolutionary forces have shaped the human species as we know it, from the move to bipedalism, and the changes in body parts from hands to feet and spine that such a change entailed, to the creation of agrarian societies, and much more. Lieberman's discussion of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and breast cancer are as clear as any yet published, and he offers a well-articulated case for why an evolutionary perspective can greatly enrich the practice of medicine.--Publisher's Weekly

Dangerous Women

George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois (Get this book)
Bold and deadly female characters of many genres stride through the pages of this massive anthology. The stand-alones in this smorgasbord of fantasy, science fiction, noir, historical fiction and paranormal romance are also worthy of notice, particularly Megan Abbott's chilling "My Heart is Either Broken," concerning a young mother's socially inappropriate response to her daughter's kidnapping; Megan Lindholm's sadly believable "Neighbors," in which a lonely widow becomes ever more alienated from her daily routine, her family and her neighborhood; and Brandon Sanderson's gripping "Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell," about an innkeeper/bounty hunter who must defeat rapacious ghosts, brutal outlaws and greedy bureaucrats to keep herself and her daughter safe and free. Everyone will find something to like here.--Kirkus

Smarter Than You Think: How Technology Is Changing Our Minds for the Better

Clive Thompson (Get this book)
A sprightly tip of the hat to the rewards and pleasures--and betterments--of our digital experiences. The author also argues that, despite all the excesses, writing on the Internet encourages discipline and economy of expression--if not harking back to the golden age of letter writing, at least making people put thought to screen. In addition, think of all the stuff that computers do in a wink--data crunching, calling you to task in the word cloud for repetitiveness, and more. A well-framed celebration of how the digital world will make us bigger, rather than diminish us.--Kirkus

The Prince of Risk

Christopher Reich (Get this book)
The newest financial thriller from the best-selling author Reich brings espionage to the New York Stock Exchange. Bewildered by a text message that was sent to him by his estranged father right before his sudden death, Bobby, head of the investment firm Comstock Partners, launches an investigation which entangles him in a conspiracy plot against an unknown U.S. target. Meanwhile, Bobby's ex-wife Alex, a supervisory special agent and head of CT-26, finds an investigation of an arms smuggler in Long Island leading her into the very same conspiracy. Fortunately, the story is still enjoyable whether or not one understands the exact monetary stakes at play.--Publisher's Weekly

Jeeves and the Wedding Bells

Sebastian Faulks (Get this book)
Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, the feckless young master and his erudite gentleman's gentleman, creations of the great English humorist P.G. Wodehouse, are back, courtesy of his inspired fellow countryman and novelist Faulks (A Possible Life, 2012, etc.). This is the first Jeeves and Wooster novel in some 40 years. Faulks notes modestly that he has "tried to provide an echo" of the originals. He has done more than that. He has captured Bertie's voice, his innocent zest and his spirited banter with Jeeves to a fare-thee-well. Faulks has risen to the challenge splendidly with this "homage" to Wodehouse. Jeeves and Wooster live again!--Kirkus

Johnny Cash: The Life

Robert Hilburn (Get this book)
Veteran music writer Hilburn masterfully separates fiction from fact in an exhaustive, but never exhausting, biography of the legendary musician. Even as a child, Johnny Cash (1932-2003) knew he wanted to write songs and perform them in front of large audiences, but he had no realistic plan to accomplish those goals. As the longtime music critic for the Los Angeles Times, Hilburn followed Cash's career vigorously and interviewed him multiple times before his death. The personal knowledge aided by extensive archival research and always compelling, accessible writing make this an instant-classic music biography with something to offer all generations of listeners--Kirkus

When Will the Heaven Begin?: This Is Ben Breedlove's Story

Ally Breedlove, Ken Abraham (Get this book)
Breedlove pays tribute to her irrepressible, fun-loving younger brother, Ben Breedlove, who died from a heart condition when he was only 18 years old. Just days before his death, he posted video a video online, "This Is My Story," which reached millions of viewers around the world with his message of faith. Ben had only been in the world three months when his parents learned he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart condition that causes dangerous arrhythmias. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, the book resonates on basic human and spiritual levels--Kirkus