The Best Books of the Week 12.09.08

Jesus (Fiction) by Deepak Chopra
Harper Collins, $24.99
Elizabeth Hasselback of 'The View' had to apologize for making some disparaging comments about Chopra a couple of weeks ago. She joked about his new-age take on the world. But what's wrong with a little bit of optimism and self-help? He tackled Buddha, now Chopra takes a fictional look at the man who sparked Christianity. Jesus is the reason for the season.


Harper Collins

The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Fiction) by JK Rowling
Scholastic, $12.99
If you've read all seven of the Harry Potter books (as I have), why stop now? The book was mentioned in 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' and Rowling decided to bring it to real life. She is the highest-grossing author of all time for a reason: She can tell a great story. And this one will not disappoint. Besides, Rowling is offering it at a reduced price, which will make it a great stocking stuffer.


Scholastic

The Art of Strategy (Nonfiction) by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff, W.W. Norton, $27.95
How you think through a problem will determine your results. This book will help you think better by looking at strategies used in several arenas -- from game-playing to pop culture. The goal: To win. The person with the best strategy and plan will usually be the victor. This book will help you build your plan, which is necessary now more than ever!


W.W. Norton

Sikulu and Harambe by the Zambezi River (Children's Fiction) by Kunle Oguneye, Blue Brush Media, 14.99
This is the African version of the story of the Good Samaritan from the bible. This book with take your little one into another world and give him or her a valuable lesson about doing good deeds. It's also wonderfully illustrated with vibrant pictures of the Motherland.


Blue Brush Media

The Butt Book (Nonfiction) by Tosca Reno
Robert Kennedy Publishing, $12.95
Okay, so most of us don't need tips on how to build a bigger butt because most of us "got back." Howeversome of us may need to look at reducing the fat and cellulite on our ample behinds. Why not go into the new year fitter? This book gives you nine weeks to work on it -- and it will probably help get rid of the fat from other areas of your body, too!


Robert Kennedy Publishing

The Reader (Fiction) by Bernhard Schlick
Knopf, $13.95
A teenage boy, who has a love affair with a woman twice his age, later finds out that she may have been a horrific war criminal. It begs the question: Is evil absolute? Is there ever a reason for doing something really horrible, and can there ever be redemption for such a person? The movie based on this book starring Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes comes out on Dec. 10


Knopf

Hot, Flat, And Crowded (Nonfiction) by Thomas Friedman
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $27.95
Reality check! America is no longer the world leader in everything. We are competing in an overpopulated world. And there really is global warming. So how does that affect you? In this run-away bestseller, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Friedman does his homework in giving us the problems we face as a society and gives us some insight in the things we need to do to survive and compete.


Farrar, Straus and Giroux