Paperback Sunday

1. Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth by Joe Conason, paperback, published by St Martin, pp 272, Rs 595

1. Flawed Angel by John Fuller, paperback, published by Vintage, pp 224, Rs 795

1. The Poe Shadow by Matthew Pearl, paperback, published by Vintage, pp 384, Rs 500

1. Why Do I Love These People?: How to Understand Your Family by Po Bronson, paperback, published by Vintage, pp 400, Rs 795

1. Grow Younger, Live Longer: Ten Steps to Reverse Aging by Deepak Chopra, paperback, published by Rider and Co, pp 304, Rs 575

What the books are about

Big Lies:

This is a book that should be on everyone’s wish list. A cool and calm description of a government who have claimed God and Flag as their own and to hell with truth, the constitution or the people. There is no ranting here, Joe Conason simply argues the case that the American ‘right’ is out of control and chillingly exposes the lies and hypocrisy of a tiny minority of people who love power and the rewards that it brings.

Flawed Angel:

Once upon a time in a Middle Eastern land, a fat, sweet-natured little boy grows up as the son of an important ruler. His older brother was apparently still-born and so he is the heir to the kingdom. But far away from the royal palace, a lonely prospector happens across a wild boy, half human, half-animal. Eventually this strange child’s adventures lead him to the capital and into the path of a platoon of deserters from Napoleon’s army — the flashy, ultimately dangerous, face of Enlightenment thought in this isolated kingdom — with drastic consequences. With original poems embedded like gems in the text, this is a fable for all ages, full of shivers and delights, sadness and wonder.

The Poe Shadow:

This title is set in Baltimore, 1849. The body of Edgar Allan Poe has been buried in an unmarked grave. The conclusion that Poe was a second-rate writer who died a drunkard is accepted by all. But none of this deters Quentin Clark, an ardent admirer, who risks his own career and reputation in a passionate crusade to salvage Poe’s. Clark discovers that Poe’s last days are riddled with vital unanswered questions. But just when Poe’s death looks destined to remain a mystery, Quentin seeks out the one person who can solve this strange case: the real-life model for Poe’s brilliant fictional detective character, C Auguste Dupin. Having successfully recruited the man he believes to have inspired Poe’s Dupin, Clarke is confronted by another claiming to be the true model. The two master detectives each seek to prove he is the real ‘Dupin’ by solving the mystery of Poe’s death. Clark finds himself enmeshed in sinister machinations involving international political agents, a female assassin, the corrupt Baltimore slave trade and the lost secrets of Poe’s final hours. With his own future hanging in the balance, he must turn master investigator himself to unchain his now imperilled fate from that of Poe.

Why Do I Love These People?

There’s the family you come from, and the family you create. Po Bronson’s international bestseller What Should I Do With My Life? inspired a generation. For this remarkable new book, he has travelled the world in search of what it means to be part of family life. Over three years, Po Bronson collected the experiences of more than 700 people, from families multi-cultural and multi-generational. Through the 19 individual stories told here, he begins to decode the enigma of the thing we call ‘family’. This book tells of ordinary people who have rebuilt their loves in the face of hardship: an Indian woman flees her abusive father and the marriage into which he forced her; a Baptist in the Ozark mountains tracks down 13-year-old son he abandoned at birth; a father returns to the rice village in China where a precious secret lies hidden in the wall of his childhood home; a Protestant single mother of three and a divorced Catholic man in Belfast evoke the story of Romeo and Juliet. What they have in common, we discover, is resilience. Through storytelling that is both artful and wise, Po Bronson has created a moving and inspiring narrative about the institution which is central to all our lives.

Grow Younger, Live Longer:

Human ageing is reversible. Scientific research shows that we can literally turn back the markers of getting old, including blood pressure, muscle strength, cholesterol levels and many others. Using the tools in this book, you can learn specific strategies for melting away those biological years so you can feel, perform and look like you did as many as 15 years ago. Grow Younger, Live Longer is a complete manual for renewal, including a simple programme, at the heart of which are ten essential steps. If you incorporate these into your weekly routine, your age-reversal process will very soon be underway.Combining all the knowledge and pioneering spirit that made Ageless Body, Timeless Mind into a huge international bestseller, with all the latest discoveries in mind/body medicine, Grow Younger, Live Longer will show millions of readers round the world how they can achieve a long life filled with joy and vitality.

Information courtesy: UNITED BOOKS, Ganesh Man Singh building, Northfield Cafe ph: 4229 512; Bluebird stores in Lazimpat & Tripureshwore, ph: 4245 726; Momo’s and More, Old Baneshwor; Himalayan Java; Saturday Cafe, Bouddha; Namaste Supermarket in Pulchowk, ph: 5525 017