Recommended
New 
Books

December 2004

The Normals
by David Gilbert

28-year old Harvard graduate Billy Schine is leading a rudderless life as an office temp. He has defaulted on his student loans and decides to skip town when the collection agency comes after him. To make money, he takes part in an experimental drug trial in which he is part of the healthy, normal control group. A humorous and touching novel filled with plenty of endearing characters. 

Cheat and Charmer
by Elizabeth Frank

Dinah Milligan, a former chorus girl, marries a movie director and to preserve his career and lifestyle decides to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. After naming names, including her sister, Dinah must deal with the unexpected guilt and ostracism. A gripping novel about family, personal ethics, and betrayal.           

Identify Theory
by Peter Temple

Constantine Niemand, a South African security guard, comes into possession of a videotape that seems to implicate American troops in a massacre of African villagers. Niemand takes the tape to England where he hopes to interest an investigative reporter. Meanwhile, ruthless individuals are determined to suppress the tape at any cost.  A must read for crime fiction fans.

The Cult of Personality
by Annie Murphy Paul

Paul takes a fascinating look at the world of personality tests. She contends the accuracy of these tests has never been convincingly demonstrated and that it is unfair for employers to use these tests to screen employees. A highly readable and intriguing look at these pervasive tests.

Washington Gone Crazy: Senator Pat McCarran and the Great American Communist Hunt
by Michael J. Ybarra

Patrick McCarran, a democratic senator from Nevada, spent his career in opposition to the party’s leadership. As a staunch anti-communist he sponsored the 1950 McCarran Internal Security Act, which required anyone who had been a Communist to register with the attorney general. A chilling look at the hysteria surrounding the Red Scare.

J. Robert Oppenheimer and the American Century
by David C. Cassidy

A richly detailed biography of the man who led the Manhattan Project. Oppenheimer is shown to be a brilliant and troubled individual whose reputation was destroyed by alleged Communist ties. Cassidy thoroughly examines documents that have recently come to light regarding those ties. A fascinating look at this complex man.