In his most recent book, Alexander the Great, classics professor and author Philip Freeman explores the ancient ruler, whom he calls “fascinating.” Freeman begins his tale with Alexander’s father, King Philip, and continues all the way through Alexander’s life and conquests to his death and legend.

Alexander the Great could be a boring book, fit only for history majors and Plutarch fans. Fortunately, Freeman set out to write “a biography of Alexander that is first and foremost a story”—and, in this, he succeeded. The book is not full of historical mumbo-jumbo that only scholars can understand and enjoy; rather, Freeman tells us about Alexander’s life like a novel—a remarkably interesting novel, to boot. Freeman brings the characters to life, making them seem real and relevant rather than people whose bones have long since faded to dust.

We learn in the book that Alexander’s yearning for conquest began at an early age, as he followed in the footsteps of his mighty father, who felled the city-states of Greece. Freeman relates events from Alexander’s youth, including his parents’ divorce and his annihilation of the famous warriors of the Theban Sacred Band. My personal favorite anecdote, however, is the story of his acquisition of Bucephalas, the horse who would follow him “to the ends of the earth” on his quest to dominate.

Freeman details Alexander’s conquests right up until the king’s death, concluding with the redistribution of his empire and the effect of his legacy. Along the way, he explores what drove Alexander’s passions and the battles and conquests that earned him the title “the great.”

The greatest victory of the book, however, is Freeman’s storytelling. This biography stands out from others written about Alexander thanks to its smooth flow and interesting narrative. It is, as Freeman hopes, a history book for those readers who are not already experts on Alexander or his world.

Alexander the Great is available now from Simon & Schuster at a list price of $30.

Alexander the Great The Saturday Evening Post

There’s nothing quite like a teddy bear. At some point, every child has—and loves—a stuffed bear. But for one family, a teddy bear wasn’t just a childhood playmate; it was the key to millions of hearts all around the world.

That bear’s name, of course, was Winnie-the-Pooh.

In her new book Life and Times of the Real Winnie-the-Pooh, The: The Teddy Bear Who Inspired A. A. Milne, Shirley Harrison goes beyond the books, movies, and TV shows, delving into the bedroom of the real-life Christopher Robin where the stuffed bear and his friends once played.

Christopher Robin’s father, A. A. Milne, was enchanted by his son’s teddy bear, which was brought to life by Christopher Robin’s mother, Daphne. His wife and son’s imaginative games inspired Milne to pen stories about the bear and his friends—which were later adapted to the silver screen by Walt Disney.

In her book, Harrison shares intimate knowledge of the Milne family as well as stories collected from family and friends about the real Christopher Robin’s childhood and his famous stuffed companion. She recounts Pooh’s journey from London to the English countryside to New York—where he and some of his co-stars remain to this day. Harrison also shares the details of Pooh’s “life,” including his friendships with famous authors and his travels on both sides of the Atlantic as he was given the VIP treatment.

I loved Winnie-the-Pooh as a child, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his creation in Harrison’s charming book. To me, Winnie-the-Pooh was always an animated bear in a red shirt who loved “hunny” and playing with his animal friends. Reading this well-researched account gave me the opportunity to discover the story of the real Pooh—from the moment Daphne Milne brought him home to his journeys in the U.S. to his philanthropic activities. This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever visited the Hundred-Acre Wood.

Life and Times of the Real Winnie-the-Pooh, The: The Teddy Bear Who Inspired A. A. Milne by Shirley Harrison will be available as a 192-page hardcover from Pelican Publishing on October 1 at a list price of $24.95.

The Life and Times of the REAL Winnie-the-Pooh The Saturday Evening Post

In her book Tea Culture: History, Traditions, Celebrations, Recipes & More, Beverly Dubrin covers many tea-related topics—from a brief history of the discovery of tea to information about different kinds of tea and their respective health benefits. Readers will discover a wealth of information about the drink and how people have consumed it over the centuries. Dubrin, a longtime tea fan, gives tips on how to steep different types of tea and how to get the best-tasting beverage.

In addition to fun informational snippets, Tea Culture includes dozens of full-page photographs with subjects ranging from 19th-century tea drinkers to tea plantation workers. Dubrin also includes recipes for different types of tea drinks as well as some sandwiches and snacks to make every tea party complete! For our own tea party here at the Post, we decided to try two recipes from the book—Spicy Apple Tea and Marion’s Dream Bars. They were both delicious! In fact, we liked them so much that we decided to include the recipes elsewhere on the site.

As someone who drinks tea in part to alleviate blinding headaches, I particularly appreciated the section of the book on the health benefits. Much is made of its miracle effects on such serious problems as heart disease and cancer, as well as its power in calming anxiety, aiding digestion, and lowering blood pressure; it’s good to get the true story and learn about which teas and tisanes help with specific ailments.

Tea Culture: History, Traditions, Celebrations, Recipes & More, a 144-page hardcover from Imagine Publishing, is available now at a list price of $18.95.

Tea Culture: History, Traditions, Celebrations, Recipes & More The Saturday Evening Post

In her latest autobiography, DeGeneres shares her thoughts on becoming a CoverGirl model, hosting a season of American Idol, and dealing with everyday life—including the best ways to meditate, why you should make a pro/con list, and how hard it is being royalty (she’s related to future Queen of England Kate Middleton!).

DeGeneres is as funny as she is genuine as she catches us up on what’s been going on in her life since her last book (published in 2003)—she got married, landed her own TV show, and was knighted by the Queen of England.* Although the book is a laugh-out-loud recounting of her journey, she clearly puts her heart into her writing, candidly sharing her story with her fans.

In addition to the biographical stories, DeGeneres also discusses how best to fall asleep (reading a math book), how to be polite (say “G’day, mate” a lot), and the secret to becoming a billionaire (“Make a lot of money. Don’t spend it”).

As a longtime Ellen fan, it was great to get the inside scoop with all of her usual humor. She’s as funny in her book as she is on the air (if not more so). Every page is better than the next; I raced through it, eager to see what else she had to say.

Seriously…I’m Kidding, a 256-page hardcover book, will be released on October 4 by Grand Central Publishing at a list price of $26.99.

*Unconfirmed at the time of publication. Something about her not being a British citizen disqualifying her from being knighted….

Seriously … I’m Kidding The Saturday Evening Post

Now, in his book, Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever, the artist shares some of his most fascinating, eye-popping, and humorous pieces from across the globe. Here are a few examples of the kind of amazing images you’ll find in the book.

Philadelphia Eagle

In Pennsylvania, Beever created “Philadelphia Eagle,” a huge drawing featuring a bald eagle landing triumphantly on an American Flag.

Meeting Mr. Frog

“Meeting Mr. Frog” was created in Salamanca, Spain, and features a realistic-looking frog sitting on a lily pad.

Swimming Pool On High Street

My personal favorite is “Swimming Pool in the High Street” from Brussels, which portrays a woman relaxing in a swimming pool—a swimming pool sunk into the middle of the street, that is! (Considering the hot weather lately, I’d like to jump right in.)

Beever’s artwork is truly jaw dropping. You’re sure to spend ages flipping back and forth, astounded at how one man can create what looks like a three-dimensional design on a flat surface with just a bit of chalk. From animals to superheroes to famous buildings, the whimsical paintings are a wonder to behold.

Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever is definitely worth a look. And another look. And another…. This 112-page hardcover book is available now from Firefly Books at a list price of $29.95.

Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever The Saturday Evening Post

Of course, every war must have rules, and the war presented in this book has three:

1. No killing innocent bystanders (nonparticipants).
2. No killing anyone under the age of 18—no matter what side they’re on.
3. No one in involved in the war under the age of 18 can have a child or else that child will be given to the other side.

Written in first-person in the form of the protagonist’s journal, Shane’s story is, by necessity, episodic; much of the action revolves around the protagonist going on assassination missions for his side of the war. There is never any further explanation for the war, which is actually a brilliant decision on the part of the author. By leaving the conflict vague, the reader can see the ongoing battle as a metaphor for the wars in the real world—whether actual wars (such as the one in Iraq) or wars of ideology (such as the perceived one between Republicans and Democrats). The way in which the characters on one side of the war demonize the characters on the other—even when they don’t really understand why—makes an astute observation about the way humans work in general. Let’s face it, we have a tendency to devolve into an “us” versus “them” mentality, and Shane uses his novel to dramatize that.

Shane explores those weighty ideas throughout the first half of his novel—which, coincidentally, was my favorite part of the book. The paranoid tension of the “soldiers” as they dispatched their various victims kept me interested, as did learning the parameters of Shane’s world and his secret war. After the protagonist becomes entangled with the love interest midway through the novel, however, the plot took a turn (one I won’t give away here) that caused the story to become a more typical chase story. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing; if you’re looking for a story about two kids on the run from an army of killers, you’ll certainly like the second half.

Overall, I really enjoyed Children of Paranoia. For a first novel, Shane’s work here is impressive. He certainly knows how to stage an action scene and how to ratchet up tension. If you’re in the market for an exciting, propulsive read for a late-summer beach visit, Children of Paranoia would make an excellent choice. The novel will be released as a 384-page hardcover on September 8, 2011, by Dutton.

Children of Paranoia The Saturday Evening Post

In their book Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them, the Graedons discuss potentially fatal medical errors that occur in hospitals, doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and elsewhere. The book includes ways that patients can be on the alert to make sure nothing happens to them—including what questions they should ask, how to ensure they’re getting the right medications, and so on. The authors also note that having a friend or family member come with you to the doctor to act as a note-taker and an advocate is always a good idea.

The Graedons have been involved with patient advocacy for more than 25 years, and this book is the culmination of their long experience. However, even though the statistics they quote are scary, there’s no reason to panic. The authors are quick to point out that if you have any questions or concerns about your treatment, you should speak to your doctor first. The book isn’t about making people distrust doctors; it’s about making sure patients are armed with the knowledge they need to significantly reduce the chance of mistakes. Remember: Although you need to be careful and alert, you should still trust the medical professionals who treat you.

In addition to their own experience, the Graedons consulted Dr. Peter Pronovost, M.D., Ph.D., who created a five-step checklist to increase safety at hospitals. For more on Dr. Pronovost’s work, check out his profile in the Post.

Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them is an easy-to-read book with an important message. As the Graedons point out, taking charge of your health and safety by asking questions and making sure you know what’s going on is one of the best way to reduce potential mistakes. If you or a relative is often in and out of the hospital or has a revolving carousel of medications, you should read the Graedons’ book. Forewarned is forearmed, and having this knowledge could stop a potentially fatal error.

Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them will be available from Crown Archetype on October 4, 2011, at a list price of $26.

Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them The Saturday Evening Post

As you might imagine, The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography (written and illustrated by Tetsu Saiwai) details the life of Nobel Peace Prize winner Tenzin Gyatso. Selected as the rebirth of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, Tenzin is whisked away from his tiny village and taken to Lhasa to begin his training. This section of the book—which shows the selection process and Tenzin’s acclimation to the idea that he has been declared Tibet’s spiritual and political leader—was my favorite part. The notions of reincarnation and child leaders may seem odd to Westerners, but their oddness just makes them all the more intriguing. Given the responsibilities set at his young feet, Tenzin is unable to have a normal childhood; the closest he can get to other children is watching them play through his telescope. Soon, his life takes a dire turn when China invades Tibet, forcing the young leader to flee his country and begin an exile that lasts to this day.

In the book, the story of the 14th Dalai Lama’s life is related in a surprisingly light and entertaining way—despite the presence of violence and oppression. Part of that can be put down to the art, which is crisp and clean, utilizing the seemingly simplistic and open style that is characteristic of most Japanese comics. Characters tend to overact for emphasis, which is also a staple of manga.
As a primer for the life of the Dalai Lama and the recent history of Tibet, the book succeeded for me. I didn’t really feel like I got to know the Dalai Lama on a personal level by the end of the book, although I did come to understand a bit of the history of Tibet and the position in which the country now finds itself. Still, I never felt emotionally invested in the story, which is surprising given the tragic and dramatic events covered. The book also presents a rather one-sided take on the Tibet/China relationship. Given the confines of the work as a high-level biography of the Dalai Lama, however, that didn’t really bother me; the purpose of the book wasn’t to present a balanced view of history, but to show how one man weathered those historical events.

The book is appropriate for kids, but just as educational and enjoyable for adults—at least this adult. If you haven’t read a comic book since you were 10 years old, don’t let that stop you from giving the book a read. If you’ve never read manga before, you’ll find the experience easy to fall into—and being seen reading Japanese comics might just make you look cool to the kids in your life!

The 14th Dalai Lama, a 224-page, black-and-white, soft-cover book is available now from Penguin at a cover price of $15.00. Other books in the Manga Biography series cover Che Guevara (available now) and Mahatma Gandhi (available September 27, 2011).

The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography The Saturday Evening Post

History is full of bizarre people and events, and Joe Rhatigan chronicles them in his book Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events
. Rhatigan takes us through history, from ancient Egypt to the Middle Ages to the 20^th century, revealing everything from strange wars to crazy rulers.

This book is everything that you never learned in a history class: early campaign mudslinging (John Adams’s people said that Jefferson would burn Bibles and outlaw marriage while the Jefferson camp claimed that Adams planned to start a new royal line as King John I), embarrassing family members (Jimmy Carter’s brother judged a world belly flop competition and endorsed a beer), presidential pets (including some alligators), the history of high heels (not just for women!), and more.

They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and Rhatigan proves it with this laugh-out-loud history of the world. Even the biggest history buffs are sure to learn something as the book travels from the American heartland to the steppes of Asia and back with humorous and completely true anecdotes.

Bizarre History is a must-read for everyone who thought that high school history was lacking a little something. This hilarious collection of historical footnotes certainly kept me turning its pages!

Bizarre History: Strange Happenings, Stupid Misconceptions, Distorted Facts and Uncommon Events by Joe Rhatigan will be released as a 157-page paperback from Imagine Publishing on October 1, 2011 at a list price of $7.95.

Bizarre History The Saturday Evening Post

But pirates operated in other waters as well. In his latest book, Pirates of Barbary: Corsairs, Conquests and Captivity in the Seventeenth-Century Mediterranean, historian Adrian Tinniswood delves into the world of North African pirates under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.

The Barbary corsairs wreaked havoc from Gibraltar to the Dardanelles for more than a century, earning the wrath of the great European nations and making names for themselves in history. They had their own heroes—John Ward, an English traitor who turned corsair and sailed the seas with his captured fleet; Simon Dansekar, the “Devil Captain of Algiers”; and the Barbarossa brothers, who are credited with the rise of Ottoman strongholds along the Barbary Coast.

But who were these men who ruled the Mediterranean and earned the enmity of European nations? Tinniswood recounts their exploits—from attacks on Spanish ships to raids on British-held Ireland. He also goes deeper, sharing the stories of their lives—their struggles, their loves, their victories, and their deaths.

Tinniswood tells the whole story, from the pirate Hizir’s conquest of North Africa to the death of Hamidou Rais, the “last of the great corsairs.” Pirates of Barbary is about the bloody conquest of the Mediterranean: land raids for captives that went as far north as Ireland; battles over the islands and the fight for the control of Crete; and the Ottoman takeover of North Africa. These corsairs battled and pillaged, fighting for money, empire, God, and control of the Mediterranean.

But this is not just a story about the Barbary corsairs; it is also the story of the European men who fought them, bargained with them, and—in some cases—came to respect them. These are the men who experienced firsthand life on the Barbary coast—Thomas Baker, an English consul in Tripoli who worked to keep peace between the nations; Edmund Cason, who tried to free European slaves held captive in Algiers; William Okeley, a former slave who led a successful escape attempt; and Sir Robert Mansell, who led an expedition against the Barbary Coast.

In Pirates of Barbary, Tinniswood gives readers a glimpse at real-life piracy that will thrill—and, at times, frighten—lovers of fantasy pirates like Captain Jack Sparrow. Given time, the heroes and villains of the Barbary Coast might just grow into legends to rival their Caribbean counterparts.

Pirates of Barbary: Corsairs, Conquests and Captivity in the Seventeenth-Century Mediterranean, a 343-page hardcover book from Riverhead Books, is available now at a list price of $26.95. It will be available in paperback on September 6 for $16.00.

Pirates of Barbary The Saturday Evening Post

This September, with the release of Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook: Celebrate America’s Great Flavors
, you’ll be able rediscover American cuisine for yourself in the comfort of your own kitchen. As the jacket copy reads, “When Bobby Flay looks at a map of the United States, he doesn’t see states—he sees ingredients.”

Indeed, the recipes included in the cookbook are clearly influenced by the many different regions of the U.S., ranging from Charleston-inspired shrimp and grits to Brooklyn hash browns to pan-roasted pork tenderloin specifically designed to make Georgians drool. The cookbook also includes recipes for every course of the meal, running the gamut from cocktails to desserts with the requisite stops at soups, salads, appetizers, and mains. There’s even a section focused on that most popular of weekend meals—brunch.

Grilled cheese stuffed with cheddar and goat cheeses, bacon, and green tomatoes.

After giving the cookbook a read-through, I determined (in a completely unscientific manner) that the difficulty of the recipes seems about moderate—meaning that you don’t need to be a trained chef to execute them, but some experience in the kitchen and familiarity with general cooking techiniques would be helpful. To put my determination to the test, though, I decided to attempt to prepare one of the dishes—and to feed it to my coworkers here at the Post without killing them. Because I’m no chef, I picked a dish that seemed relatively easy to make—grilled cheese made with cheddar cheese, goat cheese, bacon, green tomato, and baby arugula.

Making a grilled cheese ain’t rocket science, it’s true; but I have to say that Mr. Flay’s recipe certainly elevated my sandwich-making game. The richness of the goat cheese paired well with the sharp cheddar, and the tartness of the green tomatoes made a great counterpoint to the salty bacon. The little bit of baby arugula—added after the sandwich was grilled, of course—helped to lighten the dish up, adding some crispness and making me feel a little better about scarfing down all that butter, bacon, and cheese. My colleagues and I did not waste a bite. If all the recipes in the cookbook are as tasty as that one, readers are in for a real treat.

Bobby Flay's Bar Americain Cookbook

Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook: Celebrate America’s Great Flavors
will be released as a 272-page, full-color hardcover from Clarkson Potter Publishers on September 21, 2011 with a list price of $35.

Bobby Flay’s Bar Americain Cookbook The Saturday Evening Post

If you follow the advice presented in the book The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time, you might just head out for a typo-fixing, cross-country roadtrip! That’s what Jeff Deck, a former associate editor for Rocks and Minerals magazine, and his co-author Benjamin D. Herson did, anyway.

In the book, the two friends set out to correct misspellings, but trouble quickly finds their newly formed Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL)—and more serious trouble than just how many Cs are in “broccoli.” From running into conflicting style guides to accidentally defacing Federal property to a lesson on the evolution of the English language, Deck and Herson have to figure out the best way to correct mistakes—and decide whether the errors should be corrected at all.

TEAL’s journey, chronicled in first person, is a look into the world of words that most of us don’t usually get to see. Deck and Herson have experience with and an obvious passion for language, but it’s their humorous anecdotes—including a typo hunt in an underground Atlanta mall and a historical conundrum in a church in Arizona dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi (or is that that St. Frances of Assissi?)—that really make this book fun.

Anyone who’s ever rolled his eyes at a typo on a shirt or in a museum will laugh out loud at the chronicles of TEAL’s adventure. Best of all, you don’t have to be a trained editor to appreciate this book; the authors explain every typo they correct, down to the difference between “it’s” and “its.”

More than that, Deck and Herson offer up some new insight about the people who comprise this country and the different styles and mannerisms that make up the patchwork whole. The story is also a lesson in when not to correct a typo—such as at a historical monument or when the creator is not a native English-speaker.

The Great Typo Hunt is a story about two men on a mission, but it’s also a story about America, the people who populate it, and the way they express themselves. Even those of us who haven’t memorized The Chicago Manual of Style can still appreciate the wacky adventures and the tour of the U.S. presented in the book.

The Great Typo Hunt, a 288-page, hardcover book from Crown Publishing, is available now at a list price of $23.99.

The Great Typo Hunt The Saturday Evening Post