Friday, October 3, 2014
6 Non-Fiction Books to Look for in October
One of my favourite things about the monthly new non-fiction posts is the range of topics they often include and more specifically, the way that they can include light, fluffy entertainment back-to-back with serious historical, social and political commentary. This month is no exception: here are six new nonfiction books being released this October.
The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution by Walter Isaacson (October 7): Isaacson's last book was the blockbuster bestseller biography of Apple Founder Steve Jobs and this latest seems a logical next step. "Isaacson begins with Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s daughter, who pioneered computer programming in the 1840s. He explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution, such as Vannevar Bush, Alan Turing, John von Neumann, J.C.R. Licklider, Doug Engelbart, Robert Noyce, Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, Tim Berners-Lee, and Larry Page. This is the story of how their minds worked and what made them so inventive. It’s also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative."
Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol (October 7): "In this bold and candid memoir, music legend Billy Idol shares his life story - from his childhood in England to his rise to fame during the height of the punk-pop revolution - revealing intimate details about the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that he is so fabulously famous for - all told in his own utterly indelible voice... DANCING WITH MYSELF is both a tale of survival and a celebration of the heady days when punk was born - a compelling and satisfying insider's tale from a man who made music history first-hand."
Where I Belong by Alan Doyle (October 2014): If you like your music memoirs to have a home grown touch, you'll definitely want to put this one on your reading list. "From the lead singer of the band Great Big Sea comes a lyrical and captivating musical memoir about growing up in the tiny fishing village of Petty Harbour, Newfoundland, and then taking to the world stage. Filled with the lore and traditions of the East Coast and told in a voice that is at once captivating and refreshingly candid, this is a narrative journey about small-town life, curiosity and creative fulfillment, and finally, about leaving everything you know behind only to learn that no matter where you go, home will always be with you."
As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes, Joe Layden and Rob Reiner (October 14): Although I'm pretty sure I haven't seen it in over a decade, I'm not sure there will ever be a movie that I will watch as many times as I have watched The Princess Bride. I don't think I'm alone on this one, nor will I be in picking up this book.
Party of One by Michael Harris (October 21): With an election looming next year, you can be sure we'll be seeing lots of books on Canadian politics in the coming months. This is one of the first high profile ones which you'll be hearing lots about. "Investigative journalist Michael Harris closely examines the majority government of a prime minister essentially unchecked by the opposition and empowered by the general election victory of May 2011. Harris looks at Harper's policies, instincts, and the often breathtaking gap between his stated political principles and his practices. Harris argues that Harper is more than a master of controlling information: he is a profoundly anti-democratic figure. And with the Conservative majority in Parliament, the law is simple: what one man, the PM, says, goes."
Yes, Please by Amy Poehler (October 28): We'll finish with something light, and a book that we already highlighted briefly in our September Post on comedy memoirs being released this fall, it's a memoir from funny-lady Amy Poehler. I've been on a bit of a kick of reading books by female comics--Tina Fey's Bossypants, Mindy Kalling's Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? and I've just put a hold on Sarah Silverman's The Bedwetter--this one is at the top of my books to read next.
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