Also of interest ... in advanced infotainment
The Calculus Diaries by Jennifer Ouellette; The Perfection Point by John Brenkus; Earth (The Book) by Jon Stewart et al.; Ah-Choo by Jennifer Ackerman
The Calculus Diaries
by Jennifer Ouellette
(Penguin, $15)
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Calculus was boring to me in school because “it was all theoretical,” said Sarah Zielinski in Smithsonian.com. Science writer Jennifer Ouellette proves it didn’t have to be that way in this new book, showing how even a modest grasp of the subject can bring out the hidden wonders of roller coasters, ocean waves, craps games, and even zombie reproduction. “What surprised me” is that Ouellette didn’t just make me see the world differently—she “made me want to do the math.”
The Perfection Point
by John Brenkus
(Harper, $27)
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ESPN’s John Brenkus is interested in finding “the absolute limits of human performance,” said David M. Shribman in The Wall Street Journal. His deep research amply demonstrates why not just anybody can hit a professional curveball or win in the breaststroke. But the fun of the book comes from his boldly specific predictions. Somebody, someday, will run 100 meters in 8.98 seconds? Or bench-press 921 pounds? “This stuff is catnip” to a sports fan.
Earth (The Book)
by Jon Stewart et al.
(Grand Central, $28)
The new faux-textbook from the staff of The Daily Show is funniest “when it takes on subjects of real substance,” said Janet Maslin in The New York Times. Presented as a guidebook for future extraterrestrials who may wonder what human civilization was like, it’s mildly amusing on throwaway subjects such as dinnerware and pants. Get the writers riffing on world religions, though, and they’re at their best: Islam, they write overcautiously, is “a beautiful harmless happy daffodil.”
Ah-Choo
by Jennifer Ackerman
(Twelve, $23)
Walking around without a coat isn’t the reason you catch colds, said Dennis Drabelle in The Washington Post. Science writer Jennifer Ackerman has devoted an entire book to separating myths about these “mundane” seasonal annoyances from the actual facts. The takeaways? Hands are the chief spreaders of cold viruses, so keeping them washed is more important than keeping yourself warm. And there really is no cure for a cold, so focus on treating the symptoms.
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Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
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5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
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Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
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Also of interest...in picture books for grown-ups
feature How About Never—Is Never Good for You?; The Undertaking of Lily Chen; Meanwhile, in San Francisco; The Portlandia Activity Book
By The Week Staff Last updated
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Author of the week: Karen Russell
feature Karen Russell could use a rest.
By The Week Staff Last updated
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The Double Life of Paul de Man by Evelyn Barish
feature Evelyn Barish “has an amazing tale to tell” about the Belgian-born intellectual who enthralled a generation of students and academic colleagues.
By The Week Staff Last updated
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Book of the week: Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis
feature Michael Lewis's description of how high-frequency traders use lightning-fast computers to their advantage is “guaranteed to make blood boil.”
By The Week Staff Last updated
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Also of interest...in creative rebellion
feature A Man Called Destruction; Rebel Music; American Fun; The Scarlet Sisters
By The Week Staff Last updated
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Author of the week: Susanna Kaysen
feature For a famous memoirist, Susanna Kaysen is highly ambivalent about sharing details about her life.
By The Week Staff Last updated
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You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood’s Golden Age by Robert Wagner
feature Robert Wagner “seems to have known anybody who was anybody in Hollywood.”
By The Week Staff Last updated
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Book of the week: Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire by Peter Stark
feature The tale of Astoria’s rise and fall turns out to be “as exciting as anything in American history.”
By The Week Staff Last updated