The Open Road
by Pico Iyer (Knopf, $24)
Pico Iyer’s portrait of the Dalai Lama has a lot going for it, said Louis Bayard in Salon.com. Iyer, a former journalist, has known the Tibetan spiritual leader for 30 years. He’s “particularly gifted at setting scenes,” and he has “a knack for domesticating the exotic.” But Iyer, despite his considerably acuity, is too easily wowed by his subject’s charisma.
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Nim Chimpsky
by Elizabeth Hess (Bantam, $23)
The subject of Elizabeth Hess’ unconventional new biography “never stops being just an animal,” said Leon Neyfakh in The New York Observer. Nim Chimpsky was a chimp raised by a Manhattan family as if he were human. But the once-famous ape never developed a real capacity to communicate in sign language, and thus he never develops as a character. More interesting are his caretakers—various scientists who “get tangled up in vicious power struggles” and wrestle with complex ethical questions.
Shakespeare’s Wife
by Germaine Greer (HarperCollins, $27)
Not all Shakespeare scholars will be convinced by Germaine Greer’s vigorous attempt to clear Anne Hathaway’s name, said William Lee Adams in Time. But the playwright’s wife wasn’t necessarily the harlot-turned-shrew that history has made her out to be. Greer’s provocative, well-reasoned set of hypotheses” presents a believable alternative drama: Namely, that though Shakespeare left Anne behind when he made his career in London, he “drew inspiration from, and even loved, his other half.”
Home
by Julie Andrews (Hyperion, $27)
Julie Andrews’ long-awaited memoir doesn’t dwell on her life as a movie star, said Jennifer Reese in Entertainment Weekly. Instead, it “leaves us hanging in midair,” as the 28-year-old Broadway star is flying to Hollywood for her first big-screen role in 1963. Home is the tale of how a gangly girl with a marvelous voice escaped a tough childhood in suburban London. You could read it just for its intelligence and “gentle humor.”
In the Frame
by Helen Mirren (Atria, $35)
Though arranged like a scrapbook, Helen Mirren’s new autobiography “has the feel and look of a work that will last,” said Jonathan Dawson in the Hobart, Australia, Mercury. The Oscar-winning British actress turns out to have a more exotic Russian family background “than anyone could imagine.” What’s more, she’s created a compelling portrait of the 1960s theater world from which she emerged.
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Critics' choice: Outstanding new Japanese restaurantsFeature An all-women sushi team, a 15-seat listening bar, and more
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Why do Dana White and Donald Trump keep pushing for a White House UFC match?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The president and the sports mogul each have their own reasons for wanting a White House spectacle
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'Quiet vacationing': a secret revolt against workplace cultureThe explainer You can be in two places at once
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Also of interest...in picture books for grown-upsfeature How About Never—Is Never Good for You?; The Undertaking of Lily Chen; Meanwhile, in San Francisco; The Portlandia Activity Book
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Author of the week: Karen Russell
feature Karen Russell could use a rest.
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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.
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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.”
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Also of interest...in creative rebellion
feature A Man Called Destruction; Rebel Music; American Fun; The Scarlet Sisters
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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.
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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.”
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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.”