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Popular CultureJanuary 2015 |
"My name is Sherlock Holmes. It is my business to know what other people don't know." ~ Sherlock Holmes, in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle |
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New and Recently Released!
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| Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks by Dick CavettDrawn from former talk-show host Dick Cavett's New York Times column, this sometimes funny, sometimes reflective collection covers a variety of topics, but primarily focuses on reminiscences about Hollywood legends and American cultural icons. Fans of Cavett's years in front of the camera will relish his stories, as will those who may have missed out on his show but still love celebrity tales: Stan Laurel, Groucho Marx, Muhammad Ali, and Nora Ephron all make appearances. |
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| The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill LeporeDeeply researched and offering an engaging story, this cultural history of enduring icon Wonder Woman deviates from standard comic book history by concentrating on the rather unusual circumstances of her creation -- especially the unorthodox living situation of her creator, and the controversy Wonder Woman's appearance inspired. Drawing on both interviews and archival research to unveil the role of feminism in shaping Wonder Woman's existence, historian Jill Lepore's study offers a different yet tantalizing perspective that readers of Tim Hanley's Wonder Woman Unbound (or comic book history in general) may appreciate. |
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| Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J MannIn 1922, Hollywood was shocked by the murder of William Desmond Taylor, president of the Motion Pictures Directors Association -- a crime that is still unsolved to this day. Tinseltown (a "stellar and gripping true-crime narrative," says Publishers Weekly) offers not only an entirely plausible solution to the murder but places it within the context of the birth of the motion picture industry and the challenges in faced in the 1920s. Readers who enjoy star-studded true crime (like Greg Merritt's Room 1219) won't want to miss this satisfying tale. |
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Ba. Ku. : Kult Skating / Dark Rituals
by Anthony Tafuro
Canadian. Within the city of Vancouver, and amongst the deep wilderness of B.C. dwells the Barrier Kult, an assembly of incognito professional skateboarders that ritualize their skill on concrete barriers. The team was created ten years ago by Deer Man of Dark Woods and Depth Leviathan Dweller, who decided to adorn a mask of anonymity after growing tired of the repetition of the professional skate world. The skaters' ages range from early twenties, to mid-forties, with members spread around the world and meet up in Vancouver, (or wherever there is a proper barrier) when it comes time to collect footage for a video/film. While watching the team perform, the vast nature of B.C. creates the atmosphere, and war metal amplifies the experience. Most of skateboarding culture has been linked to punk, rap, metal and other similar genres, so the rookie members of BA. KU. are all proud to sport the musical inspirations of the organization. (Random House )
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| Hope: Entertainer of the Century by Richard ZoglinIn this detailed biography of one of the most famous entertainers of the 20th century, author Richard Zoglin writes mostly chronologically of Bob Hope's upbringing and his eventual success on vaudeville and Broadway stages, in movies, and on television sets. Zoglin also discusses Hope's regular Christmas tours to U.S. servicemen around the world, and unearths surprising tidbits, like Hope's apparent dislike for fellow entertainer and on-screen partner Bing Crosby. Entertaining and accessible, this one's for those interested in 20th-century entertainment and Hope himself. |
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If You Like: Sherlock Holmes
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Though it's set in the current day, the popular BBC production Sherlock has whetted appetites for all things Holmesian, including the real-world birth of the forensic methods popularized by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. You'll find a couple books on these topics below, as well as on other aspects of Sherlock and his ilk -- detectives both literary and real.
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| The Murder Room: The Heirs of Sherlock Holmes Gather to Solve... by Mike CapuzzoEach month in Philadelphia, the Vidocq Society -- an elite group of gifted investigators from several countries -- comes together to solve cases brought to them by stumped detectives. The Society consists of coroners, profilers, forensic experts, detectives, and others; the cases are uniformly cold. Formed more than 20 years ago, the Society has consulted on more than 300 cases -- and solved an impressive 90% of them. This intimate look into their efforts focuses on three aspects in particular -- the challenging cases, the organization itself, and its three founders. True-crime fans won't be able to get enough of this "terrifying, engrossing, inspirational and surprisingly funny" (Kirkus Reviews) book. |
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| The Inheritor's Powder: A Tale of Arsenic, Murder, and the New Forensic Science by Sandra HempelIn this gripping account of a groundbreaking murder investigation, medical journalist Sandra Hempel examines the case of George Bodle, a wealthy landowner who died under mysterious circumstances in 1833. While authorities suspected arsenic poisoning -- a common method of getting rid of unwanted relatives, as its symptoms resembled a host of other ailments -- they couldn't prove it. That is, until chemist James March came up with a test to determine the presence of arsenic in corpses. Blending history, medical mystery, and true crime, this chronicle of scientific discovery will place you right at the early days of forensic science. |
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| Talking about Detective Fiction by P.D. JamesFor readers who prefer fictional detectives but who have exhausted the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his counterparts, try Talking About Detective Fiction. Written by popular mystery author P.D. James, it offers a lively exploration of British detective fiction (with a few nods to American authors) and the human appetite for mystery and mayhem. James also discusses the stylistic elements of the genre (and how Agatha Christie broke them) as well as her own methods for plotting and writing. Consider this a "master class" (Publishers Weekly) in mystery. |
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Mastermind : How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
by Maria Konnikova
No fictional character is more renowned for his powers of thought and observation than Sherlock Holmes. But is his extraordinary intellect merely a gift of fiction, or can we learn to cultivate these abilities ourselves, to improve our lives at work and at home? We can, says psychologist and journalist Maria Konnikova, and in Mastermind she shows us how. Beginning with the brain attic," Holmes’s metaphor for how we store information and organize knowledge, Konnikova unpacks the mental strategies that lead to clearer thinking and deeper insights. Drawing on twenty-first-century neuroscience and psychology, Mastermind explores Holmes’s unique methods of ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction. In doing so, it shows how each of us, with some self-awareness and a little practice, can employ these same methods to sharpen our perceptions, solve difficult problems, and enhance our creative powers. For Holmes aficionados and casual readers alike, Konnikova reveals how the world’s most keen-eyed detective can serve as an unparalleled guide to upgrading the mind. (Penguin Putnam)
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| The Art of the English Murder by Lucy WorsleyFocusing on the gruesome ability of murder to fascinate outsiders and bystanders, this historical account traces the popularity -- and profitability -- of murder as a form of entertainment. Focusing specifically on England, historian Lucy Worsley covers notorious crimes from 1800 to the mid-1940s, starting with the Ratcliffe Highway murders, and the resulting changes in popular culture. From newspaper accounts and "penny dreadfuls" to puppet plays, sensational novels, and the creation of the detecting profession, this account is "lively, lucid, and wonderfully lurid" (Publishers Weekly). |
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