The Curious Nonscientist and the Case for Summer Science Reading I have a recurring nightmare about a physics class i took almost 20 years ago, and a general aversion to anything that requires an exam, a proof, or a lab instead of a paper. That said, I was intrigued by this newest list of summer's best science books from NPR: "five engrossing summer releases that will satisfy anyone from a curious nonscientist to a biochemist eager to refresh her mind with new ideas in neuroscience." Check these out... Suggestions titles: Bounce: Mozart, Federer, Picasso, Beckham, and the Science of Success by Matthew Syed, Bursts: The Hidden Pattern Behind Everything We Do by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, The Male Brain by Louann Brizendine, M.D., How to Defeat Your Own Clone... and Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution by Kyle Kurpinsky and Terry D. Johnson, and Long for This World: The Strange Science of Immortality by Jonathan Weiner. Read more... | Comments (0)

Caldwell Video & Greun Save the Date (9/23!) To the women who read: The video of Literary Matters’ luncheon for Gail Caldwell has just been posted. Please share this with friends and family. And please reserve Thursday, September 23rd, for a luncheon with Sara Gruen, author of WATER FOR ELEPHANTS and APE HOUSE, her new novel that will be published at the beginning of September. The Gruen luncheon will be from 11-2 at Innis Arden. Read more... | Comments (0)

Southern Reading My book groups boasts a handful of genteel ladies from the South, and their perspective on our readings - especially those set in states below the Mason-Dixon line, is always illuminating. Whether nostalgic or just as a salve to the slightly less genteel way of life that they endure here in New England, these ladies often bring the works of Southern writers to the table. I am offering up a few more... these are this years SIBA winners, which honor books "either set in the South or by a southern author (or both!)" and sponsored by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance: Children's: The Secret World of Walter Anderson by Hester Bass (Candlewick) Cooking: The Lee Brothers Simple Fresh Southern by Ted and Matt Lee (Clarkson Potter) Fiction: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam) Nonfiction: The Most They Ever Had by Rick Bragg (Macadam Cage) Read more... | Comments (0)

Fiction for the Business Minded... As we gear up for our event with William Cohan this fall, i thought this article would be of particular interest. William Taylor of Fast Company magazine did a survey of leading minds in the world of business, asking what reading they do to challenge and inspire their perspectives. Check out the article here... Read more... | Comments (0)