When Judith Fox and Ed Ackell married in 1995 they cut quite the figure as a power couple. Judith was the owner of a successful staffing company and well known in art circles for her fine art photography. Ed was an accomplished physician, pilot, and university president. But after just three years of marriage, the couple was dealt a crushing blow when Ed was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. At first they lived in denial, with Ed reluctant to tell anyone out of fear that people would treat him differently. But as Judith watched his memory fade, and began to see the man she loved slowly slip away, she reached for her camera to document the moments they still had together. When she began to take the photos, the idea of a book had not entered her mind. As she told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the pictures were her way “to celebrate Ed and remember him.” I Still Do: Loving and Living with Alzheimer’s (PowerHouse Books, 128pgs) is a compilation of Judith’s precious moments with Ed. The stunning photographs of her husband’s daily life, accompanied with her poetic text, form a visual love letter to him.
Read more…
By Sam Tanenhaus
Random House ©2009 | Hardback 144pgs
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Russ Imamura
Sam Tanenhaus’ book whose title is written in a combination of cursive red letters and black bold letters on the cover – The Death of Conservatism tells us that the obituary of Conservatism may have already been written. Throughout his excellent book which covers the evolution of conservatism and even liberalism – from the New Deal, LBJ’s Great Society, the Nixon years Reaganism, Clinton, both Bushes and the present Obama era – the conclusion is that conservatism, i.e., real conservatism today is on life support. And there is a possibility, if it gets back to its real roots, it may start breathing on its own and even flourish again.
Read more…
By William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
William Morrow | 288pgs
Release Date: September 29, 2009
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope is an inspiring true story that follows the struggle of a young Malawian boy to build a windmill and pull his family out of famine and poverty. William Kamkwamba was just fourteen years old when a nationwide drought left his family impoverished and forced him to leave school. Though he could no longer pursue his dream of education, he threw his heart and soul into the improbable plan of building a functional windmill. His lofty goal was to bring the luxuries of electricity and running water to his starving family. With the help of his school librarian and an ingenious amalgamation of bicycle parts, scrap metal and various other junk yard cast-offs, this incredibly bright young man was able to find all the information and materials he needed to succeed. Proving the village naysayers wrong, he built a fully operational windmill to power four lights in his home, and then later a second windmill that turned a water pump.
Read more…
Grammy winner David Byrne is best known as the lead singer and founder of the iconic group Talking Heads. Recently, the singer/songwriter has changed creative gears, and written a new book about his bike riding travels around the world: Bicycle Diaries (Viking, 304pgs). An avid cyclist for more than 20 years, Byrne rides his bike almost everyday at home in New York City, and often takes a portable bike with him on tour. Byrne feels that hitting the streets on two wheels is a unique way to experience the pulse of a city. “On a bike, being just slightly above pedestrian and car eye level, one gets a perfect view of the goings-on in one’s own town.”
Read more…
By James Patterson and Martin Dugard
Little, Brown and Company | Hardback 352pgs
Release Date: September 28, 2009
A new true crime story centered on the world’s most famous mummy arrives just in time for Halloween. Best-selling authors Patterson and Dugard pore over piles of forensic evidence, archaeologist files and ancient myths to discover a new theory about the murder of King Tut. The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King – A Nonfiction Thriller is told through three interweaving storylines: the authors’ forensic research, archaeologist Howard Carter’s discovery of Tut’s tomb, and The Boy King’s brief reign in Ancient Egypt.
Read more…
