Adult

Johnson is the genius who wrote all of those wonderful children’s level biographies (see below), and Blanchard is one of the best motivational speakers I have ever seen. This book is a sales phenomenon, as I believe every business in the galaxy is required to purchase it. More importantly, their message is to the point and clear and does not ramble on and on with no point like the remainder of this sentence.

I have not been this fascinated about India since reading Gandhi’s autobiography. Chaudhuri masterfully crafts tales that demonstrate the contrasts between young and old India. Stimulating reading.

This Independence Day, between BBQs and fireworks, take a moment to check out this book and remind yourself how lucky we are to live in a democracy protected by our fighting men and women in uniform. This beautifully told account of soldiers returning home from their service will stir your soul.

Not exactly the book I’d read to spread holiday cheer, but a delightful play, nonetheless. Particularly good reading for the ignorant.

Chast is one of my favorite New Yorker cartoonists, and this magnificent graphic novel memoir is both hilarious and heartbreaking, as Chast deals with the issue of aging parents. I highly recommend you check out this and anything else Chast has written. So talented.

I know, I know. It exceeds my 200-page maximum, but the print is big and the book is small. Since basketball season just started, I thought this look into Bradley’s experiences with the Knicks would make good reading. It is definitely good reading for New Yawkers who cannot stomach the current crop of players at the Garden.

For the record, retired pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson is one of my idols. His own story (Gifted Hands) is one I have shared with tens of thousands of people, and I will read and trumpet everything he ever writes.

I try to include a variety of books for all ages and genres, and here is a book that captures the imaginations of all ages and fits a variety of genres. Charley Hopper’s modern art drawings of animals, along with brief descriptions, make this a great coffee table book that is sure to start wonderful conversations at any party (or in any classroom).

This site’s web designer, Adam LeVrier, gave me Burton’s demented “Boy with Nails in His Eyes” X-mas tale, which is just one of 23 twisted poems in this collection that reminds me of the macabre artist Edward Gorey. Truly original and worth the quick read.

You need to know that I LOVE Ken Blanchard. He is one of the best speakers on the circuit, and his books read like his speeches: inspirational, filled with practical advice and packed with great anecdotes. I’d recommend anything Blanchard writes, and this great, quick read chronicles the success of the Yum! Corporation (which includes KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A & W, etc.).

Don’t be fooled by the page count, as the book has big print and short pages (two of my favorite things). Sykes may offend, but she is absolutely fair in her disbursement of rants and raves. Ever since I first watched her on Larry David’s fantastic show Curb Your Enthusiasm, I have made sure to catch Wanda Sykes whenever she is on TV or in print. She is undeniably one of the funniest comedians around today (beware, though: she is blunt and uses language that may be deemed unsuitable for many adults – although it is commonplace with most teenagers).

One of the dilemmas I face on my page-length requirements is what to do with books that are small in size with large fonts. This is such a book, and I am including it because it is a great Valentine’s Day gift and should take only a couple of hours and glass of Merlot to finish. Nicholas Sparks, move over, as Nash writes a touching tale of a cancer survivor trying secure her dream beach house. Reminded me of that Kevin Kline movie My Life As a House…but I enjoyed this book much better.

If you are like me, your typical holiday diet consist of half a grapefruit and some bran flakes for breakfast, grilled chicken and a light salad for lunch with two Oreos for dessert, an apple and the rest of the bag of Oreos for a snack and a dinner that consists of pizza dipped in gravy served with fried chicken and egg rolls, two bottles of wine and a hot fudge sundae for dessert. You see, I often lack willpower and discipline around the holidays, so this book might be a good guilty reminder to have lying on your coffee table as you lunge for that fifteenth piece of Mom’s homemade fudge this month.

The brain fascinates me, especially since it remains such a mystery. Bolte Taylor, a Harvard-trained brain scientist, recounts how her own massive stroke provided insight into one of the greatest conflicts taking place on the planet: the conflict between the right and left brain. Fascinating!

A journalism professor once told me that it was not enough to be funny. “If you want to be a great writer,” he said, “You need to make people laugh, you need to make people cry and you need to make people think.” Billy Crystal, one of my favorite comedians, writes a touching memoir of his father that makes me yearn to see his Tony award-winning. one-man Broadway show.