REFERENCE

What We're Reading "The Best Novels of the Nineties," "The Wiley Book of Business Quotations," "Is It Too Late to Run Away and Join the Circus?" and "Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings" Fun Stuff for Reference Fans Gonzo for gadgets Name Your Price More great books in Amazon.com Auctions

WHAT WE'RE READING
"The Best Novels of the Nineties"
by Linda Parent Lesher
So many books, so little time. It's hard enough to keep up with the book reviews these days, much less the flood of new novels that often stay on the shelves for only a few months. "The Best Novels of the Nineties" steps in to help you choose from more than 1,000 great works written between 1990 and 1998, with capsule summaries and clips from the most insightful reviews to help you or your reading group decide what to tackle next. Arranged alphabetically by author in sections like "The Ties That Bind," "Innovators," and "Humor," the entries are informative and often inspirational--while it separates the wheat from the chaff, there's still plenty of wheat to drool over. Author and editor Linda Parent Lesher has a reader's eye for what's important; whether she's examining regional or ethnically based literature, exploring the frontiers of experimental fiction, or chasing down murderers with the best mystery writers, she sums up each book's merits with a few bright, engaging sentences that make the decision to read simpler for each selector. You'll find plenty of familiar names: Doris Lessing, Saul Bellow, and Martin Amis, for example, as well as newcomers to watch out for in the 21st century. The indices and bio-bibliography are helpful for comparative readers, and the lists of books available as audiocassettes or film adaptations are nice afterthoughts. Quit finishing your books halfway through--with "The Best Novels of the Nineties," you'll never have to read a stinker again. Read more

You'll find Bernard Fauber, CEO of Kmart, saying, "The sure path to oblivion is to stay where you are," and James Sidell, president of UST Corp., opining that "The [banking] industry has one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel." The late Ray Kroc, founder of McDonald's, delivers, "What do you do when your competitor's drowning? Get a live hose and stick it in his mouth." Bill Gates is on record as saying, in 1981, that "640K [of computer memory] ought to be enough for anybody," and James W. Johnston, former chairman of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, is in print from 1997 for his pronouncement, "Cigarettes and nicotine clearly do not meet the classic definition of addiction." For those whose consciences are troubled by business ethics, here's Ivan Boesky, arbitrageur extraordinaire, speaking at the University of California-Berkeley Business School graduation: "Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself." Read more

Smye spent years talking to corporate moguls, but instead of hearing success stories and the pride born of accomplishment, she heard such comments as "another week on the gerbil wheel"--this from a man whose job perks included a Turbo Bentley and use of the company jet. And when she asked people how they felt, she got replies like this: "First of all, I want to scream. Then I want to kick someone. Then I'd like a bottle of bourbon and a quiet, dark room." And this: "I'm tired and I've been tired forever and I'm tired of it." And this: "What do you have to do to be allowed to be in a rage? My kids are allowed to be in a rage sometimes. My wife is allowed to be in a rage sometimes. Why can't I? When do I get my midlife crisis?"

In response to the widespread angst, Smye suggests ways to "organize your work around your satisfaction, serenity, and self-esteem." She discusses job and personal dissatisfaction, and how to recognize the signs. She leads you skillfully through the steps of reflecting on who you once were, who you have become, and what you actually want your life to look like. Along with helpful worksheets, the book includes many case studies illustrating how people became so unhappy, and what they did to remedy their situations. Smye says there's always a chance for a new life, that it's never too late to join the circus. But "you'd better do your planning now," she advises, "because the future is going to happen to you whether you're ready or not." In "Circus," Smye takes the shame out of dissatisfaction and the fear out of contemplating a different life. Read more

The dictionary is handily organized in alphabetical format, so you can look up "Pyrrhic victory" when you come across it in your reading and once again can't remember what it means. Likewise, when you're writing about caution and vaguely recall that there's some appropriate phrase about cats, you can flip open to the Cs and find "The cat in gloves catches no mice."

What other advantages does this proverb reference have? It's a remarkable elucidator of American idiom for people learning English; it's a fine source of evocative phrases for students, journalists, and speech writers; and etymology enthusiasts can check out the origins of "enough is enough" and "even a worm will turn." Furthermore, this volume is unsurpassable as a browser. While stuck on hold with the phone company, or waiting nervously for your blind date to arrive, you can fill the odd idle moments with the wisdom of the ages. "Give me your tired, your poor," said Emma Lazarus. "Give me where to stand, and I will move the earth," said Archimedes. "Give him enough rope and he'll hang himself," said Thomas Fuller. Or "Give me a break!" as said by just about everyone. If "wisdom is better than rubies" and "knowledge is power," then the "Random House Dictionary of America's Popular Proverbs and Sayings" is priceless. Read more

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FUN STUFF FOR REFERENCE FANS
Gadgets. These days, you just can't get through life without them--and why would you want to? Today's gadgets are incredibly cool, not to mention handy. You can use them to access the Web, keep appointments, and locate your position in the space-time continuum. We've got a great selection for all you gadgetheads out there--have a look! Read more

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NAME YOUR PRICE
If the price of new books is giving you a bad case of sticker shock, check out the reference books at Amazon.com Auctions. You'll find all the great information you want, but at prices that won't put a hole in your wallet.

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