book
previews
Costco is alive with the sight of good books
NONFICTION
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years,
by Julie Andrews. Andrews has
played a series of roles that have
endeared her to generations of TV,
film and theater fans, but until now
she has never told the story of her
life before becoming famous. She
weathered the London Blitz of World
War II, a painful childhood and a
career that began at age 12. Featuring
more than 50 photos, Home is filled
with career anecdotes, stories of her Julie Andrews
humanitarian work and her genera-tion-spanning influence.
MICHEL ARNAUD
Ladies of Liberty: The Women
Who Shaped Our Nation, by
Cokie Roberts. Political commentator Roberts is a great
advocate for understanding
the role women have played
in U.S. history. She describes
remarkable women who
helped build the nation by
facing challenges and becoming reformers and advocates
for education, orphans and
abolition.
Bradley’s youth during the last days of
Edwardian aristocratic privilege shattered by
war, of the vibrant ’20s and the changes she
witnessed as an entire way of life vanished forever. It is also the tale of an aristocratic family,
a house and a mysterious death witnessed by
Grace, who keeps the secret for decades.
The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. When
Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon
University, was asked to give a last lecture—
given by professors to impart wisdom and
ruminate on what matters most—he didn’t
have to imagine it as his last, since he had
recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
The lecture he gave, “Really Achieving Your
Childhood Dreams,” wasn’t about dying. It
was about the importance of overcoming
obstacles, enabling the dreams of others and
seizing every moment. It was about living.
Wear Your Life Well: Use What You Have to
Get What You Want, by Marilu Henner.
Henner is a triple threat: Broadway actress, TV
star and successful author. Her Total Health
Makeover has inspired millions to take charge,
change the way they eat and enjoy renewed
vigor and better health. In Wear Your Life Well,
Henner shows how to make the most of your
assets, prioritize your needs and succeed.
Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, by Judith
McNaught. Romance author McNaught tells
the story of a complex, charismatic man and
a successful, spirited woman who in their
youth fall in love, marry and divorce—but
years later are given a rare second chance to
rediscover love and rekindle their relationship. This “second-time-around” story is
wonderfully romantic.
FICTION
The House at Riverton, by Kate Morton. A
gorgeous debut novel set in England and told
in flashback, this is the story of servant Grace
JUVENILE
Planet Earth Jumbo Coloring Poster Pads
and Deluxe Activity Padded Board Books,
from Modern Publishing. Inspired by the
Planet Earth series, the poster pads feature 48
animals from all habitats to color, fun facts
and a write-and-wipe page. The board books
feature colorful wildlife photos, activity pages
and fun facts. All are printed on recycled
paper.—Valerie Ryan
The color of money
DAVID BACH, AUTHOR of bestsellers Start
Late, Finish Rich and The Automatic Millionaire, has helped millions of people around
the world take financial action to live a life
of wealth, a life that is also in line with their
values.
In his latest book, Go Green, Live Rich, 50
Simple Ways to Save the Earth (and Get Rich
Trying), Bach, along with journalist Hillary
Rosner, outlines ways for people
to address what he feels is
the most important issue we
face—saving the planet—
while saving and, in many
cases, making money.
Bach, who underwent a
personal awakening to the benefits of changing his habits—
improved health and financial
savings—when he moved into a
“green” building, says that the
conversation about going green
has been too much doom and
gloom. No one, he says, has been
sharing the idea that you—as an
individual or business—can save
money by caring about the environment and
make money by investing in the huge envi
ron-mental transformation that is starting to shake
the global economy.
“The reality is that intelligent companies
BROADWAY BOOKS
David Bach
are realizing there is money in
being green,” he says. “What is
good for the environment is
good for the bottom line.
“Green, as a broad cate-
gory, is already profitable
and will become even more profitable as
demand for greener and more sustainable
products and services increases, driving
innovation,” he continues. “Making a profit
and doing the right thing don’t need to be
separated.”—T. Foster Jones
Tips from Go Green, Live Rich:
YOUR HOUSE is sucking money out of
your wallet right now, and it’s hurting
the environment.
Call your utility company to see if they can
come out and provide you with an energy
audit. Most utility companies will do it for free,
and, on average, people who implement the
recommended changes save up to 30 percent
on their utility bills.
Seal the windows and doors of your
house. Unsealed gaps are like money flying
out of your pocket and through the window.
Turn down the heat 3 degrees in the winter and keep the air conditioning down a few
degrees during the summer.
Unplug the appliances when you go on
vacation. It’s estimated that plugged-in appliances cost Americans $4 billion a year due to
what is called “phantom load.”
The next time you buy an appliance, make
sure it’s an Energy Star–approved model. In
2006, Energy Star appliances saved $14 billion
on utility bills and cut emissions equivalent to
25 million cars!
Next time a light burns out, replace it with
a compact fluorescent light bulb. These bulbs
are getting closer to the same price as regular
bulbs yet save energy and last 10 times longer.
