Costco Connection - September 2012

buyers’ picks
September
Book buyers’ picks
Nonfiction

Fiction

Telegraph Avenue, by Michael Chabon. In his latest novel, Chabon—the Pulitzer Prize– winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay—examines the lives of two families, one black and one white, living in Oakland, California. Lifelong friends Nat and Archy are bandmates and co-owners of Brokeland Records. The novel is pleasingly peppered with pop-culture references, and when Nat and Archy’s store and livelihood are threatened by a planned development, the interpersonal dramas that unfold are sure to delight longtime fans of Chabon and win over new ones.

—Scott Losse inventory control specialist, books

The Economics Book, The Philosophy Book and The Psychology Book, from DK Publishing. All of these books have the subtitle “Big Ideas Simply Explained.” It couldn’t be truer. Each is packed with information about founders and leaders in these various fields— think Karl Marx to John Maynard Keynes, Pythagoras to Friedrich Nietzsche and Ivan Pavlov to B.F. Skinner. The real beauty is that—while teeming with theories, principles and basic tenets—these books cut through the jargon and present all information in plain English. With engaging charts and quotes, these books are educational and fun for everyone from students to armchair experts.

—Jonna Erickson-Outlaw assistant buyer, books

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien may
have intended the book for younger audi-
ences, but The Hobbit is a legendary tale wor-
thy of all readers. With the movie release just
a few months away, why not revisit the story
of unlikely hero Bilbo Baggins? The home-
loving hobbit embarks on a quest that includes
whimsical landscapes, unforgettable charac-
ters and epic battles. I love the book, though,
because the greatest challenge Bilbo faces is
not to overcome dragons or armies, but to
discover his own identity. Tolkien’s The Lord
of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring and
The Return of the King will also be available.