Books Update: 'The Anatomy of Influence'

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May 20, 2011 Books Update

On the Cover of Sunday's Book Review Book Review 'The Anatomy of Influence' By HAROLD BLOOM Reviewed by SAM TANENHAUS At the age of 80, with almost 40 books behind him and nearly as many accumulated honors, Harold Bloom has written a kind of summing-up of his monumental career as a critic and scholar. Video: Harold Bloom's Influence ADVERTISEMENT Also in the Book Review '2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America' By ALBERT BROOKS Reviewed by TOM CARSON Albert Brooks's first novel imagines a cancer-free future in which parents live longer than ever - and children resent them for it. Video: Albert Brooks's First Novel Profile of Albert Brooks 'The Man In the Gray Flannel Skirt' By JON-JON GOULIAN Reviewed by FRANK BRUNI Jon-Jon Goulian has a peculiar strategy for coping with physical insecurity, lofty expectations and other "pressures of modern life." 'Swim Back to Me' By ANN PACKER Reviewed by LYDIA PEELLE In the stories of Ann Packer, individuals struggle against personal devastation. Excerpt 'The Watery Part of the World' By MICHAEL PARKER Reviewed by EMILY BARTON A novel ties the fate of Aaron Burr's daughter to a cloistered community on the Outer Banks. 'Pulse' By JULIAN BARNES Reviewed by CHRISTOPHER BENFEY Julian Barnes's stories cover loss, friendship, sex and what it takes for two people to click. 'Join The Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World' By TINA ROSENBERG Reviewed by JEFFREY D. SACHS A journalist argues that social networks can mitigate social ills. 'The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism' By DEBORAH BAKER Reviewed by LORRAINE ADAMS How a Jewish girl from Larchmont became an Islamic polemicist. 'The House of Wisdom' By JIM AL-KHALILI Reviewed by JOHN NOBLE WILFORD An Iraqi-born physicist recalls the golden age of Islamic astronomy, mathematics, medicine and philosophy. 'Soul Dust: The Magic of Consciousness' By NICHOLAS HUMPHREY Reviewed by ALISON GOPNIK A psychology professor offers the theory that consciousness is a show we stage for ourselves. 'Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals, and Reformers in the Making of the Nation' Reviewed by MARY BETH NORTON A collection of essays expands our textbook view of the American Revolution. 'Bottom of the 33rd' By DAN BARRY Reviewed by MARC TRACY Dan Barry finds layers of meaning in baseball's longest game. 'Tabloid City' By PETE HAMILL Reviewed by JOHN DARNTON A New York murder tale unfolds over the 24-hour news cycle. ADVERTISEMENT Get home delivery of The New York Times for as low as $3.15 a week.

Best Sellers Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Mass-Market Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All the Lists Related Columns Editors' Choice Paperback Row Essay The Case for Self-Publishing By NEAL POLLACK For a writer like me - midcareer, midlist, more or less middlebrow - self-publishing seems to make a lot of sense. Crime Touch of Evil By MARILYN STASIO Mystery novels by Lawrence Block, Jo Nesbo, Stefanie Pintoff and Scott O'Connor. Multimedia Video: Harold Bloom's Influence Sam Tanenhaus, the Book Review editor, interviewed Harold Bloom, who has achieved an almost unheard-of celebrity for a literary scholar. Bloom's new book is "The Anatomy of Influence." Related Review Video: Jane Goodall, Illustrated Two new children's books explore the life of Jane Goodall, the chimpanzee expert and prominent conservationist. The Times spoke with Dr. Goodall about living out her childhood dreams. Reviews of the Books Children's Books Special Section » Book Review Features Sketchbook Multimedia Feature: Book Covers That Got Away A gallery of rejected book cover designs whose creators couldn't quite let them rest in peace. Book Review Podcast A conversation with Harold Bloom about his life and work and Albert Brooks discusses his first novel,"2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America." Widow of Madoff Son to Write Memoir Philip Roth Wins Prize; Judge Dissents See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Read Me: HarperCollins Lands Pete Townshend Memoir Reviews by The Times's Critics 'Electric Eden' by Rob Young 'Infamous Players' by Peter Bart 'Small Memories: A Memoir' by José Saramago 'On China' by Henry Kissinger 'The Heart and the Fist' and 'Seal Team Six' Archive Crime Columns Children's Books The New York Times Book Review: Back Issues Editor's Note Thanks for taking the time to read this e-mail. Feel free to send feedback; I enjoy hearing your opinions and will do my best to respond. Blake Wilson Books Producer The New York Times on the Web ADVERTISEMENT

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