Books Update: Haiti's Tragic History

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December 30, 2011 Books Update

On the Cover of Sunday's Book Review 'Haiti: The Aftershocks of History' By LAURENT DUBOIS Reviewed by ADAM HOCHSCHILD The scholar Laurent Dubois's new book relates the violent birth and troubled existence of Haiti, a tale of much misery, shot through with flashes of hope and bravery. ADVERTISEMENT Also in the Book Review 'Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit' By JOSEPH EPSTEIN Reviewed by HOLLY BRUBACH Joseph Epstein argues that gossip serves a number of worthwhile purposes. 'How It All Began' By PENELOPE LIVELY Reviewed by SUSANN COKAL A mugging changes the lives of several characters in Penelope Lively's novel. 'Salvage the Bones' By JESMYN WARD Reviewed by PARUL SEHGAL A pregnant 15-year-old and her family await the arrival of Hurricane Katrina in this National Book Award-winning novel. 'Smut: Stories' By ALAN BENNETT Reviewed by THOMAS MALLON Proper middle-class characters have surprising secrets in Alan Bennett's tales. 'The Man Within My Head' By PICO IYER Reviewed by LIESL SCHILLINGER Pico Iyer writes about the kinship he feels with Graham Greene. 'Some of My Lives: A Scrapbook Memoir' By ROSAMOND BERNIER Reviewed by LOUISA THOMAS A fixture in the worlds of art and fashion reflects on a splendid career. 'Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul' By JOHN M. BARRY Reviewed by JOYCE E. CHAPLIN John M. Barry explores the personal trials that shaped a Puritan dissident's advocacy for the separation of church and state. Up Front: Joyce E. Chaplin 'The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrooke in the World' Edited by DEREK CHOLLET and SAMANTHA POWER Reviewed by JACOB HEILBRUNN Essays about the foreign-policy stalwart Richard Holbrooke, and some writings of his own. 'The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb' By PHILIP TAUBMAN Reviewed by GARY J. BASS A journalist examines the unlikely campaign of five cold war veterans to eliminate our nuclear arsenal. '420 Characters: Stories' Written and illustrated by LOU BEACH Reviewed by SCOTT BRADFIELD These brief tales first appeared on Facebook. The 10 Best Books of 2011 The Book Review picks the year's best fiction and nonfiction. 100 Notable Books Selections by Michiko Kakutani | Janet Maslin | Dwight Garner Notable Children's Books of 2011 Notable Crime Books of 2011 ArtsBeat: Editors and Critics Pick Their Favorite Books of 2011 ADVERTISEMENT

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 Back Page Liu Xiaobo's Plea for the Human Spirit By JONATHAN MIRSKY In essays and poems, the imprisoned Chinese poet demonstrates a considerable amount of anger while retaining his Gandhian nonviolent spirit. Plan your holiday shopping with The New York Times 2011 Holiday Gift Guide. TBR Inside the List By GREGORY COWLES Robert K. Massie is at No. 8 on the hardcover nonfiction list this week with his biography of Catherine the Great, who "always kept a book in her room and carried another in her pocket." Editors' Choice Recently reviewed books of particular interest. Paperback Row By IHSAN TAYLOR Paperback books of particular interest. Book Review Podcast This week, Gary Bass talks about Philip Taubman's book "The Partnership: Five Cold Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb"; Louisa Thomas discusses "Some of My Lives," a memoir by Rosamond Bernier; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host. E-Reader Help From New York Public Library Book Review Podcast: What Literature Owes the Bible Book That Became Hit French Film to Be Released in U.S. Reviews by The Times's Critics 'Smut' by Alan Bennett 'Forgotten Land' by Max Egremont 'How to Think Like a Neandertal' 'Death Comes to Pemberley' by P.D. James 'Whore of Akron' and 'When the Garden Was Eden' 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. John Williams Books Producer The New York Times on the Web ADVERTISEMENT

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