This just in! 8/8/09

Welcome to the Terrordome: The Pain, Politics, and Promise of Sports
by Dave Zirin
From the bashing of Barry Bonds to the stormy marriage between hip-hop and the NBA; from the “baseball factories” of the Dominican Republic to the inspiring legacy of Roberto Clemente—Dave Zirin looks past the shiny surface to what’s really happening in the locker room, the boardroom, the arena, and the stands.

The Graves Are Not Yet Full Race, Tribe And Power In The Heart Of Africa
by Bill Berkeley
"This is a book about evil." With these words, Berkeley launches into a gripping exploration of some of the worst African atrocities of the past 20 years, which he has covered as a journalist for the Atlantic Monthly and other publications.

Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle
by Chris Hedges
Chris Hedges argues that we now live in two societies: One, the minority, functions in a print-based, literate world, that can cope with complexity and can separate illusion from truth. The other, a growing majority, is retreating from a reality-based world into one of false certainty and magic. In this “other society,” serious film and theatre, as well as newspapers and books, are being pushed to the margins.

Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
by Mary Roach
Roach is not like other science writers. She doesn't write about genes or black holes or Schrödinger's cat. Instead, she ventures out to the fringes of science, where the oddballs ponder how cadavers decay (in her debut, Stiff) and whether you can weigh a person's soul (in Spook). Now she explores the sexiest subject of all: sex, and such questions as, what is an orgasm?

Hardcore Zen: Punk Rock, Monster Movies, & the Truth about Reality
by Brad Warner
Warner, an early-'80s hardcore punk musician, discovered Zen in college, moved to Japan to make B-grade monster movies, and eventually became a bona fide Zen master by formally receiving "dharma transmission." Yet true to his punk spirit, he relentlessly demands that all teaching, all beliefs, all authority-including his own-must be questioned.