Archives: September 2005 - February 2006

Another hat trick has been pulled off by James Patterson, with the help of co-author Andrew Gross. LIFEGUARD is the plot-twisting tale of Ned Kelly, an infamous historical name here taken by a rich man's employee and itinerant lifeguard in swank Palm Beach, Florida, (which is also home to none other than Patterson himself.) The author knows the streets and chic hangouts well, too, because he employs them throughout a story that features the theft of art treasures, a motorcycle chase (complete with sound effects), and two romantic liaisons. A bewildered Ned enters this story as a one-time criminal, is then framed for murder, and must exonerate himself. Sympathetic throughout, Ned tries to discover who framed him, and in so doing becomes the hero. It's a nice trick on several levels, because Ned disdains the idle rich, except for his employer. Also, because while Patterson's trademark way of telling the story with short, page-turning sentences, remains, this is not a serial killer book, so narrator Billy Campbell's evocative interpretation is a better choice than the clipped and ironical tones evident on Patterson's Alex Cross novels. A final trick is the cover art, which shows two sets of footprints going down to the lifeguard tower, but which turn into one set. Ned's dual personality, rejoined? You decide. (Time Warner Audio/8 hours unabridged)

The Iraq war is a mess. We went in, trying to kill roaches with a sledgehammer. That makes for heroic footage in order to bolster highly visible political careers, but what might have been more effective involves special forces teams, perhaps with snipers like Gunnery Sergeant Jack Coughlin, whose new book is titled SHOOTER---THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE TOP RANKED MARINE SNIPER. Written with Capt. Casey Kuhlman and Donald A. Davis, the audiobook is read by veteran performer Dick Hill, and details a successful career in the shadowy world of long-range precision military marksmanship. Included as a means to unify the story are Coughlin's efforts to establish a mobile sniper strike team, which would take his deadly craft to the enemy instead of waiting in ambush. That is exactly what he did with the Third Marine Battalion's drive into Baghdad. From his training days to his missions in Africa and Iraq, Coughlin affords us a peek behind the shade at a job whose description includes killing without being seen. That's also the job description of the terrorist, of course, but one big difference is that terrorists don't utilize cross-hairs, and so they kill innocents. (Blackstone Audio/9 hours unabridged)

What about actual criminal killers, who work close to home? For a detailed examination of why the ordinary person kills, try listening to THE MURDERER NEXT DOOR by David M. Buss. Read by Michael Prichard, this audiobook is unique in that it's not about serial killers, either, but rather the rest of us. Have you ever had murderous thoughts? 91 percent of men and 84 percent of women have. What causes someone to act on these thoughts? The most obvious visible cause is the love triangle, and there are plenty of real-life examples here of those who have crossed the line into temporary insanity. Truth is, you don't need to fear stranger killers, because you're far more likely to be killed by someone you know, or "love." Professor of psychology Buss has also written "The Evolution of Desire" and "The Dangerous Passion," so you get the idea. When you start to look at your mate or lover as a possession rather than a free, fellow human being, you're stepping dangerously close to the line. For women, if you get involved with a man who sees you as furniture, or if you marry an abuser who doesn't respect you, you just might approach the edge of reason, and end up wearing an orange jumpsuit much longer than Martha Stewart! (Tantor Media/11 hours unabridged)

So what is love, exactly? That's a good question for Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, who visited here in Tucson recently. And the answer is that love is not about possession, but rather understanding, empathy and compassion. The understanding part is revealed in his new audiobook, THE UNIVERSE IN A SINGLE ATOM, read by actor Richard Gere. It's about the convergence of science and spirituality, and is, in essence, a history lecture and personal memoir exploring karma and Darwinism, quantum mechanics and philosophical insights, neurobiology and the study of consciousness. Sound like deep subjects? That's the surprising part. Who knew the Dalai Lama was so interested in science, and that he was even willing to reject tenets of Buddhism if they could be proven false in the laboratory? My respect for the man has just gone up exponentially, despite how some of his backers may just be cashing in on his fame. Certainly you will find no radical Buddhists with bombs or anthrax, threatening to annihilate non-believers. Richard Gere also offers insights to his own attraction to Gyatso in an interview at the end, and admits that parts of this particular book can be difficult to understand by the lay person. (Random House Audio/6.25 hours unabridged)

Finally, if you intend to become or to remain optimally healthy, pick up THE PERRICONE WEIGHT-LOSS DIET by Dr. Nicholas Perricone. The audiobook is read by David Pittu, and digests much of what has appeared in earlier books, such as "The Perricone Prescription" and "The Perricone Promise," along with some new findings revealed in studies conducted by others. Prized super foods and supplements are outlined, such as salmon, blueberries and hazel nuts, plus alpha-lipoic acid, borage oil and carnitine. Then there are exercise tips, and a 14 day diet plan with recipes on an enhanced CD for computer. Not simply a fad diet, Perricone's plan is big on the how and why it works, with rigorous analysis of the science involved on the cellular level. Surprisingly, the everyday spice cinnamon aids blood pressure and cholesterol levels better than some prescription drugs, and curry powder may prevent the onset of Alzheimer's. Evidence for this is at least more conclusive than for some infomercial selling coral calcium or a stomach crunch device, with only testimonials from the likes of Hazel and George Berkendorfer of Hamburger, Indiana to go by. (Random House Audio/5 hours abridged)

Also new this month, THE CORMAC MCCARTHY COLLECTION, a sampling of western stories, is read by actor Brad Pitt; VANISH, a suspense by Tess Gerritsen, is read by actress Anne Heche; THE PAINTED DRUM, a Native American novel by Louise Erdrich, is read by Anna Fields; THE DIVIDE, a literary mystery by Nicholas Evans, is read by Scott Brick; FAITHLESS, a suspense by Karin Slaughter, is read by Francie Swift; and REMAINS SILENT, a forensic mystery by Michael Baden and Linda Kenney, is read by Michele Santopietro.

(These audiobooks may be rented from Audio Adventures by calling 1-800-551-6692. You may sample Jonathan's acclaimed adventure FAME ISLAND, read by Emmy-winning actor Kristoffer Tabori, in Mp3 download at BlackstoneAudio.com.)