Books - BillDamon.com

What I've read recently
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
Whiteout	8.2	Ken Follet	Typical Follett depth and good characters. If you like his stuff, you'll like it. This one is about industrial espionage in a bio-tech firm in Scotland.
The Titan's Curse	9.3	Rick Riordan	Percy Jackson is back again taking on the bad Gods and helping the good ones in the 3rd book of The Olympians series. This is as good as the first one. Great stuff.
Sitting Bull	6	Bill Yenne	A very dry look at the life of Sitting Bull, the great Lakota shaman and war chief who fought the US Army in the plains for many years.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo	9.7	Stieg Larsson	A fantastic mystery, thriller set in Sweden. The characters are charismatic and interesting, the plot is very interesting, and a real page turner. The best mystery I've seen in a while. The author, Stieg Larsson, was the best selling author in the world in 2008 because of this book and its follow ups.
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel	9	Michael Scott	A Harry Potter like adventure where a set of twins get thrown into war between factions of ancient peoples that use their powers to try and take over or save the humans race. It�s a little complicated and slow at times, but interesting.
Internal Cleansing	9.5	Linda Berry	Another great book on detox with lots of details on detox programs and recommendations.
The Book of Herbal Teas: A Guide to Gathering, Brewing, and Drinking	9.4	Sara Perry	A great book on herbal teas that shows how to pick the right herbs, the best method to make the tea for each herb, properties of many herbal teas, and many recipes.
The Detox Solution: The Missing Link to Radiant Health, Abundant Energy, Ideal Weight, and Peace of Mind	10	Patricia Fitzgerald	A fantastic book the covers: the toxins we can take into our body through foods, environment, dailiy life choices, how your body deals with these toxins, how you can cut down on the toxins, and how we can help our bodies deal with these toxins. Maybe the best book on our health that I've ever read.
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto	8	Michael Pollan	An historical look at how "nutritionism" has grownin the United States and undermined the health of the country. It also has some great general rules to go by for making your food sugggestions.
The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook	8	Julie Kaufmann	Lots of recipes and how to's in this rice cooker book. Recipes include how to steam and make whole meals in the cooker.
The Juicing Bible	9	Pat Crocker	A great book on how to juice, with recipes specially designed for all kinds of physical issues. It contains a breakdown of many fruits and vegetables along with hergs and seeds. There's an amazing amount of information in this book.
Complete Book of Juicing: Your Delicious Guide to Youthful Vitality	9	Michael T. Murray	A great introducing to the benefits of juicing along with a lot of background on what to juice, recipes, and specific benefits of certains foods.
Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome	10	James Wilson	An incredcibly informative book on an issue that affects millions of people. This is a critical book for anyone with chronic health conditions including chronic fatigue, respiratory problems, sinus problems, and a host of other related issues. Just fantastic.
Chasing Darkness	7.7	Robert Crais	Another Elvis Cole mystery with the usual wit and temp. If you like this rest, you'll like this one.
The September Society	9.2	Charles Finch	Finch's 2nd installment in the Charles Lenox series has him working a complex mystery centered around old war heros and Cambridge. A really great read both because of the mystery and because of the details that come out of lliving in 1869's London. Great stuff.
Wind at the Door, A	7.8	Madeliene L-Engle	The 2nd in the "A Wrinkle in Time" series has Meg, Calvin, and some other interesting chracters venturing out into the universe to save Charles Wallace. A little long� but really interesting.
The Somnambulist	8.8	Jonathan Barnes	A fantastically ridiculous sprawling novel that ends up being way to far over the top, but I didn't find that out until I was about 80% through it. I can't describe the plot much except to say a famour magician in 1800's London is brought into help Scottland Yard investigate a murder that has ties to something that could end the city. The characters are fascinating.

Some of My Favorite Fiction Books
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
Ender's Game	10	O. Scott Card	One of the all time sci-fi classics. A good read even if you aren't into this genre at all. A must read if you like SciFi.
Killer Angels	10	Michael Shaara	Probably the most fascinating book I ever read gets into the details of the Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of each of its major players. It was amazing the first time through to see Robert E. Lee and Longstreet come to life. A great read for the Civil War buff or even just a history fan.
The Godfather	10	Mario Puzo	Easily one of the best books I've ever read. Even if you've seen the movie 10 times this book is still great. It adds another level of detail to all the main characters and helps you understand their motives much more.
Night of the Avenging Blowfish	10	John Welter	So witty it makes my sides hurt just thinking about it. A lonely Secret Service agent gets involved with hijinks around a secret baseball game against the CIA, getting SPAM on the presidential menu, and falling in love. I've read this book more times than any other and I can't wait to read it again.
The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques To Release Your Body's Own Medicine	10	Roger Jahnke	A great introduction to Qi Gong which teaches a lot about the basics of the breath, self massage, and movement. A must have for anyone trying to learn easy techniques to allow their body work better and to gain a better understanding of how energy flows through the body.
The Time Traveler's Wife	9.8	Audrey Niffenegger	One of the best, and most mindblowing books I have ever read. It�s the story of a man who can time travel and his long, and time twisted relationship with his wife. So mind warping with the time element totally chaotic yet totally gripping throughout. Just a great, great, great read and you don't have to be sci-fi fan at all to enjoy it.
The Incas	9.8	Daniel Peters	Fantastic story of Cusi Huaman growing up at the hieght of the Inca Empire, only to see it crumble before his eyes as civil war and the Spanish tear things apart. Great characters, great story.;
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo	9.7	Stieg Larsson	A fantastic mystery, thriller set in Sweden. The characters are charismatic and interesting, the plot is very interesting, and a real page turner. The best mystery I've seen in a while. The author, Stieg Larsson, was the best selling author in the world in 2008 because of this book and its follow ups.
World Without End	9.7	Ken Follet	Another great epic from Follet set in 1300's England. Fantastic story with great characters and a great view of what life was like back then. You wish it didn't end.
Lucifer's Hammer	9.6	Niven Pournelle	Fantastic real world sci-fi. A comet is spotted and nobody is sure if it will hit the earth. It doesn't loook like it. The book is set in 1977. Once the comet does hit several threads are followed of how people survive. Great stuff. Not much science, but plenty of interesting stories an drama takes place as folks follow different paths to survival.
Breakfast with Buddha	9.6	Roland Merullo	A great little story of a happy guy who ends up on a road trip with a famous zenish monk. Fun, witty, and really interesting. Great stuff. I'll read this one again some day. A spiritual road trip that will make you smile.
Nobody's Fool	9.5	Richard Russo	I love Richard Russo's stuff. This is probably his best. A look at Sully, a small time construction worker trying to keep his life together in the small town he grew up in. Lots of great characters playing out in small town America.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows	9.5	J. K. Rowling	A great ending to a fantastic series. Harry ends his epic journey with an epic undertaking and Rowling pulls it off with out gettnig too sentimental or sloppy. Just one of the best series I've ever read. Fantabulous!
Prayer for Owen Meaney, A	9.5	John Irving	A classic. The story of a young boy facing all kinds of challenges but keeping his eye on his destiny for the greater good of all. Fascinating.
Siddhartha	9.4	Herman Hess	This 1951 classic is a great stoy, very readable, and a great learning experience. Siddhartha's quest for enlightment teaches many lessons along with the way with vivid moments of clarity that really help you understand his struggle.
Angels & Demons	9.4	Dan Brown	Great thriller set in and around The Vatican might be better than Brown's biggest sellter, The Davinci Code.
The Titan's Curse	9.3	Rick Riordan	Percy Jackson is back again taking on the bad Gods and helping the good ones in the 3rd book of The Olympians series. This is as good as the first one. Great stuff.
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)	9.3	Rick Riordan	A great adventure book has Percy Jackson work with the great mythic Greek gods to help avert a God war. Much like the Harry Potter series, archtypecal stories bring forth great lessons for all of us from this children's series.
Moonfall	9.3	Jack McDevitt	Story of a comet hitting the moon and what happens afterwards. Good disaster tale with interesting characters and some well thought out future discoveries.
The Sea Monters	9.2	Rick Riordan	The 2nd in the Olympian series has Percy going up against more of the bad guys and using his guts, skills, and many friends to win the day. Really good stuff. Especially if you like the Harry Potter series.
Pillars of the Earth	9.2	Ken Follet	Great story of life in medieval times follows many different folks on their journey to survival in religously ruled Europe.
Beautiful Blue Death, A	9.2	Charles Finch	A very well written mystery set in 1800's England is centered around the lords and ladys of London. Finch's writing style is concise and keeps you interested as details of the case and of the time come out. Good stuff.
The September Society	9.2	Charles Finch	Finch's 2nd installment in the Charles Lenox series has him working a complex mystery centered around old war heros and Cambridge. A really great read both because of the mystery and because of the details that come out of lliving in 1869's London. Great stuff.
Straight Man	9	Richard Russo	A witty, irrevrant, fun book looks at the life of a university profesor in a midlfie crisis. Laugh out loud at times.
Dangerous Fortune, A	9	Ken Follet
Poet	9	Michael Connolly
Edge of the City	9	Daniel Mahoney	The second of the Brian McKenna series is damn good.
Vertical Run	9	Joe Garber
Rise to Rebellion	9	Jeff Shaara	The first of two books on the American Revolution is riveting as it tells the story of how John Adams, Sam Adams, Ben Franklin, Paul Revere and many other characters led the U.S.A. to its independence. A fictional work that let's you really see how life was back then.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	9	J. K. Rowling
You Gotta Play Hurt	9	Dan Jenkins	From the author of "Semi-Tough" comes this story of a reporter on a year long tour of the sporting world. Damn funny and an intriguing look at sports.
Detective First Grade	9	Daniel Mahoney	Mahoney's first in the Dectitive Brian McKenna series is one of the best detective novels I've read. McKenna is a hard nosed NYPD dectitive how earns his stripes the hard way in this intersting mystery.
Night Sins	9	Tami Hoag
Night Prey	9	John Sanford
The Alchemist	9	Paul Coelho	Paule Coelho's classic fable of a poor shepherd trying to accomplish his "personal legend".
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel	9	Michael Scott	A Harry Potter like adventure where a set of twins get thrown into war between factions of ancient peoples that use their powers to try and take over or save the humans race. It�s a little complicated and slow at times, but interesting.
Wrinkle in Tme, A	9	Madeliene L-Engle	A fantastic story lived in another world has teens taking on the forces of evil throughout the universe. Good stuff if you like mystical, adventourus tales.
A Study in Scarlet	9	Arthur Conan Doyle	The first of the Sherlock Holmes series is fascinating as this strange character is introduced and is memorable from the outset. The details of the investigation lead to a long story about the early days of the Mormons which is pretty fascinating in its own right.
The Day After Tomorrow	9	Alan Folsom	A great, complex caper takes detectice McVey all over Europe on a case that started as a serial killer investigation and turned into a worldwide conspiracy. It�s a little dated (writen in 1995) but still intriguing with a great pace that will sop you from putting it down.
Never Surrender: A Novel of Winston Churchill	9	Michael Dobbs	A great fictional look behind the scenes of Churchill's first few weeks as Prime Minister with war breaking out in France and the British disaster at Dunkirk. All the characters play out with Halifax, Chamberlin, Kennedy, the king and queen, and Churchilll fighting it out as what is best.
Moonwar	9	Ben Bova
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince	9	J. K. Rowling	Another great chapter in the story has Harry and Dumbeldore on the trail of Lord V.
Executive Orders	9	Tom Clancy
Eyes of a Child	9	Richard North Patterson
Catcher in the Rye	9	J.D. Salinger
Century, The	9	Kurt Andersen
Mars	9	Ben Bova
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	9	J. K. Rowling	The 4th in the series could be the best. Harry gets entered into a wizard contest as strange things are happening at Hogwarts. The series still has a certain snap to it as author Rowling ups the ante with all kinds of weird goings on.
Gods and Generals	9	Jeff Shaara
The Glorious Cause	9	Jeff Shaara	Fantastic 2nd part of Sharra's Revolutionary War tale shows just how great a leader George Washington was and how important France was to the U.S. gaining its independence.

Science Fiction Books
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
Ender's Game	10	O. Scott Card	One of the all time sci-fi classics. A good read even if you aren't into this genre at all. A must read if you like SciFi.
The Time Traveler's Wife	9.8	Audrey Niffenegger	One of the best, and most mindblowing books I have ever read. It�s the story of a man who can time travel and his long, and time twisted relationship with his wife. So mind warping with the time element totally chaotic yet totally gripping throughout. Just a great, great, great read and you don't have to be sci-fi fan at all to enjoy it.
Lucifer's Hammer	9.6	Niven Pournelle	Fantastic real world sci-fi. A comet is spotted and nobody is sure if it will hit the earth. It doesn't loook like it. The book is set in 1977. Once the comet does hit several threads are followed of how people survive. Great stuff. Not much science, but plenty of interesting stories an drama takes place as folks follow different paths to survival.
The Titan's Curse	9.3	Rick Riordan	Percy Jackson is back again taking on the bad Gods and helping the good ones in the 3rd book of The Olympians series. This is as good as the first one. Great stuff.
Moonfall	9.3	Jack McDevitt	Story of a comet hitting the moon and what happens afterwards. Good disaster tale with interesting characters and some well thought out future discoveries.
Moonwar	9	Ben Bova
Mars	9	Ben Bova

Literature Books
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
Night of the Avenging Blowfish	10	John Welter	So witty it makes my sides hurt just thinking about it. A lonely Secret Service agent gets involved with hijinks around a secret baseball game against the CIA, getting SPAM on the presidential menu, and falling in love. I've read this book more times than any other and I can't wait to read it again.
Prayer for Owen Meaney, A	9.5	John Irving	A classic. The story of a young boy facing all kinds of challenges but keeping his eye on his destiny for the greater good of all. Fascinating.
Nobody's Fool	9.5	Richard Russo	I love Richard Russo's stuff. This is probably his best. A look at Sully, a small time construction worker trying to keep his life together in the small town he grew up in. Lots of great characters playing out in small town America.
Catcher in the Rye	9	J.D. Salinger
Straight Man	9	Richard Russo	A witty, irrevrant, fun book looks at the life of a university profesor in a midlfie crisis. Laugh out loud at times.
The Life of Pi	8.6	Yann Martel	A boy who grows up following many different religions in India while his father tended a zoo gets stuck on a lifeboat with a tiger after his ship heading to Canada sinks. A remarkable story that starts off slow, but is a real page turner after that.

Biography Books
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
Black Mass	9.5	Dick Lehr	The story of Whitey Bulger and the FBI is quite rivoting.
And I Don't Want to Live this Life	9.5	Deborah Spungen	The story of the life of the girlfriend of Sex Pistol star Sid Vicous. Fascinating and scary look at what havoc a person with a mental illness can cause for a family. Written by the victim's mother. You can feel her pain.
Marlene Dietrich	9.2	Maria Riva	Biography of Dietrich as told by her daughter. Abosultely one of the dirtiest and raunchiest life stories you will ever read. Especially considering it was written by her daughter! Interesting throughout. She really "served" the soldiers of France well. Her escapades are really unbelievable. Especially with folks like Ernest Hemingway.
The Kid Stays in the Picture	9	Robert Evans	One of the ultimate Hollywood legends produced The Godfathers and some other huge hits while dating everyone woman in Hollywood and hanging with Nicholson and the crew. Fascinating story.
Beyond Band of Brothers	9	Dick Winters	Major Dick Winters writes an extension to Band of Brothers that has lots more information for folks who liked the HBO series and the Ambrose book. More details about training, tactics, and the men that made up Easy Company.
Paul Revere's Ride	9	David Hackett Fischer	A great read that tells the story of Paul Revere's ride before, during, and after. It's just fascinating to see how his influence and ingenuity so greatly affected the beginning on the revolution in small and large ways. It's a must read for anyone who plans to do the historical sites in Boston.
Peter the Great	9	Robert Massie
American Shaolin	8.7	Matthew Polly	Matthew Polly was a college junior interested in the martial arts and in overcoming his own cowardice when he decided to go to China and study at the Shaoline Temple in the mid 90's Great account of what it takes to study the arts at this level, of life in China at that time, and of growing into your life.
Adeventures in the Screen Writing Trade	8	William Goldman	William Goldman who wrote Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Princess Bride among others, breaks down film stories and the industry. Great insider stuff.
Cary Grant	8	Graham McCann	The story of Cary Grant is pretty amazing in that he was a circus performer who traveld to the U.S. to be in vaudville and ended up at a party in LA with Mae West. He was in some of the funniest movies of all time and is arguably the most successful actor in the history of Hollywood.
Howard Hawks: The Grey Fox of Hollywood	8	Todd McCarthy	The biography of probably the greatest director in movie history. His works include "The Big Sleep", "His Girl Friday", "Red River", "Brining Up Baby" and about 40 others. He discovered Lauren Bacall in a Red Cross picture and made her a star.

Spirituality Books
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques To Release Your Body's Own Medicine	10	Roger Jahnke	A great introduction to Qi Gong which teaches a lot about the basics of the breath, self massage, and movement. A must have for anyone trying to learn easy techniques to allow their body work better and to gain a better understanding of how energy flows through the body.
The Power of Now	10	Eckhart Tolle
7 Minutes of Magic: Recharge Your Body Each Day with Qi Gong	10	Lee Holden	A great book for those looking to start off in Qi Gong. It has details on two routines, one for recharging your energy in the morning, and one for destressing in the evening. Easy to follow and easy ti work into your life. Great stuff!
The Four Agreements	10	Don Miguel Ruiz	This huge best seller is one of the easiest books you will ever read. The premise is that if you make these four agreements with yourself you will allow your true nature to be released. These agreements are: Be Impeccable With Your Words, Don't Take Anything Personally, Don't Make Assumptions, Always Do Your Best.
Masters of the Living Energy: The Mystical World of the Q'ero of Peru	10	Joan Parisi Wilcox	An in-depth look at the Q'ero shaman of Peru by Parisi who spent a few years studying them. Some great insites for Mesa carriers, healers, and for despacho ceremonies. A must for anyone on that path.
Power vs. Force	10	David Hawkins	Hawkin's pioneering work in kiniseology and spirituality in great detail. Just fantastic.
Shaman, Healer, Sage	10	Alberto Villoldo	Alberto's defining book and the one that made him a bestselling author explains many of the healing ways of the Inca Shaman. Part manual, part history, and part inspirational.
Breakfast with Buddha	9.6	Roland Merullo	A great little story of a happy guy who ends up on a road trip with a famous zenish monk. Fun, witty, and really interesting. Great stuff. I'll read this one again some day. A spiritual road trip that will make you smile.
Slowing Down to the Speed of Life	9.6	Richard Carlson	A great look at how being presetn improves so many parts of your life with great tips on how to get there. A book that works well for the beginner looking to learn more about themelves and their life or for folks who have read lots of other stuff. From the Amazon reivew, "Carlson recommends a "Psychology of Mind" approach that involves being fully present in each situation and not letting the attitudes of others ruin your day. This way, your thoughts become more organized--wiser, if you will--and you get more work done without even trying. This time management trick is what he says will improve your life--not a cell phone or an electronic scheduler or a personal assistant. "
The Little Book of Yoga Breathing: Pranayama Made Easy	9.5	Scott Shaw	A great little (and cheap) book about basic breathing techniques that can take 2 minutes and help you feel energized and more alert, or calmer and refreshed. Really easy to do. A great one stop shopper place to find out the basics and learn how to take advantage of years of Yoga practicioners research.
You Can Heal Your Life	9.5	Louse H. Hay	A great introduction on some basic energetic and spritual principles that help people heal their lives.
The Impeccable Warrior of Light	9.5	Peace Mother Getta Sacrd Song	A great book on how an impeccable warrior of light (one on a spiritual path) can walk their path with protection and help others. Real good stuff.
Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death	9.5	Joan Halifax	Author Joan Halifax has a lot of experience as a care giver and gives some great insight on how to be with someone who is dying. And how we can have a more full life by acknowledging that we will someday die.
Ariadne's Book of Dreams: A Dictionary of Ancient and Contemporary Symbols	9.5	Arainde Green	Ariadne Green, the woman behind the dream interpretation service web site DreamThread, has put together this fabulous book on interpreting dreams from a Shamanic perspective. A great explanation of how dreams fit into the 3 world model along with a detailed dream dictionary make this a must have.
Qi Gong for Total Wellness	9.5	Dr. Baolin Wu	A great inside look at one of the most reverred and secretive Qo Gong practices, the 9 Palaces. Great background on where it came from and detailed explanations on the movements.
The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi	9.5	Roger Jahnke	A look at Jahnke's 9 phases to learn to work with Qi. A great book for beginners trying to learn some easy movements and a lot of the history of Qi Gong.
Eat, Pray, Love	9.4	Elizabeth Gilbert	Fantastic memoir of a woman's trip to Italy, India, and Indonesia to find herself after a traumatic divorce. There's lots of books of people finding their path through life but author Elizabeth Gilbert is a highly entertaining author which adds a lot to the mix.
Siddhartha	9.4	Herman Hess	This 1951 classic is a great stoy, very readable, and a great learning experience. Siddhartha's quest for enlightment teaches many lessons along with the way with vivid moments of clarity that really help you understand his struggle.
Practical Psychic Self-Defense: Understanding and Surviving Unseen Influences	9.2	Robert Bruce	A great book that has a lot of stuff on signals of energetic disruptions, how to identify different factors, many different steps to take for clearing and protection.
The Heart of Buddah's Teaching	9	Thich Nhat Hanh	A great once over for the basic Buddhist principles from one of the most prolific teachers in Thich Nhat Hahn.
The Alchemist	9	Paul Coelho	Paule Coelho's classic fable of a poor shepherd trying to accomplish his "personal legend".
The Four Insights	9	Alberto Villoldo	Alberto's look into the four insights that will let you lead your life in a more conscious way as taught to him from the earthkeepers.
Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner's Guide	9	Sandra Ingerman	The definitive book on shamanic journeying.
Courageous Dreaming	9	Alberto Villoldo	Alberto writes about dreaming your world into being. A great look at how to set intention and your life and plenty about the basics of Shamanism.
Intention	8.8	Wayne Dyer	Dyer looks at the energy behind intention and gives some great ten step programs on how to make things happen in your life.
The Miracle of Mindfullness	8.8	Thich Nhat Hanh	Thich Nhat Han's simple and powerful book about how becoming mindful can change your life. FROM AMAZON: "Miracle of Mindfulness is a sly commentary on the Anapanasati Sutra, the Sutra on Breath to Maintain Mindfulness. "Sly" because it doesn't read like a dry commentary at all. One of Thich Nhat Hanh's most popular books, Miracle of Mindfulness is about how to take hold of your consciousness and keep it alive to the present reality, whether eating a tangerine, playing with your children, or washing the dishes. A world-renowned Zen master, Nhat Hanh weaves practical instruction with anecdotes and other stories to show how the meditative mind can be achieved at all times and how it can help us all "reveal and heal." Nhat Hanh is a master at helping us find a calm refuge within ourselves and teaching us how to reach out from there to the rest of the world. "
Tarot & Dream Interpretation	8.8	Julie Gillentine	A great how to book on using the Tarot to interpret dreams. Several spreads are included including detailed examples of using them along with a section outlining the dream meanings of all the cards.
American Shaolin	8.7	Matthew Polly	Matthew Polly was a college junior interested in the martial arts and in overcoming his own cowardice when he decided to go to China and study at the Shaoline Temple in the mid 90's Great account of what it takes to study the arts at this level, of life in China at that time, and of growing into your life.

Historical Books
Title (with Amazon.com link)	Rating	Author	Description
Peru - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!)	10	John Forrest	A great guide to the customs and etiquette of Peru for those who are visiting. Things like greetings, visiting people's homes, popular card games, how to ask for help, how to talk to people you don't know� great stuff.
The Incas	9.8	Daniel Peters	Fantastic story of Cusi Huaman growing up at the hieght of the Inca Empire, only to see it crumble before his eyes as civil war and the Spanish tear things apart. Great characters, great story.;
Band of Brothers	9.6	Stephen E. Ambrose	Sensational account following Company E of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division from training through D-Day, Holland, Bastogne, and finally Germany. The detail of story is amazing and some larger than life characters make the whole story totally gripping much of the time. If you like war stories, this is one of the definitive books for WWII. And its great even if you've already seen the HBO special. It adds a lot of context that's missing in the mini-series.
Seabiscuit	9.5	Laura Hillenbrand	The depression era set story of an unlikely group that comes together to become the toast of the horse racing world. A historical non-fiction work that reads like a great story from beginning to end. The stories of the key players alone are interesting. How they come together and become the toast of America is just an amazing story. I also enjoyed learning a lot about that time in American history from a cultural point of view. Even a good read if you've seen the movie.
Citizen Soldiers	9.5	Stephen E. Ambrose	The continuation of "D-Day" following the Allied advance in ETO from Normandy to Berlin.
D-Day	9.3	Stephen E. Ambrose	The detailed story of the invasion of Normandy told through experiences of the veterans.
Never Surrender: A Novel of Winston Churchill	9	Michael Dobbs	A great fictional look behind the scenes of Churchill's first few weeks as Prime Minister with war breaking out in France and the British disaster at Dunkirk. All the characters play out with Halifax, Chamberlin, Kennedy, the king and queen, and Churchilll fighting it out as what is best.
The Last Days of the Incas	9	Kim MacQuarrie	The history of how the conquistadors brutally conquered the Inca Empire. The details of the story are fascinating and it is told in a farily entertaining way.
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court	9	Jeffrey Toobin	A great look at the controversial Supreme Court of the last 20 years. In depth writing on each of the key justices and an outline of the most important cases. A good read.
The Glorious Cause	9	Jeff Shaara	Fantastic 2nd part of Sharra's Revolutionary War tale shows just how great a leader George Washington was and how important France was to the U.S. gaining its independence.
Paul Revere's Ride	9	David Hackett Fischer	A great read that tells the story of Paul Revere's ride before, during, and after. It's just fascinating to see how his influence and ingenuity so greatly affected the beginning on the revolution in small and large ways. It's a must read for anyone who plans to do the historical sites in Boston.
Peter the Great	9	Robert Massie
Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The	9	William Shirer
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer	8.6	James L. Swanson	Fascinating story of John Wilkes Booth's assasination of Lincoln and the subsequent chase. The background of the story is the U.S. in the days just after Lee's surrender of the Confederate Army were surprising to me. I had no idea what the country was like then and didn�t imagine it to be as chaotic as made out here.