Books: 'At Risk'

This is where you can get information about books featured on The Early Show in May that don't have their own, separate stories.

Monday, May 29, 2006

"At Risk"

It was a huge challenge for a novelist: write a page-turner, with well-defined characters and lots of forensic twists and turns, and do it in 15 parts to be serialized in The New York Times Magazine. That was the challenge facing Patricia Cornwell when she wrote her latest thriller, "At Risk." It was a huge success, and it's now available as a novella.

For details on the book, to watch a trailer on it, and to test your own forensics skills, click here.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

"The Knot Guide for the Mother of the Bride"

There's been a seismic shift in the way weddings are done these days. It used to be that the parents of the bride and groom played a key role in planning the big day. Now, many couples are taking on more of the responsibility themselves, leaving their folks on the outside looking in.

"The Knot magazine's Carley Roney has written a book about the changing wedding scene, called "The Knot Guide for the Mother of the Bride."

It's full of advice for the bride's mom and dad on the new wedding etiquette, involving everything from planning to paying. Basically, it helps them help the happy couple enjoy the wedding, without getting in the way.

Roney discussed it on The Early Show with co-anchor Julie Chen Wednesday. To watch the segment, click here.

To read an excerpt, click here.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

"Riding With John Wayne: A Novel"

What happens when Hollywood meets Texas during the making of a western? The plot unfolds in Aaron Latham's new book, "Riding With John Wayne: A Novel," and Latham draws on his own experiences making the 1980 film, "Urban Cowboy."

The book isn't actually about John Wayne. In fact, there are only two references to him in the entire thing.

The book has broad appeal: mystery, romance, even comedy.

Lathlam discusses it on The Saturday Early Show.

To read an excerpt, click here.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

"The Great Deluge"

Douglas Brinkley is a noted presidential historian. But when Hurricane Katrina struck his native New Orleans, he turned his focus to the disaster. The result is a new book called "The Great Deluge," which shines a light on some of Katrina's untold stories.

Brinkley visited The Early Show Wednesday to talk about it with co-anchor Rene Syler. You can watch the segment by

To read excerpts, click here.

Tuesday, May 9, 2006

"Miracle in the Andes"

In 1972, a rugby team from Uruguay chartered a plane to fly team members and some of their families and supporters to Chile for a match. The aircraft, with dozens on board, never made it, crashing in a remote section of the Argentine Andes.

For more than two months, survivors endured freezing temperatures with only the plane's shattered fuselage for shelter. Eventually, the victims were forced to consume the bodies of the dead in order to keep from starving to death themselves.

Nando Parrado was one of two survivors who succeeded in trekking across the snow-covered mountains for help.

He's written a book about the ordeal, called "Miracle in the Andes."

Another book, "Alive," by Piers Paul Read, and its film version have made this a well-known story. But "Miracle in the Andes" is the first book by one of the survivors, and it gives a very personal, firsthand account of the ordeal, and what gave Parrado the will to go on.

Parrado visits with co-anchor Harry Smith on The Early Show Tuesday. To see the interview,

To read an excerpt, click here.

Monday, May 8, 2006

"Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food"

Five years ago, Eric Schlosser's explosive first book, "Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal" put a spotlight on the unhealthy side of America's fast food industry. The book, written for adults, was a huge success. Schlosser's latest book on the industry, "Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know About Fast Food" is just as revealing, but is written for a much younger audience.

Schlosser, along with co-author Charles Wilson, presents the fast-food industry to preteens, focusing on the nonconformist teen entrepreneurs who founded the industry, what the authors depict as the mistreatment of animals in slaughterhouses and of employees in restaurants, the shocking effects too much fast food can have on growing bodies, and the impact of the industry on schools, communities, and the planet. Kids love fast food, and the industry loves kids: It couldn't survive without them. In "Chew on This," Schlosser and Wilson share with young readers the fascinating and sometimes frightening truth about what lurks behind those sesame seed buns.

Schlosser told CBS News, "The most important point and reason for doing this book is to provide the information, so people can make an informed decision. The book isn't telling or lecturing kids about what to eat, the whole goal is to tell them what they are eating."

Schlosser talked about the new book on The Early Show Monday.

To watch the segment,

Popping the question, setting the date, wearing the diamond: They're all part of that much-discussed rite of passage, getting engaged. But there's so much more to the matter that's not quite as romantic, such as doubts, delays, and rejections. Author Jessica Kaminsky visited The Early Show Monday to discuss her new book, "The Truth Behind the Rock: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Engagements . . . Until Now."

To watch the segment,

Friday, May 5, 2006

"Shanks For Nothing"

Ten years ago, Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Rick Reilly poured his love for golf into a hugely popular novel, "Missing Links." Now, he's written a very funny follow-up called "Shanks for Nothing," continuing the story of a group of underachievers and their beloved dump of a golf course.

Reilly chatted about the book with co-anchor Harry Smith on The Early Show Friday. To watch the segment,

Thursday, May 4, 2006

"The Defining Moment"

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in March 1933, the United States was in country was in dire trouble. The Great Depression had left one-quarter of the workforce jobless. Many Americans had no hope left, but FDR was determined to change that, and the bold moves he made in his first few months as president put the nation on the road to recovery. Newsweek Senior Editor Jonathan Alter captures that critical time in his new book, "The Defining Moment: FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope."

Alter discussed it with co-anchor Harry Smith on The Early Show Thursday. To watch the segment,

Wednesday, May 3, 2006

"Desperate Networks"

It seems hard to believe, but the wildly popular "American Idol" almost didn't become a reality. And the executives who green-lighted the mega-hits "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost" were later fired. Those are just a few of the juicy tidbits revealed in the new book, "Desperate Networks," by Bill Carter. It's a behind-the-scenes portrait of the cutthroat world of network television.

Carter talked about the book with co-anchor Harry Smith on The Early Show Wednesday. To watch the interview,

Carter reports on the TV industry for The New York Times. He wrote the bestselling book "Late Shift," which looked at the corporate battles surrounding late-night talk shows in the wake of Johnny Carson's retirement.

Tuesday, May 2, 2006

"100 BS Jobs and How to Get Them"

What do diet doctors, TV meteorologists and pet psychics have in common? Fortune magazine columnist and workplace guru Stanley Bing says they're all jobs that pay well, are highly respected and, perhaps most importantly, take a very special skill set to acquire. Bing explains his theory in a new book, whose title is something along the lines of "100 BS Jobs and How to Get Them." Bing's real name is Gil Schwartz and, in this other life, he's an executive at CBS. Bing stops by The Early Show and

Auto racing has always been a male-dominated sport. But driver Danica Patrick is giving the guys a run for their money. Last year, Patrick made racing history by becoming the highest female finisher at the Indanapolis 500. She'll try to win the coveted race when she heads back to Indy later this month. Patrick writes about her life and career in her new autobiography, "Danica Crossing the Line." She

Monday, May 1, 2006

"I Say A Little Prayer"

After a four-year sabbatical from fiction, best-selling author E. Lynn Harris is back. His fans are used to juicy novels filled with love, sex, heartache and humor, and his latest book doesn't disappoint. It's called, "I Say Little Prayer." Harris

One of the first issues every new parent deals with is how to get their baby to sleep through the night. And make no mistake about it, there are lots of theories and old wives' tales about it. On The Early Show Monday, Dr. Bob Sears, a co-author of "The Baby Sleep Book,"