Books: 'No Good Deeds'
This is where you can get information about books featured on The Early Show in June that don't have their own, separate stories.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
"No Good Deeds"
Not every television show or murder mystery's plot is "ripped from the headlines." But sometimes a news story or headline can inspire a story line. So says author Laura Lippman about her new book, "No Good Deeds," the ninth Tess Monaghan mystery. It's certain that a murder can appear to be one thing, but actually turn out to be another.
Lippman worked for 12 years as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. In her career as a novelist, she has won the Edgar Award, the Shamus Award, and the 2003 Maryland Author Award.
In "No Good Deeds," Tess Monaghan quickly realizes that the murder of former Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Youssef has created a public relations nightmare for the attorney general's office. But no one (including Tess) wants to probe too deeply into the sticky personal life of the former boy wonder.
But when her bleeding-heart boyfriend, Crow, brings home a cocky hustler who flinches at the very mention of Youssef's name, Tess can't help wondering if the kid knows more than he's telling. And when he flees, attempting to steal her car and her laptop, she knows she's onto something.
Tess finds the kid and encourages him to tell what he knows, only to find that her own good deed is, in fact, swiftly punished. Within days, Tess's boyfriend and the young hustler have been forced to go into hiding, choosing a location that not even Tess knows. The problem is federal agents don't believe her and they're willing to use every legal trick in the book-and a few illegal ones-to find the missing witness.
Caught between her loyalty to Crow and her fears for her own well-being, the beleaguered private eye must try to figure out what is going on before she ends up in jail-possibly accompanied by family and friends. Pressure mounts and the body count grows, proving to Tess that no one is safe.
To read an excerpt, click here.
Monday, June 26, 2006
"I Do But I Don't: Walking Down the Aisle Without Losing Your Mind"
A woman's wedding day is one of the most important of her life but, frequently, the pressure of planning one can make her overly emotional, moody and frustrated. It isn't easy on grooms, or either side's family, either.
Inspired by her own experience, Kamy Wicoff wrote, "I Do But I Don't: Walking Down the Aisle Without Losing Your Mind."
She says it's meant to help modern brides-to-be help themselves and their fiancés/grooms hold onto who they are in the process of planning their nuptials.
Wicoff is married almost six years now. She and her husband, Andrew, have a two-year-old son, and she is currently six-months pregnant.
She says the book started out as a personal thing, but she ended up interviewing 80 women, ranging from single to divorced, and she was surprised at how much she learned about them.
"I have really found that (the wedding) really means a lot to women at all stages," Wicoff says. "I have received so many e-mails and responses from married women who haven't had a time to think about what they went through."
In addition to brides, Wicoff says she's heard from lots of brides' mothers, who are fascinated by what's going on with their daughters.
To watch the segment,
To read excerpts, click here, and here.
To visit Wicoff's Web site, click here.
A related Wed site of note is that of the I Do Foundation, a non-profit organization that links engaged couples to charitable organizations.
Monday, June 19, 2006
"My Senator And Me: A Dog's Eye View Of Washington, D.C."
There's an old saying, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." So, that's just what Sen. Edward Kennedy (D, Mass.) did. Six years ago, "Splash" the dog became a member of the Kennedy family. Now, Splash is the main character in the senator's new children's book.
Splash is a Portuguese Water Dog who loves swimming, sailing, playing fetch, and going to work with Kennedy, who has a second Portuguese Water Dog, named Sunny.
"My Senator and Me," recommended for kids 4- to 8-years-old, gives kids a firsthand look at how the government operates, told through the eyes of Splash.
To watch the segment,
To read an excerpt, click here.
"Make Over Your Metabolism: 4 Weeks to a Faster Metabolism and a Fitter, Firmer You"
Ever wonder why is it that some people can eat all they want and still stay thin? The key is probably that their high metabolism rate burns up calories quickly. In his new book, Robert Reames, a personal trainer and nutritionist, and the official trainer of "Dr. Phil's Ultimate Weight Loss Challenge," tells how to make our metabolisms work at their optimum levels, and why that's important.
To watch the segment,
To read an excerpt, click here.
Friday, June 9, 2006
"Reporting: Writings From The New Yorker"
One of the country's most noted writers, Pulitzer Prize winner and The New Yorker Editor David Remnick, is out with a collection of articles he penned for the magazine on everything from Hurricane Katrina to former boxing champ Mike Tyson. It's called "Reporting: Writings From The New Yorker."
Remnick visited The Early Show Friday to talk about it.
To watch the segment,
To read an excerpt, click here.
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
"The Total Wellbeing Diet"
The book by that name describes the eating plan as a heart-healthy, high-protein diet. It suggests consumption that is low-calorie, low-fat, and has moderate amounts of carbs.
"The Total Wellbeing Diet" has been a No. 1 bestseller Down Under, and now is making its way to this country.
Dr. Manny Noakes, a senior research dietitian at Australia's national science agency, is the book's co-author. She stopped by The Early Show to talk about it.
Noakes is involved in managing clinical dietary trials that explore the effects of different foods, diets, supplements, and pharmaceuticals on health.
What's different about this high-protein diet than the ones Americans are used to, such as South Beach and Atkins?
"The main difference," Noakes told The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen, "is that we've done a lot of clinical research behind it, about eight years of research behind the diet. And it doesn't just focus on weight loss. It's important that we have a diet that improves health overall and reduces fat more than it does muscle, which a lot of diets don't, and it improves nutrition as well.
"It's not about counting protein or carbs or fat.
"We put it together in a way that people can understand, and it's just a really simple diet plant to follow."
Noakes has said this diet is successful with Australians because they like higher levels of protein in their diet.
"The Total Wellbeing Diet" recommends that people eat lean red meat (beef, lamb, or veal) four times a week, fish twice a week, and chicken only once.
To read an excerpt, click here.
To watch the Noakes segment on The Early Show,
Thursday, June 1, 2006
"Unaccompanied Women"
Five years ago, Jane Juska placed an eye-opening personal ad in a magazine. It read, "Before I turn 67, I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me." The provocative ad was the catalyst for Juska's bestselling book, "A Round-Heeled Woman." Now, she's picking up the story in her new book, "Unaccompanied Women: Late Life Adventures in Love, Sex and Real Estate." It chronicles her life and musings since the first book. On The Early Show Thursday, Juska, who's now 72, speaks about the people who have responded to her first book, and how she's grown from the experience.
To watch the segment,
To read an excerpt, click here.