Sex & Single Girls Lee Damsky, editor (Seal, $16.95). A
clear, honest depiction of female sexuality–in all its quirky
splendor. While some of the essays are kinky, what’s even more
satisfying about this collection is the feeling that the authors
are, for the most part, letting it all hang out, presenting women
for what we really are: living, breathing human beings, not
airbrushed centerfolds or brainless fantasy fodder. –Andy Steiner
Between Two Fires: Intimate Writings on Life, Love, Food and
Flavor by Laura Esquivel (Crown, $14.05). From the author of
Like Water for Chocolate comes a sweet, intimate little book of
vignettes on the magic of food and love. Filled with recipes,
biography, and poetic observations, the book is layered with
sensuous thought. Reading it is like eating a good dessert. –Mark
Odegard
Susan Glaspell: A Critical Biography by Barbara Ozieblo
(University of North Carolina, $22.50). A vital but forgotten voice
in American literature who deserves the credit for discovering
playwright Eugene O’Neill, Susan Glaspell was a key player in the
dazzling bohemian crowd of Greenwich Village celebrated in Warren
Beatty’s film Reds. This academically inclined biography charts
Glaspell’s fascinating progression from a well-mannered but
freethinking girl in Davenport, Iowa, to an early feminist
novelist, to an expatriate in Greece, then back to America, where
she won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1931. –Jay Walljasper
The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference by Malcolm Gladwell (Little, Brown, $24.95). From
Paul Revere’s ride and the mysterious comeback of Hush Puppies to
Peter Jennings’ smile and the secret of teenage smoking, Gladwell
explores the world of mavens, innovators, connectors, and salesmen
and their remarkable ability to shape our world. –Craig Cox
A Free Range Childhood: Self Regulation at Summerhill School by
Matthew Appleton (Foundation for Educational Renewal, $18.95).
Imagine a school where children aren’t drilled into compulsory
obedience and hammered into pre-cut molds, but rather allowed to
develop at their own pace. Founded in 1921 by A.S. Neill,
Summerhill School in England is such a place, where learning is
based not on adult coercion, but on self-governance and an
atmosphere that fosters responsibility. This hopeful and
fascinating account by a former Summerhill house- parent provides
crucial reading for parents and educators, as well as anyone
interested in child psychology. –Chris Dodge
