TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of June 29, 1997

FictionNonfiction
WeekMonth
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INTO THIN AIR
Jon Krakauer
Cover of INTO THIN AIR
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ANGELA'S ASHES
Frank McCourt
Cover of ANGELA'S ASHES

ANGELA'S ASHES

by Frank McCourt · Scribner

41 wks on list

<b><i>Angela's Ashes</i>, imbued on every page with Frank McCourt's astounding humor and compassion, is a glorious book that bears all the marks of a classic.</b><br><br><i>"When I look back on my childhood I wonder how I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood: the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood, and worse yet is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood."</i><br> <br> So begins the luminous memoir of Frank McCourt, born in Depression-era Brooklyn to recent Irish immigrants and raised in the slums of Limerick, Ireland. Frank's mother, Angela, has no money to feed the children since Frank's father, Malachy, rarely works, and when he does he drinks his wages. Yet Malachy -- exasperating, irresponsible and beguiling-- does nurture in Frank an appetite for the one thing he can provide: a story. Frank lives for his father's tales of Cuchulain, who saved Ireland, and of the Angel on the Seventh Step, who brings his mother babies. Perhaps it is story that accounts for Frank's survival. Wearing rags for diapers, begging a pig's head for Christmas dinner and gathering coal from the roadside to light a fire, Frank endures poverty, near-starvation and the casual cruelty of relatives and neighbors--yet lives to tell his tale with eloquence, exuberance and remarkable forgiveness.

5
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THE BIBLE CODE
Michael Drosnin
Cover of THE BIBLE CODE

THE BIBLE CODE

by Michael Drosnin · Simon & Schuster

2 wks on list

Vol. 2 has title: Bible code II: the countdown.

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WITHOUT A DOUBT
Marcia Clark with Teresa Carpenter
Cover of WITHOUT A DOUBT

WITHOUT A DOUBT

by Marcia Clark with Teresa Carpenter · Viking Press

6 wks on list

Without a Doubt is not just a book about a trial. It's a book about a woman. Marcia Clark takes us inside her head and her heart. Her voice is raw, incisive, disarming, unmistakable. Her story is both sweeping and deeply personal." "How did she do it, day after day? What was it like, orchestrating the most controversial case of her career in the face of the media's relentless klieg lights? How did she fight her personal battles - those of a working mother balancing a crushing workload and a painful, very public divorce? When did she know that her case was lost? Who stood by her, and who abandoned her? And how did she cope with the outcome? As Clark shares the secrets of her own life, we understand for the first time why she identified so strongly with Nicole, in a way no man ever could." "No one is spared in this unflinching account - least of all Clark herself, who candidly admits what she wishes she'd done differently - and, for the first time, we understand why the outcome was inevitable.

9
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UNDERBOSS
Peter Maas
Cover of UNDERBOSS

UNDERBOSS

by Peter Maas · HarperCollins

9 wks on list

Sammy the Bull Gravano's story of life in the Mafia is based on dozens of interviews. The reader is ushered into the secret inner sanctum of Cosa Nostra, an underworld of power, lust, greed, betrayal, and deception, with the specter of violent death always looming. We've often read or heard about this world from the outside, but now comes a no-holds-barred account from one who was there. Gravano's story reveals the truth behind a quarter-century of shocking headlines. It is also a tragic story of a wasted life, and of the unalterable course that confronts those who become members of the so-called Honored Society.

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TWO GUYS FOUR CORNERS
Don Imus and Fred Imus

TWO GUYS FOUR CORNERS

by Don Imus and Fred Imus · Villard

2 wks on list

A gorgeous and surprising Father's Day gift book, this collection of photos and sassy commentary by radio star Don Imus and his brother, entrepreneur Fred Imus, offers a powerful and memorable work for lovers of the American West and for fans of Don's broadcasts. 70 photos, many in color.

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CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD: Book 1
Neale Donald Walsch
Cover of CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD: Book 1

CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD: Book 1

by Neale Donald Walsch · Putnam

28 wks on list

In a world where organized religion fails to resonate with a growing number of people, Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God offers a refreshing and thought-provoking alternative. Delve into thought-provoking discussions on free speech, creativity, and discernment, as Walsch's empathetic and empowering words guide you towards a life of inner harmony and awakening. Unveiling the secrets to unlocking your true potential, this timeless classic explores the profound connection between humanity and the divine presence. With unwavering honesty and startling clarity, Walsch invites you to embrace love over fear, reminding you that you hold the power to transform your reality.

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THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR
Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR

by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko · Longstreet

23 wks on list

Can you spot the millionaire next door? Who are the rich in this country? What do they do? Where do they shop? What do they drive? How do they invest? Where did their ancestors come from? How did they get rich? Can I ever become one of them? Get the answers in The Millionaire Next Door, the never-before-told story about wealth in America. You'll be surprised at what you find out. "Why aren't I as wealthy as I should be?" Many people ask this question of themselves all the time. Often they are hard-working, well-educated, middle-to-high-income people. Why, then, are so few affluent? The answer lies in The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's wealthy. According to authors Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, most people have it all wrong about how you become wealthy in America. It is seldom inheritance or advanced degrees or even intelligence that builds fortunes in this country. Wealth in America is more often the result of hard work, diligent savings, and living below your means. - Jacket.

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THE ONLY WAY I KNOW
Cal Ripken Jr. and Mike Bryan
Cover of THE ONLY WAY I KNOW

THE ONLY WAY I KNOW

by Cal Ripken Jr. and Mike Bryan · Viking Press

2 wks on list

With the honesty and grace that have endeared him to fans everywhere, Cal Ripken, Jr., tells the story of his journey to the major leagues. "An unusually good sports autobiography that captures the candor and generous spirit of a man who has had diamond greatness thrust upon him".--"Publishers Weekly". of color photos. Satellite TV tour. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.

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THE PERFECT STORM
Sebastian Junger
Cover of THE PERFECT STORM

THE PERFECT STORM

by Sebastian Junger · Norton

3 wks on list

"There is nothing imaginary about Junger's book; it is all terrifyingly, awesomely real." —Los Angeles Times It was the storm of the century, boasting waves over one hundred feet high—a tempest created by so rare a combination of factors that meteorologists deemed it "the perfect storm." In a book that has become a classic, Sebastian Junger explores the history of the fishing industry, the science of storms, and the candid accounts of the people whose lives the storm touched. The Perfect Storm is a real-life thriller that makes us feel like we've been caught, helpless, in the grip of a force of nature beyond our understanding or control. Winner of the American Library Association's 1998 Alex Award.

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.