TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Nonfiction

Week of January 25, 1998

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ANGELA'S ASHES
Frank McCourt
Cover of ANGELA'S ASHES

ANGELA'S ASHES

by Frank McCourt · Scribner

71 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.

3
INTO THIN AIR
Jon Krakauer
Cover of INTO THIN AIR
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THE PERFECT STORM
Sebastian Junger
Cover of THE PERFECT STORM

THE PERFECT STORM

by Sebastian Junger · Norton

33 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.

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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

53 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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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

58 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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DIRTY JOKES AND BEER
Drew Carey
Cover of DIRTY JOKES AND BEER

DIRTY JOKES AND BEER

by Drew Carey · Hyperion

16 wks on list

The enigmatic star of the hugely popular Drew Carey Show divulges the secrets of his rise to stardom and his life as a standup comedian in the audiobook versionof Dirty Jokes and Beer: Stories of the Unrefined. Despite the title's promise, this isn't just three hours of filth and debauchery--well, not quite. Carey also shares an unexpected admission about being molested as a child, a surprisingly serious and moving moment. This solemnity, however, is a brief respite from almost three hours of bawdy humor--fables of all things dirty and odes to everything politically incorrect. Carey's jokes are nothing new or original, but he doesn't profess them to be. These are characterizations of people he has met throughout his life: grotesque slobs, cheap hookers, and lousy drunks. They're not exactly inspirational characters, but Carey manages to see--and relate--their funny sides. Carey borrows his jokes from barroom culture, leaving them raw and uncensored. Listening to the tape, you can almost smell the stale tobacco and taste the draft beer. Some listeners will delight in Carey's anecdotes about anatomically astonishing penises and his other jokes, while others may feel slightly nauseated. Dirty Jokes and Beer leaves little middle ground; you'll either love it or rip your headphones off in disgust.

12
NEW
TEARS OF RAGE
John Walsh with Susan Schindehette

TEARS OF RAGE

by John Walsh with Susan Schindehette · Pocket

3 wks on list

John Walsh tells the story of his own personal tragedy and the conspiracy of events that have kept him from obtaining justice.

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THE CELESTINE VISION
James Redfield
Cover of THE CELESTINE VISION

THE CELESTINE VISION

by James Redfield · Warner

8 wks on list

Based on his personal experiences, the author of"The Celestine Prophecy" and "The Tenth Insight" shares his vision for--and explains how to achieve--a new era of global peace and understanding.

15
NEW
THE RAPE OF NANKING
Iris Chang
Cover of THE RAPE OF NANKING

THE RAPE OF NANKING

by Iris Chang · Basic

1 wks on list

Relates an account of the 1937 massacre of 250,000 Chinese civilians in Nanking by the invading Japanese military, a carnage for which the Japanese government has never admitted responsibility.

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