A few cookbooks manage to convey the passion, the almost religious experience that the author feels for cooking. For purists seeking an authentic approach to Thai cooking this is the book. There are very detailed instructions on how to crack a coconut.

Pretending to be a secret bureau in the FBI, the author writes about common dating relationship problems and how to resolve them. The style is too gimmicky and the attempt at humour rather laboured especially when the book has nothing new to reveal that you wouldn't already know.

We may not be what we eat. But what must we eat? What are the consequences of this?
Michael Pollan is at his best yet in this book about four meals. He talks about his own experience in wrestling with common questions the concerned eater of today has.
How bad is fast food? What is really organic? The joys of hunting and scavenging your food. Should you turn vegan? Should I eat local? How does that help?

When Orwell published Burmese Days (that too with much difficulty) he was an unknown. This is a remarkable gem of book, overshadowed by his more popular works such as Animal Farm and 1984, that deserves a closer look. Early in his career, George Orwell was a policeman and served with the Imperial Police in Burma. He did not serve very long, but in those few short years Orwell managed to absorb everything he saw. This book is the product of those years and is Orwell's comment on British India; colonials & natives, their perceptions and prejudices about each other; the British club and its intrigues; the exploitation of the back-country and its people, both by colonials and local politicians. In the middle of all that commentary there is also a Jane Austenesque love story with reality thrown in at the end. Orwell holds nothing back in his critical examination and delineation of his characters. One mark of great fiction is how quickly you can relate to each character within a few paragraphs and how alive they remain in your memory: the conniving 'crocodile' of a Burmese magistrate - U Po Khin; the educated but ultimately servile Indian surgeon - Veeraswami; Ellis - the racist argumentative member of the club; the obnoxious cad - Veerall, who thinks of nothing other than polo and horses; and the hero of the novel - Flory who is forever battling his demons.

(More at http://fromhelicon.blogspot.com/2006/06/burmese-days.html)

Harold Bloom is perhaps the most influential Shakespeare critic of our time. In a few pages he goes over every single one of Shakespeare's plays. All the plays are arranged by topics - the Comedies, Apprentice Tragedies, Major Tragedies, etc.
While you may or may not agree with some of his interpretations, everyone can benefit from a different point of view. The introduction to the book is marvelous piece and a must read for anyone wanting to explore or re-explore the Bard.