The Associated Press has asked current Presidential candidates questions aimed at revealing their “personal side.” What was the last book of fiction they read? Political thrillers were popular, and Grisham got two votes. Some can’t (or chose not to) distinguish non-fiction from fiction; some tried to cutely score political points. Dennis Kucinich chose a book by Alan Lightman, an MIT professor from the Boston area. Here’s the full list:
DEMOCRATS
Biden: “Runaway Jury” by John Grisham.
Clinton: “Team of Rivals” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Dodd: “The Broker” by John Grisham.
Edwards: “Exile” by Richard North Patterson.
Kucinich: “Einstein’s Dreams” by Alan Lightman.
Obama: “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson.
Richardson: “The administration’s energy plan.”
REPUBLICANS
Brownback: “The Dream Giver” by Bruce Wilkinson with David and Heather Kopp.
Giuliani: “The Beach House” by James Patterson and Peter De Jonge.
Huckabee: “My oldest son’s screenplay.”
Hunter: “The Democrats’ proposal to balance the budget.”
McCain: “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway.
Romney: “Term Limits” by Vince Flynn.
Tancredo: “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore.
Posted by newtonreference 
The author of this book of essays has been justifiably described as “a prophet of responsibility” and “one of America’s most valued cultural critics”. I feel this is an important collection of essays, many based on talks he has given, about the ways we must adjust our thinking about nature and violence and sustainable living in the post-modern era. He tackles profound ideas in down-to-earth prose; he speaks to us as a fellow citizen of planet Earth. Although much of what he says evokes a sense of urgency and fear that we may not have much time left to effect needed change, he always leaves the reader with hope for the future and ideas for activism. Much food for thought, engagingly written.
Posted by newtonreference 
How unusual to find a page-turner in a collection of essays on astronomy and the cosmos! Clearly and engagingly, and with more than a touch of humor, Tyson writes about complicated topics for an educated but general audience. His ability to simplify and explain the most complex concepts is phenomenal. If you have even a passing interest in the great leaps in knowledge that have occurred in the fields of astronomy and cosmology over the past half-century, this book is for you. A real keeper!
Posted by newtonreference 
A son of California flower children parents seeking peace and enlightenment, this Newton author was placed with a Tibetan family in Nepal at the age of three. While his mother committed herself to becoming a Buddhist nun following the schizophrenic breakdown of his father, he was then ordained as a Buddhist monk at the age of six by request of his mother. Thus begins the compelling psychological story of the author’s search for personal peace, in remote settings, to his mother’s origins in Hollywood, and eventually to Brandeis and Newton. The author encourages response in order to start a dialog.
