January 3, 2009

Michelle Karen is a well spoken advocate of astrology. Her book, "Astrology for Enlightenment," gives the reader the tools to guide his or her own future. It discusses the tools for enlightenment, the signs of the zodiac, and the Mayan calendar. After reading the book you will have an idea when to schedule important business meetings, which day of the week is best to start a new project and where relationships will lead you, among countless other things.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

December 27, 2008

James J. O'Donnell's "The Ruin of the Roman Empire" is written with an overture, three acts and an epilogue. The book gives a brilliant image of life in 500-604: what people ate, health conditions, the lot of women and children, what the clothing was like, bathing habits and travel. In addtion you will learn about Theoderic, Justinian and Gregory and the message those Roman years have for us today.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

December 20, 2008

John Baxter, author of "Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas" will have you salivating! John is a transplanted Australian whose gourmet feasts for his French in-laws are amazing. In the book he talks about his quest for oysters, Clouchard apples, pork, cheese, and pears...all ingredients in the perfect holiday dinner he is planning. Along the way you'll learn the Christmas customs of France. A perfect holiday read.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

December 13, 2008

Sarah Lyall, a New York Times reporter, has lived in London since the mid-1990's. "The Anglo Files: a Field Guide to the British" is an insider's look at the ways of the British. In it you'll discover what Brits think of Americans, how they handle achievement, that their health care is not all that bad, the truth about British food, bits about politicians, the English love of alcohol and much, much more. Sarah said that Englishmen are articulate and sound charming but that charm often masks a degree of chauvanism. And, to my delight, she's met and talked with Hugh Grant!

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

December 6, 2008

Edward Dolnick exposes the world of art forgery in "The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century." The forger is a mediocre painter named Han van Meegeren who delvelops a method of aging paintings and manages to convince art experts and art collectors, including Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering, that his work is that of Vermeer. It is a fascinating story.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, November 29, 2008

David Lebedoff reveals the similarities of two seemingly different writers in "The Same Man: George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh in Love and War." Both men were born in 1903 into a similar class but Waugh coveted high society and celebrity while Orwell lived a penniless existence. Lebedoff's dual biography covers their early lives, education, loves, writing and experiences in World War II. The account of Waugh with Randolph Churchill during the war is priceless. However unalike they were, Lebedoff maintains that both deplored modernity. Discover more about these two brilliant men.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, November 22, 208

Louis Bayard tells the story of the world's first plain clothes detective in "The Black Tower." The detective's name was Vidocq. He was once a convict, worked in Paris in the first part of the 17th century, and was a master of disguise. In this story he is involved in the mystery of a lost royal, the son of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI. You will love this atmospheric historical novel.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, November 15, 2008

Hollis Gillespie's "Trailer Trashed: My Dubious Efforts Toward Upward Mobility," is a hilarious collection of essays. The chapters reveal the stories of this former flight attendant who was afraid to fly; her parents who were an often drunk trailer salesman and a missile designer; her sisters, one very good and one rather crazy and her friends: Daniel, Grant and Larry. Hollis' adventures have been optioned to television and in the interview she reveals that Laura Dern may play the lead.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, November 8, 2008

James Tabor's "Forever on the Mountain" tells the story of one of moutaineering's most controversial diasters. It takes place in 1967 when two climbing groups grudgingly united for a trek up Alaska's Mt. McKinley. Near the peak, they encountered a terrible storm and seven young men died. This book unravels the mystery of what went so badly wrong.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, November 1, 2008

Jessamyn Conrad's "What You Should Know About Politics...But Don't: a Nonpartisan Guide to the Issues" is the perfect antidote to the plethora of politcal advertisements. After explaining our electoral process, the book presents the background and current debates on issues such as the economy, health care, the environment and energy. You will learn the position of all parties on all issues and be able to choose rationally where your feelings align.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, October 25, 2008

Kathleen Norris writes eloquently in "Acedia and Me: a Marriage, Monks and a Writer's Life" about the ennui or boredom that haunts artists, monks and her own life. Using monastic writing and personal experience in this frank memoir, she talks about the power that acedia has to limit the capacity for happiness and the ability to work and be part of the community.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, October 18, 2008

Simon Baatz has written a wonderful true-crime book called "The Thrill Of It: Leopold, Loeb, and the Murder That Shocked Chicago." About eighty years ago, two wealthy young men wanted to commit the perfect murder. Their random and brutal killing of a young boy rocked Chicago and resulted in a trial at which they were represented by Clarence Darrow. Baatz explains the circumstances behind the murder, the details of the investigation and trial and the aftermath. I couldn't put the book down once I read the first page.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, October 11, 2008

Patricia Klindienst, a master gardener, scholar and teacher, has authored "The Earth Knows My Name: Food, Culture and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans." Klindienst had an Italian grandfather who left behind a photgraph of her mother taken on the day Sacco and Vanzetti were put to death. This image sent her on a quest to learn about them. She discovered that Vanzetti coped with his situation by dreaming of his father's garden in Italy. Eventually, Klindienst visited many ethnic gardens and tells the stories of those gardens and gardeners in this lovely book.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, October 4, 2008

Brooks Carder, author of "The Laguna Beach Diet," has developed an eating plan that seems very doable to me. Based on the Mediterranean diet, it doesn't require two weeks of starvation in the beginning or counting calories. The diet does require you eat lots of fish, chicken, vegetables, fruit, red wine and olive oil. You can even have dark chocolate. But red meat and sugar must be rare treats. Dr. Carder doesn't promise fast weight loss. He does believe that this way of eating is healthier than any other and, for most people, will result in gradual weight loss.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, September 27, 2008

Bill Yenne has written an outstanding biography, "Sitting Bull." I really liked his depiction of Sitting Bull's early life and I loved learning about the Lakota culture. It was much misunderstood by the European soldiers and settlers. So was Sitting Bull misunderstood. He was never the top military chief that we thought. But he was a true leader and his story including his warrior years and celebrity years, is very interesting.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, September 20, 2008

Ying Chang Compestine is the author of "Revolution is Not a Dinner Party," a novel about growing up in China under Mao. It is drawn from her own childhood experiences. Ying is also well known for her interest in healthy Chinese cooking. She teaches cooking classes, sometimes on cruises, and develops recipes for the Boulder Heart Institute. Check your local library for her cookbooks. The one I like is called "Secrets of Fat-Free Chinese Cooking."

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, September 13, 2008

Tana French, author of "The Likeness," grew up in Ireland, Italy, the United States and Malawi and chose Dublin as her home when she reached adulthood. I read her first thriller, "In the Woods," and was so excited to have the opportunity to interview her for her second. French has created a group of characters that inhabit a Dublin detective squad. Rob Ryan was featured in her first novel; Cassie Maddox in her second. The story involves the murder of Cassie's physical double. Cassie assumes the victim's character and goes undercover to live in the victim's college house in order to discover who the murderer is. Tana was a delightful person to talk to and I look forward to her third novel.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, September 6, 2008

Thomas Foster, a professor of English at the University of Michigan, has written "How to Read Novels Like a Professor." I think it's a valueable and important book for both readers and writers. After a brief history of the novel, Foster talks about opening lines, character, voice, place, endings and much more. Along the way he has interesting "laws" like the Law of Character Clarity and the Law of Shutting Doors. All of this has changed for the better the way I read novels.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, August 30, 2008

Gregory Gibson, a book collector and dealer, is the author of "Hubert's Freaks," the story of another rare book dealer, Bob Langmuir. Bob starts collecting black Americana and learns about a Times Square freak show called Hubert's at a trunk show sale. In the trunk that Bob buys he discovers never-before-seen photographic prints by Diane Arbus. Bob's adventures in book dealing, combating depression, interviewing freaks and validating the Arbus photos make for one heck of a read.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, August 23, 2008

James W. Douglass, author of "JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters," has a long interest in peace. For the past twleve years he has been researching the deaths of John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy and Malcolm X. This is the first book with more to come. Douglass is very upfront with his belief that Kennedy's death was organized by the CIA because of Kennedy's wish to end the Cold War by dialoging with the likes of Khruschev and Castro. He supports his argument with extensive research (100 pages of footnotes). Douglass believes that by revealing this urge to kill the dream of peace, we can better pursue peace today.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, August 16, 2008

Georgeanne Brennan, author of "Pigs in Provence," began a love affair with food and France when she and her husband moved there in the 1960's. They raised goats and a pig and sold fresh goat cheese. The book is a loving account of Brennan's decades of French experience of the rural life and rural citizens of Provence interspersed with recipes. I recently made the tomato tart and it was wonderful!

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, August 9,2008

Jay Kopelman, author of "From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava," writes and speaks poignantly of how his reentry into regular life after serving in Iraq was similar to that of the dog he brought back. In spite of behavior problems, Lava "introduces" Jay to the woman who will become his wife and helps alleviate the stress of returning from war. For an insight into mental health issues of troops, this book is tops

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, August 2, 2008

Roxane Orgill, author of "Dream Lucky: When FDR was in the White House, Count Basie was on the radio and everyone wore a hat...," is a music critic and author of books for children and young adults. "Dream Lucky" is her first book for us older folks. And a unique book it is... a riff on the politics, sports, religion, painting and music of 1936 to 1938. Reacquaint yourself with the likes of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Max Schmeling, big bands, Jacob Lawerence, Eleanor Roosevelt, Amelia Earhart and many others.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, July26, 2008

Benjamin Wallace's "The Billionaire's Vinegar: the Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine" traces the history of some bottles of Bordeaux believed to have been purchased by Thomas Jefferson. The book is filled with interesting characters from wine collectors to wine sellers to wine crooks. You'll learn about elaborate wine tastings, wine auctions, and wine provenance. Wallace told me the book has been optioned by Hollywood.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, July 19, 2008

Tony Horwitz's "A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World" covers the often forgotten years of American history before the Pilgrims. Reading it you will learn about the Vikings, Christopher Columbus, Spanish explorations from Florida to the Southwest, settling of Roanoke etc. The book is a lovely combination of the history of places discovered before the Pilgrims and current times in those places.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, July 12, 2008

Therese Fowler, author of the novel "Souvenir," grew up in Milan, Illinois and now lives in North Carolina. This is her first published work. The story, set in Florida, is about Meg Powell, a successful doctor in a less than wonderful marriage with a teenage daughter who exhibits poor judgement at times. There is also the vital presence of Meg's first love, Carson McKay. Therese's goal was to write fiction that is commercial as well as literary. I think she met her goal and hope she continues to write.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, July 5, 2008

Philip Fradkin, author of "Wallace Stegner and the American West," went to great lengths to research his book. In addition to doing all the normal research, he physically visited all the places where Stegner ever lived. The result is a very revealing picture of Stegner as a writer, a teacher and a conservationist. As an Iowan and a small part of Augustana College, it was interesting to me to read about Stegner's years at the University of Iowa and his short experience teaching at Augustana. You will have to listen to the interview to learn why his stay was short.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, June 28, 2008

Henry Shukman, author of "The Lost City," is a travel writer, short story writer and poet. This is his first novel. It's the story of a Brit, at loose ends after leaving the service, who travels to the jungles of South America following the footsteps of a friend who died and looking for treasure. Looking for a life, really. He encounters an intriguing group of characters including Sarah, a young American; Beltran, a priest; and Ignacio, an orphan.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, June 21, 2008

Ned Sublette is a composer, guitarist, and leading scholar of Cuban music. He spent a year in New Orleans prior to Katrina and the result was a new book, "The World That Made New Orleans: From Spanish Silver to Congo Square." The book tells the story of New Orleans' first century, approximately 1719 to 1819, and the influence that Spain, France, Santo Domingo and the English had on the city. You'll meet all kinds of fascinating characters and learn a lot about the origins, slave history and the music and dances of New Orleans.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, June 14, 2008

Janet Lembke's book, "Because the Cat Purrs: How we relate to other species and why it matters," is filled with amazing human/animal relationships. For example, did you know that a pet turtle can "ask" to be let out of his cage and can "ask" to be let outside? Did you know that mice evolved from dinosaurs or that morning glory seeds are an hallucinogen? This and much more can be learned from "Because the Cat Purrs." Lembke is, in addition to be a natural history writer, a poet and a translator of the classics. She says what she enjoys most about writing is posing a question and then writing her way to an answer.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, June 7, 2008

William Link has written a mammoth and interesting biography: "Jesse Helms and the Rise of Modern Conservatism." Senator Helms was from North Carolina and had a background in the media. He used that expertise to win elections. Issues of desegreation and sexuality were important to him. He developed a political organization that was very successful in raising money and promoting conservative causes. "His legacy lives on the the unilaterism of the Bush administration," says William Link, a history professor from the University of Florida.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 31, 2008

Author Chrisopher Robbins is on an airplane when he learns that "Apples Are From Kazakhstan." That tidbit of knowledge leads him to travel there and and becomes the title of his book. And a wonderful book it is. Kazakhstan was closed to foreigners for decades and is relatively unknown. Reading the book makes the country familiar. Eagle hunting, tulips, archeology, WWII history, Mamelukes, nomads, trade with China, politics...all are discovered by Robbins as he joyfully acquaints himself and his readers with a new land.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 24, 2008

Robyn Scott's memoir is called "Twenty Chickens for a Saddle, the story of an African childhood." As a young child, Robyn's parents moved their family to Botswana where they lived in a converted cowshed. Her father, a doctor, supported the family by flying a small plane to various rural clinics; her mother home schooled the children. The book is filled with eccentric characters and adventures. It's a marvelous accomplishment for a woman still in her twenties.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 17, 2008

Dennis McCullough's "My Mother, Your Mother: Embracing Slow Medicine, the Compassionate Approach to Caring for Your Aging Loved Ones" is necessary reading for anyone caring for elderly parents or preparing for their own senior years. McCullough is a geriatrician and faculty member in the Department of Community Medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He comes across as the kindest human ever. The book covers the eight stations of late life (after 80) and uses the story of McCullough's mother's experiences. The book is comforting and a wonderful resource to anyone making this journey.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 10, 2008

David King brings history to life in "Vienna 1814: How the Conquerors of Napoleon Made Love, War and Peace at the Congress of Vienna." Read about Tallyrand, Metternich, Castlereagh and Tsar Alexander and their romantic exploits with Wilhelmina, Princess Catherine and Dorothea. This is a true romp as well as very informative. I can't wait until King's next books which he says will be about a serial killer in Nazi occupied Paris.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, May 3

Joseph Horowitz has written a wonderful history called "Artists in Exile: How Refugees from Twentieth-Century War and Revolution Transformed the American Performing Arts." You'll read of the impact of refugees on music (Igor Stavinsky, Rudolph Serkin, Kurt Weill), dance (George Balanacine), film (Marlene Dietrich, Ernest Lubitsch) and theater (Stanislavsky).

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, April 26, 2008

Sylvia Sellers-Garcia is a very impressive first time novelist. Her book is titled "When the Ground Turns in Its Sleep." Bascially it is the story of a Guatemalan/ American who, after his fathers death, returns to Guatemals in search of his family's story. Guatemala is marred with the scars of a 30 year conflict about which the people are moslty silent. This book will alert you to the conditions of a county just three hours from us. I highly recommend it. Sellers-Garcia encourages you to read furthur about Guatemala. Her suggested titles are:

Mario Payeras: "Days of the Jungle"
Ricardo Falla: "Massacres in the Jungle"
Piero Gleijeses: "Shattered Hope"


For authors based in the US (and with recent publications), readers might like Daniel Wilkinson's "Silence on the Mountain" or one of the many books by Francisco Goldman. His recent publication "The Art of Political Murder" is about the assassination of Bishop Gerardi in Guatemala.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, April 19, 2008

Eddy Harris, an African American writer who now lives in France, visited the Augustana campus this year. Perhaps his most famous book is "Mississippi Solo," an account of a sole canoe trip down the Mississippi River. But my favorite is "South of Haunted Dreams," a memoir of Eddy's travels though southern states. You may also want to check out "Native Stranger," the story of his journey though Africa.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, April 12, 2008

Sukhdev Sandhu has written a fascinating little book for all of you who love London, England. Called "Night Haunts: a journey thourgh the London night," it recounts Sandhu's year long observations of what goes on while most of London is asleep. He joins the avian police as they hover in London skies from 7 to 7; he visits the Nuns of Tyburn who pray through the night; he rides with bargers; he goes into subterranean London with flushers. I found the book amazing and revealing. I almost bypassed the interview and am so glad for my change of heart. I also had a nice time visiting with Sukhdev about his work as a film critic for the London Daily Telegraph. He divides his time between London and New York where he is a Professor of English Literature at NYU.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, April 5, 2008

Thomas Joswick is professor emeritus of literature at Western Illinois University and has a special interest in nature writing and the art of John James Audobon. He talks about Audobon, bird field guides and his project of writing poems based on Audobon essays. He also reads a poen about the great blue heron and on about the pinneated grouse. Joswick will appear at the Figge Art Musuem on April 13.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, March 29, 2008

Jesse Sheidlower is the editor of the new Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Sixth edition. It is fascinating to hear how the dictionary is put together. Even more interesting is Sheidlower himself. He's an expert on slang. While still in college he discovered an earlier use of the word "tool" than the OED knew of. Sadly, reading for words has ruined reading for pleasure for Sheidlower.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, March 22, 2008

Jonathan Alderfer's "National Geographic Birding Essentials" will make your spring birding more informed and enjoyable. His co-author is Jon L. Dunn. Birding is the fastest growing wildlife-related outdoor activity in the United States. I was surprised by this statement but Alderfer says it's true. You can easily join the throng with this easy, beautifully illustrated book. It discusses tools, techniques and tips for beginning to bird or for becoming a better birder.

Listen to the interiew at Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, March 15, 2008

John Lescroat's new thriller is "Betrayal." I was excited at the prospect of an interview as it is usually difficult or impossible to get on a best selling author's schedule. But About Books was granted ten minutes and I enjoyed every second. Although "Betrayal" is a Dismas Hardy mystery, it is really about the Iraq war, the burden the war places on men in the National Guard and post traumatic stress syndrome. Lescroat is very gracious and almost surprised at his status as a best selling author. He is also a former musician.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, March 8, 2008

John Bryant of Hofstra University and Haskell Springer, professor emeritus of English at the University of Kansas have edited a new edition of "Moby Dick." Bryant is the one interviewed. He talks about how they divided the task and about the concept of "fluid text." There are more than one version of "Moby Dick" and this edition includes the text of both the American and English versions intermingled. There are also lots of notes or "revision narrative comments." All in all, their work makes "Moby Dick" very appealing.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, March 1, 2008

Al Young, Poet Laureate of California, has a new book called " Something About the Blues: an unlikely collection of poetry." The 120 poems talk about love, Hollywood, music, Paris and much more in a very bluesy way. The bonus is an accompanying CD that has Mr. Young reading 20 of the poems, some backed by a blues band. You'll want to hear this interview as Mr. Young reads two poems not included on the CD. His voice is amazingly lush.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, February 23, 2008

Gina Nahai talks about her novel, Caspian Rain. Nahai was born Jewish in Iran and emigrated to the United States near the end of the Shah's reign. Caspian Rain is set in the decade before the Islamic revolution in Iran and is about a young Jewish girl who tries to decipher the Iranian society and her parents relationship while losing her hearing. Nahai also has interesting insights into the current situation in Iran.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, February 16, 2008

Paul Barrett returns to About Books to talk about the paperback release of American Islam: the Struggle for the Soul of a Religion. Paul started the book as part of his work for the Wall Street Journal after 9/11. He traveled the country and profiles seven American Muslims: a publisher, a scholar, an Imam, a feminist, a mystic, a webmaster and an activist. This book, on many "best of 2007" lists, is a essential ingredient in understanding the role of Muslims in American.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, February 9, 2008

Andre Aciman talks about his novel, Call Me By Your Name which has recently come out in paperback. Aciman, who teaches comparative literature in New York, was on the Augustana campus last year and I visited with him about his memoir, Out of Egypt. I remember his saying that, because he has lived in Egypt, Italy, France and the United States, he doesn't have a sense of having a country. Call Me By Your Name is a love story set during a summer in Italy and draws on some of Aciman's experience of global living.

Listen to the interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm

About Books, February 2, 2008

Barrymore Laurence Scherer, music critic for The Wall Street Journal, talks about his new book, The History of American Classical Music. The book has a CD with it so that readers can listen to the music being discussed. The book also has the access code and password to a website with many more hours of listening and a concise timeline showing key developments and cultural events world wide.

Listen to interview at http://www.wvik.org/listings-aboutbooks.htm