books by Back Bay Books

books by Back Bay Books

books:

Back Bay Books

Edith Hamilton

Back Bay Books, 1998

the gold standard
Hamilton is definitely the gold standard for retelling these glorious, ancient myths. Her style is engaging and the structure of the book makes it very easy to keep track of such ridiculously branched family trees. This is much more than just a reference book...it's ...

Naked

David Sedaris

Back Bay Books, 1998

SUBLIME
Unbelievably, pant-wettingly funny. His take on apple-picking is one of the most beautifully structured comic essays in history, and his experiences in a nudist colony are brilliant. Sedaris is a god. A god!

Then We Came to the End: A Novel

Joshua Ferris

Back Bay Books, 2008

Didn't want this novel to end!
For those of you looking for a quick recommendation, I can say that this is the best book that I've read this year. It was funny but sad, outlandish but true, and I fell head over heels in love with it. Ferris's novel is set in the fairly mundane setting of an ...

A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance: Portrait of an Age

William Manchester

Back Bay Books, 1993

A Great Read !!
In my book, "Astronomical Symbols on Ancient and Medieval Coins", I devote a number of chapters to the astronomical symbols that were depicted on medieval coinage as signs of divine right to sovereignty. As part of my research, I read numerous books on medieval ...

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell

Back Bay Books, 2007

Mediocre at best
Gladwell is a writer for the New Yorker so it's not surprising that this entire book could have been summed up in an article. Gladwell basically says we should follow our instinct and concludes at the end that we shouldn't be judgemental at the same time. Wow, what ...

The Thin Place

Kathryn Davis

Back Bay Books, 2007

Rich, Brilliant, Beautiful, Mysterious
I absolutely adored this book. I was very surprised seeing all the negative reviews here at the Amazon reviews area; I had no trouble at all becoming immediately and totally absorbed in Ms. Davis's ravishingly beautiful prose, from page one to the end. In my enthusiasm ...

Me Talk Pretty One Day

David Sedaris

Back Bay Books, 2001

Great send-up of the French
For anyone who has ever been to France, or anyone who has suffered the indignities of learning a foreign language, this is the humor book for you! Only be sure to read it in private, because if you're like me you might find yourself laughing out loud on public ...

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Marcus Luttrell

Back Bay Books, 2008

A book about true heroism
I have read many books on or about the Navy Seals, some better than others. Quite often I don't finish the books as they are poorly written or just get plain boring. This is by far the best Seal book ever written. In fact I put this up with "Marine Sniper: 93 ...

The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger

Back Bay Books, 2001

my favorite book ever
Holden Caufield is possibly my favorite fictional character. Or should I say, he's the one I could most relate to. If you've ever been depressed and lonely, you can relate to Holden. If you're cynical, you can relate to Holden. Some would call him a bitter ...

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell

Back Bay Books, 2002

"THINK OF THEM AS EPIDEMICS"
This book asserts that the best way to understand popularity and social behavior, such as the rise in popularity of a book, teen behaviors, or word of mouth phenomena, is to model them as epidemics. The author suggests that ideas, behaviors, and the popularity of ...

Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

David Sedaris

Back Bay Books, 2005

charasmatic
makes you fall in love with his unremarkable characters, who do nothing grand and simply just...live

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Back Bay Books, 1995

Must Read
This is a fantastic book that provides great insight into one of the most inspirational leaders in modern history. His story in particular and the anti-apartheid struggles in general are fascinating and provide extremely valuable lessons. With his humbleness and ...

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa

Peter Godwin

Back Bay Books, 2008

An Insider's View of Zimbabwe
While traveling on an overland safari, I ran out of books to read. (Although I brought plenty, as an English teacher, I was devouring them as we drove through the African countryside.) Fortunately, one of the French girls in the back of the truck had just finished a ...

The Lovely Bones

Alice Sebold

Back Bay Books, 2004

Introspective book
The Lovely Bones was just that..A sad but uplifting story, told by a great writer with a knack for keeping the story interesting, yet not "gory"..Excellent read, could not put it down!!!!!

Lucky: A Memoir

Alice Sebold

Back Bay Books, 2002

Brave, compelling read
From the opening pages, Sebold tells the reader a truly horrifying story of her rape in accurate and quite graphic detail. And whilst horrified at what she has endured, you want to read more - to see how someone survives an attack like that, and what life is like ...