Books of '07

After trashing the New York Times list of books for 2007 (without having read them, of course), I thought twice about dipping into the Washington Post list. Maybe I got out of bed on a different side this morning, but somehow they look a heck of a lot better, especially the non-fiction. For some reason, most of them look enticing. A few prospects from non-fiction:

Biography:
Alexis de Tocqueville, by Hugh Brogan (Yale). Broganis achievement here is monumental. He wears his learning lightly, and the analysis conveys a distilled wisdom that is blessedly bereft of academic jargon. - Joseph J. Ellis

Einstein, by Jurgen Neffe, translated from the German by Shelley Frisch (FSG). This biographer's zingy, dramatic style sometimes calls to mind the New Yorkeris John McPhee. - Michael Dirda

Marco Polo, by Laurence Bergreen (Knopf). A full-blooded rendition of Polo's astonishing journey. Richly researched and vividly conveyed. - Colin Thubron

[World]

Deception, by Adrian Levy and Catherine Scott-Clark (Walker). Takes the reader deep inside Abdul Qadeer Khanis nuclear weapons operations in Pakistan. - Douglas Farah

The Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cell Phone, by Shashi Tharoor (Arcade). Distinguished by impressive learning, witty erudition and irrepressible passion for modern India. A total immersion course. - Alex von Tunzelmann

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