這個春天不容錯過的10本商業書籍
Rachel King
2019-04-30
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白天的時間變長了，太陽也出來的更晚了，盡管看起來似乎到了進行戶外活動的好時候，但這并不意味著你就得把書放在家里。對于出版行業來說，今年春天可謂是碩果累累，而且依然在沐浴著最近出版書刊的余暉，例如米歇爾·奧巴馬的回憶錄《成為》（Becoming）以及達利亞·歐文的懸疑小說《鰲蝦歌唱的地方》（Where the Crawdads Sing）。未來，商業和報道文學領域還有數本值得關注的非虛構類新作品，不妨考慮閱讀一下。
《匡扶正義：一名檢察官對犯罪、懲罰以及法律條文的思考》，作者：普瑞特·巴拉拉
已出版
在他成為首批被特朗普總統炒魷魚的政府官員之前，我們很難說紐約市或法律界之外有多少人知道普瑞特·巴拉拉這個名字，即便在紐約法律界也是如此。但這位前紐約南部地區美國律師自那之后便干起了非官方的副業，成為了點評時任政府最為知名的評論家之一，經常會在微軟全國有線廣播電視公司（MSNBC）上直言不諱地分享自己的觀點，也成為了推特（Twitter）上一名多產的推客，吸引了100多萬名粉絲。然而，即便有鑒于最近發生的事情，巴拉拉在書中采用了他此前的歷史案件和法律職業，讓事件本身將故事娓娓道來，從而讓讀者從中了解和總結美國法律系統的現狀以及未來可能的發展方向。
《庫什納公司：貪婪、野心、腐敗。賈里德·庫什納與伊萬卡·特朗普的精彩故事》，作者：維基·沃德
已出版
在特朗普上臺還只有兩年之際，似乎講述當前白宮故事的書籍可謂是層出不窮。（人們可以試想一下，無論是兩年后還是六年后，特朗普下臺之后又會出版多少本這類書籍。）尤為值得一提的是，最令人浮想聯翩的莫過于特朗普家族，惦記著這個家族的人不僅包括讀者，而且很明顯還包括記者和作者自身。維基·沃德抓住了特朗普家族中的兩個最為神秘的人物，以《名利場》雜志的作者艾米麗·簡·福克斯（她與家族的每位直系成員都見過面）去年在《生就特朗普》（Born Trump）一書中的未盡事宜作為突破點。與任何其他未經授權的書籍一樣，此書也遭到了賈里德和伊萬卡律師的否認和抵制。但與其他眾多講述政府官員的書籍一樣，沃德書中的很多故事與此前在多數主流媒體發布的報道不謀而合。不管怎么樣，這本書不容錯過。
《什么都別說：有關北愛爾蘭謀殺和回憶的真實故事》，作者：帕特里克·拉登·基弗
已出版
如果要說這是一本有關“北愛爾蘭問題”的書，就會出現使用“北愛爾蘭問題”這個術語所存在的問題：過于簡單。《紐約客》雜志的特約撰稿人帕特里克·拉登·基弗以大師級的手筆將一系列敘述、主題和角色編織在一起，撰寫了一本集歷史文學、報道文學和謀殺懸疑于一身的作品。即使是其書名《什么都別說》也都具有雙重含義：它部分取材于謝默斯·希尼的詩作，同時也是人們在北愛爾蘭過去30年恐慌和殺戮中存活的禱語。然而，除了所有這些沉重感和歷史細節之外，這本書看起來并不會讓你感到窒息，因為它深深扎根于一群核心人物的性格特征。敘事異常流暢，就像是在觀看將劇本改編為另一部HBO熱播劇。基弗設法完成了這個任務——而且甚至有可能解開了激勵他撰寫這本書的一個謎團，同時還維持了對報道文學和中立性的專注，然而在這個話題上，中立立場尤顯珍貴。
《國家隊：女子足球運動員的幕后故事》，作者：卡特琳·馬瑞
已出版
如今，美國國家女子足球隊再次奪回了世界杯和奧運會冠軍，雖然有關這支團隊的頭條報道并非以慶功為主，但卻具有非凡的意義：起訴美國足球聯盟存在性別歧視。這個訴訟涵蓋女子足球隊的28名運動員，于3月提交至聯邦法院，并尋求獲得集體訴訟地位，而且也在呼吁2015年之后參加過美國女子足球隊的任何球員加入訴訟。該訴訟指出足聯存在“制度化性別歧視”，也就是與美國足協對男子團隊提供的待遇進行對比所存在的差異，包括迥異的薪資、訓練環境、醫療待遇和交通。其中，資深體育作者卡特琳·馬瑞有關女子國家足球隊的新書則深度挖掘了女子球員在接連獲得成功后（包括歷史性的電視收視率、多個世界杯和奧運會冠軍，以及球隊為美國足協和FIFA所帶來的創紀錄的營收）得到的待遇。作為《紐約時報》、ESPN、福克斯體育頻道和《衛報》的撰稿人和記者，馬瑞為此書開展了100多次獨家采訪，其中包括團隊中最受歡迎和最知名的球員，例如阿勒克斯·摩根、卡麗·羅伊德、布蘭迪·卡斯坦以及霍普·索羅。
《女士的反擊：電視節目The View內幕爆料》，作者：拉敏·瑟圖德
已出版
CNN的布萊恩·斯德爾勒已借助其2013年出版的《晨間要事》（Top of The Morning）一書，戳破了該公司早間新聞光鮮的外衣。如今，Variety網站的紐約分局負責人拉敏·瑟圖德又開始如法炮制，只不過對象是不怎么亮麗、但更加夸張的傍午電視節目：具體來說就是美國廣播公司由來已久的脫口秀《The View》。該節目于1997年面世，隨后其主持人不斷更換，可供瑟圖德使用的素材可是著實不少，其中的大多數材料直接來自于本書對參加《The View》的女士們的采訪，這一點倒是無傷大雅。但自那之后，其中一些人竟公開表示后悔接受采訪。可能是因為她們并沒有預料到該書自4月2日出版之后竟然變得如此火爆。如果你希望找一本今夏能在海灘或機場閱讀的書籍，這本書肯定錯不了。
《誰主沉浮：天才、騙子，以及互聯網崛起秘史》，作者：大衛·庫什納
已出版
雖然你可能已經知道有人為捍衛使用網域“Sex.com”的權力而上演了一出鬧劇，但回想起來，這出鬧劇實屬必然。《滾石》雜志特邀編輯大衛·庫什納在其新書中審視了這一現象。這本書采用了真實的《滾石》風格，比硅谷之外的互聯網工作者所奉行的燕麥粥、毛線背心和任何事情都更加搖滾和粗俗。《誰主沉浮》是一個含有貓鼠游戲的故事，講述了兩個男人之間長達數十年的激烈權力之爭，其中一個后來成為了Match.com的創始人，另一位則成了騙子。
《把李子留給我：我的美食回憶錄》，作者：露絲·蕾切爾
已出版
不管是《紐約時報》對米其林三星餐廳的評價，還是240字的推文，露絲·蕾切爾的寫作風格總是那么與眾不同。這位備受歡迎的美食作家曾經擔任過《洛杉磯時報》和《紐約時報》的評論員，而且其書作已經超過了6本（回憶錄、食譜和一本小說）。如今，她的新書所透露的那段職業時光可能是其粉絲最希望了解的內容：作為《美食》雜志最后一名編輯的任職時光。康泰納仕于2009年關閉了這本備受推崇的雜志，這一消息令所有人感到震驚，上至讀者和餐廳經理，下至該媒體的其他會員。她自己在采訪中也承認而且在《把李子留給我》一書中也詳細地講過，自己比任何人都要震驚和傷心。作為一名迄今為止已經看過蕾切爾所有作品（而且定期觀看她在《頂級大廚》這類真人秀中的客串，或參加各類美食媒體的播客采訪）的讀者，我要強烈推薦蕾切爾的作品——即便你對美食媒體不怎么感興趣，因為在讀者看來，她的作品一直以來都是真正的文學盛宴。
《熱盒：窺視食品行業風險最大的業務——酒席籌辦》，作者：馬特·李、特德·李
已出版
酒席籌辦人通常是聚會中最不受重視的人，而且更糟糕的是，也是待遇最差的人。坦白說，他們的苦楚往往會因為宴會的實際規模和豪華程度的升級而升級。南加州李氏兄弟披露了籌辦行業的幕后故事，其內容之豐富，遠超你的想象。籌辦過程可能比這些人所服務的活動更加狂野。除了應對提前（以及延后）開始的情況，緊張的預算、挑剔的客戶以及極端天氣狀況之外，他們還得在服務顧客時維持其笑容和禮節。宴席籌辦可能是一個吃力不討好的工作，但在閱讀本書之后，你在下次參加籌辦活動時可能就會思考自己應如何行事。
《荷蘭女孩：奧黛麗·赫本與二戰》，作者：羅伯特·麥曾
已出版
在浮華城（好萊塢），能夠像奧黛麗·赫本那樣能夠被人大書特書的人屈指可數。盡管經歷了數代人，這位演員和人道主義者依然是公眾津津樂道的對象，即便在她于1993年去世之后很長一段時間內亦是如此。然而，紀錄片制作人、好萊塢攝影師羅伯特·麥曾的新書講述了赫本早期生活那段鮮為人知的時光，也就是她在二戰期間曾經在被納粹占領的荷蘭生活的那五年時光。這本最新的赫本自傳還錄入了對這位已故明星多位親人的采訪，也平添了該書的分量，其中包括她的兒子肖恩·費勒和盧卡·多迪。新書中令人悲痛的悲慘軼事包括她參加荷蘭抵抗組織的詳情，在阿納姆戰役期間擔任醫生助理的經歷，以及她叔叔的行刑和1944年、1945年的荷蘭饑荒。
《比特幣億萬富翁：有關天才、背叛和救贖的真實故事》，作者：本·梅茲瑞奇
出版日期：5月21日
2009年《偶然的億萬富翁》（The Accidental Billionaires）一書的讀者（或甚至其改編電影《社交網絡》的觀眾）可能會認為，泰勒·溫克勒沃斯和卡梅隆·溫克勒沃斯兩兄弟對于Facebook發生的事情以及漠不關心，而且書中對此提及的也不多。如今，作者本·梅茲瑞奇殺了回來，讓這對創業雙胞胎（科技界將之稱為“Winklevii”）在其新書中擔任主角，講述了他們在與馬克·扎克伯格的曠世法律之爭后的生活和工作。有鑒于比特幣在過去幾年中的急速膨脹和價格飆升，加密貨幣粉絲應該十分了解這對兄弟的數字貨幣基金。但梅茲瑞奇對于他們過去10年的敘述在開篇便十分扣人心弦，其手法之高，直追好萊塢制作人的水準。敘事方式有時會稍顯夸張，哪怕是描述舊金山普通的律師辦公室的外觀時也會文過飾非（“蛋殼色的墻體和工業米色地毯”）。而且這還只是第一頁。拋開這些題外話不談，梅茲瑞奇還祭出了另一個引人入勝的大招。是的，盡管這本書講的是一對有著顯赫出身、已經獲得了巨大成功的科技行業雙胞胎，但我們很難想象這些只不過是此書的最后一部分罷了，因為它更多地是關于加密貨幣市場的難以預測性以及這對兄弟的宏偉抱負。（財富中文網） 譯者：馮豐 審校：夏林 |
The days are longer and the sun is out later, and while that might seem like a prime time to get out of the house, that doesn’t mean you have to leave your books at home. This spring is already fruitful for the publishing industry, still riding the success of semi-recent releases like Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming and Delia Owens’s novel Where the Crawdads Sing. Looking forward, there are a number of new noteworthy nonfiction releases in the names of business and journalism that are well worth your consideration.
Doing Justice: A Prosecutor’s Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law by Preet Bharara
Available Now
Before he was one of the first of many to be fired by President Trump, it’s hard to say how many people knew the name Preet Bharara outside of New York City or legal circles, or even just New York legal circles. But the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York has since taken on the unofficial mantle as one of the esteemed critics of the current administration, frequently sharing candid takes on MSNBC and becoming prolific on Twitter, gaining more than a million followers. However, even with recent events in mind, Bharara’s book relies on his previous case histories and legal career to do the talking in their own right, letting the reader draw for themselves the lessons and conclusions about the state of the U.S. legal system and where it could go next.
Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump by Vicky Ward
Available Now
Just two years in to the Trump administration, and there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of material for book after book about the current White House. (One can only imagine how many there will be after Trump’s exit, whether that’s in two years or six years.) The family Trump, in particular, generates the most fascination, not only with readers but clearly with journalists and authors themselves. Honing in on two of the most mysterious characters in House Trump, Vicky Ward picks up somewhat where Vanity Fair‘s Emily Jane Fox left off in last year’s Born Trump, which spent time with each member of the immediate family. Like with any unauthorized book, there were denials and backlash from Jared and Ivanka, through their attorneys. But like with many of the books that have come out about administration officials, many of the stories in Ward’s book have lined up with previously published accounts in most major mainstream outlets. Either way, it’s a juicy read.
Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
Available Now
To say this is a book about The Troubles is much like the use of the term “The Troubles” in itself: an oversimplification. New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe does a masterful job of weaving together a myriad of narratives, themes, and characters to formulate a single book that is part history, part journalism, and part murder mystery. Even the title, Say Nothing, has a dual meaning: partially lifted from a Seamus Heaney poem and also a mantra for survival in Northern Ireland during three decades of terror and bloodshed. And yet, amid all of the heaviness and historical details, the book never feels overwhelming because it stays rooted among a core cast of characters. The narrative flows so fluidly that it almost feels like you’re reading a treatment for a screenplay to the next great HBO drama. Keefe manages to pull of this task—and possibly even solve one of the mysteries that propelled him to write this book—while maintaining a dedication to journalism and neutrality over a topic that is largely absent of any kind of neutral ground.
The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer by Caitlin Murray
Available Now
Currently the reigning World Cup and Olympic champions, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has garnered headlines for a less-than-celebratory reason but no less important: a gender discrimination suit against the United States Soccer Federation. Filed in federal court in March, the lawsuit covers 28 members of USWMT, is seeking class action status, and hopes to add in anyone who has played for U.S. Women’s Soccer since February 2015. Citing “institutionalized gender discrimination,” issue covered in the suit range from disparate pay, training conditions, medical treatment, and transportation versus the coverage and services provided by U.S. Soccer to the men’s team. Amid all this is veteran sports writer Caitlin Murray’s new book about the Women’s National Team, offering a deeper dive at both the conditions the players have endured in spite of their constant success, whether it being historic TV ratings, multiple World Cup and Olympic wins, and record revenue generated for U.S. Soccer and FIFA. A contributor and correspondent for The New York Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, and The Guardian, Murray conducted more than 100 exclusive interviews for this book, including with some of the team’s most beloved and famous players, such as Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Brandi Chastain, and Hope Solo.
Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of The View by Ramin Setoodeh
Available Now
CNN’s Brian Stelter already cracked the shiny veneer of network morning news programs with his 2013 book Top of The Morning. Now Variety’s New York bureau chief Ramin Setoodeh is here to do the same with the somewhat less shiny, but more puffed up veneer of late morning TV: specifically ABC’s long-running talk show The View. After going to air first in 1997 with an ever-revolving door of hosts since, there is no shortage of material for Setoodeh to draw upon, and it doesn’t hurt that most of the tea came directly from the ladies of The View themselves in interviews for this book—some of whom have said publicly since that they regret doing. Maybe that’s because they didn’t expect the book to explode the way it did since being published on April 2. If you’re hoping to save one book for a beach or airport read this summer, this would be it.
The Players Ball: A Genius, a Con Man, and the Secret History of the Internet’s Rise by David Kushner
Available Now
You might not have known there was drama about securing the rights to the Internet domain “Sex.com,” but on second thought, of course there was drama about securing the rights to the Internet domain “Sex.com.” Rolling Stone contributing editor David Kushner’s latest book examines just that in his latest book, which in true Rolling Stone style is much more rock-and-roll and raunchy than granola, sweater vests, and anything else associated with Internet workers out of Silicon Valley. Also part cat-and-mouse tale, The Players Ball recounts the intense, decades-long power struggle between two men—one of which was later the founder of Match.com and the other a con-man.
Save Me the Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
Available Now
Whether it’s a New York Times review of a restaurant rated three stars by Michelin or even just a 240-character tweet, no one writes quite like Ruth Reichl. The beloved food writer—who has served as a critic at the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times and penned more than half a dozen books (memoirs, cookbooks, and a novel)—is now shining a light on a time in her career that fans might be most curious about: her tenure as the last editor of Gourmet magazine. When Condé Nast shuttered the venerated title in 2009, it shocked nearly everyone, from readers to restaurant managers to other members of the media. But as she has since admitted in interviews and details in Save Me the Plums, no one was more shocked—or broken-hearted—than Reichl herself. As someone who has read all of Reichl’s books to date (and routinely tunes in to watch her guest appearances on shows like Top Chef or interviews with various food media podcasts), I’d recommend anything Reichl writes—even if you’re not interested in food media—as her work has always been a true literary feast for the reader.
Hotbox: Inside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest Business by Matt Lee and Ted Lee
Available Now
Caterers are often the most overlooked, and worse, poorly treated people at the party. Frankly, the way they’re treated often escalates based on how big or fancy the fête actually is. The Lee Brothers of South Carolina reveal much more than you could have imagined about what goes on behind the scenes in the catering business, which can be more wild than an event they’re serving. Dealing with early (and late) hours, tight budgets, demanding clients, extreme weather conditions—all while having to maintain a smile and a mantra of serving the customers. Catering can be a thankless job, but this book might make you reconsider how to conduct yourself next time you attend a catered event.
Dutch Girl: Audrey Hepburn and World War II by Robert Matzen
Available Now
There are few in Tinseltown who have been written about as much as Audrey Hepburn. The actress and humanitarian has long captured the public’s fascination across generations, even long after her death in 1993. But a new book from documentary filmmaker and Hollywood biographer Robert Matzen takes a look at a specific period in Hepburn’s early life that few are familiar with: the five years she spent in the Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II. This latest Hepburn biography is strengthened through a number of interviews of those closest to the late star, including her sons Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti. Among the harrowing and tragic incidents shared in the new book include details about her participation in the Dutch Resistance, working as a doctor’s assistant during the battle of Arnhem, the execution of her uncle, and the Dutch famine of 1944 and 1945.
Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption by Ben Mezrich
Available: May 21
Readers of 2009’s The Accidental Billionaires (or even viewers of the film adaptation The Social Network) might have thought that brothers Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss got a short shrift—both in what happened at Facebook and having a smaller slice of the narrative. Now author Ben Mezrich is back to give the entrepreneurial twins, colloquially known in the tech world as the “Winklevii,” the lead roles in a new book about their lives and work after the late-aughts legal battle with Mark Zuckerberg. Cryptocurrency followers should already be familiar with the pair’s digital currency fund as bitcoin has blown up and gone haywire over the last few years. But Mezrich’s account of their last decade is gripping from the opening pages, setting it up supremely to be optioned by Hollywood producers. The narrative flourishes can be a bit much from time to time, as Mezrich tends to go overboard in describing how even a basic San Francisco law office looks (“eggshell-colored walls and industrial-beige carpets”). And that’s just page one. Those distractions aside, Mezrich has produced another page-turner. And yes, while it is about a pair of tech bros who came already from a privileged background and have still become wildly successful, it’s hard to imagine this will be the last installment about the Winklevoss twins given the unpredictability of both the crypto markets as well as the brothers’ extreme ambition. |
