natenew 666x380 000000004 570x325 Nate Silver: Math God Becomes Pop Culture Star

Besides the Democratic Party, the big winner Tuesday night was math. And Nate Silver is the Lord of the Numbers. The Associated Press profiled Silver and Jon Stewart had him on “The Daily Show.”

The other night, Nate Silver got a little taste of what things are going to be like for him, post-Election 2012.

The 34-year-old statistician, unabashed numbers geek, author and creator of the much-read FiveThirtyEight blog at The New York Times had gone out for a drink with friends on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. But he couldn’t stay incognito; immediately, he says, people sitting at the bar recognized him.

He was surprised, but probably shouldn’t have been. After all, for 24 hours, ever since his election forecasts had proved uncannily successful — he correctly predicted the presidential winner in all 50 states, and almost all the Senate races — he’d been hailed as the election’s “other winner,” who’d silenced doubters and proved the value of a cool-headed, math-based approach.”

AP story

151436535 570x427 And You Dont Mess Around With Jack (Reacher)With “The Wanted Man,” the 17th Jack Reacher novel, out this month… and the Reacher movie starring Tom Cruise on the way, Vulture has compiled an impressive list of the “mayhem” (in other words, violence) in each novel.

Elbows, Knees, and Blows: All the Ways Jack Reacher Kicks Ass Over Seventeen 

We know, we’ve read all the books. Jack is a tough guy. But he’s a lover, too. Vulture, how about  a list of his sexual encounters next.

2012 Fall Books Preview — Cookbooks

September 9th, 2012 | Posted by James K in Books | Food - (0 Comments)

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Because we love to cook, bake… and eat.

Cooking Off the Clock: Recipes from My Downtime by Elizabeth Falkner (Aug. 28)

051119024 01 falkner cookbook xlg lg 200x150 2012 Fall Books Preview    CookbooksPeek inside the off-hours culinary mind of one of America’s top chefs with Cooking Off the Clock, an irreverent, eclectic, and downright delicious assemblage of reinvented classics and soon-to-be favorites. Celebrity chef and pastry pioneer Elizabeth Falkner brings her cooking inspiration to a range of satisfying full meals and quick snacks, and along the way gives pointers on how to think like a chef, even if you haven’t spent the day on the line cooking for crowds. You’ll find recipe ideas for any occasion: for a quiet night in, the Winter Squash Soup with Apple Butter Toast; for your next impromptu cocktail party, the Ham and Biscuit Sliders with Hot Pepper Jam; for the ultimate late-night snack, Sausage and Fennel Pizza; and to finish it off, the desserts that Elizabeth is known for, like Bourbon Pecan Pie Milkshake. With Falkner’s imaginative approach to classic comfort food and stories about her process for creating new recipes, Cooking Off the Clock will transform the way you cook.

The Sprouted Kitchen: A Tastier Take on Whole Foods by Sara Forte and Hugh Forte (Aug. 28)

SK BOOK 200x150 2012 Fall Books Preview    CookbooksSara Forte is a food-loving, wellness-craving veggie enthusiast who relishes sharing a wholesome meal with friends and family. The Sprouted Kitchen features 100 of her most mouthwatering recipes. Richly illustrated by her photographer husband, Hugh Forte, this bright, vivid book celebrates the simple beauty of seasonal foods with original recipes—plus a few favorites from her popular Sprouted Kitchen food blog tossed in for good measure. The collection features tasty snacks on the go like Granola Protein Bars, gluten-free brunch options like Cornmeal Cakes with Cherry Compote, dinner party dishes like Seared Scallops on Black Quinoa with Pomegranate Gastrique, “meaty” vegetarian meals like Beer Bean– and Cotija-Stuffed Poblanos, and sweet treats like Cocoa Hazelnut Cupcakes. From breakfast to dinner, snack time to happy hour, The Sprouted Kitchen will help you sneak a bit of delicious indulgence in among the vegetables.

Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients by Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito and Tina Rupp (Sept. 1)

baked elements 1000 200x150 2012 Fall Books Preview    CookbooksIn their third cookbook, Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients, acclaimed authors Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito present 75 inventive new recipes revolving solely around their 10 most-loved ingredients—from peanut butter and caramel to malt and booze. Lewis and Poliafito celebrate these favorite elements—chocolate, for instance, or bananas—baking each one into a variety of delicious cookies, bars, cakes, milkshakes, and more, sweets perfect for everyday cravings, special occasions, late-night celebrations, and weekend get-togethers. Complete with the signature stories and commentary that fans adore, chapters also include feature-ingredient infographics with quirky facts and charts and helpful Baked notes that make creating these desserts as easy as pie.

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2012 Fall Books Preview — Nonfiction

September 8th, 2012 | Posted by James K in Books - (0 Comments)

 

 

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There’s something for everyone. Nonfiction authors include Bob Woodward, Naomi Wolf, Stephen Colbert, Neil Young, Christopher Hitchens, Salman Rushdie, Jon Meacham, Penny Marshall and Justin Bieber.

Week of Sept. 3

No Easy Day 2012 Fall Books Preview    Nonfiction

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden — Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer

The first-person account of the planning and execution of the Bin Laden raid from a Navy Seal who confronted the terrorist mastermind and witnessed his final moments.

Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life — Gretchen Rubin

In the spirit of her New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project, Rubin embarks on a new project to make home a happier place.

Why Have Kids?: A New Mom Explores the Truth About Parenting and Happiness — Jessica Valenti

New mom Valenti, whom the New York Times described as a ‘third-wave feminist’, says it’s time to rethink the American Dream of having a family.

Mortality — Christopher Hitchens

While battling cancer, the great polemicist Hitchens wrote these final observations about life, death, religion and philosophy.

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2012 Fall Books Preview — Fiction

September 7th, 2012 | Posted by James K in Books | News - (0 Comments)

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Fall’s banquet of books include J.K. Rowling’s first adult novel and Tom Wolfe’s latest work set in Miami. Zadie Smith, Junot Díaz, Michael Chabon and Emma Donoghue will each release much-anticipated works of fiction. Favorite authors John Grisham, Mitch Albom, Dennis Lehane, Ken Follett and Lee Child are also on the menu. And, of course, James Patterson has loaded up another big plate.

Week of Sept. 3

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The Time Keeper — Mitch Albom

A compelling fable about the first man on earth to count the hours. The man who became Father Time.

NW — Zadie Smith

Smith’s first  novel in seven years is a dazzling portrait of modern London.

Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures — Emma Straub

The story of a midwestern girl who escapes a family tragedy and is remade as a movie star during Hollywood’s golden age.

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THE HOBBIT UNEXPECTED JOU 008 e1343735306773 Jacksons Hobbit Expanded To Three Movies

Is everybody happy? Director Peter Jackson said that given the richness of the story, he decided after wrapping up shooting recently in New Zealand that what was originally planned as two films would now be a trilogy. The studios behind the venture — New Line, MGM and Warner Bros — said fine. More money for them.

“The Hobbit,” written by JRR Tolkien, is the prequel to the British author’s epic fantasy “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson made into three Oscar-winning films about 10 years ago.

A spokesman for New Line said the third Hobbit film would be released in the summer of 2014. The first two Hobbit movies have already been announced for release in December 2012 and December 2013.

Jackson on his Facebook page:

“It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made.

“We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance.”

“The Lord of the Rings” consisted of three parts totalling 1,008 pages, which lent itself to adaptation into three separate films. “The Hobbit” is 310 pages, which may require some new scenes.

285899 j k rowlings the casual vacancy 570x380 Can You Judge This Book By Its Cover?

J. K. Rowling’s first novel for grown-ups (in stores until Sept. 27) has a face and page count (512).

Honestly the cover doesn’t matter. People are eager to buy the book no matter what. Still, the bright colors distance “The Casual Vacancy” from the world of Harry Potter. Other than that, there’s no clue as to what the book is about.

What do you think?