What To Read This Fall

Associate Book Review Editor Bari Weiss previews the Wall Street Journal’s annual fall books special. First on the list is Norm Macdonald Based on a True Story, which is about Norm Macdonald, the host of “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live. He is a hilarious comedian but had a horrible gambling addiction. Although the book is advertised on the cover as a memoir, there are a lot of tall tales in it. One of the tales is that he claims to have bribed his way onto Saturday Night Live by offering someone a vial of liquid morphine. Additionally, there are other tales filled with comedy to provide for a great read.

Next, The Perfect Pass by S.C. Gwynne, tells the story about how Hal Mumme revolutionized the game of football, turning it from a game of pure brawn to a passing game. Mumme was a coach at a small college and the story tells of how his ideas helped to transform the NFL.

Ten Restaurants That Changed America by Paul Freedman is a book about a variety of types of restaurant, from Howard Johnsons to Chez Panisse. The book tells about how dining and restaurants have changed, and therefore, how our eating habits have changed as well.

Mysteries from Amelia Earhart’s plane disappearing into the Pacific, to the recent crash of Malaysian Flight 370 are explored in The Crash Detectives by Christine Negroni.

Sun Moon Earth by astronomer Tyler Nordgren, tells about how eclipses used to be things people feared, but have become exciting for people to watch now. Nordgren recounts how various cultures interpret and view these phenomenon.

Additionally, some other top-rated reads are Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion by Gareth Stedman Jones and Nicotine by Nell Zink.