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NPR bestsellers for the week of February 2, 2012.

What do Rosa Parks, Dale Carnegie, Albert Einstein, Steven Spielberg, Eleanor Roosevelt, J.K. Rowling, and Joe DiMaggio all have in common? Answer: They are all considered introverts. In fact, scientific research tells us that at least one in every three people is an introvert.

We often think of extroverts as the trailblazers: think of Oprah Winfrey, Winston Churchill, Martha Stewart, Muhammed Ali, and John F. Kennedy. However, the new book Quiet by Susan Cain tells us that the contributions of introverts have been equally important throughout history. Our world belongs to extroverts -- the prevailing culture of celebrity and social media in the US alone is a prime example. But there is an undercurrent that continuously pushes us forward through ideas and examples...quietly.

Susan Cain's book will appeal to those who crave the limelight as well as those who'd rather stay home and just read about it. As Gandhi, one of the famous introverts cited in the book, once said, "In a gentle way, you can shake the world."

This week’s offerings show us back in Paris (like we ever really leave), in the English countryside, enjoying a parody and the real thing, and a philosophical musing regarding leadership.

Let us begin!

Barbara M. reports that she is “plodding through The Greater Journey:  Americans in Paris  by David McCullough, about the Americans who ventured to Paris in the early 1800s.  It’s very informative but not an easy read.”

I am really enjoying The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley.  This is the perfect read for those of us waiting for the new Kate Morton to show up again.  Julia Forester, world famous concert pianist, has come back to Wharton Park, where her grandfather was the gardener in charge of the greenhouses, after a personal tragedy to heal.  She discovers an old diary and sets out to find out what really happened when Harry, a former heir to Wharton Park, married Olivia in the days before World War II.  This one while not in the catalog yet will be by the beginning of next week and it is due out on February 14^th.

Citizen Asha says, I just started Option$: the Secret Life of Steve Jobs by Daniel Lyons. It’s a fascinating, and irreverent parody on the life of Steve Jobs. I’m a fan.

Pat T. reports that she is “Continuing with Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and I am enjoying the biography about this multi-faceted man. Jobs was a man of contradictions - on a personal level he was Zen like in his life style, yet his business dealings were with multimillion dollar corporations. “  

Pat S. spins it this way:” I cannot say enough how much I (unexpectedly) enjoyed Steve Jobs by Walter Issacson.The surprise is the history of Silicon Valle-while it was becoming Silicon Valley! Every company name, CEO, and mover and shaker in the industry is easily recognized and remembered. Oddly enough, it took much of the 'mystery' out of the myth of Silicon Valley. For those of us of 'a certain age' it is like a companion piece to ones' professional life.  As to Jobs himself, he is really no more than a misanthrope-albeit a brilliant one. However, no tears were shed for what some might refer to as his 'untimely' passing. Issacson did an outstanding job-on all accounts.”

 Priscilla muses on the following: Catherine the Great : Portrait of a Woman by Peter Massie is a wonderful read. So many women during this period were running countries and we have not had a woman president yet?

Indeed!

Have a great weekend!

Caroline and Sally

Sally's Picks

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in an Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo: A deep look into the lives of the  families of Annawadi, a slum city on a half-acre abutting the Mumbai airport. It brings a new level of meaning to the concepts of hope and courage. Highly recommended.

The House at Tyneford  by Natasha Solomons: For those who can't get enough of Downton Abbey, a wonderful story of a young Viennese woman forced to leave her glamourous life in Austria and become a parlor maid at Tyneford House.

The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides: A rich story about the intertwining lives of three students at Brown University in the early 1980s, filled with the requisit existential soul-searching of the times. This is one of our picks for our Spring Book Discussion Series.

Caroline's Picks

This Beautiful Life by Helen Schulman: A disturbingly realistic story of a wealthy family living in New York City.  The teenage son, Jake, is at an exclusive private school when he is emailed an explicit video from a girl and forwards it to a friend, who forwards it to a friend, and the video goes viral.

Molto Batali: Simple Family Meals from My Home to Yours by Mario Batali: Mario's newest cookbook, divided into months rather than courses for seasonal cooking.  Each month features a couple dishes (usually pasta, his specialty), and then includes one whole meal from appetizers to dessert.  Accessible and enjoyable family style recipes - and Mario is hilarious!

No Angel by Penny Vincenzi: The first book of a trilogy, set in London, which starts right before World War I.  If you may be stuck inside during a snowstorm in the near future, or on a beach this summer, you should definitely pick this up.  Especially if you like Downton Abbey, because it's the same world.  One of her newer books, The Best of Times is also a great page turner.