The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. Doubleday, New York, NY, 2003. ISBN 0-385-50420-9.
As told from the conceit of a fictional investigative mystery, a new twist on the relationship between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdelene is the background for this investigation of how the sacred feminine has been expressed for centuries in the works of many creative masters.
The Plague Race by Edward Marriot. Picador, London, 2003. ISBN 0-330-48319-6.
This story of the persistent recurrences of the bubonic plague in the last hundred years is a warning that the world is not finished with this particular pestilence.
The Art of Deception by Kevin Mitnick & William L. Simon. Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, 2002. ISBN 0-7645-4280-X.
Kevin Mitnick, a dedicated computer hacker and phone phreaker, divulges measures to deal with social engineering ploys intended to compromise business security.
Alaska Blues by Joe Upton. Sasquatch Books, Seattle, 1998. ISBN 1-57061-156-4.
Originally written in 1977 and updated in 1998, Alaska's inside passage is the background for this reminiscent account of a season of fishing in a place that has lost its innocence.
Prey by Michael Crichton. Avon Books, New York, 2003. ISBN 0-06-101572-5.
A computer programmer tells the story of how a nanotechnology experiment gone wrong destroys his family and threatens all human life.
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. Perennial Classics, New York, 1999. ISBN 0-06-093139-6.
This is a classic tale of the degeneration of human society in the aftermath of nuclear war, told in a poignantly personal way.
Drop City by T. Coraghessen Boyle. Penguin Books, New York, 2004. ISBN 0-14-20.0380-8.
Set in 1970, this story of a California commune that relocates to Alaska bristles with the enticing complexity of detailed storytelling that T.C. Boyle has mastered.
The City of Collective Memory by M. Christine Boyer. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1998. ISBN 0-262-52211-X
A dense lyrical description of the composition of the city.
The Sun in the Church by J.L. Heilbron. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1999. ISBN 0-674-00536-8.
The historical account of how four Catholic churches became the preminent solar observatories in the world.
Mutations by Rem Koolhaas, Harvard Project on the City, Stefano Boeri, Sanford Kwinter, Nadia Tazi & Hans Ulrich Obrist. ACTAR - arc en rčve centre d'architecture, Bordeaux, 2000. ISBN 84-95273-51-9.
A polemic rhetorical observation on the nature and development of the city in the modern world.
The Hinge Factor by Erik Durschmied. Coronet Books, London, 1999. ISBN 0-340-72830-2.
True stories of how single, seemingly unimportant events changed the course of historical battles.
The Golden Ratio by Mario Livio. Broadway Books, New York, 2002. ISBN 0-7679-0816-3.
More than you ever wanted to know about PHI.
Faster Than the Speed of Light by Joćo Magueijo. Penguin Books, London, 2003. ISBN 0-14-200361-1.
A theory about the speed of light can be exceeded.
Authentic Leadership by Bill George. Jossey Bass, San Francisco, 2003. ISBN 0-7879-6913-3.
A how-to for successful management, emphasizing substance over style - or financial results.
Digital Fortress by Dan Brown. Corgi Books, London, 2004. ISBN 0-552-15169-6.
A trashy cryptography based thriller by the author of The DaVinci Code.