The Book We're Talking About This Week

Monday, June 25, 2012 The Book We're Talking About This Week "The Infinite Tides" by Christian Kiefer Bloomsbury, $26 / $9.99 e-book What is it about? Keith Corcoran is an astronaut and brilliant mathematician who spent time on the International Space Station. While orbiting the earth, he received some terrible news which paralyzed his ability to complete his work. Following his return to earth, he tries to conceive of his new life in an empty suburban house, far away from the beauty of space and the purity of numbers. Why are we talking about it? It's a fascinating portrait of a man who is clearly on the autism spectrum, yet isn't a stereotypically dysfunctional savant. Lyrical and intensely believable, the book is more a careful portrait than a plot-driven tale - the most significant events have already occurred when the book begins - yet it is never less than thought-provoking and honest. The opening chapters are heartbreaking. It also contains some beautiful descriptions of space exploration and, yes, mathematics. Who wrote it? Click here to read the rest of this article More in HuffPost Books 88 Books Every American Needs To Read The Ethnic Cleansing You Didn't Learn About In School Why Is The V-Word Still Shocking? 'Ghost Wars' Author Writing Sequel 'Women Don't Want To Have Sex Anymore,' Claims Author BLOG POSTS Jay Clark: Ten Tips for Nabbing Yourself a Literary Agent So, after years of torturing yourself beyond emotional repair, making several highly unnecessary sacrifices to the gods, and, finally, signing a contract (in blood) entitled Deal with the Devil, you've managed to finish your book. Lewis Lapham: Living in an American Age of Techno-Wonder and Unreason New philosophies call all in doubt, the more so as the accelerating rates of technological advance -- celestial, terrestrial, and subliminal -- overrun the frontiers between science, magic, and religion. Dave Astor: Recognizing Ourselves in Literature Readers can love a novel or short story for many reasons -- including expert prose, a compelling plot, and well-drawn characters. There's also the appeal of what might be called the "recognition apparition." R.M. Douglas: The Expulsion of the Germans: The Largest Forced Migration in History Omitted from the history books, after WWII, the Allies carried out the largest forced population transfer -- nowadays referred to as "ethnic cleansing" -- in human history. Between 12 and 14 million civilians, the majority women, children and the elderly, were driven out of their homes. Malik Siraj Akbar: Why Pakistan Is on the Brink While Pakistan on the Brink thoroughly outlines the country's domestic woes, the book convincingly subscribes to Pakistan's official narrative of victimhood.

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