May 4, 2012 Books Update

On the Cover of Sunday's Book Review 'The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson' By ROBERT A. CARO Reviewed by BILL CLINTON The fourth volume of Robert Caro's series on Lyndon Johnson starts shortly before the 1960 presidential election and ends a few months after John F. Kennedy's assassination.  Books of The Times: 'Passage of Power' | Robert Caro's Big Dig Also in the Book Review 'Derby Day' By D. J. TAYLOR Reviewed by CHRISTOPHER BENFEY Myriad hopes and schemes rest on the performance of a champion racehorse in D. J. Taylor's satire. 'The Beginner's Goodbye' By ANNE TYLER Reviewed by JULIA GLASS For the middle-aged widower of Anne Tyler's latest novel, mourning is both a rite of passage and a process of discovery.  Up Front: Julia Glass 'Waiting for Sunrise' By WILLIAM BOYD Reviewed by LIESL SCHILLINGER William Boyd's characters are entangled in personal and political issues. 'The Lifeboat' By CHARLOTTE ROGAN Reviewed by SARAH TOWERS Charlotte Rogan's first novel centers on the survivors of a shipwreck. 'The Taste of War' By LIZZIE COLLINGHAM Reviewed by TIMOTHY SNYDER How food contributed to World War II: its origins, its outcome and its aftermath. 'Memoir of a Debulked Woman: Enduring Ovarian Cancer' By SUSAN GUBAR Reviewed by ELSA DIXLER A feminist scholar faces cancer straightforwardly. 'Tutankhamen: The Search for an Egyptian King' By JOYCE TYLDESLEY Reviewed by JOHN NOBLE WILFORD An Egyptologist illuminates the life, reign and death of King Tut. 'Magic Hours' By TOM BISSELL Reviewed by GARTH RISK HALLBERG In essays, Tom Bissell explores the artistic process. 'Turing's Cathedral: The Origins of the Digital Universe' By GEORGE DYSON Reviewed by WILLIAM POUNDSTONE A group portrait of the mathematicians and engineers who midwifed America's postwar technological order. 'The Unruly Passions of Eugénie R.' By CAROLE DESANTI Reviewed by NANCY KLINE The heroine of Carole DeSanti's novel comes of age in 19th-century France.

BEST SELLERS Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction Hardcover Fiction Hardcover Nonfiction Paperback Trade Fiction Paperback Mass-Market Fiction Paperback Nonfiction All the Lists Neil Gaiman: By the Book The author of "Coraline," which celebrated its 10th anniversary last month, read C. S. Lewis as a child and thought, "When I am a writer, I shall do parenthetical asides."  By the Book: Archive Back Page Black Sheep By MARY MORRIS Getting to know the crusading publisher Barney Rosset, on his terms. Inside the List By GREGORY COWLES The former New York Times Op-Ed columnist Anna Quindlen, whose latest book enters the list at No. 2 this week, finds herself "less and less fearful of things" as she gets older. Editors' Choice Recently reviewed books of particular interest. Paperback Row By IHSAN TAYLOR Paperback books of particular interest. Book Review Podcast This week, Robert Caro discusses the new volume in his series about Lyndon Johnson; Julie Bosman has notes from the field; Charlotte Rogan talks about her debut novel, "The Lifeboat"; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Sam Tanenhaus is the host. Book Review Podcast: L.B.J. in the White House Translators Get a Slam of Their Own at PEN Festival 'Hunger Games' Sequel 'Catching Fire' Finds Its Director REVIEWS BY THE TIMES'S CRITICS 'Manhunt' by Peter L. Bergen 'Are You My Mother?' by Alison Bechdel 'Bring Up the Bodies' by Hilary Mantel 'They Eat Puppies, Don't They?' by Christopher Buckley 'The Passage of Power' by Robert A. Caro Spring Board Book Roundup ARCHIVE Crime Columns Children's Books The New York Times Book Review: Back Issues Editor's Note Thanks for taking the time to read this e-mail. Feel free to send feedback; I enjoy hearing your opinions and will do my best to respond. John Williams Books Producer The New York Times on the Web