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Biz Book Shelf

For all you future business leaders of Jackson (and even some established ones), running a business is never easy. Hard work and determination are the keys to victory. But every now and then you will need advice, whether to start a business or to continue running one. Here are some books that just might help you out.

Teresa Nicholas

I've never met writer Teresa Nicholas, but I'm getting to know her quite well. My buddy JoAnne Prichard Morris (who is also an editor of the Jackson Free Press) strongly suggested several weeks ago that I get her new book, "Buryin' Daddy" (University Press of Mississippi, 2011, $28). You'll love it, she told me.

Mystical Alligator Wrestling

When I first picked up "Swamplandia!" (Knopf, 2011, $24.95), I was skeptical at best. As a Florida native, I was excited to read a book set in my home state, but a book about a 13-year-old girl who is an alligator wrestler with a self-described "falling" family sounds a bit sketchy. As intriguing as the concept is, I didn't know how author Karen Russell would be able to write it without being ridiculous.

A Mind/Body Bookshelf

Wellness is more than just the absence of illness. It incorporates the whole being, body, mind and spirit. Physicians and psychiatrists have studied and written about wellness for decades (at least), so we know their interest in wellness is far from being some new-fangled, new-age fad.

Drifting in the Groove

You've probably never heard of Daniel Lanois, but you've certainly heard his work. He has quite an impressive resumé: producer of CDs recorded by Bob Dylan, the Neville Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, U2 and Peter Gabriel, to name a few.

Nails Through the Hands of God

The problem with believing in a loving God is that the world doesn't function as if such a God exists. That problem is only made worse when we inherit a difficult theological tradition.

Shine a Light

What if you could actually see your own pain and that of everyone around you? That is the question at the heart of "The Illumination" , best-selling author Kevin Brockmeier's latest work of fiction.

Maintaining Focus

When I first saw the cover of "Ghost Light: A Novel" by Joseph O'Connor (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011, $25), I didn't know quite what to expect from the woman dressed in early 1900s garb. Would I be bored or enthralled with the reminiscences of a broken relationship and a love that survived years later?

‘Bodies, Bodies'

"The Swimming Pool" by Holly LeCraw (Doubleday, 2010, $25.95) starts with this uninviting, ethereal opening line: "Bodies, bodies."

For the Love of Reading

Sometimes, it is relaxing to be caught up in the thrill of someone else's love story rather than the drama of your own. Love stories are not only written for individuals who find themselves in the adrenaline-rushing realms of attraction or for singles who seek a special relationship that leaves them speechless. Ironically, even those completely content in singleness can have a joyful encounter in the passion of others.

Melding Realty with Fiction

As you know, it's cold outside. So why not stay inside (where it's warm) with a few good books?

Art Disguised as Memoir

Tom Sancton has had an interesting career as a journalist. He is a former Time magazine reporter and editor, contributor to Vanity Fair, Fortune, and Newsweek, and author of a bestselling book about the investigation of Princess Diana's death.

Affected by War

As he watches Confederate soldiers march into his war-torn town, quarry owner Michael Morkan turns to his son, Leighton, and says wearily "One doesn't have to fight in a war to be a part of it."

Coming Home

Before I read "Uptown" by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant (Touchstone, 2010, $14.99), I assumed the book would be about the dramas that normally unfold in big cities and corporate America. I guessed an office affair gone wrong or perhaps a grand scheme gone sour. Fortunately, "Uptown" wasn't that predictable.

Memphis Boys Make Music History

Lincoln "Chips" Moman is one of the most successful record producers in history. A music visionary with a knack for matching songs with artists, he was the genius behind Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" and "Kentucky Rain," Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," ... and the list goes on and on.