The heaviest hitter on the lifestyle shelf this spring is not a diet book but the newest offering from mega-successful author and filmmaker Rhonda Byrne. With an announced printing of 750,000, The Magic (Atria, Mar.) is positioned to prestidigitate onto bestseller lists, following the trajectory of Byrne’s previous book phenoms, The Secret (2006, with 20 million in print) and The Power (2010).
Byrne’s book is the powerhouse in the category of mind-body-spirit titles this spring, but Love Has Wings: Free Yourself from Limiting Beliefs and Fall in Love with Life by Isha Judd (New World Library, Mar.) could be the breakout book from this spiritual teacher, born in Australia (like Byrne) and popular in Latin America. The biggest spiritual teachers—think Jesus and Muhammad but also, on another scale, such contemporary spiritual figures as Eckhart Tolle and Byrne—cross national boundaries, and Isha has already done so. Another body-mind-spirit title, Inside the Other Side: Soul Contracts, Life Lessons, and How Dead People Help Us, Between Here and Heaven by Concetta Bertoldi (Morrow, June), hits a sweet spot; heaven is in the title, and that evergreen subject always sells. Self-described “Jersey girl” and medium Bertoldi brings a track record (Do Dead People Watch You Shower?).
Among new health and fitness titles, look for The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight the Healthy Way—and Keep It Off—with America’s Most Respected Diet by Thomas J. Moore, Megan C. Murphy, and Mark Jenkins (Free Press, May). DASH, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was developed by the National Institutes of Health and has already claimed headlines as the top diet for 2012 (according to a U.S. News and World Report ranking). A different DASH diet book is charting well at Amazon. Another science-based approach, The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now! by Mark Hyman (Little, Brown) is coming out of the gate in a two-fisted way: as an e-book and in print (Feb. 28) with an announced first printing of 75,000. Hyman’s book arrives with impressive and varied endorsements and a March PBS special. New York Times science writer William Broad dares to suggest that yoga might not be all good in The Science of Yoga (Simon & Schuster, Feb.), in which the yoga practitioner and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist looks at injuries as well as health benefits associated with the popular physical discipline. Suzanne Somers uses her celebrity platform for more conversation about aging in a healthy way in Bombshell: Explosive Medical Secrets That Will Redefine Aging (Crown Archetype, May), based on interviews she conducted with health professionals.
In a material vein, textile artist Kaffe Fassett continues to rule the crafts empire. The master of color returns to knitting after several recent quilting books. Knitting with the Color Guys by Fassett and Brandon Mably (Sixth & Spring, Feb.) unites Fassett and his studio manager, Mably, in their first book collaboration, and the result is a color riot. Several cultural threads meet in Eco-Friendly Crafting with Kids by Kate Lilley (Ryland Peters & Small, Apr.) unites the power of mommy-blogging—Lilley’s Minieco blog receives more than 150,000 visits a month—with parenting and greening the world. Also afoot: cats. Riding the cat-tail of the quirky Crafting with Cat Hair (Quirk, Oct.) and in an apparent cross-species gesture, publisher Black Dog & Leventhal brings Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne (Feb.).
PW’s Top 10: Lifestyle
The Magic
Rhonda Byrne. Atria, Mar.
Love Has Wings: Free Yourself from Limiting Beliefs and Fall in Love with Life
Isha Judd. New World Library, Mar.
Inside the Other Side: Soul Contracts, Life Lessons, and How Dead People Help Us, Between Here and Heaven
Concetta Bertoldi. Morrow, June.
The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight the Healthy Way—and Keep It Off—with America’s Most Respected Diet
Thomas J. Moore, Megan C. Murphy, and Mark Jenkins. Free Press, May.
The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now!
Mark Hyman. Little, Brown, Feb.
The Science of Yoga
William J. Broad. Simon & Schuster, Feb.
Bombshell: Explosive Medical Secrets That Will Redefine Aging
Suzanne Somers. Crown Archetype, May.
Knitting with the Color Guys
Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably. Sixth & Spring, Feb.
Eco-Friendly Crafting with Kids
Kate Lilley. Ryland Peters & Small, Apr.
Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines
Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne. Black Dog & Leventhal, Feb.
Lifestyle Listings
BODY, MIND & SPIRIT
Atria Books
The Magic by Rhonda Byrne (Mar., paper, $12, ISBN 978-1451673449). The author of the wildly successful The Secret tees up a new one.
Atria Books/Beyond Words
Awakening the Brain: The Neuropsychology of Grace by Charlotte Tomaino (May, hardcover, $24, ISBN 978-1582703114). A neuropsychologist and former Catholic nun explores the relationship between the brain and spirituality.
Hampton Roads
Closer than You Think: The Easy Guide to Communicating with Loved Ones on the Other Side by Deborah Heneghan (May, hardcover, $16.95, ISBN 978-1571746610) shows readers how they can feel connected to deceased loved ones, written by a woman who was 15 when her 17-year-old sister died of cancer.
Harperone
Ten Things to Know Before You Go: How the Secrets of the Afterlife Can Transform Your Life Now by Dannion Brinkley (June, hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-0062123886). The bestselling author and hospice pioneer passes on the secrets of what his near-death experiences revealed about how to live fulfilled lives without fear, worry, or stress. 25,000-copy announced first printing.
Inner Traditions
New Science and Spirituality Reader: Leading Thinkers on Conscious Evolution, Quantum Consciousness, and the Nonlocal Mind, edited by Ervin Laszlo and Kingsley L. Dennis (May, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1594774768) bridges the gap between science and the world’s great spiritual traditions to promote a new worldview.10,000-copy announced first printing.
Inner Traditions/Bear & Company
Atlantis Beneath the Ice: The Fate of the Lost Continent by Rand Flem-Ath and Rose Flem-Ath (Mar., paper, $16, ISBN 978-1591431374) offers scientific and mythological evidence that Antarctica was once Atlantis.10,000-copy announced first printing.
Llewellyn
By Morning’s Light: The True Story of a Mother’s Reconnection with Her Son in the Hereafter by Ginny Brock (June, paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-0738732947) addresses the ever-present connection between a mother and her son who died from a traumatic head injury.
Spells for Tough Times: Crafting Hope When Faced with Life’s Thorniest Challenges by Kerri Connor (Feb., paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-0738727288) is a magical toolkit for coping with and overcoming just about any difficulty—whether minor annoyance, embarrassing quandary, or unexpected crisis.
Morrow
Inside the Other Side: Soul Contracts, Life Lessons, and How Dead People Help Us, Between Here and Heaven by Concetta Bertoldi (June, paper, $14.99, ISBN 978-0062087409). The bestselling author and celebrity medium shares, with humor and compassion, her own experiences with loss and offers anecdotes from her professional medium experience over the years. 30,000-copy announced first printing.
New World Library
Love Has Wings: Free Yourself from Limiting Beliefs and Fall in Love with Life by Isha Judd (Mar., paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1608681211) teaches a simple system for finding love consciousness. 10,000-copy announced first printing.
North Atlantic Books/Evolver Editions
The Open Source Everything Manifesto: Transparency, Truth, and Trust by Robert David Steele (June, paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1583944431) is a call to action for collective and consensual decision making in the world today, written by an intelligence professional.
Quest Books
The Reality of ESP: A Physicist’s Proof of Psychic Abilities by Russell Targ (Mar., paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-0835608848) delivers evidence for psychic abilities from the cofounder of the 20-year, government-supported ESP research program at Stanford Research Institute.
Red Wheel/Weiser/Conari/Ozark Mountain
Application of Impossible Things: A Near Death Experience in Iraq by Natalie Sudman (Mar., paper, $14, ISBN 978-1886940246) is the true story of a female civilian employee of the Army Corps of Engineers in Basrah and Nasiriyah, Iraq, who had a near-death experience when the truck she was riding in was destroyed by a roadside bomb.
Sounds True
Living Nonviolent Communication: Practical Tools to Connect and Communicate Skillfully in Every Situation by Marshall Rosenberg (June, paper, $19.95, ISBN 978-1604077872) teaches how to use renowned peacemaker Rosenberg’s process in six key areas in a “field guide” to conflict resolution, raising children, and more.
Sterling Ethos
The Sacred Language of Trees by A.T. Mann (June, hardcover, $19.95, ISBN 978-1402767319) explains how humans’ primal relationship with trees—a central theme in religion, myth, and culture—continues to evolve in an age of environmental fragility.
Tarcher
Self-Healing with Reiki: How to Create Wholeness, Harmony and Balance for Body, Mind and Spirit by Penelope Quest (July, paper, $17.95, ISBN 978-1585429059) explains how you can use Reiki as a powerful tool for healing your mind, body, and spirit to achieve wholeness.
Swedenborg: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas by Gary Lachman (Apr., paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1585429387) provides a concise overview of the life and work of the influential but little understood 18th-century mystic-scientist Emanuel Swedenborg.
Three Rivers Press
Growing Up Psychic: My Story of Not Just Surviving but Thriving—and How Others Like Me Can, Too by Chip Coffey (Apr., paper, $15, ISBN 978-0307956743). The star of the TV show Psychic Kids shares his story.
Weiser
Law of Agreement: Discover the True Power of Intention by Tony Burroughs (Apr., paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1578635184) shows readers how to work with the metaphysical Law of Agreement to change old beliefs about money, relationships, and health.
HOBBIES & CRAFTS
Andrews McMeel
Knits for Nerds: 30 Projects: Science Fiction, Comic Books, Fantasy by Joan of Dark, aka Toni Carr (Feb., paper, $16.99, ISBN 978-1449407919). Comic-Con meets the crafting aisle: lovers of all things science fiction can find patterns for 30 clothing and accessory items inspired by Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and more.
Black Dog & Leventhal
Knit Your Own Cat: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 16 Frisky Felines by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne (Feb., paper, $14.95, ISBN 978-1579128937). Like its predecessor, Knit Your Own Dog, this book provides easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for knitting 16 distinct felines, from Persians to tabbies, depicted in different positions (standing, sitting, crouching, curled up, etc.).
C&T Publishing
Modern Minimal: 20 Bold & Graphic Quilts by Alissa Haight Carlton (Mar., $22.95, ISBN 978-1607054863). Quilts get supersleek and ultramodern with these graphic designs by the cofounder of the Modern Quilt Guild.
Chronicle
Happy Home: Twenty-One Sewing and Craft Projects to Pretty Up Your Home by Jennifer Paganelli (Apr., hardcover, $27.50; ISBN 978-0811874458). Crafters can learn how to whip up 21 beautiful accessories to transform their space into a happy home, including drapery, tablecloths, napkins, and more.
Harper Design
The Shabby Chic Home by Rachel Ashwell (May, paper, $24.99, ISBN 978-0060987688). The top designer shows how to use flea market finds to turn any house into a comfortable, functional, beautifully designed home.25,000-copy announced first printing.
Lark Crafts
Fat Quarterly Shape Workshop for Quilters: 60 Blocks + a Dozen Quilts and Projects! by Katy Jones, Brioni Greenberg, Tacha Bruecher, and John Q. Adams (May, paper, $21.95, ISBN 978-1454702825). The authors of Fat Quarterly, the popular e-zine on quilting, share the secrets of their success in a collection of 60 quilt blocks and 12 quilts and projects.
Potter Craft
I Spy DIY Style: Find Fashion You Love and Do It Yourself by Jenni Radosevich (Apr., paper, $21.99, ISBN 978-0307587145) contains 30 step-by-step projects inspired by celebrities, designer runways, and classic styles, as well as tips from fashion insiders to upstyle wardrobe basics without sacrificing a budget.
Quarry Books
The Textile Artist’s Studio Handbook: Traditional and Contemporary Techniques for Working with Fiber, Including Dyeing, Painting, and More by Visnja Popovic and Owyn Ruck (May, paper, $24.99, ISBN 978-1592537778) will help crafters expand their repertoire of textile crafting and design techniques.
Sixth & Spring
Knitting with the Color Guys: Inspiration, Ideas, and Projects from the Kaffe Fassett Studio by Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mably (Feb., hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-1936096374). Fassett, perhaps the most celebrated textile artist in the world today, collaborates with Brandon Mably, his studio manager.
Skyhorse Publishing
(dist. by Norton)
Origami: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making Animals, Angels, Planes, Boats, and More by Yukiko Duke and Norio Torimoto (May, hardcover, $14.95, ISBN 978-1616085766) shows how to master the ancient art of paper folding in an illustrated step-by-step guide.
STC Craft
Denyse Schmidt: Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration: 20 New Designs with Historic Roots by Denyse Schmidt and John Gruen (Mar., hardcover, $29.95, ISBN 978-1584799009) contains 20 fresh designs from a contemporary quilting master. 25,000-copy announced first printing.
Storey Publishing
Cast On, Bind Off: 54 Step-by-Step Methods by Leslie Ann Bestor (June, paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-1603427241). An essential reference for knitters of all styles and techniques, presented in an easy-reference, take-along format; it compiles all the techniques for beginning and ending knitting projects.
Taunton
Lovely Knits for Little Girls: 20 Just-Right Patterns, Just for Little Girls by Vibe Sondergaard (Feb., hardcover, $22.95, ISBN 978-1600855030), When baby girls grow out of baby knits, finding patterns that are unfussy, kid-friendly, but still pretty and girly is a real problem. Sondergaard fills the gap with a wardrobe of patterns for two-to-nine-year-olds.
Tuttle
Voodoo Maggie’s Adorable Amigurumi: Cute and Quirky Crocheted Critters by Erin Clark (Feb., paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-4805311691). Instructions and step-by-step illustrations are provided for crafters to crochet a menagerie of amigurumi, knit, or crocheted animals.
Universe
I Heart Stationery: Fresh Inspirations for Handcrafted Cards, Note Cards, Journals, and Other Paper Goods by Charlotte Rivers (Feb., hardcover, $24.95, ISBN 978-0789324887) provides an overview of the best designers, techniques, and groundbreaking designs used for handcrafted stationery and paper goods.
Workman Publishing
Paper Made!: 101 Exceptional Projects to Make Out of Everyday Paper by Kayte Terry (Apr., paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-0761159971) offers 101 easy-to-follow ways to turn scrap paper into artistic creations.
HEALTH & FITNESS
Avery Books
Get a Bangin’ Body: The City Gym Boys’ Ultimate Body Weight Workout for Men and Women by Charles LaSalle (Apr., paper, $20, ISBN 978-1583334508) points the way to summer’s bangin’ body, with advice from the go-to guys for urban health and fitness.
Ballantine Books
The Drop 10 Diet: Harness the Fat-Melting Power of Superfoods by Lucy Danziger (Mar., hardcover, $25, ISBN 978-0345531629) isn’t about self-denial; instead, it harnesses the power of delicious, satisfying foods that trigger weight loss and instill better body health.
Chronicle Books
Raw Awakening by Kristin Suzanne (June, paper, $18.95, ISBN 978-1452106496) takes readers step-by-step through the raw food lifestyle.
Crown Archetype
Bombshell: Explosive Medical Secrets That Will Redefine Aging by Suzanne Somers (May, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-0307588548) is based on Somers’s interviews with doctors and other medical revolutionaries.
Da Capo Lifelong
Ballet Beautiful: Transform Your Body and Gain the Strength, Grace, and Focus of a Ballet Dancer by Mary Helen Bowers (Mar., paper, $20, ISBN 978-0738215907) offers a ballet-based fitness and well-being program—from the personal trainer to Natalie Portman for the film Black Swan.
Dutton
A Calm Brain by Gayatri Devi, M.D. (June, hardcover, $25.95, ISBN 978-0525952695). A neurologist reveals a new paradigm of brain function that is the key to tranquility in the midst of daily crises.
Free Press
The DASH Diet for Weight Loss: Lose Weight the Healthy Way—and Keep It Off—with America’s Most Respected Diet by Thomas J. Moore, Megan C. Murphy, and Mark Jenkins (May, hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-1451669367). The #1 diet plan in America—Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension—for eating healthfully is now also a weight-loss plan.
HarperOne
Fit2Fat2Fit: The Unexpected Lessons from Gaining and Losing 75 lbs. on Purpose by Drew Manning (May, hardcover, $25.99, ISBN 978-0062194206), based on the breakout Web site of the same name, tells the story of personal trainer Drew Manning’s quest to go from fit to fat (gaining 75 pounds) to fit in one year to better understand the weight-loss struggles of Americans.
HCI
Eating Free: The Carb-Friendly Way to Lose Inches, Embrace Your Hunger, and Keep Weight Off for Good by Manuel Villacorta (May, paper, $15.95, ISBN 978-0757316357) is a realistic alternative to yo-yo dieting and overly restrictive diets that limit carbs or are impossible to maintain. 75,000-copy announced first printing.
Hudson Street Press
The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer by Gretchen Reynolds (Apr., hardcover, $25.95, ISBN 978-1594630934) offers a cutting-edge prescription for exercise from the New York Times “Phys Ed” columnist.
Hyperion
Slim for Life the F-Factor Way: Eat More, Lose More, and Never Feel Hungry Again—with Fiber! by Tanya Zuckerbrot (Apr., hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1401324629) promises to boost energy, enhance beauty, and increase longevity through the Slim for Life the F-Factor Way, from the dietitian and creator of the diet.
Little, Brown
The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Feeling Great Now! by Mark Hyman (Feb. 28, e-book; $14.99, ISBN 978-0316192217; hardcover, $27.99, ISBN 978-0316127370) offers a scientifically based program for preventing and reversing the #1 cause of obesity and chronic disease.
New American Library
Smart Chefs Stay Slim: Lessons in Eating and Living from America’s Best Chefs by Allison Adato, foreword by Art Smith (Apr., hardcover, $25.95, ISBN 978-0451235855). An award-winning journalist and senior editor at People magazine collects stories and advice about eating healthy from America’s top celebrity chefs, including Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Rick Bayless, Jacques Torres, Cat Cora, and Michelle Bernstein.
Rodale
The Fix: The 3-Stage Solution to Free Yourself from Your Food Addictions for Life by Pamela Peeke (Apr., hardcover, $25.99, ISBN 978-1609614522). The author of the bestseller Body-for-Life for Women presents a neuroscience-based program to rewire the food-addicted brain.
Rowman & Littlefield
Becoming a True Champion: Achieving Athletic Excellence from the Inside Out by Kirk Mango and Daveda Lamont (May, $17.95, ISBN 978-1442214064) reviews the characteristics of champion athletes and offers advice for avoiding pitfalls.
Simon & Schuster
The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards by William J. Broad (Feb., hardcover, $26, ISBN 978-1451641424). A lead science writer for the New York Times and lifelong yoga practitioner examines centuries of history and research in scrutinizing claims made about yoga for health, fitness, emotional well-being, sex, weight loss, healing, and creativity.
Square One Publishers
Your Blood Never Lies: How to Read a Blood Test for a Longer, Healthier Life by James B. LaValle (Apr., paper, $16.95, ISBN 978-0757003509) is a guide to understanding blood test results, offering advice on actions to take when results indicate problems. 25,000-copy announced first printing.
St. Martin’s Press
I Can Make You Hot!: The Supermodel Diet by Kelly Killoren Bensimon (Apr., hardcover, $24.99, ISBN 978-1250005564) provides an eating plan that promotes weight loss and optimum nutrition without deprivation or starvation, written by the model, mother, and former Real Housewife of New York.
