The Book Nook THE BOOK NOOK Why can't black men and women get it together? Author K. Alonzo Hart examines the many issues facing black couples. Stamford, CT-March 20, 2007-As interracial dating becomes more prevalent and accepted; the black family's reputation as being dysfunctional grows. Negative images and stereotypes of black love fill advice columns and blogs nationwide, as the black community tries to make sense of what is going wrong with our love relationships. Motivational speaker K. Alonzo Hart pens a gritty non-fiction account of issues that have a negative affect on the black family. Entitled Rules of the Game: why can’t black men and women get it together (KEM Publications $14.95 March 2007), the book is filled with radical solutions, including polygamy, that will help restore the African American ethnic group, it's one the most controversial books of the new millennium. Rules of the Game, is a vivid description of the unspoken and often harsh realities that exist between black men and women in their quest for love and intimacy. Rules of the Game reveal the truth behind the reasons why black men and women are drifting further and further apart from each other. The book challenges readers to face ugly truths that are often times hard to digest but frankly have always afflicted black love relationships. “In modern society the black man and woman are at a crossroads and face what seems to be an uncertain future together. There has been a civil war raging between them nationwide. A power struggle over who is going to ‘lead’ the relationship. Torn apart by forces both seen and unseen that has caused them to drift; the body count in this secret war is rising. Ever shifting economics, HIV infections, and an increasing prison population made up primarily of black men threaten to obliterate the black family entirely. If law and order is not restored to the black family soon, in 50 years the African American ethnic group will cease to exist, says K. Alonzo. From the beauty experts at Essence Magazine comes a must-have book for the African-American woman. Every woman wants to be told, You look absolutely fabulous! and this guide to looking your best easily shows you how. The Essence Beauty Book celebrates beauty both on the inside and the outside, and provides step-by-step advice to the best hair, skin and make-up for the African-American woman. Discover the how-to on flawless complexions, makeup shades that are right for your skin tone, natural and relaxed hair, the best hair color for you, and other techniques that maximize your strengths and minimize your flaws, the classic looks that will never go out of style....and more! Includes beauty advice from the editors of Essencebeauty is one of the most popular sections of this monthly magazine. Essences Total Makeover (1999, Crown) was a popular seller; this book includes updated beauty tips and more, including a section on hair. Essence Magazine sells over 1 million copies per issue and has approximately 8 million loyal monthly subscribers. Essence Magazine has provided a national voice for the African-American community for over 30 years. Take your “sex game” to the next level with these sensual but practical tips from radio host and relationship diva LaDawn Black. Covering the romantic to the racy, longtime lovers to hot hookups, this how-to erotic manual is for anyone with the urge to charge up his or her libido and make sex every bit as fun and fulfilling as it should be. Filled with candid anecdotes, listener Q&As from the listeners of her radio show, and sexual arsenal builders, LaDawn Black takes readers on a seductive journey, pillow talking about • personal grooming that’ll drive your man wild • perfecting the art of oral sex • the best bedroom props and toys • sexy talk and fantasy play • exploring taboos • sexual hot spots • sensual scents With no topic off-limits, and no story too intimate to share, Let’s Get It On is the only book that will give you the confidence and the skill to take your sex life to the sizzling heights you may have only dreamed about. Meet Shaniqua, Brittany and Natasha—best friends and high school sophomores who must deal with the joy and sorrow of life-changing events. Shaniqua’s attempts to look and act sexy attracts the attention of Jordan, a teenager too full of himself. Brittany and Natasha warn their friend to stay away from Jordan, but Shaniqua thinks it’s just jealousy talking. After a one-time sexual tryst with Jordan, Shaniqua discovers two devastating outcomes that will last her entire lifetime. Though Brittany tries to be there for her friend, she has her own personal crisis to deal with—an accident that threatens her future as a pianist. Natasha, tall and awkward, meets Stephen, an artist who sees her real beauty and wants to help her start a modeling career—he shows her that what makes her look different is something to be proud of. Of all the valuable life lessons that the girls learn, the most important is that no matter what happens, their friendship is forever. It's a fact of DNA: If you can trace your roots back to Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, India, Latin America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, the South Pacific, or any group of Native Americans, your genes react similarly to genes in the darkest skin. And chances are, you may have received confusing advice -- or no advice at all -- about how to care for your skin. Although nearly half the population of the United States shares the hallmarks of skin of color, many dermatologists and beauty consultants routinely prescribe remedies created for Caucasian skin without understanding how sensitive and easily damaged skin of color is. It's no wonder, then, that many women and men of color continually battle skin problems, and it takes a terrible toll on their self-esteem. A savvy young music exec for Rockstar Records, Hannah Love has a glamorous apartment and a tight pack of equally fine friends. But luxury and loyalty can’t protect her from a broken heart, courtesy of her super-rich fiancé. To recover, Hannah accelerates her already high-octane life by pursuing a fantasy she’s had since childhood: to become an NBA cheerleader for the Chicago Diamonds. As she juggles promoting the hottest singer on the rise, dodges advances from Rockstar’s ultra-slick VP, and puts her body and her will to the test during cut-throat tryouts for a spot on the Diamond Dolls squad, she receives the full attention of the team’s star player, Max Knight. Though the Dolls are strictly forbidden to date players, the heat between Hannah and Max builds on the sidelines. But as catty cheerleaders plot against her, and her boss at the record company secretly negotiates a merger that could leave her jobless, Hannah discovers that it may take much more than the lust for a hot man to hold her steady. It may take his love. Becoming a Major League ballplayer for Dwight and me, that was the dream. Dwight is Dwight Gooden. Most people know him for winning the Cy Young Award. To me, though, he’s family, an uncle, but at four years older, really a brother. I can still remember those games of catch with Dwight in the backyard: him rearing back, and me somehow getting my mitt up to stop one of his fireballs. Often the two of us would sit with Grandpa (Dwight’s dad), and he’d tell us how hard it would be to make our dream come true, how just playing our best wouldn’t be enough. He’d talk about “inside power.” At the time, I didn’t really understand what Grandpa was driving at. But I do now. After twenty years in the “bigs” and seven Major League teams, I understand. When I landed with my first team, Milwaukee, I thought being a ballplayer was about hitting home runs. I’ve always been good at that. It took me longer to learn that “the game” as it’s played at the Major League level with millions on the line and the cameras always turned in your direction asks far more of you. If you’re a go-along guy, it can be great. I’ve just found that too often “going along” gets in the way of being a man. I love this game. Love the feel of the bat in my hand, the grass under my feet, the shouts of encouragement as I step into the box. I draw strength from the fans and play my heart out for them. I just wish those who control the game had more respect for the guys doing the playing. What I want to do in this book is show you what it’s been like taking this strange,wonderful, sometimes immensely frustrating life journey. “Malcontent” . . . “greedy” . . . “selfish” I’ve had plenty of adjectives lobbed my way, and believe me, they’ve stung. There are a lot of stories to tell from a life lived on and off the field: some sweet, others horrific. Everything from soaking up Little League glory to nearly being shot to death, from learning the startling truth of how I came by my last name to playing with and for characters like A-Rod, Jeter, Lasorda, Leyland, and Torre. And, yeah, I’ll finally set the record straight about a guy named Steinbrenner and a guy named Bonds. It’s a story Grandpa would want me to tell. It’s a story I need to tell.