The Way of Herodotus By Justin Marozzi, Out Jan. 1 Marozzi pens a travel narrative that follows the footsteps of that first travel writer, Herodotus, through the Mediterranean and Middle East. Even travel writing has gone Meta! To Sound in the Know:This isn´t just a dusty look at history: the index has references to "Sex and Sexuality" and "Bestiality."

A Long Time Coming: The Inspiring, Combative 2008 Campaign and Historic Election of Barack Obama By Evan Thomas, Out Jan. 6

Here they come—the Obama campaign books! Keep your head down to avoid getting hit by the superlatives! This one chronicles the inside story of the 2008 election and includes reporting from the Newsweek staff.

To Sound In the Know: Thomas once said of the media that, "our job is to bash the president." No word yet on whether that’s also true of candidates.

Embracing the Wide Sky By Daniel Tammet, Out Jan. 6 This examination of the difference between the savant and non-savant mind by Tammet, an autistic mathematical and linguistic savant, attempts to illuminate how we all think and learn.

To Sound in the Know: Tammet broke the European record for reciting the number pi from memory—in five hours and nine minutes he recited pi to the 22,514th digit.

The First Person and Other Stories By Ali Smith, Out Jan. 6 This short story collection from the Scottishborn writer includes a story about a woman trying to give advice to her 14-year-old self.

To Sound in the Know: Hotel World, which Smith published in 2001, was short-listed for The Booker Prize.

Beat the Reaper By Josh Bazell, Out Jan. 7 A former mob hit man enters the witness protection program and, years later, becomes a doctor at a Manhattan hospital where a former mob associate discovers him and threatens to rat him out.Think The Sopranos meets Grey´s Anatomy…or something like that. To Sound in the Know: Bazell has a BA in English lit from Brown, an MD from Columbia and is currently a resident at UCSF.That´s right: a writer and a doctor!

Snark By David Denby, Out Jan. 13 The New Yorker’s movie critic turns his discerning eye on the evolution of snark and how this easy cruelty, pumped up by the Internet, is harming our national discourse (and our feelings).

To Sound in the Know: While Denby shoots at the snarkers, it´s important to note that his columns and blogs online at The New Yorker are free from commentators, and thus, free from return snark.

Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama By Gwen Ifill, Out Jan. 20 The PBS moderator, journalist and should-have-been choice for Meet the Press host chronicles the rise of a new generation of black leaders in America.

To Sound In the Know: While the book mentions Obama in the title (book sales, baby!), Ifill is just as concerned with covering Newark mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick and other lesser known young African-American