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mistakes people make at work, he and time, the “intimate proximity” that “secret society”
Helgesen attempt to outline the habits develops when “chasing across states with of Jane Austen
that keep women from reaching their the same group in the same vehicle.” fans—known
goals. All the usual suspects appear, such Hargrove not only skillfully presents simply as
as women being reluctant to claim Samaras’s life story but also the collective Janeites—
achievements, expecting achievements to story of a storm-chasing subculture. (Apr.) whose enthu-
be noticed spontaneously, overvaluing siasm for novels
expertise, failing to make early alliances, To Play Again: such Pride and
and expecting perfection of themselves. A Memoir of Musical Survival Prejudice is
There’s little new in the book, and the Carol Rosenberger. She Writes Press, $16.95 “passionate to
presentation is unpleasantly scolding; the trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-163152-326-7 the point of
authors focus heavily on the tired trope Concert pianist Rosenberger shares the obsession.” He
that in order to be more successful, powerful story of her struggle to perform describes meetings of the Jane Austen
women should behave more like men. In a despite her physical disability. In 1955, Society of North America, where “hun-
particularly clumsy move, the book relies at age 21, Rosenberger developed para- dreds of superfans congregate to dispute
heavily on examples that relate to diets lytic polio just as she was about to begin interpretations, share recipes... and argue
and clothes. Women readers looking for her life as a professional stage musician. with the finest scholars in the world.”
ways to succeed and thrive in the work- Until that moment, the Detroit-born Constantly taking notes “like an
place are unlikely to find much of value musician had been driven by a consuming embedded reporter,” Scheinman
here. (Apr.) passion for the piano; thereafter she faced observed the “thrilling and disarming”
the possibility that agonizing pain and fellowship shared by scholars and lay-
The Man Who Caught the Storm: dead nerves would end her career before people and realized that Austen is “the
The Life of Legendary Tornado it started. Rosenberger tells of spending rare sort of author who makes possible
Chaser Tim Samaras nearly a decade in intensive recovery, get- this unaccustomed exchange between
Brantley Hargrove. Simon & Schuster, $26 ting treatment in Europe and then in the academics and civilians.” This is a loving
(320p) ISBN 978-1-4767-9609-3 U.S. Polio had wrecked her confidence and often humorous tribute to the Janeites
In this insightful biography, journalist and left her unmoored in the music world. of the world. (Mar.)
Hargrove charts the interests and achieve- She began teaching students and playing
ments of tornado chaser Tim Samaras, for friends and family, and slowly built The CEO Next Door: The 4
who died in a tornado with his 24-year- up her strength and confidence. With Behaviors That Transform Ordinary
old son in 2013. Readers familiar with tremendous effort and practice, Rosenberger People into World-Class Leaders
Discovery Channel’s Storm Chasers will be came up with adaptive techniques that Elena L. Botelho and Kim R. Powell, with
familiar with Samaras, and with help from enabled her to perform; in 1970 she made Tahl Raz. Currency, $28 (288p) ISBN 978-1-
Samaras’s family, friends, and colleagues, her debut tour, performing throughout 101-90649-1
Hargrove paints a complete picture of the the U.S. and Europe. She hid her disabili- “You, too, are a CEO. At least, you
engineer while providing lessons on the ties so well that the managers who sent could be,” declare leadership advisers
science behind tornadoes—“one of the her on her first tour had no idea that she’d Botelho and Powell in this encouraging
most awesome expressions of force in the had polio. Rosenberger has written a guide to developing the skills of a suc-
natural world.” As a boy in 1960s moving and at times heartbreaking cessful CEO, no matter one’s background.
Colorado, chronicle of her achievements, offering Their book argues that though the word
Samaras was fas- inspiration and hope to those confronted CEO tends to be associated with famous
cinated with with the seemingly insurmountable. leaders such as Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk,
The Wizard of (Apr.) in reality regular people can attain the
Oz: “He same abilities and mind-set. Having
couldn’t take Camp Austen: My Life as an coached over 300 CEOs, the authors
his eyes off the Accidental Jane Austen Superfan recall being inspired by the “unlikely”
tornado as it Ted Scheinman. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $14 ones—unprepossessing, laconic, perhaps
roped over the trade paper (160p) ISBN 978-0-86547-821-3 without much formal education or expe-
fields toward In this lively debut, Scheinman rience, like Don Slager, president and
Dorothy and expertly captures the most memorable CEO at Republic Services. Botelho and
Toto.” Samaras moments from the year and a half that he Powell had to ask themselves if these
would grow up to track tornados along- spent “in the world of Jane Austen people just got lucky or if everyone else
side older, more practiced scientists and fandom.” The son of an Austen scholar, is wrong about the characteristics that
meteorologists. Eventually, he chased tor- Scheinman “half willingly and half acci- make a great CEO. Working from a data
nadoes throughout the Midwest and dentally” found work at a four-day confer- set of 17,000 leadership assessments to
Southwest. Hargrove describes the cama- ence called Jane Austen Summer Camp, build the “CEO Genome Project,” they
raderie that storm chasers can build over where he learned the rules of a worldwide identify four qualities as key: confident

74 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ JANU AR Y 22, 2018