3 notable books in 2007

These 3 books listed in the New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2007 seemed significant for leaders that want to keep a pulse on what is influencing people in today's culture:

• HOW TO READ THE BIBLE: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now by James L. Kugel. In this tour through the Jewish scriptures (i.e., the Old Testament, more or less), a former professor of Hebrew seeks to reclaim the Bible from the literalists and the skeptics.
• HOW TO TALK ABOUT BOOKS YOU HAVEN’T READ by Pierre Bayard. Translated by Jeffrey Mehlman. A French literature professor wants to assuage our guilt over the ways we actually read and discuss books.
• THE INVISIBLE CURE: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS by Helen Epstein. Rigorous reporting unearths new findings among the old issues.

The above book links go to the corresponding New York Times' book reviews. These reviews give you a good gist of the book's main idea, and they also have a link to preview the first chapter for free.