DICTIONARY OF THE FUTURE
By Faith Popcorn and Adam Hanft
Hyperion, $22.95
Futurist Popcorn and communications expert Hanft have gathered current buzzwords like mannies (male nannies) and privatopia (guarded, gated communities), and predicted trends and terms like wrist-icuffs (fighting over e-mail) and me-quel (a radical life change) in this quirky reference tool that every info gourmet needs to stay in-the-know.

MUSTARDS GRILL NAPA VALLEY COOKBOOK
By Cindy Pawlcyn, with Brigid Callinan
Ten speed Press, $39.95
Mustards Grill is a Napa Valley institution, a place that’s sophisticated without being pretentious. The recipes in this cookbook are no different. It’s good ole American fare with a Mustards-style twist, and includes recipes from dishes like half-slab BBQ baby back ribs with crispy yams and coleslaw to chipotle-spiced steak and potatoes “Truck Stop Deluxe.”

LOOKING FOR ALASKA
By Peter Jenkins
St. Martin's Press, $25.95
The author of the bestselling A Walk Across America gets back on the trails to explore even the most remote areas of Alaska. This time, though, Jenkins’ experiences include travels with his family, most notably his 19-year-old daughter, Rebekah. But it’s the stories of the locals brought to life by the author that make his journey one you’ll want to share in.

— LORI STACEY