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This week: A humorous recollection of Khrushchev’s headline-making U.S. trip, The New York Times’ scent critic writes a novel, and a French Web site turned English becomes a paperback.

You or Someone Like You By Chandler Burr 336 pages. Ecco. $25.99. You or Someone Like You
by Chandler Burr

The New York Times’ scent critic criticizes religion in his new novel.

This new novel questioning the merits of religion comes as a bit of a surprise from The New York Times’ perfume critic. More than a few people snickered when the Grey Lady hired a scent critic at a time of rampant handwringing in the newspaper industry, but Burr has proved to be much more than a hack with a good sense of smell. He manages to write a novel that is, he says, “fundamentally critical of Judaism,” while fooling some into thinking it’s all about the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown. Partially based on Burr’s own experiences while traveling, the book focuses on the son of a Hollywood couple who is rejected from a yeshiva in Israel because his mother is not Jewish, setting off a chain of self-questioning for the whole family. Chandler Burr: Renaissance man. Who knew? Read an excerpt while it was still a novel in progress at Narrative magazine.

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June 9, 2009 | 6:54am

The Daily Beast Recommends, New And Newly Relevant Books, Book Beast, Books, Guillaume Passaglia, Ali Sethi, The Wish Maker, Peter Carlson, America's Most Unlikely Tourist, K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude Starring Nikita Khrushchev, Relentless, Didier Guedj, Maxime Valette, F My Life, Chandler Burr, You Or Someone Like You, Dean Koontz

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How Rich People Smoke Pot

by Paul Schrodt

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Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.

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Sexy Beast

Stars Celebrate the Super Bowl

by The Daily Beast

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The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.

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