1 THE OBAMA NATION, by Jerome R. Corsi. (Threshold, $28.) The Democratic candidate as an extreme leftist, from the co-author of “Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry.” (†) 1
2 WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN FLAMES, by David Sedaris. (Little, Brown, $25.99.) The humorist’s latest essays. First Chapter 1 9
3 STORI TELLING, by Tori Spelling with Hilary Liftin. (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $24.95.) The actress’s memoir. (†) 4 10
4 ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT’S ME, CHELSEA, by Chelsea Handler. (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $24.95.) Humorous personal essays from the stand-up comedian. 5 15
5 FLEECED, by Dick Morris and Eileen McGann. (Harper, $26.95.) Americans are fleeced by government, business, labor unions and lobbyists. (†) 6 6
6 THE DARK SIDE, by Jane Mayer. (Doubleday, $27.50.) How the Bush administration embraced the practice of torture. 2 3
7* LIFE WITH MY SISTER MADONNA, by Christopher Ciccone with Wendy Leigh. (Simon Spotlight Entertainment, $26.) What she’s really like. 3 3
8 HAVANA NOCTURNE, by T. J. English. (Morrow, $27.95.) Tales from the pre-Castro days when American gangsters controlled Cuba’s casinos and hotels. 7 2
9 THE POST-AMERICAN WORLD, by Fareed Zakaria. (Norton, $25.95.) The rise of China and India and the global distribution of power. First Chapter 10 14
10* THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE, by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi. (Grand Central, $25.99.) An American writer in Florence and an Italian journalist work to discover the identity of a local serial killer. 8 8
11 WHAT HAPPENED, by Scott McClellan. (PublicAffairs, $27.95.) A former White House press secretary regrets that “I allowed myself to be deceived” by top officials. 9 10
12 MY STROKE OF INSIGHT, by Jill Bolte Taylor. (Viking, $24.95.) A brain scientist shares what she learned from her 1996 stroke. 12 9
13 AUDITION, by Barbara Walters. (Knopf, $29.95.) A personal and professional memoir. 13 13
14 WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING, by Haruki Murakami. (Knopf, $21..) Part training guide, part memoir, from the Japanese novelist. 1
15 WAITER RANT, by the Waiter. (Ecco, $24.95.) An anonymous New York waiter with a popular blog describes customers’ outrageous behavior. 1
16* TRAFFIC, by Tom Vanderbilt. ((Knopf, .), $24.95.) Why we drive the way we do. 1
17 THE PROSECUTION OF GEORGE W. BUSH FOR MURDER, by Vincent Bugliosi (Vanguard)
18 KNOW YOUR POWER, by Nancy Pelosi with Amy Hill Hearth (Doubleday)
19 FREAKONOMICS, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (Morrow)
20 BECOMING THE NATURAL, by Randy Couture with Loretta Hunt (Simon Spotlight Entertainment)
21 THE REVOLUTION, by Ron Paul (Grand Central) (†)
22 IN DEFENSE OF FOOD, by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press) First Chapter
23 THE REASON FOR GOD, by Timothy Keller (Dutton)
24 HOW FICTION WORKS, by James Wood (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
25 I AM AMERICA (AND SO CAN YOU!), by Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Allison Silverman et al (Grand Central)
26 THE BLACK SWAN, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Random House) First Chapter
27 HEAVEN AND HELL, by Don Felder with Wendy Holden (Wiley)
28 ME OF LITTLE FAITH, by Lewis Black (Riverhead)
29 THE BLACK HOLE WAR, by Leonard Susskind (Little, Brown)
30 ROME 1960, by David Maraniss (Simon & Schuster) First Chapter
31 THE DRUNKARD’S WALK, by Leonard Mlodinow (Pantheon) (†)
32 PREDICTABLY IRRATIONAL, by Dan Ariely (Harper)
33 THE FORGER'S SPELL, by Edward Dolnick (Harper)
34 SOMEWHERE IN HEAVEN, by Christopher Andersen (Hyperion)
35 BOOKS, by Larry McMurtry (Simon & Schuster)
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/17/books/bestseller/besthardnonfiction.html?_r=1&oref=slogin