BESTSELLERS

*--* SO. CAL. RATING Fiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 The March by E.L. Doctorow -- 1 (Random House: $25.95) On the trail with Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman making his historic sweep to Atlanta, routing Confederate troops and destroying the countryside.

2 On Beauty by Zadie Smith 2 2 (Penguin: $25.95) Identity crises, adultery, racial conflict and religious zealotry afflict two families whose lives are a 21st century parallel to E.M. Forster’s “Howards End.”

3 Shalimar the Clown by 4 3 Salman Rushdie (Random House: $25.95) A diplomat’s murder in Los Angeles uncovers a saga with roots in Kashmir, Nazi Europe and modern terrorism.

4 Cinnamon Kiss by Walter 9 2 Mosley (Little, Brown: $24.95) To raise cash for his daughter’s operation, Easy Rawlins threads his way through post-Watts riots L.A. and flower-power San Francisco.

5 Goodnight Nobody by -- 1 Jennifer Weiner (Atria: $26) The wife of a suburban Connecticut police chief uncovers secrets as she investigates a murder in the postcard-perfect town.

6 The Historian by Elizabeth 3 16 Kostova (Little, Brown: $25.95) A teenager discovers a medieval book and a stash of letters and sets out on a hunt for the real story of Dracula, a quest close to home.

7 Harry Potter and the 7 11 Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Arthur A. Levine / Scholastic: $29.99) A teenage Harry faces a new darkness in his latest adventures.

8 Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman -- 1 (William Morrow: $26.95) A London agent discovers that his deceased father had been the human embodiment of Anansi, the African trickster god.

9 The Da Vinci Code by Dan 6 132 Brown (Doubleday: $24.95) A Louvre curator’s killing leads to clues hidden in Leonardo’s paintings and a secret society with something to hide.

10 Eldest (Inheritance, Book 13 5 2) by Christopher Paolini (Alfred A. Knopf: $21) Eragon hones his battle skills as his cousin finds himself the target of evil forces.

11 Lipstick Jungle by Candace 1 3 Bushnell (Hyperion: $24.95) Three high-powered New York women stop at nothing to make it big in business, even if it means leaving their men in the dust.

12 Friends, Lovers, Chocolate -- 1 by Alexander McCall Smith (Pantheon: $21.95) Edinburgh philosophy journal editor Isabel Dalhousie analyzes customers’ problems at her niece’s gourmet deli.

13 Snow Flower and the Secret 5 12 Fan by Lisa See (Random House: $21.95) Two women in the cloistered society of 19th century China forge a close friendship that is threatened by misunderstanding.

14 Lunar Park by Bret Easton 11 7 Ellis (Alfred A. Knopf: $24.95) The author-turned-protagonist tries to dry out and remake his life in a suburbia possessed by strange spirits.

15 Indecision by Benjamin -- 2 Kunkel (Random House: $21.95) Fired from his unfulfilling job, a 28-year-old man sets out for South America and a cure for his inability to make up his mind.

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*--* SO. CAL. RATING Nonfiction LAST WEEK WEEKS ON LIST 1 Freakonomics by Steven D. 5 23 Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner (William Morrow: $25.95) An economist deconstructs statistics and uses numbers to help explain human behavior.

2 The World Is Flat by 3 24 Thomas L. Friedman (Farrar, Straus & Giroux: $27.50) How technology and the forces of globalization are connecting -- and changing -- the world.

3 Never Have Your Dog -- 1 Stuffed by Alan Alda (Random House: $24.95) The “MASH” star talks about his life and success, his famous actor father and his mother’s mental illness.

4 Natural Cures “They” Don’t 2 14 Want You to Know About by Kevin Trudeau (Alliance Publishing: $29.95) The infomercial mogul touts alternative therapies and supplements.

5 Blink by Malcolm Gladwell 4 37 (Little, Brown: $25.95) Gladwell explores why decisions are so often made in an instant and whether we can really trust those first instincts.

6 A Man Without a Country by 1 5 Kurt Vonnegut (Seven Stories Press: $23.95) A collection of recent articles focuses on personal foibles and skewers those in power.

7 1776 by David McCullough 7 17 (Simon & Schuster: $32) The historian looks at how the American forces took on the world’s greatest military power in the Revolution’s first battles.

8 The Tender Bar by J.R. 10 4 Moehringer (Hyperion: $23.95) A Los Angeles Times writer’s memoir of being poor and fatherless, seeking male role models among regulars at a Long Island bar.

9 The Game by Neil Strauss 9 3 (ReganBooks: $29.95) A “regular guy” transforms himself into a highly trained pickup artist and enters a subculture where seduction and betrayal live in close discomfort.

10 You: The Owner’s Manual by 6 20 Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz (HarperCollins: $24.95) An anti-aging guru and a heart surgeon offer a wry and witty guide to staying healthy.

11 On Bull**** by Harry G. -- 15 Frankfurt (Princeton University Press: $9.95) A leading philosopher takes on society’s view of what sometimes seems to be the fine line between truth and lying.

12 Collapse by Jared Diamond -- 20 (Viking: $29.95) A prize-winning author examines why societies such as the Anasazi and the Maya collapsed and what can be done to prevent future die-offs.

13 Talking Back by Andrea -- 1 Mitchell (Viking: $25.95) The NBC news correspondent tells of starting as a “copy boy” at a small radio station and eventually covering presidents, dictators and wars.

14 What Remains by Carole -- 1 Radziwill (Scribner: $25.95) A TV reporter’s story of love and death after marrying into the extended Kennedy clan and losing her husband to cancer.

15 One Minute Wellness by Ben -- 1 Lerner and Greg Loman (Nelson: $21.99) The author of “Body by God” offers a new take on life and wellness and one-minute-a-day tips to improving health.

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