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Quirky British author of The Missing of the Somme (DB 76938) and Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi (DB 74532)…
details his residency aboard the American aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. Describes the people he met and the experiences in which he engaged. 2014
The devil's snake curve: a fan's notes from left field
By Josh Ostergaard. 2014
Anthropologist shares anecdotes and stories of baseball's history, from its founding in the mid-1800s to the early twenty-first century, framing…
them in the context of social and political history. Presents similarities between the sport and war and nationalism. Strong language. 2014
Tinderbox: Hbo's ruthless pursuit of new frontiers
By James Andrew Miller. 2021
From the New York Times bestselling author of Those Guys Have All the Fun comes the unvarnished, comprehensive, and astonishing…
history of HBO, told for the first time through the disruptors who led its epic rise to prestige and changed the way we watch television forever. The exclusive story of HBO's key creators, executives, actors, and directors gives listeners an unprecedented peek behind the curtain at the founding and triumph of the first "pay-channel" that brought America The Sopranos , Sex and the City , The Wire , Succession , and countless, groundbreaking, culture-shifting shows. James Andrew Miller collects insider accounts of the humble beginnings, devastating missteps, controversial business decisions, and, of course, backstage drama and celebrity gossip from the set. Since televisions entered Americans' living rooms, the question of whether programming should be "free"—paid for with advertising—has loomed, to the extent that some broadcasters, lobbyists and fearmongers warned someone would come along and disrupt their Madison Avenue–championed business model. But who would pay for something that had always been free? Home Box Office dared to ask that question in 1972, opening the doors for other pay-channels and ultimately the streaming platforms that are now the norm. They created different, better content—or at least they convinced viewers that different was better. HBO gave us violent scenes with blood and guts, shows like Tales from the Crypt that were actually scary, romcoms with sex instead of suggestion. We take their big-budget, "prestige" TV for granted now, but their success was far from assured at the outset. HBO's audacity built the viewing culture we have today and permanently transformed the television landscape. A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company
Sky sailors: true stories of the balloon era
By David L. Bristow, David Bristow. 2010
Discusses human flight before the invention of the airplane. Recounts the balloon-based travels of daring men and women from 1783…
to the early 1900s, including two children who went up by accident. Describes the dangers posed by high winds, lightning, lack of oxygen, and extreme cold. For grades 4-7. 2010
Journalist and author of The First National Bank of Dad (DB 59001) warns that inventing new technologies to deal with…
the energy crisis does not fix the problem--and may worsen the situation. Advocates consuming less and living in densely populated areas such as New York City. 2011
Newspaperman examines his unique relationship with his hiking partner, miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch. Explains how a fund-raising effort after…
a friend's death started man and dog's years of climbing in New Hampshire's White Mountains--188 peaks over three winters. Some strong language. 2011
Author retraces the travels of English adventurer Sir John Mandeville, who left for the Holy Land in 1322 and returned…
in 1356 with tales of countries throughout Asia that he claimed to have visited. Discusses the influence Mandeville had on explorers and writers in his day. 1996
Big Chief Elizabeth: the adventures and fate of the First English Colonists in America
By Giles Milton, Picador. 2001
Chronicles the sixteenth- and seventeenth- century sea voyages of English adventurers to North America, beginning with Richard Hore's 1536 expedition…
that ended when starvation drove his men to cannibalism. Discusses the court of Elizabeth I, Sir Walter Ralegh's Roanoke enterprises, and the settlement of Jamestown. Some violence. 2000
You are the first kid on Mars
By Patrick O'Brien. 2009
Describes a future trip that a child might take to Mars: taking a space elevator to a space station, traveling…
in a rocket, wearing a space suit, and learning about the scientific search for Martian life. Discusses the Mars environment and a habitat created for humans. For grades 2-4. 2009
The company we keep: a husband-and-wife true-life spy story
By Robert Baer, Dayna Baer. 2011
The author of See No Evil (DB 53770), the basis for the movie Syriana, and his wife Dayna share their…
anecdotes of working for the CIA. They describe their first meeting while on assignment in the Balkans and recount falling in love years later. Some strong language. 2011
Of thee I zing: America's cultural decline from muffin tops to body shots
By Raymond Arroyo, Laura Ingraham. 2011
Political commentator and radio talk-show host shares her observations and opinions of boutique cupcake shops; laptop users; shrinking airplane seats…
and expanding passengers; celebrities' choices for baby names; and other aspects of modern American life. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2011
The psychopath test: a journey through the madness industry
By Jon Ronson. 2011
Author of The Men Who Stare at Goats (DB 60917) explores psychiatry's efforts to recognize and treat psychopaths. Interviews include…
a doctor who developed a checklist of psychopathic traits, a former Haitian death-squad leader, and an ex-CEO who seemed to enjoy firing workers. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2011
33 men: inside the miraculous survival and dramatic rescue of the Chilean miners
By Jonathan Franklin. 2011
Franklin, an American reporter stationed in South America for fifteen years, investigates the August 5, 2010, copper-mine explosion in northern…
Chile that trapped thirty-three men underground for ten weeks. Describes the miners' ordeal and highlights the rescue attempt that brought them to the surface. 2011
Wild: from lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail
By Cheryl Strayed. 2012
Author recounts the three-month, 1,100-mile solo hike she took on a whim in 1995, after years of devastating personal losses.…
Describes her encounters with rattlesnakes, locals, fellow hikers, and her own thoughts during her trek from Los Angeles to Washington State on the Pacific Crest Trail. Strong language. Bestseller. 2012
Twelve individuals share their real-life adventures. Teenager Bethany describes losing her arm in a shark attack in 2003 while surfing.…
Dad Phil relates being struck by lightening in 2005 as he was rock climbing with his family in Wyoming. For grades 5-8. 2011
Lost at sea: the Jon Ronson mysteries
By Jon Ronson. 2012
British author of The Men Who Stare at Goats (DB 60917) pens essays exploring absurdities of the modern world. In…
the title piece Ronson investigated the 2011 disappearance of an employee from a Disney cruise and learned that many people go missing from cruises every year. Strong language. 2012
The perfume lover: a personal history of scent
By Denyse Beaulieu. 2013
Paris-based writer and translator details her collaboration with perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour to develop a scent based on a romantic interlude…
she experienced in Seville, Spain. Chronicles her relationship with scents from childhood to the present. Includes discussion of historical perfumes. 2012
All We Want: Building the Life We Cannot Buy
By Michael Harris. 2021
Our lives are defined by a story of endless growth and consumption. Now a climate crisis demands that we change.…
Can we write new stories? In All We Want, award-winning author Michael Harris dismantles our untenable consumer culture and delivers surprising, heartwarming alternatives. Drawing on the wisdom of philosophers, scientists, and artists, Harris uncovers three realms where humans have always found deeper meaning: the worlds of Craft, the Sublime, and Care. Past attempts to blunt our impact on the environment have simply redirected our consumption—we bought fuel-efficient cars and canvas tote bags. We cannot, however, buy our way out of this crisis. We need, instead, compelling new stories about life's purpose. Part meditation and part manifesto, All We Want is a blazing inquest into the destructive and unfulfilling promise of our consumer society, and a roadmap toward a more humane future.
Meat eater: adventures from the life of an American hunter
By John Brecher, Steven Rinella. 2012
Journalist chronicles his relationship with nature from age three to adulthood, recounting specific hunting and fishing adventures, including a caribou…
hunt on the North Slope of the Brooks Range in Alaska. Discusses his attempt to make a living from trapping and provides serving suggestions for game meats. Some violence. 2012
Argo: how the CIA and Hollywood pulled off the most audacious rescue in history
By Matt Baglio, Antonio Mendez, Antonio J. Mendez. 2012
Former CIA officer Mendez recounts the rescue of six Americans who escaped from the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November…
4, 1979, when it was overrun by militants. Details the plan to extract the diplomats from Iran disguised as members of a Hollywood film crew. Some strong language. 2012