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Supersurvivors: the surprising link between suffering and success
By David B. Feldman, Lee Daniel Kravetz. 2014
Psychologist Feldman and journalist Kravetz profile individuals who suffered various tragedies and went on to achieve phenomenal success. Includes the…
story of Alan Lock, who lost his sight to macular degeneration at the age of twenty-three but later succeeded in rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. 2014
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
Entitled: How male privilege hurts women
By Kate Manne. 2020
An urgent exploration of men&’s entitlement and how it serves to police and punish women, from the acclaimed author of…
Down Girl &“Kate Manne is a thrilling and provocative feminist thinker. Her work is indispensable.&”—Rebecca Traister NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE ATLANTIC In this bold and stylish critique, Cornell philosopher Kate Manne offers a radical new framework for understanding misogyny. Ranging widely across the culture, from Harvey Weinstein and the Brett Kavanaugh hearings to &“Cat Person&” and the political misfortunes of Elizabeth Warren, Manne&’s book shows how privileged men&’s sense of entitlement—to sex, yes, but more insidiously to admiration, care, bodily autonomy, knowledge, and power—is a pervasive social problem with often devastating consequences. In clear, lucid prose, Manne argues that male entitlement can explain a wide array of phenomena, from mansplaining and the undertreatment of women&’s pain to mass shootings by incels and the seemingly intractable notion that women are &“unelectable.&” Moreover, Manne implicates each of us in toxic masculinity: It&’s not just a product of a few bad actors; it&’s something we all perpetuate, conditioned as we are by the social and cultural mores of our time. The only way to combat it, she says, is to expose the flaws in our default modes of thought while enabling women to take up space, say their piece, and muster resistance to the entitled attitudes of the men around them. With wit and intellectual fierceness, Manne sheds new light on gender and power and offers a vision of a world in which women are just as entitled as men to our collective care and concern
How to be perfect: The correct answer to every moral question
By Michael Schur. 2022
From the creator of The Good Place and the cocreator of Parks and Recreation , a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to…
living an ethical life, drawing on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world. Read by the author, this one-of-a-kind audio production features guest appearances by members of the cast of The Good Place . Most people think of themselves as "good", but it's not always easy to determine what's "good" or "bad"—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more, so we can sound cool at parties and become better people. Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like "Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?" (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we'll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. Okay, not quite. Instead, we'll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day. How to Be Perfect is narrated by Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D'Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May!
Where things touch: A meditation on beauty
By Bahar Orang. 2021
Part lyric essay, part prose poetry, Where Things Touch grapples with the manifold meanings and possibilities of beauty. Drawing on…
her experiences as a physician-in-training, Orang considers clinical encounters and how they relate to the concept and very idea of beauty. Such considerations lead her to questions about intimacy, queerness, home, memory, love, and other aspects of human existence. Throughout, beauty is ultimately imagined as something inextricably tied to care: the care of lovers, of patients, of art and literature, and the various non-human worlds that surround us. Eloquent and meditative in its approach, beauty, here, beyond base expectations of frivolity and superficiality, is conceived of as a thing to recover. Where Things Touch is an exploration of an essential human pleasure, a necessary freedom by which to challenge what we know of ourselves and the world we inhabit
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
The moral landscape: how science can determine human values
By Sam Harris. 2010
Neuroscientist and the author of The End of Faith (DB 62053) posits that science can help answer questions of morality.…
Suggests that the right human values are those that promote well-being. Discusses moral truth, good and evil, religion, and the future of happiness. 2010
Why Orwell matters
By Christopher Hitchens. 2002
Essayist explores the life and work of George Orwell (1903-1950), best known as the author of 1984 and Animal Farm.…
Discusses Orwell's political beliefs and the ways they were shaped by the times in which he lived. Challenges Orwell's critics and argues that his ideas remain relevant. 2002
The forest unseen: a year's watch in nature
By David George Haskell. 2012
Biology professor recounts what he learned when--guided by the metaphor of the mandala, the contemplation of a small part of…
something to understand the whole--he studied a one-meter circle of old-growth Tennessee woodlands for a year. Details the changing seasons' effects on the forest's plants and animals. 2012
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
Relire le relié (Essais)
By Michel Serres. 2019
Une variation qui prend pour point de départ les deux origines possibles du mot religion : relire et relier. Elle…
conclut des décennies de réflexion sur la synthèse et la reconstruction, dans une époque qui divise, décompose et détruit. Le philosophe analyse les textes sacrés et propose de considérer les problèmes contemporains à l'aune du religieux, qui relie les hommes entre eux.
The swerve: how the world became modern
By Stephen Greenblatt. 2011
Harvard humanities professor, author of Will in the World (DB 59294), reconstructs the life of Poggio Bracciolini, a Renaissance book…
hunter who rediscovered the lost poem On the Nature of Things (DB 37721) by Lucretius. Emphasizes the importance of Bracciolini's find and its impact on Western culture. Nat 'l Bk Award, Pulitzer. Bestseller. 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
It gets better: coming out, overcoming bullying, and creating a life worth living
By Dan Savage, Terry Miller. 2011
More than one hundred essays and testimonials from celebrities, politicians, and others inspired by the It Gets Better Project, which…
sex-advice columnist Dan Savage and his husband, Terry Miller, created to provide support to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. For senior high and older readers. 2011
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
The best advice I ever got: lessons from extraordinary lives
By Katie Couric. 2011
News anchor shares advice and anecdotes she has collected from nearly one hundred notable personalities, including Maya Angelou, Beyoncé, Michael…
Bloomberg, Drew Brees, Bill Clinton, and Suze Orman. Contributors and Couric herself discuss courage, hard work, tenacity, and other components of success. Some strong language. 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