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Around the world in 80 books
By David Damrosch. 2021
A transporting and illuminating voyage around the globe, through classic and modern literary works that are in conversation with one…
another and with the world around them *Featured in the Chicago Tribune' s Great 2021 Fall Book Preview* Inspired by Jules Verne&’s hero Phileas Fogg, David Damrosch, chair of Harvard University&’s department of comparative literature and founder of Harvard&’s Institute for World Literature, set out to counter a pandemic&’s restrictions on travel by exploring eighty exceptional books from around the globe. Following a literary itinerary from London to Venice, Tehran and points beyond, and via authors from Woolf and Dante to Nobel Prize–winners Orhan Pamuk, Wole Soyinka, Mo Yan, and Olga Tokarczuk, he explores how these works have shaped our idea of the world, and the ways in which the world bleeds into literature. To chart the expansive landscape of world literature today, Damrosch explores how writers live in two very different worlds: the world of their personal experience and the world of books that have enabled great writers to give shape and meaning to their lives. In his literary cartography, Damrosch includes compelling contemporary works as well as perennial classics, hard-bitten crime fiction as well as haunting works of fantasy, and the formative tales that introduce us as children to the world we&’re entering. Taken together, these eighty titles offer us fresh perspective on enduring problems, from the social consequences of epidemics to the rising inequality that Thomas More designed Utopia to combat, as well as the patriarchal structures within and against which many of these books&’ heroines have to struggle—from the work of Murasaki Shikibu a millennium ago to Margaret Atwood today. Around the World in 80 Books is a global invitation to look beyond ourselves and our surroundings, and to see our world and its literature in new ways
Warmth: Coming of age at the end of our world
By Daniel Sherrell. 2021
&“ [ Warmth ] is lyrical and erudite, engaging with science, activism, and philosophy . . . [Sherrell] captures the…
complicated correspondence between hope and doubt, faith and despair—the pendulum of emotional states that defines our attitude toward the future. &” — The New Yorker &“Beautifully rendered and bracingly honest.&” —Jenny Odell, author of How to Do Nothing From a millennial climate activist, an exploration of how young people live in the shadow of catastrophe Warmth is a new kind of book about climate change: not what it is or how we solve it, but how it feels to imagine a future—and a family—under its weight. In a fiercely personal account written from inside the climate movement, Sherrell lays bare how the crisis is transforming our relationships to time, to hope, and to each other. At once a memoir, a love letter, and an electric work of criticism, Warmth goes to the heart of the defining question of our time: how do we go on in a world that may not?
Justice is: A guide for young truth seekers
By Preet Bharara. 2022
Introduce the concept of justice to young people with this picture book by New York Times bestselling author of Doing…
Justice, Preet Bharara. In clear and simple language, Preet Bharara, former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, explains what justice is and what it takes to achieve it for even the youngest readers. Drawing on examples of historic justice seekers whose deeds best demonstrate those attributes by asking hard questions, keeping an open mind, defending the truth, and using their voices and their bodies to fight injustice—such as Ida B. Wells, John Lewis, Malala Yousafzai, and many others, this timely book is perfect for exploring the concept of justice. Inspire young readers to fight for justice in their world and to remain hopeful that by standing together, it can triumph
Hemingway's boat: everything he loved in life, and lost, 1934-1961
By Paul Hendrickson. 2011
Explores the last twenty-seven years of the life of writer Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) and describes the solace that he found…
aboard his fishing boat Pilar, which he obtained in 1934. Discusses both Hemingway's literary career and his family, including his cross-dressing youngest son Gregory. Some strong language. 2011
The book in the Renaissance
By Andrew Pettegree. 2010
Chronicles the first one hundred fifty years of the printed word. Details the origins and evolution of print, culminating in…
Gutenberg's innovation and its momentous consequences for humankind. Examines the religious, economic, and cultural concerns that influenced the production of books. 2010
Anne Frank: the book, the life, the afterlife
By Francine Prose. 2009
Analyzes The Diary of a Young Girl (DB 57022) as a literary work, a Holocaust narrative, and a cultural artifact.…
Examines the evidence that Anne rewrote her memoir to increase its appeal. Discusses the published book's use in classroom instruction and its adaptation for stage and film. 2009
Role models
By John Waters. 2010
Baltimore director of cult films Pink Flamingos and Hairspray pens essays about the people he admires, including singers Johnny Mathis…
and Little Richard, writer Tennessee Williams, former Charles Manson groupie Leslie Van Houten, gay pornographers, and bar owners. Strong language and some explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller. 2010
The Grimm legacy (Grimm Legacy Ser.)
By Polly Shulman. 2010
Elizabeth gets an after-school job as a page at the New York Circulating Material Repository, which houses magical objects from…
the Grimm brothers' fairy tales. When items disappear Elizabeth and the other pages are drawn into frightening adventures involving mythical creatures and stolen goods. For grades 6-9. 2010
God is not one: the eight rival religions that run the world--and why their differences matter
By Stephen R. Prothero. 2010
Author of Religious Literacy (DB 64243) posits that religion is more than a private matter and affects the world socially,…
economically, politically, and militarily--as a force for both good and evil. Discusses the major religions, their traditions, and the importance of the differences among them. 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 Sookie Stackhouse companion (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)
By Charlaine Harris. 2011
Features the novella Small-Town Wedding, in which Sookie and her boss Sam, a shape-shifter, attend nuptials in Sam's Texas hometown.…
Includes trivia and fan questions, recipes, and a guide to Sookie's world of vampires, werewolves, and fairies. 2011
The ultimate dinopedia: the most complete dinosaur reference ever (National geographic kids)
By Franco Tempesta, Don Lessem. 2010
Guide provides information on nearly a hundred dinosaurs--what they ate (plants or meat), where they lived (from the Arctic to…
the jungle), ways they behaved (some climbed trees) and evolved, and even what color some of them were. Includes quick facts on hundreds of others. For grades 3-6. 2010
Volcano: the eruption and healing of Mount St. Helens
By Patricia Lauber. 1993
Recounts the transformation of Mount St. Helens from a forested mountain to a desolate blast zone after its explosion on…
March 27, 1980. Discusses the earthquakes and mud flows that occurred and the gradual return of plants, insects, and animals. For grades 4-7. Newbery Honor Book. 1986
Clark Howard's living large in lean times: 250+ ways to buy smarter, spend smarter, and save money
By Clark Howard, Mark Meltzer, Theo Thimou. 2011
Television and radio consumer advocate's guide to saving money offers advice on range of topics from cars to homes to…
travel. The first chapter covers changes that could have immediate effects on personal finances. Other chapters include tips for buying utilities, insurance, mortgages, health care, and education. Bestseller. 2011
Beauty is a verb: the new poetry of disability
By Sheila Black, Jennifer Bartlett, Michael Northen. 2011
Anthology shows disability through the lenses of poetry and essays. Features works of early and mid-twentieth-century poets, such as Josephine…
Miles and Larry Eigner, as well as from participants in the later "disability/crip poetics" movement, including John Lee Clark and Daniel Simpson. Offers critical commentary. 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
Rin Tin Tin: the life and the legend
By Susan Orlean. 2011
Relates the 1918 discovery of an abandoned German shepherd puppy on a French World War I battlefield by American soldier…
Lee Duncan. Describes Rin Tin Tin and his descendants' acting roles from early silent movies to the 1950s television show. Some strong language. Bestseller. 2011
Annual anthology of stories, essays, and poems published by small presses. In "We Don't Deserve This" married, globe-trotting physicians Jake…
and Sarah, who haven't seen their kids in years, discover that the two young teens are child pornographers. Strong language, some violence, and some descriptions of sex. 2011
The 10 best of everything national parks: 800 top picks from coast to coast
By National Geographic. 2011
For this guide to exploring America's National Parks, National Geographic Society editors consulted nature writers and outdoor enthusiasts to identify…
eighty areas of interest--such as natural wonders, wildlife, history, day hikes, and campgrounds, cuisine--and recommend the ten best parks in each category. 2011
The white goddess: a historical grammar of poetic myth
By Robert Graves. 1999
Grevel Lindop, editor of this 1997 edition, describes it as "(among other things) an adventure in historical detective-work," in which…
Graves linguistically deciphers much of the world's mythology, explains the place in anthropology of goddess and god, and provides a basis for understanding his poetry and the modern world. 1952