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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
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
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
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.
Medusa's gaze and vampire's bite: the science of monsters
By Matt Kaplan. 2012
Science journalist examines ancient and modern myths of monsters, from the Nemean Lion of ancient Greece to King Kong and…
the Terminator. Uses archaeology and other disciplines to theorize on the sources of these tales and the reasons they fascinate us. Young adult appeal. Some violence. 2012
Carefree black girls: A celebration of black women in popular culture
By Zeba Blay. 2021
Carefree Black Girls is an exploration and celebration of black women's identity and impact on pop culture, as well as…
the enduring stereotypes they face, from a film and culture critic for HuffPost . In 2013, Zeba Blay was one of the first people to coin the viral term "carefreeblackgirls" on Twitter. It was, as she says, "a way to carve out a space of celebration and freedom for black women online." In this collection of essays, Blay expands on that initial idea by looking at the significance of influential black women throughout history, including Josephine Baker, Michelle Obama, Rihanna, and Cardi B. Incorporating her own personal experiences as well as astute analysis of these famous women, Blay presents an empowering and celebratory portrait of black women and their effect on American culture. She also examines the many stereotypes that have clung to black women throughout history, whether it is the Mammy, the Angry Black Woman, or more recently, the Thot
How can i be a good digital citizen? (Our Digital World)
By Christine Zuchora-Walske. 2018
Using the Internet can be an exciting adventure. But it is important to use it safely. How can you use…
computers responsibly? And how can you be a good digital citizen? Read this book to find out!
The longevity book: the science of aging, the biology of strength, and the privilege of time
By Sandra Bark, Cameron Diaz. 2016
Forty-three-year-old actress and her coauthor examine the current science on aging in women. Topics examined include how the body changes…
through time, menopause, cellular aging, building stronger bodies and brains, and the biological impact of genes, choices, and attitudes. Bestseller. 2016
Andy Warhol was a hoarder: inside the minds of history's great personalities
By Claudia Kalb. 2016
Journalist looks at twelve famous historical figures and uses modern psychiatric tools to proffer diagnoses of their common mental-health conditions.…
Those profiled include Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Frank Lloyd Wright, Abraham Lincoln, and Charles Darwin. 2016
Motherland, fatherland, homelandsexuals (Penguin poets)
By Patricia Lockwood. 2014
Collection of thirty-one poems exploring facets of the human experience through gender and sexuality. "List of Cross-Dressing Soldiers" begins as…
a paean to women who went to war as men, but turns into a reflection of a sibling's experience in battle. Some violence and some descriptions of sex. 2014
How we live now: redefining home and family in the 21st century
By Bella DePaulo, Bella M DePaulo. 2015
Social scientist explores the many diverse experiments of living in twenty-first century America that challenge old concepts of what it…
means to be a family and have a home. DePaulo examines multigenerational homes, cohousing communities, couples "living apart together," single living, and more. 2015
Notorious RBG: the life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
By Shana Knizhnik, Irin Carmon. 2015
Profile of the life of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (born 1933) and popular culture representations of her. Discusses…
her early life growing up in Brooklyn, her legal and judicial career, family life, commitment to and fight for women's rights, and relationships with her fellow justices. Bestseller. 2015
Culture crash: the killing of the creative class
By Scott Timberg. 2015
Journalist examines the effects of pervasive digital technology and attendant economic developments on the arts in the twenty-first century. Laments…
the decline of vibrant local cultural scenes. Discusses negative consequences for the creation of art in the first place, the disappearance of physical spaces that foster creativity, and future prospects. 2015
Sneaker century: a history of athletic shoes
By Amber J. Keyser. 2015
Describes sneaker fashions and the larger-than-life personalities behind the best known athletic shoe brands in history. Explains how teen sneaker-heads…
became important style-makers and explores the sneaker frontier of the future. For grades 6-9 and older readers. 2015
American ghost: a family's haunted past in the desert southwest
By Hannah Nordhaus. 2015
The La Posada Hotel in Santa Fe has a famous resident ghost, a woman named Julia Schuster Staab, who lived…
there when the hotel was her family's home in the late 19th century. Journalist Nordhaus, Julia's descendent, researches Julia's life and afterlife in this tale of the American West. 2015
Zero waste home: the ultimate guide to simplifying your life by reducing your waste
By Bea Johnson. 2013
Author Bea Johnson shares the story of how she and her family learned to drastically reduce their waste to just…
one quart of garbage a year and cut their annual spending by forty percent. Includes specific how-to advice, tutorials, and recipes to use in daily life. 2013