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The great degeneration: how institutions decay and economies die
By Niall Ferguson. 2013
An examination of institutional dysfunction in the Western world argues that such values as a free market and representative government…
are being compromised while future generations are inheriting unmanageable levels of debt. 2013.The Great Gould
By Peter Goddard. 2017
Considered one of the most influential musicians and cultural figures of his time, Glenn Gould remains a fascinating figure. In…
the first book to be published in co-operation with Gould's estate, Peter Goddard draws on Gould's unpublished writings, interviews, and never-before-seen photographs to present a startling new portrait of Gould, the man and the musician. Presents a deep and nuanced study of Gould's life with unmatched candour and clarity. Inside is a love letter Gould wrote but never sent (he later revised it again and again); the text of a speech that Gould gave to a group of children about life and childhood; and portions of Glenn Gould: hysteric return, a never-before-seen radio script in which Gould imagines his return to the concert stage and all it would have entailed. 2017.The golden spruce: A True Story Of Myth, Madness And Greed
By John Vaillant. 2005
In 1997, when a shattered kayak and camping gear are found on an Alaskan island north of the Canadian border,…
they reignite a mystery surrounding a shocking act of protest. The author braids together the strands of this mystery and brings to life the historical collision of Europeans and the Haida and the harrowing world of logging. Canada Reads 2012. Winner of the 2005 Governor General's Award for Non-fiction. Bestseller. 2005.The Gospel according to the Beatles (The gospel According To... Ser.)
By Steve Turner. 2006
John Lennon famously proclaimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, and over the next few years, they were to…
become spiritual leaders to a generation trying to find meaning in the world. Turner examines their attitudes toward religion and their spiritual influences, including John's education as a choirboy. By their final albums, the Beatles were weaving more references to religion and spirituality into their music, and Turner attempts to reveal the "gospel" of the Fab Four. Some descriptions of violence, sex and some strong language. 2006.The great fire
By Jim Murphy. 1995
An account of the conflagration that levelled much of Chicago in 1871. Chronicles events from the fire's outbreak and rapid…
spread to its extinguishment by rain, as reported by survivors and in documents of the period. Examines the origins, circumstances, and official failures that contributed to the disaster. Grades 5-8. A 1996 Newbery Honor Book. c1995.The ghost walker
By R. D Lawrence. 1983
Lawrence lived in a wilderness region of the Selkirk Mountains to study the life habits of the cougar. Ghost Walker…
is the name he gave to a large mountain lion with whom he developed an amazing affinity. 1983.The frackers: the outrageous inside story of the new billionaire wildcatters
By Gregory Zuckerman. 2014
In five years, the United States has seen a historic burst of oil and natural gas production, easing our insatiable…
hunger for energy. A new drilling process called fracking has made us the world's fastest growing energy power, on track to pass Saudi Arabia by 2020. But despite headlines and controversy, no previous book has shown how the revolution really happened. The Frackers tells the dramatic tale of how a group of ambitious and headstrong wildcatters ignored the ridicule of experts and derision of colleagues to pursue massive, long-overlooked deposits. Against all odds, they changed the world- and made astonishing fortunes in the process. Zuckerman's exclusive access enabled him to get close to men like George Mitchell, who developed a new way to drill for gas in shale rock; Harold Hamm, who discovered so much oil he's now worth more than the estate of Steve Jobs; and Aubrey McClendon, who lost more than billion on a misguided gambit. Zuckerman shows how the frackers are now using their wealth to shake up Hollywood, education, politics, sports, and other fields, much like the Rockefellers and Gettys before them. He also explores the debate over the environmental risks of fracking, and whether those risks are worth it for the United States to achieve energy independence and for the rest of the world to follow. 2014.The first days of life
By Russell Freedman, Joseph Cellini. 1974
The forgotten man: a new history of the Great Depression
By Amity Shlaes. 2007
Economics reporter analyzes the Great Depression era in the United States and posits that federal intervention in the economy lengthened…
its duration. Considers economic plans from members of Franklin Roosevelt's brain trust and alternate solutions of outsiders such as African American Father Divine and Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson. 2007.Ten essays investigating curiosities and oddities in natural history. A research physician presents his findings on real phenomena, such as…
odd showers of fish or frogs falling with rain; and unreal specimens, such as the Feejee mermaid--a fraudulent creature assembled from fish and animal parts. 1999.The feather quest: a North American birder's year
By Pete Dunne. 1992
This book chronicles a year spent birding. The author and his wife embarked on their adventure before dawn on New…
Year's Day, crossing North America and joining the Christmas Bird Count twelve months hence. Dunne keeps an eye on more than birds; he observes humans and the world at large. Brief foreword contributed by Roger Tory Peterson. 1992.The family dog: its choice and training : a practical guide for every dog owner
By John Holmes. 1991
The text aims to answer all the questions that the dog owner may have about finding the right dog and…
training it successfully. The author provides his own insights into the instincts, behaviour and temperament of the domestic dog, and uses his up-to-date experience as a professional trainer to show the principles that help to build a happy and harmonious relationship between dog and owner. 1991.The cuckoo on the kettle
By Joan Grant. 1993
Joan Grant cares for around 250 injured and immature wild birds each year, releasing many back into the wild and…
giving a permanent home to those unable to fend for themselves. Some of her patients return, after release, often years later. The starling returning for bread and milk for her family, the tufted duck who came to ask for help in getting her ducklings to water, the moorhen who preferred Joan's kitchen to the lake where she'd been taken - these are just some of the bird characters in Joan's crammed bungalow. 1993.The end of absence: reclaiming what we've lost in a world of constant connection
By Michael Harris. 2014
Only one generation in history (ours) will experience life both with and without the internet. For everyone who follows us,…
online life will simply be the air they breathe. Today, we revel in ubiquitous information and constant connection, rarely stopping to consider the implications for our logged-on lives. The author chronicles this massive shift, exploring what we've gained and lost in the bargain. He argues that our greatest loss has been that of absence itself -- of silence, wonder and solitude. Winner of the 2014 Governor General’s Award for Non-fiction. 2014.The eyes that lead: the story of guide dogs for the blind
By Michael Tucker. 1984
The author has spent many years as a trainer of guide dogs. He explains how the dogs are selected and…
trained, how they are matched with their new owners, and the training that the owner receives. 1984.The end of growth
By Jeff Rubin. 2012
Economist and resource analyst Jeff Rubin is certain that the world's governments are getting it wrong - instead of moving…
us toward economic recovery, measures being taken around the globe right now are digging us into a deeper hole. Both politicians and economists are missing the fact that the real engine of economic growth has always been cheap, abundant fuel and resources, but that era is over. The end of cheap oil signals the end of growth - and the end of easy answers to renewing prosperity. c2012.The empathy exams: essays
By Leslie Jamison. 2014
A collection of essays explores empathy, using topics ranging from street violence and incarceration to reality television and literary sentimentality…
to ask questions about people's understanding of and relationships with others. Winner of the Gray Wolf Press Nonfiction Prize. 2014. The empathy exams -- Devil's bait -- La frontera -- Morphology of the hit -- Pain tours (I) : La plata perdida ; Sublime, revised ; Indigenous to the hood -- The immortal horizon -- In defense of saccharin(e) -- Fog count -- Pain tours (II) : Ex-votos ; Servicio supercompleto ; The broken heart of James Agee -- Lost boys -- Grand unified theory of female pain -- Judge's afterword / A conversation with Leslie Jamison. Uniform title: Essays.The chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: a true story of resilience and recovery
By Andrew Westoll. 2011
In 1997 Gloria Grow started a sanctuary for chimps retired from biomedical research on her farm outside Montreal. For Gloria,…
caring for thirteen great apes is like presiding over a maximum security prison, a Zen sanctuary and an old folks' home all rolled into one. But she is first and foremost creating a refuge for her troubled charges -- a place where they can recover and begin to trust humans again. Canada Reads 2012. 2011.The elephant whisperer: learning about life, loyalty and freedom from a remarkable herd of elephants
By Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence. 2009
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of 'rogue' elephants on his reserve at Thula…
Thula, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival - notorious escape artists, they would all be killed if Lawrence wouldn't take them. 2009.The Harvey girls: women who opened the West
By Lesley Poling-Kempes. 1989
From the 1880s to the 1950s, the Harvey Girls went west to work in Fred Harvey's restaurants along the Santa…
Fe railway. At a time when there were "no ladies west of Dodge City and no women west of Albuquerque," they came as waitresses, but many stayed and settled, founding the struggling cattle and mining towns that dotted the region. Interviews, historical research, and photographs help re-create the Harvey Girl experience. The accounts are personal, but laced with the history the women lived: the dust bowl, the depression, and anecdotes about some of the many famous people who ate at the restaurants--Teddy Roosevelt, Shirley Temple, Bob Hope, to name a few. Winner of the 1991 New Mexico PressWomen's ZIA award. 1989.