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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 climate wars
By Gwynne Dyer. 2008
Dwindling resources, massive population shifts, natural disasters, spreading epidemics. Drought, rising sea levels, plummeting agricultural yields, crashing economies and political…
extremism. These are some of the expected consequences of runaway climate change in the decades ahead, and any of them could tip the world towards conflict. 2008.The blind mechanic: the amazing story of Eric Davidson, survivor of the 1917 Halifax Explosion
By Marilyn Elliott, Janet Kitz. 2018
Eric Davidson was a beautiful, fair-haired toddler when the Halifax Explosion struck, killing almost 2,000 people and seriously injuring thousands…
of others. Eric lost both eyes-a tragedy that his mother never fully recovered from. Eric, however, was positive and energetic. He also developed a fascination with cars and how they worked, and he later decided, against all likelihood, to become a mechanic. Assisted by his brothers who read to him from manuals, he worked hard, passed examinations, and carved out a decades-long career. Once the subject of a National Film Board documentary, Eric Davidson was, until his death, a much-admired figure in Halifax. Written by his daughter Marilyn, this book gives new insights into the story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion and contains never-before-seen documents and photographs. Winner of the 2019 The Robbie Robertson Dartmouth Book Award (Non-Fiction). 2018.The alchemy of love and lust: discovering our sex hormones and how they determine who we love, when we love, and how often we love
By Theresa Larsen Crenshaw. 1997
Identifies the role our hormones play in the different sexual stages, exploring the age-old concept of chemistry between the sexes…
and how hormones can determine the course of human relationships. Functions as both an encyclopedia of our attachment-related hormones, telling us exactly what they are and exactly what modern science thinks they do, and a guide to what we can do to get them to keep functioning the way we want them to. Descriptions of sex and some strong language. 1996.Slow death by rubber duck: how the toxic chemistry of everyday life affects our health
By Rick Smith, Bruce Lourie, Sarah Dopp. 2009
To prove that the most dangerous pollution comes from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces, Smith and Lourie ingested…
and inhaled these items for one week. They expose the miscreant corporate giants who manufacture the toxins, the weak-kneed government officials who let it happen, and the effects on people across the globe; they also describe the extent to which we are poisoned, from the simple household dust that is polluting our blood to the toxins in our urine that are created by run-of-the-mill shampoos and toothpaste. c2009.Red cloud at dawn: Truman, Stalin, and the end of the atomic monopoly
By Michael D Gordin. 2009
On August 29, 1949, the first Soviet test bomb, dubbed "First Lightning", exploded in the deserts of Kazakhstan. This surprising…
international event marked the beginning of an arms race that would ultimately lead to nuclear proliferation beyond the Soviet Union and the United States. Using newly opened archives, Gordin follows a trail of espionage, secrecy, deception, political brinksmanship, and technical innovation to provide a fresh understanding of the nuclear arms race. 2009.L'aveugle aux mille destins ((Chronique).)
By Joe Jack. 2010
" L'aveugle aux mille destins est une tranche de vie haïtienne, une plongée dans l'histoire d'Haïti à travers l'itinéraire d'un…
aveugle. Joe Jack est un musicien de renom né aveugle aux Gonaïves en 1936. Il grandit dans un milieu où personne ne sait à l'époque ce qu'est un aveugle. Ses parents vont alors de pèlerinage en pèlerinage dans tous les recoins du pays, espérant rencontrer un Saint qui aurait pu aider leur fils à recouvrer la vue. Mais... c'était peine perdue. Joe Jack a tout misé sur l'éducation pour réussir sa vie. Après des études collégiales aux États-Unis, il revient dans son pays où il a enseigné l'anglais. Il s'accroche à la musique, qui est sa véritable passion. Crooner hors pair, Joe Jack a su charmer toute une génération d'amateurs de musique [...] " -- 4e de couv..Portrait du Gulf Stream: éloge des courants : promenade
By Erik Orsenna. 2005
Pedal it!: how bicycles are changing the world (Footprints)
By Michelle Mulder. 2013
"Pedal It!" encourages young readers to be part of the joy of cycling. From the very first boneshakers to today’s…
sleek racing bikes, from handlebars to gear sprockets, this book shows you how bikes can make the world a better place. Not only can bikes be used to power computers and generators, they can also reduce pollution, promote wellness and get a package across a crowded modern city - fast! Grades 4-7. 2013.Out of darkness: the Jeff Healey story
By Cindy Watson. 2010
Losing both eyes to retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer, opened a door to another world for Jeff Healey. Out…
of darkness he created music, becoming one of the most influential blues-rock and jazz performers of our time. Winner of the 2012 Golden Oak Award. Grades 5-8. 2010.Harmonie: l’inoubliable
By Lucie Malenfant. 2012
Perdre la vue est une des choses les plus terribles qui puisse arriver. Mais grâce à l’amour et au soutien…
de mon mari et de ma fille, j’ai appris à vivre avec mon handicap. Et grâce à Mira, j’ai eu la chance de rencontrer ma belle Harmonie. Plus qu’une compagne, Harmonie a été pour moi une véritable amie durant toutes ces années. 2012.One to nine: the inner life of numbers
By Andrew Hodges. 2007
Have you ever thought about the uniqueness and simplicity of One, or what it means to be Two? Is Four…
really so square and why are there Seven days of the week, Seven deadly sins, or even Seven wonders of the world? An investigation into such topics as musical harmony, code breaking, and probabilities in poker and lotteries, which probes the surprising symmetries of time, space, matter, and forces. c2007.Oliver's twist: the life and times of an unapologetic newshound
By Craig Oliver. 2011
The only child of two alcoholics, Oliver spent his childhood and adolescence in the homes of strangers. A chance summer…
job with the local CBC station launched his broadcasting career, taking Oliver from Prince Rupert, B.C. to Ottawa, Washington, and Central America, and eventually to chief parliamentary correspondent for CTV News. At the same time, Oliver pursued a personal passion for Canada’s wilderness rivers, paddling some of the remotest waters in western and northern Canada with political and media figures such as Tim Kotcheff and Pierre Trudeau. Most surprising is the revelation that this comfortable television presenter has been legally blind for a decade. Includes strong language. c2011.Obstacles, bring' em
By Maria Federici. 2013
This is the story of Maria Federici (Doyle), a young woman whose life changed on a February night in 2004.…
Maria was coming home late from work when, on a trailer a good distance in front of her, an item of unsecured furniture fell off and broke apart, sending a large piece of particle board catapulting through her windshield, striking her in the head, and causing massive brain and head injuries as well as complete blindness. This is Maria's story of survival, recovery and a rebuilding of life by taking some of the most challenging obstacles and learning to overcome them. 2013.Lost in cyburbia: how life on the net has created a life of its own
By James Harkin. 2009
Once upon a time there were no text messaging, no e-mail and no social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and…
MySpace. The introduction of these new forums for communication has radically transformed the way that we live - and we can only guess what will come next. Describes the architecture of our digital life, how it has developed over the past seventy years, and how it will evolve in the future. Some strong language, some descriptions of violence and some descriptions of sex. c2009.Long time, no see
By Beth Finke. 2003
NPR commentator's memoir of confronting blindness from diabetic retinopathy. Includes medical information pertinent to her personal experience as she discusses…
going blind as a twenty-six-year-old newlywed, having and caring for a multiply disabled child, using a talking-computer setup, and acquiring a guide dog to support her independence. Some strong language. 2003.Je veux croire au soleil
By Jacques Semelin. 2016
" La réalité quotidienne d'un non-voyant est un pays étranger. Quel est son rapport au monde ? À la ville…
et à la nature, à la nécessité de se déplacer, d'utiliser des écrans tactiles, de traverser les rues, de reconnaître les gens ? Invité à donner des cours au Québec, l'historien Jacques Semelin nous propose un récit de voyage d'un genre nouveau. À la fois le sien, dans une ville dont il découvre tout, et le nôtre, dans la tête et le corps d'un non-voyant. Son écriture émouvante et souvent drôle entraîne le lecteur dans ce que Borges appelait une expérience sensuelle et esthétique. Chaque sens (ouïe, odorat, toucher) est sollicité, de même que l'imaginaire pour inventer le réel. Quand on ne voit plus le soleil, il s'agit de croire qu'il existe, et de s'en remettre à la confiance vitale. Un récit unique et universel. " -- 4e de couv.Le voyant
By Jérôme Garcin. 2014
" Né en 1924, aveugle à huit ans, résistant à dix-sept, membre du mouvement Défense de la France, Jacques Lusseyran…
est arrêté en 1943 par la Gestapo, incarcéré à Fresnes puis déporté à Buchenwald. Libéré après un an et demi de captivité, il écrit Et la lumière fut et part enseigner la littérature aux États-Unis, où il devient The Blind Hero of the French Resistance. Il meurt, en 1971, dans un accident de voiture. Il avait quarante-sept ans. " -- 4e de ouv.La chute de l'empire humain: mémoires d'un robot
By Charles-Edouard Bouée, François Roche. 2017
Des machines plus intelligentes que l'homme ? Une utopie que les auteurs de science-fiction et les scénaristes d'Hollywood ont imaginée...…
mais que les progrès technologiques sont en passe de réaliser. Deux phénomènes se conjuguent : la puissance de calcul des superordinateurs augmente de façon exponentielle ; de nouveaux logiciels reproduisent le fonctionnement des neurones du cerveau humain et confèrent aux machines la faculté d'apprendre. Les systèmes pensants peupleront bientôt les domiciles, les entreprises, les usines, les administrations, les hôpitaux, les villes, les armées. Jusqu'où iront-ils dans leur degré d'autonomie et leur liberté de décision ? Quelle place les hommes préserveront-ils dans un univers contrôlé par les robots ? Après la bombe atomique, l'intelligence artificielle est-elle la deuxième arme létale inventée par l'homme et capable de le détruire ? La chute de l'empire humain retrace l'histoire méconnue de l'intelligence artificielle du point de vue du robot : c'est une machine qui raconte ici son aventure et dévoile les mystères de son long cheminement avec l'homme, jusqu'au combat final. 2017.