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The $12 million stuffed shark: the curious economics of contemporary art
By Donald N Thompson. 2008
Delves into the economics and psychology of the contemporary art world - artists, dealers, auction houses, and wealthy collectors. If…
it's true that 85 percent of new contemporary art is bad, why were record prices achieved at auction in 2006 and 2007? Explores money, lust, and the self-aggrandizement of possession in an attempt to determine what makes a particular work of art valuable while others are ignored. 2008.The shock doctrine: the rise of disaster capitalism
By Naomi Klein. 2007
Klein assails economist Milton Friedman's free-market precepts, as their exponents have applied them to a series of formerly state-dominated economies…
since 1975. She condemns reform programs of the last three decades that have aimed to separate the state from the economy; the process of market liberalization has created a "disaster capitalism complex," consisting of corporations that thrive on catastrophe. Some descriptions of sex and strong language, descriptions of violence. 2007.From the ageing oilfields of Saudi Arabia and the United States to the Canadian tar sands, from the shopping malls…
of Dubai to the shuttered auto plants of North America and Europe, from the made-in-China products on the shelves of the Wal-Mart down the road to the collapse of Wall Street giants, everything is connected to the price of oil. For generations we have built wealth by burning more and more oil, but there is no more cheap oil to burn. The auto industry will never recover from this oil-induced recession, distance will soon cost money, and so will burning carbon - so local economies will be revitalized, as will our cities and neighbourhoods. 2009.The immortalization commission: science and the strange quest to cheat death
By John Gray. 2011
For most of human history, religion provided a clear explanation of life and death, but in the late 19th and…
early 20th centuries new ideas - from psychiatry to evolution to Communism - seemed to suggest that our fate was now in our own hands. Gray investigates the belief that the science-backed Communism of the new USSR could reshape the planet, and the belief among a group of Edwardian intellectuals that there was a non-religious form of life after death. c2011.After life: ways we think about death
By Merrie-Ellen Wilcox. 2019
Moving between science and culture, Wilcox takes a straightforward look at the fascinating, diverse ways in which we understand death,…
both today and throughout our history. Each chapter includes a brief telling of a death legend, myth or history from a dNobody Ever Talks About Anything But the End: A Memoir
By Liz Levine. 2020
A genuinely moving, funny, and inventive account of loss and grief, mental illness and suicide, from film and TV producer…
Liz Levine (Story of a Girl), written in the aftermath of the deaths of her sister and best friend.I feel like I might be a terrible person to be laughing in these moments. But it turns out, I’m not alone. In November of 2016, Liz Levine’s younger sister, Tamara, reached a breaking point after years of living with mental illness. In the dark hours before dawn, she sent a final message to her family then killed herself. In Nobody Ever Talks About Anything But the End, Liz weaves the story of what happened to Tamara with another significant death—that of Liz’s childhood love, Judson, to cancer. She writes about her relationship with Judson, Tamara’s struggles, the conflicts that arise in a family of challenging personalities, and how death casts a long shadow. This memorable account of life and loss is haunting yet filled with dark humor—Tamara emails her family when Trump is elected to check if she’s imagining things again, Liz discovers a banana has been indicted as a whistleblower in an alleged family conspiracy, and a little niece declares Tamara’s funeral the “most fun ever!” With honesty, Liz exposes the raw truths about grief and mourning that we often shy away from—and almost never share with others. And she reveals how, in the midst of death, life—with all its messy complications—must also be celebrated.How to Die: A Book About Being Alive
By Ray Robertson. 2020
“He who would teach men to die would teach them to live,” writes Montaigne in Essais, and in How to…
Die: A Book on Being Alive, Ray Robertson takes up the challenge. Though contemporary society avoids the subject and often values the mere continuation of existence over its quality, Robertson argues that the active and intentional consideration of death is neither morbid nor frivolous, but instead essential to our ability to fully value life. How to Die is both an absorbing excursion through some of Western literature’s most compelling works on the subject of death as well as an anecdote-driven argument for cultivating a better understanding of death in the belief that, if we do, we’ll know more about what it means to live a meaningful life.With many jurisdictions considering whether or not to implement new assisted-death legislation, Choosing to Live, Choosing to Die is a…
timely look at the subject for teen readers who may not yet have had much experience with death and dying. Readers are introduced to the topic of assisted dying through the author's own story. The issue continues to be hotly debated in families, communities and countries around the world, and there are no easy answers. Choosing to Live, Choosing to Die looks at the issue from multiple perspectives and encourages readers to listen with an open mind and a kind heart and reach their own conclusions.This Strange Visible Air: Essays on Aging and the Writing Life
By Sharon Butala. 2021
A collection of essays on women and aging from Canadian legend Sharon Butala "What I didn't have a clue about…
was that I was soon to be old, or what being old would mean to my dreams and desires. While dreading old age with every fibre, I was at the same time in full denial that it would ever happen to me, and so, was shocked down to the soles of my feet when it did." In this incisive collection, Sharon Butala reflects on the ways her life has changed as she's grown old. She knows that society fails the elderly massively, and so she tackles ageism and loneliness, friendship and companionship. She writes with pointed wit and acerbic humour about dinner parties and health challenges and forgetfulness and complicated family relationships and the pandemic -- and lettuce. And she tells her story with the tremendous skill and beauty of a writer who has masterfully honed her craft over the course of her storied four-decade career. Butala gives us a book to be cherished -- an elegant and expansive look at the complexities and desires of aging and the aged, standing in stark contrast to the stereotyped, simplistic portrayals of the elderly in our culture. This Strange Visible Air is a true gift.Analysis of the impact of monopolistic practices on the American economy and the ability of Americans outside of the top…
one-percent of wealth class to achieve the mythical "American dream." Topics include the history of monopolies in the US, legislation regarding monopolies, and examples of monopolies across industries. 2020Be with (New Directions Paperbook #1408)
By Forrest Gander. 2018
Collection of eighteen poems exploring the themes of loss, grief, regret, and intimacy. In "Ruth," the author reflects on communicating…
with and caring for his mother as her Alzheimer's disease symptoms worsen. Strong language. 2018Monument: poems : new and selected
By Natasha D. Trethewey. 2018
Collection of poems--some previously published--by the former US poet laureate and author of Native Guard (DB 65666) and Thrall (DB…
75891). Highlights the voices and experiences of working-class African American women, a mixed-race prostitute, black Civil War fighters, and Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina. 2018No time to spare: thinking about what matters
By Ursula K Le Guin. 2017
The complacent class: the self-defeating quest for the American dream
By Tyler Cowen. 2017
Economist argues for living your life with greater disruption, because, by becoming risk averse, Americans are ill-prepared for navigating when…
change happens, both individually and as a nation. Discusses emotional causes, racial segregation, entrepreneurial growth, stagnation of political activity, and more. 2017Occupying aging: delights, disabilities, and daily life
By Katherine Schneider. 2013
Retired psychologist and avid reader provides a year's worth of daily--and often humorous--musings. Illustrates how she personally approaches life now…
that the circumstances of being blind from birth and struggling with fibromyalgia for two decades have been combined with issues that accompany aging. Includes a recommended reading list. 2013The year without a purchase: one family's quest to stop shopping and start connecting
By Scott Dannemiller. 2015
Blogger and former missionary chronicles the year he and his family chose to avoid buying things for a year. Discusses…
what brought his family to that point, the negotiations he and his wife made about the rules for acceptable purchases, and the impact on his family's relationship with God. 2015A tour of bones: facing fear and looking for life
By Denise Inge. 2014
Academic recounts her experience living in a home that was located above an ancient charnel house--a vault where skeletal remains…
are stored. Describes using the opportunity to confront fears of death as she dealt with cancer, and discusses her travels to other charnel houses in Europe. 2014Caring economics: conversations on altruism and compassion, between scientists, economists, and the Dalai Lama
By Matthieu Ricard, Tania Singer. 2015
Neuroscientist Singer and Buddhist monk Ricard collect fourteen essays examining the connections between behavioral science research, altruism, and economics. Discusses…
the impact of altruism on the brain, the mind-body connection, and the economic benefits of acting without ego. Includes a foreword by the Dalai Lama. 2015Shadow work: the unpaid, unseen jobs that fill your day
By Craig Lambert. 2015
A former Harvard Magazine editor examines unpaid tasks that people perform on behalf of businesses and organizations, often without even…
realizing it. Lambert contends that this trend is fueled by advancing technology and skyrocketing personnel costs, and argues that it results in personalized consumption, social leveling, and the weakening of communities. 2015Good mourning: A Memoir
By Elizabeth Meyer, Caitlin Moscatello. 2015
A funeral director shares her journey to involvement in the industry. She begins with the death of her father from…
cancer and her first job at the elite funeral home where his service was held. She describes funerals she has helped plan, workplace issues, family reactions, and more. Strong language. 2015