NEW BOOK LIST
November 2006

REFERENCE

The Encyclopedia of American Cultural and Intellectual History (3 volumes)

Surveys the richly layered dimensions of American life in a format that clarifies the many issues, ideas, movements and places that constitute the American experience. How is the West defined as a cultural region? What did the notions of "secession" and "union" mean to Americans living in the 1860s? How does Disney pervade and influence perceptions about America today? In more than 200 articles written by scholars and enriched with illustrations, boxed biographies and documentary excerpts from primary sources, American thought and culture is thoroughly explored. The Encyclopedia covers not only historic periods such as the Colonial era and the Reagan era, but also looks at cultural groups such as the working class and cultural institutions and forms such as the university and cinema. Winner of Library Journal and the New York Public Library Best Reference Awards. – from the publisher

The Encyclopedia of World Literature in the 20 th Century (4 volumes)

The Encyclopedia contains: more than 2,000 signed entries on individual authors, approximately 50 national survey entries that review literature from around the world, more than 50 entries that discuss genres, movements and trends in literature, and many encyclopedic entries on miscellaneous topics. Arranged in a single alphabetical sequence across 4 volumes, the Encyclopedia's essays are written by experts, reviewed by an independent advisory panel and edited for accessibility to high school and undergraduate students. Author entries include a brief outline of important events in the author's life, a critical essay, a bibliography and a list of further reading. Some entries include excerpted criticism from respected sources. Many include a photograph of the author. Additional features include a table of contents; guest forward; list of expert advisory panel; list of expert contributors; and an index to authors, countries, subjects, proper names and more. Winner of CHOICE Outstanding Reference Book. – from the publisher

The MacMillan Encyclopedia of Energy (3 volumes)

These volumes provide a snapshot of the history and science of energy production, conservation, and use. Multidisciplinary in scope, the 253 signed and lavishly illustrated articles cover topics ranging from biofuels and bicycles to steam engines and thermodynamics. The work ends with a fascinating energy time line that puts major events in the history of energy into context. – American Libraries. Winner of ALA Outstanding Reference Sources, Library Journal Best Reference Sources, RUSA Outstanding Reference Sources

The Reference Guide to American Literature

The 728 entries focus on the rich diversity of individuals that comprise an important group of American novelists, poets, dramatists and essayists. The introduction features sections discussing the multi-ethnic history and literature of the United States . The first section, "Writers," provides milestones in the author's life and career, primary bibliographies categorized by genre, secondary bibliographies and critical essays written by an established scholar, editor or reviewer. The "Works" section presents 138 essays on notable works of American literature. Winner of RUSA Outstanding Reference Source. – from the publisher

The Reference Guide to English Literature (3 volumes)

Covered in this 3-vol. guide are notable writers from Britain , Ireland , Australia , Canada , New Zealand and English-speaking Africa, Asia and the Caribbean . Discussions of writers and their work begin with writings that can be traced back to about 600 A.D. -- including Beowulf -- and conclude with works of contemporary literature. Readers will find alphabetical listings of the 800 most important and frequently studied writers of all time in Volumes 1 and 2. In Volume 3, individual essays present the 600 best-known poems, novels, plays and essays in English literature. A unique feature of the Guide provides your patrons with further commentary to help them better understand English literature. Volume 1 presents a special section, "Introductions," in which scholars discuss the distinct periods of English literature in 12 authoritative essays. Each essay includes a comprehensive reading list for further research. Winner of RUSA Outstanding Reference Source. – from the publisher

MAPS

Earthquake Risk: A Global View - National Geographic

Includes inset map of the Pacific "Ring of fire," depictions of earthquake risk zones and tectonic plate boundaries, text including "Cities on edge," and cross sections of the central California and Islamabad areas. "Building for protection" and "Waves of destruction," and graphic of a hypothetical city showing potential earthquake destruction on verso.

Soccer Unites the World - National Geographic

Includes pie charts showing percentages of participation in soccer playing by adults and youth in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa ; "The economics," showing information on economics of soccer in comparison with other team sports ; "The evolution," showing timeline of historical development of the modern game. "The beautiful game," with diagrams of characteristic plays by teams from Brazil, Germany, Italy, and England ; "The skills," with text and illustrations of dribbling moves; "The science," with illustration of construction of soccer ball, explanation of "crossing the ball" on verso. Includes "The World Cup's living legends," brief biographies of 4 prominent soccer players.

Africa, A Storied Landscape / Africa , The Human Footprint

Human impact on the African continent. Includes ancillary maps: Worlds apart -- The global picture -- Outlying island nations.

Europe / Europe in Transition

" Europe " map also shows "Europe-Asia physical boundary" with note explaining that distinction. " Europe " map includes text, notes, geographic equivalents table, and four ancillary maps: Number crunch -- Mother tongues -- Buying power -- Keeping faith. “Transition” map created to show three time periods, and thus three maps, which are "1920 Post World War I, empires to nations," "1960 Post World War II, Europe divided" and "2005 Post-Cold War, Toward one Europe" and includes text, historical notes, and four ancillary maps: Baby bust -- A graying land -- Destination Europe -- Migration rollercoaster.

The World (political boundaries) / The World (satellite image)

Striking depiction of the physical earth, compiled from more than 500 satellite images. Only major physical features are labeled; no national boundaries or names are shown.

MEDIA

Jazz in the Schools (National Endowment for the Arts) - DVD, CD, etc.

"NEA Jazz in the schools is a web-based curriculum and DVD toolkit that explores jazz as an indigenous American art form and as a means to understand American history. Designed for high schoolteachers of social studies, history, and music, this resource includes a teacher's guide of five curricular units with teacher tips, cross-curricular activities, and assessment methods. Each kit also includes student materials, a timeline poster, and audio and video resources."

Lesson 1: The advent of jazz, the dawn of the 20th century -- Lesson 2: The Jazz Age and the Swing Era -- Lesson 3: Bebop and Modernism -- Lesson 4: From the New Frontier to the New Millennium -- Lesson 5: Jazz an American story

Muslims (Frontline) - DVD

Looks at what it means to be a Muslim in the 21st century. Filmed in Egypt , Malaysia , Iran , Turkey , Nigeria and the United States , this program explores the influence of culture and politics on religion, looks at the political forces at work among Muslims around the world, emphasizes Islam's kinship with Christianity and Judaism, and examines the diverse interpretations of Islam among the Muslim people. Originally broadcast as a segment of the television program Frontline . 120 minutes. – from the producer

A Life Apart - Hasidism in America - DVD

In New York City , they are a common sight. Yet even here their way of life remains a mystery to those outside their community. They are the Jews known as the Hasidim. With their use of Yiddish, their distinctive clothes and their strict observance of Jewish ritual and law, the Hasidim are considered by many an insular people with little connection to mainstream America . And yet their values are those that many Americans find most precious: family, community, and a life of meaning. In this extraordinarily intimate film, seven years in the making, we are taken into the depths of the Hasidim's joyous, sometimes harsh, and often beautiful world. From mystical tales to mesmerizing music, Rebbes to Holocaust survivors, A Life Apart reveals a strange, insular world few outsiders have see, and fewer yet could imagine. Includes 25 minutes of bonus features. - from the producer

Open & Operating: The Federal Reserve Responds to September 11 - DVD and Teaching Guide

"What is the purpose of a central bank? How does an extraordinary event challenge the infrastructure of the financial system? What role does the central bank play in responding to a crisis situation? This video based lesson is designed to answer thee important questions and to provide teachers of history and economics a flexible format in which to introduce the Federal Reserve System. The video combines news footage and interviews with Fed officials to illustrate how the Fed functions in the real world. The accompanying lesson plan addresses the voluntary national content standards in economics and explains concepts such as "liquidity," "monetary policy tools," and the "payment system." The DVD is 17 minutes long.

The Atomic Cafe - DVD

The atomic bomb changed the world forever, and this wonderful film shows how Americans expressed wonder over atomic weapons and then suffered from the pervasive fear that America would be on the receiving end of a Soviet nuclear attack. Atomic Cafe is a brilliant compilation of archival film clips beginning with the first atomic bomb detonation in the New Mexico desert. The footage, much of it produced as government propaganda, follows the story of the bomb through the two atomic attacks on Japan that ended World War II to the bomb's central role in the cold war. Shown along with the famous "duck and cover" Civil Defense films are lesser-known clips, many of which possess a bizarre black humor when seen today, and it's easy to see why this film, which was produced in the early 1980s, became a cult classic. Bellicose congressmen are shown advocating a freewheeling policy of nuclear strikes against China during the Korean War, suburban families are shown enjoying the comforts of their bomb shelters, and footage of a boy trying to bicycle to a bomb shelter in a "bomb survival suit" his father designed is priceless. Atomic Cafe is at once clever and poignant, a canny and offbeat look at a significant period in American history. – Amazon.com

Promises - DVD

Follows the journey of a filmmaker who travels in and around Jerusalem , from a Palestinian refugee camp to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank , where he meets seven Palestinian and Israeli children who exist in completely separate worlds, divided by physical, historical and emotional boundaries. Explores the natural boundaries and tells the story of a few children who dared to cross the lines to meet their neighbors. Seen through the eyes of the children - who although only living 20-minutes apart - live day-to-day obstacles differently that separate them deeply.

Special features: updates of the Israeli and Palestinian children filmed in August 2004; footage for the kid's jouney to the 2002 Academy Awards; deleted sequences; original theatrical trailer.

The Message: The Story of Islam (30th Anniversary Edition) - DVD

30 th anniversary edition of the 1976 motion picture about the beginnings of Islam. Includes the one hour documentary The Making of an Epic, plus the English and Arabic theatrical trailers. The producers call it “a very good introduction to the Islamic faith, both from its historical roots, and various elements of the faith itself (worship-wise). The Prophet is never depicted in the movie (his presence is indicated by the characters looking into the camera).”

FICTION

Thirteen Moons - Frazier, Charles

The story of one man's remarkable life, spanning a century of relentless change. At the age of twelve, an orphan named Will Cooper is given a horse, a key, and a map and is sent on a journey through the wilderness to the edge of the Cherokee Nation, the uncharted white space on the map. Will is a bound boy, obliged to run a remote Indian trading post. As he fulfills his lonesome duty, Will finds a father in Bear, a Cherokee chief, and is adopted by him and his people, developing relationships that ultimately forge Will's character. All the while, his love of Claire, the enigmatic and captivating charge of volatile and powerful Featherstone, will forever rule Will's heart. In a distinct voice filled with both humor and yearning, Will tells of a lifelong search for home, the hunger for fortune and adventure, the rebuilding of a trampled culture, and above all an enduring pursuit of passion. As he comes to realize, “When all else is lost and gone forever, there is yearning. One of the few welcome lessons age teaches is that only desire trumps time."Will Cooper, in the hands of Charles Frazier, becomes a classic American soul: a man devoted to a place and its people, a woman, and a way of life, all of which are forever just beyond his reach. Thirteen Moons takes us from the uncharted wilderness of an unspoiled continent, across the South, up and down the Mississippi , and to the urban clamor of a raw Washington City . Throughout, Will is swept along as the wild beauty of the nineteenth century gives way to the telephones, automobiles, and encroaching railways of the twentieth. Steeped in history, rich in insight, and filled with moments of sudden beauty, Thirteen Moons is an unforgettable work of fiction by an American master. – from the publisher

The Afghan - Forsyth, Frederick

British and American intelligence forces learn of an impending al-Qaeda terrorist strike. However, they don't know exactly when or where the strike will take place. Their solution: to have one of their own officers infiltrate the terrorist group, posing as one of its own. It's an inventive story, and Forsyth spins it eloquently and with enough nail-biting suspense to leave readers' fingertips raw. One of the masters of the political thriller, Forsyth writes with a bare-bones, reportorial style that makes his stories feel as realistic as anything one might read in the daily newspaper. He set the standard for political thrillers with 1971's Day of the Jackal, and, although he has myriad competitors today, no one else has managed to make the very flatness of the documentarian's style an effective instrument for generating tension. Forsyth's name doesn't draw a crowd the way it used to, but this one deserves attention. – Booklist

White Teeth - Smith, Zadie

An impressively witty satirical first novel, London-set, chronicling the experiences of two eccentric multiracial families during the last half of the 20th century. When Archie Joness suicide attempt on New Years Day 1975 is stymied by a finicky butcher (who frowns upon such things taking place in a car parked illegally in front of his establishment, especially when hes awaiting an early morning delivery), his life is changed forever. Lamenting the break up of his marriage, the distraught and disoriented Archiea middle-aged Brit who fancies himself in the direct-mail business but actually spends his life folding papers, then wanders into an end-of-the-world party where he meets his next wife. Jamaican Clara Bowden is 19 to Archies 47, at six feet tall she towers over him, and she's missing all her upper teeth, the result of a motorcycle mishap. Nonetheless, six weeks later the mismatched pair are married and living near Archies WWII buddy Samad Iqbal , a Bengali Muslim. And so begins Smiths frenetic, riotous, unruly tale, which hops, skips, and jumps from one end of the century to the other while following the Jones and Iqbal broods. Archie and Clara have a daughter, Irie , whose name translates into “no problem'' (although she has plenty of them); Samad , who is head waiter at an Indian restaurant, has twin sons, Millat and Magid . When theyre nine, their father separates the boys, sending Magid back to Bangladesh to be raised the old-fashioned way, far from the corruption of postwar London, filled with its mods and rockers and hippies and Englishmen and other bad influences--including Samad himself, who has been lusting after his twins schoolteacher. The book is swept along by a series of sometimes hilarious, oft-times clever, occasionally tedious riffs on everything from race relations through eugenics and on to religion, but 25-year-old Smith is a marvelously talented writer with a wonderful ear for dialogue. – Kirukus

On Beauty - Smith, Zadie

A hilarious comedy of manners in the tradition of Austen, Wharton, and Forster, to whom the author pays homage. She tackles class, race, and gender with acerbic wit and a wise eye for the complexities of modern life, in a 21st-century update of Howards End . Beauty opens as hapless art historian Howard Belsey , a transplanted Englishman married to an African-American woman, returns to London to prevent his son from marrying the daughter of his academic rival, Monty Kipps . Jerome has fallen in love not just with Victoria, but with the entire family, whose Trinidadian, right-wing roots are a sharp contrast to the freewheeling liberalism of his own family. In the meantime, Belseys other children, social activist Zora and Levi, who speaks only street slang and fancies himself from the hood, are each seeking the commitments and identities that will define their own lives. What results is a vivid portrait of marriage, family, the conflict between the political and the personal, and peoples eternal affinity for self-deception. – School Library Journal

Prayers for the Assassin - Ferrigno , Robert

Ferrigno sets his ninth novel in the year 2040. The U.S. has been rent by civil strife and a nuclear attack that leveled New York and Washington, D.C. The nation is now divided into the Islamic States of America, whose capital is in Seattle, and the Bible Belt, located in the South. Young and fearless researcher Sarah Dougan , a moderate Muslim who frequently chafes at the restrictions placed on women, discovers that the nuke attacks long blamed on Israel were in fact carried out by a fanatical Muslim billionaire who intends to take over the nation by launching an unprecedented attack on the Christian South. Intending to verify her explosive findings, Sarah must go into hiding, where she is joined by her lover, former elite Muslim warrior Rakkim Epps. The two zigzag their way across an unrecognizable U.S., dogged by a psychopathic rogue assassin named Darwin. Ferrigno deserves props for his imaginative portrayal of a futuristic America, which is often highlighted through startling details, as when the second half of the Super Bowl must wait on midday prayers. – Booklist

Saving Fish from Drowning - Tan, Amy

Based on the real-life disappearance of 12 American tourists in Myanmar. The narrator is Bibi Chen, dealer in Chinese antiquities, who had arranged an art-oriented tour for her friends. When she dies under mysterious circumstances, the others decide to proceed, saying that Bibi will join them in spirit–an invitation she accepts. Mostly well-meaning, but ignorant and naive, the group lands in one hilarious situation after another due to cultural misunderstandings. On a lake outing, they are kidnapped and taken to a hidden village where a rebel tribe waits for the Younger White Brother, who will make them invisible and bullet-proof and enable them to recover their land. They believe that they've found him in 15-year-old Rupert, an amateur magician. The tour group consists of 10 adults and 2 adolescents, some pillars of the community and some decidedly not, but all rich, intelligent, and spoiled. Bibi , feisty and opinionated, uncovers their fears, desires, and motives, and the shades of truth in their words. As the novel progresses, they become more human and less stereotypical, changing as a result of their experiences. Although Tan also satirizes the tourist industry, American Buddhism, and reality TV, her focus is on the American belief that everyone everywhere plays by the same rules. An extremely funny novel with serious undercurrents. – School Library Journal

Wickett's Remedy - Goldberg, Myla

In her much anticipated follow-up to the best-selling Bee Season (2000), Goldberg captures the ambitions and tragedies of the early twentieth century through the character of Lydia Kilkenny , an immensely appealing Irish shopgirl determined to escape her South Boston neighborhood. She attains her goal upon marrying sweet Henry Wickett , an aspiring doctor, but he shocks her with his decision to drop out of school to develop a patent medicine. Then Lydia's family is decimated by the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918, and she volunteers to work as a nurse's aide in an experimental study with human subjects. Goldberg expertly interweaves her narrative with newspaper articles, a company newsletter, and personal letters, all of which richly capture the historical period, including its intractable class divisions and its strange mix of idealism and hucksterism. Her most intriguing device, however, is a Greek chorus (set in the page margins) of the voices of the dead, which testily comment on the narrative, ingeniously pointing out the subjectivity of memory. With its warm, involving story line and intrinsically interesting subject matter, this is sure to be popular with the book-club crowd. – Booklist

At First Sight - Sparks, Nichola

The relationship between journalist Jeremy Marsh and librarian Lexie Darnell that began in True Believer (2005) has now progressed. Jeremy is moving from New York to Boone Creek, North Carolina, as they plan for their wedding and the birth of their child. A friend of Jeremy's warns him that he really doesn't know Lexie , and asks him if he's sure that he's in love. With the seeds of suspicion planted, Jeremy starts receiving mysterious e-mails that also cast doubt on their relationship. Add to that the fact that he is dealing with writer's block and that he has to come to terms with a change in lifestyle as an urbanite now living in the rural South. This is a man under duress. To avoid gossip, he and Lexie are maintaining separate residences and keeping the pregnancy a secret. Lexie is comfortable with the town's rules of behavior, but Jeremy is at a loss and finds himself tense and unsure about the future of what he thought was the perfect match. With his trademark sensitivity, Sparks delves into the nitty-gritty of relationships, and considers the sacrifices that each partner has to make in order to have a successful marriage. And readers beware: this is multiple-hankie romance. – Booklist

Diary of a Teenage Girl: Becoming Me - Carlson, Melody

In her diary, sixteen-year-old Caitlin O'Conner reveals the inner workings of a girl caught between childhood and womanhood. Through Caitlin's candid journal entries we see her grapple with such universal teen issues as peer pressure, loyalty, conflict with parents, the longing for a boyfriend, and her own spirituality. Readers will laugh and cry with Caitlin as she struggles toward self-discovery and understanding God's plan for her life. And they'll be deeply moved by her surprising commitment regarding dating. – from the publisher

Sisterchicks on the Loose - Gunn, Robin Jones

Sharon has lived calmly in Chinook Springs, Washington, her entire life. All that changes when her best friend of twenty years, Penny, takes an impulsive trip to seek out her only living relatives in Finland -- and brings Sharon with her. The land of reindeer and saunas holds infinite varieties of zaniness for these two unlikely friends -- Sharon is a quiet mother of four and Penny is a former flower child/motorcycle mama -- who return home with a new view of God, a new zest for life, and a big impact on those around them for decades to come. – from the publisher

Thomas and Beulah: Poems - Rita Dove

Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. The poems in this unusual book tell a story, forming a narrative almost like a realistic novel. Read in sequence as intended, they tell of the lives of a married black couple (not unlike Dove's own grandparents) from the early part of the century until their deaths in the 1960s, a period that spans the great migration of blacks from rural south to urban north. But this is merely the social backdrop to the story of a marriage. Two separate sequences offer two views of the couple's lives: the first, "Mandolin," consists of 23 poems giving Thomas's side, and "Canary in Bloom" gives Beulah's in 21 poems. Together they paint a detailed, poetically dense portrait of two lives in all their frailty, dignity and complexity. - Amazon.com

Literature from the “Axis of Evil”: Writing from Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and other Enemy Nations

During the Cold War, writers behind the Iron Curtain—Solzhenitsyn, Kundera , Milosz—were translated and published in the United States, providing an invaluable window on the Soviet regime's effects on daily life and humanizing the individuals living under its conditions. Yet U.S. Treasury Department regulations made it almost impossible for Americans to gain access to writings from "evil" countries such as Iran and Cuba until recently. With relaxation in 2005 of the Treasury regulations (in response to pressure from the literary and scientific publishing communities that culminated in a lawsuit), it is now possible, for the first time in many years, to read in English works from these disfavored nations. The New Press and Words Without Borders are proud to be among the first to offer American readers contemporary literature of "enemy nations." Literature from the Axis of Evil includes thirty-five works of fiction from seven countries, most of which have never before been translated into English. – from the publisher

Take Ten: New 10-Minute Plays

A ten-minute play is a streak of theatrical lightning. It doesn't last long, but its power can stand your hair on end. This splendid anthology contains enough wattage to light up a small city. For in its pages, thirty-two of our finest playwrights hone their skills on a form that has been called the haiku of the American stage. The plays that Nina Shengold and Eric Lane have collected in this volume range from monologues to an eight-character farce. Eminently producible, ideally suited for the classroom and audition, Take Ten is a marvelous resource for teachers and students of drama, as well as a stimulating read for lovers of the theatre. Contributors include: John Augustine, Cathy Celesia , Laura Cunningham, Joe Pintauro , Mary Sue Price, Megan Terry, Jose Rivera, Romulus Linney , David Mamet, Jane Martin, David Ives, and many others. – from the publisher

Contents: Siobhan / John Augustine -- Anything for you / Cathy Celesia -- Flop cop / Laura Cunningham -- Mrs. Sorken / Christopher Durang -- Brother / Mary Gallagher -- New York actor / John Guare -- The Philadelphia / David Ives -- The man who couldn't dance / Jason Katims -- Hold for three / Sherry Kramer -- Reverse transcription / Tony Kushner -- A bowl of soup / Eric Lane -- Railing it uptown / Shirley Lauro -- Stars / Romulus Linney -- A sermon / David Mamet -- Shasta Rue / Jane Martin -- Ferris wheel / Mary Miller -- Yesterday's window / Chiori Miyagawa -- Two eclairs / Joe Pintauro -- That midnight rodeo / Mary Sue Price -- The spirit is willing / Nicole B. Quinn -- The battle of Bull Run always makes me cry / Carole Real -- Gas / José Rivera -- Duet for bear and dog / Sybil Rosen -- Phone sex and a dumb show / Steven Sater -- Welcome to the moon / John Patrick Shanley -- Brights / David Smilow -- R.A.W. ('cause I'm a woman) / Diana Son -- Judgment call / Frederick Stroppel -- Love poem #98 / Regina Taylor -- Breakfast serial / Megan Terry -- The janitor / August Wilson -- Helen at risk / Dana Yeaton .

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider - Stern, Dave

The bestselling computer game comes to life in the film version of Tomb Raider, starring Angelina Jolie as the tough Lara Croft. Croft -- a daring Indiana Jones-meets-James Bond heroine -- has scores of high-tech gadgets at her disposal as she battles the evil Illuminati in this novelization of the movie. – BarnesandNoble.com

The Iliad - Homer

This groundbreaking English version by Robert Fagles is the most important recent translation of Homer's great epic poem. The verse translation has been hailed by scholars as the new standard, providing an Iliad that delights modern sensibility and aesthetic without sacrificing the grandeur and particular genius of Homer's own style and language. The Iliad is one of the two great epics of Homer, and is typically described as one of the greatest war stories of all time, but to say the Iliad is a war story does not begin to describe the emotional sweep of its action and characters: Achilles, Helen, Hector, and other heroes of Greek myth and history in the tenth and final year of the Greek siege of Troy. – Amazon.com

The Odyssey - Homer

Robert Fagles's translation is a jaw- droppingly beautiful rendering of Homer's Odyssey , the most accessible and enthralling epic of classical Greece. Fagles captures the rapid and direct language of the original Greek, while telling the story of Odysseus in lyrics that ring with a clear, energetic voice. The story itself has never seemed more dynamic, the action more compelling, nor the descriptions so brilliant in detail. It is often said that every age demands its own translation of the classics. Fagles's work is a triumph because he has not merely provided a contemporary version of Homer's classic poem, but has located the right language for the timeless character of this great tale. Fagles brings the Odyssey so near, one wonders if the Hollywood adaption can be far behind. This is a terrific book. – Amazon.com

Oedipus the King - Sophocles

The Bernard Knox translation. Also contains thirteen critical excerpts by modern critics and photographs of Greek masks, costumes, theatres, etc.

NONFICTION

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Dark - Rosenblum , Mort

No one particular food substance seems to evoke as much passion as chocolate, that ingredient discovered about the same time as America. Yet, as Rosenblum reveals, every country or continent has a claim to theobroma cacao . He unveils chocolate's history and its various incarnations, including in his fresh and insightful discussions the origins of mole; the differences between, say, Hershey's kisses and Valrhona's products; the invention of Nutella ; and the small boutique chocolate artisans found nearly everywhere. Such intriguing characters as the CEO of Godiva , the entrepreneurs behind Scharffenberger, and Chloe, the one-and-only chocolate taster at Fortnum & Mason, are introduced. Some less-happy tales are also brought to light, including the reputed forced child slavery in Ivory Coast cacao plantations. Sprinkled throughout are amazing statistics: chocolate is a $60 billion industry; 12 percent of Nestle's annual sales are attributed to chocolate; a dozen beneficial biogenic amines are found in it. In the end, Rosenblum admits (though he voices distinct preferences) that it is up to each individual to answer the two chocolate questions: What do you like? What else have you tried? A compelling and tasty read. – Booklist

Eudora Welty: A Biography - Marrs , Suzanne

Eudora Welty's created some of the finest short fiction ever written. First published in the 1940s, they introduced a genuinely original voice, and launched a career that over the decades would include novels, novellas, reviews, essays, culminating in a 1984 memoir, One Writer's Beginnings , which remains one of her best-loved works. By the time of her death, Welty was bestowed nearly every literary award it is possible to get-the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, six O. Henry Awards, the National Medal of Literature, and the Medal of Freedom. To so many, she was not a writer but an icon. The Welty who emerges in this authoritative and affectionate biography by Suzanne Marrs will surprise some readers. Here is an account not of a sequestered spinster from Jackson, Mississippi, but of an inveterate traveler and a shrewd observer of her times. Marrs was close to Welty during the last two decades of the writer's life and makes effective use of the material to which this accorded her access, including the letters to and from the two great loves of Welty's life. Marrs also quotes generously from Welty's other correspondence, particularly with contemporaries and admirers, including Katherine Anne Porter, E. M. Forster, and Elizabeth Bowen. – from the publisher

Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture is Actually Making Us Smarter - Johnson, Steven

Johnson puts the much-maligned pastime of playing video games under the microscope and comes up with some startling conclusions concerning the intellectual value and cognitive demands of this pop-culture activity. He argues that it isn't the content of today's games that engages the mind and makes one smarter; rather, it is their ever-increasing level of complexity and sophistication that challenges the mind to grow neurologically. One only comes to understand how to play a game by probing the complex interfaces within its levels to see what works as one goes along. Johnson observes that this is much like real life. He urges parents to sit down with their children and play in order to understand just how mentally challenging the games can be. He extends his argument to TV series such as The Sopranos , 24 , Six Feet Under , and Law and Order , all of which, he argues, are multi-threaded and require viewers to think in order to follow the increasingly complex character and plot developments. While the book and its arguments endorsing the cognitive challenges of video games and other mass media are thought-provoking and somewhat convincing, Johnson is less successful in convincing readers that video games–especially the more violent ones–are good for a player's mental health. While the book should be of value for reports, don't be surprised if many students can't resist citing it the next time their parents ask why they haven't finished their homework. – School Library Journal

Gone Tomorrow: The Hidden Life of Garbage - Rogers, Heather

In this readable and well-researched study, writer, journalist, and filmmaker Rogers tackles garbage and the social, economic, political, and technological waste disposal choices and dilemmas that our communities face. Americans dispose of more than 700 billion pounds of paper, glass, plastic, wood, food, metal, clothing, electronics, and other refuse annually. The author examines the available options in dealing with this issue- e.g ., feeding organic garbage to pigs, dumping in landfills, burning and incineration, exporting to other states or countries, and recycling and reusing disposables-and discusses their benefits and drawbacks. Her account of the criminal elements that once controlled New York City's garbage industry and how the city cleaned it up in the 1990s by establishing a garbage corporation reads like a thriller. Of particular note is Rogers's hard look at consumer habits, industrial imperatives, and the attitudes and lifestyles that generate extraordinary amounts of waste and pose a threat to the health of the planet. – Library Journal

Contents: The "waste stream" -- Rubbish past -- Rationalized waste -- Technological fix: the sanitary landfill -- The golden age of waste -- Spaceship earth: waste and environmentalism -- Recycling: the politics of containment -- The corporatization of garbage -- Green by any means.

How We Got the Bible (Revised and expanded edition) - Lightfoot, Neil R.

How old are the earliest Biblical manuscripts? How has the Bible been preserved and transmitted to us? Why do we have so many different translations of the Bible? How did early Christians decide which writings to include in the Bible? How We Got the Bible provides well-researched, accessible answers to many questions like these. Learn about the first materials used to write down the words of Scripture. Uncover the facts of some of history's most fascinating archaeological discoveries, including those of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Travel through history, from Jerome to Tyndale and beyond, as Neil R. Lightfoot discusses the origin, transmission, and translation of the Bible. Concise and engaging, How We Got the Bible is a useful resource for anyone who wants to know the story behind the most widely read book of all time. – from the publisher

Contents: Preface to the Third Edition -- The Making of Ancient Books -- The Birth of the Bible -- Manuscripts of the New Testament -- The Sinaitic Manuscript -- Other New Testament Manuscripts -- Ancient Versions: The New Testament -- Manuscripts of Special Interest -- The Text of the New Testament -- Significance of Textual Variations -- Restoring the New Testament Text -- Manuscripts from the Sand -- The Text of the Old Testament -- Ancient Versions: The Old Testament -- The Canon of the Scriptures -- The Apocryphal Books -- The English Bible to 1611 -- Recent Translations of the English Bible -- "My Words Will Not Pass Away".

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder - Louv , Richard

"I like to play indoors better 'cause that's where all the electrical outlets are," reports a fourth grader. But it's not only computers, television, and video games that are keeping kids inside. It's also their parents' fears of traffic, strangers, Lyme disease, and West Nile virus; their schools' emphasis on more and more homework; their structured schedules; and their lack of access to natural areas. Local governments, neighborhood associations, and even organizations devoted to the outdoors are placing legal and regulatory constraints on many wild spaces, sometimes making natural play a crime. As children's connections to nature diminish and the social, psychological, and spiritual implications become apparent, new research shows that nature can offer powerful therapy for such maladies as depression, obesity, and attention deficit disorder. Environment-based education dramatically improves standardized test scores and grade-point averages and develops skills in problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making. Anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that childhood experiences in nature stimulate creativity. In Last Child in the Woods , Louv talks with parents, children, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, child-development researchers, and environmentalists who recognize the threat and offer solutions. Louv shows us an alternative future, one in which parents help their kids experience the natural world more deeply - and find the joy of family connectedness in the process. – from the publisher

Contents: Part I: The New Relationship Between Children and Nature -- Gifts of Nature -- The Third Frontier -- The Criminalization of Natural Play -- Part II: Why the Young (and the Rest of Us) Need Nature -- Climbing the Tree of Health -- A Life of the Senses: Nature vs. the Know-It-All State of Mind -- The "Eighth Intelligence" -- The Genius of Childhood: How Nature Nurtures Creativity -- Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative Environment -- Part III: The Best of Intentions: Why Johnnie and Jeannie Don't Play Outside Anymore -- Time and Fear -- The Bogeyman Syndrome Redux -- Don't Know Much About Natural History: Education as a Barrier to Nature -- Where Will Future Stewards of Nature Come From? -- Part IV: The Nature-Child Reunion -- Bringing Nature Home -- Scared Smart: Facing the Bogeyman -- Telling Turtle Tales: Using Nature as a Moral Teacher -- Part V: The Jungle Blackboard -- Natural School Reform -- Camp Revival -- Part VI: Wonder Land: Opening the Fourth Frontier -- The Education of Judge Thatcher: Decriminalizing Natural Play -- Citites Gone Wild -- Where the Wild Things Will Be: A New Back-to-the-Land Movement -- Part VII: To Be Amazed -- The Spiritual Necessity of Nature for the Young -- Fire and Fermentation: Building a Movement -- While It Lasts.

Meet the Beatles: A Cultural History of the Band that Shook Youth, Gender, and the World - Stark, Steven D.

Journalist Stark focuses as much on the cultural trends that produced the Beatles-and the trends they created-as on the Fab Four themselves. He explores how the band's 1964 arrival in America coincided with both the adolescent explosion of the baby boomers and the cultural void left by Kennedy's assassination. He then backtracks to the Beatles' childhoods in Liverpool, a city with traditions of absent fathers, strong mothers and permissive attitudes toward androgyny-all major elements in the Beatles' music. Their moptop haircuts? A combination of "mild gender-bending" and German art college chic. Their trademark wit? Inspired by the Goon Show, a popular BBC radio program. Their long-term impact? Practically impossible to overestimate, as Stark finds their influence on '60s protest movements, drug culture, women's liberation and more. Stark provides a thorough biography of the band and includes bits of trivia, such as the band's 1960 gig playing backup to a stripper. Throughout, Stark is sharp and insightful, even when he wades into the psychoanalytic waters of the John/Yoko and Paul/Linda relationships. – Publishers Weekly

Introduction -- The British are Coming! -- Liverpool: Roots and Regrets -- A Communal Gang of Artists -- Astrid, Hamburg, and the Great Transformation -- The Parental Outsiders: Mona and Brian -- Reshuffling the Band with Humor -- First Rumblings of a Gender Revolution -- Engraved Upon the Heart of Its Nation -- Here, There, and Everywhere in 1964 -- Hair, Drugs, and Rock and Roll -- Sgt. Pepper's Cosmic Counterculture -- Out of Sync -- Love is All You Need -- Growing Older, Losing Faith -- Postscript -- Sources -- Acknowledgments -- Index.   

Other People's Words: What Plagiarism Is and How to Avoid It - Francis, Barbara

Timely and practical, this title offers students a clear explanation of plagiarism and its consequences as well as specific ways to avoid it. A historical perspective describes how borrowing ideas was an accepted practice until the first copyright laws followed the invention of the printing press. Chaucer, Shakespeare, Coleridge, and Longfellow were known to have taken plots and stories from their predecessors. Captioned photographs and text excerpts are shown for more recent plagiarists such as Blair Hornstine , the student journalist whose admission to Harvard was revoked; Senator Joseph Biden, who borrowed words for a campaign speech; and Jayson Blair, whose New York Times articles were created from another reporter's work. Other chapters address cheating, Internet downloading, fabrication, and how teachers curb plagiarism. Two valuable chapters focus on temptations to plagiarize and how to avoid them. Specifically, students are guided to develop organizational skills, to value their own work, and to practice paraphrasing techniques. The author creates a positive and constructive tone by empathizing with school pressures and time constraints, and helping readers understand the importance of developing an individual voice and honest value system. A must-have for middle and high school libraries. – School Library Journal

Contents: Introduction to plagiarism -- Plagiarism through the ages -- The temptation to plagiarize -- Plagiarism and the Internet -- Plagiarism's cousin: fabrication -- How to avoid plagiarism -- How teachers curb plagiarism -- Fighting plagiarism together.

Silent Snow: The Slow Poisoning of the Arctic - Cone, Marla

In 1999, environmental journalist Cone was awarded a Pew fellowship to examine the Arctic paradox: "How," she wondered, "could the Arctic, so innocent, primitive, so natural... be home to the most contaminated people on the planet?" What she discovered is that pollution is as global as the economy, and that industrialized nations—with their "Save the whales!" movements—are poisoning those very whales with chemical drift. In clear, engaging prose, she explains how PCBs leaking from a Chicago electrical transformer accumulate dramatically in sea mammals and people thousands of miles away. Traveling from Greenland to Alaska, she quickly finds that Power Bars and a down parka are inadequate to the Arctic, and that Inuit and Inupiat peoples rely on whales and seals for food and clothing because "nothing else is perfectly suited to their environment." In this sparsely populated territory, scientists have documented the world's swiftest ecosystem crash and mother's milk so chemically contaminated that it "could be classified as hazardous waste." But solutions are hard to find: there are no alternatives to replace contaminated food, it has become harder to ban chemicals in the U.S., and new contaminants are being introduced. Cone's sympathy with the peoples of the Arctic and her admiration for the harsh, beautiful world in which they live make this an inspiring book. And we all carry some level of the same toxins; as one Inuit says, "The chemical threat is the ultimate threat... it reaches everywhere in the world." – Publishers Weekly starred review

Contents: Introduction: A Moral Compass in a Vast, Lonely Land -- Part 1: The Arctic Paradox -- 1. Blowing in the Wind: A Contaminant's Long Journey North -- 2. Unexpected Poisons: Serendipity at the Top of the World -- 3. The World's Unfortunate Laboratory -- 4. Plight of the Ice Bear: Top of the World, Top of the Food Web -- 5. Ties That Bind in Greenland -- 6. A Fish Can't Feed a Village: Alaska's Communal Hunts -- Part II: Scientists Seeking Order Out of Chaos -- 7. Fear is Toxic, Too: Communicating Risk to Canada's Inuit -- 8. Into the Brains of Babes: Searching for Clues in Faroese Children -- 9. Beyond Silent Spring: A Global Assault on Sex Hormones and Immune Systems -- 10. The Arctic in Flux: Global Conspirators and the Whims of Climate -- 11. Islands of Sudden Change: The Evolution of the Aleutians -- Part III: Solutions and Predictions -- 12. The Diagnosis: Scientists Write a Prescription -- 13. POPs and Politics: Taking the First Step Toward a Solution -- 14. The Chain of Evil Continues Unbroken: The Arctic's New Toxic Legacies -- Epilogue: Survival of the Fittest: Walking in the Inuit's Footsteps -- Acknowledgments -- Bibliography -- Index.

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln - Goodwin, Doris Kearns

The life and times of Abraham Lincoln have been analyzed and dissected in countless books. Do we need another Lincoln biography? In Team of Rivals , esteemed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin proves that we do. Though she can't help but cover some familiar territory, her perspective is focused enough to offer fresh insights into Lincoln's leadership style and his deep understanding of human behavior and motivation. Goodwin makes the case for Lincoln's political genius by examining his relationships with three men he selected for his cabinet, all of whom were opponents for the Republican nomination in 1860: William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, and Edward Bates. These men, all accomplished, nationally known, and presidential, originally disdained Lincoln for his backwoods upbringing and lack of experience, and were shocked and humiliated at losing to this relatively obscure Illinois lawyer. Yet Lincoln not only convinced them to join his administration--Seward as secretary of state, Chase as secretary of the treasury, and Bates as attorney general--he ultimately gained their admiration and respect as well. How he soothed egos, turned rivals into allies, and dealt with many challenges to his leadership, all for the sake of the greater good, is largely what Goodwin's fine book is about. Had he not possessed the wisdom and confidence to select and work with the best people, she argues, he could not have led the nation through one of its darkest periods. Ten years in the making, this engaging work reveals why "Lincoln's road to success was longer, more tortuous, and far less likely" than the other men, and why, when opportunity beckoned, Lincoln was "the best prepared to answer the call." This multiple biography further provides valuable background and insights into the contributions and talents of Seward, Chase, and Bates. Lincoln may have been "the indispensable ingredient of the Civil War," but these three men were invaluable to Lincoln and they played key roles in keeping the nation intact. – Amazon.com

Through Gates of Splendor - Elliot, Elisabeth

In January 1956, a tragic but inspiring story broke in headlines across the world. Five young missionaries had dared to make contact with a Stone Age tribe deep in the jungles of Ecuador. The goal: to establish communication with a people whose only previous response to the outside world had been to attack all strangers. The book has inspired two movies: the most recent, End of the Spear , was released in 2006.

An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers , Politicos, Polluters, and the fight for Seadrift, Texas - Wilson, Diane

Diane Wilson, fourth-generation shrimp-boat captain and mother of five, proves that one "ordinary" woman can force a giant chemical company to change its ways. When Wilson learns that she lives in the most polluted county in the United States, she launches a campaign against a multi-billion-dollar corporation that has been covering up spills, silencing workers, flouting the EPA, and dumping lethal ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride into the bays along her beloved Texas Gulf Coast. In an epic tale of bravery, Wilson takes her fight to the courts, to the gates of the chemical plant, and to the halls of power in Austin. Along the way she meets with scorn, bribery, character assassination, and even death threats. Finally, Wilson realizes that she must break the law to win justice: she resorts to nonviolent disobedience, direct action, and debilitating hunger strikes. An Unreasonable Woman is a page-turner to rival stories like Erin Brockovich , Silkwood , and The China Syndrome. Wilson's vivid South Texas dialogue resides somewhere between Alice Walker and William Faulkner, and her dazzling prose brings to mind the magical realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, replete with dreams and prophesies. – from the publisher

Contents: Prologue: Sabotage -- PART I -- Dirty Secrets Revealed -- A Shrimping Career Rehashed -- An Outlaw and a Letter -- Adversaries Approach -- Of Fishermen and Politicos -- Knocked Clean out of the Ring -- Negotiating with the Enemy -- The Press Arrives to Liars and Fools -- Texas Water Commission Files-- PART II-- Dirty Facts Revealed -- A Dream Is a Dream Come True -- Losses, Gains, and Petitions -- Money, Money, Money -- Private Eye Mike -- Battle Lines Are Drawn -- Union Carbide Blows; a Federal Investigator Arrives -- We Strike at the Heart of Formosa -- Beauty Queens, Banquets, and Spies -- Raining on the Chairman's Parade -- A Hydrochloric Cloud; a Worker Talks -- Kickbacks Paid, Internal Memos Conveyed -- A Bay under Siege; an Activist Born -- Hunger Strike -- I Strike at the Gates of Hell -- Death Threats and Deals -- Pain and Defeat -- A Woman Enters the Sea -- PART III -- Island of Fire and Solidarity -- A Radicalized Woman -- The Vietnamese Connection -- The Sinking of the SeaBee -- Sanchez Comes Home -- Victory, Redemption, and Loss-- Acknowledgments.

A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare: 1599 - Shapiro, James

An intimate history of Shakespeare, following him through a single year--1599--that changed not only his fortunes but the course of literature. How was Shakespeare transformed from being a talented poet and playwright to become one of the greatest writers who ever lived? In this one exhilarating year we follow what he reads and writes, what he sees, and whom he works with as he invests in the new Globe Theatre and creates four of his most famous plays-- Henry the Fifth, Julius Caesar, As You Like It , and, most remarkably, Hamlet . Shapiro illuminates both Shakespeare's staggering achievement and what Elizabethans experienced in the course of 1599: sending off an army to crush an Irish rebellion, weathering an Armada threat from Spain, gambling on the fledgling East India Company, and waiting to see who would succeed their aging and childless queen. – from the publisher

For the Prevention of Cruelty: The History and Legacy of Animal Rights Activism in the United States - Beers, Diane L.

Destined to become a classic in its field, historian Beers's study of the animal advocacy movement in the U.S. since the ASPCA's founding in 1866 fills a glaring historical gap with exceptional style, accuracy and insight. Beers observes that while involvement in the animal rights movement has exploded since the 1975 publication of Peter Singer's Animal Liberation, with more than 7,000 organizations today representing more than 10 million members, the movement has "historical amnesia." To counter this, she shows how animal rights activism "has been far more successful historically and has had a far greater impact of society than previously suggested." Displaying an impressive mastery of social and environmental contexts, the author reviews a range of activism, from the influence of the abolitionist movement on "radical humanists" working for the emancipation of animals in the post"Civil War era, through the antivivisection movement of the late 19th century (which numbered Mark Twain as a member), to the impact of historic legislation such as the 1958 federal Humane Slaughter Act. Beers delivers a superbly convincing account of how early animal advocates "made the developments of 1975 and the years thereafter possible." – Publishers Weekly

Contents: Resurrecting the voice : animal advocacy in history -- A movement takes shape : the origins of animal advocacy -- Leaders and followers : the new humanitarians -- "The voice of the voiceless" : early campaigns, 1866-1915 -- Reaching out to the mainstream : animal advocacy evolves, 1915-45 -- "Our most strenuous protest" : antivivisection before 1945 -- The road to liberation : the rise of the postwar movement and the era of legislation, 1945-75 -- Epilogue.

The Reformation: A History - Collinson , Patrick

"The Reformation was awash with words," begins the third chapter of this book. "The historian who tries to catch its essence finds his net breaking under the weight of words." Although referring specifically to the truly jaw-dropping literary output of Martin Luther himself, given the primacy granted the Word in Lutheran doctrine, and the key role the printing press played in amplifying Protestantism, Collinson could well have been referring to the ocean of secondary literature on the turbulent religiosity of Europe's long sixteenth century. Yet Cambridge professor Collinson's brief and pithy history navigates smoothly through messy, if fashionable, debates (What is essential Protestantism? Reformation or Reformations? Catholic Reformation or Counter-Reformation? Capital R or not? and so on), and, in almost 300 pages, eloquently argues that the Reformation was indeed the watershed moment it has been mythologized to be--in many ways the inauguration of the modern world. Collinson's elegant introduction is both erudite and highly accessible. – Booklist

Contents: Reformation? What reformation ? -- The last medieval church and its reformation -- Words, language, and books - - Luther discovers the gospel and challenges the church -- Alternative patterns of reformation -- Calvin and Calvinism -- Counter-reformation -- Exceptional cases: the reformation in the British Isles -- Politics -- People -- Art -- A reformation watershed?

The View From a Monastery - Tvedten , Benet

Brother Tvedten is a Benedictine monk in the Blue Cloud Monastery in South Dakota, made known by Kathleen Norris through her bestseller, The Cloister Walk . Tvedten addresses the growing public interest in monasticism that has been fueled, at least in part, by Norriss books. The reader will not find, however, that his writing style is similar to hers. While Norris is poetical and introspective, Tvedten is prosaic and straightforward. He demythologizes monastic life, mentioning his own misconceptions about the cloister when he decided to become a monk. Readers who imagine that monks are either prudish and uptight or walking on clouds of mystic holiness will discover their mistake when they read these stories. The monks he introduces are ordinary people, with the same occurrence of eccentrics as in the general population (which is to say, plenty). One interesting aspect of Tvedtens account is that he became a monk before Vatican II and has therefore observed its effects on the monastery. Many of his anecdotes are humorous; Tvedten is a James Herriot of Benedictines, showing the same affection for his life and the people in it while appreciating the funny side. – Publishers Weekly

Paris Traditions

A beloved city is celebrated in a volume that confirms on every page why Paris has been embraced for centuries as the world's most beautiful and romantic metropolis. Essays by connoisseurs in each cultural area provide readers with insights into the city's art, architecture, fashion, food, theater, film, sports, and seasonal festivals. By tracing each aspect of such a multi-faceted heritage, the book offers a broad view of Parisian life and its rich traditions. – BookCloseouts.com

Contents: Architecture – Art – Fashion – Festivals – Food & Drink – Music – Sports – Stage & Film

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II

Offers more inspiring stories to help you master the game we call life. Today's teens have ever more issues and social pressures to juggle than young adults just 20 years ago. This book, like its predecessor, can be your guide - a beacon in the darkness, a safe haven in a storm, a warm hug in the cold and a respite from loneliness. There's no preaching as to what you should and shouldn't do. Instead, this book is full of teens sharing their experiences on learning to accept like, becoming the best person you can be, being happy with who you are, and loving yourself - no matter what. – from the publisher