New Books (and more!)

January 30, 2003

Nonfiction

Hitler's Shadow War: The Holocaust and World War II - McKale, Donald M.

"In this meticulously researched book, McKale posits that Hitler and his fellow Nazis used the war in Europe as a cover for the real war they meant to fight. This was a ‘shadow war,’ he contends, in which Hitler would murder millions of Jews in Europe and Asia and eventually elsewhere in the world. McKale points out that the huge resources Germany used to carry out the ‘war against the Jews’ could have been used to fight against the Western allies and the Soviet Union. McKale examines why, among all the racial, political, and other groups that Hitler despised and persecuted, he singled out the Jews for his greatest hatred. He surveys the steadily increasing yet ‘twisted road’ of Nazi persecution of the German Jews before 1939. For anyone seeking to come to terms with the depravity of the Holocaust, this book will be required reading." – Booklist

Really Useful : the Origins of Everyday Things / Joel Levy

You undoubtedly know what a paperclip is and how to use it, but did you know that during the Second World War the people of Norway adopted paperclips as a symbol of protest against the occupying Nazis? Really Useful tells these and other stories of how the things we use every day came into being.

As much a sociological history as a compendium of entertaining stories, Really Useful takes you on a tour from the kitchen to the bathroom to the office and beyond. Along the way it tells us about the technology, design, social conditions and even intrigue that contributed to these remarkable innovations, which include:

* sliced bread, microwave oven, coffee, tea bags, corkscrew and Teflon
* razor blades, Band-Aids, the toothbrush, lipstick and tissues
* air conditioning, buttons, vacuum cleaners, stockings and neon lights
* Post-It notes, the floppy disk, smoke detectors, fireworks and the battery
* barcodes, traffic lights, parking meters, padlocks

Explaining the Universe: The New Age of Physics - Charap, John M.

The current topics and research in physics for the lay person. Included are questions such as: "Why is the universe flat? Why can't we forecast weather better? Can Schrodinger's cat really be simultaneously dead and alive? Why does fractal geometry keep showing up in strange places? Might spacetime have eleven dimensions? What does quantum mechanics mean about the nature of our world?"

Out of the Blue: A Narrative of September 11, 2001 from Jihad to Ground Zero - Bernstein, Richard

The quality of the writing and the book's scope make Blue perhaps the best of the 9/11 anniversary volumes. Bernstein focuses on the World Trade Center attacks without slighting the disasters at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. His comprehensive view makes the connection between the Islamic fundamentalist hijackers in Pakistan in 1979 and enrollees in Florida flight schools in 2000 and 2001. Firsthand accounts of survivors' escapes from the WTC along with the self-sacrificing courage of others they witnessed mix with sketches of extraordinary lives violently cut short. – School Library Journal

Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper; Case Closed - Patricia Cornwell

One of the hottest books of the publishing season and a main selection of the Book of the Month Club, The Literary Guild, Mystery Guild and Doubleday Book Club. Here’s what Publisher’s Weekly had to say: "Jack the Ripper was renowned artist Walter Sickert (1860-1942) according to Cornwell, in case anyone hasn't yet heard. The evidence Cornwell accumulates toward that conclusion in this brilliant, personal, gripping book is very strong, and will persuade many. In May 2001, Cornwell took a tour of Scotland Yard that interested her in the Ripper case, and in Sickert as a suspect. A look at Sickert's "violent" paintings sealed her interest, and she became determined to apply, for the first time ever, modern investigatory and forensic techniques to the crimes that horrified London more than 100 years ago...The book is filled with newsworthy revelations, including the successful use of DNA analysis to establish a link between an envelope mailed by the Ripper and two envelopes used by Sickert and Cornwell's conclusion that Sickert continued to kill long after the Ripper supposedly lay down his blade, reaping dozens of victims over his long life. Compassionate, intense, superbly argued, fluidly written and impossible to put down, this is the finest and most important true-crime book to date of the 21st century."

Acing the College Application: How to Maximize Your Chances for Admission to the College of Your Choice - Hernandez, Michele A.

By the former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth.

The Book That Changed My Life - Osen, Diane

15 interviews with National Book Award winners and finalists, exploring how their reading has helped shape their lives and their art. Interviewees include James Carroll, Don DeLillo, E.L. Doctorow, Charles Johnson, Diane Johnson, Philip Levine, David Levering Lewis, Barry Lopez, David McCullough, Alice McDermott, Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, Linda Pastan, Katherine Paterson, and Robert Stone. A primary bibliography and a list of works influencing the author follow each interview. A tribute to the power of reading to shape our vision of ourselves and our world, this title is recommended for all literature collections. – Library Journal

Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer’s Guide to Getting it Right - Bryson, Bill

"English is a dazzlingly idiosyncratic tongue, full of quirks and irregularities that often seem willfully at odds with logic and common sense. This is a language where 'cleave' can mean to cut in half or to hold two halves together; where the simple word 'set' has 126 different meanings as a verb, 58 as a noun, and 10 as a participial adjective; where if you can run fast you are moving swiftly; but if you are stuck fast you are not moving at all; [and] where 'colonel,' 'freight,' 'once,' and 'ache' are strikingly at odds with their spellings." As a copy editor for the London Times in the early 198Os, Bill Bryson felt keenly the lack of an easy-to-consult, authoritative guide to avoiding the traps and snares in English, and so he brashly suggested to a publisher that he should write one. This is an updated version of the original.

The Spy Who Stayed Out in the Cold : the secret life of FBI double agent Robert Hanssen - Adrian Havill

"The shocking true story of FBI double agent Robert Hanssen, who was arrested in 2001 after he had spent more than half of his 25-year counterintelligence career as a spy for the Russians. Drawing on more than 1,000 interviews, the author reveals the astonishing double life of a deeply troubled loner driven by opposing demons to become one of the most notorious spies in history." – Martin's Press.

Cycle of Leadership: How Great Leaders Teach Their Companies to Win - Tichy, Noel M.

"This invaluable book by Noel M. Tichy, the Michigan Business School professor who formerly ran GE’s legendary Crotonville Leadership Center, will teach managers to create corporate cultures based on values, ideas, and a sustained commitment to learning. Tichy argues that, in the new information-based economy, companies will succeed only if they become "teaching organizations" dedicated to generating ideas, focusing the attention of their employees upon those ideas, and ultimately transforming all this intellectual energy into real-world products and services. Although Tichy's goals may sound lofty, his book is actually an accessible and practical guide that will be greatly appreciated by both aspiring leaders and veteran executives." – Barnes and Noble review

Dreaming: An Introduction to the Science of Sleep - Hobson, J. Allan

What is dreaming? Why are dreams so strange and why are they so hard to remember? In this fascinating book, Harvard researcher Allan Hobson offers an intriguing look at our nightly odyssey through the illusory world of dreams. Hobson describes how the theory of dreaming has advanced dramatically over the past fifty years and how modern research has disproved most of Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams. The book also discusses dream disorders (nightmares, night terrors, sleep walking), the possible link between dreaming and the regulation of body temperature, the effects of sleep deprivation, and much more. With special boxed features that highlight intriguing questions--Do we dream in color? (yes), Do animals dream? (probably), Do men and women dream differently? (no)--Dreaming offers a cutting-edge account of the most mysterious area of our mental life. – from the publisher

Firefighters: Their Lives in Their Own Words - Smith, Dennis

An unforgettable journey through the daily lives of the brave men and women who have made saving lives their profession. Dennis Smith, author of Report from Engine Co. 82, traveled across the country talking to dozens of America’s firefighters to put together this powerful collection of their own descriptions of their most dramatic and intense experiences on the job. Their stories, compiled here, are timeless testimonies to the human capacity for heroism and nobility. – from the publisher

Genie in the Bottle: 67 All-New Commentaries on the Fascinating Chemistry of Everyday Life - Schwarcz, Joe

" The Genie in the Bottle makes science downright fun. Dr. Joe Schwarcz blends quirky anecdotes about everyday chemistry with engaging tales from the history of science. Get a different twist on licorice and travel to the dark side of the sun. Control stinky feet and bend spoons and minds. Learn about the latest on chocolate research, flax, ginkgo biloba, magnesium, and blueberries. Read about the ups of helium and the downs of drain cleaners. Find out why bug juice is used to color ice cream, how spies used secret inks, and how acetone changed the course of history. It's all there!" - from the publisher

High Tech Harvest: Understanding Genetically Modified Food Plants - Lurquin, Paul

If you are what you eat, how worried should we be?

Publisher’s blurb: "Genetically engineered plant products line the shelves of our grocery stores but we don't know which ones they are because no label identifies them. Should we be concerned? Biotech companies claim that engineered corn and canola are safe, but are they telling the truth? Should we, like the Europeans, be engaging in violent protests against biotechnology? In High Tech Harvest, Paul Lurquin answers these questions and more, believing that the public has a right to know and understand how its food is manipulated at the most basic level, that of the DNA itself. With the goal to inform, and a mission to reinforce the importance of the scientific method, Paul Lurquin writes a comprehensive and user-friendly description of the scientific origins, the development, and the applications of genetically modified plants throughout the world today."

A couple of new presidential biographies by well-known authors:

John Quincy Adams - Remini, Robert Vincent

Abraham Lincoln - Keneally, Thomas

Killers Within: The Deadly Rise of Drug-Resistant Bacteria - Shnayerson, Michael

"When some bacteria began to develop resistance to penicillin, few physicians worried, because methicillin was available. Now many bacteria are resistant to both antibiotics, and physicians, researchers, and the rest of us really have something to worry about. Schnayerson and Plotkin clearly explain how these changes occurred, and they describe the abuse and misuse of other drugs, how resistance moves from animals to humans (e.g., though agricultural use of antibiotics), and how hygiene failures in hospitals and daycare centers aggravate the situation. They bring to life the work of individual researchers, such as Felix d'Herelle and Patrick Schlievert, and they chastise drug-company publicists and entrepreneurs out for a quick buck for their greed and their failure to accept the lessons of science. They draw on excellent work in Scandinavia and elsewhere, and on such seemingly irrelevant animals as the Komodo dragon, to demonstrate the diverse elements that have been drawn into this area of investigation. They are, however, not optimistic, concluding that ‘the bugs seem to have figured it [overcoming antibiotics] out.’" – Booklist

Measuring America: How an Untamed Wilderness Shaped the United States and Fulfilled the Promise of Democracy - Linklater, Andro

History! Science! And what happened when Thomas Jefferson didn’t get his way!

"American democracy was less a product of revolutionary war and constitutional ferment than it was of a particular way of measuring land, argues historian Linklater in his delightful new study. Private ownership of land was a new concept in England in the 17th century, but the idea that land could ‘be owned as a house or a bed or a pig was owned’" was central to the new United States." – Booklist starred review.

First, of course, the new US had to be measured.

"Why do we use gallons, feet, and dollars and cents? How were these measurements created? Why do we not use the metric system, and why do so many cities and states have grids visible from the ground and the air? To answer those questions and more, British historian Linklater brings to life the creator of the system we use today, Edmund Gunter, along with a host of major personalities (Washington and Jefferson) and unknown or forgotten players. These figures play out against Linklater's elegantly drawn backdrops--national and international history, politics, economics, and business--to reveal how we came to measure as we do. Linklater also shows how as the United States expanded from the original Colonies to the West Coast over its first 100 years, our choice of measurement became part of the American psyche and legal system and also affected society. Expertly written and eminently enjoyable." – Library Journal

More Than a Label: Why What You Wear or Who You’re With Doesn’t Define Who You Are - Muharrar, Aisha

"Based on a survey that the teenaged author created and sent out across America while she was a member of Teen People's News Team, this book examines the role of labels and cliques in teen lives. Her survey is included. Muharrar defines labels in general, discusses how they develop, and talks about the most common categories into which teens lump themselves and others, e.g., geek, indie, goth, and numerous racial slurs. There are lots of good suggestions for dealing with the names one is called and how to break the habit of labeling. Well planned and well executed, the text allows readers to really "hear" other teens weigh in on the subject. Self-evaluation tools are scattered throughout. Muharrar has created a compelling book for young people searching for meaning in a label-driven society. Readers will find both acceptance and guidance in her thought-provoking offering."—School Library Journal

Muckraking!: The Journalism That Changed America - Serrin, Judith

"Over 100 classics of American investigative journalism that range across three centuries, from Tom Paine to Bob Woodward. By turns compelling and shocking, Muckraking! is an anthology for anyone who feels passionate about the heights that journalism can climb or its ability to illuminate the darkest depths." – from the publisher

Sahara: A Natural History - de Villiers, Marq

And you thought this would be a dry subject! "Marc de Villiers, the award-winning author of Water, takes to the sands with coauthor Sheila Hirtle. Rescuing the great Sahara Desert from its image as an uninhabitable wasteland, this vivid history turns that daunting, bewitching expanse into a fertile ground filled with gushing springs, brightly hued mountains, petrified forests, and a range of cleverly adapted species -- not to mention the now-faded wonders of the great cities Timbuktu and Agadez." – Barnes and Noble review

To Begin the World Anew: The Genius and Ambiguities of the American Founders - Bailyn, Bernard

"A two-time Pulitzer-winner takes to the essay form again (Faces of Revolution, 1990) as he endeavors to portray the likes of Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin in all their ambiguities, inconsistencies, and ability to think freely. Bailyn speculates here that life on the provincial frontier, a stimulating environment free of the instinctive respect accorded the establishment, shaped the worldview of the men who designed the democratic American polity. The republic they fashioned was chock-a-block with logical dilemmas and unresolved-to-this-day problems, not to mention failures and hypocrisies, notes Bailyn (Adams Professor Emeritus/Harvard). But he points to its overall boldness crafted by artful intellect, the oh-so-canny balance of public authority and private liberties, the yin-yang of the Constitution, the Articles, the Federalist papers." – Kirkus

Secret Service: The Hidden History of an Enigmatic Agency - Melanson, Philip H.

Secret No More! "Initially created to combat counterfeiters of U.S. currency, the Secret Service is far better known for protecting presidents. This latter task, as Melanson and Stevens note in their informative history of the organization, was not technically legal until 1951, when Congress authorized it following the foiled assassination attempt on Harry Truman the previous year. The expansion of the Secret Service since then, combined with the increase in threats and actual attacks on presidents and presidential candidates, supplies the book's grist." - Booklist

The Victorians - Wilson, A. N.

And you thought they were, well, Victorians. "According to the author, Victorian philosophers, scientists, economists, entrepreneurs, and politicians ushered in an era of rapid and unprecedented change. Twentieth and twenty-first century sensibilities were shaped and foreshadowed by a daring group of radical thinkers who belie the common notion that nineteenth-century Britons were, for the most part, staid and conservative thinkers and workers. Attempting to paint a ‘portrait of an age’ that transformed the world and spawned an increasingly global point-of-view, Wilson provides a decade-by-decade overview of the Victorian era, animating those men and women whose actions and ideas helped define and characterize one of the most innovative and influential ages in history. Wilson's background as a biographer and a novelist enables him to vividly capture and communicate the texture and the flavor of Victorian Britain." – Booklist

Nature Cures: The History of Alternative Medicine in America - Whorton, James C.

The first comprehensive history of alternative medicine in America, examining the major systems that have emerged from 1800 to the present. "Thorough, enjoyable, and rigorous, this study documents the major "unconventional" healing movements of 19th- and 20th-century America. Whorton (history of medicine, Univ. of Washington) traces the origins and influences of Thomsonianism, homeopathy, mesmerism, Christian Science, osteopathy, chiropractic, naturopathy, and acupuncture, briefly discussing therapeutic touch, visualization, and prayer as well. The author also examines the rancorous history of medical licensing in the United States and leaves the reader with a sense that 21st-century healthcare will allow for a more conciliatory system of integrative medicine." – Library Journal

Marie Antoinette / Antonia Fraser

" From one of the finest biographers, the bestselling Marie Antoinette is a lavish and engaging portrait of one of the most recognizable women in European history. Fraser's definitive biography excites compassion and regard for all aspects of her subject, immersing the reader not only in the coming-of-age of a graceful woman, but also in the unraveling of an era. 60 illustrations." – Ingram

Split : Stories from a Generation Raised on Divorce / Ava Chin, editor

An anthology of intimate personal accounts by hip young journalists and writers in their 20s and 30s, Split will be a source of insight, comfort, and healing for all those who were children of divorce. High-profile Gen X writers who have contributed to this volume include Paula Gilovich, Jill Priluck, Ayana Byrd, Matt Briggs, and Jen Robinson. Like a support group between the covers of a book, this collection of 15 stories articulates some of the most difficult emotional aspects of growing up in a broken home, while providing hope for the future.

Crocodile Hunter / Steve Irwin

What’s the deal with that guy? Is he crazy or what? Find out in this biography of Steve Irwin and his wife Terri. Brimming with dangerous adventures, facts about nature and the environment, dozens of full-color photos, and Steve and Terri's life away from the cameras.

Fiction

The reviews say if you like Jan Karon’s Mitford novels, this may be just your cup of tea. "It's a bitter cold Ash Wednesday in Dorsetville, New England, where the last wool mill shut down five years ago and only Yankee grit gets its citizens out of bed for another day of facing challenges with wry humor. Poor in worldly goods but rich in faith and compassion, they have been bound together for generations by the gaudy monolith of St. Cecilia's church, long a white elephant to the Catholic archdiocese and now slated to close-after the last mass on Easter Sunday. Father James Flaherty despairs of turning the parish finances around, or even of fixing the cantankerous furnace. What will become of his flock?" – from the book jacket

Reversible Errors - Turow, Scott

The latest of Turow’s legal thrillers. "Set in Turow's familiar fictional venue of Kindle County, Illinois, the story concerns a pathetic, hard-luck career criminal named Rommy Gandolph, a.k.a. Squirrel. Convicted of a particularly vicious triple homicide, Rommy is 33 days away from certain execution. When a convicted criminal with terminal cancer comes forward with a story that casts doubt on Rommy's guilt, it soon becomes clear that more than Squirrel's life is at stake." – from the publisher

The Hydrangea People - Charles Gershon

By a CDS parent! "Charles Gershon has written a remarkable and courageous first novel. With marvelous insight and unleashed candor, he delineates the difference between greed and charity, class and brass. He portrays the corporate mentality toward medicine that has contrived to separate patients and physicians from the mutual trust they once enjoyed. But at the heart of this book is one man's haunting search for love and affirmation and the triumphant, climactic revelation of how he attains both. The Hydrangea People is a must-read for anyone who has ever doubted themselves and eventually found peace. I anticipate with great eagerness further works from Charles Gershon." -Ferrol Sams, author of Run With The Horsemen

Slaying of the Shrew - Simon Hawke

Will Shakespeare, Symington "Tuck" Smythe, and their thespian band are contracted to provide theatrical entertainment at a wedding being held on a large rural estate. When the headstrong bride turns up dead, and overheard conversations contain conspiratorial plots against the families involved, Will and Tuck must pull double duty as thespians and sleuths to solve the case. Ingram

Reference

World Eras.

A set of history reference books with fact-filled essays, timelines, and more. Each volume contains the following sections: World events -- Geography -- The arts -- Communication, transportation, and exploration -- Social class system and the economy -- Politics, law, and the military -- Leisure, recreation, and daily life -- Family and social trends -- Religion and philosophy -- Science, technology, and health.

The titles:

European Renaissance and Reformation, 1350-1600

Medieval Europe, 814 – 1350

Ancient Egypt, 2615 – 332 B.C.E.

Classical Greek Civilization, 800 – 323 B.C.

Roman Republic and Empire, 264 B.C.E – 476 C. E.

Drugs and Controlled Substances : Information for Students

Provides detailed information about the composition, history, effects, uses and abuses of common drugs, including illegal drugs and addictive substances, as well as commonly abused classes of prescription drugs.

Includes a timeline and an introductory essay.

"Scientific milestones and the people who made them possible"—book cover

Facts on File Dictionary of Weather and Climate - Smith, Jacqueline

Not just for Weather Channel junkies: "From the simple to the complex, this dictionary clearly and concisely explains meteorological terms and concepts. It is amazing just how much information lies between its covers." – School Library Journal

 

Video

Human Geography: People, Places and Change

A ten-video set (about 30 minutes each) that shows students the impact that government, corporate, group, and individual decisions have on people and places that are grappling with major socioceconomic changes.

    Vol. 1: Imagining new worlds

Examines contrasting ways of viewing the city of Cancun, Mexico and Mayan ruins as seen through the eyes of tourists, Mayan descendants, and business investors.

    Vol. 2: Reflections on a global screen

Globalization of the media: Does it lead to homogenized culture or encourage the spread of diverse cultures? Examines the social impact of television programming which is broadcast simultaneously and instantaneously around the world and examines the future of communication technology.

    Vol. 3: Global firms in the industrializing east

Examines how Singapore has transformed itself into an economic powerhouse along the Pacific Rim. Analyses in particular the banking, electronic, telecommunication and semiconductor industries in Singapore.

    Vol. 4: Global tourism

Examines the experiences of tourists who visit Hawaii, Malaysia and Borneo and the tourism industry in each of those locations.

    Vol. 5: Alaska: the last frontier?

This program shows the difficulties of balancing the needs of indigenous peoples and the wilderness with economic development and modern life in the state of Alaska.

    Vol. 6: Population transition in Italy

Italy is now the first country in the history of mankind in which the number of people 60 years and older is greater than the number aged 20 or less. This film examines the factors which contribute to the very low fertility rates in Italy.

    Vol. 7: Water is for fighting over

Along the parched California Nevada border, groups with compelling yet competing interests claim the water of the Truckee River Basin. Film examines the lives and livelihood of these people for whom the Truckee River water is so important.

    Vol 8: A Migrant's heart

An English actor who's parents came from India and then migrated to East Africa and finally England returns to visit New Delhi, India, to seek his roots, and to work through ethnic identity problems which can result when one is caught between two worlds.

    Vol. 9: Berlin: changing center of a changing Europe

Many of the issues that Germany and eastern Europe now confront are seen in microcosm in Berlin. Film examines the history of the city of Berlin, including the social, economic and political changes which have resulted since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

    Vol. 10: The world of the dragon

Film examines China with particular emphasis on Shanghai, as it opens itself to economic and social influences from the West and from other Asian nations.

Brother Cadfael IV

The ever-popular English medieval monk is back in three new mysteries. See the Middle Ages come to life!

I: The Holy Thief

Prior Herluin (George Irving) is intent on taking the Holy Relics of Saint Winifred from Shrewsbury to rebuild his own recently destroyed abbey. After a wealthy patron dies leaving Herluin precious gems for the financing instead, the monks of Shrewsbury think the matter is settled. Soon, the gems are stolen in transport, the driver killed, and the Holy Relics go missing. Brother Cadfael (Sir Derek Jacobi) must untangle the web with only a single thread of a clue. With the valuable assistance of a slave girl, Cadfael attempts to catch the thief, restore the relics and bring the killer to justice.

II: The Pilgrim of Hate

Not all pilgrims are as pious as they seem. A flock of pilgrims, at Shrewsbury Abbey to view the Holy Relics of Saint Winifred, make the Abbey especially overcrowded. Among the arrivals are cripples, gamblers, swindlers--and a murderer. After finding the corpse in a satchel, Brother Cadfael (Sir Derek Jacobi) must summon all his skills to determine the dead man's identity... and reveal who brought the body to Shrewsbury. The perpetrator could be one of hundreds of passing strangers. And there is little time before the gates open. Will the guilty party escape? You'll be surprised at this tale's twisted turns.

III: The Potter's Field

It's a murder that might have gone unnoticed--but can it be solved without knowing the victim? While plowing a nearby field, the monks of Shrewsbury Abbey turn up a crude burial plot containing a woman's remains. Is she the former wife of Brother Ruald (Gregor Truter), the potter who joined the abbey the year before? Intent on clearing Ruald's name, Brother Cadfael (Sir Derek Jacobi) delves into the past to determine her identity, cause of death, and who buried her. Could the lord of the manor or his family be involved? Each has a motive, and now Brother Cadfael must explore each one to solve this bizarre crime of passion.