New Non-Fiction Books – November 2008

       

 001.9          Olmstead, Larry.

 OLM           Getting into Guinness : one man's longest, fastest, highest journey inside the

                   world's most famous record book.  2008.    

                        The 50-year story of the best-selling book of all time.  This is a report of the characters who

                        created the famous record book and continue to make it wackier and wackier with every passing

                        year.  Olmstead chronicles some of the funniest and most interesting Guinness record holders

                        from a uniquely insider perspective – he himself is one of them.

       

330              Levitt, Steven D. 

LEV            Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything.  2006.

                        Offers an alternative view of how the economy really works, examining issues from cheating and

                        crime to sports and child-rearing.

 

332.024       Spinks-Burleson, Kimberly.

SPI              Prepare to be a teen millionaire. 2008        

                        Provides readers with advice from young entrepreneurs about founding and growing a successful

                        business, with discussions about initial funding, start-up plans, marketing goals, building a

                        customer base, media relations, and full utilization of the Internet.

       

333.79         Friedman, Thomas L.

FRI             Hot, flat, and crowded : why we need a green revolution--and how it can renew

                   America. 2008        

                        Proposes an ambitious national strategy to address key issues in climate change and energy

                        shortages, identifying the factors that have contributed to current circumstances while outlining

                        an American-led revolution of clean technology solutions.

 

345.73         Margulies, Phillip, 1952- 

MAR           The devil on trial : witches, anarchists, atheists, communists, and terrorists in

                   America's courtrooms. 2008        

                   Uses the example of five famous trials to examine the way an individual's right to a fair trial can

                        be threatened when people are tempted to abandon their principles in the name of safety.

 

378.1           Schrefer, Eliot, 1978- 

SCH            Hack the SAT : a private SAT tutor spills the secret strategies and sneaky shortcuts

                   that can raise your score hundreds of points.  2008.        

                        Offers guidance and tools for scoring well on the SAT, including a vocabulary list, subject

                        reviews, test-taking tips, and advice on writing an essay.

 

615              Winner, Cherie

WIN            Circulating life : blood transfusion from ancient superstition to modern medicine.

                   2007.        

                        Describes what blood is, explains why blood is important, and discusses the techniques,

                        discoveries, and developments in transfusing blood and blood parts since the mid-1600s.

 

615.329       Goldsmith, Connie, 1945- 

GOL           Superbugs strike back : when antibiotics fail.  2007.        

                        Discusses the growing problem of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotics and other

                        drugs, explaining how "superbugs" were created, what is being done to fight them, and how to

                        protect against them.

 

639.2           Kurlansky, Mark.

KUR           The last fish tale : the fate of the Atlantic and survival in Gloucester, America's

                   oldest fishing port and most original town.  2008.        

                        Provides a close-up look at the history of Gloucester, Massachusetts, America's oldest fishing

                        port, how fishing and the culture of fishing have defined the coastal region, and how the

                        disappearance of this way of life has transformed Gloucester.

 

646.4           Kyi, Tanya Lloyd, 1973- 

KYI             The blue jean book : the story behind the seams.  2005.        

                        Examines the history and America's love affair with denim jeans, from their humble origins with

                        hardscrabble miners and cowboys, to their popularity among laborers, rebels, and the incurably

                        hip.

 

741.5           Hart, Christopher. 

HAR           Manga for the beginner : everything you need to know to get started right away!

                   2008.        

                        Covers the basics of drawing the manga face and body, then goes on to explore costume and

                        character design, the popular shounen/action genre, special effects, perspective techniques and

                        panel sequencing.

 

759.13         Warhol, Andy

WAR          Andy Warhol.  2008.

                        Features ten iconic Warhol paintings from the collection in the Museum of Modern Art and

                        provides a brief essay to accompany each work, illuminating its significance and placing it in

                        history.

                                               

776              Miller, Ron, 1947- 

MIL             Digital art : painting with pixels.  2008.        

                        Discusses the history of digital art; techniques; image formats; its use in design, advertising,

                        comic books, animation, and special effects; and careers in it.

 

781.65         Marsalis, Wynton, 1961- 

MAR           Moving to higher ground : how jazz can change your life.  2008.        

                        This Pulitzer-prize musician draws upon lessons learned from a lifetime in jazz, and

                        demonstrates how the unique balance of self-expression and sacrifice for the common good

                        exemplified on the bandstand can enrich every aspect of our lives.

 

796.22         Badillo, Steve. 

BAD            Skateboarding : legendary tricks.  2007.        

                        Demonstrates famous skateboarding tricks performed by legendary riders such as Tony Hawk

                        and Christian Hosoi, along with a brief history and step-by-step instructions for each trick.

 

811              Dove, Rita. 

DOV           American smooth : poems.  2004.        

                        Poetry celebrates America's cultural heritage with pieces about such topics as World War I's

                        African-American jazz band, a Harlem girl's examination of adult flirting behaviors, and the first

                        African-American Oscar winner.

 

811              Nye, Naomi Shihab.

NYE            Honeybee : poems & short prose.  2008.         

                        Celebrates honeybees and their work as a metaphor for human love, work, and memory.

 

821              Larkin, Philip.

LAR            Collected poems.  2004         

                        Edited and with an introduction by Anthony Thwaite.

 

914.10         Leapman, Michael, 1938- 

LEA            Great Britain.  2006.        

                        You'd be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive, engrossing, and just plain fun-to-read

                        guidebook than the Eyewitness Travel Guide: Great Britain. Spilling over with all sorts of useful

                        information for the traveler, you'll find three-dimensional drawings, floor plans, and detailed

                        neighborhood maps, as well as timelines, charts, and even popular bus routes. Broken into

                        several sections--"Introducing Great Britain," "Region by Region" (including London and

                        environs, Scotland, and Wales), "Traveler's Needs," and "Survival Guide"--the guide paints a

                        complete picture of the country.

 

940.53         Grant, R. G.

GRA           World War II : the events and their impact on real people.  2008.        

                        Discusses the factors that led to World War II; describes the events of the war, from the invasion

                        of Poland that began it to its end with the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki;

                        and explores its aftermath.

 

952              Morton, W. Scott (William Scott) 

MOR           Japan : its history and culture.  2005.        

                        Blends history, current events, politics, and cultural elements to provide a portrait of Japan.

                        Many aspects of art, religion, the imperial court, geography, and agriculture are traced through  

                        the rich history of Asia's wealthiest nation.

 

952              Shelley, Rex, 1930- 

SHE            Japan.  2002.             

                        Introduces the geography, history, religious beliefs, government, and people of Japan.

 

958.10         Seierstad, Åsne, 1970-

SEI              The bookseller of Kabul.  2004.        

                        A Norwegian journalist lives with a Muslim man and his family living in post-Taliban

                        Afghanistan. She tells their story of three decades of successive repressive regimes as they brave

                        persecution to bring books to the people of Kabul. It is a window into the plight of Afghan

                        women and the realities of everyday life.

 

970.01         Childress, Diana.

CHI             Barefoot conquistador : Cabeza de Vaca and the struggle for Native American

                   rights.  2008.        

                        Chronicles Cabeza de Vaca's journey to the New World in 1527, describing the disasters of the

                        expedition and his seven-year stay among the Indians, first as a captive, then as a trader and

                        healer.

 

972.93         Foley, Erin, 1967- 

FOL            Dominican Republic.  2005.         

                        Discusses the history, lifestyle, geography, economy, and government of the Dominican

                        Republic, one of the two nations that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.

 

973.2           Philbrick, Nathaniel.

PHI             The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World.  2008.        

                        Offers the true story of the pioneers who crossed the Atlantic to establish a new world in

                        Massachusetts, the challenges they faced upon their arrival, and their relationship with the local

                        Native Americans.