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History and Current Events February 2020
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Recent Releases - History |
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| 999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to Auschwitz by Heather Dune MacadamWhat it's about: In 1942, the Slovakian government paid the Nazis approximately $200 per person to deport hundreds of Jewish women to Auschwitz. Told they were being recruited for factory work, the women were among the first of the concentration camp's 1.3 million prisoners.
Why you should read it: Written to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Auschwitz's liberation, this heartwrenching history collects interviews with survivors, family members, and witnesses, as well as testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive. |
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Notre-Dame : a short history of the meaning of cathedrals
by Ken Follett
What it is: A nonfiction book exploring the history, cultural significance, and meaning of the Notre Dame cathedral.
Inspired by: the emotions that gripped Follett when he learned about the fire that threatened to destroy one of the greatest cathedrals in the world.
Reviewers say: "Follett’s appreciative tribute provides comfort that the scars of the recent fire will pass, as well. This satisfying book will be a must-read for those interested in the rebuilding of Notre Dame." (Publishers Weekly)
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A bookshop in Berlin : the rediscovered memoir of one woman's harrowing escape from the Nazis
by Françoise Frenkel
What it is: Originally published in 1945, Frenkel's first-person experiences viscerally illuminate the tale of a fearless woman whose lust for life and literature refuses to leave her, even in her darkest hours.
Reviewers say: "Frenkel, who died in 1975, writes that it is “the duty of those who have survived to bear witness to ensure the dead are not forgotten.” Frenkel’s remarkable story of resilience and survival does just that, and will truly resonate with readers." (Publishers Weekly)
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The Little Ice Age : How Climate Made History 1300-1850
by Brian Fagan
What it is: The groundbreaking history of how climate change transformed Europe and the world, from a renowned archaeologist -- updated with a new preface on the latest climate research.
How did they do it? Using sources ranging from the dates of long-ago wine harvests and the business records of medieval monasteries to modern chemical analysis of ice cores.
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Mengele : unmasking the "Angel of Death"
by David George Marwell
What it is: A gripping portrait of the infamous Nazi doctor, written by the former Justice Department official who proved his death, draws on victim interviews and visits to crime scenes to detail Mengele’s university studies and brutal wartime experiments.
Reviewers call it: "An eerily engaging life's work by a dogged researcher that adds materially to the Holocaust documentation." (Kirkus) "...this harrowing, revelatory account answers nearly every question history buffs will have about WWII’s “Angel of Death.”" (Publishers Weekly)
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Recent Releases - Current Events
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Why we're polarized
by Ezra Klein
What it's about: A journalist, political commentator and cofounder of Vox explains how today’s rigidly partisan politics came to be, why we all participate in it and what it means for America’s future.
What it shows: "Klein’s multifaceted approach draws on the work of political scientists, media critics, and social psychologists to address why individuals choose allegiance to party over policy..." (Publishers Weekly)
Reviewers call it: "A sharp explanation of how American politics has become so discordant." (Kirkus)
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Secondhand : travels in the new global garage sale
by Adam Minter
What it's about: From the author of Junkyard Planet comes a global exploration of the hidden market for used stuff and a travelogue that follows unwanted, obsolescent objects’ journeys into a reusable future.
Why you might like it: "This is a fascinating, eye-opening look at a dynamic, largely unseen world that only starts when one drops off something at a thrift store." (Publishers Weekly)
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Arguing with zombies : economics, politics, and the fight for a better future
by Paul R Krugman
What it is: An introduction to today’s major policy issues by the Nobel Prize-winning columnist clarifies widespread misunderstandings in basic economics while providing thematic explanations of subjects ranging from health care and housing bubbles to tax reform and social security.
Reviewers call it: "An informative and controversial study combining business and political science." (Library Journal)
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Secrets and Siblings : The Vanished Lives of China’s One Child Policy
by Mari Manninen
What it's about: With the Chinese government now seeking to phase out its one child policy, Secrets and Siblings reveals the scale of its tragic consequences, showing how Chinese families and society have been forever changed.
You'll meet: Mr. Li and Mrs. Wu, who abandoned their second baby daughter at a marketplace and are still reeling thirty-two years later. Mrs. Wang Maochen from Beijing has seven children, but six of them--all illegal--cannot go to school, get a job, go to the doctor, or marry. An Li from Guangzhou spent her childhood in a town where there were no sisters or brothers and so did not learn about the idea of a sibling until she went to college. Each of these lives are unique, yet their experiences are all achingly common in modern China.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Winfield, IL 60190
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