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History and Current Events April 2021
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Recent Releases - History |
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| The Ravine: A Family, a Photograph, a Holocaust Massacre Revealed by Wendy LowerHow it began: In 2009, historian Wendy Lower saw a World War II-era photograph capturing the execution of a Ukrainian Jewish family.
What happened next: Lower spent years researching the photograph's origins and the identities of the victims, perpetrators, and photographer, constructing a compelling narrative of what happened that day.
Further reading: For another heartwrenching investigation of the atrocities committed against Ukrainian Jews during the Holocaust, check out Esther Safran Foer's memoir I Want You to Know We're Still Here. |
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The three mothers : how the mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin shaped a nation
by Anna Malaika Tubbs
What it is: a well-researched collective biography of Alberta King (Martin Luther King, Jr.'s mother), Louise Little (Malcolm X's mother), and Berdis Baldwin (James Baldwin's mother), each of whom were foundational influences on their sons' lives and careers.
Why it matters: Sociology doctoral candidate Anna Malaika Tubbs' illuminating debut celebrates three women whose contributions to the civil rights movement have largely been ignored and offers needed perspectives on Black women's experiences in the early 20th century.
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Land : how the hunger for ownership shaped the modern world
by Simon Winchester
What it's about: The concept of land ownership and how it has shaped history, examining how people fight over, steward and occasionally share land, and what humanity’s proprietary relationship with land means for the future.
Reviews say: "Land: whether meadow, marsh, or mountain, we live on it and are sustained by it, and we can trust the author of distinctively focused best-selling titles like The Professor and the Madman to consider how it has shaped us. Here, Winchester looks at how we buy and use land, how we spill blood over it, and, finally, whether we can really talk about who owns it." (Library Journal)
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Julian Bond's time to teach : a history of the southern civil rights movement
by Julian Bond
What it's about: The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee co-founder and civil rights professor draws on original lecture notes to explain the role of youth activism in key historical events, the unpopular and high-risk realities of disruptive movements and what today’s activists need to know.
Reviews say: "During his life, Bone wanted to educate the world about the history of the Black experience, as well as about the nuts and bolts of starting and maintaining a protest movement. With this posthumous collection... he can finally share his teachings with the broad audience he deserves." (BookPage)
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Four lost cities : a secret history of the urban age
by Annalee Newitz
What it's about: A quest explores some of the most spectacular ancient cities in human history—and aims to figure out why people abandoned them.
Where we're going: Angkor in Cambodia, Pompeii in Italy, Çatalhöyük in Turkey, Cahokia, a Native American city that was located in the St. Louis metro region.
What we learn: "Even when their people ultimately moved on, they took their cultures and memories with them. As we struggle with our own difficult urban realities, Newitz argues, it’s worth considering their resilience." (BookPage)
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Recent Releases - Current Events |
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| Guilty Admissions: The Bribes, Favors, and Phonies Behind the College Cheating Scandal by Nicole LaPorteWhat it is: a gossipy exposé of Operation Varsity Blues, the 2019 college admissions scandal that resulted in the arrest of actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin.
Read it for: a well-researched indictment of the toxic (and systemic) competition among the wealthy and privileged.
Try this next: Unacceptable: Privilege, Deceit & the Making of the College Admissions Scandal by Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz. |
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Made in China : a prisoner, an SOS letter, and the hidden cost of America's cheap goods
by Amelia Pang
What it's about: An award-winning investigative journalist reveals the labor-camp practices behind many of the home goods and economy fashions sold through major retailers.
Who it's about: Sun Yi, an engineer whose spiritual views rendered him a political prisoner, and whose plea for help in a box of Halloween decorations bound for the U.S. exposed the labor camps.
Reviews say: "Engrossing and deeply reported, this impressive exposé will make readers think twice about their next purchase." (PW Reviews)
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Tangled up in blue : policing the American city
by Rosa Brooks
What it's about: A former Washington DC reserve officer and Georgetown University law professor presents an insider’s critique of policing in America that explains the complex relationship between law enforcement and vulnerable communities while calling for urgently needed change.
Reviews say: "This immersive, illuminating, and timely account takes a meaningful step toward bridging the gap between what American society asks of police and what they’re trained to deliver." (PW Reviews)
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The new normal : a roadmap to resilience in the pandemic era
by Jennifer Ashton
What it's about: The Chief Medical Correspondent at ABC News presents a guide to resilience in the era of COVID, sharing insights into how to understand evolving medical updates, adapt to evolving norms and make responsible choices throughout the pandemic.
What it offers: "a road map for the COVID-19 era, with thoughtful chapters on how the pandemic is affecting our bodies, minds, diets, exercise routines, and sleep habits." (LJ Express)
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