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Armchair Travel December 2017
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Bethlehem : Biography of a Town
by Nicholas Blincoe
Nicholas Blincoe tells the town's history through the visceral experience of living there, taking readers through its stone streets and desert wadis, its monasteries, aqueducts, and orchards to show the city from every angle and era. His portrait of Bethlehem sheds light on one of the world's most intractable political problems, and he maintains that if the long thread winding back to the city's ancient past is severed, the chances of an end to the Palestine-Israel conflict will be lost with it.
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A home called New England : a celebration of hearth and history
by Duo Dickinson
"Here is the sweep of life in the flinty corner called New England, where Protestant outcasts started from scratch on rocky land surrounded by mountains and cold shoreline. Through their work and devotion, New England grew into the most industrious, innovative, reserved, and literature-producing area of the United States. Roam its cities, villages, and farms; visit its churches, factories, and graveyards; and look inside its unique houses that, anywhere at any time, are subtle symbols of a civilization. From the crude, earliest post-medieval houses, to refined Georgian, through Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic, Italianate, Empire, Stick Style, Queen Anne, Modern, Colonial Revival, and to the present, follow the evolution of the people, the styles, and the substance of New England"--Provided by publisher
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| The Road to Sleeping Dragon: Learning China from the Ground Up by Michael MeyerAs one of China's first Peace Corps volunteers in 1995, Michael Meyer was there when the country was first opening itself to the west. He taught English in Sichuan to people who'd never seen a white person and who thought Americans were evil. Never really leaving China behind, he eventually falls in love with and marries a Chinese woman. Tracing the vast changes he's seen and sharing amusing anecdotes of what he's learned, Meyer provides a fascinating glimpse at his adopted country. Fans of Peter Hessler will want to check out Meyer's work; this is his third book about China. |
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| Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World by Noah StryckerNoah Strycker had a big 2015 goal: to travel the globe seeing as many bird species as possible (preferably over 5,000, which would break a world record). His delightful Birding without Borders chronicles his travels to over 40 countries on all seven continents, his encounters with interesting local birders and fellow travelers, how he came to love birds as a child, and the history and future of birding. This accessible book isn't just for the bird-obsessed, but for all fans of detail-rich, enlightening, and amusing journeys. |
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| Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara DemickExamining North Korea under the regime of "dear leader" Kim Jong-il (father of current leader Kim Jong-un), journalist Barbara Demick spent seven years extensively interviewing six North Koreans who had managed to escape from the repressive regime. She tells how the country's schoolchildren sang anthems praising their leader even as many of them suffered from malnutrition, some to the point of dying, and how everyone guarded their secrets and complaints lest the government put them in horrific labor camps. This grim though "strongly written and gracefully structured" (Wall Street Journal) book offers an eye-opening look at a land most of us will never set foot in. |
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| Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom... by Blaine HardenWith North Korea so much in the news of late, people may wonder what life is like in this closed-off, authoritarian country. You can read the bestselling Escape from Camp 14 for a glimpse. Telling the dramatic story of Shin Dong-hyuk, who was born in one of North Korea's infamous political prisons and is one of the very few people to have escaped, the book describes brutal conditions, where affection is virtually nonexistent and torture, beatings, and starvation are routine. Follow Shin Dong-hyuk as he makes it to South Korea, China, and the U.S. and deals with culture shock. |
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A capitalist in North Korea : my seven years in the hermit kingdom
by Felix Abt
Sharing unusual facts and insights about one of the world's most secretive nations, a Swiss entrepreneur, who was appointed by Swiss power company ABB as its country director in North Korea, recounts his experience as a foreign businessman in a country, which, at the time, was heavily sanctioned by the U.N.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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