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History and Current Events November 2018
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| Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America's Most Notorious Pirates by Eric Jay DolinWhat it is: a dramatic, demythologizing history of colonial America's "Golden Age" of piracy.
Who it's for: Eric Jay Dolin's lively, well-researched narrative will appeal to both swashbuckling enthusiasts and general readers, though some may be put off by the book's graphic anecdotes of violence. Don't miss: Dolin's enthusiasm for pop culture's famous pirates. |
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History of Tea : The Life and Times of the World's Favorite Beverage
by Laura C. Martin
A History of Tea tells the compelling story of the rise of tea in Asia and its eventual spread to the West and beyond. From the Chinese tea houses of the ancient Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the Japanese tea ceremonies developed by Zen Buddhist monks, and the current social issues faced by tea growers in India and Sri Lanka—this fascinating book explores the complex history of this universal drink.
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Impeachment : An American History
by Jeffrey A. Engel
Four experts on the American presidency review the only three impeachment cases from history—against Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton—and explore its power and meaning for today.
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Football for a buck : the crazy rise and crazier demise of the USFL
by Jeff Pearlman
In Football for a Buck, Jeff Pearlman draws on more than 400 interviews to unearth all the salty, untold stories of one of the craziest sports entities to have ever captivated America. From 1980s drug excess to some of the most enthralling and revolutionary football ever seen, Pearlman transports listeners back in time to this crazy, boozy, audacious era of the game. He shows how fortunes were made and lost and how, 30 years ago, Trump was a scoundrel and a spoiler. This is sports as high entertainment - and a cautionary tale of the dangers of ego and excess.
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Presidents of War
by Michael R Beschloss
The best-selling author of The Conquerors charts the controversial leadership, public reputations and evolving political powers of American wartime presidents from the War of 1812 through Vietnam, including Lincoln, Wilson and LBJ.
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| The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War by Ben MacintyreWho it's about: disillusioned KGB operative-turned double agent Oleg Gordievsky, whose work on behalf of MI6 helped end the Cold War.
What's inside: propulsive descriptions of Gordievsky's nail-biting schemes; lists of codenames and aliases used during his spycraft.
For fans of: John le Carré (who calls The Spy and the Traitor "the best true spy story I have ever read"). |
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Capitalism in America : A History
by Alan Greenspan
The former Federal Reserve Chairman and the acclaimed Economist historian trace the epic story of America's evolution from a small patchwork of threadbare colonies to the world's most powerful engine of wealth and innovation.
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| The Library Book by Susan OrleanWhat's the story? In April 1986, a devastating fire engulfed the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, destroying over one million books and leading to the building's seven-year closure. Was it an accident...or arson?
Check it out: This "love letter to libraries everywhere" (Library Journal) offers an immersive blend of true crime, journalistic reportage, history, and biography, culminating in a sweeping tribute to the library as an enduring cultural institution. |
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The Smithsonian history of space exploration : from the ancient world to the extraterrestrial future
by Roger D Launius
Space historian Roger D. Launius examines the thousands of years that humans have endeavored to understand the universe. He also reveals the future of space exploration, speculating on forthcoming space travel and humans' possible future as an extraterrestrial species. The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration is a must-read for space buffs and everyone intrigued by the history of scientific discovery.
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| American Dialogue: The Founding Fathers and Us by Joseph J. EllisWhat would the Founding Fathers think? In this nuanced examination of the "ongoing conversation between past and present," Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Joseph J. Ellis (Founding Brothers) reveals how the often contradictory wisdom of America's Founding Fathers remains relevant in contemporary political discourse.
Further reading: For another incisive study by a Pulitzer Prize winner, try Doris Kearns Goodwin's Leadership in Turbulent Times. |
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For colored girls who have considered politics
by Donna Brazile
Four of the most influential African-American women in politics share the story of their friendship and their behind-the-scenes public-service contributions during the careers of leaders ranging from Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson to Coretta Scott King and Barack Obama.
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Trump, the Blue-Collar President
by Anthony Scaramucci
The founder of Oscar Capital Management and SkyBridge Capital draws on insights and stories from his long-term relationship with Donald Trump to explain how the current administration's economic policies are promoting a thriving Wall Street.
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In My Father's House : A New View of How Crime Runs in the Family
by Fox Butterfield
A Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times journalist follows a family in Oregon, the Bogles, with a generations-spanning history of criminal behavior, aiming to debunk long-held stereotypes about race and crime and using these insights to highlight new efforts at reform.
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The job : the future of work in the modern era
by Ellen Ruppel Shell
In a brilliant but sobering work of journalism, Ellen Ruppel Shell takes a hard look at the forces that are reshaping the nature of work in America, overturning the often espoused mythology that retraining workers in software, engineering, and the sciences is the key to job security and career success, and achieving the middle-class dream in the future. In a wide-ranging narrative, Shell reveals how work is essential to our flourishing and pyschological well-being--and how so many of the avenues to well-paid and meaningful work will be challenged in the years ahead.
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Shade : A Tale of Two Presidents
by Pete Souza
The former official White House photographer compares the most recent two administrations via photos of Barack Obama side-by-side with tweets, headlines and quotes from the Trump administration. By the author of the #1 best-seller Obama: An Intimate Portrait.
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Them : Why We Hate Each Other--And How to Heal
by Ben Sasse
An Ivy League historian and fifth-generation Nebraskan presents an intimate and urgent assessment of the existential political crisis in today's America that traces the dismantling of tribal traditions and the rise of volatile bipartisanism. By the New York Times best-selling author of The Vanishing American Adult.
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Good and Mad : The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger
by Rebecca Traister
With eloquence and fervor, Rebecca tracks the history of female anger as political fuel—from suffragettes marching on the White House to office workers vacating their buildings after Clarence Thomas was confirmed to the Supreme Court. Here Traister explores women’s anger at both men and other women; anger between ideological allies and foes; the varied ways anger is perceived based on its owner; as well as the history of caricaturing and delegitimizing female anger; and the way women’s collective fury has become transformative political fuel—as is most certainly occurring today.
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Likewar : The Weaponization of Social Media
by P. W. Singer
P. W. Singer and Emerson Brooking tackle the mind‑bending questions that arise when war goes online and the online world goes to war. They explore how ISIS copies the Instagram tactics of Taylor Swift, a former World of Warcraft addict foils war crimes thousands of miles away, internet trolls shape elections, and China uses a smartphone app to police the thoughts of 1.4 billion citizens. What can be kept secret in a world of networks? Does social media expose the truth or bury it? And what role do ordinary people now play in international conflicts?
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The Age of Walls : How Barriers Between Nations Are Changing Our World
by Tim Marshall
At least sixty-five countries, more than a third of the world’s nation-states, have barriers along their borders. There are many reasons why walls go up, because we are divided in many ways: wealth, race, religion, and politics, to name a few. Understanding what is behind these divisions is essential to understanding much of what’s going on in the world today.
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| American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures by America Ferrera (editor) What it is: a powerful collection of 32 first-person essays written by immigrants or children of immigrants, including Al Madrigal, Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Michelle Kwan, and Roxane Gay.
Want a taste? "We live as citizens of a country that does not always claim us or even see us, and yet we continue to build, to create, and to compel it toward its own promise." |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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