|
New 700 - 900s/Travel Non-Fiction Books 700 Art, Design, Sports, and Recreation 800 Literature and Poetry 900 Geography, Travel, and History
|
|
Newest items are displayed first. Click on a title for more information or to place a hold. |
|
|
Swimming pretty : the untold story of women in water
by Vicki Valosik
Published to coincide with the 40th anniversary of synchronized swimming's elevation to Olympic status, this breathtaking book, traces a century of aquatic performance, from vaudeville and dime museums to the Olympic arena. It honors the grit, glamor and sheer athleticism of an utterly unique sport that forever changed women's relationships with water.
|
|
|
Traveling : on the path of Joni Mitchell
by Ann Powers
Kaleidoscopic in scope, and intimate in its detail, a celebrated music critic, through extensive interviews with Joni Mitchell's peers and deep archival research, charts the course of her musical evolution, ranging from early folk to jazz fusion to experimentation with pop synthetics.
|
|
|
The Friday afternoon club : a family memoir
by Griffin Dunne
A memoir and coming-of-age story chronicling the successes and disappointments, wit and wildness of Dunne and his multigenerational family of larger-than-life characters.
|
|
|
Hip-hop is history
by Questlove
The renowned drummer from The Roots and New York Times best-selling author chronicles fifty years of hip-hop and how it has affected every aspect of our culture, from fashion and film to TV.
|
|
|
Chorus of the Union : how Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas set aside their rivalry to save the nation
by Ted McClelland
The story of how Lincoln and Douglas put aside their rivalry to work together for the preservation of the Union has important lessons for our time. Not only did Douglas accept his loss, he spent the final days of his campaign barnstorming the country to build support for his opponent's impending victory, setting aside his long-held desire for the presidency for the higher principle of national unity.
|
|
|
World class : purpose, passion, and the pursuit of greatness on and off the field
by Grant Wahl
Spanning four decades of storytelling, this collection of the late sports journalist's finest writing, from op-eds for his college newspaper to 25 years reporting at Sports Illustrated to his deeply personal work for Fútbol with Grant Wahl, reveals a man who was kind, generous and unflinching in the face of injustice.
|
|
|
Joyful recollections of trauma
by Paul Scheer
The award-winning comedian, actor, filmmaker and podcaster presents a hilarious and candid memoir-in-essays that confront his sometimes shocking and difficult childhood, journey towards self-acceptance and his own experiences as a father.
|
|
|
Last Comiskey
by Smoller, Ken
With the news of a potential move to the South Loop, Sox fans are dreaming of a new ballpark that is more like Comiskey. This book will help remind everyone of the magic of the "Baseball Palace of the World."
|
|
|
The world is yours : the story of Scarface
by Glenn Kenny
Featuring brand-new interviews and never-before-seen pictures of the film's production, this behind-the-scenes story of the crime drama Scarface, which gave rise to a cultural revolution upon its release in 1982, takes us on an unparalleled journey through the making of American depictions of crime.
|
|
|
My black country : a journey through country music's black past, present, and future
by Alice Randall
The first black woman to cowrite a #1 country hit, Trisha Yearwood's “XXX's and OOO's,” offers a lyrical, introspective and unforgettable account of her past and her search for the first family of black country music, in this celebration of the radical joy in realizing the power of black influence on American culture.
|
|
|
All you need is love : the Beatles in their own words
by Peter Brown
This groundbreaking oral history of the Beatles is based on interviews with Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and others in 1980-81 in preparation for the international bestseller The Love You Make.
|
|
|
There's always this year : on basketball and ascension
by Hanif Abdurraqib
One of our culture's most insightful critics and most of all, an Ohioan, reflects on the golden era of basketball during the 1990s and explores what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tensions between excellence and expectation and the very notion of role models.
|
|
|
Jelly Roll Blues : Censored Songs and Hidden Histories
by Elijah Wald
A bestselling music historian follows Jelly Roll Morton on a journey through the hidden worlds and forbidden songs of early blues and jazz. In Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories, Elijah Wald takes readers on a journey into the hidden and censored world of early blues and jazz, guided by the legendary New Orleans pianist Jelly Roll Morton.
|
|
|
The Danish art of whittling : simple projects for the home
by Frank Egholm
The beautiful Scandinavian projects range from simple wooden toys for children, including a bird whistle, ring catcher, animal figures and a wooden sword to practical items like door hooks, butter knives and then to decorative pieces such as a wooden necklace, buttons, delicate carved flowers and a chess set.
|
|
|
Chicagoland dream houses : how a mid-century architecture competition reimagined the American home
by Siobhan Moroney
Sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, the 1945 Chicagoland Prize Homes competition solicited designs by mostly unknown architects. The goal: to provide beautiful yet practical houses for returning WWII veterans and middle-class residents of the city and suburbs. In-depth and extensively illustrated, Chicagoland Dream Houses revisits this overlooked chapter in Chicago and architectural history.
|
|
|
Frank Chance's diamond : the baseball journalism of Ring Lardner
by Ring Lardner
This book contain Lardner's columns about Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Casey Stengel, and Three-Finger Mordecai Brown as well as some fabulous lesser-known characters like Frank Schulte, Heine Zimmerman, Jim Schekard, Johnny Kling, Rollie Zeider, and Peaches Graham, as well as examples of Lardner's coverage of a number of World Series-including the notorious 1919 Black Sox Series. Ron Rapoport's introduction puts Lardner in his time and place and explains how his writing about baseball developed over the years.
|
|
|
Collaboration : A Potential History of Photography
by Ariella Aïsha Azoulay
This book asks what we learn by looking at photography through the lens of collaboration, the condition of photography threat shifts focus from the single photographer of an image to those participating in its creation.
|
|
|
30 Trees : And Why Landscape Architects Love Them
by Ron Henderson
30 Trees presents the favorite trees of 30 internationally renowned landscape architects. In each case, the designers describe the characteristics that represent the essence of the selected tree, the designed landscapes they associate with it, and how it was used in completed projects.
|
|
|
The Long Run : A Creative Inquiry
by Stacey D'Erasmo
Offering conversations, anecdotes, confidences and observations, the author of The Art of Intimacy asks eight legendary artists what has sustained them in the long run, and along the way, radically redefines artistic success by shifting the focus from novelty, output and external recognition toward freedom, fluidity, resistance, community and survival.
|
|
|
Die hot with a vengeance : essays on vanity
by Sable Yong
This collection of hilarious essays draws on the author's years of experience as a beauty editor to reveal the many secrets of the industry and dissects one of our culture's enduring obsessions.
|
|
|
What this comedian said will shock you
by Bill Maher
Inspired by the “editorial” he delivers at the end of each episode of Real Time, this hilarious work of commentary about American life speaks exactly to the moment we're in, covering free speech, cops, drugs, race, religion, cancel culture, the media, show biz, romance, health and more.
|
|
|
Devil's contract : the history of the Faustian bargain
by Ed Simon
Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from the Bible to blues, and illustrates how the impulse to sacrifice our principles in exchange for power is present in all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, from social media to climate change to AI, and beyond. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil ... and ourselves.
|
|
|
1974 : a personal history
by Francine Prose
This memoir from the renowned author delves into her connection with activist Anthony Russo, a key figure in the Pentagon Papers leak and explores the transformative year that helped reshape our nation.
|
|
|
The uptown local : joy, death, and Joan Didion : a memoir
by Cory Leadbeater
A former personal assistant to Joan Didion, the author, in this brilliant debut memoir that doubles as a love letter to a cultural icon, shares his secret struggles with depression, addiction and family issues during a decade of working with the woman whose generous friendship and mentorship changed his life.
|
|
|
100 Things to Do in Chicago Before You Die
by Molly Page
Visit a recording studio where the legendary Muddy Waters laid down tracks. Ride a manually-operated elevator to browse specialty shops in a century-old building. Pay a visit to a collaborative community reimagining waste as a resource. It's time to get beyond what you've heard about this city and experience the real Chicago. This candid insider's guide is a bucket list to get you exploring like a local, even if you're only in town for a few days.
|
|
|
The situation room : the inside story of presidents in crisis
by George Stephanopoulos
A former senior advisor to President Clinton, and for more than 20 years, the anchor of This Week and the co-anchor of Good Morning America, takes us into the White House Situation Room, the epicenter of crisis management where decisions are made that affect the lives of every person on this planet.
|
|
|
Magical/realism : essays on music, memory, fantasy, and borders
by Vanessa Angâelica Villarreal
A poet and essayist intimately and fearlessly explores the many complicated girlhoods of being a working-class, first-generation, Mexican American daughter of cumbia musician, in this brilliant collection that examines migration, violence and colonial erasure through the lens of music and pop culture.
|
|
|
And then? And then? What else?
by Daniel Handler
The author of the popular Lemony Snicket books discusses his love of strange literature and reflects on his life experiences in an entertaining memoir that also serves as inspiration for aspiring writers.
|
|
|
Shakespeare : the man who pays the rent
by Judi Dench
Interweaving anecdotes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, Dame Judi Dench opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her 70-year career, serving up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare's most famous scenes.
|
|
|
We loved it all : a memory of life
by Lydia Millet
In her first nonfiction book, the celebrated novelist, drawing on her 25 years of wildlife and climate advocacy, marries scenes from her life with moments of nearness to the animals and plants with whom we share the earth, asking we extend to other living beings the simple grace of continued existence.
|
|
|
Somehow : thoughts on love
by Anne Lamott
Full of her trademark compassion and humanity, the New York Times best-selling explores the transformative power of love in our lives: how it surprises us, forces us to confront uncomfortable truths, reminds us of our humanity and guides us forward.
|
|
|
Knife : meditations after an attempted murder
by Salman Rushdie
The internationally renowned writer and Booker Prize winner speaks out for the first time about the traumatic events of August 12, 2022, when an attempt was made on his life, in this deeply personal meditation on violence, art, loss, love and finding the strength to stand up again.
|
|
|
Joy is the justice we give ourselves
by J. Drew Lanham
In gorgeous and timely pieces, Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves is a lush journey into wildness and Black being. Lanham notices nature through seasonal shifts, societal unrest, and deeply personal reflection and traces a path from bitter history to the present predicament.
|
|
|
You are here : poetry in the natural world
by Ada Limo´n
The 24th U.S. Poet Laureate presents 50 previously unpublished poems from some of the nation's most accomplish poets, including Joy Harjo, Jericho Brown and Aime Nezhukumatathil. They offer an intimate model of how we relate to the natural world, illuminating the many ways our landscapes—both literal and literary—are changing.
|
|
|
No judgment : essays
by Lauren Oyler
In her first collection of essays, the national best-selling novelist and essayist encapsulates the world we live and think in with precision and care, delivering a groundbreaking work of cultural criticism and its role in our ever-changing world.
|
|
|
The ancient art of thinking for yourself: the power of rhetoric in polarized times
by Robin Reames
For most of the 2,000-plus years since its foundation as a discipline by ancient Greek thinkers, rhetoric-the art of using language to persuade-was a keystone of a Western education. But in the early 20th century, studying rhetoric fell out of fashion. In The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself, Robin Reames, one of the world's leading scholars of rhetoric, argues that it's high time to bring it back.
|
|
|
A year of last things : poems
by Michael Ondaatje
The influential and internationally acclaimed author of seven novels, including the Booker Prize-winning The English Patient that became a major film that won Academy Awards, returns to poetry with a collection of prose that merges memory with the present.
|
|
|
Shakespeare's sisters : how women wrote the Renaissance
by Ramie Targoff
Shedding new light on the Renaissance by offering a much-needed female perspective on everyday life in Shakespeare's England, this remarkable work introduces four extraordinary women, who despite little support for their art, defined themselves as writers against all odds.
|
|
|
The collected essays of Ralph Ellison
by Ralph Ellison
An exploration of literature and folklore, jazz and culture, and the nature and quality of lives that Black Americans lead. With newly discovered essays and speeches, The Collected Essays reveals a more vulnerable, intimate side of Ellison than what we've previously seen. "Ralph Ellison," wrote Stanley Crouch, "reached across race, religion, class and sex to make us all Americans."
|
|
|
The bloodied nightgown and other essays
by Joan Ross Acocella
In agile, inspired prose, she moves from J. R. R. Tolkien's translation of Beowulf to the life of Richard Pryor, from surveying profanity to untangling the book of Job. Her appetite (and reading list) knew no bounds. This collection is a joy and a revelation, a library in itself, and Acocella is our dream companion among its shelves.
|
|
|
The comfort of crows : a backyard year
by Margaret Renkl
The beloved New York Times opinion writer and best-selling author presents this stunning literary devotional that follows the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of the year, tracing the passing of the seasons, personal and natural.
|
|
|
The explorers : a new history of America in ten expeditions
by Amanda Bellows
Told through the stories of a diverse group of ten extraordinary, yet often overlooked, adventurers, including Sacagawea, James Beckwourth, Harriet Chalmers Adams and Sally Ride, this exhilarating new history of American exploration brings to life the people who took on great risk in unfamiliar territory to exercise personal freedom.
|
|
|
The home I worked to make : voices from the new Syrian diaspora
by Wendy Pearlman
Based on hundreds of interviews conducted across more than a decade, this book gives voice to Syrian refugees on five continents who share stories of leaving, losing, searching and finding (or not finding) home, challenging readers to grapple with the hard-won wisdom of those who survive war.
|
|
|
The great river : the making and unmaking of the Mississippi
by Boyce Upholt
In this landmark work of natural history, a journalist tells the epic story of the Mississippi River and the centuries of efforts to control it, which have damaged its once-vibrant ecosystems, carrying readers along the river's last remaining backchannels and exploring how scientists hope to restore what has been lost.
|
|
|
When the sea came alive : an oral history of D-day
by Garrett M. Graff
The New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist for Watergate turns his attention to D-Day, one of history's greatest and most unbelievable military and human triumphs, exploring the full impact of this world-changing event and offering a fitting tribute to the people of the Greatest Generation. Illustrations.
|
|
|
We were illegal : uncovering a Texas family's mythmaking and migration
by Jessica Goudeau
Tracking her ancestors' involvement in pivotal moments from before the Texas Revolution through today, an award-winning author reflects on the work we all must do to dismantle the whitewashed narratives passed down through families, communities and textbooks and take accountability for our legacy.
|
|
|
After 1177 B.C. : the survival of civilizations
by Eric H. Cline
In this gripping sequel to his best-selling 1177 B.C., Eric Cline tells the story of what happened after the Bronze Age collapsed, why some civilizations endured, why some gave way to new ones and why some disappeared forever.
|
|
|
Empireworld : How British Imperialism Shaped the Globe
by Sathnam Sanghera
The British Empire may have peaked a century ago. It may have been mostly dismantled by 1997, but in this major new work, Sathnam Sanghera ultimately shows how the largest empire in world history still exerts influence over planet Earth in all sorts of silent and un-silent ways.
|
|
|
An unfinished love story : a personal history of the 1960s
by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian reflects on her 42-year marriage with Dick Goodwin, one the shining stars of John F. Kennedy's New Frontier and the journey of going through the letters, diaries, documents and memorabilia he saved over the years.
|
|
|
Rebellion : how antiliberalism is tearing America apart--again
by Robert Kagan
In this deeply informed synthesis of history, contemporary politics and ideas, a leading historian and intellectual warns us that the 2024 election could be the last free election held in a unified America. All due to the perilous state of democracy in the U.S. today and the increasing radicalization of the Republican Party.
|
|
|
A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages : The World Through Medieval Eyes
by Anthony Bale
Using previously untranslated contemporaneous documents from a colorful range of travelers, and from as far and wide as Turkey, Iceland, North Africa, and Russia, A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages is a witty and unforgettable exploration of how Europeans understood—and often misunderstood—the larger world.
|
|
|
Free Love : The Story of a Great American Scandal
by Robert Shaplen
On the night of July 3, 1870, Elizabeth Tilton confessed to her husband that she’d had an affair with their pastor, Henry Ward Beecher. This secret would soon transfix America, for Beecher was the most famous preacher of the day, founder of the most fashionable church in Brooklyn Heights, a presidential hopeful, an influential supporter of Abolition, and a leader of the campaign for women’s suffrage.
|
|
|
Native nations : a millennium in North America
by Kathleen DuVal
An award-winning historian tells the story of the Native nations, from the rise of ancient cities to the present, reframing North American history with Indigenous power and sovereignty at its center and showing how the influence of Native peoples remained a constant and will continue far into the future.
|
|
|
Takeover : Hitler's final rise to power
by Timothy W. Ryback
Drawing on previously inaccessible archival materials, the internationally acclaimed author of Hitler's Private Library provides a new perspective and insights into Hitler's personal and professional lives during the six critical months before he seized power as chancellor of Germany and dismantled democracy.
|
|
|
Putin and the return of history : how the Kremlin rekindled the Cold War
by Martin Sixsmith
Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine has reshaped history. In the decades after the collapse of Soviet communism, the West convinced itself that liberal democracy would henceforth be the dominant, ultimately unique, system of governance - a hubris that shaped how the West would treat Russia for the next two decades. But history wasn't over. Putin is a paradox. In the early years of his presidency, he appeared to commit himself to friendship with the West, suggesting that Russia could join the European Union or even NATO.
|
|
|
MI9 : a history of the secret service for escape and evasion in World War Two
by Helen Fry
When Allied fighters were trapped behind enemy lines, one branch of military intelligence helped them escape: MI9. The organization set up clandestine routes that zig-zagged across Nazi-occupied Europe, enabling soldiers and airmen to make their way home. Secret agents and resistance fighters risked their lives and those of their families to hide the men.
|
|
|
How to win an information war : the propagandist who outwitted Hitler
by Peter Pomerantsev
From one of our leading experts on disinformation, this inventive biography of the rogue WWII propagandist Thomas Sefton Delmer confronts hard questions about the nature of information war: what if you can't fight lies with truth? This book is the story of Delmer and his modern investigator, as they each embark on their own quest to manipulate the passions of supporters and enemies, and to turn the tide of an information war, an extraordinary history that is informing the present before our eyes.
|
|
|
Our ancient faith : Lincoln, democracy, and the American experiment
by Allen C. Guelzo
One of America's foremost experts on Lincoln captures the president's firmly held belief that democracy was the greatest political achievement in human history, providing us with a deeper understanding of this endlessly fascinating man and shows how his ideas are still sharp and relevant more than 150 years later.
|
|
|
Beer Hiking Chicago and Beyond : The Tastiest Way to Discover the Windy City
by Jessica Sedgwick
A family friendly guide to Chicago's historic heart and suburbs, the book will lead you to unforgettable experiences for all ages at the region's famous breweries. Each trail description includes details on access, difficulty, duration, points of interest, and, at trail's end, a recommended beer, with notes on its appearance, aroma and taste. You'll also get an inside look at the creative and passionate craftspeople behind the brewing process.
|
|
|
|
|
|