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History and Current Events June 2024
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Borgata: Rise of Empire: A History of the American Mafia
by Louis Ferrante
What it is: A former mafia associate and heist expert who spent eight years in prison for not incriminating his fellow Gambino family members presents the history of the mafia's first 100 years, from Sicily in the 1860s to America in the 1960s.
Reviewers say: "True crime fans will be captivated.” (Publishers Weekly)
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| A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages: The World Through Medieval Eyes by Anthony BaleWhat it is: Historian Anthony Bale's fast-paced and engaging chronicle utilizes medieval travel guides and firsthand accounts to reveal how Europeans navigated the perils and pleasures of travel from the 10th to the 15th centuries.
Try this next: The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe by Matthew Gabriele and David M. Perry. |
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Silent Cavalry: How Union Soldiers from Alabama Helped Sherman Burn Atlanta--and then Got Written Out of History
by Howell Raines
What it is: Part American history, part family saga, part scholarly detective story, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist brings to life the little-known story of the First Alabama Cavalry—renegade Southerners who played a decisive role in the Civil War but who were scrubbed from the history books.
Reviewers say: “A fresh history . . . [and] a much-needed addition to the demythologizing literature of the Civil War.” (Kirkus Reviews)
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The Algorithm: How AI Decides Who Gets Hired, Monitored, Promoted, and Fired and Why We Need to Fight Back Now
by Hilke Schellmann
What it is: Drawing on information from whistleblowers, internal documents, and real-world tests, an investigative reporter and Journalism Professor at NYU examines the rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace that uses algorithms to make high-stakes decisions that are biased, racist and do more harm than good.
Reviewers say: “A disturbing investigation into use of AI systems in hiring, firing, and employee surveillance." (Kirkus Reviews)
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Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s
by Sarah Ditum
What it is: Reexamining the lives of nine women who defined the hell of celebrity in the 2000s, this book reveals how their portrayal has shaped the way all women are viewed today as their stories intersect with our current political, social and cultural climate.
Reviewers say: “Readers will rethink what they thought they knew about some of the most publicized celebrity stories of the early 2000s.” (Publishers Weekly)
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| The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of... by Hampton SidesWhat it is: Historian Hampton Sides' compelling, you-are-there latest offers an atmospheric account of controversial British cartographer James Cook's final Pacific voyage, which began in 1776 and ended three years later when he was killed by a group of Native Hawaiians whom he had exploited.
Try this next: The Last Island: Discovery, Defiance, and the Most Elusive Tribe on Earth by Adam Goodheart. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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