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Non-Fiction Reads January 2026 |
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Having It All: What Data Tells Us about Women's Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours
by Corinne Low
NATIONAL BESTSELLER You're not imagining it: Women aren't getting a good deal at home or at work. We have the evidence to prove it. This book gives you the power to change it. For women in America today, the promise of having it all is an ever-elusive carrot. Faced with unsustainable demands in every sphere, we are certainly doing it all--but at a steep cost. Research shows that biologically, culturally, and economically, we are on uneven playing ground, and one that drains us of our happiness. But that same data can empower us to make choices that will reclaim our time, our energyand even our joy. In Having It All, Wharton professor and economist Dr. Corinne Low unpacks the hidden factors that influence women's decision-making, and how the unintended consequences of these choices alter the course of our lives. From when and whether to get married and (or) have children to what type of career to pursue, whether to obtain an advanced degree to where to live--Dr. Low explores questions such as: - What if there is no optimal time to have a family but rather a slew of different considerations at different life stages? - What if we approached decisions around marriage and partnership as rigorously as we would an employment opportunity? - What if we valued our time in dollars and cents, and structured our lives around choices that give us the greatest return on our investments? For too long, women have been expected to accept labor-intensive solutions to systemic problems--optimize, lean in, work harder. But Dr. Low isn't suggesting women need to do more. In the tradition of bestselling books like Eve Rodsky's Fair Play and Emily Oster's Cribsheet, Having It All blends personal experience, research, and analysis to illuminate the complex decisions women face, and offers an evidence-based framework for creating a better, happier life. Consider it the essential economics textbook for life as a woman--but hopefully, a little more fun.
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Lonely Planet Mexico
by Lonely Planet
Discover Mexico's most popular experiences and best kept secrets from market-hopping through the aromatic Mercado Municipal in San Cristóbal de las Casas; to hiking to the warm, bubbling Aguas Termales Rekowata hot springs from Creel; and swimming alongside fully grown whale sharks as they come to feed in the shallows at Isla Holbox.--Provided by publisher. travel companion.
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Loud and Clear: The Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound and the Quest for Audio Perfection
by Brian Anderson
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Loud and Clear is the first book to tell the full story of the Grateful Dead's Wall of Sound, an unprecedented and since unparalleled speaker system that was as tall as a school bus is long and more than a hundred feet wide. The band's quest for roaring yet crystal clear sound began after their formation in 1965, colliding with the '60s progressive social climate. Over the next few years, the Dead's growing crew of sound-obsessed techies and eccentric roadies took their speaker system to new technological heights. But as the Dead's relentless, drug-fueled touring schedule met this increasingly burdensome yet sonically perfect machine, in 1974, the Wall brought the band to its knees. The two years of Wall shows are legend among Deadheads, and this character-driven tale about human ambition, achievement, and the limits of both on a larger-than-life scale has the potential to reach a wide range of music fans and readers of cultural history. Author Brian Anderson interviewed hundreds of people associated with the band and the construction of the Wall itself, including band members, roadies, tech wizards, fans and many more. This fascinating inside story of one of the most legendary rock bands of all time will appeal to Deadheads, music fans, audiophiles and many more.
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Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy
by Joyce Vance
Instant New York Times bestseller A political manifesto for our present moment--part history lesson, part call to save the Republic Brilliant, galvanizing, and inspirational. A road map to help us find our way out of the darkness. --Mary L. Trump We're in this together. For the past several years, Joyce Vance has signed off posts on her chart-topping Substack, Civil Discourse, with these four words. In that time, she has guided readers through a continued erosion of democratic norms, the unprecedented felony conviction of an ex-president, and the constitutionally calamitous beginning to the second Trump administration. Here, Vance offers a blueprint for avoiding burnout and despair, and for strengthening our democratic muscle. Giving Up Is Unforgivable is a clarion call to action, putting our current crisis in historical context and sketching out a vision for where we go next. Vance's message is hopeful at its heart, even as it acknowledges the daunting challenges that lie ahead. She is the constitutional law professor you never knew you needed, explaining the legal context and the political history-- and why the rule of the law still matters. At the same time, she empowers the reader to do something, both as individuals and collectively. Consider this the birth of a countermovement to Project 2025, a rallying cry for citizen engagement to combat the second Trump administration and save American democracy.
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Simply AI
by DK
Combining clear labeled imagery with easy-to-understand text, this new edition of Simply Artificial Intelligence is the perfect introduction to the latest developments in AI, including ChatGPT and the Internet of Things--
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The Printmaking Bible: The Complete Guide to Materials and Techniques
by Ann D'Arcy Hughes
Perennially popular printmaking is enjoying a contemporary resurgence--but no comprehensive up-to-date manual on the subject exists. At over 400 pages and packed with 1 000 full-color photos and illustrations The Printmaking Bible is the definitive resource to the ins-and-outs of every variety of serious printmaking technique practiced today. In-depth instructions are accompanied by profiles that show how working artists create their prints. Historical information troubleshooting tips and an extensive resource section provide more invaluable tools. Perfect for students artists print aficionados and collectors this is truly the ultimate volume for anyone involved in this creative and influential art form.
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Metallic Watercolor: Create Shimmering Artwork with Metallic Paints - Step-By-Step Projects for Flora, Fauna, Feathers, and More
by Elisabeth Götz
Make your artwork sparkle! Immerse yourself in the enchanting realm of metallic watercolor painting! As metallic watercolors become more and more popular and more of these incredible paints become available, artists of all skill levels are discovering the amazing potential they have to enhance their watercolor paintings. This comprehensive guide unlocks the shimmering potential of this captivating medium. Whether you're new to painting with watercolors or want to expand your repertoire to metallic watercolors, you will grow as an artist through: 20 mesmerizing projects featuring popular painting motifs, including flowers, animals, feathers, insects, and moreStep-by-step instruction on techniques for both traditional and metallic watercolors, including blending, washes, and lineworkStunning photography that inspires creativity and clearly demonstrates techniquesDownloadable trace-and-paint designs to give you a head startCreate paintings that dazzle with the visually inspiring and easy-to-follow tutorials in Metallic Watercolor.
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The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life
by Morgan Housel
From the bestselling author of The Psychology of Money and Same as Ever, lessons on harnessing the power of money to live a happier life Most of us don't know how to spend money. We chase things that impress others but leave us cold. Or we save endlessly, afraid to spend on what would actually make life better. We confuse admiration with envy, comfort with excess, and utility with status. The Art of Spending Money doesn't provide budgets, hacks, or one-size-fits-all solutions. It gives you understanding of how your relationship with money shapes your decisions--and how to reshape it so money works for you. Morgan Housel's work has helped millions rethink how they earn, save, and invest. Now he turns his attention to the other side of the equation: how to spend. With insight and warmth, he shows why the most valuable return on investment is peace of mind, why expectations matter more than income, and why doing well with money has less to do with spreadsheets and more to do with self-awareness. This book isn't about getting rich. It's about getting the most out of what you already have--and learning to want what's worth wanting.
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A Dream Deferred: Jesse Jackson and the Fight for Black Political Power
by Abby Phillip
Focusing on his presidential runs in 1984 and, especially, 1988, Phillip highlights how Jackson built an unlikely coalition that showed how Black political power could be consolidated. His experience working under Martin Luther King; his organizing the SLCC's Operation Breadbasket in Chicago and beyond; and his roots in the deep South combined into two ... impactful presidential campaigns. Appealing to the working people of urban enclaves like that of Chicago, young people on college campuses, and Black people across the South, he created the modern Democratic coalition--one that has been used by all major Democrats seeking national success from Obama to Biden to Harris.
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Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta: The Bandit Chief Who Terrorized California and Launched the Legend of Zorro
by John Boessenecker
The authoritative account of one of the most notorious outlaws of the West. Joaquin Murrieta's story is one for the ages. Fiercely compelling and epically woven, Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta details the bloody saga of the Latino outlaw. In myth, he embarked on a noble career as a rebel, fighting against injustice in the rough-and-tumble Wild West. However, though the 'Robin Hood of El Dorado' remains a folk hero to many, his extraordinarily dramatic and violent saga has been obscured by layers upon layers of legend -- until now. Through meticulous research and never-before-told stories of the bloody trail Murrieta and his band left in their wake, Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta chronicles their infamous escapades in this brilliant examination of the American story.
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The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild
by Bryan Burrough
Named a Best Book of 2025 by Bloomberg One hell of a good read. --The New York Times One of the most important books written on the American West in many years. --True West Magazine From the New York Times bestselling author of The Big Rich and Forget the Alamo comes an epic reconsideration of the time and place that spawned America's most legendary gunfighters, from Jesse James and Billy the Kid to Butch and Sundance The Wild West gunfighter is such a stock figure in our popular culture that some dismiss it all as a corny myth, more a product of dime novels and B movies than a genuinely important American history. In fact, as Bryan Burrough shows us in his dazzling and fast-paced new book, there's much more below the surface. For three decades at the end of the 1800s, a big swath of the American West was a crucible of change, with the highest murder rate per capita in American history. The reasons behind this boil down to one word: Texas. Texas was born in violence, on two fronts, with Mexico to the south and the Comanche to the north. The Colt revolver first caught on with the Texas Rangers. Southern dueling culture transformed into something wilder and less organized in the Lone Star State. The collapse of the Confederacy and the presence of a thin veneer of Northern occupiers turned the heat up further. And the explosion in the cattle business after the war took that violence and pumped it out from Texas across the whole of the West. The stampede of longhorn cattle brought with it an assortment of rustlers, hustlers, gamblers, and freelance lawmen who carried a trigger-happy honor culture into a widening gyre, a veritable blood meridian. When the first newspapermen and audiences discovered what good copy this all was, the flywheel of mythmaking started spinning. It's never stopped. The Gunfighters brilliantly sifts the lies from the truth, giving both elements their due. And the truth is sufficiently wild for any but the most unhinged tastes. All the legendary figures are here, and their escapades are told with great flair--good, bad, and ugly. Like all great stories, this one has a rousing end--as the railroads and the settlers close off the open spaces for good, the last of the breed, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, really do get on a boat for South America, ending their era in a blaze of glory. Burrough knits these histories together into something much deeper and more provocative than simply the sum of its parts. To understand the truth of the Wild West is to understand a crucial dimension of the American story.
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Want to request any of these titles? Place a hold through the online catalog or call the library for assistance 831-768-3404. |
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Watsonville Public Library
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