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Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder
by Rachel McCarthy James
Examines the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture.
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Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History
by Moudhy Al-Rashid
In her accessible and illuminating debut, historian Moudhy Al-Rashid utilizes eight artifacts, including cuneiform tablets and weapon fragments, to explore everyday life and culture in ancient Mesopotamia. Further reading: The Library of Ancient Wisdom: Mesopotamia and the Making of the Modern World by Selena Wisnom.
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Born in Flames: The Business of Arson and the Remaking of the American City
by Bench Ansfield
Historian Bench Ansfield's thought-provoking exposé details the ongoing legacy of the 1970s arson epidemic, exacerbated by corrupt landlords and predatory insurance companies, that plagued urban neighborhoods throughout the United States, particularly in the South Bronx. Try this next: The Killing Fields of East New York: The First Subprime Mortgage Scandal, a White-Collar Crime Spree, and the Collapse of an American Neighborhood by Stacy Horn.
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The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-of-the-Century America
by David Baron
Science journalist David Baron (American Eclipse) chronicles how early-20th century astronomers, writers, and intellectuals popularized a cultural fascination with Mars (and its potential lifeforms) that ushered in a new era of exploration, tabloid journalism, and conspiracy theories. Try this next: Dead Air: The Night That Orson Welles Terrified America by William Elliott Hazelgrove.
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Black Moses: A Saga of Ambition and the Fight for a Black State
by Caleb Gayle
Journalist Caleb Gayle's compelling and well-researched history offers a nuanced portrait of Black separatist politician and entrepreneur Edward McCabe, whose attempts to establish Black-run communities in the post-Reconstruction Oklahoma Territory spurred the displacement of the Cherokee already living there. Try this next: The Cost of Free Land: Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance by Rebecca Clarren.
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The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces
by Seth Harp
Journalist and Iraq War veteran Seth Harp's disturbing debut chronicles the criminal exploits of United States Special Forces soldiers based at North Carolina's Fort Bragg military base, where a 2020 double murder exposed a drug trafficking operation. Try this next: Code Over Country: The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six by Matthew Cole.
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Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West
by Peter Cozzens
Historian Peter Cozzens' rollicking revisionist history of Deadwood, South Dakota, the Black Hills Gold Rush settlement famously immortalized in the HBO series Deadwood, offers a nuanced portrait of the town's origins and its larger-than-life characters. For fans of: Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter by Tom Clavin.
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In Covid's Wake: How Our Politics Failed Us
by Stephen Macedo
Introducing an examination of how public deliberation fared under Covid; the assessment of policy responses to the pandemic; and the ways in which Covid policies—and the scientific debate which surrounded them—were politicized. Macedo and Lee evaluate the performance under pressure of the central truth-seeking institutions of liberal democracy: science, journalism, and universities broadly.
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Bad Law: Ten Popular Laws that are Ruining America
by Elie Mystal
Legal commentator, former litigator, and New York Times bestselling author presents an incisive critique of ten harmful laws shaping modern America, examining issues such as abortion, immigration, and gun control. In this latest book, he makes the argument for repealing ten specific laws that he believes are making life worse for Americans.
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The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy
by James Patterson and Vicky Ward
Patterson and Ward chronicle the 2022 murders of four innocent college students attending the University of Idaho, which left the public with innumerable questions about the case and the culprit: Bryan Kohberger, a brilliant grad student, loner, and apparent incel.
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Our next discussion:
Tuesday, October 28, 6:30 pm
Library Conference Room on the Lower Level
If you're a history buff and enjoy reading non-fiction, you might enjoy our new History Book Club! The club plans to meet on the last Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm, but we do recommend confirming details on our events calendar in case of changes. Copies of our next book are on reserve at the Circulation Desk. We hope to see you there!
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The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women
by Kate Moore
Our latest pick recounts the struggles of hundreds of women who were exposed to radium while working factory jobs during World War I, describing how they were mislead by their employers and became embroiled in a battle for workers' rights.
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