| Patient H.M.: A story of memory, madness and family secrets by Luke DittrichIn Patient H.M., journalist Luke Dittrich reviews information about brain surgery in ancient Egypt, treatment of the mentally ill in European and American asylums, and advanced contemporary neurology. A key figure in this multifaceted account is Henry Molaison, dubbed Patient H.M. in the medical literature, whose 1953 lobotomy left him unable to form new memories. Neuroscientists studied his condition until he died in 2008, making significant gains in the field of memory research -- though Molaison remained essentially a helpless patient. Another important person in the narrative is Dittrich's grandfather, Dr. William Scoville, the surgeon who lobotomized H.M. In a starred review, Booklist praises this "unusual and compelling" combination of family history and science. |
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| The Jolly Roger Social Club: A true story of a killer in paradise by Nick FosterOn a remote Panamanian island, American expatriates lived in a tropical idyll that turned out to be a nightmare. After murdering the Brown family, William Holbert converted their home into a club, naming it The Jolly Roger Social Club and using it to attract new victims, whose wealth he acquired through complicated financial scams. The tightly knit community accepted Holbert and tolerated his wild and dangerous ways for several years -- until they began to notice that the people who were missing hadn't chosen to disappear. Holbert was finally arrested in 2010. Explaining how he ripped off his victims before bumping them off, this disturbing tale of paradise lost will be irresistible to true crime buffs. |
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Scotland's Merlin: A medieval legend and its Dark Age origins
by Tim Clarkson
Who was Merlin? Is the famous wizard of Arthurian legend based on a real person? In this book, Merlin's origins are traced back to the story of Lailoken, a mysterious 'wild man' who is said to have lived in the Scottish Lowlands in the sixth century AD. The book considers the question of whether Lailoken belongs to myth or reality. It looks at the historical background of his story and discusses key characters such as Saint Kentigern of Glasgow and King Rhydderch of Dumbarton, as well as important events such as the Battle of Arfderydd.
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Morbid curiosities: Collections of the uncommon and the bizarre
by Paul Gambino
A fascinating insight into the strange world of collectors of the macabre, Morbid Curiosities features 17 unique collections and an extensive interview with each collector, explaining how and why they collect, and showcasing the most remarkable pieces from each collection. The collections include skulls, mummified body parts, occult objects and various carnival, side-show and criminal ephemera. Detailed captions tell the curious stories behind each object, many of which are being shown outside the private world of their collections for the first time.
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Mythomania: Tales of our times, from Apple to Isis
by Peter Conrad
Despite our culture's proclaimed respect for scientific reason, we live in a society that is no less bedazzled - and bedevilled - by myth than those of our remote ancestors. This book exposes the absurdity and occasional insanity of our godforsaken, demon-haunted contemporary culture.
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In Trump we trust: E Pluribus awesome!
by Ann H Coulter
Donald Trump isn't a politician -- he's a one-man wrecking ball against our dysfunctional and corrupt establishment. It's the working class against the smirking class. Now Ann Coulter, with her unique insight, candor, and sense of humour, makes the definitive case for why we should all join his revolution. The media have twisted themselves in knots, trying to grasp how he won over millions of Republicans and what he'd be like as president. But Ann Coulter isn't puzzled. She gets the power of addressing the pain of the silent majority and saying things the "PC Thought Police" considers unspeakable. She argues that a bull in the china shop is exactly what is needed to make America great again.
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Revolution in the city of heroes: A memoir of the battle That sparked Indonesia's national revolution
by Suhario Padmodiwiryo
The battle of Surabaya looms large in the history of Indonesia. Yet the story of this battle is not well known outside of that nation. Based on the diary of 24-year-old Indonesian medical student Suhario Padmodiwiryo, This is an evocative first-hand account of the popular uprising in Surabaya. It vividly portrays the chaotic swirl of events and the heady emotion of young people ready to sacrifice their lives for independence.
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The Great Fire destroyed much of London 350 years ago, in September 1666, but the city is clearly still thriving.
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"London attracts people to it who think, like me, that the streets are paved with gold and that if you come to London, your life will change." ~ from Craig Taylor's Londoners
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| The Love-charm of bombs: Restless lives in the Second World War by Lara FeigelWell-known authors survived the Blitz while serving in various capacities from fire fighter to air warden, but they also made love in the midst of war. In this engaging group biography, literature scholar Lara Feigel relates how five writers spent the terrifying and deadly months from August 1940 through the end of the war (and afterwards in bombed-out Vienna). Graham Greene, Elizabeth Bowen, Rose Macaulay, Henry Green, and Hilde Spiegel recorded their experiences in journals, correspondence, fiction, and memoirs, demonstrating how mortal danger can lead to emotional and sexual liaisons outside of marriage. The Love-charm of Bombs offers not only an intriguing view of these writers' experiences, but a compelling picture of wartime London. |
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| Johnson's life of London: The people who made the city that made the world by Boris JohnsonIn Johnson's Life of London, former Mayor and current British MP Boris Johnson provides an imaginative account of London's history from Roman times to the 21st century. Launching his descriptions with cameos of famous people and significant objects (such as the flush toilet and the King James Bible), Johnson energetically pulls readers into fascinating scenes, beginning with Roman general Suetonius quailing before the advance of warrior queen Boudica. This colourful pageant of the ages nimbly connects contemporary readers with historical details, informing as it entertains. |
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Another London: International photographers capture city life 1930-1980
by Helen Delaney
In the years between 1930 and 1980, some of the best-known photographers from around the world came to London and made its streets, buildings and communities their subject. This title demonstrates the variety of the responses London provoked from visiting photographers during the period.
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| Londoners: The days and nights of London now -- As told by those who love it, hate it, live it, left it, and long for it by Craig TaylorCanadian author Craig Taylor, who's lived in London for over a decade, conducted hundreds of interviews over the course of five years, then boiled the material down to what 90 regular people think of the city. Each one has his or her own reasons for living there, moving there, or leaving, from the convicted criminal who hoped to build a new life, to the Iranian refugee smuggled in by lorry, to the woman who recorded the Underground's announcements ("Mind the gap!"). Organized according to the Londoners' occupations, this exuberant oral history relates the city's history within living memory, facet by facet; it explodes with "charm, edification, and life" (Booklist). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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