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Microhistories: Mass Center for the Book 2023 Reading Challenge: Read a book of nonfiction on a subject new to you. May 2023
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The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping. (Science).
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The map that changed the world : William Smith and the birth of modern geology
by Simon Winchester
An enthralling glimpse into the life of William Smith, a nineteenth-century engineer who became the founding father of modern geology, explores his creation of a lavish map detailing his discovery that rocks are comprised of many different layers amidst the backdrop of his wife's madness and debtors prison. By the author of The Professor and the Madman. Reprint.
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The Eastern stars : how baseball changed the Dominican town of San Pedro de Macorís
by Mark Kurlansky
A history of San Pedro in the Dominican Republic traces its rise from a small and impoverished region to an area that has produced some of Major League Baseball's greatest talents, citing the influence of sugar industry migrant workers and the role of race in transforming the sport. By the best-selling author of Cod.
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Gulp : adventures on the alimentary canal
by Mary Roach
The humor scientist behind Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife takes a tour of the human digestive system, explaining why the stomach doesn't digest itself and whether constipation can kill you.
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Paper : paging through history
by Mark Kurlansky
The best-selling author of Cod and Salt presents a history of paper and the unexpected ways it shaped a modern world transitioning toward digital technologies, tracing the role of paper and paper-making in education, media, religion, commerce and art.
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Milk! : a 10,000-year food fracas
by Mark Kurlansky
The New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt offers this global history of milk, incorporating cultural, economic and culinary details into a story intertwined with human civilization, along with recipes throughout.
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Big vape : the incendiary rise of Juul
by Jamie Ducharme
The story of how two graduate students started Juul, the company that led the explosion of ecigarette use in America and how and how it crumbled after the discovery of a lung illness linked to their products.
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The emperor of all maladies : a biography of cancer
by Siddhartha Mukherjee
A historical assessment of cancer addresses both the courageous battles against the complex disease and the misperceptions and hubris that have compromised modern understandings, providing coverage of such topics as ancient-world surgeries and the developments of present-day treatments.
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Butter : a rich history
by Elaine Khosrova
"The delicious kitchen staple we so often take for granted is not merely a stick tucked into our refrigerator door. It's a culinary catalyst, an agent of change, a gastronomic rock star. From its accidental invention in a long-ago herder's pouch to its ubiquitous presence in the world's most fabulous cuisines, butter is boss. Now, it finally gets its due. Award-winning food writer and chef Elaine Khosrova serves up a story as rich, textured, and culturally relevant as butter itself. From the ancient butter bogs of Ireland to the sacred butter sculptures of Tibet, Butter is about so much more than food. Khosrova details its surprisingly vital role in history, politics, economics, nutrition, even spirituality and art. From its humble agrarian origins to its present-day artisanal glory, butter has a fascinating story to tell, and Khosrova is the perfect person to tell it. She even includes the essential collection of carefully developed core butter recipes, from beurre maniâe and croissants to pãate brisâeeand the perfect buttercream frosting, and provides practical how-tos for making various types of butter at home--no churning necessary"
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Two wheels good : the history and mystery of the bicycle
by Jody Rosen
Reshaping our understanding of the bicycle, a writer and critic, combining history, reportage, travelogue and memoir, chronicles the bicycle's saga, from its invention in 1817 to it's present day renaissance as a“green machine,” and introduces unforgettable characters along the way. Illustrations.
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Color : a natural history of the palette
by Victoria Finlay
Examining the physical materials that color the world, a freelance journalist explores the social, political, and cultural implications of color throughout history.
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Zapped : from infrared to X-rays, the curious history of invisible light
by Bob Berman
A beloved popular science writer tells the story of all the light we cannot see, tracing infrared, microwaves, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays, radio waves and other forms of radiation from the 19th century to today and exploring the consequences of our newest technologies. By the author of Zoom. 25,000 first printing.
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Year of wonder : classical music to enjoy day by day
by Clemency Burton-Hill
The award-winning violinist and BBC Radio personality shares a year's worth of expertly curated, savor-worthy classical music pieces reflecting a diverse range of historical periods, genres, cultures and composers.
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Water : a biography
by Giulio Boccaletti
Spanning millennia and continents, here is a stunningly revealing history of how the distribution of water has shaped human civilization.
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Life the movie : how entertainment conquered reality
by Neal Gabler
Examining such diverse topics as O. J. Simpson, Martha Stewart, Court TV, and Clinton vs. Kenneth Starr, an award-winning writer explores the transformation of modern life into an entertainment medium, explaining how everything from religion to politics has become a form of show business. .
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Unfamiliar fishes
by Sarah Vowell
An irreverent analysis of late-19th-century imperialism in the United States focuses on the annexation of Hawaii as a defining historical milestone, covering such contributing factors as the missionary overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the activities of whaling fleets.
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The wreck of the Portland : a doomed ship, a violent storm, and New England's worst maritime disaster
by J. North Conway
The SS Portland was a solid and luxurious ship, and its loss in 1898 in a violent storm with some 200 people aboard was later remembered as "New England's Titanic." The Portland was one of New England's largest and most luxurious paddle steamers, and after nine years' solid performance, she had earned a reputation as a safe and dependable vessel. In November 1898, a perfect storm formed off the New England coast. Conditions would produce a blizzard with 100 miles per hour winds and 60-foot waves that pummeled the coast. The ship and its crew were never seen again. Before the storm abated it became one of the worst ever recorded in New England waters. The storm, now known as "The Portland Gale," killed 400 people along the coast and sent more than 200 ships to the bottom, including the doomed Portland.
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In a sunburned country
by Bill Bryson
Just in time for the 2000 Olympics in Australia, the bestselling author of A Walk in the Woods takes readers on an outrageous tour of the land Down Under that goes far beyond packaged-tour routes, leaving no Vegemite sandwich unsavored.
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A great day in Cooperstown : the improbable birth of Baseball's Hall of Fame
by Jim Reisler
A history of baseball's first century, told through the story of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and set against a backdrop of the museum's inaugural ceremony in 1939, explains how the Hall of Fame was partially created in an attempt to revive the Depression-era economy, shares the story of the fictitious Abner Doubleday, and more.
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Berlin 1936 : sixteen days in August
by Oliver Hilmes
Describes the events at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin through the recollections and viewpoints of a diverse group of ordinary people, including Nazi leaders, foreign diplomats, athletes, journalists, writers, socialites, nightclub owners and jazz musicians.
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Why we swim
by Bonnie Tsui
Sharing stories of Olympic champions, a Baghdad swim club, and modern-day Japanese samurai swimmers, a New York Times contributor investigates what about water—despite its dangers—draws us to it time and time again.
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The NPR curious listener's guide to Celtic music
by Fiona Ritchie
A thorough introduction to Celtic music furnishes an A-to-Z glossary of musical terminology, lists of essential CDs, a history of the art form and its profound influence on modern music, and profiles of notable musicians and performances from such artists as Enya, The Chieftains, and Natalie MacMaster. Original.
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The optimist : a case for the fly fishing life
by David Coggins
The perfect fly fishing book for today's novice, enthusiastic amateur, as well as the devoted angler is part narration of the author's own angling obsessions and adventures, part practical how-to and part meditation on a connection to the natural world.
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The library book
by Susan Orlean
The acclaimed best-selling author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institutionour libraries.
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