Nonfiction
The Gulf : the making of an American sea
Jack E. Davis
909.096364 /Davis
Nonfiction
Significant beyond tragic oil spills and hurricanes, the Gulf has historically been one of the world's most bounteous marine environments, supporting human life for millennia. Based on the premise that nature lies at the center of human existence, Davis takes readers on a compelling and, at times, wrenching journey from the Florida Keys to the Texas Rio Grande, along marshy shorelines and majestic estuarine bays, both beautiful and life-giving, though fated to exploitation by esurient oil men and real-estate developers. Davis shares previously untold stories, parading a vast array of historical characters past our view: sports-fishermen, presidents, Hollywood executives, New England fishers, the Tabasco king, a Texas shrimper, and a New York architect who caught the "big one". Sensitive to the imminent effects of climate change, and to the difficult task of rectifying the assaults of recent centuries, this book suggests how a penetrating examination of a single region's history can inform the country's path ahead. --
Become the Force : 9 lessons on how to live as a Jediist master
Daniel (Daniel M.) Jones
299.93 /Jones
Nonfiction, Religion, Self Help
"Daniel M Jones founded the Church of Jediism in 2007 following the Jedi Census phenomenon of 2001; it now has over 500,000 members around the world. This is the book his fans have been waiting for. In it, Daniel outlines the Jedi perspective and provides practical tools for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how to use the Force in everyday life. A metaphor for the universal life energy that connects us all, the Force can be both light and dark, good and bad. Now, more than ever, it is our responsibility to overcome the Dark Side. This book does not aim to convert, but to inspire its readers to live a life of meaning and purpose according to the universal spiritual teachings of 'the way of the Jedi'"--Amazon.com.
Yes, lessons for life based on the holy text of Star Wars. Seemingly combines elements of Christianity, Buddhism, and Taoism, among others, and useful in a number of 'self help' ways. Plus, light sabers. -Candice
Knights in training : ten principles for raising honorable, courageous, and compassionate boys
Heather Haupt
248.845 /Haupt
Religion, Nonfiction
"In an age when respect and honor seem like distant and antiquated relics, how can we equip boys to pursue valor and courageously put the needs of others before their own? This book helps parents to inspire their boys by captivating their imagination and honoring their love for adventure. Heather Haupt explores how knights historically lived out various aspects of the knights' Code of Chivalry, as depicted in the French epic Song of Roland, and how boys can embody these same ideals now. When we issue the challenge and give boys the reasons why it is worth pursuing, we step forward on an incredible journey towards raising the kind of boys who, just like the knights of old, make an impact in their world now and for the rest of their lives." - Book Jacket.
An addition to the recent number of books on raising kind children, this one focuses on the idea of chivalry and manners. -Candice
The disaster artist : my life inside The room, the greatest bad movie ever made
Greg Sestero
eBOOK
Nonfiction
"In 2003, an independent film called The Room--starring and written, produced, directed by a mysteriously wealthy social misfit of indeterminate age and origin named Tommy Wiseau--made its disastrous debut in Los Angeles. Described by one reviewer as "like getting stabbed in the head," the six-million-dollar film earned a grand total of $1800 at the box office and closed after two weeks. Ten years later, The Room is an international cult phenomenon. Thousands of fans wait in line for hours to attend screenings complete with costumes, audience rituals, merchandising, and thousands of plastic spoons. In The Disaster Artist, actor Greg Sestero, Tommy's costar and longtime best friend, recounts the film's long, strange journey to infamy, unraveling mysteries for fans--who on earth is "Steven," and what's with that hospital on Guerrero Street?--as well as the question that plagues the uninitiated: how the hell did a movie this awful ever get made? But more than just a laugh-out-loud funny story about cinematic hubris, The Disaster Artist is also a great piece of narrative nonfiction, a portrait of a mysterious man who got past every road block in the Hollywood system to achieve success on his own terms. Written with a gimlet eye but an open heart, The Disaster Artist is the hilarious and inspiring story of a dream that just wouldn't die"--
Confession: I'm actually listening to the e-audiobook (https://icpl.overdrive.com/media/2300017) and it has me in stitches. The author reads his own story of what it was like to work with Tommy Wiseau, along with vocal impersonations of the infamous director. So hilarious. -Melody
Janesville : an American story
Amy Goldstein
977.5 /Goldstein
Nonfiction
Learn what happens to the residents of a small Midwestern town when the GM plant closes at the height of the 2008 financial crisis, forcing thousands out of long-term, secure jobs and creating ripple effects throughout the region. Goldstein embeds herself with the residents for years, and Paul Ryan and Barack Obama make appearances. Extremely intimate and compelling portrait of a town in crisis! -Anne W
Easy to love, difficult to discipline : the seven basic skills for turning conflict into cooperation
Rebecca Anne Bailey
649.64 /Bailey
Nonfiction, Self Help
My parenting Bible! This book will give you the tools manage your young child's behavior, striking the perfect balance between letting them walk all over you and being a hard-driving taskmaster. -Anne W
The unsettlers : in search of the good life in today's America
Mark Sundeen
640 /Sundeen
Nonfiction, Nature
A work of immersive journalism steeped in a distinctively American social history and sparked by a personal quest, The Unsettlers traces the search for the simple life through the stories of three families of new pioneers and what inspired each of them to look for--or create--a better existence. Captivating and clear-eyed, it dares us to imagine what a sustainable, ethical, authentic future might actually look like.--
Are you FASCINATED by people who manage to live off the grid for long periods of time? Me, too! -Anne W
The devil in the white city : murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America
Erik Larson
364.1523 /Larson
Nonfiction, History, True Crime
"Larson's ambitious, engrossing tale of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 focuses primarily on two men: Daniel H. Burnham, the architect who was the driving force behind the fair, and Henry H. Holmes, a sadistic serial killer working under the cover of the busy fair. After the 1889 French Exposition Universel wowed the world with the Eiffel Tower and high attendance numbers, interest began to grow in the U.S. for a similar fair. Chicago and New York were the top contenders for the location, and in February 1890, Chicagoans were overjoyed to hear they had won the honor. Burnham and his partner, John Root, the leading architects in Chicago, were tapped for the job, and they in turn called on Frederick Law Olmstead, Louis Sullivan, and Richard M. Hunt to help them build the world's greatest fair. They faced overwhelming obstacles: inhospitable weather, bureaucracy, illness, and even death. Unbeknownst to any of them, Holmes, a charismatic, handsome doctor, had arrived in the city and built a complex with apartments, a drugstore, and a vault, which he used to trap his victims until they suffocated. When the White City opened for business in May 1893, hundreds of thousands of people flocked to it, although a plummeting economy and several accidents did nothing to help business. A shocking murder concludes the ultimately successful fair, and that's before Holmes claims his final victims in the cruelest act of his career. A magnificent book."--
Erik Larson does an absolutely amazing job of telling the story of H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who operated during the World's Fair in Chicago, 1896. Not only that, but this is a fantastic story of the city itself, particularly some of the early architects and their works. Will make you want to go visit some of the buildings. -Candice
Norse mythology
Neil Gaiman
293 /Gaiman
Nonfiction
Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he presents his fashioning of the primeval Norse myths into a novel, which begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds, delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants, and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly recreating the characters--the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendencey to let passion ignite their actions--and making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.--
We get 15 separate stories that, when you read them all, feel like an adventure or journey with old friends. The stories are told roughly in chronological order and flow into each other well. He begins with the creation myth which was my least favorite. I need characters and relationships. Once those were introduced, there wasn't a single tale that was a miss. The stories culminate in Ragnarok: The end of all things, but there's beauty in the destruction. There's rebirth and hope and the promise of new tales. I listened to half of the book as a Book on Disc. Gaiman reads it himself, and his voice adds magic. One of my favorite reads of the year. -Brian
The beer bible
Jeff Alworth
641.23 /Alworth
Nonfiction
"A "beer lover's guide, including more than 100 types to know, arranged style by style"--Jacket.
Alworth writes in a clear, conversational way that makes even the driest of topics easy to read. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about the history of beer, how beer is made, and how to taste beer like a brewer. -Brian
Winner in the History category -Jason