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History and Current Events June 2018
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| Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture by Roxane Gay (editor) What it is: a searing collection of new and previously published first-person accounts written by a diverse group of sexual assault survivors. Featuring: essays written by actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz, and Claire Schwartz. Further reading: Kate Harding's meticulously researched Asking For It, which offers suggestions for how society can combat sexual violence and rape culture. |
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| The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace JohnsonWhat it's about: In June 2009, American student Edwin Rist stole 299 rare bird skins from Hertfordshire, England's Natural History Museum, removing their feathers to sell to fly-fishing enthusiasts. Don't miss: This astonishing true crime caper features an unexpected twist worthy of a courtroom drama. Reviewers say: "Johnson's flair for telling an engrossing story is, like the beautiful birds he describes, exquisite" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Beneath a Ruthless Sun: A True Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found by Gilbert KingWhat it's about: In 1957, mentally impaired teenager Jesse Daniels was falsely accused of raping a prominent woman in Okahumpka, Florida. His commitment to a mental hospital without a trial spawned a 20-year investigation into police corruption, privilege, and racism. About the author: Gilbert King is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Devil in the Grove, which recounts Thurgood Marshall's 1951 civil rights case about the wrongful accusations of rape leveraged against four black men. |
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| God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State by Lawrence WrightWhat it is: a balanced and insightful exploration of the history, culture, politics, and stereotypes of Texas and its people. About the author: Longtime Texas resident Lawrence Wright won the Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower, a history of pre-9/11 al-Qaeda. Want a taste? "There's an element of performance involved with being 'Texan.' The boots, the pickup trucks, the guns, the attitude -- they're all part of the stereotype, but they're also a masquerade." |
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The great influenza [electronic resource] : the epic story of the deadliest plague in history
by John M. Barry
An in-depth account of the deadly influenza epidemic of 1918, a plague that took the lives of millions of people around the world, examines the causes of the pandemic, its devastating impact on early twentieth-century society, the researchers who risked their lives to confront the disease, and the lasting implications of the crisis and the scientific discoveries that resulted.
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The great warming : climate change and the rise and fall of civilizations
by Brian M. Fagan
A history of the planet's last global warming phase, which took place between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, traces how climate changes reshaped human societies from the Arctic to the Sahara by bringing abundance to some regions and famines to others, a phenomenon that affected trading routes and population growth.
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When plague strikes : the Black Death, smallpox, AIDS
by James Giblin
The author of The Truth About Unicorns narrates the stories of three major disease epidemics--the bubonic plague, smallpox, and AIDS--that have ravaged humanity and changed the course of human history, detailing the social, political, and cultural repercussions of each. Reprint.
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| The Next Pandemic: On the Front Lines Against Humankind's Gravest Dangers by Ali S. KhanWhat it's about: Written with verve by a self-described "disease detective," this enthralling medical history turns an investigative eye toward the causes of infectious disease outbreaks -- whether naturally occurring or engineered as bioterrorism -- and what we can do to prevent their return. Read it for: a vivid, page-turning narrative palatable to both science enthusiasts and general readers. |
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| Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, From Cholera to Ebola and Beyond by Sonia ShahWhat it is: a grim yet absorbing exploration of global pandemics' origins and the modern pathogens that may trigger future outbreaks. Author alert: Sonia Shah is the author of The Fever, a global history of malaria. Reviewers say: "Shah is back and in rare form. And this time it's personal" (Booklist). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Lambton County Library 787 Broadway St. Wyoming, Ontario N0N1T0 519-845-3324www.lclibrary.ca |
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