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History and Current Events July 2018
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In this Issue |
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Homes : A Refugee Story | Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America's Fifty-Year Fall | The true flag : Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, and the birth of American empire | Courage, Sacrifice and Betrayal : The Story of the Victoria Rifles of Canada, 60th Battalion, in the First World War | Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna | |
Bad Blood : Secrets and Lies in Silicon Valley | Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous | The doomsday machine : confessions of a nuclear war planner | No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State | War of the Whales: A True Story | |
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Homes : A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr Al RabeeahHomes is the remarkable true story of how a young boy emerged from a war zone - and found safety in Canada - with a passion for sharing his story and telling the world what is truly happening in Syria. As told to her by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah, writer Winnie Yeung has crafted a heartbreaking, hopeful, and urgently necessary book that provides a window into understanding Syria.
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| Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America's Fifty-Year Fall by Steven BrillWhat it is: a searing and insightful treatise on how well-intentioned structural changes in politics and the economy have led to what the author sees as a deteriorating American democracy. What's inside: inspiring profiles of individuals (such as Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service) whose efforts and influence may help cure America of its current ills. |
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Courage, Sacrifice and Betrayal : The Story of the Victoria Rifles of Canada, 60th Battalion, in the First World War by Richard R. PyvesThis book provides a detailed account of the day-to-day operations of the 60th Battalion and the lives of its many soldiers. It was one of only 50 battalions to actually fight as a unit as part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I. Engagements at Vimy Ridge, Sanctuary Wood, the Somme, and Regina trenches are set against the backdrop of the broader Canadian, British, and French combat operations against the Germans and their allies. Author Richard Pyves skillfully brings readers into "the moment of war" through many long-forgotten personal accounts and letters included in the book.
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| Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna by Edith ShefferWhat it's about: Psychiatrist Hans Asperger's early benevolent work with autistic children turned sinister as he fell in line with the Nazi regime, experimenting on -- and eventually killing -- children deemed "inferior." About the author: Historian Edith Sheffer is the parent of a child with autism and the author of Burned Bridge: How East and West Germans Made the Iron Curtain. Is it for you? Readers who enjoy surveys of medical ethics like The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will appreciate this thought-provoking cautionary tale. |
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Bad Blood : Secrets and Lies in Silicon Valley by John CarreyrouIn 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup "unicorn" promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes's worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn't work. A riveting story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron, a tale of ambition and hubris set amid the bold promises of Silicon Valley.
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| Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella ColemanWhat it is: an eye-opening, immersive investigation of the worldwide Internet "hacktivist" collective, tracing its evolution from satirical trolling to legitimate political player in the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street movements, among others. Featuring: leaked documents, chat logs, court records, and interviews. What sets it apart: Considered the world's foremost scholar on Anonymous, anthropologist Gabriella Coleman writes humorously of the blurred lines between insider and outsider in this engrossing study. |
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| No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State by Glenn GreenwaldWhat it's about: In this exciting analysis, journalist Glenn Greenwald recalls being the recipient of Edward Snowden's leaked National Security Agency (NSA) documents, triggering widespread debates over surveillance programs and rights to privacy -- and spurring personal and professional repercussions for Greenwald himself. Is it for you? Accessible writing, paired with graphics and slides, makes the technical subject matter palatable to a wide readership; fans of Luke Harding's The Snowden Files will enjoy this similarly fast-paced work. |
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| War of the Whales: A True Story by Joshua HorwitzWhat it's about: In March 2000, the largest recorded whale stranding occurred in the Bahamas, prompting an epic battle between a devoted group of whistleblowing environmental activists and the U.S. Navy, whose covert use of sonar had led to the strandings. Why it's significant: The case (Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council) ultimately went to the U.S. Supreme Court, raising questions about the unchecked use of military power. Book buzz: War of the Whales won the 2015 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature. |
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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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