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New Nonfiction Books November 2020 |
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Trust : America's best chance by Pete ButtigiegButtigieg demonstrates how trust will be essential in order to face the unique challenges of the decades ahead; how it is essential to the foundation of America's democracy; and, yet, in a century warped by terrorism, financial collapse, Trumpist populism, systemic racism, and now a global pandemic, it has been squandered, sacrificed, abused, stolen, or never properly built in the first place - and how now, more so than ever before, Americans must work side by side to reckon with the monumental challenges posed by our present moment.
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Unacceptable : privilege, deceit & the making of the college admissions scandal by Melissa KornKorn relates the inside story of the college admissions scandal that shocked the nation and shattered myths about meritocracy, by the reporters who broke major developments in the story that exposed a rotten system, in this well-researched and detailed picture of a crime emerging in an American culture corrupted by wealth and celebrity.
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A world beneath the sands : the golden age of Egyptology by Toby A. H. WilkinsonThe Egyptologist author of The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt documents the history of the West's scramble to claim the discoveries of Egypt and how the past 200 years of archaeology have informed our understandings of the ancient world.
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Ex libris : 100+ books to read and reread by Michiko KakutaniThe Pulitzer Prize-winning literary critic shares 100 personal, thought-provoking essays on the life-changing works of fiction, nonfiction and poetry she most recommends for the establishment of well-read world citizenship, from The Federalist Papers to the Harry Potter novels.
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Anti-vaxxers : how to challenge a misinformed movement by Jonathan M. BermanThis presentation of the scientific argument in favor of vaccination probes the consequences, origins and impact of the the anti-vaccination movement, which history shows dates to the development of the first vaccines 200 years ago. Through a historic, socioeconomic and cultural lens, Berman seeks to understand the current "anti-vaxxer" movement and to explore ways in which it can be effectively addressed.
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Morality : restoring the common good in divided times by Jonathan SacksDistinguished religious leader and philosopher Rabbi Jonathan Sacks diagnoses our troubled times as a period of "cultural climate change" and delivers an insightful critique of our modern condition, assessing its roots and causes from the ancient Greeks through the Reformation and Enlightenment to the present day, arguing that there is no liberty without morality and no freedom without responsibility.
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Simply living well : a guide to creating a natural, low-waste home by Julia WatkinsWith the message that it's not easy to be green, this simple but comprehensive guide from an environmental activist helps readers eliminate excess plastic, waste, and chemicals from their lives to whatever extent they choose through rituals, recipes and DIY projects for living simply and sustainably at home.
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Unprepared : America in the time of coronavirus by Jon SternfeldIncluding an introduction by Pulitzer Prize-winner Timothy Egan, Sternfeld chronicles the COVID-19 pandemic as it unfolded by gathering statements from President Trump and other elected officials, leading journalists and scientists to offer a portrait of the confusion, drama, and fear that defined the outbreak.
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The tyranny of merit : what's become of the common good? by Sandel, Michael J.Philosopher Sandel reveals the driving force behind the resurgence of populism: the tyranny of the meritocracy and the resentments it produces. He argues that the meritocratic creed has created a sharply unequal, globalized economy; government by out-of-touch technocrats; and a populist backlash against elites from a working class marginalized and humiliated by a system that attributes dim prospects to the lack of smarts and adaptability.
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Contagion myth : why viruses including coronavirus are not the cause of disease by Thomas S. CowanIn September, 2019, 5G wireless was turned on in Wuhan, China with a grid of about 10,000 antennas--more than exist in the whole U.S. A spike in cases occurred on February 13, when Wuhan turned on its 5G network, and illness has followed 5G installation in all major U.S. cities. Perhaps something else is involved--something that has upset the balance of nature and made us more susceptible to disease?
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The national road : dispatches from a changing America by Tom ZoellnerThe journalist author of Island on Fire draws on his extensive travels across the U.S. to examine the relationship between the American landscape and national character. By sketching the history of migrations and the relocation of millions of African Americans from the South to other parts of the country and noting declining mobility rates over the past half-century, he offers a poignant reminder that in America, "constant change is our blotchy and beautiful inheritance."
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Supreme disorder : judicial nominations and the politics of America's highest court by Ilya ShapiroThe director of the Cato Institute's Center for Constitutional Studies takes readers inside the unknown history of fiercely partisan judicial nominations and explores reform proposals that could return the Supreme Court to its proper constitutional role. He maintains that only when the Court begins to rebalance constitutional order, curb administrative overreach, and return power back to the states will the bitter partisan war to control the judiciary finally end.
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Lost in a Gallup : polling failure in U.S. presidential elections by W. Joseph CampbellSurprise ran deep in 2016, but it was not unprecedented, as demonstrated in this lively and engaging history of polling flops, epic upsets, unforeseen landslides and exit poll fiascoes in American presidential elections. In assessing polling's messy, uneven, and controversial past, Campbell emphasizes that the inherent drawbacks of election polls invite skepticism and wariness.
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It was all a lie : how the Republican Party became Donald Trump by Stuart StevensA leading Republican political operative presents an unflinching exposé of today's Republican party that argues that the Trump administration is a logical outcome for a morally bankrupt party still largely motivated by racism, political grandstanding and fiscal inequality.
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War : how conflict shaped us by Margaret MacMillanThe internationally renowned historian and bestselling author of Paris 1919 examines the ways in which war has shaped human history and how, in turn, changes in political organization, technology or ideologies have affected how and why we fight as she argues that war is an essential aspect of human nature and that peace is an aberration in history.
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Didn't see that coming : putting life back together when your world falls apart by Rachel HollisBestselling author, teacher and self-help leader Rachel Hollis offers her devoted followers and new readers alike a short guide to seizing difficult moments for the learning experiences they are and finding value in them, while demonstrating that a life well-lived is one of purpose and focus on the essentials.
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Calling bullshit : the art of skepticism in a data-driven world by Carl T. BergstromTwo science professors give people the tools to dismantle misinformation and think clearly in a data-saturated world in this lively guide to everything from misleading statistics to "fake news". Learn to recognize bullshit whenever and wherever you encounter it--in data, in conversation, even within yourself--and explain it to your crystal-loving aunt or casually racist uncle.
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