| The Fighters by C.J. ChiversWhat it is: a collection of portraits detailing the experiences of six U.S. military servicemen serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, chronicled over 12 years of on-the-ground reportage.
Why you might like it: Searing and empathetic, this enlightening glimpse at combat will appeal to readers "no matter their feelings about the wars" (Booklist).
About the author: C.J. Chivers is a Gulf War veteran and New York Times senior editor who won a Pulitzer Prize for the story on which The Fighters is based. |
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| The Poisoned City: Flint's Water and the American Urban Tragedy by Anna ClarkWhat it's about: the ongoing man-made water crisis that has afflicted residents of Flint, Michigan since April 2014 and to date has resulted in 12 deaths.
Why it's significant: Detroit-based journalist Anna Clark pulls no punches in this compelling call to arms, utilizing extensive research to show how racial inequality, housing segregation, and government underfunding led to this "decades-old, slow-burn emergency." |
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| Blood & Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard by Paul CollinsWhat it's about: On November 23, 1849, Boston physician George Parkman disappeared after making his rounds at Harvard Medical College. His dismembered body was later discovered in the lab of chemist John White Webster, spawning an infamous murder trial that produced legal and forensic precedents.
Don't miss: this evocative and atmospheric true-crime account includes appearances from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Herman Melville, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. |
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| Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth MacyWhat it is: a gut-wrenching history of America's rising opioid epidemic that puts a human face on the disheartening statistics.
Why it matters: Journalist Beth Macy began her research in her own community of Roanoke, Virginia, highlighting the day-to-day struggles of those from all walks of life struggling with addiction.
Further reading: American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis -- and How to End It by Ryan Hampton. |
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| Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History by Keith O'BrienWhat it is: an intriguing, richly detailed history of five women (including Amelia Earhart) who competed in the national air races of the 1920s and 1930s -- and changed aviation forever.
For fans of: Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures and its film adaptation.
Reviewers say: "A vivid, suspenseful story of women determined to defy gravity -- and men -- to fulfill their lofty dreams" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South by John T. EdgeWhat it is: an engaging history of Southern cuisine and its relationship to sociopolitical history and gentrification.
Don't miss: stories of African American cooks feeding marchers during the Montgomery bus boycotts.
Is it for you? Whether you're a foodie or someone who appreciates social and regional histories, there's something for everyone to savor in this sweeping ode to Southern foodways. |
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Salt : a world history
by Mark Kurlansky
Explores the role of salt in shaping history, discussing how one of the world's most sought-after commodities has influenced economics, science, politics, religion, and eating customs
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The fortune cookie chronicles : adventures in the world of Chinese food
by Jennifer 8. Lee
Documents the author's research into the history of Chinese food as obtained while traveling throughout the country and the world, in an account during which she explored the role of immigration and assimilation on traditional cuisine, investigated a debate over the true inventor of chop suey, and discovered the tradition behind trapezoidal take-out containers. Reprint.
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| Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America by Michael RuhlmanWhat it's about: In this lively survey, cookbook author and food writer Michael Ruhlman offers an absorbing look at the history of grocery stores and how they embody shifting mores about consumption and sustainability.
Want a taste? "Because they are a reflection, even symbol, of our culture, and thus a gauge of who we are, supermarkets illuminate what we care about, what we fear, what we desire." |
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| A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression by Jane Ziegelman & Andrew CoeWhat it is: a thought-provoking exploration of how the Great Depression transformed American cuisine, supplemented with primary documents including recipes and menus.
Book buzz: A Square Meal won the James Beard Foundation Book Award in 2017.
Reviewers say: "Even if the period cuisine doesn't make the reader's mouth water, the vivid recreation of American eating at a historical crossroads is engrossing" (Publishers Weekly). |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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