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History and Current Events February 2018
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| 1917: Lenin, Wilson, and the Birth of the New World Disorder by Arthur HermanWhat it is: a dual biography of two different yet equally important world leaders -- Vladimir Lenin and Woodrow Wilson -- and how their actions at the outset of World War I had long-lasting geopolitical effects.
Why you might like it: Historian Arthur Herman’s unusual pairing provides a fresh look at a pivotal moment in world history.
Further reading: Check out March 1917 by Will England for another study of this critical period, or try Herman’s Gandhi and Churchill for another dual biography of world leaders. |
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| The Danger Within Us : America's Untested, Unregulated Medical Device Industry... by Jeanne LenzerWhat it is: Journalist and former ER doctor Jeanne Lenzer goes behind the scenes of the medical device industry, a secretive world marked by cover-ups, regulatory failures, corruption, and corporate greed.
Why it’s significant: This is the first book to probe the underbelly of the industry that provides us with pacemakers, artificial hips, and other implants; additionally, medical interventions are a leading cause of death in the United States.
Further reading: If you like riveting, eye-opening investigative journalism into medical ethics, check out America’s Bitter Pill by Steven Brill. |
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| Fortress America: How We Embraced Fear and Abandoned Democracy by Elaine Tyler MayWhat it's about: Author Elaine Tyler May argues that the current American political climate can be traced back to fearful citizens who have embraced personal security (gun ownership, gated communities, and socially isolated lifestyles) – despite the fact that crime rates continue to trend downward.
Why you should read it: This thought-provoking and sobering book not only attempts to explain our polarized world but also warns of the potentially lasting effects of these divisions on American society. |
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| Improv Nation: How We Made a Great American Art by Sam WassonWhat it is: a sweeping, behind-the-scenes history of American improv comedy, which was born during the McCarthy era and counts Tina Fey and Steve Carell among its current stars.
Why you might like it: As you might expect, this is a funny and fast-moving read that will delight and entertain as it informs.
Reviewers say: “A remarkable story, magnificently told” (Booklist). |
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| The Last 100 Days: FDR at War and at Peace by David B. WoolnerWhat it is: a detailed examination of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s last three months in office, including his fierce determination to establish the United Nations and his journey to the Soviet Union for the Yalta Conference.
What sets it apart: FDR’s first 100 days have been examined extensively by other presidential historians; in a new and refreshing contrast, The Last 100 Days argues that, despite his failing health, the end of Roosevelt’s presidency was just as important as the beginning. |
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Focus on: Black History Month
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| Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad by Eric FonerWhat it is: a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian's enthralling chronicle of the Underground Railroad, which helped slaves escape from bondage in the South and also protected free blacks in the North.
What sets it apart: Author Eric Foner provides gripping accounts of death-defying journeys to freedom, including that of Winnie Patsy, who survived by hiding in a dark, unventilated crawl space with her daughter for five months in Virginia. |
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The President's Kitchen Cabinet : The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas
by Adrian Miller
What it is: Award winning author Adrian Miller vividly tells the stories of the African Americans who worked in the presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington.
Why you might like it: The research is impeccable, the stories are vivid and thrilling, and the food detailed and delicious. If you love the history of our nation's first home as I do, you will devour this book.-- Bill Yosses, former executive pastry chef at the White House
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The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
by Richard Rothstein
What it is: In this thoroughly researched analysis, housing policy expert Richard Rothstein traces the development of America's restrictive residential codes back to the early 20th century. He shows that modern segregation is built on overlapping local, state, and federal laws -- not just on prejudice-based social customs.
Why it is important: essential reading for anyone interested in social justice, poverty, American history, and race relations. - Booklist Reviews
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| March. Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate PowellWhat it is: U.S. Congressman and activist John Lewis’ stirring memoir of his experiences in the civil rights era from 1963-65, co-written with Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell.
What sets it apart: A living icon who participated in key moments in the movement, John Lewis’ firsthand account -- beginning with the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church -- is unflinchingly honest and deeply moving.
Further reading: For more about the civil rights movement and its leaders, check out Taylor Branch’s At Canaan’s Edge. |
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The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America...
by Ethan Michaeli
What it is: Founded in 1905 by Georgia native Robert Abbott, Chicago's newspaper The Defender (now The Chicago Defender) served for decades as a prominent voice for African Americans throughout the country, including the Jim Crow South.
Why you might like it: Author Ethan Michaeli, a former Defender reporter, provides a riveting account of the newspaper's achievements and of a century of American history in this well-documented and engrossing chronicle.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Forsyth County Public Library 585 Dahlonega Street Cumming, Georgia 30040 770-781-9840www.forsythpl.org/ |
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