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History and Current Events June 2018
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Broad band : the untold story of the women who made the Internet
by Claire Lisa Evans
The YACHT lead singer and VICE reporter celebrates the lesser-known contributions of women to the history of technology, sharing brief profiles of such boundary-breaking innovators as Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Elizabeth "Jake" Feinler and Stacy Horn.
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The boy crisis : why our boys are struggling and what we can do about it
by Warren Farrell
The best-selling authors of The Myth of Male Power and Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus examine issues challenging today's young men in the areas of education, mental health, sexuality and leadership, outlining a comprehensive blueprint for how parents, teachers and policymakers can help today's boys lead purpose-driven lives.
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Selfie : how we became so self-obsessed and what it's doing to us
by Will Storr
The Amnesty International Award-winning investigative journalist and author of The Unpersuadables examines how our world's establishment of an impossible standard of perfection is leading to unprecedented levels of depression and suicide, tracing the sources of unrealistic human ideals from the ancient world to the present realities of hyper-individualism.
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Soon : an overdue history of procrastination, from Leonardo and Darwin to you and me
by Andrew Santella
A lighthearted, fact-filled defense of the universal tendency to procrastinate draws on the stories of history's most notable habitual postponers and on the insights of successful psychologists, philosophers and behavioral economists to explain why procrastination happens and how it can help promote healthy priorities.
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The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist: A True Story of Injustice in the American South
by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington
What it is: a deeply searing exposé detailing how a Mississippi medical examiner and a forensic dentist successfully gamed the criminal justice system to falsely imprison two innocent men.
Why you should read it: The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist is timely in its examination of how professional misconduct, junk science, structural racism, and broken institutions deny justice to American citizens.
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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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Everything you love will burn : inside the rebirth of white nationalism in America
by Vegas Tenold
Traces the dark story of how white supremacist and nationalist groups rose in influence to achieve political support at the highest levels of government, examining in particular the contributions of Traditionalist Workers Party leader Matthew Heimbach to transforming once-small groups into threatening mainstream organizations.
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Political tribes : group instinct and the fate of nations
by Amy Chua
The Yale Law School professor and best-selling author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother outlines bold recommendations for reversing America's foreign policy failures and overcoming destructive political tribalism at home.
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Battle Royal : the Wars of the Roses: 1440-1462
by Hugh Bicheno
The first volume of a two-part series on the history of the wars fought between Britain’s houses of Lancaster and York follows the machinations of the mentally unstable King Henry VI and Richard, the Duke of York who wants to usurp him.
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Building the Great Society: Inside Lyndon Johnson's White House
by Joshua Zeitz
What it is: a highly detailed examination of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s vision for a “Great Society,” which included programs like the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Medicare, and Head Start. Historian Joshua Zeitz pays close attention to how LBJ’s inner circle -- including Jack Valenti, Bill Moyers, and Joe Califano -- helped to bring about these reforms.
You might also like: Robert Caro’s multivolume biography of LBJ, especially The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson.
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All out war : the plot to destroy Trump
by Edward Klein
Argues that an Obama-led conspiracy to undermine President Trump's authority in the White House may have lasting effects on the United States's political culture
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Harry : love, life, and loss
by Katie Nicholl
"Respected biographer Katie Nicholl details the most insightful book on Prince Harry to date, based on exclusive interviews with former Palace aides, courtiers, friends, and family members, and including stories, clandestine lovers, family feuds, and family secrets never before revealed."--Provided by publisher
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The Family Medici: The Hidden History of the Medici Dynasty
by Mary Hollingsworth
What it is: a concisely written chronology of the famous family's 500-year history, featuring period art linked to the Medici (whether by patronage or portrayal).
Why it's significant: Revelatory and myth-debunking, The Family Medici reveals the extent of this banking family's desire for power and influence.
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Disappointment River : finding and losing the Northwest Passage
by Brian Castner
A decorated Iraq War veteran and author of The Long Walk describes his journey in the footsteps of 18th-century explorer Alexander Mackenzie and his discovery of the fabled Northwest Passage that Mackenzie never realized he had found.
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| The Fever of 1721: The Epidemic That Revolutionized Medicine and American Politics by Stephen CossWhat it's about: This sweeping colonial history links the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721 to the democratization of the press, exploring the impact of these fevers -- medical and political -- on a nascent America.
Why you might like it: Ambitious yet accessible, The Fever of 1721 features anecdotes about famous players in early American history, including a teenage Benjamin Franklin. |
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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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| Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital by David OshinskyWhat it is: a lively 300-year chronicle of the iconic New York City hospital, from its origins as a pest house for yellow fever and cholera patients to its enduring status as a refuge for the marginalized.
Notable patients: Sylvia Plath, Charlie Parker, Mark David Chapman.
Did you know? Bellevue is the oldest public hospital in the United States and admits over 600,000 patients annually. |
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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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| The Vaccine Race: Science, Politics, and the Human Costs of Defeating Disease by Meredith WadmanWhat it's about: The development of the first polio, rubella, and rabies vaccines in the 1960s and '70s paved the way for political scheming, ethical quandaries, and destructive rivalries, as scientists on the forefront of discovery sought to make newer, better vaccines -- often at the expense of their human test subjects.
For fans of: Readers drawn to surveys of medical ethics like Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will find much to ponder here. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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