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Popular CultureNovember 2014
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Best and Worst Children's Books of the Year
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If you enjoy children's and young adult books, make sure not to miss the popular Best and Worst Children’s Books of the Year event at Upper Riccarton Library on Wednesday 19 November, 7-9pm. Come and join us for a fun evening with raffles and refreshments. You might even spot some Christmas present ideas!
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New and Recently Released!
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| Even this I get to experience by Norman Lear"Flat out, one of the best Hollywood memoirs ever written," says Booklist of this one, by Emmy Award-winning producer Norman Lear. Lear, best known for bringing touchy social and political issues to the small screen, was behind such sitcoms as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Sanford and Son. With more than 50 years in show business under his belt, along with three marriages and a strong interest in politics, Lear is both entertaining and engrossing, and his memoir is a can't-miss look at 1970s culture. |
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| The history of rock 'n' roll in ten songs by Greil MarcusAs the title suggests, rock critic Greil Marcus has selected ten songs - all recorded between 1956 and 2008 - that he feels effectively embody the spirit of rock 'n' roll. Many of the songs have been re-recorded, for example Etta James' "All I Could Do Was Cry," which was later recorded by Beyoncé. Musically minded readers may not agree with all of Marcus' choices, but that's part of the fun. His in-depth analysis explores unusual connections between versions and calls attention to the different aspects each performer draws out. For more in-depth and song-specific analysis, try Dave Marsh's Louie Louie. |
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Tattoo
by Pascal Bagot
This book explores the artistic nature of tattooing and celebrates its living, creative, changing essence. Alongside the omniscience of tattoing throughout the world for thousands of years, presented through rare artifacts, the book pays tribute to the pioneers of the modern era, those responsible for its great transformation into the mainstream.
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| Rocks: my life in and out of Aerosmith by Joe Perry with David RitzThe rise and fall - and rise again - of Aerosmith lead guitarist Joe Perry takes center stage in this memoir, which details his early years, the formation of the hard rocking Aerosmith, and its dissolution and eventual reemergence. In addition to candid tales of alcohol-fueled excess, tumultuous relationships, and bad management, Perry also includes an appendix written by his own guitar techs and a discography. Fans will not want to miss out on Rocks, which has earned praise from fellow rockers Jimmy Page, Slash, Perry Farrell, and Gene Simmons. |
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Mustang, fifty years : celebrating America's only true pony car
by Donald N. Farr
In the early 1960s, Lee Iacocca convinced Henry Ford II to produce a sporty four-seat car aimed at the emerging youth market. That car, essentially a reconfigured and re-skinned Falcon economy car, became the Ford Mustang, and it changed the automotive world like no other car before or since. In Mustang: Fifty Years, acclaimed Mustang writer Donald Farr celebrates this unbroken lineage of muscle: its phenomenal first-year sales, the new "pony car" genre it pioneered, and subsequent models. With 400 photos of the USA's iconic sports car and released in tandem with the Mustang's 50th anniversary, Mustang: Fifty Years is a must on the bookshelf of any gearhead or Ford aficionado.
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| Cosby: his life and times by Mark WhitakerFamed comedian Bill Cosby has written his own books (I Didn't Ask to Be Born), but this well-researched biography offers a different perspective. Tracking both Cosby's personal life and his professional trajectory, author Mark Whitaker explores how the pioneering actor and comedian paved the way for other African Americans in television and advanced both civil rights and race relations. "An eye-opening book and a pleasure to read," says Kirkus Reviews |
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A majestic innings : writings on cricket
by C. L. R. James
James wrote about cricket throughout his life, and all his best articles, letters and occasional pieces are collected here. A Majestic Innings brings together appreciations of great cricketers from Bradman to Dexter to David Gower, letters to friends including Colin Cowdrey, John Arlott and V. S Naipaul, as well as trenchant observations on cricketing controversies like the Bodyline series and the D'Oliviera affair.
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Archery: steps to success
by Kathleen Haywood
Describes the skills, techniques and strategies to shoot safely, accurately and consistently, using recurve or compound bows in target and hunting situations. Through step-by-step, progressive instruction, each phase of the shot is covered: stance, draw, aim, release and follow-through. New to this edition are full color photographs which clarify detailed written descriptions of proper techniques for shooting form, sighting and aiming, and anchoring.
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Surf craft: design and the culture of board riding
by Richard Kenvin
From the ancient Hawaiian alaia, the traditional board of the common people, to the unadorned boards designed with mathematical precision (but built by hand) by Bob Simmons, to the store-bought longboards popularized by the 1959 surf-exploitation movie Gidget, board design reflects both aesthetics and history. Surf Craft maps this evolution, examining surfboard design and craft with 150 color images and an insightful text.
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The art of mountain biking: singletrack skills for all riders
by Robert Hurst
Robert Hurst focuses specifically on the complex art of riding trails. From page to page and switchback to switchback, he chases the mysteries that make trail riding so difficult - and so rewarding - from the application of "soft power" to the biomechanics of balance and vision, and from the philosophy of line choice and the Riccatti equations that describe the path of the bike's rear wheel to the nature of dirt itself. Built on the author's personal quarter century of experience and the tried-and-true wisdom of many other veteran mountain bikers, this environmentally aware and darkly humorous manual provides unexpected information that will be indispensable to both novices and experts.
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The tennis drill book
by Tina Hoskins-Burney
The Tennis Drill Book is your complete collection of drills, games, and tips for improving stroke technique, match strategy, and everything in between. Inside you will find
- progressive technique drills for mastering every stroke and shot combination; - tactics drills for winning with aggressive or defensive strategies in every game situation; - mental training drills for staying focused when the pressure is on; - warm-up, cool-down, and conditioning drills for increasing speed, agility, and endurance; and - game-based drills that simulate singles and doubles match play.
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Trail running: from start to finish
by Graeme Hilditch
The ultimate guide for those who are seeking a new running experience in this hugely rewarding natural discipline. Running in varied terrain can have huge benefits to your core stabilising muscles and will sharpen your running technique – as long as you take the right steps in preparing for and adapting to the trails.
This fully comprehensive guide will equip you with all you need to make a safe and comfortable transition to trail running. The specialist exercises and training sessions will help improve the highly specific fitness requirements of off-road running to help ensure you stay safe and injury free.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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