Learning at our libraries
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| Neil Armstrong: a life of flight by Jay BarbreeJournalist Jay Barbree has reported on space travel since 1957, covering every American manned space mission. During his long association with the U.S. space program, Barbree became friends with astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, and had many personal conversations with him. In this absorbing biography, Barbree portrays Armstrong's whole life, focusing on the space race and his flying career (beginning as a jet pilot during the Korean War) through his last days as an astronaut. Their conversations also provide a glimpse of the very reserved astronaut's personality. Neil Armstrong draws on official records in addition to Barbree's interviews with him, and includes photographs, many of them previously unpublished. |
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#Girlboss
by Sophia Amoruso
The founder of the Nasty Gal fashion e-tailer shares an irreverent manifesto for ambitious young women that explains how to channel personal passion and energy while overcoming insecurities, outlining straightforward advice on doing meaningful work and garnering recognition.
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Mrs D is going without
by Lotta Dann
Mrs D is an alcoholic, albeit a very nice, respectable, articulate and groomed alcoholic. This is an honest, upfront, relatable account of one suburban housewife's journey from miserable wine-soaked boozer to self-respecting sober lady. It is an inspirational tale of self-transformation, addiction and domesticity. Thr book lays out the entirely unexpected solo journey Mrs D took in the first year of her sobriety, and reveals the incredible online support that came through on her confessional blog, a blog intended to be a private online diary but which turned into something else quite remarkable.
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A wolf in sheep's clothing
by Barbara Unkovic
After living in Croatia for seven years, author Barbara Unković returned to her New Zealand birthplace for an extended family holiday. With the holiday over, and eager to be back in her adopted homeland, Barbara's joy upon her return to Croatia is marred by the rude welcome she receives. Barbara and her husband Denis, had set up home in the beautiful village of Račiŝće on the island of Korčula on the edge of the brilliant, blue, Adriatic Sea. On the surface, this is an idyllic paradise; however, beneath that illusion it is something else entirely... Sequel to Weeds in the garden of Eden.
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One chance: a memoir
by Paul Potts
Filled with personal recollections not featured in the film, the winner of the first season of Britain's Got Talent shares his extraordinary transformation from a cellphone salesman and amateur singer into a YouTube sensation and multi-platinum artist who won over audiences around the world.
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Another mother's love
by Karen Scott
A moving story of one family's attempt to make a difference. In early 2011 Karen Scott and Mark Finlay and their six children opened their home and hearts to a sad, skinny five-year-old boy who was placed with them by Child, Youth and Family Services. James arrived with nothing other than the clothes he was wearing, supposedly for just a short-term stay. But what followed was a two-year ordeal as Karen and Mark attempted to parent a very troubled young boy. Another Mother's Love is a heart-wrenching account of a mother's attempt to reach out to her foster child with unconditional love and kindness. However, is love enough? Karen and Mark faced a harrowing decision - to give up James or risk their family's future.
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Strange beautiful music: a musical memoir
by Joe Satriani
Featuring previously unpublished photos and hours of exclusive, firsthand interviews with Satriani, Strange Beautiful Music offers a unique look inside the studio with Joe, giving fans a chance to get up close and personal like never before. With insider details about his collaboration with multi-platinum supergroup Chickenfoot, exclusive interviews with Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony of Van Halen and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, commentary from fellow guitar legends such as Steve Vai, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Primus's Larry LaLonde, and legendary music producers including Glynn Johns and the late Andy Johns, this memoir offers a rare inside look for die-hard Satriani fans, guitar enthusiasts, and anyone who loves to rock.
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Salvador Allende: revolutionary democrat
by Victor Figueroa Clark
Political biography of one of the 20th century's most emblematic left-wing figures, Salvador Allende, who was president of Chile until he was ousted by General Pinochet in a US-supported coup in 1973. Victor Figueroa Clark guides us through Allende's life and political project, answering some of the most frequently asked questions. Was he a revolutionary or a reformist? A bureaucrat or inspirational democrat? Clark argues that Allende and the Popular Unity Party created a unique fusion which was both revolutionary and democratic. The process led by Allende was a symbol of hope for the left during his short time in power. Forty years on, and with left governments back in power across Latin America, this book looks back at the man and the process in order to draw vital lessons for the left in Latin America and around the world today.
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Sylvia: queen of the headhunters
by Philip Eade
A biography of the last Ranee of Sarawak, born into the aristocracy as Sylvia Brett in 1885 and destined to become 'Queen of the Headhunters'.
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The professor: a sentimental education
by Terry Castle
Offers a collection of autobiographical essays on love, art, sex, and family, including an exploration of the author's secret relationship with a female professor, an examination of late saxophonist Art Pepper, and a piece on her acquaintance with Susan Sontag
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The wrong knickers: a decade of chaos
by Bryony Gordon
Bryony Gordon survived her adolescence by dreaming about the life she'd have in her twenties: the perfect job; the lovely flat; the amazing boyfriend. The reality was something of a shock. Her Telegraph column was a diary of her daily screw-ups; she lived in a series of squalid shoe boxes; and her most meaningful relationship of the entire decade was with a Marlboro Light. Here in The Wrong Knickers Bryony busts open the glamorised myth of what it means to be a young (perpetually) single girl about London town, and shares the horrible and hilarious truth.
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Jason Priestley: a memoir
by Jason Priestley
Inviting readers into his private world for the very first time, the star of the 1990s hit Fox show Beverly Hills, 90210, director and race-car aficionado talks openly about celebrity, marriage, fatherhood, car racing, life as a '90s icon and the events that have shaped him.
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| Michelangelo: a life in six masterpieces by Miles J. UngerRenaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti created stunning works of art that elicited wonder in his day; his techniques and the immediate success of his pieces changed Europe's concept of "artist" from craftsman for hire to visionary creative talent. Organising this compelling biography around six of Michelangelo's greatest works, art historian Miles Unger traces the progress of the artist's achievements, from the dazzling Pietà he created in 1498-99 to his designs for St. Peter's Basilica (built after his death). Unger explores Roman and Florentine politics of the time, aesthetic controversies provoked by Michelangelo's innovations, facets of his personal life as revealed through correspondence, and other riveting details. Biography and art history fans won't want to miss this insightful account. |
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| How I killed Pluto and why it had it coming by Mike BrownThe provocative title of astronomer Mike Brown's memoir, How I Killed Pluto and Why it Had it Coming, refers to Brown's research that led to the International Astronomical Union's decision that Pluto is not a planet (it's now considered a dwarf planet). This engaging memoir is about more than science, though. While detailing his studies of the icy objects in orbit near Pluto, Brown relates the significance of the project, describes his calling as a scientist, and tells how he met the woman he would marry. |
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| The strangest man: the hidden life of Paul Dirac, mystic of the atom by Graham FarmeloEnglish physicist Paul Dirac was known for his reserved and taciturn personality, though he made significant contributions to quantum physics. Considered one of the giants in a field studded with stars like Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Richard Feynman, Dirac had a difficult childhood and a life marked by tragedy. Science writer Graham Farmelo compellingly relates the details of Dirac's personal life and of his scientific career in The Strangest Man. |
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| Stephen Hawking: his life and work by Kitty FergusonEven though physicist Stephen Hawking specialises in some of the most abstract concepts in modern science, he has made his work accessible to general audiences, and he's so well known that he's been called a celebrity physicist. Hawking has lived with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) for decades, and in his 70s he still actively collaborates with other physicists and gives lectures. In Stephen Hawking, science writer Kitty Ferguson paints an engaging portrait of the scientist, relating details of his personal life and making some of his scientific discoveries and theories accessible to general readers. Anyone interested in Hawking himself, physics, or science biographies will find this book an enthralling read. |
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| In search of memory: the emergence of a new science of mind by Eric R. KandelAs a medical student studying psychiatry in the early 1950s, Eric Kandel became intrigued by the possibility of identifying the brain's physical processes. He became a pioneer in the field of neuropsychiatry, learning how nerves transmit and store information in the brain; this work led to a Nobel Prize in 2000. In this absorbing memoir on the nature of memory, Kandel relates major events in his personal life, beginning with his family's emigration from Vienna after the Nazi Anschluss, woven together with accounts of his scientific discoveries and concluding with a consideration of the phenomenon of cultural memory. |
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| On a farther shore: the life and legacy of Rachel Carson by William SouderIn 1962, marine biologist and conservationist Rachel Carson published what would become her magnum opus, Silent Spring. Already a bestselling author, Carson reached her biggest audience yet through her meticulously researched yet accessible discussion of environmental issues -- especially those caused by synthetic pesticides. This "expansive, nuanced" (Publishers Weekly) biography of Carson examines not only her career and the impact of her work on public policy, but also her carefully guarded private life -- which she struggled to protect in the face of both unexpected celebrity and opposition from the chemical industry. For a fascinating glimpse at the life of a woman scientist whose ideas proved prescient -- and remain largely relevant today -- don't miss this book. |
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Appetite for wonder: the making of a scientist: a memoir
by Richard Dawkins
Born to parents who were enthusiastic naturalists, and linked through his wider family to a clutch of accomplished scientists, Richard Dawkins was bound to have biology in his genes. But what were the influences that shaped his life and intellectual development? And who inspired him to become the pioneering scientist and public thinker now famous (and infamous to some) around the world?
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Contact your librarian for more great reads!
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