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History and Current Events January 2018
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| The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner by Daniel EllsbergWhat it's about: Author Daniel Ellsberg (who leaked the Pentagon Papers) recounts his role in the RAND Corporation's 1960s study of the U.S. policy on nuclear strikes. Framed as a memoir, The Doomsday Machine explains how the nuclear policy developed, its flaws (which continue to the present), and the urgency of reducing the availability of nuclear weapons.
Why you'll want to read it: This sobering and thought-provoking book shines a spotlight on issues that have become more prominent since North Korea started demonstrating their missile capabilities. |
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| It's All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World's Family Tree by A.J. JacobsWhat it's about: A global adventure in family tree-climbing, Esquire contributing editor A.J. Jacobs' engaging study of genealogy and genetics provides often startling insight into tradition, clannishness, and individual identity.
Is it for you? This peripatetic approach to individual family history and the history of human beings offers laugh-out-loud humor and intriguing information, whether you're interested in genealogy or hadn't given it a second thought. |
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| Playing with Fire: The 1968 Election and the Transformation of American Politics by Lawrence O'DonnellWhat it's about: Host of The Last Word on MSNBC and advisor to U.S. Senate committees Lawrence O'Donnell became fascinated with politics at age 17 when he observed the 1968 general elections. Here he reviews the tumultuous political year and the race that captivated him. Is it for you? Whether you remember 1968 yourself or know it from history, you'll enjoy the ringside seat O'Donnell offers in Playing with Fire.
Further reading: For general background on the 1960s, pick up Maurice Isserman and Michael Kazin's America Divided. |
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| Revolution Song: A Story of American Freedom by Russell ShortoWhat it's about: Drawing on his subjects' diaries and correspondence as well as official records and other sources, historian Russell Shorto highlights the ideals of the American Revolutionary period by vividly portraying six individuals of the time. Why it's significant: Revolution Song presents history through personal life stories, offering a closeup of both social life and political philosophy. He adds power to his narrative by connecting the individuals' concerns to vital issues of our time. |
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| The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom by Helen ThorpeWhat it's about: Author Helen Thorpe spent a year immersed in the lives of recently arrived high-schoolers who could speak no English when they started school. She empathetically depicts 22 refugee teenagers and their English Language Acquisition teacher.
Important aspects: Thorpe portrays the students' traumatic passages to the U.S., the complexities of assimilating into American culture, and the teacher's ability to create community in his classroom. Why it's significant: The Newcomers spotlights people directly concerned with the political hot topic of immigration. |
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| Helga's Diary: A Young Girl's Account of Life in a Concentration Camp by Helga Weiss; translated by Neil BermelWhat it is: A personal record of the Holocaust by one of the few survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp, which was destroyed in January 1945 just before Soviet troops arrived. Helga Weiss' diary depicts the frantic efforts of Nazi administrators to shuttle captive Jews to a functioning camp in the face of Allied advances.
What sets it apart: Begun when Weiss was eight years old, the diary depicts a child's-eye view of the Holocaust, from a Prague bomb shelter in 1938 to the end of World War II. It concludes with a 2011 interview with the author. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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Cherry Hill Public Library 1100 Kings Highway North Cherry Hill, New Jersey 08034 856-667-0300www.chplnj.org |
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