Saturday, February 27, 2010

Recommended Books Regarding the Environment


Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet by Bill McKibben is due for release in April. Well-known for his writings on global warming, the author presents a more positive view on offsetting the wild changes in climate producing so many extreme weather activities. He has termed our planet with the new name Eaarth to indicate it is a much different place than man has experienced in the past 10,000 years. Place your request with the linked title to our catalog today.


Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer explores the many fictions we use to justify our eating habits--from folklore to pop culture to family traditions and national myth--and how such tales can lull us into a brutal forgetting. He employs the same vivid style and creativity that made him an author to follow in his other popular books (novels), Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.


Slow Death by Rubber Duck: the Secret Danger of Everyday Things by Bruce Lourie and Rick Smith exposes the extent to which we are poisoned every day of our lives, from the simple household dust that is polluting our blood to the toxins in our urine that are created by run-of-the-mill shampoos and toothpaste. Their hope is to empower families to take simple steps to protect themselves since the corporate manufacturers and weak government officials allow the poisoning to continue.

Storms of my Grandchildren: the truth about the coming climate catastrophe and our last chance to save humanity by James Hansen, unlike Bill McKibben's highly regarded book, does paint a dire future for our grandchildren unless the government takes steps immediately to change it. Learn more at http://www.stormsofmygrandchildren.com


The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America by Douglas Brinkley examines Roosevelt's life and achievements and argues that it was Theodore Roosevelt--by setting aside 230 million acres of Wild America for posterity--who turned conservationism into a universal endeavor. SH

Friday, February 26, 2010

Cooking with Love

Some of our newest cookbooks and cooking memoirs feature Italian and French cuisine. Check out the titles below or browse our core collection of more than 3000 cookbooks and create a special meal tonight!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

How Philosophy Can Save Your Life: 10 Ideas That Matter Most

Marietta McCarty scores big in this gem of a book. Taking on the time-honored question "What is the good life?" McCarty explores 10 ideas, which if clearly understood and integrated into our daily lives, would form the building blocks of a life well lived: simplicity, communication, perspective, flexibility, empathy, individuality, belonging, serenity, possibility, joy.
Each chapter includes a banquet of ideas and approaches, ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, in unique pairings, e.g. Epicurus and Charlotte Joko Beck; Epictetus and Lao Tzu; Shunryu Suzuki and Jane Addams. Discussion questions and "homework" include suggested musical compositions, art, and literature all of which would develop and enhance our understanding of the 10 ideas. McCarty suggests that while the reader can enjoy a solitary exploration of these ideas, the richness of each idea can be enhanced in discussion with others. Detailed suggestions on the formation of a philosophy circle are given. Book clubs will enjoy a break from fiction titles and the delving into one or all of the ideas. Don't miss this one! PM

Monday, February 22, 2010

Are you ready for...the AKINATOR???



Gee, I hope it's ok to post something purely fun here. It won't help your research skills, inform you about a writer, a book or even a CD, VHS or DVD and it has nothing to do with libraries! The Akinator is an online game that essentially plays 20 questions with you. You think of a famous person--real or fictional--and the Akinator asks some questions and then guesses your person. It did pretty well playing against me. I picked Howard Zinn and it was right. I then picked Jack Ruby and it guessed Lee Harvey Oswald. Pretty close, huh? With a few more questions it guessed right. Give it a try.
Once again, thanks to Phil Bradley.
--RL

Friday, February 19, 2010

and another thing about video games . . .

These past few months of open gaming and Guitar Hero tournaments are far from the last events we'll be having in the library! We're looking for your input on how we continue with the tournaments, and what games we'll be playing, so please take 2 minutes (literally!) and fill out this very, very short survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/wflgaming. And if you want to keep current with our upcoming gaming sessions, visit our gaming blog at http://wflgaming.wordpress.com/




MW

Guitar Hero on You Tube



Yes, the Wednesday Guitar Hero tournaments at the library were a great success! And thanks to Wellesley Cable, we made it to You Tube. Click on the link above to watch.

We hope to have more guitar Hero tournaments in the future.


maf

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Discussion Starters: Speaking Fluency Activities for Advanced ESL/EFL Students by Keith S. Folse

Looking for ways to improve your speaking fluency in English?

Working with a conversation partner or friend in practice sessions?

Find great jumping off points here to energize and enhance your discussions and promote fluency in
Discussion Starters: Speaking Fluency Activities for Advanced ESL/EFL Students by Keith S. Folse. PM

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Listen to Your Mind


Wondering why it's a good idea to let your husband drive at night instead of you? Daniel Amen provides an interesting answer to this and other questions regarding male and female difference in brain function in his new book The Brain in Love: 12 Lessons to Enhance Your Love Life. Riding the successful wave of his earlier titles, Change your Brain, Change Your Life, Amen repeats his successful brain diagnosis formula as it applies to relationships.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Kirkus Update!


(See Dec. 14 for original post)
Librarians everywhere are heaving sighs of relief. Kirkus Reviews has been saved! The most colorful pull-no-punches book review source out there will live to call them as they see 'em for the foreseeable future. Herb Simon, owner of the Indiana Pacers, will be the new owner. Mr. Simon was described as "an inveterate and unquenchable and voracious reader" and a long-time subscriber to Kirkus.
--RL

Friday, February 5, 2010

New World War II


New World War II books February 2010.


Freedom Flyers : The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II
by Moye, J. Todd

Remembering Survival : Inside a Nazi Slave-Labor Camp
by Browning, Christopher

Yalta : The Price of Peace
by Plokhy, S. M.

The Last Train from Hiroshima : The Survivors Look Back
by Pellegrino, Charles

Americans in Paris : Life and Death under Nazi Occupation
by Glass, Charles

Shadows in the Jungle : The Alamo Scouts Behind Japanese Lines in World War II
by Alexander, Larry

Masters and Commanders : How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945
by Roberts, Andrew

World War II : The Definitive Visual History

by Dorling Kindersley Publishing Staff

TB

Human Right Watch--Haiti

With Haiti the focus of the world's attention, the media has reminded us of the lack of human rights for many of the citizens, young and old. Human Rights Watch publishes its yearly findings in World Report 2010 of 90 countries regarding human rights abuses. Their website features a world map where you may click on a country, such as Haiti, and view a .pdf summary of their findings for the year 2009. And yes, the United States has a presence on the map and a summary as well. SH (photo from website)

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Readability!

A Simple, Simple Tool for Reading on the Web


Do you like reading on the Web? I mean, doesn't it annoy you sometimes to have to read an article amidst a sea of ads, graphics, boxes and other formatting? Well here's a solution. Try Readability a tool from Arc90 Laboratory. It's amazingly simple: 1) choose among several settings for style, size and margins 2) drag the Readability "badge" to your toolbar 3) click on the Readability link when you are visiting a web site. Your page immediately transforms into a clean book-type page.
Thanks to Phil Bradley's Weblog for this!
--RL

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Great Books into Movies


In past blogs I have alerted you about forthcoming movies based on previously published books. The next time you are visiting the library, feel free to peruse our newest display of movies and the books which inspired them located in our first floor alcove
.

-DB