Author: Weisman, Alan, author.
Published: 2013
Call Number: 304.2
Format: Books
Summary: In this timely work, Alan Weisman examines how we can shrink our collective human footprint so that we don't stomp any more species -- including our own -- out of existence. The answer: reducing gradually and non-violently the number of humans on the planet whose activities, industries and lifestyles are damaging the Earth. "A powerful investigation into the chances for humanity's future from the author of the bestseller The World Without Us. In his bestselling book The World Without Us, Alan Weisman considered how the Earth could heal and even refill empty niches if relieved of humanity's constant pressures. Behind that groundbreaking thought experiment was his hope that we would be inspired to find a way to add humans back to this vision of a restored, healthy planet-only in harmony, not mortal combat, with the rest of nature. But with a million more of us every 4¿ days on a planet that's not getting any bigger, and with our exhaust overheating the atmosphere and altering the chemistry of the oceans, prospects for a sustainable human future seem ever more in doubt. For this long awaited follow-up book, Weisman traveled to more than 20 countries to ask what experts agreed were the probably the most important questions on Earth-and also the hardest: How many humans can the planet hold without capsizing? How robust must the Earth's ecosystem be to assure our continued existence? Can we know which other species are essential to our survival? And, how might we actually arrive at a stable, optimum population, and design an economy to allow genuine prosperity without endless growth? Weisman visits an extraordinary range of the world's cultures, religions, nationalities, tribes, and political systems to learn what in their beliefs, histories, liturgies, or current circumstances might suggest that sometimes it's in their own best interest to limit their growth. The result is a landmark work of reporting: devastating, urgent, and, ultimately, deeply hopeful. By vividly detailing the burgeoning effects of our cumulative presence, Countdown reveals what may be the fastest, most acceptable, practical, and affordable way of returning our planet and our presence on it to balance. Weisman again shows that he is one of the most provocative journalists at work today, with a book whose message is so compelling that it will change how we see our lives and our destiny"--
Author: Heath, Chip. Heath, Dan, 1973-
Published: 2013
Call Number: 153.8
Format: Books
Summary: The authors introduce a four-step process designed to counteract the biases that inevitably creep into the decision-making process.
Author: Cronkite, Walter, IV. Isserman, Maurice.
Published: 2013
Call Number: 940.5421 CRONKITE
Format: Books
Summary: A giant in American journalism in the vanguard of "The Greatest Generation" reveals his World War II experiences in this National Geographic book.
Author: Williamson, Marianne, 1952- author.
Published: 2013
Call Number: 204
Format: Books
Summary: "Marianne Williamson, author of the bestselling classic A Return to Love and world-renowned teacher, has taught millions around the world an incredible secret: you can transform your life and the world by simply changing how you think. Our thoughts hold our destiny. In A Year of Miracles, she provides 365 reflections and devotions that offer guidance and spiritual support for following the path of love. These readings help you to remember, each day, that you are not alone, that the universe is alive and ready to shower you with help and miracles when you strive to put your best self forward. Reading these daily morsels of wisdom will help you stay focused, hopeful, and centered--and open your eyes to all the ways God wants to help and bless you. Expect a miracle every day!"--
Author: Friedan, Betty.
Published: 2013
Call Number: 305.42
Format: Books
Author: Gore, Al, 1948-
Published: 2013
Call Number: 303.4
Format: Books
Summary: "The consequential age we are living in will be remembered as one of the great turning points in civilization. Once we turn, though, where will we be? That is the compelling question Al Gore sets out to answer by examining the drivers of global change, connecting the dots among the social, economic, and political forces shaping our present and future. A rising global consciousness is forcing people around the world, but especially Americans, to rethink their basic assumptions about how the world works, and, even more fundamentally, how it should and can work. Borders matter less than ever. Technology is constantly reordering the way we live, think, work, learn, love, pray, and play"--
Author: Freeberg, Ernest.
Published: 2013
Call Number: 303.483
Format: Books
Summary: "The late nineteenth century was a period of explosive technological creativity, but arguably the most important invention of all was Thomas Edison's incandescent lightbulb. Unveiled in his Menlo Park, New Jersey, laboratory in 1879, the lightbulb overwhelmed the American public with the sense of the birth of a new age. More than any other invention, the electric light marked the arrival of modernity. The lightbulb became a catalyst for the nation's transformation from a rural to an urban-dominated culture. City streetlights defined zones between rich and poor, and the electrical grid sharpened the line between town and country. "Bright lights" meant "big city." Like moths to a flame, millions of Americans migrated to urban centers in these decades, leaving behind the shadow of candle and kerosene lamp in favor of the exciting brilliance of the urban streetscape. The Age of Edison places the story of Edison's invention in the context of a technological revolution that transformed America and Europe in these decades. Edison and his fellow inventors emerged from a culture shaped by broad public education, a lively popular press that took an interest in science and technology, and an American patent system that encouraged innovation and democratized the benefits of invention. And in the end, as Freeberg shows, Edison's greatest invention was not any single technology, but rather his reinvention of the process itself. At Menlo Park he gathered the combination of capital, scientific training, and engineering skill that would evolve into the modern research and development laboratory. His revolutionary electrical grid not only broke the stronghold of gas companies, but also ushered in an era when strong, clear light could become accessible to everyone. In The Age of Edison, Freeberg weaves a narrative that reaches from Coney Island and Broadway to the tiniest towns of rural America, tracing the progress of electric light through the reactions of everyone who saw it. It is a quintessentially American story of ingenuity, ambition, and possibility, in which the greater forces of progress and change are made visible by one of our most humble and ubiquitous objects. "--
Author: Carville, James author. Matalin, Mary, author.
Published: 2013
Call Number: 324
Format: Books
Summary: "For twenty years, James Carville and Mary Matalin have held the mantle of the nation's most politically opposed, ideologically mismatched, and intensely opinionated couple. In this follow-up to their groundbreaking All's Fair : Love, War, and Running for President, Carville and Matalin take a look at how they--and America--have changed in the last two decades. If nothing else, this new collaboration proves that after twenty years of marriage they can still manage to agree on a few things. Love & War traces, in their two distinct voices, James and Mary's story from the end of the 1992 presidential campaign--where he managed Bill Clinton's electoral triumph while she suffered defeat as George H.W. Bush's key strategist--till now. Mary focuses on issues of family, faith, and foreign enemies and offers insights from her kitchen table as well as the White House Cabinet Room, while James's concentration is politics and love--the triumphant and troubled Clinton era, George W. Bush's complicated presidency, the election of Barack Obama, the rise of the corrosive partisanship that dominates political life in Washington today, and the overriding abiding romance he holds for his native Louisiana and his wife and children. Together, the Carville-Matalins reflect on raising two daughters in the pressure cooker of the nation's capital, and their momentous 2008 decision to leave D.C. and move their family to New Orleans. Post-Katrina, James and Mary's efforts to rebuild and promote that city have become a central part of their lives--and a poignant metaphor for moving the nation forward. A fascinating look at the last two decades in American politics and an intimate, quick-witted primer on grown-up relationships and values, Love & War provides unprecedented insight into one of our nation's most intriguing and powerful couples. With their natural charm and sharp intelligence, Carville and Matalin have written undoubtedly the most spirited memoir of the year"--
Author: Schwartz, John, 1957-
Published: 2012
Call Number: 306.766
Format: Books
Summary: A heartfelt memoir by the father of a gay teen, and an eye-opening guide for families who hope to bring up well-adjusted gay adults. Three years ago, John Schwartz, a national correspondent at The New York Times, got the call that every parent hopes never to receive: his thirteen-year-old son, Joe, was in the hospital following a suicide attempt. Mustering the courage to come out to his classmates, Joe's disclosure--delivered in a tirade about homophobic attitudes--was greeted with unease and confusion by his fellow students. Hours later, he took an overdose of pills. In the aftermath, John and his wife, Jeanne, determined to help Joe feel more comfortable in his own skin, launched a search for services and groups that could help Joe understand that he wasn't alone. This book is Schwartz's very personal attempt to address his family's struggles within a culture that is changing fast, but not fast enough to help gay kids like Joe.--From publisher description.
Author: Diamond, Jared M.
Published: 2012
Call Number: 305.89912
Format: Books
Summary: Diamond reveals how tribal societies offer an extraordinary window into how our ancestors lived for millions of years -- until virtually yesterday, in evolutionary terms -- and provide unique, often overlooked insights into human nature.
Author: Mandela, Nelson, 1918-2013 Hatang, S. K. Venter, Sahm. Abrams, Douglas B.
Published: 2012
Call Number: 082
Format: Books
Author: King, Gilbert.
Published: 2012
Call Number: 305.89607
Format: Books
Author: Dyson, George, 1953-
Published: 2012
Call Number: 004.09 DYSON
Format: Books
Summary: "Legendary historian and philosopher of science George Dyson vividly re-creates the scenes of focused experimentation, incredible mathematical insight, and pure creative genius that gave us computers, digital television, modern genetics, models of stellar evolution--in other words, computer code. In the 1940s and '50s, a group of eccentric geniuses--led by John von Neumann--gathered at the newly created Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Their joint project was the realization of the theoretical universal machine, an idea that had been put forth by mathematician Alan Turing. This group of brilliant engineers worked in isolation, almost entirely independent from industry and the traditional academic community. But because they relied exclusively on government funding, the government wanted its share of the results: the computer that they built also led directly to the hydrogen bomb. George Dyson has uncovered a wealth of new material about this project, and in bringing the story of these men and women and their ideas to life, he shows how the crucial advancements that dominated twentieth-century technology emerged from one computer in one laboratory, where the digital universe as we know it was born"-- "Legendary historian and philosopher of science George Dyson vividly re-creates the scenes of focused experimentation, incredible mathematical insight, and pure creative genius that gave us computers, digital television, modern genetics, models of stellar evolution--in other words, computer code"--
Author: Treuer, David.
Published: 2012
Call Number: 323.1197
Format: Books
Summary: Celebrated novelist David Treuer examines Native American reservation life--past and present--illuminating misunderstood contemporary issues of sovereignty, treaty rights, and natural-resource conservation while also exploring crime and poverty, casinos and wealth, and the preservation of native language and culture.
Author: Alterman, Eric. Mattson, Kevin, 1966-
Published: 2012
Call Number: 320.513 ALTERMAN
Format: Books
Summary: A history of American liberalism since the Great Depression traces the pivotal roles of leading contributors, describing how their ambitions, flaws, and successes have shaped the nation's government, media, and culture.
Author: Carville, James. Greenberg, Stanley B., 1945-
Published: 2012
Call Number: 320.51
Format: Books
Summary: Destined to make waves during the presidential campaign, political guru Carville and pollster extraordinaire Greenberg argue that America's voters are not as dumb as elected officials think they are.
Author: Bradley, Bill, 1943-
Published: 2012
Call Number: 320.513
Format: Books
Author: McGonigal, Jane.
Published: 2011
Call Number: 306.487
Format: Books
Summary: Visionary game designer Jane McGonigal shows how we can harness the power of computer games to solve real-world problems and boost global happiness, since her research suggests that gamers are expert problem solvers and collaborators because they regularly cooperate with other players to overcome daunting virtual challenges.
Author: Wright, Robin B., 1948-
Published: 2011
Call Number: 322.40917
Format: Books
Summary: Written by a veteran reporter, this is an up close portrait of the fierce struggle between moderates and extremists taking place within the Islamic world today. Why don't Muslims challenge the violent extremists among them? Well, they do. Here she cites the clerics, comedians, and rappers who challenge al Qaeda violence; the women who are launching liberation movements; and the former jihadists who openly reject violence. These Muslims all want to build a better Islam, on their own, not Western, terms.
Author: Matlins, Stuart M. Magida, Arthur J.
Published: 2011
Call Number: 203.8
Format: Books
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