Staff Recommendations
Bob Timmermann
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Lab girl
by Jahren, Hope,
June 20, 2016
Call Number: 570.92 J25
The title of Hope Jahren's book, Lab Girl, does not immediately tell you what this book is about. Instead you get an idea that it has something to do with science, and probably women, but there is so much more to this book.Jahren's memoir details her life as the child of a father who was a longtime, community college science professor in Minnesota. Her mother also wished to pursue a career in science, but, as for many women of her time, circumstances just didn’t make it possible to be a wife and a professional scientist. This led Jahren to pursue a scientific career for herself... Read Full Review
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The improbability principle : why coincidences, miracles, and rare events happen every day
by Hand, D. J. (David J.), 1950-
February 24, 2014
Call Number: 519 H236
On April 23, 1999, Fernando Tatis of the St. Louis Cardinals hit a
grand slam home run against Chan Ho Park of the Dodgers. That's not an
overly rare event. However, Tatis didn't hit just one grand slam off
of Park. He hit TWO. And they were in the same inning. No Major League
player had ever done this before and no one has done it since. The
chances of being a witness to such a thing must be so high to make it
unlikely that anyone would ever see it. And yet it happened.David Hand's book The Improbability Principle tries to explain how
... Read Full Review -
Year of meteors : Stephen Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the election that brought on the Civil War
by Egerton, Douglas R.
February 11, 2013
Call Number: 973.711 E29
I missed this book when it was published in 2010, but with the renewed interest in all things Lincoln, I was intrigued by the idea of a book about the backroom politics that resulted in Lincoln's election in 1860. Surprisingly, Lincoln is only a supporting character in Egerton's book; the main focus is on other important figures of the time, whom history has more or less forgotten in the wake of the 16th President's accomplishments.The most important character in the book is Lincoln's Illinois rival, Stephen Douglas. Coming into the election of 1860, Douglas was the most... Read Full Review
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Watergate: a novel
by Mallon, Thomas
July 16, 2012
Call Number: F
Although most of the events of the Watergate scandal are well-documented, there is still much that may never be known about what exactly happened. Who really ordered the break-in? What was on the missing 18 1/2 minutes of one White House tape? Who was the master organizer of the conspiracy?Sometimes the events of Watergate sound like they should be part of a good mystery novel, but Thomas Mallon takes a different approach here. Instead of looking at the grand conspiracy, Mallon weaves a story of fact and fiction that works incredibly well.While most of the major figures of the Watergate... Read Full Review
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A first-rate madness : uncovering the links between leadership and mental illness
by Ghaemi, S. Nassir.
December 19, 2011
Call Number: 616.895 G411
When you look at the problems that face world leaders, especially in times of crisis, you might think, "You have to be crazy to want to do that job." To psychiatrist Nassir Ghaemi, being "crazy", or, more precisely, having some form of mental illness may be just what is needed for some leaders to be able to accomplish great things during times of great need.Ghaemi examines, in varying detail, the lives of world leaders whom he believes had some form of mental illness in their lives: Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, William T. Sherman, Martin Luther... Read Full Review
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Distant corners : American soccer's history of missed opportunities and lost causes
by Wangerin, David
November 7, 2011
Call Number: 796.27209 W246
Trying to find information on the history of soccer in the United States is not an easy task. Even though the sport has been played here since the 19th century, its past has been poorly documented. However, David Wangerin (who was born in the U.S., but now lives in Scotland) does a remarkable job of piecing together the fragmented history of the world's most popular sport in the world's richest nation.Wangerin introduces us to the archive of Tom Cahill, who helped to start what is now known as the United States Soccer Federation in 1912. Prior to that, the only governing body for... Read Full Review
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The long goodbye : [a memoir]
by O'Rourke, Meghan.
October 24, 2011
Call Number: 811 O742O
Meghan O'Rourke, who has been published mostly as poet, has penned a memoir of her mother's death and her own grieving process that is simply remarkable. She has managed to take one of the most personal and painful moments in anyone's life and turn it into a wonderfully written examination of life, death, and all that comes with it.O'Rourke's mother died of colorectal cancer at age 55 on Christmas Day in 2008. It was not easy on O'Rourke or the rest of her family. But, was the pain she felt different than what others go through? As it turns out, it was not. While grief... Read Full Review
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Starman : the truth behind the legend of Yuri Gagarin
by Doran, Jamie
September 27, 2011
Call Number: 629.177092 G132Do 2011
The early days of space exploration are fascinating. The book and the film version of The Right Stuff provide very personal insights into the lives and the activities of the U. S. Space program which, with rare exception, was very open. By contrast, the early days of the Soviet space program have always remained mysterious and opaque. Their great early strides were shrouded by state secrecy mixed in with propaganda. New research on the past history of the program presents some unique views into what was once hidden... Read Full Review