New Books for Children 
SUPER HEROES (descriptions from books unless otherwise noted)
 
Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four 4 Digest by Marvel Comics
All adventure, all action, for all ages! Join Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch and the Thing for a wild ride of all-new, unforgettable exploits.
 
Avengers And Power Pack Assemble! Digest by Mark Sumerak
Hot on the heels of their adventure with the X-Men, Power Pack returns for another titanic team-up... and this time, it's Earth's Mightiest Heroes leading the charge!
 
Captain America and the Falcon by Jack Kirby
The King keeps Cap's quests coming with menaces from deep in space and deeper in the human soul! Even the evil of the Red Skull might pale before the fearsome Bio-Fanatic! Plus: Magneto and a rarely seen batch of evil mutants! Featuring the Falcon and Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D.!
 
Spider-Man – Marvel Age Series by Marvel Comics
Spidey strikes back!
 
AUDIO BOOKS
 
Lilly's Big Day and Other Stories by Kevin Henkes;
performed by Christine Ebersole and Richard Thomas
Nine stories of the exploits of Henkes's beloved, fiercely independent girl mouse Lilly and her friends.
 
In Aunt Giraffe's Green Garden & The Red Frogs Wore Red Suspenders
by Jack Prelutsky
Listen to these exuberant poems and meet people and animals in such far-flung places as Minot, Minneapolis, Tuscaloosa, Tucumcari, and the Grand Canyon. Smell the tall flowers in Aunt Giraffe's garden, sip juice with a big blue goose, eat oodles of noodles with some poodles, and much, much more! Jack Prelutsky is the nation's first Children's Poet Laureate. He has filled more than forty books of verse with his inventive wordplay, including the national bestsellers Scranimals and The New Kid on the Block.
 
Enemy Spy by Wendelin Van Draanen; performed by Daniel Young
Nolan Byrd single-handedly saved his school from the bullydom of Alvin "Bubba" Bixby. He posted proof of Bubba's exploits on the Web at Shredderman.com. Now Shredderman is the school hero! But since Shredderman's identity is a secret, everyone still treats Nolan like . . . a nerd. But inside this nerd beats a superhero's heart—one dedicated to truth and justice. So when a vandal spray-paints graffiti around town—and even on his teacher's van!—Nolan decides that tracking down the tagger is a job for Shredderman. But while he's trying to trap the tagger, the tagger is trying to pin the blame on Shredderman! Can Nolan turn the tables back around before his secret identity is revealed?
 
The Invention of Hugo Cabret  by Brian Selznick; performed by Jeff Woodman
Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
  FICTION
Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
An engaging novel about a girl who doesn't play baseball, a team that doesn't win, and a war that isn't a war. Even those readers who think they don't care about baseball will be drawn into the world of the true and ardent fan. A captivating story that will delight those who are already keeping score.
 
Warriors: Outcast by Erin Hunter
The wild cats have flourished in their new home on the banks of the lake for several seasons, and the Clans are growing strong and healthy with new kits. The time has come for three kits of ThunderClan to become apprenticesHollypaw, Jaypaw, and Lionpaw spring from a strong legacy: children of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw, two of the noblest ThunderClan warriors, and grandchildren of the great leader Firestar himself. All three young cats possess unusual power and talent and seem certain to provide strength to the Clan for the next generation.
But there are dark secrets around the three, and a mysterious prophecy hints at trouble to come. An undercurrent of rage is rising against those who are not Clanborn, and the warrior code is in danger of being washed away by a river of blood. All the young cats' strength will be needed if the Clans are to survive.
 
Gregor and the Code of Claw (Underland Chronicles, Book 5) by Suzanne Collins
The fifth and final installment in the Underland Chronicles brings everything together in epic scale, as foretold by The Prophecy of Time. This prophecy contains two lines that everybody has been hiding from Gregor, the twelve year old New Yorker now known as the Warrior. As you can see, a grim fate awaits our hero - or does it? As readers of the series will know by now, the prophecies of Bartholomew of Sandwich are sometimes open to many interpretations, but as this one seems pretty cut and dried, Gregor has to make the decision to stay in the Underland, or return to the relative safety of the Overland. Several factors limit his options, and this would have been a very short book had he chosen to flee, but things get even more complicated with the arrival of another member of the family down below, bearing bad tidings of those above.
 
PICTURE BOOKS
 
Michael's Golden Rules
by Deloris Jordan, Roslyn M. Jordan; illus. Kadir Nelson; intro. Michael Jordan
The story, about two boys--one white and one black--who hope their baseball team will make the play-offs, provides the backdrop for Michael's 10 rules of good sportsmanship, which include "Be a team player" and "Learn from your mistakes." What really scores is the artwork. The many close-ups and rich, vibrant colors make this ideal for reading to a group of baseball fans.
 
The Boy Who Was Raised by Librarians by Carla Morris; illus. Brad Sneed
This humorous tale of a curious young boy and his single-minded quest for knowledge is a heartfelt and affectionate tribute to librarians everywhere.
 
Mahalia Mouse Goes to College by John Lithgow, John; illus. Igor Oleynikov
Mahalia Mouse and her family live underneath Dunster House, an old Harvard dormitory. Foraging for food for her younger brothers and sisters, Mahalia gets trapped in a backpack and then finds herself inside a classroom far from home. Mahalia, intrigued by the lecture, starts attending classes and soon becomes a full-time student -- all the while wondering about the fate of her family. But when graduation day finally arrives, Mahalia has a wonderful surprise waiting for her. Written as part of his keynote address at Harvard's commencement, this latest book from John Lithgow (class of '67) incorporates his trademark witty rhymes and includes a CD of him reading the text at the commencement. Mahalia's story has an inspiring message for graduates or anyone whose success is worthy of celebration.
 
DVDs
Arthur and the Invisibles starring Highmore, Freddie
 
Happily N'Ever After starring Paul J. Bolger, Paul, Sigourney Weaver, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze, Jr., George Carlin,  Andy Dick, Michael McShane
 
The Sandlot: Heading Home starring William Dear, Luke Perry,  Danny Nucci,
 
Charlotte's Web starring Gary Winick, Dakota Fanning, Julia Roberts
 
Everyone's Hero starring Christopher Reeve, Jake T. Austin, Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, William H. Macy
 
 
New Books for Young Adults
 
FICTION
 
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

With a quote from The Age of Innocence as an epigraph and an enthusiastic blurb from the creator of Gossip Girl on its back cover, this lavishly produced debut makes no secret of its twin influences. The story opens in 1899 with the funeral of Elizabeth Holland, a well-bred beauty said to have plunged to her death in the Hudson River. The narrative then travels back several weeks, tracing the relationships and events that have led to the somber assembly. This tangled web includes not one but two sets of star-crossed lovers; an upstairs/downstairs romance; a scheming social climber; a bitter servant girl; and oodles of money, all set in a Edith Wharton via Hollywood vision of Old New York. The dialogue has its clunky moments, and the plot twist that drives the tale is telegraphed from the very start, but readers caught up in the fancy dress intrigue are unlikely to mind much: it’s all part of the dishy fun. Needless to say, the ending paves the way for at least one sequel. Ages 14-up. (Dec.)
Publishers Weekly
 
 
Healing Water: A Hawaiian Story by Joyce Moyer Hostetter
 
Things will never be the same for thirteen-year-old Pia, now that he has leprosy. He will be sent off to the island of Molokai to die with others who have the same condition, ripped from the arms of his ohana, his family. No more comfort from his mother and sister, nor from the only father figure he's ever known, Kamaka. Since even Kamaka has shunned him, and because the island of outcasts is a place with no law, Pia quickly learns to harden his heart, and to do what he must to survive for as long as he can.
 
This is the story of the neglect and abandonment of people, the loss of a beloved culture, and the strength of a young boy facing extreme obstacles. But most of all, this is a story of forgiveness and hope. Joyce Moyer Hostetter, author of Blue, tells another historical tale of an epidemic that once clutched the very souls of the inflicted and spun their lives out of control. She shows the strength and determination that can rise from those tossed into the worst imaginable conditions and she doesn't hide the ugliness that unfolds with it. It's a balanced story that explores a specific time and place with obvious accuracy and integrity, and it's woven around the personal experiences of one brave but lost boy. Strong writing and a uniquely captivating story!
Julie M. Prince
 
Don't Get It Twisted: A Del Rio Bay Clique Novel by Paula Chase
Mina Mooney's parents are killing her social life. It's time to fight back...
Mina's fantasy has finally come true. Craig Simpson--the hottest guy at Del Rio Bay High--has just invited her to the biggest bash of the year. There's just one hitch: her parents aren't down with letting Mina date a boy they know nothing about. Now she has thirteen days to give her parents a crash course in Craig, or else figure out how to get her fine self to the soiree--without alerting mom and pops. Whatever she decides, she's going to need reinforcements. Unfortunately, her peeps are caught up in their own twists and turns. Jacinta's boyfriend has been getting on her nerves about spending so much time in `burbville, while rich and sheltered Kelly just might kick it with Angel, a cute, slick-talking hustler from the projects. And ever since JZ made varsity basketball, his mind has been glued to the game instead of schoolwork, which means his dad might make him drop all sports. As for Mina, if she doesn't succeed in enlisting the help of her friends--and fast--her social life just might hit skid row. A fast-paced novel about loyalty, love, and friendship, Don't Get It Twisted shows what it takes to have a blast while breaking all the rules.

Amazon.com

 
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
 
As children, Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick were both social outcasts. They were also one another's only friend. So when Cameron disappears without warning, Jennifer thinks she's lost the only person who will ever understand her. Now in high school, Jennifer has been transformed. Known as Jenna, she's popular, happy, and dating, everything "Jennifer" couldn't be---but she still can't shake the memory of her long-lost friend. When Cameron suddenly reappears, they are both confronted with memories of their shared past and the drastically different paths their lives have taken. From the National Book Award nominated author of Story of a Girl, Sweethearts is a story about the power of memory, the bond of friendship, and the quiet resilience of our childhood hearts.

Amazon.com

 
Beastly by Alex Finn
 
I am a beast. A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster. You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.
Amazon.com
 
By Venom's Sweet Sting (Hallowmere) by Tiffany Trent
 
Taking place over their sophomore year, It Had to Be You unveils the secrets behind the hot and sultry summer that Blair, Serena, and Nate's love triangle begins--and there's a lot more to this story than anyone realizes. Find out how Blair first snagged Nate, why Serena really left for boarding school, and how the legendary Gossip Girl column began.

Amazon.com

 
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
 
In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away. In Unwind, Boston Globe/Horn Book Award winner Neal Shusterman challenges readers' ideas about life -- not just where life begins, and where it ends, but what it truly means to be alive.
 

Amazon.com

  Spanking Shakespeare Jake Wizner (Author), Richard Ewing (Illustrator)
Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, September 24, 2007
"Bold and bawdy ... exceptionally funny and smart."

Shakespeate Shapiro has always hated his name. His parents bestowed it on him as some kind of sick joke when he was born, and his life has gone downhill from there, one embarrassing incident after another. Entering his senior year of high school, Shakespeare has never had a girlfriend, his younger brother is cooler than he is, and his best friend's favorite topic of conversation is his bowel movements.

But Shakespeare will have the last laugh. He is chronicling every mortifying detail in his memoir, the writing project each senior at Shakespeare's high school must complete. And he is doing it brilliantly. And, just maybe, a prize-winning memoir will bring him respect, admiration, and a girlfriend . . . or at least a prom date.

 

Amazon.com

 
NON FICTION
 
Restless Virgins by Abigail Jones
 
An honest, intimate look at the lives of today's teens—told through the true experiences of friends at a New England prep school Established in 1798, Milton Academy has a proud history of achievement. It has educated artists and CEOs; it has produced a long line of distinguished scholars and dignitaries; and it has shepherded students through the world of high-pressure academics for generations. Since its founding, the public face of Milton had always been one of integrity and pride . . . until a sex scandal rocked the campus and made headlines in the spring of 2005. Restless Virgins is the riveting real-life story of a group of seniors who were there as the "incident" (as it came to be called) unfolded.
 
 Amazon.com
 
Boys Adrift: The Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax, M.D.
 
Family physician, research psychologist, and acclaimed author of Why Gender Matters, Leonard Sax reveals the truth about what's driving the decline of American boys--and what parents can do about it. Parents, teachers, and mental health professionals are worried about boys. But until now, no one has come up with good reasons for their decline--and, more important, with workable solutions to reverse this troubling trend. Now, family physician and research psychologist Dr. Leonard Sax delves into the scientific literature and draws on his vast clinical experience to propose an entirely original view of why boys and young men are failing in school and at home. He argues that a combination of social, cultural, and biological factors is creating an environment that is literally toxic to boys, ranging from environmental estrogens to the over-prescription of ADHD drugs. And he presents practical solutions--from new ways of controlling boys' use of video games, to innovative (and workable) education reforms.
 
Math Doesn't Suck by Danica McKellar
 
A groundbreaking book that uses hip and entertaining examples to teach middle-school girls and their parents how to master many of the tough concepts that are introduced in middle school – the time when young girls begin to shy away from math.
 
Starplus News Blog
 
GRAPHIC NOVELS
 
Stop in to see what's new! 
 
New Books for Adults
 
 
FICTION
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
 
Hosseini's follow-up to his best-selling debut, The Kite Runner (2003) views the plight of
Afghanistan during the last half-century through the eyes of two women. Mariam is the illegitimate daughter of a maid and a businessman, who is given away in marriage at 15 to Rasheed, a man three times her age; their union is not a loving one. Laila is born to educated, liberal parents in Kabul the night the Communists take over Afghanistan. Adored by her father but neglected in favor of her older brothers by her mother, Laila finds her true love early on in Tariq, a thoughtful, chivalrous boy who lost a leg in an explosion. But when tensions between the Communists and the mujahideen make the city unsafe, Tariq and his family flee to Pakistan. A devastating tragedy brings Laila to the house of Rasheed and Mariam, where she is forced to make a horrific choice to secure her future. At the heart of the novel is the bond between Mariam and Laila, two very different women brought together by dire circumstances. Unimaginably tragic, Hosseini's magnificent second novel is a sad and beautiful testament to both Afghani suffering and strength. Readers who lost themselves in The Kite Runner will not want to miss this unforgettable follow-up.
From Booklist Copyright © American Library Association.
 

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Walls, who spent years trying to hide her childhood experiences, allows the story to spill out in this remarkable recollection of growing up. From her current perspective as a contributor to MSNBC online, she remembers the poverty, hunger, jokes, and bullying she and her siblings endured, and she looks back at her parents: her flighty, self-indulgent mother, a Pollyanna unwilling to assume the responsibilities of parenting, and her father, troubled, brilliant Rex, whose ability to turn his family's downward-spiraling circumstances into adventures allowed his children to excuse his imperfections until they grew old enough to understand what he had done to them--and to himself. His grand plans to build a home for the family never evolved: the hole for the foundation of the "The Glass Castle," as the dream house was called, became the family garbage dump, and, of course, a metaphor for Rex Walls' life. Shocking, sad, and occasionally bitter, this gracefully written account speaks candidly, yet with surprising affection, about parents and about the strength of family ties--for both good and ill.

From Booklist Copyright © American Library Association.
 
Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
 
Bestseller Picoult (My Sister's Keeper) takes on another contemporary hot-button issue in her brilliantly told new thriller, about a high school shooting. Peter Houghton, an alienated teen who has been bullied for years by the popular crowd, brings weapons to his high school in Sterling, N.H., one day and opens fire, killing 10 people. Flashbacks reveal how bullying caused Peter to retreat into a world of violent computer games. Alex Cormier, the judge assigned to Peter's case, tries to maintain her objectivity as she struggles to understand her daughter, Josie, one of the surviving witnesses of the shooting. The author's insights into her characters' deep-seated emotions brings this ripped-from-the-headlines read chillingly alive. 
From Publishers Weekly Copyright © Reed Business Information
 
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
 
David Henry's life was turning out as he hoped. He was a doctor, married to a beautiful woman, Nora, with a baby on the way. But everything changed overnight because of one fateful decision. On a winter evening in 1961, a blizzard brewing, Nora goes into labor. Due to the weather, they could only make it to the clinic, not the hospital, and only Caroline, the nurse, arrived to help deliver the baby. David delivers his own child, a perfectly healthy son. But when Nora continues her labor, David realizes she is carrying twins; and the second child, a girl, is born with Down syndrome. Wanting to protect his wife from the devastating news, David gives the child to Caroline to take to an institution, asking her never to reveal the secret. Caroline takes the baby and disappears. Unfolding the plot over the course of 25 years, Edwards tells a moving story of two families bound by a secret that both eats away at relationships and eventually helps to create new ones.
From Booklist Copyright © American Library Association

 

 
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
 
Here is the novel Russo was born to write. Coursing with humor and humanity, the sixth novel by the bard of Main Street U.S.A. gives full expression to the themes that have always been at the heart of his work: the all-important bond between fathers and sons, the economic desperation of small-town businesses, and the lifelong feuds and friendships that are a hallmark of small-town life. Following a trio of best friends who grew up in upstate Thomaston, New York, over 50 years, the novel captures some of the essential mysteries of life, including the unanticipated moments of childhood that will forever define one's adulthood. Louis Charles ("Lucy") Lynch has spent his entire life in Thomaston, married for 40 years to his wife, Sarah, and finally living in the rich section of town, thanks to the success of his father's convenience stores. Long planning a trip to Venice, he tries in vain to communicate with the couple's best friend, Bobby Marconi, now a world-famous painter living in Venice. Meanwhile, the irascible ex-pat, now approaching 60 and suffering from night terrors, is still chasing women, engaging in fistfights, and struggling to complete his latest painting. Russo slowly and lovingly pieces together rich, multilayered portraits not only of the principals but also of their families, and, by extension, their quintessentially American town. It is a seamless interweaving of childhood memories (sometimes told from three points of view), tragic incidents (the town river, once the lifeblood of local industry, has become a toxic stew that is poisoning residents), and unforgettable dialogue that is so natural, funny, and touching that it may, perhaps, be the best of Russo's many gifts.
Joanne Wilkinson From Booklist Copyright © American Library Association
 
 
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
 
Hamid's second book (after Moth Smoke) is an intelligent and absorbing 9/11 novel, written from the perspective of Changez, a young Pakistani whose sympathies, despite his fervid immigrant embrace of America, lie with the attackers. The book unfolds as a monologue that Changez delivers to a mysterious American operative over dinner at a Lahore, Pakistan, cafe. Pre-9/11, Princeton graduate Changez is on top of the world: recruited by an elite New York financial company, the 22-year-old quickly earns accolades from his hard-charging supervisor, plunges into Manhattan's hip social whirl and becomes infatuated with Erica, a fellow Princeton graduate pining for her dead boyfriend. But after the towers fall, Changez is subject to intensified scrutiny and physical threats, and his co-workers become markedly less affable as his beard grows in ("a form of protest," he says). Erica is committed to a mental institution, and Changez, upset by his adopted country's "growing and self-righteous rage," slacks off at work and is fired. Despite his off-putting commentary, the damaged Changez comes off as honest and thoughtful, and his creator handles him with a sympathetic grace.
From Publishers Weekly Copyright © Reed Business Information
 
NONFICTION
 
Einstein by Walter Isaacson
 
As a scientist, Albert Einstein is undoubtedly the most epic among 20th-century thinkers. Albert Einstein as a man, however, has been a much harder portrait to paint, and what we know of him as a husband, father, and friend is fragmentary at best. With Einstein: His Life and Universe, Walter Isaacson brings Einstein's experience of life, love, and intellectual discovery into brilliant focus. The book is the first biography to tackle Einstein's enormous volume of personal correspondence that heretofore had been sealed from the public, and it's hard to imagine another book that could do such a richly textured and complicated life as Einstein's the same thoughtful justice. Isaacson is a master of the form and this latest opus is at once arresting and wonderfully revelatory.
Anne Bartholomew (Amazon.com)
 
 
Coldest Winter by David Halberstam
 
David Halberstam's magisterial and thrilling The Best and the Brightest was the defining book for the Vietnam War. More than three decades later, Halberstam used his unrivalled research and formidable journalistic skills to shed light on another dark corner in our history: the Korean War. The Coldest Winter is a successor to The Best and the Brightest, even though in historical terms it precedes it. Halberstam considered The Coldest Winter the best book he ever wrote, the culmination of forty-five years of writing about America's postwar foreign policy. 
from Amazon.com
 
The War: An Intimate History, 1941 – 1945 by Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
 
The vivid voices that speak from these pages are not those of historians or scholars. They are the voices of ordinary men and women who experienced—and helped to win—the most devastating war in history, in which between 50 and 60 million lives were lost.
Focusing on the citizens of four towns— Luverne, Minnesota; Sacramento, California; Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama;—The War follows more than forty people from 1941 to 1945. Woven largely from their memories, the compelling, unflinching narrative unfolds month by bloody month, with the outcome always in doubt. All the iconic events are here, from Pearl Harbor to the liberation of the concentration camps—but we also move among prisoners of war and Japanese American internees, defense workers and schoolchildren, and families who struggled simply to stay together while their men were shipped off to Europe, the Pacific, and North Africa. Enriched by maps and hundreds of photographs, including many never published before, this is an intimate, profoundly affecting chronicle of the war that shaped our world.
from Amazon.com)
 
 
The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin
 
Bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin takes you into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, and reveals the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land. Just in time for the 2008 presidential election—where the future of the Court will be at stake—Toobin reveals an institution at a moment of transition, when decades of conservative disgust with the Court have finally produced a conservative majority, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, presidential power, and church-state relations. Based on exclusive interviews with justices themselves, The Nine tells the story of the Court through personalities—from Anthony Kennedy's overwhelming sense of self-importance to Clarence Thomas's well-tended grievances against his critics to David Souter's odd nineteenth-century lifestyle. There is also, for the first time, the full behind-the-scenes story of Bush v. Gore—and Sandra Day O'Connor's fateful breach with George W. Bush, the president she helped place in office.
The Nine is the book bestselling author Jeffrey Toobin was born to write. A CNN senior legal analyst and New Yorker staff writer, no one is more superbly qualified to profile the nine justices.
from Amazon.com)
 
Age of Turbulence by Alan Greenspan
 
Alan Greenspan shares the story of his life first simply with an eye toward doing justice to the extraordinary amount of history he has experienced and shaped. But his other goal is to draw readers along the same learning curve he followed, so they accrue a grasp of his own understanding of the underlying dynamics that drive world events. In the second half of the book, having brought us to the present and armed us with the conceptual tools to follow him forward, Dr. Greenspan embarks on a magnificent tour de horizon of the global economy. He reveals the universals of economic growth, delves into the specific facts on the ground in each of the major countries and regions of the world, and explains what the trend-lines of globalization are from here. The distillation of a life's worth of wisdom and insight into an elegant expression of a coherent worldview, The Age of Turbulence will stand as Alan Greenspan's personal and intellectual legacy.                                               from Amazon.com
 
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
 
Teasing out the consequences of a simple thought experiment—what would happen if the human species were suddenly extinguished—Weisman has written a sort of pop-science ghost story, in which the whole earth is the haunted house. Among the highlights: with pumps not working, the New York City subways would fill with water within days, while weeds and then trees would retake the buckled streets and wild predators would ravage the domesticated dogs. Texas’s unattended petrochemical complexes might ignite, scattering hydrogen cyanide to the winds—a "mini chemical nuclear winter." After thousands of years, the Chunnel, rubber tires, and more than a billion tons of plastic might remain, but eventually a polymer-eating microbe could evolve, and, with the spectacular return of fish and bird populations, the earth might revert to Eden.
The New Yorker Copyright © 2007
 
Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell
 
On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less then twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive. This is the story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.A six-foot-five-inch Texan, Leading Petty Officer Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs. He transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan, where the beleaguered American team plummeted headlong a thousand feet down a mountain as they fought back through flying shale and rocks. In this rich , moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare-and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
From Amazon.com

 

 
New Reference Resources 
 
Local History Titles
Where They Fell, Rochester area soldiers who fought in the Civil War
by Bob Marcotte
 
"A fascinating account of Rochester's participation in the war... beautifully illustrated with maps, drawings and photos and includes letters and diaries of Rochester soldiers."    
From publisher description
Joe Wilson and the Rise of Xerox by Charles D. Ellis
 
"Transforming family-owned Haloid Corp., which struggled in the shadow of hometown Eastman Kodak, into the globally recognized Xerox is an amazing accomplishment. But as Ellis's biography of Joe Wilson attests, Wilson's achievements ranged more widely and went much deeper than many gave him credit for. He contends that Wilson embodied all of the qualities that leadership management books celebrate: integrity, foresight and the ability to inspire people to perform."                                               Copyright © Publisher's Weekly           
Erie Canal Legacy: Architectural Treasures of the Empire State                                      by Andy Olenick and Richard Reisem
 
"This book of photography is a memorable tour of the historic architecture in the cities, towns, villages and hamlets that mushroomed along the Erie Canal. Lavishly illustrated with 270-full color photographs, the book also offers brief anecdotal histories of sites on the 363-mile waterway."                        
From publisher description
 

 
 
2300 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester NY 14618
Tel. (585) 784-5300 - TDD (585) 784-5302

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