LibGuides: Booklists for Adults & Teens: Linkable Non-Fiction Lists

courtesy

National Common Courtesy Day is March 21

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

An Uncommon History of Common Courtesy by Bethanne Patrick With engaging and artfully presented text, including sidebars on media mavens throughout history, social gaffes, and archaic manners, this book is as entertaining as it is informative. Readers delve into cultural similarities and differences through lively passages, colorful photography, and sidebars on unique history. Topics include Courtesies and Greetings, Communication and Correspondence, Dining and Entertaining, Hierarchies and Protocol, Hospitality and Occasions, Amusements and Institutions, Boundaries and Cultural Differences, New Technology and Old Manners. Whether you are planning a trip abroad or just want a fascinating, browsable read, find out what is universal and what is merely a product of one's culture.
The Art of the Visit: Being the Perfect Host, Becoming the Perfect Guest by Kathy Bertone This practical and humorous guide establishes the ground rules for successfully spending time with those people who are most dear to us: our family and friends. From visiting with and hosting children to pets and older adults, this book has it all. The "Visit Wizard Tips" throughout the book are at once humorous and heart-felt and will have you going from stressed-out host to the veritable Audrey Hepburn of hosting! From the cover to the interior pages, the styling is lovely. It makes the perfect gift book or hostess gift for about the same amount as a bottle of wine. Full of anecdotes from the author's experiences, The Art of the Visit illustrates the dos and don'ts of extended visiting from start to finish so that the reader can become the perfect host and/or the perfect guest.
The Civility Solution by P. M. Forni Many of us find ourselves confronted with rudeness every day and don't know how to respond. From the intrusive cell-phone user who holds loud conversations in public to the hostile highway driver who cuts one off with a quick swerve of his car, politeness seems to be on a downward spiral, surprising us at every turn. P.M. Forni, the author ofChoosing Civility, has the answer. knows that rudeness begets rudeness and, inThe Civility Solution, he shows us what to do when confronted with bad behavior by being assertive as well as civil. In more than one hundred different situations, he shows us how to break the rudeness cycle by responding to a variety of confrontations from bullying to rude internet behavior or the hurtful words of an insensitive family member. How would you respond to the following? ...A salesperson ignores your requests ...A fellow driver gives you the infamous "finger" ...Your child's playmate misbehaves ...Your boss publicly reprimands you P. M. Forni has solutions for all of these and many more. In yet another simple and practical handbook, P. M. Forni presents logical solutions that reinforce good behavior and make our world a more civil place.
Table Manners by Jeremiah Tower An authoritative and witty guide to modern table manners for all occasions by one of the world's most acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs When can you photograph your food? What do you do when you're running late? What can you eat with your hands? Are you the guest who runs late and texts real-time updates? The diner with allergies or the host trying to accommodate them? The social media addict who can't put your phone down at the restaurant? Whether your manners are a disaster or you simply need some fine-tuning, here is an authoritative and witty guide to table manners for everyone and every occasion.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Modern Manners by Mary M. Mitchell; Jim Weber The Complete Idiot's Guide to Modern Manners Fast-Track Written by a recognized etiquette expert, The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Modern Manners Fast-Trackgives readers a no-nonsense map for navigating the ins and outs of polite behavior. This helpful guide offers readers quick tips and easy techniques for dealing with ill-mannered behavior and helps remind them to behave, especially when others don't.
The Art of Good Manners by Bodleian Library Staff (Editor) In taking soup do not gurgle or make throat noises.Speak well of others or not at all is a good rule.'The Art of Good Manners' covers such topics as table manners, pronunciation, introductions, conversation, courtship and children's behaviour. It guides the reader in appropriate behaviour during each course at a dinner party and warns of possible pitfalls - 'to peel an orange, apple or pear with a fruit knife and fork requires some practice' - as well as explaining how a gentleman is expected to behave when ladies are present.
Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*CK by Amy Alkon "Miss Manners with Fangs." --LA Weekly We live in a world that's very different from the one in which Emily Post came of age. Many of us who are nice (but who also sometimes say "f*ck") are frequently at a loss for guidelines about how to be a good person who deals effectively with the increasing onslaught of rudeness we all encounter. To lead us out of the miasma of modern mannerlessness, science-based and bitingly funny syndicated advice columnist Amy Alkon rips the doily off the manners genre and gives us a new set of rules for our twenty-first century lives. With wit, style, and a dash of snark, Alkon explains that we now live in societies too big for our brains, lacking the constraints on bad behavior that we had in the small bands we evolved in. Alkon shows us how we can reimpose those constraints, how we can avoid being one of the rude, and how to stand up to those who are. Foregoing prissy advice on which utensil to use, Alkon answers the twenty-first century's most burning questions about manners, including: * Why do many people, especially those under forty, now find spontaneous phone calls rude? * What can you tape to your mailbox to stop dog walkers from letting their pooch violate your lawn? * How do you shut up the guy in the pharmacy line with his cellphone on speaker? * What small gift to your new neighbors might make them think twice about playing Metallica at 3 a.m.' Combining science with more than a touch of humor,Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck is destined to give good old Emily a shove off the etiquette shelf (if that's not too rude to say).
Emily Post's Etiquette by Peggy Post For the first time in its history, this American classic has been completely rewritten. Peggy Post gives us etiquette for today's times. Read by millions since the first edition was published in 1922, Emily Post—the most trusted name in etiquette—has always been there to help people navigate every conceivable social situation. The tradition continues with this 100 percent revised and updated edition, which covers the formal, the traditional, the contemporary, and the casual. Based on thousands of reader questions, surveys conducted on the Emily Post Institute and Good Housekeeping Web sites, and Peggy's travels across the country, the book shows how to handle the new, difficult, unusual, and everyday situations we all encounter. The definition of etiquette—a code of behavior based on thoughtfulness—has not changed since Emily's day. The etiquette guidelines we use to smooth the way change all the time. This new edition resolves hundreds of our key etiquette concerns: dealing with rudeness, netiquette, noxious neighbors, road rage, family harmony, on-line dating, cell phone courtesy, raising respectful children and teens, and travel etiquette in the post-9/11 world...to name just a few. Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition also remains the definitive source for timeless advice on entertaining, social protocol, table manners, guidelines for religious ceremonies, expressing condolences, introductions, how to be a good houseguest and host, invitations, correspondence, planning a wedding, giving a toast, and sportsmanship. Peggy Post's advice gives us the confidence of knowing we're doing the right thing so we can relax and enjoy the moment and move more easily through our world. Emily Post's Etiquette, 17th Edition will be the resource of choice for years to come.
Modern Manners by Dorothea Johnson; Liv Tyler "From one of the country's most beloved authorities on etiquette, with help from her world-famous granddaughter, Liv Tyler, this is a colorful guide to 21st-century manners for the millions of young professionals who want to be their best in every setting, from business meetings to casual events or when using technology." "Etiquette means knowing how to behave in any situation. The reason that's important? Because it puts everyone at ease, including the person practicing it. Dorothea Johnson, founder of the Protocol School of Washington, proves that learning the rules can actually be fun. Her keenly observed advice addresses modern quandaries of cellphone and email etiquette as well as the traditional conundrums of making introductions and identifying a four-course place setting. Throughout, her granddaughter, actress Liv Tyler, shares lively memories of learning good manners with her grandmother's help, and stories of how those lessons benefit her today."
Long Live the Queen by Bryan Kozlowski "Delicious...a happy and glorious guide to living your best regal life." --Victoria Arbiter, CNN Royal Commentator "Does this crown make me look old?" said the Queen never. Her longevity, health and physical stamina are legendary. Now the longest reigning monarch in British history, Elizabeth II has spent over half a century on the throne, rarely taking a sick day and, in her tenth decade, remains amazingly comfortable in her own skin. How does one do it, Ma'am? For the first time, step behind Palace doors to unlock the little-known strategies behind the Queen's remarkable self-preservation. Investigating the 23 rules of her iconic resilence, you'll learn how to channel your inner royal - at work, at play, or at the table - in this fascinating plunge into the House of Windsor's famous fountain of youth. Extensively researched and delightfully revelatory, it's the story of how one strong queen can make stronger, happier, healthier subjects of us all. Long live you!
Manners by Kate Spade Whether in the workplace, at the opera, or on an overnight stay at a friends, it is always important to observe the rules of proper behaviour. In this volume Kate Spade sets forth her own solutions for successfully navigating a variety of social situations. Beginning with a section entitled Exercising Your Manners 365 Days a Year, progressing through From Me to You: The Gentle Art of Communication, and ending with In the Office, On a Date and All the Rest of It, Kate provides honest, insightful advice on table manners, thank-you notes, office gossip, introductions and much more. Modern and fresh, MANNERS is a delightful forthright guide to twenty-first century etiquette.
Manners That Matter Most by June Eding; Norah Lawlor (Foreword by) Etiquette is one of the most valuable assets a person can have: knowing how best to present yourself, and how to deal with others in a direct, effective manner, is paramount in all personal, professional, and social relationships. Manners That Matter Most seeks to resurrect the bygone customs of good manners and graceful style, all while updating and applying them to the modern age.
Essential Manners for Men by Peter Post "A helpful manners survival guide for figuring out those sticky everyday situations." --Joshua Piven, coauthor of The WORST-CASE SCENARIO Survival Handbook The completely revised and updated edition of the New York Times bestseller that addresses the topics men really need to know to succeed in business and in life. The name "Emily Post" is synonymous with etiquette, good manners, and decorum--and, with this newly revised and updated 2nd Edition of the New York Times bestseller Essential Manners for Men, Peter Post, Emily Post's great-grandson and director of The Emily Post Institute, Inc., once again does the great lady proud. In this invaluable handbook, Post addresses the topics men really need to master to succeed in business and in life--how to act and to conduct themselves in a plethora of common and not so common circumstances in the office, at a wedding, on social media, when dating, etc. Essential Manners for Men, 2nd Edition is a book that belongs on the shelves of every man and the woman who loves him.
Miss Manners Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behaviour by Judith Martin Your neighbor denounces cellular telephones as instruments of the devil. Your niece swears that no one expects thank-you letters anymore. Your father-in-law insists that married women have to take their husbands' names. Your guests plead that asking them to commit themselves to attending your party ruins the spontaneity. Who is right? Miss Manners, of course. With all those amateurs issuing unauthorized etiquette pronouncements, aren't you glad that there is a gold standard to consult about what has really changed and what has not? The freshly updated version of the classic bestseller includes the latest letters, essays, and illustrations, along with the laugh-out-loud wisdom of Miss Manners as she meets the new millennium of American misbehavior head-on. This wickedly witty guide rules on the challenges brought about by our ever-evolving society, once again proving that etiquette, far from being an optional extra, is the essential currency of a civilized world.
What Would Mrs. Astor Do? by Cecelia Tichi A richly illustrated romp with America's Gilded Age leisure class--and those angling to join it Mark Twain called it the Gilded Age. Between 1870 and 1900, the United States' population doubled, accompanied by an unparalleled industrial expansion, and an explosion of wealth unlike any the world had ever seen. America was the foremost nation of the world, and New York City was its beating heart. There, the richest and most influential--Thomas Edison, J. P. Morgan, Edith Wharton, the Vanderbilts, Andrew Carnegie, and more--became icons, whose comings and goings were breathlessly reported in the papers of Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. It was a time of abundance, but also bitter rivalries, in work and play. The Old Money titans found themselves besieged by a vanguard of New Money interlopers eager to gain entrée into their world of formal balls, debutante parties, opera boxes, sailing regattas, and summer gatherings at Newport. Into this morass of money and desire stepped Caroline Astor. Mrs. Astor, an Old Money heiress of the first order, became convinced that she was uniquely qualified to uphold the manners and mores of Gilded Age America. Wherever she went, Mrs. Astor made her judgments, dictating proper behavior and demeanor, men's and women's codes of dress, acceptable patterns of speech and movements of the body, and what and when to eat and drink. The ladies and gentlemen of high society took note. "What would Mrs. Astor do?" became the question every social climber sought to answer. And an invitation to her annual ball was a golden ticket into the ranks of New York's upper crust. This work serves as a guide to manners as well as an insight to Mrs. Astor's personal diary and address book, showing everything from the perfect table setting to the array of outfits the elite wore at the time. Channeling the queen of the Gilded Age herself, Cecelia Tichi paints a portrait of New York's social elite, from the schools to which they sent their children, to their lavish mansions and even their reactions to the political and personal scandals of the day. Ceceilia Tichi invites us on a beautifully illustrated tour of the Gilded Age, transporting readers to New York at its most fashionable. A colorful tapestry of fun facts and true tales, What Would Mrs. Astor Do? presents a vivid portrait of this remarkable time of social metamorphosis, starring Caroline Astor, the ultimate gatekeeper.
Call Number: eBook
Modern Etiquette Made Easy by Myka Meier The founder of The Plaza Hotel's Finishing Program spills her insider knowledge to help you become instantly more polished.   In her debut book, Modern Etiquette Made Easy, the Queen of Good Manners Myka Meier takes formal etiquette that she learned while training under a former member of the Queen of England's household and breaks it down into five easy steps to help you feel 100 percent confident in the areas of social, dining, business, and networking etiquette.   In this refreshingly entertaining etiquette guide, Myka combines her passion for etiquette and love of humor to share tips that are sure to give you a competitive edge in both your social and professional life. Through easy-to-follow chapters and relatable lessons, you'll learn how to:  Create the best first impression Become the most coveted party guest Network like a pro Practice good table manners And much, much more! Perfect for everyone who's ever gone for the cheek kiss as the new acquaintance offered a handshake, or hobbled home from a networking event in stilettos. Fitting for messy-bun millennials who find themselves suddenly adulting without a clue, or mid-career professionals hoping to revamp their image. Or really, for anyone at all--at the end of the day, we could all use some more respect and kindness, and Modern Etiquette Made Easy offers advice and insight like a friend.   Pinkies down!
Call Number: Check it out now - only available from hoopla digital!
Mr. Boddington's Etiquette by Boddington's Studio The witty and eloquent Mr. Boddington offers dos and don'ts for polite society in this comprehensive and thoroughly amusing guide that provides modern advice with a traditional perspective. Covering everything from weddings to gift-giving moments, social events, hosting guests, and so much more, Mr. Boddington shares the basic etiquette one needs to know and presents it all in his signature style. Filled with charming illustrations from the beloved Mr. Boddington's Studio, this jaunty handbook is just the thing to make manners less of a fuss.
Call Number: Check it out now - only available from hoopla digital!
Unmentionable by Therese Oneill Have you ever wished you could live in an earlier, more romantic era? Ladies, welcome to the 19thcentury, where arsenic is a face cream, opium is a medicine, and all of your underwear is crotchless. (I'll get back to that in a minute.) In the spirit of Texts from Jane Eyre and Schott's Miscellany, UNMENTIONABLE is your guide to the secrets of life as a Victorian lady, giving you detailed advice on how to maintain your youth (if you see a wrinkle, just rub lead on it!), how to please your husband (stop talking), how to manage your monthly "unwellness," and more. Learn how much laughter is permitted a lady on the street (none). Find out what's underneath those elegant ball gowns (whalebone corsets, crinoline cages, and crotchless pantalettes - for quick bathroom access under all that hardware). And most importantly, come away with a new appreciation of the fortitude of our great-grandmothers. Irresistibly charming, laugh-out-loud funny, and featuring dozens of images from 19th century publications, UNMENTIONABLE will be beloved by Jane Austen fans and is the perfect gift for women of all ages.
Talk to the Hand by Lynne Truss "Talk to the hand, 'cause the face ain't listening," the saying goes. When did the world stop wanting to hear? When did society become so thoughtless? It's a topic that has been simmering for years, and Lynne Truss says it's now reached the boiling point. Taking on the boorish behavior that for some has become a point of pride, Talk to the Hand is a rallying cry for courtesy. Like Eats, Shoots & Leaves, Talk to the Hand is not a stuffy guidebook, and is sure to inspire spirited conversation. Why hasn't your nephew ever thanked you for your carefully selected gift? What makes your contractor think it's fine to snub you in the midst of a major renovation? Why do crowds spawn selfishness? What accounts for the appalling treatment you receive in stores (if you're lucky enough to get a clerk's attention at all)? Most important, what will it take to roll back a culture that applauds those who are disrespectful? In a recent U.S. survey, 79 percent of adults said that lack of courtesy was a serious problem. For anyone who's fed up with the brutality inflicted by modern manners (or lack thereof), Talk to the Hand is a colorful call to arms--from the wittiest defender of the civilized world.
I Stand Corrected by Eden Collinsworth A fascinating fusion of memoir, manners, and cultural history from a successful businesswoman well versed in the unique challenges of working in contemporary China. During the course of a career that has, quite literarily, moved her around the world, no country has fascinated Eden Collinsworth more than China, where she has borne witness to its profound transformation. After numerous experiences there that might best be called "unusual" by Western standards, she concluded that despite China's growing status as a world economy, businessmen in mainland China were fundamentally uncomfortable in the company of their Western counterparts. This realization spawned an idea to work collaboratively with a major Chinese publisher on a Western etiquette guide, which went on to became a bestseller and prompted a branch of China's Ministry of Education to suggest that she create a curriculum for the school system. In I Stand Corrected, Collinsworth tells the entertaining and insightful story of the year she spent living among the Chinese while writing a book featuring advice on such topics as the non-negotiable issue of personal hygiene, the rules of the handshake, and making sense of foreigners. Scrutinizing the kind of etiquette that has guided her own business career, one which has unfolded in predominately male company, Collinsworth creates a counterpart that explains Chinese practices and reveals much about our own Western culture. At the same time, I Stand Corrected is a wry but self-effacing reflection on the peripatetic career she led while single-handedly raising her son, and here she details the often madcap attempts to strike a balance that was right for them both.
The Tricky Art of Co-Existing by Sandi Toksvig "If you do it right, being a grown-up is just like being a kid . . . but without people telling you off." No one learns "etiquette" anymore (except by embarrassing trial and error). But manners are more than a dusty tradition: Done right, they make life easier--for everyone! That's why Sandi Toksvig highlights decency rather than convention in this entertaining guide, with: Spot-On Advice: "Remember--you don't have to answer the phone, so don't do it if you don't have time to be polite." Fascinating Trivia: "It is very rude to clear the plate of someone who hasn't finished. In fact, the Romans believed doing so would bring about the diner's sudden death." And Her Characteristic Wit: "Focusing on the people you share a meal with is both a pleasure and a necessity. Get to know your family members; you might even like them." Be the most decently behaved person in the room, and the most interesting: Master The Tricky Art of Co-Existing!
Would It Kill You to Stop Doing That? by Henry Alford "We all know bad manners when we see them," NPR and Vanity Fair contributor Henry Alford observes at the beginning of his new book. But what, he asks, do good manners look like in our day and age? When someone answers their cell phone in the middle of dining with you, or runs you off the sidewalk with their doublewide stroller, or you enter a post-apocalyptic public restroom, the long-revered wisdom of Emily Post can seem downright prehistoric. Troubled by the absence of good manners in his day-to-day life-by the people who clip their toenails on the subway or give three-letter replies to one's laboriously crafted missives-Alford embarks on a journey to find out how things might look if people were on their best behavior a tad more often. He travels to Japan (the "Fort Knox Reserve" of good manners) to observe its culture of collective politesse. He interviews etiquette experts both likely (Judith Martin, Tim Gunn) and unlikely (a former prisoner, an army sergeant). He plays a game called Touch the Waiter. And he volunteers himself as a tour guide to foreigners visiting New York City in order to do ground-level reconnaissance on cultural manners divides. Along the way (in typical Alford style) he also finds time to teach Miss Manners how to steal a cab; designates the World's Most Annoying Bride; and tosses his own hat into the ring, volunteering as an online etiquette coach. Ultimately, by tackling the etiquette questions specific to our age-such as Why shouldn't you ask a cab driver where's he's from?, Why is posting baby pictures on Facebook a fraught activity? and What's the problem with "No problem"?-Alford finds a wry and warm way into a subject that has sometimes been seen as pedantic or elitist. And in this way, he looks past the standard "dos" and "don'ts" of good form to present an illuminating, seriously entertaining book about grace and civility, and how we can simply treat each other better.
Unqualified Hostess by W. Goldberg The legendary actor and comedian shows how to set a great table, shares ideas for unforgettable celebrations, and says, "It's about fun, not perfection!" In her own words... "It's Whoopi here and I've written this book that, frankly, is the last book anyone would expect. You would never think of me as someone with the courage to say, 'You have everything you need to be fantastic in your own house, apartment, or trailer to set a great table.' Let's face it, you look at a lot of books on Entertaining and think 'I could never do this in my house, I don't have this stuff and it's not going to look like what I'm seeing.' That's not what's going to happen here! I want to show you there is great heart in setting the table. For two or four or the kids or Halloween or tea just for you. For dinners with friends or the holidays. I'm going to tell you stories about what I do when people come over and give you ideas about what you're seeing because Honey, everything in this book is what you can do in your house. You got a bodega or a 7-Eleven near you? They sell flowers. Take those bad boys and put them on your table. You got some crazy old plate from your grandmother (or a fancy silver one)? You got little kids' toys that have been annoying you forever, put them on the table too. Who's going to tell you it's wrong? Not me! I'm going to tell you it's right and I'm going to take you on a journey. And don't forget the bathroom; decorate it too, people are going to see it. It's all at your house. Come with me. I'll show you! P.S. I know the glass on the cover is broken. Accidents happen!"
Polish Your Poise with Madame Chic by Jennifer L. Scott TheNew York Timesbestselling author ofLessons from Madame Chicand At Home withMadame Chicrevives the timeless quality of poise and shows how to cultivate it as a daily practice and a life-long endeavour. Just step out your door today and you will notice that poise is a rarity in our wired, fast-paced, and unmannerly world. As uncivil behaviours like flip-flops at Broadway shows and digital oversharing proliferate, this timely book reminds us of the quiet power of behaving with dignity, kindness, and grace. Jennifer Scott's Parisian mentor, Madame Chic, embodied poise, and not just with the good posture, stylish attire, and natural manners that made her extraordinarily elegant. She also demonstrated steady assuredness and graceful calm in everything she did-from interacting with her family and receiving guests at home to presenting herself in public. Jennifer L. Scott passes on the lessons she learned as well as some of her own hard-won wisdom, addressing topics such as proper attire at social events, good grooming, communication skills, hospitality and being a good guest, our interactions with neighbours and strangers, role models, self-discipline, and self-image. This charmingly illustrated, practical, and inspiring book, full of tips, lists, and ideas, is certain to start a new conversation about the timeless art of poise.
How to Be a Hepburn in a Kardashian World by Jordan Christy Jordan Christy shares advice on how to be the most confident version of yourself, in this fully revised and updated edition derived from How to Be a Hepburn in a Hilton World. Though fashions may change, certain things never go out of style -- like your favorite little black dress that can take you from a business meeting to a dinner party to a night on the town. But what makes it work is not the dress, it's how you present yourself while wearing it. A woman who is polite, well spoken, gracious, charming, and thoughtful is always welcome-though such women appear to be in short supply these days! Despite the headline-grabbing antics of certain flashy celebutantes, most of us would rather have respect -- for ourselves and from our family, friends, and colleagues. In this fully revised and updated edition, you will learn how to: Appear polished without sacrificing your personal style, Develop skills and discover interests to boost your self-confidence, Find your true friendships and make them stronger, Date Mr. Right instead of hooking up with Mr. Right Now, Land the perfect internship and your first job, Have a fun night without the risk of a social media faux pas. With this insightful guide you'll be loving life with style, class, and grace in no time!
Call Number: eBook
Social Q's by Philip Galanes Office attire and e-mail misfire. Twitter snafus and dating miscues. Philip Galanes hears an awful lot of WHAT SHOULD I DOs?! "I'm pretty sure the woman who swims laps next to me at the Y is peeing in the pool. What should I do?" It started in 2008, when Galanes began the "Social Q's" advice column for the Sunday Styles section of The New York Times. "My boyfriend has an identical twin that I'm strangely hotter for than I am for him. What should I do?" Since then, the questions come faster than a drunken starlet behind the wheel of a speeding Maserati. "My Dad seems to have mixed up my cell phone number with the number of the woman he's seeing behind my mother's back. He sends her sexy texts that are freaking me out. What should I do?" A cornerstone of The New York Times's Styles section, Philip Galanes confronts today's most awkward and pressing questions. Branded with an inimitable voice-- witty and wise, sharp and saucy--Philip tackles unanswered questions and brand-new subjects with laugh-out-loud dish and practical wisdom. Not only about the new ways to thank a friend for throwing you a bridal shower (at a strip club), or when it's appropriate to tell Nana to stop dressing like the latest Pop Tart, but also how to navigate a new age crowded with Tweets, twits, OMGs, and WTFs. Social Q's is a knockout book that will guide you swiftly through the treacherous terrain of modern etiquette--and keep you laughing for days.
How Not to Be a Dick by Meghan Doherty (Illustrator) On the one hand, nobody wants to be a dick. On the other hand, dicks are everywhere! They cut in line, talk behind our backs, recline into our seats, and even have the power to morph into trolls online. Their powers are impressive, but with a little foresight and thoughtfulness, we can take a stand against dickishness today. How Not to Be a Dick is packed with honest and straightforward advice, but it also includes playful illustrations showing two well-meaning (but not always well behaved) young people as they confront moments of potential dickishness in their everyday lives. Sometimes they falter, sometimes they triumph, but they always seek to find a better way. And with their help, you can too. Just see the agreement at the beginning of the book: I pledge to use the tools and techniques provided in this book to help make the world a less dickish place. "Doherty fires absurd twenty-first-century zingers that happen to be really, really, really funny."--starred, Booklist
Preparing for Your Move Abroad by Rona Hart This comprehensive, step-by-step guide is designed to prepare you for your move abroad and to enable you to manage the transition effectively. Alone in the market, it combines the practical, cultural, and psychological aspects of relocation, and helps to allay the fears and reduce the stresses that accompany this major event in a person's life.  Preparing For Your Move Abroad follows a typical relocation timeline, taking you from your first step - the decision to move - to your integration into the host society, and through every step between these two points. Uniquely it offers: * A strong knowledge base for every stage of the relocation journey* A strategy to manage the issues at hand* Psychological preparation* An action plan, presented through exercises, practical steps to consider, checklists, and many easy-to-use tools It deals with the challenge of change by pulling together the practical, cultural, and psychological aspects of relocation and addressing them at each phase of the process. This distinctive approach helps you to develop three essential skills: systematic organization, cultural flexibility, and psychological resilience. These skills are crucial for successful change management, and can be put to use in any new culture, anywhere in the world. Moving to a new society invariably induces a degree of culture shock - largely the result of "change overload." Preparing For Your Move Abroad presents a tried and tested strategy to help you manage the experience and quickly recover. No other book addresses this phenomenon, or attempts to help readers develop the skills to cope with it. The book aims to turn the challenges of relocation into opportunities for growth. By equipping you with essential knowledge, tools, and skills, it will help you to anticipate what lies ahead, address the challenges presented by your move with clarity and confidence, and make your transition successful, stress-free, and much more enjoyable.
The Book of Patience by Courtney E. Ackerman Discover why patience really is a virtue with these 250 quotes and exercises designed to help you lead a happier, more successful life. Patience is both a virtue and a skill that you can learn and apply in your daily life to be calmer and more stress-free. Wouldn't it be nice to calmly zen out when stuck in traffic delays instead of losing your cool? In The Book of Patience, you will discover practical exercises, habits, thoughts, and moments of pause to allow you to cultivate and improve your patience. These 250 quotes and activities will help you deescalate feelings of irritability and become less reactive in moments of stress and duress. Being patient means facing challenges and adversity with calm and ease and The Book of Patience is here to make this skill easier than ever!
Is It Just Me? by Whoopi Goldberg Have you noticed that things aren't as civil as they once were? Or that rudeness is no longer an exception but a lifestyle? Sure you have. All you need to do is set foot outside your door to see that bad manners are taking over everywhere. People are yakking on cell phones in restaurants, even at church. Folks in carpools wear enough cologne to make our eyes bleed. Complete strangers think it's OK to rub a pregnant lady's belly. Passengers abuse flight attendants, family outings to the ball park are ruined by rowdy drunks . . . a congressman heckled the President of the United States. Well, Whoopi Goldberg has noticed all this and more and asked herself, "Is it just me?" Unleashing her trademark irreverence and humor, her new book of observations takes a funny and excruciatingly honest look at how a loss of civility is messing with the quality of life for all of us. So if your pet peeve is folks who talk in movie theaters like it was their living room, or if you get bugged by people clipping their nails and performing other personal hygiene next to you on the bus, or if you cringe when "please" and "thank you" get replaced by "gimme" and "huh" . . . you have found a kindred spirit. Because Whoopi has witnessed the growing disrespect and rudeness in our lives and realized she is not alone. And, as you'll discover in these pages, neither are you.
I Like You by Amy Sedaris Sedaris's blisteringly funny take on entertaining--plus color photos and enlightening sidebars on everything it takes to pull off a party with flair--make this volume the best hostess gift on the planet (Entertainment Weekly)
The Meaning of Nice by Joan Duncan Oliver Discover the hidden power of nice. The Meaning of Nice is a multi-faceted exploration of a simple word and how it has developed over time and among various disciplines. With emphasis on philosophy, positive psychology and interpersonal relationships, Joan Duncan Oliver probes theories and practices to explain why and how nice girls can get the corner office and nice guys can finish first. We tend to associate "nice" people with kindness and good manners - it's an indistinct, generic kind of praise. Joan Duncan Oliver restores the power of nice, and shows how this complex quality can change your life, and has never been more crucial to our well-being as individuals and as a society.
Radical Kindness by Angela Santomero; Deepak Chopra (Foreword by) The beloved creator of Blues Clues and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and protégé of Fred Rogers explores the importance of kindness and how it can change your life in this essential guide and tie-in to the PBS special, "The Power of Radical Kindness." Angela C. Santomero, the creator, executive producer, and head writer of many of today's most popular educational children's shows believes in the radical power of kindness, on her shows, and in her life. Inspired by her mentor Fred Rogers, beloved host of the classic, award-winning PBS show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Angela has dedicated her life to teaching others that when you treat yourself and others with warmth, empathy, and respect, life changing benefits follows. From the true meaning of self-care and the gift of vulnerability, to the importance of active listening or the magic of asking for help, Radical Kindness goes beyond The Golden Rule and entreaties to "be nice," contending that kindness is the key to recognizing others, and ourselves, as worthy of love and understanding. Much like gratitude, Angela contends we need a kindness practice. A practice in which we learn to see with our hearts and act from a place of compassion. As the Dalai Lama says, "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Through practicing radical kindness--toward ourselves, with loved ones, and to the world at large--we can transform ourselves, our neighborhood, and our world for the better.
Secrets of the Southern Belle by Phaedra Parks From Phaedra Parks, breakout star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, comes a true Southern Belle's witty, practical, and no-nonsense guide to life. Who is always perfectly put together and never at a loss for words? Who is profes#65533;sional, courteous, and harder working than any#65533;one else? Whose Christmas cards arrive the day after Thanksgiving, year after year? Y'all know she's got to be a Southern Belle. A Southern Belle takes care of herself and makes sure people treat her right. She always gets her way, even if her man thinks it was his idea. (That's a win for you both.) But, darling, you don't have to be raised in the South to be the same fun-loving package of looks, charm, and determination that makes a Belle a Belle. That's what this delightful little book is for! Ladies, take it from Phaedra Parks, the smart, confident, and always poised star of The Real House#65533;wives of Atlanta. Life as a Belle is simply better--for you and for the people around you. So let's imag#65533;ine you're rocking on the front porch, with a tall glass of sweet tea and a plate of ladyfingers, because Phaedra's got a thing or two to tell you!
Treating People Well by Lea Berman; Jeremy Bernard; Laura Bush (Foreword by) A guide to personal and professional empowerment through civility and social skills, written by two White House Social Secretaries who offer an important fundamental message--everyone is important and everyone deserves to be treated well. Former White House social secretaries Lea Berman, who worked for George and Laura Bush, and Jeremy Bernard, who worked for Michelle and Barack Obama, have written an entertaining and uniquely practical guide to personal and professional success in modern life. Their daily experiences at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue taught them valuable lessons about how to work productively with people from different walks of life and points of view. These Washington insiders share what they've learned through first person examples of their own glamorous (and sometimes harrowing) moments with celebrities, foreign leaders and that most unpredictable of animals--the American politician. This book is for you if you feel unsure of yourself in social settings, if you'd like to get along more easily with others, or if you want to break through to a new level of cooperation with your boss and coworkers. They give specific advice for how to exude confidence even when you don't feel it, ways to establish your reputation as an individual whom people like, trust, and want to help, and lay out the specific social skills still essential to success - despite our increasingly digitized world. Jeremy and Lea prove that social skills are learned behavior that anyone can acquire, and tell the stories of their own unlikely paths to becoming the social arbiters of the White House, while providing tantalizing insights into the character of the first ladies and presidents they served. This is not a book about old school etiquette; they explain the things we all want to know, like how to walk into a roomful of strangers and make friends, what to do about a difficult colleague who makes you dread coming to work each day, and how to navigate the sometimes-treacherous waters of social media in a special chapter on "Virtual Manners." For lovers of White House history, this is a treasure of never-before-published anecdotes from the authors and their fellow former social secretaries as they describe pearl-clutching moments with presidents and first ladies dating back to the Johnson administration. The authors make a case for the importance of a return to treating people well in American political life, maintaining that democracy cannot be sustained without public civility. Foreword by Laura Bush
How Civility Works by Keith J. Bybee Is civility dead? Americans ask this question every election season, but their concern is hardly limited to political campaigns. Doubts about civility regularly arise in just about every aspect of American public life. Rudeness runs rampant. Our news media is saturated with aggressive bluster and vitriol. Our digital platforms teem with trolls and expressions of disrespect. Reflecting these conditions, surveys show that a significant majority of Americans believe we are living in an age of unusual anger and discord. Everywhere we look, there seems to be conflict and hostility, with shared respect and consideration nowhere to be found. In a country that encourages thick skins and speaking one's mind, is civility even possible, let alone desirable? In How Civility Works, Keith J. Bybee elegantly explores the "crisis" in civility, looking closely at how civility intertwines with our long history of boorish behavior and the ongoing quest for pleasant company. Bybee argues that the very features that make civility ineffective and undesirable also point to civility's power and appeal. Can we all get along? If we live by the contradictions on which civility depends, then yes, we can, and yes, we should.

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Inventors' Day

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

The Ingenious Mr. Pyke by Henry Hemming The untold story of an enigmatic genius who changed warfare forever In the World War II era, Geoffrey Pyke was described as one of the world's great minds -- to rank alongside Einstein. Pyke was an inventor, adventurer, polymath, and unlikely hero of both world wars. He earned a fortune on the stock market, founded an influential pre-school, wrote a bestseller, and came up with the idea for the US and Canadian Special Forces. In 1942, he convinced Winston Churchill to build an aircraft carrier out of reinforced ice. Pyke escaped from a German WWI prison camp, devised an ingenious plan to help the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War, and launched a private attempt to avert the outbreak of the Second World War by sending into Nazi Germany a group of pollsters disguised as golfers. And he may have been a Russian spy. In 2009, long after Pyke's death, MI5 released a mass of material suggesting that Pyke was in fact a senior official in the Soviet Comintern. In 1951, papers relating to Pyke were found in the flat of "Cambridge Spy" Guy Burgess after his defection to Moscow. MI5 had "watchers" follow Pyke through the bombed-out streets of London, his letters were opened, and listening devices picked up clues to his real identity. Convinced he was a Soviet agent codenamed Professor P, MI5 helped to bring his career to an end. Henry Hemming is the first reporter to sift through this extraordinary new information and finally tell Pyke's astonishing story in full: his brilliance, his flaws, and his life of adventures, ideas, and secrets.
Inventor of the Future by Alec Nevala-Lee One of Esquire's 50 Best Biographies of All Time * One of The Economist's Best Books of 2022 * A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice * Nominated for The Next Big Idea Club * The Week Magazine Book of the Week From Alec Nevala-Lee, the author of the Hugo and Locus Award finalist Astounding, comes a revelatory biography of the visionary designer who defined the rules of startup culture and shaped America's idea of the future.  During his lifetime, Buckminster Fuller was hailed as one of the greatest geniuses of the twentieth century. As the architectural designer and futurist best known for the geodesic dome, he enthralled a vast popular audience, inspired devotion from both the counterculture and the establishment, and was praised as a modern Leonardo da Vinci. To his admirers, he exemplified what one man could accomplish by approaching urgent design problems using a radically unconventional set of strategies, which he based on a mystical conception of the universe's geometry. His views on sustainability, as embodied in the image of Spaceship Earth, convinced him that it was possible to provide for all humanity through the efficient use of planetary resources. From Epcot Center to the molecule named in his honor as the buckyball, Fuller's legacy endures to this day, and his belief in the transformative potential of technology profoundly influenced the founders of Silicon Valley. Inventor of the Future is the first authoritative biography to cover all aspects of Fuller's career. Drawing on meticulous research, dozens of interviews, and thousands of unpublished documents, Nevala-Lee has produced a riveting portrait that transcends the myth of Fuller as an otherworldly generalist. It reconstructs the true origins of his most famous inventions, including the Dymaxion Car, the Wichita House, and the dome itself; his fraught relationships with his students and collaborators; his interactions with Frank Lloyd Wright, Isamu Noguchi, Clare Boothe Luce, John Cage, Steve Jobs, and many others; and his tumultuous private life, in which his determination to succeed on his own terms came at an immense personal cost. In an era of accelerating change, Fuller's example remains enormously relevant, and his lessons for designers, activists, and innovators are as powerful and essential as ever. 
The Pleasure Shock by Lone Frank The technology invented by psychiatrist Robert G. Heath at Tulane University in the 1950s and '60s has been described as one of "the most controversial yet largely undocumented experiments in US history"-controversial to us because Heath's research subjects included incarcerated convicts and gay men who wished to be "cured" of their sexual preference; controversial in its day because his work was allegedly part of MKUltra, the CIA's notorious "mind control" project. As a result, Heath's cutting-edge research and legacy were put under lock and key, buried in Tulane's archives. The ethical issues raised by his work have also been buried- This very same experimental treatment is becoming mainstream practice in modern psychiatry for everything from schizophrenia, anorexia, and compulsive behavior to depression, aggression, anxiety, and even drug and alcohol addiction. In the first book to tell the full story, the award-winning science writer Lone Frank has uncovered lost documents and accounts of Heath's pioneering efforts. She has tracked down surviving colleagues and patients. And she has delved into the current embrace of deep brain stimulation by scientists and patients alike. What has changed? Why do we today unquestioningly embrace this technology as a cure? How do we decide what is a disease of the brain to be cured and what should be allowed to remain unprobed and unprodded? The Pleasure Shock weaves together biography, neuroscience, psychology, the history of science, and medical ethics to explore our views of the mind and the self. How do we decide whether changes to the brain are acceptable therapy or are simply bias and bigotry?
The Last Lone Inventor by Evan I. Schwartz In a story that is both of its time and timeless, Evan I. Schwartz tells a tale of genius and greed, innocence and deceit, and corporate arrogance versus independent brilliance. In other words, the very qualities that have made this country -- for better or for worse -- what it is. Many men have laid claim to the title "The Father of Television" but Philo T. Farnsworth is the true genius behind what may be the most influential invention of our time. Farnsworth may have ended up a footnote in history, yet he was the first to demonstrate an electronic process for scanning, transmitting and receiving moving images, a discovery that changed the way we live. Growing up on a small farm in Idaho, Farnsworth was fascinated by anything scientific, especially the newest thing on the market -- radio. Wouldn't it be even more miraculous to project images along with the sound? Driven by his obsession, Farnsworth found a local philanthropist willing to fund his dream. By the age of twenty, in 1926, Farnsworth was operating his own laboratory above a garage in San Francisco and filing his first patent applications. The resulting publicity brought him to the attention of David Sarnoff, the celebrated founder of the NBC radio network, whose own RCA laboratories soon began investigating -- without much success -- a way to transmit a moving image. Determined to control television the way he monopolized radio -- by owning all the royalty producing patents--Sarnoff, from the lofty heights of his office in a New York skyscraper, devised a plan to steal credit for Farnsworth's designs. Vividly written, and based on original research, including interviews with surviving members of the Farnsworth family The Last Lone Inventor is the story of the epic struggle between two equally passionate adversaries and how their clash symbolized a turning point in the culture of creativity.
The Guns of John Moses Browning by Nathan Gorenstein A "well-researched and very readable new biography" (The Wall Street Journal) of "the Thomas Edison of guns," a visionary inventor who designed the modern handgun and whose awe-inspiring array of firearms helped ensure victory in numerous American wars and holds a crucial place in world history. Few people are aware that John Moses Browning--a tall, humble, cerebral man born in 1855 and raised as a Mormon in the American West--was the mind behind many of the world-changing firearms that dominated more than a century of conflict. He invented the design used in virtually all modern pistols, created the most popular hunting rifles and shotguns, and conceived the machine guns that proved decisive not just in World Wars I and II but nearly every major military action since. Yet few in America knew his name until he was into his sixties. Now, author Nathan Gorenstein brings firearms inventor John Moses Browning to vivid life in this riveting and revealing biography. Embodying the tradition of self-made, self-educated geniuses (like Lincoln and Edison), Browning was able to think in three dimensions (he never used blueprints) and his gifted mind produced everything from the famous Winchester "30-30" hunting rifle to the awesomely effective machine guns used by every American aircraft and infantry unit in World War II. The British credited Browning's guns with helping to win the Battle of Britain. His inventions illustrate both the good and bad of weapons. Sweeping, lively, and brilliantly told, this fascinating book that "gun collectors and historians of armaments will cherish" (Kirkus Reviews) introduces a little-known legend whose impact on history ranks with that of the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford.
Copies in Seconds by David Owen A history of the photocopier offers a portrait of reserved physics graduate Chester Carlson, who invented the copier to ease his job as a patent clerk and who saw his marketing efforts daunted by numerous rejections, before the head of Xerox research recognized the machine's potential. 50,000 first printing.
JELL-O Girls by Allie Rowbottom A "gorgeous" (New York Times) memoir that braids the evolution of one of America's most iconic branding campaigns with the stirring tales of the women who lived behind its facade - told by the inheritor of their stories. In 1899, Allie Rowbottom's great-great-great-uncle bought the patent to Jell-O from its inventor for $450. The sale would turn out to be one of the most profitable business deals in American history, and the generations that followed enjoyed immense privilege - but they were also haunted by suicides, cancer, alcoholism, and mysterious ailments. More than 100 years after that deal was struck, Allie's mother Mary was diagnosed with the same incurable cancer, a disease that had also claimed her own mother's life. Determined to combat what she had come to consider the "Jell-O curse" and her looming mortality, Mary began obsessively researching her family's past, determined to understand the origins of her illness and the impact on her life of Jell-O and the traditional American values the company championed. Before she died in 2015, Mary began to send Allie boxes of her research and notes, in the hope that her daughter might write what she could not. Jell-O Girls is the liberation of that story. A gripping examination of the dark side of an iconic American product and a moving portrait of the women who lived in the shadow of its fractured fortune, Jell-O Girls is a family history, a feminist history, and a story of motherhood, love and loss. In crystalline prose Rowbottom considers the roots of trauma not only in her own family, but in the American psyche as well, ultimately weaving a story that is deeply personal, as well as deeply connected to the collective female experience.
Citizen Carl by Jack McElroy Educator, lawyer, editor, inventor, entrepreneur, and civic booster, Carl Magee helped shape New Mexico and Oklahoma in the years after gaining statehood, garnering fame along the way. Jack McElroy's fascinating biography of "Citizen Carl" tells the story of a man whose exploits were as diverse and complex as the American Southwest he loved. Magee purchased the Albuquerque Journal from the syndicate responsible for reelecting Senator Albert Bacon Fall, soon to become secretary of the Interior. Magee battled the Republican machine in New Mexico, a fight that sent Fall to prison in the Teapot Dome scandal and saw Magee repeatedly tried on charges of criminal libel, contempt of court, and even manslaughter. Forced to sell the Journal, he then started the newspaper that would become the Albuquerque Tribune. Magee's fame prompted Scripps-Howard to buy the Tribune, retaining him as editor and adopting his motto: "Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way." The company later transferred Magee to its struggling paper in Oklahoma City. There he solved the city's downtown parking problem by inventing the parking meter. Now mostly forgotten, Magee's legacy lives on, and many of the issues he confronted--press freedom, gun violence, public corruption, and demagoguery--remain relevant today.
Edison's Ghosts by Katie Spalding Publishers Weekly Best Summer Reads  Overturn everything you knew about history's greatest minds in this raucous and hilarious book, where it turns out there's a finer line between "genius" and "idiot" than we've previously known. "As Albert Einstein almost certainly never said, everyone is a genius - but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." So begins Katie Spalding's spunky takedown of the Western canon, and how genius may not be as irrefutably great as we commonly understand. While most of us may never become Einstein, it may surprise you to learn that there's probably a bunch of stuff you can do that Einstein couldn't. And, as Spalding shows, the famous prodigies she explores here were quite odd by any definition. For example:   Thomas Edison, inventor of the lightbulb, believed that he could communicate with the undead and built the world's very first hotline to heaven: the Spirit Phone. Marie and Pierre Curie, famous for discovering radioactivity, slept next to a lump of radioactive material for years and strapped it to their arms to watch it burn them in real-time. Lord Byron, acclaimed British poet, literally took a bear with him to university. Isaac Newton discovered the laws of gravity and motion, but he also looked up at the sun without eye protection. The result? Three days of blindness. Tesla, whose scientific work led to the invention of the AC unit, fell in love with a pigeon. Edison's Ghosts is filled with examples of the so-called best of humanity doing, to put it bluntly, some really dumb shit.  You'll discover stories that deserve to be told but never are: the hilarious, regrettable, and downright bafflingly lesser-known achievements that never made it into our history books, until now.
The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel by Douglas Brunt This instant New York Times bestselling "dynamic detective story" (The New York Times) reveals the hidden history Rudolf Diesel, one of the world's greatest inventors, and his mysterious disappearance on the eve of World War I. September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder. After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful men: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain's Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of the world. Now, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an "absolutely riveting" (Chris Bohjalian, #1 New York Times bestselling author) new conclusion about Diesel's fate. Brunt's book is "equal parts Walter Isaacson and Sherlock Holmes, [and] yanks back the curtain on the greatest caper of the 20th century in this riveting history" (Jay Winik, New York Times bestselling author).
The Invention of Miracles by Katie Booth Finalist for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography Finalist for the Mark Lynton History Prize "Meticulously researched, crackling with insights, and rich in novelistic detail" (Steve Silberman), this "provocative, sensitive, beautifully written biography" (Sylvia Nasar) tells the true--and troubling--story of Alexander Graham Bell's quest to end deafness. "Researched and written through the Deaf perspective, this marvelously engaging history will have us rethinking the invention of the telephone." --Jaipreet Virdi, PhD, author of Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History We think of Alexander Graham Bell as the inventor of the telephone, but that's not how he saw his own career. As the son of a deaf woman and, later, husband to another, his goal in life from adolescence was to teach deaf students to speak. Even his tinkering sprang from his teaching work; the telephone had its origins as a speech reading machine. The Invention of Miracles takes a "stirring" (The New York Times Book Review), "provocative" (The Boston Globe), "scrupulously researched" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) new look at an American icon, revealing the astonishing true genesis of the telephone and its connection to another, far more disturbing legacy of Bell's: his efforts to suppress American Sign Language. Weaving together a dazzling tale of innovation with a moving love story, the book offers a heartbreaking account of how a champion can become an adversary and an enthralling depiction of the deaf community's fight to reclaim a once-forbidden language. Katie Booth has been researching this story for more than fifteen years, poring over Bell's papers, Library of Congress archives, and the records of deaf schools around America. But she's also lived with this story for her entire life. Witnessing the damaging impact of Bell's legacy on her family would set her on a path that overturned everything she thought she knew about language, power, deafness, and the telephone.
Bracketology by Joe Lunardi; David Smale; Mark Few (Foreword by) Lunardi delves into the early days of Bracketology, details its growth, and dispels the myths of the process  The NCAA Tournament has become one of the most popular sports events in the country, consuming fans for weeks with the run to the Final Four and ultimately the crowning of the champion of college hoops.  Each March, millions of Americans fill out their bracket in the hopes of correctly predicting the future. Yet, there is no true Madness without the oft-debated question about what teams should be seeded where--from the Power-5 Blue Blood with some early season stumbles on their resume to the mid-major that rampaged through their less competitive conference season--and the inventor of Bracketology himself, Joe Lunardi, now reveals the mystery and science behind the legend.   While going in depth on his ever-evolving predictive formula, Lunardi compares great teams from different eras with intriguing results, talks to the biggest names in college basketball about their perception of Bracketology (both good and bad), and looks ahead to the future of the sport and how Bracketology will help shape the conversation.  This fascinating book is a must-read for college hoops fans and anyone who has aspired to win their yearly office pool.
Kicks by Nicholas Smith When the athletic shoe graduated from the beaches and croquet courts of the wealthy elite to streetwear ubiquity, its journey through the heart of American life was just getting started. In this rollicking narrative, Nicholas K. Smith carries us through the long twentieth century as sneakers became the totem of subcultures from California skateboarders to New York rappers, the cause of gang violence and riots, the heart of a global economic controversy, the lynchpin in a quest to turn big sports into big business, and the muse of high fashion. Studded with larger-than-life mavericks and unexpected visionaries--from genius rubber inventor, Charles Goodyear, to road-warrior huckster Chuck Taylor, to the feuding brothers who founded Adidas and Puma, to the track coach who changed the sport by pouring rubber in his wife's waffle iron---Kicksintroduces us to the sneaker's surprisingly influential, enduring, and evolving legacy.
A Lab of One's Own by Patricia Fara A Lab of One's Own describes the experiences of some extraordinary but sadly neglected scientific women who tasted independence, responsibility, and excitement in World War One. Understanding the past is crucial for improving the future, and Patricia Fara examines how inherited prejudices continue to limit women's scientific opportunities.Suffragists aligned themselves with scientific and technological progress. Defying arguments about intellectual inferiority and child-bearing responsibilities, during the War they won support by mobilising women to enter conventionally male domains, including science, industry, medicine, and the military. A Lab of One's Own reveals these women's stories, celebrating successes and analysing setbacks. In 1919, the suffragist Millicent Fawcett declared triumphantly that "The war revolutionised the industrial position of women. It found them serfs, and left them free." She was wrong: although women had helped the country to victory and won the vote for those over thirty, they had lost the battle for equality. Men returning from the Front reclaimed their jobs, and conventional hierarchies were re-established - although now the nation knew that women were fully capable of performing work traditionally reserved for men.
Eureka by Gavin Weightman This witty and inspiring book chronicles the long history of discovery and ingenuity which gave rise to a "eureka moment" when a dream of invention became a reality for the first time Tracing the long pre-history of five twentieth-century inventions which have transformed our lives, Gavin Weightman reveals a fantastic cast of scientists and inspired amateurs whose ingenuity has given us the airplane, television, bar code, personal computer, and mobile phone. Not one of these inventions can be attributed to a lone genius who experiences a moment of inspiration. Nearly all innovations exist in the imagination before they are finally made to work by the hard graft of inventors who draw on the discoveries of others.   While the discoveries of scientists have provided vital knowledge which has made innovation possible, it is a revelation of Weightman's study that it is more often than not the amateur who enjoys the "eureka moment" when an invention works for the first time. Filled with fascinating stories of struggle, rivalry, and the ingenuity of both famous inventors and hundreds of forgotten people, Weightman's captivating work is a triumph of storytelling that offers a fresh take on the making of our modern world.  
Grace Hopper and the Invention of the Information Age by Kurt W. Beyer This is a biography which explores the career of computer visionary Grace Murray Hopper, whose innovative work in programming laid the foundations for the user-friendliness of today's personal computers.
Cue the Sun! by Emily Nussbaum The rollicking saga of reality television, a "sweeping" (The Washington Post) cultural history of America's most influential, most divisive artistic phenomenon, from the Pulitzer Prize-winning New Yorker writer--"a must-read for anyone interested in television or popular culture" (NPR) "Passionate, exquisitely told . . . With muscular prose and an exacting eye for detail . . . [Nussbaum] knits her talents for sharp analysis and telling reportage well."--The New York Times (Editors' Choice) In development as a docuseries from the studio behind Spencer and Spotlight ONE OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE AND THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Boston Globe FINALIST FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION Who invented reality television, the world's most dangerous pop-culture genre? And why can't we look away? In this revelatory, deeply reported account of the rise of "dirty documentary"--from its contentious roots in radio to the ascent of Donald Trump--Emily Nussbaum unearths the origin story of the genre that ate the world, as told through the lively voices of the people who built it. At once gimlet-eyed and empathetic, Cue the Sun! explores the morally charged, funny, and sometimes tragic consequences of the hunt for something real inside something fake. In sharp, absorbing prose, Nussbaum traces the jagged fuses of experimentation that exploded with Survivor at the turn of the millennium. She introduces the genre's trickster pioneers, from the icy Allen Funt to the shambolic Chuck Barris; Cops auteur John Langley; cynical Bachelor ringmaster Mike Fleiss; and Jon Murray and Mary-Ellis Bunim, the visionaries behind The Real World--along with dozens of stars from An American Family, The Real World, Big Brother, Survivor, and The Bachelor. We learn about the tools of the trade--like the Frankenbite, a deceptive editor's best friend--and ugly tales of exploitation. But Cue the Sun! also celebrates reality's peculiar power: a jolt of emotion that could never have come from a script. What happened to the first reality stars, the Louds--and why won't they speak to the couple who filmed them? Which serial killer won on The Dating Game? Nussbaum explores reality TV as a strike-breaker, the queer roots of Bravo, the dark truth behind The Apprentice, and more. A shrewd observer who adores television, Nussbaum is the ideal voice for the first substantive history of the genre that, for better or worse, made America what it is today.
Edison vs. Tesla by Joel Martin; William J. Birnes Thomas Edison closely following the alternative physics work of Albert Einstein and Max Planck, convincing him that there was an entire reality unseen by the human eye. This led to the last and least-known of all Edison's inventions, the spirit phone. His former associate, now bitter rival, Nikola Tesla, was also developing at the same time a similar mysterious device. Edison vs. Tesla examines their quest to talk to the dead. It reveals: Edison's little-known near-death experience formed his theory that animate life forms don't die, but rather change the nature of their composition. It is this foundational belief that drove him to proceed with the spirit phone. Tesla monitored Edison's paranormal work, with both men racing to create a device that picked up the frequencies of discarnate spirits, what today is called EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomenon). Both men were way ahead of their time, delving into artificial intelligence and robotics. Although mystery and lore surround the details of the last decade of Edison's life, many skeptics have denied the existence of the mysterious spirit phone. The authors have researched both Edison's and Tesla's journals, as well as contemporary articles and interviews with the inventors to confirm that tests were actually done with this device. They also have the full cooperation of the Charles Edison fund, affording them access to rare photos and graphics to support their text. Edison vs. Tesla sheds light on this weird invention and demonstrates the rivalry that drove both men to new discoveries.
The Powerhouse by Steve Levine A worldwide race is on to perfect the next engine of economic growth, the advanced lithium-ion battery. It will power the electric car, relieve global warming and catapult the winner into a new era of economic and political mastery. Can the United States win? Steve LeVine was granted unprecedented access to a secure federal laboratory outside Chicago, where a group of geniuses is trying to solve this next monumental task of physics. What emerged is The Powerhouse, a real-time, two-year account of big invention, big commercialization, and big deception.
Big Science by Michael Hiltzik From a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Los Angeles Times contributor, the untold story of how science went "big," built the bombs that helped win World War II, and became dependent on government and industry--and the forgotten genius who started it all, Ernest Lawrence. Since the 1930s, the scale of scientific endeavors has grown exponentially. Machines have become larger, ambitions bolder. The first particle accelerator cost less than one hundred dollars and could be held in its creator's palm, while its descendant, the Large Hadron Collider, cost ten billion dollars and is seventeen miles in circumference. Scientists have invented nuclear weapons, put a man on the moon, and examined nature at the subatomic scale--all through Big Science, the industrial-scale research paid for by governments and corporations that have driven the great scientific projects of our time. The birth of Big Science can be traced to Berkeley, California, nearly nine decades ago, when a resourceful young scientist with a talent for physics and an even greater talent for promotion pondered his new invention and declared, "I'm going to be famous!" Ernest Orlando Lawrence's cyclotron would revolutionize nuclear physics, but that was only the beginning of its impact. It would change our understanding of the basic building blocks of nature. It would help win World War II. Its influence would be felt in academia and international politics. It was the beginning of Big Science. This is the incredible story of how one invention changed the world and of the man principally responsible for it all. Michael Hiltzik tells the riveting full story here for the first time.
Frostbite by Nicola Twilley How often do we open the fridge or peer into the freezer with the expectation that we'll find something fresh and ready to eat? It's an everyday act - but just a century ago, eating food that had been refrigerated was cause for both fear and excitement. The introduction of artificial refrigeration overturned millennia of dietary history, launching a new chapter in human nutrition. We could now overcome not just rot, but seasonality and geography. Tomatoes in January? Avocados in Shanghai? All possible. In Frostbite, New Yorker contributor and cohost of the award-winning podcast Gastropod Nicola Twilley takes readers on a tour of the cold chain from farm to fridge, visiting off-the-beaten-path landmarks such as Missouri's subterranean cheese caves, the banana-ripening rooms of New York City, and the vast refrigerated tanks that store the nation's orange juice reserves. Today, nearly three-quarters of everything on the average American plate is processed, shipped, stored, and sold under refrigeration. It's impossible to make sense of our food system without understanding the all-but-invisible network of thermal control that underpins it. Twilley's eye-opening book is the first to reveal the transformative impact refrigeration has had on our health and our guts; our farms, tables, kitchens, and cities; global economics and politics; and even our environment. In the developed world, we've reaped the benefits of refrigeration for more than a century, but the costs are catching up with us. We've eroded our connection to our food and redefined what 'fresh' means. More important, refrigeration is one of the leading contributors to climate change. As the developing world races to build a US-style cold chain, Twilley asks: Can we reduce our dependence on refrigeration? Should we? A deeply researched and reported, original, and entertaining dive into the most important invention in the history of food and drink, Frostbite makes the case for a recalibration of our relationship with the fridge - and how our future might depend on it.
The Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan Kennedy Marty Goddard dreamed up a new crime-solving tool-a kit that could help rape survivors fight for justice. This thrilling investigation tells the story of the troubled, heroic woman who kicked off a feminist revolution in forensics, and then vanished into obscurity. "Astonishing . . . Marty Goddard takes her rightful place as a visionary thanks to Kennedy's relentless investigation."-Rachel Louise Snyder, author of No Visible Bruises "The Secret History of the Rape Kit is stunning- part thriller, part feminist reclamation, part personal journey, fully a page-turner. How did we not know about Marty Goddard?"-Peggy Orenstein author of Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex In 1972, Martha "Marty" Goddard volunteered at a crisis hotline, counseling girls who had been molested by their fathers, their teachers, their uncles. Soon, Marty was on a mission to answer a question- Why were so many sexual predators getting away with these crimes? By the end of the decade, she had launched a campaign pushing hospitals and police departments to collect evidence of sexual assault and treat survivors with dignity. She designed a new kind of forensics tool-the rape kit-and new practices around evidence collection that spread across the country. Yet even as Marty fought for women's rights, she allowed a man to take credit for her work. When journalist Pagan Kennedy went looking for this forgotten pioneer, she discovered that even Marty Goddard's closest friends had lost track of her. As Pagan followed a trail of clues to solve the mystery of Marty, she also delved into the problematic history of forensics in America. The Secret History of the Rape Kit chronicles one journalist's mission to understand a crucial innovation in forensics and the woman who championed it. As Pagan Kennedy hunts for answers, she reflects on her own experiences with sexual assault and her own desire for justice.
Into the Groove by Jonathan Scott The story of recorded sound - the technological developments, the humans that made them happen and their impact on society, from the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl. In Into the Groove, vinyl collector and music buff Jonathan Scott dissects a mind-blowing feat that we all take for granted today--the domestication of sound. Thomas Edison's phonograph, the first device that could both record and reproduce sound, represented an important turning point in the story of recorded sound, but it was only the tip of the iceberg, and came after decades of invention, tinkering and experimentation. Scott traces the birth of sound back to the earliest serious attempts in the 1850s, celebrating the ingenuity, rivalries and science of the modulated groove. He examines the first attempts to record and reproduce sounds, the origins of the phonograph, and the development of commercial shellac discs. Then he divulges the fascinating story of the LP record, from the rise of electric recording to the fall of 7-inch vinyl, the competing speed and format wars, and an epilogue that takes the story up to the present-day return of vinyl to vogue. Into the Groove uncovers tales of intrigue and betrayal, court battles and lesser-known names who are often left out of most histories. Discover a new appreciation of the not-so-simple black disc that holds a special place in the history of music and sound.
Invention and Innovation by Vaclav Smil From the New York Times-bestselling author, a new volume on the history of human ingenuity-and its attendant breakthroughs and busts. Included in BILL GATES's 2023 Holiday Reading List Included in Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2023 Included in The Next Big Idea Club's February 2023 Must-Read Books  "Every Smil book that I own is marked up with lots of notes that I take while reading. Invention and Innovation is no exception. Even when I disagree with him, I learn a lot from him...he always strengthens my thinking." -Bill Gates, Gates Notes The world is never finished catching up with Vaclav Smil. In his latest and perhaps most readable book, Invention and Innovation, the prolific author-a favorite of Bill Gates-pens an insightful and fact-filled jaunt through the history of human invention. Impatient with the hype that so often accompanies innovation, Smil offers in this book a clear-eyed corrective to the overpromises that accompany everything from new cures for diseases to AI. He reminds us that even after we go quite far along the invention-development-application trajectory, we may never get anything real to deploy. Or worse, even after we have succeeded by introducing an invention, its future may be marked by underperformance, disappointment, demise, or outright harm. Drawing on his vast breadth of scientific and historical knowledge, Smil explains the difference between invention and innovation, and looks not only at inventions that failed to dominate as promised (such as the airship, nuclear fission, and supersonic flight), but also at those that turned disastrous (leaded gasoline, DDT, and chlorofluorocarbons). And finally, most importantly, he offers a "wish list" of inventions that we most urgently need to confront the staggering challenges of the twenty-first century. Filled with engaging examples and pragmatic approaches, this book is a sobering account of the folly that so often attends human ingenuity-and how we can, and must, better align our expectations with reality.
The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures by Paul Fischer One of the New York Times Best True Crime of 2022 A "spellbinding, thriller-like" (Shelf Awareness) history about the invention of the motion picture and the mysterious, forgotten man behind it--detailing his life, work, disappearance, and legacy. The year is 1888, and Louis Le Prince is finally testing his "taker" or "receiver" device for his family on the front lawn. The device is meant to capture ten to twelve images per second on film, creating a reproduction of reality that can be replayed as many times as desired. In an otherwise separate and detached world, occurrences from one end of the globe could now be viewable with only a few days delay on the other side of the world. No human experience--from the most mundane to the most momentous--would need to be lost to history. In 1890, Le Prince was granted patents in four countries ahead of other inventors who were rushing to accomplish the same task. But just weeks before unveiling his invention to the world, he mysteriously disappeared and was never seen or heard from again. Three and half years later, Thomas Edison, Le Prince's rival, made the device public, claiming to have invented it himself. And the man who had dedicated his life to preserving memories was himself lost to history--until now. The Man Who Invented Motion Pictures pulls back the curtain and presents a "passionate, detailed defense of Louis Le Prince...unfurled with all the cliffhangers and red herrings of a scripted melodrama" (The New York Times Book Review). This "fascinating, informative, skillfully articulated narrative" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) presents the never-before-told history of the motion picture and sheds light on the unsolved mystery of Le Prince's disappearance.
Meet Me by the Fountain by Alexandra Lange Longlisted for the Porchlight Business Book Awards "A smart and accessible cultural history."-Los Angeles Times "A fantastic examination of what became the mall ... envision[ing] a more meaningful public afterlife for our shopping centers."-Vulture A portrait--by turns celebratory, skeptical, and surprisingly moving--of one of America's most iconic institutions, from an author who "might be the most influential design critic writing now" (LARB). Few places have been as nostalgized, or as maligned, as malls. Since their birth in the 1950s, they have loomed large as temples of commerce, the agora of the suburbs. In their prime, they proved a powerful draw for creative thinkers such as Joan Didion, Ray Bradbury, and George Romero, who understood the mall's appeal as both critics and consumers. Yet today, amid the aftershocks of financial crises and a global pandemic, as well as the rise of online retail, the dystopian husk of an abandoned shopping center has become one of our era's defining images. Conventional wisdom holds that the mall is dead. But what was the mall, really? And have rumors of its demise been greatly exaggerated? In her acclaimed The Design of Childhood, Alexandra Lange uncovered the histories of toys, classrooms, and playgrounds. She now turns her sharp eye to another subject we only think we know. She chronicles postwar architects' and merchants' invention of the mall, revealing how the design of these marketplaces played an integral role in their cultural ascent. In Lange's perceptive account, the mall becomes newly strange and rich with contradiction: Malls are environments of both freedom and exclusion--of consumerism, but also of community. Meet Me by the Fountain is a highly entertaining and evocative promenade through the mall's story of rise, fall, and ongoing reinvention, for readers of any generation.

gift making

Handmade Gifts

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Make and Give by Steph Hung; Erin Jang A design-savvy craft book with 35 cute, simple projects that celebrate the people we love in the everyday moments.      This is a book of 35 simple, modern craft projects to make any day special for the people we love. A handmade gift--even the smallest and simplest of gestures--brings a smile and makes a moment more meaningful. Any day, not just holidays and specific occasions, is an opportunity to create and gift. These versatile projects require no special skills and work for a range of people--from children to house guests--and occasions.      Visually driven in its presentation, Make and Give stands apart from the traditional craft book with its bright colors and modern, graphic look. Each project is illustrated with step-by-step photographs, charts, and unique infographics. Less text, more photos, and illustrated designs guide the reader.      The projects are inspired by the things the authors--designers and crafters by trade--make for their own friends and family. The book includes the authors' personal inspiration for each project, as well as "Make This For" tips to encourage readers to think about the special people for whom they could make these crafts.      Projects include fill-in-the-blank tattoos, pressed herb prints, a weekday advent, a family tree embroidery, hand-drawn pillows, and candy capsule necklaces.
Last-Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson Today's knitters are chic, smart-and busy. Although they love to knit and enjoy making gifts for family and friends, they're constantly faced with the challenge of finding enough time to actually finish what they've started. Last-Minute Knitted Gifts solves this problem. Joelle Hoverson, owner of Purl, the hip knitting supply store in downtown Manhattan, has designed more than 30 fun, fresh, beautiful patterns, most of which can be made in less than ten hours-some in as little as two! Known for her keen sense of color, Hoverson includes instructions for classic gifts like baby booties and bonnets, sweaters, and scarves, plus imaginative options like a cashmere tea cozy, a felted yoga mat bag, floor cushions, and a poncho-surely something for everyone on the gift list. And to make each present extra-special, Hoverson offers easy tips on how to incorporate knitting and other yarn embellishments into the gift wrap.
Making Glorious Gifts from Your Garden by Marie Browning Harvest the most glorious gifts right in your own backyard--and show your family and friends that you care enough to make the very best! Gather the most fragrant herbs, the prettiest roses, and the garden's freshest vegetables, and use them to whip up cosmetics, perfumes, potpourri, and many more homemade presents. Experiment with the variety of techniques for drying and preserving your bounty, press flowers and vegetables for displaying under glass or mounting, concoct individualized beauty products, and prepare delicious food and drink, like herb butters, flavored teas and liqueurs. And, if you don't have a garden--just take a trip to your local farmer's market! The author lives in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia. 128 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 10. NEW IN PAPERBACK.
Last-Minute Fabric Gifts by Cynthia Treen; Karen Philippi (Photographer) Cynthia Treen has a way with fabric. She can pick up a piece of cloth and, literally within an hour or two, transform it into something wonderful--a chic wool hat from an out-ofstyle sweater, say, or an elegant blossom from a favorite piece of silk. In Last-Minute Fabric Gifts, the follow-up to the immensely successful Last- Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson, Treen teaches all of us to perform such fabric magic no matter how little sewing experience we may have.This inspiring book comes with 30 easy projects for quick-to-make gifts ranging from fabric-covered notepads to a tea-dyed sequined scarf to a baby quilt. Arranged by how long it takes to complete each project, the book focuses on gifts that generally require less than three hours of time. What's more, Treen clearly details the knowledge and skills you need to improvise on these projects, allowing you to customize the color, pattern, and texture to suit the occasion. Complete with 70 full-color photographs and a final chapter on innovative ways to wrap gifts with fabric, Last-Minute Fabric Gifts is brimming with creative ideas sure to appeal to novice and experienced sewers alike.
Omiyage by Kumiko Sudo Bestselling author Kumiko Sudo creates 45 exquisite handmade gifts in fabric, each with a flair that is uniquely Japanese. Easy-to-follow patterns, beautiful photographs, and colorful step-by-step drawings help the projects come together quickly----many in less than an hour. Whether they are created in kimono silks or in contemporary cottons, these tiny boxes, purses, decorative toys, incense pouches, and good luck charms all make delightful gifts.
Modern Macrame by Emily Katz Macrame--the fine art of knotting--is an age-old craft that's undergoing a contemporary renaissance. At the heart of this resurgence is Emily Katz, a lifestyle icon and artist who teaches sold out macrame workshops around the world and creates swoon-worthy aspirational interiors with her custom hand-knotted pieces. Modern Macrame is a stylish, contemporary guide to the traditional art and craft of macrame, including 33 projects, from driftwood wall art and bohemian light fixtures to macrame rugs and headboards. The projects are showcased in easy to follow and photogenic project layouts, guiding both the novice and the more experienced crafter in a highly achievable way. Included with every project are thoughtful lifestyle tips showing how macrame can provide the perfect finishing touch for the modern, well-designed home--whether it's a hundred-year-old farmhouse, a sophisticated loft, or a cozy but stylish rental.
A Year in Crafts by Clare Youngs A Year in Crafts is packed full of innovative projects that you'll really want to make. Be inspired with 52 beautifully simple step-by-step ideas to get you crafting throughout the year. Whatever the time of year, whether you begin in January with a handmade diary so you can start the year fresh and organised, or in March when you can revamp your home for the annual spring clean with a colourful rag rug or a vintage handkerchief throw, you'll find plenty of inspiration in A Year in Crafts. In April get creative with your Easter table, and in May try some basic printing techniques for the pretty paper butterflies and moths. Get outdoors in July with the Mexican keep-it-cool bags and if you're going on holiday, why not make some retro luggage labels to stand out from the crowd? September has pretty paper folders and a painted pencil case to keep those back-to-school blues at bay. In October, it's time for Halloween, and you can celebrate with some glowing skull paper lanterns for your porch. November is the best time to start preparing for Christmas, so start making your presents now and you won't have to be in a rush at the last moment. Don't forget to make the tiny clog advent calendar, which will make the holiday season really special. Make a beautiful festive stag in the first week of December, and as it gets closer to the big day, take some time out to create some delicate silver-leaf pinecones for your dinner table. You'll be truly inspired with Clare Youngs' lovely projects, so whether you want to make each project in turn as the year progresses, or dip in and out of the book, you'll never be bored with A Year in Crafts.
Last-Minute Christmas Gifts by Carol Taylor These 60 great-looking, distinctive projects will solve your Christmas gift-list problem faster than Santa’s reindeer can fly. Some take only about 10 minutes, and you don’t need special craft skills or unusual materials. Pick up plants and potting soil to construct a living garden of succulents. Build a simple CD rack. Whip up herbal bath oil. It’s easy!
Food Gifts by America's Test Kitchen; Elle Simone Scott Your all-occasion guide to homemade food gifts that look as fabulous as they taste-from a food stylist and best-selling author of the Boards cookbook! Includes 150+ recipes, hundreds of packaging ideas, and inside tips for making beautiful food gift baskets for housewarmings, birthdays, holidays, and more. There's no more meaningful way to connect with others than to give a personalized food basket or homemade gift! Elle Simone Scott-food stylist, ATK cast member, and author of the best-selling Boards cookbook-expands the boundaries of what food gifts are (endlessly customizable!) and when they can be given (literally, anytime!). . Gifts for every occasion- Celebrate weddings, new babies, holidays, and more with gorgeous food gift baskets! Or give an unforgettably unique housewarming gift. . From simple to spectacular- Give a bottle of Fruits of the Forest Liqueur-or up the ante with a complete cocktail party food basket packed with homemade goodies! . Spin one item many ways- Make a big batch of granola for gifting, or divide the recipe into thirds and flavor them different ways. . Big-batch gifts- Find crowd-pleasing gift ideas for school and work events, or holiday gatherings! . Playful DIY meal kits- For people who like to cook, there's DIY Pancake Mix, Turkish Bride Soup in a Jar, or Mushroom Risotto in a Jar. . Helping-hand gifts- Comfort someone with a fully cooked meal that's ready to be popped into the freezer or oven. You'll also learn Elle's favorite ideas for keeping food gifts fresh and packaging items cost-effectively yet creatively using edible garnishes, thrifted tableware, canning jars, and more. You'll never again resort to an expensive, impersonal store-bought food gift basket!
Dog Crafts by Bobbe Needham If you're a dog lover who can sew, saw, cook, or paint, then you're barking up the right tree with this book! The crafts here include quilting and crocheting, woodworking and carpentry, baking and grilling, but all the most basic levels of skill. Create the Canny Canine Quilt, Paws That Refreshes Placemats, the Let-Sleeping-Dogs-Lie bed, and ecologically correct Canine Fashion Sweaters. All fifty projects will surely bring hours of pleasure to any dog and its human friends. 128 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 10.
Gifts for Bird Lovers by Althea Sexton; Deborah Balmuth (Editor) Any bird fancier will be thrilled to make or receive these gifts, many of which are seen for sale in popular catalogs and magazines.
Gifts with Heart by Mary Beth Sammons; Susannah Seton (Foreword by) "A gift pleases as much for what it is, as for what it represents: you, your time, and your genuine appreciation," writes author Mary Beth Sammons. In Gifts with Heart she presents a wonderful collection of inspirational giftgiving stories as well as concrete ideas, for giving with thought and emotion. There are ideas for parents and grandparents, friends, children, guests, gifts for people who are sick or hurting, and more. Plan a "date" for your parents, write the story of your grandparent's life, create handmade Christmas ornaments depicting times shared with the ones you love, or just simply show up and be there for your family member, friend, or loved one in their time of need. From compiling photo collections to creating "happy" memory boxes to putting together a winter blues "get well kit," there is something here for everyone in your life.
Make It, Gift It by Mari Bolte There's nothing more fun than giving the perfect hand-crafted gift! From simple hostess gifts to fully personalized gifts for that very special someone, Make It, Gift It has everything you need to get started. Learn how to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces for every important person in your life.
Call Number: eBook
Food Gift Love by Maggie Battista An exciting, inspiring, and beautiful food-gift guide for crafty cooks and food-DIY fans In Food Gift Love, Maggie Battista, a food-gift guru and rising star of the blog world, celebrates her expertise in and enthusiasm for small-batch, hand-crafted foods. She features 100 memorable, edible gifts for any occasion with simple, delicious recipes, detailed wrapping instructions, and stunning photography. There are countless ways to share the pleasures of food with people you care about--from simple homemade infused salts and sugars to instant-gratification gifts like fresh ricotta and flavored butters; from jams, pickles, and vinaigrettes to irresistible cookies, desserts, savories, and spirits that will impress fellow food fans. There's helpful information for creating your own Food Gift Love pantry at home as well as creative guidance on how to wrap food gifts with style. This book will inspire cooks, food-lovers, and DIY fans to be year-round food gifters.
Quick and Clever Handmade Cards by Julie Hickey A gorgeous array of handmade cards to suit all ages and occasions. Create a variety of eye-catching cards for every celebration with a range of clever papercraft techniques. Cardmaking techniques - Clear illustrated instructions guide you through each technique, from decoupage and paper weaving to working with shrink plastic, vellum and acetate. Use peel-off stickers, rubber stamps, punches and embellishments to make professional-looking cards for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Christmas and more! Design inspiration - Learn how to create 16 unique cards with two variation ideas for every design. There's also an 8-page gallery with even more inspiration and a handy list of sentiments to suit every occasion. Plus there are handy tips for positioning elements to create the best layout and choosing suitable colour schemes for your occasion. Selling handmade cards - Includes useful information on how to sell handmade cards and shows you how to make envelopes, inserts and large quantities in bulk. Use printed labels for a professional finish and get tips on selling to shops and marketing your cards.
Handmade Giftwrap, Bows, Cards and Tags by Jill Williams Grover Personalize all of your gifts with these decorative wrapping, trim, tag, and card ideas that show you really care. Fully illustrated, full-color Christmas, birthday, wedding, and all-occasion gift projects allow you to add your own creative touches to your presents. See how to incorporate each recipient's hobbies and interests into their wrapping. Common everyday items, such as craft paper, mail tags, and found objects, turn ordinary gifts into cherished mementos that won't soon be forgotten. The author lives in Brigham City, UT. 128 pages (all in color), 8 1/2 x 10. NEW IN PAPERBACK.
Weekend Handmade by Kelly Wilkinson; Thayer Allyson Gowdy (Photographer) In Weekend Handmade, author Kelly Wilkinson encourages readers to celebrate the joy of crafting, both for the satisfaction of making something by hand, and because the finished items serve as reminders of time taken to slow down and create - no matter the day of the week.   The book is organized into three sections: Make offers projects to wear or decorate with; Grow presents projects inspired by gardens, fields, and farmer's markets; and Gather spotlights projects that enrich casual get-togethers.   With clear, step-by-step instructions, every project in Weekend Handmade --from aprons, tablecloths, and marmalade to a memory box and a chandelier--can be completed in a few hours or over the course of a weekend. Praise for Weekend Handmade: "Kelly Wilkinson always felt like her crafty side was at odds with her job as a journalist, but now she has a book that incorporates both. Weekend Handmade provides instructions for quirky crafts that virtually anyone can do. All these crafts have a quirky feel--think hipster Martha Stewart--and they're pretty simple, too." --NPR Weekend Edition  "Think you can't make anything--or, more importantly, that you don't have the time to? Wilkinson's undowdy projects--luminarias, table decorations--are all designed to be completed in a couple of hours." --Entertainment Weekly "The simple botanical luminarias in . . . Weekend Handmade disprove the notion that do-it-yourself projects don't turn out as they appear in books." --Los Angeles Times   "Everyone's a crafter these days, including your mom (quilts with Jon Stewart's face stitched on them) and your cubicle mate (carved fruit statues he sells on Etsy). But Weekend Handmade presents simple projects for the glue-gun and table saw-impaired." --Washington Post Express "Ample projects to feed your creative side." --Daily Candy "This would be a fabulous addition to any library and a perfect hostess gift." --Dooce.com
365 Easy Projects for Every Occasion by Meredith Press Staff (Contribution by); Carol Dahlstrom (Editor) Let your talents shine by creating wonderful projects to celebrate special moments and holidays throughout the year No matter what your crafting experience or skill level, you can master every project in this book with confidence. When you only have moments to spare choose one of the Good Ideas projects. They are quick and easy, and will get lots of compliments. Set an evening aside to create a gift or decoration from your Make It In Minutes selection. The projects are so much fun, you will want to make them by the dozens Try something new by learning a technique like etching, decoupage, or tiling. These step-by-step projects include helpful photographs to guide you.
We Love to Craft--Christmas by Annabel Wrigley Have yourself a merry handmade christmas! Create 17 fun and modern Christmas projects using paper or fabric includes tips and tricks for successful sewing and crafting By best-selling author of FunStitch Studio books We Love to Sew, We Love to Saw-Bedrooms, and We Love to Sew-Gifts Book jacket.
Lettering from a to Z by Phawnda Moore Spark Your Creativity with Calligraphy "I found Lettering from A to Z to be an open door, inviting me to play and create in entirely new ways." --Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say it Now and founder of Simply Celebrate Winner Indie Book Award for Gift/Specialty/Novelty Book in 2021 Winner 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards (2021) for Crafts & Hobbies #1 New Release in Handwriting Reference, Mixed Media, and Printmaking Lettering artist Phawnda Moore has been teaching calligraphy and design for 25 years. An award-winning author, she steps into beginning students' shoes to select content, address anticipated questions, and offer solutions to the unexpected yet inevitable problems that are encountered in hand lettering. Your creative life will be enriched with step-by-step tutorials "from A to Z." Written in conversational narrative, this full-color book includes more than 200 images of Phawnda's professional work, published articles, and guidance from her class demos to make beautiful projects. Blending traditional design principles and modern tools, it inspires you to find your own style. Phawnda's instruction includes: 12 styles (Uncial calligraphy, Italic calligraphy, script calligraphy, brush lettering, faux calligraphy, rainbow lettering, monoline letters, handwriting and drawn letters) Customized, printable practice sheets Recommended writing tools, papers, sources, printing tips Layout, color, and design basics Lettering projects for youngsters Tips on how to organize your studio space Tips on sharing your skills in teaching, business, events, home, garden, and community Illustrating with calligraphy tools Projects to make handmade birthday cards, holiday cards, journals of your life, and easy-to-design art books If you enjoyed Hand Lettering 101, The Lost Art of Handwriting, or Hand Lettering for Relaxation, then it's time to grab a copy of Lettering from A to Z and reconnect to your natural creativity.

weather

Weather

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

The Cloudspotter's Guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney; Bill Sanderson (Illustrator) A quirky, clever guide for everyone who loves to look up. Where do clouds come from? Why do they look the way they do? And why have they captured the imagination of timeless artists, Romantic poets, and every kid who's ever held a crayon? Journalist and lifelong sky watcher Gavin Pretor-Pinney reveals everything there is to know about clouds, from history and science to art and pop culture. Cumulus, nimbostratus, and the dramatic and seemingly surfable Morning Glory cloud are just a few of the varieties explored in this smart, witty, and eclectic tour through the skies. Generously illustrated with striking photographs and line drawings featuring everything from classical paintings to lava lamps, children's drawings, and Roman coins, The Cloudspotter's Guidewill have science and history buffs, weather watchers, and the just plain curious floating on cloud nine.
Rain by Cynthia Barnett Rain is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive. It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of the world's water. Yet this is the first book to tell the story of rain. Cynthia Barnett's Rain begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science--the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains--with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River. It offers a glimpse of our "founding forecaster," Thomas Jefferson, who measured every drizzle long before modern meteorology. Two centuries later, rainy skies would help inspire Morrissey's mopes and Kurt Cobain's grunge. Rain is also a travelogue, taking readers to Scotland to tell the surprising story of the mackintosh raincoat, and to India, where villagers extract the scent of rain from the monsoon-drenched earth and turn it into perfume. Now, after thousands of years spent praying for rain or worshiping it; burning witches at the stake to stop rain or sacrificing small children to bring it; mocking rain with irrigated agriculture and cities built in floodplains; even trying to blast rain out of the sky with mortars meant for war, humanity has finally managed to change the rain. Only not in ways we intended. As climate change upends rainfall patterns and unleashes increasingly severe storms and drought, Barnett shows rain to be a unifying force in a fractured world. Too much and not nearly enough, rain is a conversation we share, and this is a book for everyone who has ever experienced it. -- Gold Medal Winner, Florida Book Award
Tambora by Gillen D'Arcy Wood When Indonesia's Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, it unleashed the most destructive wave of extreme weather the world has witnessed in thousands of years. The volcano's massive sulfate dust cloud enveloped the Earth, cooling temperatures and disrupting major weather systems for more than three years. Communities worldwide endured famine, disease, and civil unrest on a catastrophic scale. Here, Gillen D'Arcy Wood traces Tambora's global and historical reach: how the volcano's three-year climate change regime initiated the first worldwide cholera pandemic, expanded opium markets in China, and plunged the United States into its first economic depression. Bringing the history of this planetary emergency to life, Tambora sheds light on the fragile interdependence of climate and human societies to offer a cautionary tale about the potential tragic impacts of drastic climate change in our own century.
Rising by Elizabeth Rush FINALIST FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE IN GENERAL NONFICTION WINNER OF THE NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD A CHICAGO TRIBUNE TOP TEN BOOK OF 2018 A GUARDIAN, NPR's SCIENCE FRIDAY, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, AND LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOK OF 2018 Hailed as "deeply felt" (New York Times), "a revelation" (Pacific Standard), and "the book on climate change and sea levels that was missing" (Chicago Tribune), Rising is both a highly original work of lyric reportage and a haunting meditation on how to let go of the places we love. With every passing day, and every record-breaking hurricane, it grows clearer that climate change is neither imagined nor distant--and that rising seas are transforming the coastline of the United States in irrevocable ways. In Rising, Elizabeth Rush guides readers through some of the places where this change has been most dramatic, from the Gulf Coast to Miami, and from New York City to the Bay Area. For many of the plants, animals, and humans in these places, the options are stark: retreat or perish in place. Weaving firsthand testimonials from those facing this choice--a Staten Islander who lost her father during Sandy, the remaining holdouts of a Native American community on a drowning Isle de Jean Charles, a neighborhood in Pensacola settled by escaped slaves hundreds of years ago--with profiles of wildlife biologists, activists, and other members of these vulnerable communities, Rising privileges the voices of those too often kept at the margins.
Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert An argument for the urgent danger of global warming in a book that is sure to be as influential as Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. Known for her insightful and thought-provoking journalism, New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert now tackles the controversial subject of global warming. Americans have been warned since the late nineteen-seventies that the buildup of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere threatens to melt the polar ice sheets and irreversibly change our climate. With little done since then to alter this dangerous course, now is the moment to salvage our future. By the end of the century, the world will likely be hotter than it's been in the last two million years, and the sweeping consequences of this change will determine the future of life on earth for generations to come. In writing that is both clear and unbiased, Kolbert approaches this monumental problem from every angle. She travels to the Arctic, interviews researchers and environmentalists, explains the science and the studies, draws frightening parallels to lost ancient civilizations, unpacks the politics, and presents the personal tales of those who are being affected most--the people who make their homes near the poles and, in an eerie foreshadowing, are watching their worlds disappear. Growing out of a groundbreaking three-part series for the New Yorker, Field Notes from a Catastrophe brings the environment into the consciousness of the American people and asks what, if anything, can be done, and how we can save our planet.
Thunder and Lightning by Lauren Redniss From the National Book Award finalist Lauren Redniss, author of Radioactive, comes a dazzling fusion of storytelling, visual art, and reportage that grapples with weather in all its dimensions: its danger and its beauty, why it happens and what it means. WINNER OF THE PEN/E. O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD * NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, KIRKUS REVIEWS, AND SHELF AWARENESS Weather is the very air we breathe--it shapes our daily lives and alters the course of history. In Thunder & Lightning, Lauren Redniss tells the story of weather and humankind through the ages. This wide-ranging work roams from the driest desert on earth to a frigid island in the Arctic, from the Biblical flood to the defeat of the Spanish Armada. Redniss visits the headquarters of the National Weather Service, recounts top-secret rainmaking operations during the Vietnam War, and examines the economic impact of disasters like Hurricane Katrina. Drawing on extensive research and countless interviews, she examines our own day and age, from our most personal decisions--Do I need an umbrella today?--to the awesome challenges we face with global climate change. Redniss produced each element of Thunder & Lightning: the text, the artwork, the covers, and every page in between. She created many of the images using the antiquated printmaking technique copper plate photogravure etching. She even designed the book's typeface. The result is a book unlike any other: a spellbinding combination of storytelling, art, and science. Praise for Thunder & Lightning "[An] aesthetically charged and deeply researched account . . . a wild rainstorm of a book, pelting the reader with ideas and inspiration."--Nature "A gorgeous and illuminating illustrated study of weather in all its tempestuous variety . . . Redniss's combo of fact, folklore, and vibrant etched copperplate prints enthralls."--O: The Oprah Magazine "Eerily beautiful . . . Contains plenty of scientific explanation (including more than a few nods toward global warming), but also far-flung personal stories that illuminate the beauty, wonder and chaos inherent in the elements."--The New York Times "Magical . . . Redniss has . . . shown us how human beings live with nature--fighting, coexisting, taming, predicting via leech barometer and radar and intuition."--The New York Times Book Review "[A] twenty-first-century genius . . . Redniss is inventing a new literary genre. . . . The reader willing to put herself fully in Redniss's hands will be rewarded with a delicious feeling of being enveloped by a phenomenon that eclipses the chiming trivialities of daily life."--Elle "Lends a graphic-novel-like allure to some of nature's most curious paradoxes."--Vogue "Redniss is one of the most creative science writers of our time--her combination of beautiful artwork, reporting, and poetic prose brings science to life in ways that words alone simply cannot."--Rebecca Skloot "Redniss combines her own dual punch of expressive art and impressive erudition to give an entirely new take on all that happens above our heads. This is an illuminated book that is also an illuminating one."--Adam Gopnik "A strange and wonderful thing, the work of a first-class mind that refuses to submit to any categories or precedent."--Dave Eggers "Beautiful and totally original."--Elizabeth Kolbert
Freaks of the Storm by Randy Cerveny In the course of his numerous talks and presentations to college and grade school students, civic clubs, and nursing homes, climatologist Randy Cerveny found that people of all ages are fascinated by the "unusual" -- and he seized on that fascination to tell them about strange weather. Now, in his first book, the rest of us can learn of real, documented stories such as these: Odd occurrences of chickens losing all their feathers during tornadoes (so-called "chicken plucking"); Strange stories of finding lightning victims who have been completely stripped of all of their clothes (through a process known as "the vapor effect"); Weird stories of how past powerful hailstorms have both led to the ending of one war -- and the complete prevention of another; Bizarre uses of weather -- such as the strange contraption called a "windwagon" that literally "sailed" nearly 500 miles from Kansas to Colorado; Each chapter in Freaks of the Storm encompasses the oddities of a specific type of weather, such as tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, and hail. The author also divides specific conditions into a set of categories associated with the overall phenomena.
Caesar's Last Breath by Sam Kean The Guardian's Best Science Book of 2017: the fascinating science and history of the air we breathe. It's invisible. It's ever-present. Without it, you would die in minutes. And it has an epic story to tell. In Caesar's Last Breath, New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean takes us on a journey through the periodic table, around the globe, and across time to tell the story of the air we breathe, which, it turns out, is also the story of earth and our existence on it. With every breath, you literally inhale the history of the world. On the ides of March, 44 BC, Julius Caesar died of stab wounds on the Senate floor, but the story of his last breath is still unfolding; in fact, you're probably inhaling some of it now. Of the sextillions of molecules entering or leaving your lungs at this moment, some might well bear traces of Cleopatra's perfumes, German mustard gas, particles exhaled by dinosaurs or emitted by atomic bombs, even remnants of stardust from the universe's creation. Tracing the origins and ingredients of our atmosphere, Kean reveals how the alchemy of air reshaped our continents, steered human progress, powered revolutions, and continues to influence everything we do. Along the way, we'll swim with radioactive pigs, witness the most important chemical reactions humans have discovered, and join the crowd at the Moulin Rouge for some of the crudest performance art of all time. Lively, witty, and filled with the astounding science of ordinary life, Caesar's Last Breath illuminates the science stories swirling around us every second.
How to Read Water by Tristan Gooley A New York Times Bestseller A Forbes Top 10 Conservation and Environment Book of 2016 Read the sea like a Viking and interpret ponds like a Polynesian--with a little help from the "natural navigator"!   In his eye-opening books The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs and The Natural Navigator, Tristan Gooley helped readers reconnect with nature by finding direction from the trees, stars, clouds, and more. Now, he turns his attention to our most abundant--yet perhaps least understood--resource.   Distilled from his far-flung adventures--sailing solo across the Atlantic, navigating with Omani tribespeople, canoeing in Borneo, and walking in his own backyard--Gooley shares hundreds of techniques in How to Read Water. Readers will:   Find north using puddles Forecast the weather from waves Decode the colors of ponds Spot dangerous water in the dark Decipher wave patterns on beaches, and more!
The Weather Experiment by Peter Moore In 1865 Admiral Robert FitzRoy locked himself in his dressing room and cut his throat. His grand meteorological project had failed. Yet only a decade later, FitzRoy's storm warning system and "forecasts" would return, the model for what we use today. In an age when a storm at sea was evidence of God's wrath, nineteenth-century meteorologists had to fight against convention and religious dogma. Buoyed by the achievements of the Enlightenment, a generation of mavericks set out to decipher the secrets of the atmosphere and predict the future. Among them were Luke Howard, the first to classify clouds; Francis Beaufort, who quantified the winds; James Glaisher, who explored the upper atmosphere in a hot-air balloon; Samuel Morse, whose electric telegraph gave scientists the means by which to transmit weather warnings; and FitzRoy himself, master sailor, scientific pioneer, and founder of the U.K.'s national weather service. Reputations were built and shattered. Fractious debates raged over decades between scientists from London and Galway, Paris and New York. Explaining the atmosphere was one thing, but predicting what it was going to do seemed a step too far. In 1854, when a politician suggested to the Commons that Londoners might soon know the weather twenty-four hours in advance, the House roared with laughter. Peter Moore'sThe Weather Experiment navigates treacherous seas and rough winds to uncover the obsession that drove these men to great invention and greater understanding.
The Weather Machine by Andrew Blum From the acclaimed author of Tubes, a lively and surprising tour of the infrastructure behind the weather forecast, the people who built it, and what it reveals about our climate and our planet The weather is the foundation of our daily lives. It's a staple of small talk, the app on our smartphones, and often the first thing we check each morning. Yet behind these quotidian interactions is one of the most expansive machines human beings have ever constructed--a triumph of science, technology and global cooperation. But what is this 'weather machine' and who created it?  In The Weather Machine, Andrew Blum takes readers on a fascinating journey through an everyday miracle. In a quest to understand how the forecast works, he visits old weather stations and watches new satellites blast off. He follows the dogged efforts of scientists to create a supercomputer model of the atmosphere and traces the surprising history of the algorithms that power their work. He discovers that we have quietly entered a golden age of meteorology--our tools allow us to predict weather more accurately than ever, and yet we haven't learned to trust them, nor can we guarantee the fragile international alliances that allow our modern weather machine to exist. Written with the sharp wit and infectious curiosity Andrew Blum is known for, The Weather Machine pulls back the curtain on a universal part of our everyday lives, illuminating our relationships with technology, the planet, and the global community. 
100 Things to See in the Night Sky by Dean Regas A handy field guide for the best stargazing experience whether in your own back yard, camping, or travelling--including information showing you which planets, constellations, stars, and manmade objects you can see with a telescope, or just your naked eye! The night sky is full of amazing things to see--from shooting stars and constellations to planets and satellites--but it can be hard to tell what you're seeing, or where to look for the best view. 100 Things to See in the Night Sky gives you a clear picture of what you can see on any given night, either using a small telescope, or just your naked eye. Each object is presented as a separate entry, with background information on the makeup, appearance, and history of the object, along with easy-to-follow instructions on how to find it. For astronomy and space fans of all ages, this guide helps you explore the galaxy and see the stars--while keeping your feet on the ground.