Find in Catalog The universe is complicated. And big. So big that our minds can't really wrap themselves around just how expansive this expanding universe is. J. Richard Gott was one of the first cosmologists "to propose that the structure of our universe is like a sponge made up of clusters of galaxies in intricately … Continue reading The Cosmic Web by J. Richard Gott, a Book Review
Everyone--and I mean everyone--has a story. Brandon Stanton is a photographer and blogger who set out with his camera and one mission: to create a photographic census of New York. He believes that everyone--every person you pass on the sidewalk, every driver next to you on the way to work--has something to say. Stanton's work … Continue reading Humans of New York: Stories — a Reader’s Advisory
Find in Catalog We're privileged to live in a country where education is a priority, teachers are well-trained, and knowledge is at our fingertips. But James W. Lowen, author of the dramatically-titled Lies My Teacher Told Me, wants to expose "everything your American History textbook got wrong." There are so many examples of little historical anecdotes from … Continue reading Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong by James Loewen, a Book Review
Paul Kalanithi had always asked himself one question: Where do biology, morality, literature, and philosophy intersect? As a neurosurgeon resident and MA graduate from Sanford's English literature program, he was highly interested in finding out what a meaningful life consisted of; but, when he was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at 36, the question took … Continue reading When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi, a Book Review
Celebrity memoirs have been flying off the shelves over the past few months. Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance has been on the best sellers list for ages; Amy Poehler’s Yes Please sold 37,000 in the first week alone. Members of Hollywood, political spheres, and every walk of life have committed time and effort to putting their … Continue reading You’re Never Weird on the Internet (almost) by Felicia Day, a Book Review
Ryan: Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle. This book really tackles the challenges of living in a smartphone era. Think of how many times you see a family, or a group of friends, together in a physical space, yet everyone is absorbed in their phones. Think of the connections and skills we are losing because of this … Continue reading O’Fallon Public Library Staff Picks of 2015, a Reader’s Advisory
Anecdotes of science often stick in our memory more than the science itself. We don’t remember the equations that define gravity, but we can sure recount the story of an apple falling on Newton’s head. Newton’s Apple and Other Myths about Science seeks not only to debunk myths, but to uncover why myths are so … Continue reading Newton’s Apple & Other Myths about Science Edited by Ronald Numbers and Kostas Kampourakis, a Book Review
For three months of the year, Jill Fredston and her husband disappear. At least, that's the word she uses. In "Rowing to Latitude," Fredston documents the many journeys taken to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Sweden--by rowing. There's something unique about travelling; no matter how great the trip, it's always difficult to adequately convey the … Continue reading Rowing to Latitude: Journeys Along the Arctic’s Edge by Jill Fredston, a Book Review
It’s odd how little things like facial hair can play such a large part in our society. November has become “No-Shave-November;” clothing, duct tape, and phone covers are donned in mustaches; everyone seems to take a side—clean shaven or grizzly? Some men are even shelling out eight thousand dollars for hair transplants that fill in … Continue reading Of Beards and Men: The Revealing History of Facial Hair by Christopher Oldstone-Moore, a Book Review
No matter how your family celebrates the holidays, one aspect remains constant—food. Whether you’re enjoying homemade cookies in the afternoon or comforting soup in the evening, what we bring to the table becomes just as much a part of the gathering as the people themselves. We’ve all ran to the cookbook section of the library … Continue reading The Modern Family Cookbook, A Book Review
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