New Releases: November 12th, 2015
NEW RELEASES IN HARDCOVER
ALEX HALEY: And the Books That Changed a Nation by Robert J. Norrell
It is difficult to think of two 20th-century books by one author that have had as much influence on American culture when they were published as Alex Haley's monumental bestsellers, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X (1965) and ROOTS (1976). They changed the way white and black America viewed each other and the country's history. This first biography of Haley follows him from his childhood in relative privilege in deeply segregated small-town Tennessee to fame and fortune in high-powered New York City. Biography
ALONE ON THE WALL by Alex Honnold, with David Roberts
A 30-year-old climbing phenomenon, Alex Honnold pushes the limits of free soloing beyond anything previously attempted, as he climbs without a rope, without a partner, and without any gear to attach himself to the wall. If he falls, he dies. In ALONE ON THE WALL, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing achievements thus far in his meteoric career, including free-soloing Sendero Luminoso in Mexico and climbing the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia. Each chapter narrates the drama of one climb, along with reflective and introspective passages that get at what makes Honnold tick. Memoir
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
Ancient Rome was an imposing city even by modern standards, a sprawling imperial metropolis of more than a million inhabitants that served as the seat of power for an empire that spanned from Spain to Syria. Yet how did all this emerge from what was once an insignificant village in central Italy? In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury and beauty. History
THE WHITE ROAD: Journey into an Obsession by Edmund de Waal
Edmund de Waal gives us an intimate narrative history of his lifelong obsession with porcelain, or "white gold." A potter who has been working with porcelain for more than 40 years, de Waal describes how he set out on five journeys to places where porcelain was dreamed about, refined, collected and coveted --- and that would help him understand the clay's mysterious allure. His search eventually takes him around the globe and reveals more than a history of cups and figurines; rather, he is forced to confront some of the darkest moments of 20th-century history. History / Memoir
A WILD SWAN: And Other Tales written by Michael Cunningham, with illustrations by Yuko Shimizu
A poisoned apple and a monkey's paw with the power to change fate; a girl whose extraordinarily long hair causes catastrophe; a man with one human arm and one swan's wing; and a house deep in the forest, constructed of gumdrops and gingerbread, vanilla frosting and boiled sugar. In A WILD SWAN, the people and the talismans of lands far, far away --- the mythic figures of our childhoods and the source of so much of our wonder --- are transformed by Michael Cunningham into stories of sublime revelation. Short Stories
NEW RELEASES IN PAPERBACK
EMPIRE OF COTTON: A Global History by Sven Beckert
Cotton is so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, yet understanding its history is key to understanding the origins of modern capitalism. Sven Beckert’s rich, fascinating book tells the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, European entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen recast the world’s most significant manufacturing industry, combining imperial expansion and slave labor with new machines and wage workers to change the world. History
EMPIRE’S CROSSROADS: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day by Carrie Gibson
Ever since Christopher Columbus stepped off the Santa Maria onto what is today San Salvador, in the Bahamas, and announced that he had arrived in the Orient, the Caribbean has been a stage for projected fantasies and competition between world powers. In EMPIRE'S CROSSROADS, British American historian Carrie Gibson traces the story of this coveted area from the northern rim of South America up to Cuba, and from discovery through colonialism to today. History
I STAND CORRECTED: How Teaching Western Manners in China Became Its Own Unforgettable Lesson by Eden Collinsworth
In I STAND CORRECTED, Eden 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, Collinsworth creates a counterpart that explains Chinese practices and reveals much about our own Western culture. Memoir
LIVES IN RUINS: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson
Pompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon --- the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found and treasures lost. Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter? Marilyn Johnson’s LIVES IN RUINS is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Anthropology
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: The Crown (Joanna Stafford #1) by Nancy Bilyeau
2013: Black Spring by Alison Croggon
2012: The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
2011: Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott
2010: Fashion Victims by Michael Roberts
2009: Giveaway: Sorrow Wood by Raymond L. Atkins - WINNERS
2008: Romeo’s Ex: Rosaline’s Story by Fiedler
ALEX HALEY: And the Books That Changed a Nation by Robert J. Norrell
It is difficult to think of two 20th-century books by one author that have had as much influence on American culture when they were published as Alex Haley's monumental bestsellers, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X (1965) and ROOTS (1976). They changed the way white and black America viewed each other and the country's history. This first biography of Haley follows him from his childhood in relative privilege in deeply segregated small-town Tennessee to fame and fortune in high-powered New York City. Biography
ALONE ON THE WALL by Alex Honnold, with David Roberts
A 30-year-old climbing phenomenon, Alex Honnold pushes the limits of free soloing beyond anything previously attempted, as he climbs without a rope, without a partner, and without any gear to attach himself to the wall. If he falls, he dies. In ALONE ON THE WALL, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing achievements thus far in his meteoric career, including free-soloing Sendero Luminoso in Mexico and climbing the Fitz Traverse in Patagonia. Each chapter narrates the drama of one climb, along with reflective and introspective passages that get at what makes Honnold tick. Memoir
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
Ancient Rome was an imposing city even by modern standards, a sprawling imperial metropolis of more than a million inhabitants that served as the seat of power for an empire that spanned from Spain to Syria. Yet how did all this emerge from what was once an insignificant village in central Italy? In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury and beauty. History
THE WHITE ROAD: Journey into an Obsession by Edmund de Waal
Edmund de Waal gives us an intimate narrative history of his lifelong obsession with porcelain, or "white gold." A potter who has been working with porcelain for more than 40 years, de Waal describes how he set out on five journeys to places where porcelain was dreamed about, refined, collected and coveted --- and that would help him understand the clay's mysterious allure. His search eventually takes him around the globe and reveals more than a history of cups and figurines; rather, he is forced to confront some of the darkest moments of 20th-century history. History / Memoir
A WILD SWAN: And Other Tales written by Michael Cunningham, with illustrations by Yuko Shimizu
A poisoned apple and a monkey's paw with the power to change fate; a girl whose extraordinarily long hair causes catastrophe; a man with one human arm and one swan's wing; and a house deep in the forest, constructed of gumdrops and gingerbread, vanilla frosting and boiled sugar. In A WILD SWAN, the people and the talismans of lands far, far away --- the mythic figures of our childhoods and the source of so much of our wonder --- are transformed by Michael Cunningham into stories of sublime revelation. Short Stories
NEW RELEASES IN PAPERBACK
EMPIRE OF COTTON: A Global History by Sven Beckert
Cotton is so ubiquitous as to be almost invisible, yet understanding its history is key to understanding the origins of modern capitalism. Sven Beckert’s rich, fascinating book tells the story of how, in a remarkably brief period, European entrepreneurs and powerful statesmen recast the world’s most significant manufacturing industry, combining imperial expansion and slave labor with new machines and wage workers to change the world. History
EMPIRE’S CROSSROADS: A History of the Caribbean from Columbus to the Present Day by Carrie Gibson
Ever since Christopher Columbus stepped off the Santa Maria onto what is today San Salvador, in the Bahamas, and announced that he had arrived in the Orient, the Caribbean has been a stage for projected fantasies and competition between world powers. In EMPIRE'S CROSSROADS, British American historian Carrie Gibson traces the story of this coveted area from the northern rim of South America up to Cuba, and from discovery through colonialism to today. History
I STAND CORRECTED: How Teaching Western Manners in China Became Its Own Unforgettable Lesson by Eden Collinsworth
In I STAND CORRECTED, Eden 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, Collinsworth creates a counterpart that explains Chinese practices and reveals much about our own Western culture. Memoir
LIVES IN RUINS: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble by Marilyn Johnson
Pompeii, Machu Picchu, the Valley of the Kings, the Parthenon --- the names of these legendary archaeological sites conjure up romance and mystery. The news is full of archaeology: treasures found and treasures lost. Where are the archaeologists behind these stories? What kind of work do they actually do, and why does it matter? Marilyn Johnson’s LIVES IN RUINS is an absorbing and entertaining look at the lives of contemporary archaeologists as they sweat under the sun for clues to the puzzle of our past. Anthropology
Peeking into the archives...today in:
2014: The Crown (Joanna Stafford #1) by Nancy Bilyeau
2013: Black Spring by Alison Croggon
2012: The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
2011: Dark Moon of Avalon by Anna Elliott
2010: Fashion Victims by Michael Roberts
2009: Giveaway: Sorrow Wood by Raymond L. Atkins - WINNERS
2008: Romeo’s Ex: Rosaline’s Story by Fiedler