Popular Non-Fiction Recent Picks
November 2009
The title-underlined links will take you directly to our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
Magnificent desolation : the long journey home from the moon, by Buzz Aldrin with Ken Abraham."Forty years ago, Buzz Aldrin became the second human - minutes after Neil Armstrong - to set foot on a celestial body other than the Earth. The event remains one of mankind's greatest achievements and was witnessed by the largest worldwide television audience in history. In the years since, millions more have had their earth-centric perspective changed forever by gazing at the iconic photograph of Aldrin standing on the surface of the Moon with the blackness of space behind him. He described what he saw as 'magnificent desolation'. The flight of Apollo 11 made Aldrin one of the most famous people on the planet, yet few people know the rest of the story. In Magnificent Desolation, Aldrin not only gives us a harrowing first-person account of the lunar landing that came within seconds of failure, as well as the ultimate insider's view of life as one of the superstars of America's space program, he also opens up with remarkable candor about his more personal trials - and eventual triumphs - back on Earth." (Amazon)
The numerati, by Stephen Baker.
"Every day we produce loads of data about ourselves simply by living in the modern world: we click web pages, shop with credit cards, and make cell phone calls. Companies like Yahoo! and Google are harvesting an average of 2,500 details about each of us every month. Who is looking at this data and what are they doing with it? Journalist Stephen Baker explores these questions and provides us with a fascinating guide to the world we're entering - and to the people controlling that world. The Numerati have infiltrated every realm of human affairs, profiling us as workers, shoppers, voters, potential terrorists - and lovers. The implications are vast. Privacy evaporates. Our bosses can monitor our every move. Retailers can better tempt us to make impulse buys. But the Numerati can also work on our behalf...." (Amazon)
Why men want sex & women need love : unravelling the simple truth, by Allan & Barbara Pease.
"Sex is like air: it's not important unless you aren't getting any. And international bestselling authors Allan & Barbara Pease focus their insight and wit on this, the most important, yet sometimes most frustrating and confusing part of any loving relationship. With cutting edge research and groundbreaking analysis, Allan and Barbara reveal why men want sex and women want love. In this practical, humorous and easy-to-read guide Allan and Barbara help the reader discover the truth about their partner - or future partners. And most importantly, they translate the science into a highly entertaining read then teach you what you can do about it! This is a must-have book for anyone who wants to get the most from their relationship. It provides the answers both men and women are desperate to learn." (Amazon)
When she was white : the true story of a family divided by race, by Judith Stone. (2009)
"During the worst years of official racism in South Africa, the story of one young girl gripped the nation and came to symbolize the injustice, corruption, and arbitrary nature of apartheid. Born in 1955 to a pro-apartheid Afrikaner couple, Sandra Laing was officially registered and raised as a white child. But when she was sent to a boarding school for whites, she was mercilessly persecuted because of her dark skin and frizzy hair. Her parents attributed Sandra’s appearance to an interracial union far back in history; they swore Sandra was their child. Their neighbors, however, thought Mrs. Laing had committed adultery with a black man. The family was shunned. And when Sandra was ten, she was removed from school by the police and reclassified as "coloured." As a teenager, Sandra eloped with a black man, and her parents disowned her. The young woman, who had only known the privileged world of the whites, chose to begin again in a poor, rural, all-black township, where life was a desperate, day-to-day struggle against poverty, illness, and a legal system designed to enslave." (Amazon)
Under a mushroom cloud : Europe, Iran and the bomb, by Emanuele Ottolenghi. (2009)
"Six years ago in Washington, the National Council of the Resistance in Iran (NCRI) revealed to a stunned world how advanced Iran's nuclear programme was. In just a few years, Tehran could have a nuclear arsenal. But the international community is divided on this threat. Russia and China view Iran as a tool to counter US influence. The USA is wary of engaging Iran. Sunni Arab governments fear Iran, but are powerless to keep it in check. And Israel, fearing that the bomb will be used against them, might decide on a pre-emptive strike, with drastic consequences for the region. Preventing Iran from building a nuclear arsenal is a European priority. But Europe's strategic and economic interests collide: the EU is Iran's biggest commercial partner; its energy policy tilts towards Iran, yet its interests in the region clash with Iran's policies. Drawing on extensive research, including interviews with senior officials, security and intelligence personnel of many countries, it (book) provides a comprehensive account of a serious strategic threat to Europe, and offers a list of practical recommendations." (Amazon)
Women and human development : the capabilities approach, by Martha C. Nussbaum.
"In this major book Martha Nussbaum, one of the most innovative and influential philosophical voices of our time, proposes a new kind of feminism that is genuinely international, argues for an ethical underpinning to all thought about development planning and public policy, and dramatically moves beyond the abstractions of economists and philosophers to embed thought about justice in the concrete reality of the struggles of poor women. Nussbaum argues that international political and economic thought must be sensitive to gender difference as a problem of justice, and that feminist thought must begin to focus on the problems of women in the third world. Taking as her point of departure the predicament of poor women in India, she shows how philosophy should undergird basic constitutional principles that should be respected and implemented by all governments, and used as a comparative measure of quality of life across nations." (Amazon)
100 ideas for supporting pupils with dyslexia, by Gavin Reid and Shannon Green.
"Provides those working with dyslexic children one hundred ideas of how to support their learning development. This guide includes lists that range from identifying the needs of individual pupils and their learning styles to developing pupils reading, writing, numeric and communication skills." (Amazon)
Think and grow rich in property, by Stuart Zadel. (2009)
A classical education : the stuff you wish you'd been taught at school, by Caroline Taggart.
Half the sky : turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.
Shop class as soulcraft : an inquiry into the value of work, by Matthew B. Crawford.
Catching fire : how cooking made us human, by Richard Wrangham.
Wild spirit : how a year in the African rainforest changed an Australian woman's life, by Annette Henderson.
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