There are so many wonderful nonfiction books. You really can find something for everyone in our library collection. Some of my favorites are the “history of” or “journey through”—those books that allow you to take a deep dive into a specific topic.They focus on a very specific thing or a place or an event. They look expansively at that one thing through history or focus in on it to explain its importance to history or nature or the human experience. And they are fun and full of information you never knew or never thought about. Here is a list of some of the latest deep dives you can find on our shelves.
Box office poison : Hollywood's story in a century of flops
Robey, Tim, author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjK4jJQkpqx76T3jWbcPjP
791.4375 /Robey
"From grand follies to misunderstood masterpieces, disastrous sequels to catastrophic literary adaptations, Box Office Poison tells a hugely entertaining alternative history of Hollywood, through a century of its most notable flops. What can these films tell us about the Hollywood system, the public's appetite--or lack of it--and the circumstances that saw such flops actually made? Away from the canon, this is the definitive take on these ill-fated, but essential celluloid failures"--
Cello : a journey through silence to sound.
Kennedy, Kate
787.40922/Kennedy
In this luminousnarrative, Kate Kennedy, a writer and cellist herself, weaves together the story of four cellists who suffered various forms of persecution, injury, and misfortune. The stories are those of the forgotten Jewish cellist Pál Hermann, who is likely to have been murdered by the Nazis in Lithuania during the Holocaust; Lise Cristiani, another forgotten performer, who is considered to be the first female professional cello soloist and who embarked on an epic concert tour of Siberia in the 1850s taking with her a Stradivarius cello that can be seen to this day in a museum in Cremona in northern Italy; Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, who played in the orchestra at Auschwitz and survived spells in both that camp and in Bergen-Belsen; and Amedeo Baldovino of the Trieste piano trio, whose 'Mara' Stradivarius was lost in a shipwreck in the River Plate between Buenos Aires and Uruguay but later recovered from the water and repaired.
Context collapse : a poem containing a history of poetry
Ruby, Ryan, author.
809.1 /Ruby
"Prophet. Entertainer. Courtier. Criminal. Revolutionary. Critic. Scholar. Nobody. Context Collapse is the secret history of the poet--from Bronze Age Greece and Renaissance Italy to the cafés of Grub Street and the Latin Quarter, from the creative writing departments of the American Midwest to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley. Cheekily introducing academic discourse, media studies, cybersemiotics, literary sociology, and heterodox economics into his blank verse study of poetry, Ruby traces the always delicate dance between poets, their publishers, and their audiences, and shows how, time and time again, the social, technological, and aesthetic experiments that appear in poetic language have prefigured radical changes to the ways of life of millions of people. It is precisely to poets to whom we ought to turn to catch a glimpse, as Shelley once put it, of the "gigantic shadows futurity casts on the present.""--
Devil in the stack : a code odyssey
Smith, Andrew, 1961- author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJcC4BWHC4yHDrdMBMtHYP
004.019 /Smith
"From internationally bestselling author and journalist Andrew Smith, an immersive, alarming, sharp-eyed journey into the bizarre world of computer code, told through his sometimes painful, often amusing attempt to become a coder himself. Throughout history, technological revolutions have been driven by the invention of machines. But today, the power of the technology transforming our world lies in an intangible and impenetrable cosmos of software: algorithmic code. So symbiotic has our relationship with this code become that we barely notice it anymore. We can't see it, are not even sure how to think about it, and yet we do almost nothing that doesn't depend on it. In a world increasingly governed by technologies that so few can comprehend, who--or what--controls the future? Devil in the Stack follows Andrew Smith on his immersive trip into the world of coding, passing through the stories of logic, machine-learning, and early computing, from Ada Lovelace to Alan Turing and up to the present moment, behind the scenes into the lives--and minds--of the new frontierspeople of the twenty-first century: those who write code. Smith embarks on a quest to understand this sect in what he believes to be the only way possible: by learning to code himself. Expansive and effervescent, Devil in the Stack delivers a portrait of code as both a vivid culture and an impending threat. How do we control a technology that most people can't understand? And are we programming ourselves out of existence? Perhaps most terrifying of all: Is there something about the way we compute-the way code works-that is innately at odds with the way humans have evolved? By turns revelatory, unsettling, and joyously funny, Devil in the Stack is an essential book for our times, of vital interest to anyone hoping to participate in the future-defining technological debates to come"--
Devil's contract : the history of the Faustian bargain
Simon, Ed (Writer), author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjxwkX9dwkYyjjrbv7FqPP
170 /Simon
"From ancient times to the modern world, the idea of the Faustian bargain--the exchange of one's soul in return for untold riches and power--has exerted a magnetic pull upon our collective imaginations. Scholar Ed Simon takes us on a historical tour of the Faustian bargain, from the Bible to blues, and illustrates how the impulse to sacrifice our principles in exchange for power is present in all kinds of social ills, from colonialism to nuclear warfare, from social media to climate change to AI, and beyond. In doing so, Simon conveys just how much the Faustian bargain shows us about power and evil ... and ourselves."--Provided by publisher.
Eight-legged wonders : the surprising lives of spiders
O'Hanlon, James, author.
595.44 /O'Hanlon
"Eight-Legged Wonders unveils the remarkable lives of one of the most misunderstood and maligned creatures on the planet: the spider. With over 50,000 species, spiders play vital roles in our ecosystems and the vast majority are harmless to humans. With this in mind, shouldn't we at least try to set aside our creepy-crawly associations, and cultivate a deeper appreciation for these truly wonderful beings? Eight-Legged Wonders helps us do just that. In this affectionate and surprisingly giddy ode to spiders, James O'Hanlon, a scientist and spider expert, introduces spiders that we may never have noticed before, including spiders that cosplay as ants, balloon through the air, and scuba-dive. He describes the peacock spider's colorful dances and the Portia jumping spider's cunning hunting techniques. He dispels bite concerns, highlights groundbreaking research using spiders for human benefit, and aims to shift perceptions, ultimately revealing spiders as truly remarkable beings worthy of our admiration."--
Every valley : the desperate lives and troubled times that made Handel's Messiah
King, Charles, 1967- author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJyCy66M9WXtk3MFhpxMT3
780.92/Handel
"The epic, dramatic story of the 18th century men and women behind the making of Handel's Messiah, one of the world's most beloved works of classical music, from a New York Times bestselling historian and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. George Frideric Handel's Messiah is arguably the greatest piece of participatory art ever created. Adored by millions, it is performed each year by renowned choirs and orchestras as well as by fans singing along to the lyrics on their cell phones. But this work of triumphant joy was born in an age of anxiety. Britain in the early eighteenth century, the so-called age of Enlightenment, was a time of war, enslavement, political conspiracy, social polarization, and conflicts over everything from the legitimacy of government to the meaning of truth. Contrary to popular belief, the Messiah was not the product of a lone genius scribbling furiously on a musical staff. It came about because of a depressive political dissenter; an actress plagued by an abusive husband; an Atlantic sea captain and penniless philanthropist; an African Muslim man held captive in the American colonies; and Handel himself, once composer to kings but, at midlife, in ill health and straining to keep an audience's attention. Set amid royal intrigue and theatrical scandal, and exploring the rich ideas of its day, Every Valley is a cinematic drama of the entangled lives that shaped a masterpiece"--
Into unknown skies : an unlikely team, a daring race, and the first flight around the world
Randall, David K., author.
629.1309 /Randall
"INTO UNKNOWN SKIES tells the unbelievable history of the 1924 race to circumnavigate the globe for the first time by air, a nail-biting contest that pitted underdog US pilots against their better-funded European rivals, created technology that changed aviation, and convinced America that its future was in the sky. In the early 1920s, America's faith in aviation was in shambles. Twenty years after the Wright Brothers' first flight, most Americans believed airplanes were for delivering the mail or performing daredevil stunts in front of crowds. The dream of commercial air travel remained just that. Even the American military was a skeptic-rather than pay to bring its planes back from Europe following World War I, the War Department chose to burn most of them instead. All that changed with a single race in 1924. It was not just any race, though-it was a race to become the first to circle the globe in an airplane, pitting a team of four underdog American pilots against the best aviators in the world from England, Italy, Portugal, France, and Argentina. Rooted in the same daring spirit that pushed early twentieth-century explorers to attempt crossings of the Antarctic ice or locate the source of the Nile, this race was an adventure unlike anything the world had seen before. The obstacles were daunting-from experimental planes, to dangerous landings in uncharted territory, to the simple navigational gauges that could lead pilots hundreds of miles off course. Failure seemed all but guaranteed-the suspense less about who would win than how many would perish for the honor of being the first. Now on the race's centennial, award-winning author David K. Randall tells the story of this riveting, long-forgotten race. Through larger-than-life characters, treacherous landings, disease, and ultimately triumph, INTO UNKNOWN SKIES demonstrates how one race returned America to aviation greatness. A story of underdog teammates, bold exploration, and American ingenuity, INTO UNKNOWN SKIES is an untold adventure tale showing the power of flight to bring the world together"--
Land between the rivers : a 5,000-year history of Iraq
Bull, Bartle, author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJxWWmCWJmk9qHDHrx83cP
956.7 /Bull
"The epic, five millennia history of the region between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers that was the birthplace of civilization and remains today the essential crossroads between East and West. At the start of the fourth millennium BC, at the edge of historical time, civilization first arrived with the advent of cities and the invention of writing that began to replace legend with history. This occurred on the floodplains of southern Iraq where the great rivers Tigris and Euphrates meet the Persian Gulf. By 3000 BC, a city called Uruk (from which "Iraq" is derived) had 80,000 residents. Indeed, as Bartle Bull reveals in his magisterial history, "if one divides the 5,000 years of human civilization into ten periods of five centuries each, during the first nine of these the world's leading city was in one of the three regions of current day Iraq"-or to use its Greek name, Mesopotamia. Inspired by extensive reporting from the region to spend a decade delving deep into its history, Bull chronicles the story of Iraq from the exploits of Gilgamesh (almost certainly a historical figure) to the fall of the Iraqi monarchy in 1958 that ushered in its familiar modern era. The land between the rivers has been the melting pot and battleground of countless outsiders, from the Akkadians of Hammurabi and the Greeks of Alexander to the Ottomans of Suleiman the Magnificent. Here, by the waters of Babylon, Judaism was born and the Sunni-Shia schism took its bloody shape. Central themes play out over the millennia: humanity's need for freedom versus the coeternal urge of tyranny; the ever-present conflict and cross-fertilization of East and West with Iraq so often the hinge. We tend to view today's tensions in the Middle East through the prism of the last hundred years since the Treaty of Versailles imposed a controversial realignment of its borders. Bartle Bull's remarkable, sweeping achievement reminds us that the region defined by the land between the rivers has for five millennia played a uniquely central role on the global stage"--
The notebook : a history of thinking on paper
Allen, Roly, author.
809.983 /Allen
"The first history of the notebook, a simple invention that changed the way the world thinks. We see notebooks everywhere we go. But where did this simple invention come from? How did they revolutionize our lives, and why are they such powerful tools for creativity? And how can using a notebook help you change the way you think? In this wide-ranging history, Roland Allen reveals how the notebook became our most dependable and versatile tool for creative thinking. He tells the notebook stories of Leonardo and Frida Kahlo, Isaac Newton and Marie Curie, and writers from Chaucer to Henry James; shows how Darwin developed his theory of evolution in tiny pocketbooks and Agatha Christie plotted a hundred murders in scrappy exercise books; and introduces a host of cooks, kings, sailors, fishermen, musicians, engineers, politicians, adventurers and mathematicians, who all used their notebooks as a space to think--and so shaped the modern world. In an age of AI and digital overload, the humble notebook is more relevant than ever. Allen shows how bullet points can combat ADHD, journals can ease PTSD, and patient diaries soften the trauma of reawakening from coma. The everyday act of moving a pen across paper can have profound consequences, changing the way we think and feel: making us more creative, more productive--and happier."--
Ocean : a history of the Atlantic before Columbus
Haywood, John, 1956- author.
909.0963 /Haywood
This work is a comprehensive cultural history of the Atlantic Ocean before Columbus, tracing its development from geological formation and the rise of early humans to the advancements in shipbuilding, navigation, and maritime exploration. It delves into the origins of the transatlantic slave trade and the early stages of European imperialism, offering a broad overview of the forces shaping this crucial body of water and its global significance.
A place called Yellowstone : the epic history of the world's first national park
Wilson, Randall K., 1966- author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjJRrHPfTCqdcJqpXYyq8K
978.752/Wilson
"It has been called Wonderland, America's Serengeti, the crown jewel of the National Park System, and America's best idea. But how did this faraway landscape evolve into one of the most recognizable places in the world? As the birthplace of the national park system, Yellowstone witnessed the first-ever attempt to protect wildlife, to restore endangered species, and to develop a new industry centered on nature tourism. Yellowstone remains a national icon, one of the few entities capable of bridging ideological divides in the United States. Yet the park's history is also filled with episodes of conflict and exclusion, setting precedents for Native American land dispossession, land rights disputes, and prolonged tensions between commercialism and environmental conservation. Yellowstone's legacies are both celebratory and problematic. A Place Called Yellowstone tells the comprehensive story of Yellowstone as the story of the nation itself"--
Rumbles : a curious history of the gut, the secret story of the body's most fascinating organ
Richardson, Elsa, author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjHkWFdwqbCx3CFXMrrkKq
612.32 /Richardson
The stomach is notoriously outspoken. It growls, gurgles, and grumbles while other organs remain silent, inconspicuous, and content. For centuries humans have puzzled over this rowdy, often overzealous organ, deliberating on the extent of its influence over cognition, mental well-being, and emotions, and wondering how the gut became so central to our sense of self. Travelling from ancient Greece to Victorian England, eighteenth-century France to modern America, cultural historian Elsa Richardson leads us on a lively tour of the gut, exploring all the ways that we have imagined, theorized, and probed the mysteries of the gastroenterological system. We'll meet a wildly diverse cast of characters including Edwardian bodybuilders, hunger-striking suffragettes, demons, medieval alchemists, and one poor teenage girl plagued by a remarkably vocal gut, all united by this singular organ. Engaging, eye-opening, and thought-provoking, Rumbles leaves no stone unturned, scrutinizing religious tracts and etiquette guides, satirical cartoons, and political pamphlets, in its quest to answer the millennia-old question: Are we really ruled by our stomachs?--
Scotland Yard : a history of the London police force's most infamous murder cases
Read, Simon, 1974- author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjxMCwDqMMjXHBpjrrjdXq
364.1523 /Read
"A riveting true-crime history of London's first modern police force as told through its most notorious murder cases. The idea of "Scotland Yard" is steeped in atmospheric stories of foggy London streets, murder by lamplight, and fiendish killers pursued by gentleman detectives. From its establishment in 1829 through the eve of World War II, Scotland Yard--the world's first modern, professional, and centrally organized police force--set new standards for policing and investigating. Scotland Yard advanced ground-breaking use of forensics--from fingerprints to ballistics to evidence collection--made the first attempt at criminal profiling, and captivated the public on both sides of the Atlantic with feats of detective work that rivaled any fictional interpretation. Based on official case files, contemporary newspaper reporting, trial transcripts, and the first-hand accounts of the detectives on the beat, Scotland Yard tells the tales of some of history's most notorious murders--with cases that proved to be landmarks in the field of criminal inquiry"--Dust jacket flap.
To the city : life and death along the ancient walls of Istanbul
Christie-Miller, Alexander, author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PCjDbTfkmVVygxD9GyVbKMK
949.618 /Christie-Miller
In this extraordinary literary debut, Christie-Miller traces the history and present of Istanbul by walking along its crumbling defensive walls and talking to those he passes. Caught between two seas and two continents, with a contested past and an imperiled future, Istanbul represents the precipitous moment civilizations around the world are currently facing. To the City seamlessly blends two narratives: the fragile optimism of the present-day and its inhabitants, and the story of Mehmet's siege and capture of the city in 1453. Those events still loom over the city, as Erdoğan -- a kind of latter-day sultan -- invokes their memory as part of his effort to transform Turkey and resurrect its imperial past. Istanbul stands at the centre of the most pressing challenges of our time. Environmental decay, rapacious development and a refugee crisis are straining the city to breaking point, while its civil society gutters in the face of resurgent authoritarianism. Yet, Istanbul has endured despite centuries of instability. Christie-Miller introduces us to people who are experiencing the looming crisis and fighting back, sometimes triumphing despite the odds. This is a meditation on the soul of Istanbul, of its resilience and fortitude. In the defensive walls of Turkey's largest and most fabled city, Christie-Miller finds a distillation of the country's history and a mirror of its present. Walk with him and see the danger, beauty and hope.
What the chicken knows : a new appreciation of the world's most familiar bird
Montgomery, Sy, author. https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJfrHywrrwxDpBw9FKth73
636.5 /Montgomery
"For more than two decades, Sy Montgomery ... has kept a flock of chickens in her backyard. Each chicken has an individual personality (outgoing or shy, loud or quiet, reckless or cautious) and connects with Sy in her own way. In this short ... book, Sy takes us inside the flock and reveals all the things that make chickens such remarkable creatures: only hours after leaving the egg, they are able to walk, run, and peck; relationships are important to them and the average chicken can recognize more than one hundred other chickens; they remember the past and anticipate the future; and they communicate specific information through at least twenty-four distinct calls"--