Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
BETTER: A SURGEON'S NOTES ON PERFORMANCE by Atul Gawande
Date: April 18, 2008
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Engagingly written and rich in fascinating detail, the author (a surgeon) weaves a discerning, humanizing portrait of doctors and the challenges they face.
Reviewed by Dr. Don Detmer, retired Vice President of Health Sciences, UVa
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
DEMOCRACY REBORN: THE 14th AMENDMENT AND THE FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS IN POST-CIVIL WAR AMERICA by Garrett Epps
Date: May 16, 2008
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The author of this passionate history of Reconstruction politics argues that "the source of our rights is not Philadelphia 1787 but Washington 1866."
Reviewed by Dr. Rick Potter, Adjunct Professor of History, Mary Baldwin College
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
PLACE TO BE: WASHINGTON, CBS, AND THE GLORY DAYS OF TELEVISION NEWS by Roger Mudd
Date: September 19, 2008
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Mudd's memoir is a classic of Washington journalism; wry and probing, bolstered by extensive interviews and livened with more than a touch of score-settling relish. Reviewer: Jane S Foy, Co-Host, Morning News with Rick and Jane, WINA-1070 AM.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THREE CUPS OF TEA by Greg Mortenson
Date: October 17, 2008
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Traces how the author, having been rescued and resuscitated by Himalayan villagers after a failed attempt to climb K2, worked to build schools that would benefit the young girls who were forbidden an education by Taliban restrictions. Reviewer: Zahir Mahmoud, Director, Waynesboro Public Library.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE GEOGRAPHY OF BLISS: ONE GRUMP'S SEARCH FOR THE HAPPIEST PLACES IN THE WORLD by Eric Weiner.
Date: November 21, 2008
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Draws on the author's experiences as a foreign correspondent and reporter to evaluate more than three dozen countries for their happiness potential, in a lighthearted survey that includes profiles of such locales as the American shores, glacial Iceland, and the Bhutan jungles. Reviewer: Tony W. Poehailos, M.D., psychiatrist with Poehailos, Dupont & Associates.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
TWILIGHT AT MONTICELLO: THE FINAL YEARS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON by Alan Pell Crawford
Date: January 16, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
A portrait of Thomas Jefferson's retirement years at Monticello captures a turbulent period in the former president's life marked by personal and financial problems, depression, the disintegration of his family, and the founding of the University of Virginia. Reviewer: Lisa Francavilla, Managing Editor, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Retirement Series.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE MAN WHO MADE LISTS: love, death, madness, and the creation of Roget's Thesaurus by Joshua Kendall
Date: February 20, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
A profile of the creator of the legendary thesaurus named for him describes his childhood fascination with list-making, a practice that was shaped by family tragedies, his run-in with Napoleon's authorities, and a productive relationship with famed physician Thomas Beddoes. Reviewed by Tony W. Poehailos, M.D.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
PRESIDENTIAL COURAGE: BRAVE LEADERS AND HOW THEY CHANGED AMERICA, 1789-1989 by Michael Beschloss
Date: March 13, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Documents crucial historical moments in each of the first forty presidencies during which the future of the United States has been dramatically affected by a bold executive decision, and offers insight into the factors that influenced the choices made byeach president. Reviewed by Ralph Bledsoe, Special Assistant to President Reagan.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE FORGER'S SPELL: A TRUE STORY OF VERMEER, NAZIS, AND THE GREATEST HOAX OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY by Edward Dolnick
Date: April 17, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Profiles the dramatic art hoax through which a small-time Dutch painter conned a reviled Nazi leader by creating works that impersonated those of famed artist Jan Vermeer, a seven-year deception during which the forger hid his mediocre artistic abilities through psychologically manipulative practices. Reviewed by Lawrence Goedde, UVA Prof of Art History. Check the catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
HOW DOCTORS THINK by Jerome Groopman
Date: May 15, 2009
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Using revealing case histories, interviews and clinical research, the author offers a riveting and cautionary view of how doctors assess and diagnose patients. Reviewed by Dr. Raymond Ford, retired pediatrician. Check the catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE WORLD WITHOUT US by Alan Weisman
Date: September 18, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
What would happen to the Earth if humans suddenly disappeared? The author's answer is a fascinating yet cautionary tale: nature would thrive and plastic would survive. Reviewed by Ralph Allen, Professor of Chemistry, UVa.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE HEMINGSES OF MONTICELLO: AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Annette Gordon-Reed
Date: October 16, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The author combed through 200 years of myths, secrets and lies to craft a portrait of the enslaved family whose destiny was shaped by Jefferson's family. Reviewed by Peter S. Onuf, Professor of History, UVa. Check the Catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
AMERICAN LION: ANDREW JACKSON IN THE WHITE HOUSE by Jon Meacham
Date: November 20, 2009
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The author creates a detailed yet engaging portrait of the scrappy frontier lawyer who expanded the power of the executive branch while defending the rights of the common man. Reviewed by Rick Potter, Adjunct Professor of History, Mary Baldwin College.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE NINE: INSIDE THE SECRET WORLD OF THE SUPREME COURT by Jeffrey Toobin
Date: January 15, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
A smart and accessible account that taps into the human element behind the legal and political dynamics of the Court. Reviewed by Henry J. Abraham, James Hart Professor of Politics Emeritus, UVa Check the Catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett
Date: March 12, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Full of heart and history, and set during the early 1960’s in Jackson, Mississippi, this accomplished debut novel tells the intertwined story of three women on opposite sides of the racial divide. Reviewed by Virginia Daugherty, former mayor of Charlottesville and local businesswoman.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE BIG BURN: TEDDY ROOSEVELT AND THE FIRE THAT SAVED AMERICA by Timothy Egan
Date: April 16, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Ironically, the nation's worst-ever forest fire saved the forests; Roosevelt used the positive public opinion in the aftermath to create the idea of public land as our national treasure. Reviewed by Thomas A. Dierauf, Research Forester (retired), Virginia Dept. of Forestry.
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Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
ABIGAIL ADAMS by Woody Holton
Date: May 21, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
"This is the Adams who deserves a mini-series!" One of American history's most beloved figures both as a patriot and a feminist is the subject of this thorough, thoughtful biography. Reviewed by Elizabeth Downing Taylor, independent scholar, James Madison’s Montpelier. Check the Catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
TOO BIG TO FAIL: the inside story of how Wall Street and Washington fought to save the financial system from crisis--and themselves by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Date: September 17, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
An award-winning New York Times reporter presents a moment-by-moment account of the recent financial collapse that documents state efforts to prevent an economic disaster, offering insight into the pivotal consequences of decisions made throughout the past decade. Reviewed by Laurence G. Taff, systems technologist in the finance industry for 12 years. Check the Catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE LAST FOUNDING FATHER: James Monroe and a nation's call to greatness by Harlow Giles Unger.
Date: October 15, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Recounts the life of the fifth president from his fierce participation in critical Revolutionary War battles through his political contributions, documenting his efforts toward securing the nation's durability and his mentorship under the first four presidents. Reviewed by Daniel Preston, Editor of The Papers of James Monroe, Univ of Mary Washington. Check the Catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE MONUMENTS MEN: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel
Date: November 19, 2010
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The previously untold story of a little-known WWII Allied division whose mission was to track down European art and treasures that had been looted by the Nazis at Hitler's command. Reviewed by Lawrence O. Goedde, Professor of Art History, McIntire Department of Art, UVA. Check the Catalog
Northside-Books Sandwiched In ( adult )
THE WOMAN BEHIND THE NEW DEAL: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey
Date: January 21, 2011
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Presents a portrait of the first female cabinet member and one of the most influential women of the twentieth century, whose efforts to improve the lives of America's working people resulted in such initiatives as unemployment insurance and Social Security. Reviewed by Laura Kolar, PhD Candidate, UVA Dept of History. Check the Catalog