Braille Book Review---Mar.-Apr. 1997

Books for Adults--Nonfiction

Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.

To order books, contact your cooperating library.

Note: For the information of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurrence, as in "some strong language."

The Man Who Grew Two Breasts and Other True Tales of Medical Detection BR 10456
by Berton Rouech,
2 volumes
Journalist Rouech, describes ten cases that baffled doctors. In the title entry, a seventy-year-old man grows first one breast, then another. After his doctor runs multiple tests searching for signs of a tumor, the patient's wife solves the mystery. Another patient is an infant boy who makes his mother frantic with odd symptoms but is always fine at the doctor's office. 1995.

Othello BR 10163
by William Shakespeare
4 volumes
An early seventeenth-century play. Othello, a high-ranking Moorish soldier, marries Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian senator, who opposes the marriage. Othello wins over her family, but a frustrated ensign, Iago, sabotages his happiness by insinuating that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, another officer. Jealousy, racial overtones, confusion, fear, and lies eventually destroy love, honor, friendship, and respect. 1984.

The Complete Lyrics of Ira Gershwin BR 10208
by Ira Gershwin
12 volumes
The lyricist's collaboration with his brother, George, and other major twentieth-century composers made him a pillar of American music theater for more than fifty years. Arranged in chronological order, the collection contains hundreds of lyrics plus Gershwin's comments and anecdotes. 1993.

Richard Wright: Early Works BR 10299
by Richard Wright
8 volumes
This volume covers Wright's prose through 1940. The editor restores Wright's original manuscripts, which had been extensively changed for publication. Includes Lawd Today!, Uncle Tom's Children, Native Son, How "Bigger" Was Born, a literary chronology, and notes by Arnold Rampersad. Followed by Richard Wright: Later Works (BR 10300). Violence, strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 1991.

Richard Wright: Later Works BR 10300
by Richard Wright
8 volumes
Presents Wright's complete autobiography for the first time, combining his childhood in the South (Black Boy) with his life as an adult in the North (American Hunger). Also contains his 1953 novel (The Outsider), a literary chronology, and extensive notes. Follows to Richard Wright: Early Works (BR 10299). Violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. 1991.

Four Seasons North BR 10341
by Billie Wright
3 volumes
Wright's journal of her first year above the Arctic Circle in Alaska's Brooks Range, where she and her husband live in a twelve-foot-by twelve-foot cabin on the edge of a lake. She writes of the majestically beautiful wilderness and its animals, the long summer days and long winter nights, and the feeling of isolation. Wright and her husband develop a new way of looking at life and gain much from lessons learned and attitudes unlearned. 1973.

Building Basic Skills in Writing, Book 1 BR 10358
by Contemporary Books, Incorporated
2 volumes
First of a two-book program designed to enable the reader to master the basics of writing well. This segment includes units on sentences, nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. A pretest and a posttest are also included. 1981.

The Noodle Shop Cookbook BR 10364
by Jacki Passmore
3 volumes
The author explains that in most of Asia, noodles compete with rice as the staple food. She provides a collection of recipes for noodle dishes from China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan. Includes instructions on making egg, rice ribbon, and Japanese udon noodles; recipes for basic stocks; a glossary; and a chapter on vegetarian noodle dishes. 1994.

Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences BR 10366
by Barbara Holland
2 volumes
Holland believes that "subtly, in little ways, joy has been leaking out of our lives." In this collection of essays, she offers praise for some of her favorite delights and encourages the reader to "reconsider pleasure at its roots." Her topics include waking up, coffee, the morning paper, bare feet, seasonal food, mail, travel, gardening, weekends, water, babies, and getting older. 1995.

The Journals of Charles W. Chesnutt BR 10367
by Charles W. Chesnutt
2 volumes
These diaries cover eight years in the life of Chesnutt, an African American who became a lawyer, a businessman, and an author. Beginning as a student in 1874, he records the details of his daily life along with his love of education, his hopes for a career, and his frustration with the lack of opportunity for educated blacks in the South during the Reconstruction. 1993.

On Your Own: A Guide to Working Happily, Productively, and Successfully from Home BR 10380
by Lionel L. Fisher
2 volumes
Fisher, a writer who works out of his home, focuses on the mental, emotional, psychological, and motivational challenges of working alone. Topics include getting organized, avoiding procrastination, promoting self-actualization, setting office boundaries, and befriending solitude. 1995.

The Best of Spain: A Cookbook BR 10382
by Evie Righter
1 volume
Not to be confused with spicy Mexican food, Spanish dishes use down-to-earth ingredients in unusual ways. A unique category is tapas, which are small portions served before lunch and again before dinner for "grazing." Included also are recipes for main meals and desserts. 1993.

With My Trousers Rolled: Familiar Essays BR 10384
by Joseph Epstein
3 volumes
Epstein's collection of sixteen essays covers topics such as the ownership of cats, his passion for serious music, our culture's use and misuse of language, his need for privacy, and the death of his mother. 1995.

Panini, Bruschetta, Crostini: Sandwiches, Italian Style BR 10386
by Viana La Place
1 volume
Panini are Italian-style sandwiches in which the bread encloses the ingredients. Bruschetta is a grilled bread that is the foundation for toppings (the original garlic bread). Round or square crostini are miniature, sophisticated kinds of bruschetta providing single bitefuls of flavor. Recipes are provided for making several versions of each type of sandwich. 1994.

"I'll Work for Free": A Short-Term Strategy with a Long-Term Payoff BR 10424
by Bob Weinstein
2 volumes
Instead of spending time searching for a job, the author suggests deciding which job you want and offering to work at it for free for a few months to prove you are worth a salaried position. He explains how to sell yourself in letters and interviews, how to ensure that you won't be stuck with gopher-type work, and how to pay the bills while working for free. 1994.

Fifty-two Meat Loaves BR 10425
by Michael McLaughlin
2 volumes
The author believes that sooner or later everyone feels the need for a little tender, loving care in the form of the delectable meat loaf. His recipes include the Classic Interstate Meat Loaf found in truck stops and diners across the country, meat loaves with an international flavor, and meat-loaf meals for health-conscious cooks. There are also gourmet-style creations and celebrity favorites. 1993.

Pomes All Sizes BR 10443
by Jack Kerouac
1 volume
Collection of poems written by the Beat author between 1954 and 1965. Offerings range from haiku to jottings to multipart poems, all marked by Kerouac's sound, rhythm, and hipness. The Eastern philosophy and metaphysics are familiar Beat perspectives, the people mentioned are familiar Beat names: "Two Dharma Notes," "Letter to Allen 1955," and "Buddha." Strong language. 1992.

Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness BR 10448
by Robert Specht
3 volumes
Autobiography of Ann Hobbs as told to the author. In 1927 the nineteen-year-old woman went to teach in a one-room schoolhouse in the former gold-rush settlement of Chicken, Alaska. "Tisha" is the Indian children's pronunciation of "teacher." For junior and senior high and older readers. 1976.

Science versus Pseudoscience BR 10449
by Nathan Aaseng
1 volume
The author describes pseudoscience as a doctrine, belief, or fraud that is passed off as a science. He lists ten criteria to help determine if something is a science and measures such things as astrology, extrasensory perception, creation science, and alternative medicine against them. For junior and senior high readers. 1994.

The Blue Jay's Dance: A Birth Year BR 10450
by Louise Erdrich
1 volume
Beginning mid-pregnancy in midwinter New Hampshire, the reflections of poet-novelist Erdrich form a journal of her daughter's birth and first year. She observes the rhythms of nature outside her window, of her baby before and after birth, and of her own spirit, which is a synthesis of her Ojibwa and German cultures. Includes recipes for foods with special meaning for her. Some descriptions of sex. 1995.

Willa Cather: Lives of Notable Gay Men and Lesbians BR 10455
by Sharon O'Brien
1 volume
Born in 1873, Willa Cather supported herself as a journalist and a teacher before becoming a published novelist and winning the Pulitzer Prize. O'Brien, who uses Cather's letters as evidence that she was a lesbian, also discusses the author's intense relationships with other women and her gender-bending practices. For high school and older readers. 1995.

Random Acts of Kindness BR 10487
by Conari Press Editors
1 volume
Anonymous narrators describe acts of kindness given or received. These stories are supplemented with quotes on the subject from well-known historical figures. Includes suggestions for those who want to perform unexpected good deeds. Foreword by Daphne Rose Kingma and introduction by Dr. Dawna Markova. 1993.

As a Child Grows BR 10550
by Rosanne Keller
1 volume
Using language that is easy to understand and read, explains how children's needs change as they grow. Gives parents ideas about what to expect of their children and how to handle problems. A high-interest, low-vocabulary book; reading level grades 2-3. 1979.

The Measure of a Man BR 10575
by Martin Luther King Jr.
1 volume
Two meditations by the well-known American civil rights leader: "What Is Man?" and "The Dimensions of a Complete Life," plus an excerpt from his April 3, 1968, speech. King calls upon his Christian heritage as he reflects on the nature of human existence and the moral duties of the individual. 1988.


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