Braille Book Review

Books for Adults The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. Note: For the infomation 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 occurence, as in "some strong language." Nonfiction

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux BR 15121
by Kathryn Harrison
2 volumes
Portrait of a French Carmelite nun sanctified in 1925, only eighteen years after her death at twenty-four in the "fastest canonization to date in the history of the Catholic Church." Discusses her parents, childhood influences, character and personality, and her religious fervor. 2003.

Organizing from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Organizing Your Home, Your Office, and Your Life BR 15230
by Julie Morgenstern
3 volumes
Professional organizer's approach to conquering clutter and chaos based on individual goals, habits, and psychological needs. Morgenstern outlines strategies using the "SPACE" formula for sorting, purging, assigning, containerizing, and equalizing the target area. She includes case studies, timelines, and tips on technology and storage products. 1998.

A Flash in the Pan: Fast, Fabulous Recipes in a Single Skillet BR 15255
by Brooke Dojny and Melanie Barnard
2 volumes
Bon Appétit magazine columnists' top one hundred main course skillet recipes. Instructions for sautés, braises, stews, and other "one-pot wonders" that can be cooked in thirty minutes or less specify new, high-quality, shortcut ingredients. Includes tips on choosing the right skillet, cooking basics, and serving suggestions. 2003.

The Radical Lives of Helen Keller BR 15304
by Kim E. Nielsen
2 volumes
Feminist professor analyzes the political and social views of Helen Keller. Describes Keller's support of the Socialist Party of America in 1909, women's suffrage and birth control, and radical labor unions. But, according to the author, "the disability politics she adopted were frequently conservative, consistently patronizing, and occasionally repugnant." 2004.

Happiness on Seven Dollars a Week: A Formula for Living BR 15324
by Harley B. Bernstein
1 volume
Author traces his father Al's adjustment to the illness and death of his wife of fifty years. In conversations about fear, appreciation, acceptance, and spirituality occurring during a series of walks through the Maine countryside, Al--a writer-- shares a lifetime of memories and the secret to happiness with his son. 2003.

Scout's Honor: A Father's Unlikely Foray into the Woods BR 15329
by Peter Applebome
3 volumes
New York Times writer and editor recounts three years of countless hikes, canoe trips, and campouts with his son Ben's Boy Scout troop. A "committed indoorsman," Applebome blends amusing descriptions of latrines and gourmet fireside meals with commentary on the history and cultural legacy of this conservative institution. 2003.

Soul on Ice BR 15355
by Eldridge Cleaver
2 volumes
Memoirs by African American activist who was an influential leader of the Black Panthers in the 1960s. Includes Cleaver's letters from Folsom prison--in which he describes his legal troubles--and essays on politics, race, and sex. 1992 preface by Ishmael Reed. Explicit descriptions of sex and strong language. 1968.

Multiple Sclerosis Q & A: Reassuring Answers to Frequently Asked Questions BR 15358
by Beth Ann Hill
2 volumes
Introduction to multiple sclerosis (MS) by a patient, addressing the most common concerns. Topics include symptoms, tests, diagnosis, and treatments. Covers family issues and lifestyle changes and offers positive assurances and available resources. 2003.

Sanity and Grace: A Journey of Suicide, Survival, and Strength BR 15368
by Judy Collins
2 volumes
Grammy-nominated recording artist reflects on the loss of her thirty-three-year-old son, Clark, who committed suicide in 1992. Supplementing her account with journal entries and song lyrics, Collins describes events surrounding his death and shares her personal struggle to cope with and understand his decision. Some strong language. 2003.

Microchip: An Idea, Its Genesis, and the Revolution It Created BR 15372
by Jeffrey Zygmont
3 volumes
Chronicles the major developments in the evolution of the integrated circuit from 1958 to the digital age. Zygmont presents the people and businesses behind the technology that has defined a culture, beginning with Jack Kilby's work with Texas Instruments. 2003.

Natalie Wood: A Life BR 15373
by Gavin Lambert
4 volumes
Biography of movie actress Natalie Wood (1938-1981) by a screenwriter friend. Relying on accounts of her two husbands and others, Lambert portrays Wood's manipulative mother, childhood stardom, family secrets and lasting emotional trauma, film career struggles and successes, love affairs and marriages, and tragic drowning at forty-three. Some strong language. 2004.

The Big House: A Century in the Life of an American Summer Home BR 15378
by George Howe Colt
3 volumes
The author returns one final time to the family's hundred-year- old vacation home in Cape Cod to reminisce about forty-two years of history there. He provides an account of his Boston Brahmin lineage and recalls milestone events that shaped the attachment of five generations to the large and rambling house. 2003.

In Defense of Liberty: The Story of America's Bill of Rights BR 15386
by Russell Freedman
2 volumes
Describes the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution and explains how they are applied as well as tested. Examples of challenges include a suit brought on behalf of schoolchildren who were required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and rap musicians sued for obscenity. For junior and senior high readers. 2003.

The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States BR 15396
by 9/11 Commission
9 volumes
Independent, nonpartisan commission analyzes facts and circumstances surrounding the fatal September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda attacks on the United States homeland. Summarizes failures of intelligence and other U.S. agencies before and after that date. Recommends government reorganization to provide a safer, more prepared nation. 2004.

Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies BR 15412
by Ian Buruma and Avishai Margalit
2 volumes
Notable scholars Buruma and Margalit discuss the development of anti-Western sentiments and their perpetuation into contemporary times, especially by Islamic countries. Examines some aspects of fascism, socialism, globalization, and religious extremism throughout history. 2004.

Plan of Attack BR 15423
by Bob Woodward
4 volumes
Follows Pulitzer Prize-winning author's Bush at War (BR 14429) with a behind-the-scenes account of President George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq. Draws on interviews with Bush and others to chronicle crucial operations from November 2001 to March 2003. Some strong language. Bestseller 2004.

Ten Rings: My Championship Seasons BR 15426
by Yogi Berra
1 volume
Autobiography by baseball Hall of Fame catcher highlighting his ten championship seasons with the New York Yankees between 1947 and 1962. Recalls the "golden years" of baseball, his famous contemporaries, and rival teams and relates how the game has changed since the 1950s. 2003.

God Has a Dream: A Vision of Hope for Our Time BR 15491
by Desmond Tutu
1 volume
Calling his book "a cumulative expression of my life's work," Tutu, Nobel Laureate and retired Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, shares his belief that God, through humanity, transforms the world. Citing his speeches and writings, Tutu shows how people everywhere can turn suffering into joy and redemption. 2004.

The Radioactive Boy Scout: The True Story of a Boy and His Backyard Nuclear Reactor BR 15502
by Ken Silverstein
2 volumes
Los Angeles Times investigative reporter recounts scientific experiments Detroit teenager David Hahn undertook to earn a Boy Scout merit badge in 1995. Describes how David, with textbook knowledge and information from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, built a nuclear reactor in his family shed--and sparked an environmental catastrophe. Some strong language. 2004.

My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey through Chile BR 15508
by Isabel Allende
2 volumes
The famous author remembers her childhood home, Chile, which she left after the death of her uncle in a 1973 military coup. She talks about Chile's history, nostalgic memories of her family, and her life as an exile in her new home, the United States. 2003.


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