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."
by Robin Waterfield
3 volumes
Examines the myths behind the philosopher Socrates and his prosecution and
execution. Analyzes Socrates' relationship with Alcibiades and uses
Athenian history, wars, culture, and democracy to explain the complex
background of the trial. Discusses the written work of Socrates' followers
Plato and Xenophon. 2009.
by Edmund S. Morgan
3 volumes
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian compiles seventeen essays he penned over a
span of nearly seventy years that portray aspects of American Puritanism.
Covers politicians William Penn and George Washington, religious leader
Anne Hutchinson, and accused witches Giles Cory and Mary Easty. 2009.
by Anne Katz
2 volumes
Clinical nurse and sexuality counselor offers advice for cancer survivors.
Uses anecdotes from patients with different types of the disease to
discuss common issues such as follow-up care, return to work, fear of
recurrence, depression, fatigue, cognitive difficulties, sex, and
childbearing. Includes resources. Some explicit descriptions of sex. 2011.
by Jennifer S. Holland
1 volume
Senior writer for National Geographic describes relationships
between animals of different species, including an elephant and a sheep; a
pot-bellied piglet and a Rhodesian ridgeback dog; and a lion, tiger, and
bear trio. Explains that such "friendships" meet needs that range from
companionship and nursing to protection. Bestseller. 2011.
by Mara Faulkner
2 volumes
A Benedictine nun reminisces about her father's gradual loss of sight from
retinitis pigmentosa and the effects his condition had on her Irish
American family. She interweaves her recollections of growing up in North
Dakota with meditations on the metaphorical meaning of blindness in our
culture. 2009.
by David Dosa
2 volumes
Geriatrician describes Oscar, a prickly cat living at a Rhode Island
nursing home who senses when residents are dying and stays with them,
providing comfort during their final hours. Details Dosa's and Oscar's
interactions with the patients, many of whom have dementia, and their
families, and discusses end-of-life care. Bestseller. 2010.
by Melvin Berger
5 volumes
Presents 231 well-known chamber music works for three to eight players
arranged alphabetically by composer. Provides a biographical sketch,
historical context, and salient features of the music. Discusses
compositions by fifty-five composers, including Beethoven, Brahms, Haydn,
Mendelssohn, Mozart, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky and modern masters Britten,
Carter, Copland, Ravel, Shostakovich, and Stravinsky. 2001.
by Robert H. Frank
2 volumes
Collection of essays from a New York Times economics columnist.
Examines national and personal fiscal themes such as taxes, health-care
costs, energy and the environment, increased income inequality, consumer
spending issues, saving, lending, and more. 2009.
by Yasmin Sabina Khan
3 volumes
Examines political events, symbolism, and principal figures guiding the
monument's development from its 1865 inception in Paris to its 1886
unveiling in New York Harbor. Discusses contributions of French promoter
Édouard-René Lefebvre de Laboulaye, French sculptor Frédéric Auguste
Bartholdi, American architect Richard Morris Hunt, and French engineer
Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. 2010.
by Lynn Crowe and Julie Stachowiak
3 volumes
Public-health specialist Stachowiak and veteran diabetes educator Crowe
offer advice for living with diabetes and managing setbacks. They explain
possible complications, emotional and psychological issues, and the
importance of health literacy. They also discuss ways to optimize medical
care and take charge of one's life. 2011.
by Greg Mortenson
3 volumes
Author of Three Cups of Tea (BR 16830) and cofounder of the
Central Asia Institute chronicles his school-building efforts and
promotion of female literacy in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Discusses Mortenson's long-term goals and shares anecdotes about those
affected by his work. Bestseller. 2009.
by Barbie Latza Nadeau
1 volume
Rome-based reporter's account of the 2007 murder of British student
Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy, and the case against her American
roommate Amanda Knox, Amanda's Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, and
local acquaintance Rudy Guede. Includes the author's own theory of
Kercher's homicide. 2010.
by Peter Ackroyd
2 volumes
Brief account of fourteenth-century poet Geoffrey Chaucer, author of The Canterbury Tales (BR 13235). Discusses Chaucer's royal
service to the Duke of Clarence and Edward III and his legal problems.
Examines Chaucer's poem Troilus and Criseyde, which is considered
the first modern work of English literature. 2004.
by Ann Angel
1 volume
Biography of Janis Joplin (1943-1970) chronicles her successful music
career and provides insight into her personal life and emotional
vulnerabilities. Discusses Joplin's drug and alcohol addictions and death
from an overdose at age twenty-seven. For junior and senior high and older
readers. YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction. 2010.
by Karen Blumenthal
2 volumes
The history and legacy of Prohibition, which began with passage of the
Eighteenth Amendment in 1920 and ended in 1933. Profiles Carrie Nation,
the temperance movement's first celebrity, and discusses the rise of
bootleggers and gangsters such as Al Capone. For junior and senior high
and older readers. 2011.
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