Books listed in this issue of Talking Book Topics 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.In this listing, books on flexible disc are labeled with the code FD and cassette books with the code RC. All disc books have been recorded to play at the speed of 8 rpm; the cassette books play at 15/16 ips. Cassette titles marked with a dagger (+) were produced earlier on flexible discs. To order disc or cassette 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."
Ohitika Woman RC 37622
DOS for Dummies, 2nd Edition RC 37977
by Dan Gookin
read by Dave Jackson
3 cassettes
DOS is the acronym for a disk operating system used by many
personal computers to run software. DOS controls the storage and
retrieval of information. Self-professed computer guru Gookin
presents humorous instructions for the beginner and the confused
on how to get DOS to do all of this. Included is a glossary.
Covers all versions through DOS 6. 1993.
Collected Poems, 1953-1993 RC 38366
by John Updike
read by Jim Zeiger
2 cassettes
The earliest poems were written a year or so before Updike
graduated from college, and they follow in chronological order,
charting the course of his life over the next forty years. He
writes about his feelings, about mundane things, about natural
things, about places, and about almost anything that has to do
with the real world. He also writes light verse, which he calls
"cartooning with words," based on the world of information.
1993.
A Journey through Economic Time: A Firsthand View RC
38966
by John Kenneth Galbraith
read by Gregory Ricks
2 cassettes
A long-standing professor, observer, commentator, and
interpreter of economics reflects on what he has seen and
learned about worldwide economic and social currents since World
War I. Galbraith's basic theme is how the economy has worked and
how "war and peace, government and the market, ideology and
ignorance have shaped its course." 1994.
Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume 2 RC
39628
by Karl Marx
read by Jake Williams
6 cassettes
Compiled by Friedrick Engels, Marx's lifelong partner, and
published posthumously. This volume contains an extensive
introduction by Ernest Mandel. The author continues with
technical analyses of aspects of capitalism that were initiated
in Volume 1, including the question of supply and demand and the
ownership of private property. 1885.
Voyage to the Great Attractor: Exploring Intergalactic Space
RC 39846
by Alan Dressler
read by Mo Lotman
3 cassettes
Seven scientists collaborated to study the nature of the
universe through a survey of selected galaxies. They discovered
that many galaxies are travelling at great speeds and concluded
that they are being attracted by a large mass. Dressler also
offers a behind-the-scenes look at how astronomers work
together. All information is presented for the lay reader. 1994.
Finding God RC 39903
by Larry Crabb Jr.
read by Jeff Halberstadt
2 cassettes
In 1991 Crabb's older brother was killed in a plane crash.
Crabb's difficulty in dealing with this loss led him to realize
that he and, he believes, most Christians are preoccupied with
themselves. He asserts that the only hope for escaping from pain
and problems is to learn to trust God. Crabb discusses the
pathway to finding God and the obstacles along the way. 1993.
More than Meets the Eye: The Story of a Remarkable Life and a
Transcending Love RC 39905
by Joan Brock and Derek L. Gill
read by Ellen Frost
2 cassettes
Thirty-two-year-old Joan and her husband Joe were employed at
the Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving School when Joan suddenly lost
the ability to see the color pink and soon was irreversibly
blind. Then Joe was diagnosed with cancer and died. Joan and her
daughter moved, and Joan obtained a "talking computer," spoke
about her experience, and wed a high-school crush. 1994.
The Gospel According to Casey: Casey Stengel's Inimitable,
Instructional, Historical Baseball Book RC 39906
by Ira Berkow and Jim Kaplan
read by Don Emmick
1 cassette
Two sportswriters combine the recollections of baseball greats
with some of Casey Stengel's wisdom about the game and a few of
his comments on the rest of life. Includes testimony before a
Senate subcommittee hearing, during which members were no match
for Casey's "Stengelese." Some strong language. 1992.
Blind Sighted: One Man's Journey from Sight to Insight RC
39917
by Marty Klein
read by Phil Regensdorf
2 cassettes
In 1976, by the age of twenty-eight, Marty Klein was completely
blind. In 1990 he began writing his life story to explain how he
changed from a sighted, confident, rebellious, and self-centered
young man of the 1960s to a compassionate and responsible man in
the 1990s--who happens to be blind. In his account, Klein
discusses three main topics: the Vietnam War, drugs, and fate.
Strong language. 1993.
More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen RC
39918
by Laurie Colwin
read by Miriam Wagner
2 cassettes
Thoughts about food, cookbooks, holiday meals, fast food,
children's food, picnics, and waiting for dessert. Information
on feeding jet lag, making jam, baking gingerbread, and roasting
a turkey. Interspersed with the author's culinary tips are
family stories and recipes for homey dishes, such as marinated
brussels sprouts and mulligatawny soup. Suggested further
reading: Home Cooking (RC 28912). 1993.
Balsamroot: A Memoir RC 39924
by Mary Clearman Blew
read by Marilyn Gleason
2 cassettes
Blew continues the tales of her family that she began in All
but the Waltz (RC 34989). This time she focuses on her
"Auntie" Imogene, herself, and her adult daughter from her first
marriage, Elizabeth. Blew tells how her aunt's decline into
dementia and her daughter's failed marriage result in both
coming to live near her home in Idaho. Blew examines choices
they have made in their lives and how these have affected her.
Some strong language. 1994.
The Effective Executive RC 39934
by Peter F. Drucker
read by Anne Mullen
2 cassettes
Effectiveness can and must be learned, according to this
management consultant. Drucker's approach, more practical than
philosophic, begins with the premise that people must first
learn self management. Essential practices include handling
time, focusing on the contribution to an institution, building
on strengths, concentrating, and making decisions. 1967.
Worshipful Company of Fletchers: Poems RC 39944
by James Tate
read by Arnie Warren
1 cassette
Prosaic images, such as "the cushions on the wicker couch need
mending," form a backdrop for a poem about children telling
ghost stories. Sometimes Tate weaves such ordinary objects as
gum wrappers, Liberty dimes, and Indian-head pennies into his
poems. And as he focuses on the creative process, he is amused
by thoughts of others solemnly organizing his personal things.
Winner of the National Book Award. 1994.
How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good
Communication RC 39958
by Larry King and Bill Gilbert
read by Jeff Halberstadt
1 cassette
King, host of his own radio and television talk-show programs,
offers advice for communicating with others in both social and
professional situations. He believes that listening to others
and staying informed help people communicate better. 1994.
Autobiography of a Face RC 40052
by Lucy Grealy
read by Barbara Rappaport
2 cassettes
In fourth grade, the author had a toothache that turned out to
be cancer. A portion of her jaw was eventually removed, leaving
her face misshapened. Grealy describes her growing awareness
that she was now odd-looking and her attempts to come to terms
with people's reactions. After a series of failed surgeries, she
had her jaw reconstructed as an adult, but she learned her
belief that "when my face gets fixed, then I'll start living"
was too simplistic. 1994.
Child of War, Woman of Peace RC 40274
by Le Ly and James Hayslip
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
3 cassettes
In 1970 when Le Ly came to the United States with her two
children to join her American husband, she discovered that the
survival skills developed in the battlefields and black market
of her native Vietnam did not count for much. She recounts her
efforts to adjust to America and to reconcile the Vietnamese and
American halves of her life. Sequel to When Heaven and Earth
Changed Places (RC 31643). 1993.
The Rape of Europa: The Fate of Europe's Treasures in the
Third Reich and the Second World War RC 40324
by Lynn H. Nicholas
read by Anne Hancock
4 cassettes
Describes the Nazis' attack on European artworks, documenting
the pillage of entire countries and the destruction of
"degenerate" art. Nicholas also tells how world leaders united
to protect masterpieces while fighting the enemy, how ordinary
people and experts made heroic efforts to save their treasures,
and how the Allies sought to restore works to their rightful
owners. 1994.
A Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Civil War RC
40510
by Stephen B. Oates
read by Mary Woods
3 cassettes
When the Civil War broke out, thirty-nine-year-old patent office
employee Clara Barton yearned to be a Union soldier. Her second
choice was to assist the troops, but she refused to join the
organized aid efforts. Instead she collected and distributed
items herself until finally allowed to move her operation to the
front, where she also assisted doctors. Later she founded the
American Association of the Red Cross. Violence. 1994.
Thomas Jefferson: A Life RC 40606
by Willard Sterne Randall
read by Frank Coffee
6 cassettes
Portrait of the founding father, with emphasis on his early life
as a student and lawyer, his years in France, and his final days
at Monticello. In addition to published sources, Randall draws
on Jefferson's unpublished papers for the Virginian's views on
the separation of church and state, race, slavery, public
education, books, morality, religion, debt, the metric system,
music, political philosophy, and more. 1993.
The Myth of Repressed Memory: False Memories and Accusations
of Sexual Abuse RC 40627
by Elizabeth Loftus and Katherine Ketcham
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
3 cassettes
Drawing on twenty-five years of research, psychologist Loftus
asserts that memories are a blend of fact and fiction and that
childhood "memories" can easily be implanted in adults. The
authors question some famous cases in which adults recall
supposedly repressed traumatic events through therapy. Some
violence and some descriptions of sex. 1994.
In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs RC 40629
by Julia Child and Nancy Verde Barr
read by Jill Ferris
3 cassettes
Recipes from twenty-six chefs Child invited to her home in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, for her PBS television series. The
list includes Roberto Donna, Charlie Trotter, Jody Adams, Leah
Chase, Jimmy Sneed, and Monique Barbeau. Each entry includes a
brief biography of the chef and helpful hints from Child.
Bestseller 1995.
Faithfull: An Autobiography RC 40717
by Marianne Faithfull and David Dalton
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
3 cassettes
Faithfull was still a schoolgirl when she met the Rolling
Stones. Although she fell for Keith Richards, she is best known
for her relationship with Mick Jagger. Besides being the
inspiration for rock songs, Faithfull became a singer and
songwriter in her own right. She describes the drug-filled party
life she led, including her marriages and suicide attempt.
Strong language and some descriptions of sex. 1994.
I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation RC
40811
by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
read by Catherine Byers
5 cassettes
The author, an education professor at Harvard whose childhood
home was often filled with "black intelligentsia" and who is
unhappy with the way many sociologists portray middle-class
blacks, looks at the lives of six midlife middle-class African
Americans. Through extended conversations, these men and women
discuss the past and current daily events that have shaped their
lives and their feelings about race. 1994.
The Second World War: A Complete History RC 40822
by Martin Gilbert
read by Bruce Huntey
7 cassettes
This detailed account of the entire war in all regions focuses
on the suffering and achievements of individuals. Gilbert
incorporates anecdotes and personal accounts into his
descriptions of battles, events behind the lines, the treatment
of prisoners, and public attitudes in the warring countries.
Companion to The First World War (RC 40464). Violence.
1989.
New Passages: Mapping Your Life across Time RC 40839
by Gail Sheehy
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
4 cassettes
In Passages, Sheehy considered life only to the age of
fifty. Now she looks at later life as a "second adulthood."
Sheehy updates her "passages" concept, briefly portrays
adulthood, and describes the beginning of a second adulthood.
She discusses male and female menopause, the art of aging, money
for the future, and the joys of grandparenthood. Bestseller
1995.
Vanessa Redgrave: An Autobiography RC 41045
by Vanessa Redgrave
read by Patricia Kilgarriff
4 cassettes
At the birth of daughter Vanessa to actors Michael and Rachel
Redgrave, Laurence Olivier announced that a great actress had
arrived. She tells of her noted multigenerational thespian
family, which continues with Vanessa's own talented children;
discusses her forty years' worth of noted performances,
including Guinevere in the movie Camelot; and explains
her lifelong political leanings and activism. 1994.
The Life of Graham Greene, Volume 2: 1939-1955 RC
41053
by Norman Sherry
read by Patrick Horgan
4 cassettes
A detailed, documented account of the British writer's most
creative years. Greene juggles relationships with his wife and
mistresses, struggles with his religious beliefs, seeks out
areas of political conflict, and works as a spy. Sherry points
out how Greene's experiences are reflected in his novels and
plays. Follows Graham Greene, Volume 1: 1904-1939 (RC
32360). Some violence. 1995.
The Cold War: A History RC 41074
by Martin Walker
read by Ed Blake
3 cassettes
Political commentator Walker declares the history of the cold
war to be the history of the world from 1944 to 1992. He looks
at the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe, the Korean and
Vietnam wars, the American-Soviet conflict over nuclear weapons,
and the economic and political transformations that have taken
place throughout the world as a result of the cold war. 1993.
The Generals' War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the
Gulf RC 41075
by Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor
read by Ralph Lowenstein
5 cassettes
Gordon, chief Pentagon correspondent for the New York
Times, and Trainor, a retired lieutenant general and
military correspondent for the same paper, use recently
declassified documents and interviews with generals and
Washington politicans to provide an account of the war. Their
emphasis is on the command decisions that shaped the battles.
1995.
Reasonable Creatures: Essays on Women and Feminism RC
41125
by Katha Pollitt
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Essays written in response to particular events, news stories,
and ideas, such as family values, date rape, the dominance of
boys in children's books, and choice in child-bearing. As a
social critic, Pollitt examines all sides of these "women's
issues," which she holds are relevant to the entire society. And
she expresses impatience with people who are intellectually
careless in presenting their arguments. 1994.
Dream Lovers: The Magnificent Shattered Lives of Bobby Darin
and Sandra Dee by Their Son RC 41132
by Dodd Darin and Maxine Paetro
read by Erik Sandvold
3 cassettes
Late singer-actor Bobby Darin and actress Sandra Dee married
when she was sixteen, he was twenty-four, and both had
skyrocketing careers. Drawing on discussions with friends and
family members, their son, Dodd, describes their lives,
including events in both parents' childhoods he believes
contributed to their troubles as adults. Strong language. 1994.
Mary Kay: You Can Have It All; Lifetime Wisdom from America's
Foremost Woman Entrepreneur RC 41136
by Mary Kay Ash
read by Yvonne Fair Tessler
2 cassettes
Ash, who has become successful as the head of Mary Kay
Cosmetics, offers advice for women who want to achieve their
goals of having fulfilling careers while still being wonderful
wives and mothers. Ash, whose priorities are God first, family
second, and career third, believes that women must always set
these same priorities for themselves in order to be successful.
Bestseller 1995.
Never Throw Out a Banana Again and 364 Other Ways to Save
Money at Home without Knocking Yourself Out RC 41143
by Darcie Sanders and Martha M. Bullen
read by Jill Ferris
1 cassette
Simple, sensible ways to trim dollars off your family budget by
saving pennies. Suggestions cover the kitchen, family room,
nursery, closets, backyard, garage, stores, and bank. Some
hints: don't take the kids grocery shopping, keep a sponge in
the fruit and vegetable drawer to absorb moisture, and use the
library. 1995.
What to Expect: The Toddler Years RC 41162
by Arlene Eisenberg and others
read by Kerry Cundiff
10 cassettes
The authors of What to Expect When You're Expecting (RC
36978) and What to Expect the First Year (RC 31632)
now tackle the second and third years. A month-by-month guide
discusses common traits and possible concerns specific to each
age, and the second portion of the book covers aspects of the
care, health, and safety of toddlers. Also included are common
home remedies and more "best-odds" recipes emphasizing nutrients
for good health. Bestseller 1994.
Voice Communication between Humans and Machines RC
41168
edited by David B. Roe and Jay G. Wilpon
read by Butch Hoover
5 cassettes
Papers presented at a 1993 National Academy of Sciences
colloquium entitled Human/Machine Communication by Voice. Topics
include scientific bases of this form of communication,
speech-recognition technology, technology for understanding
natural language, applications of voice-processing technology,
and technology in 2001. Author biographies included. 1994.
Training Employees with Disabilities: Strategies to Enhance
Learning and Development for an Expanding Part of Your Workforce
RC 41213
by William R. Tracey
read by Andy Chappell
3 cassettes
The president of a human resources consulting firm presents a
handbook on specific disabilities, accommodation, and training
methods. Tracey discusses legal requirements, programs, and
services and lists sources of further information. 1995.
Jumping the Job Track: Security, Satisfaction, and Success as
an Independent Consultant RC 41217
by Peter C. Brown
read by Lou Harpenau
3 cassettes
Guide to making it on one's own. Brown discusses initial steps
toward independence, such as leaving a job, weighing risks
versus rewards, marketing one's skills, getting clients, and
separating business from private life. Each chapter ends with a
profile of someone who has succeeded with the topic under
discussion. The final section deals with other practical issues.
1994.
The Dull Knifes of Pine Ridge: A Lakota Odyssey RC
41221
by Joe Starita
read by Randy Atcher
3 cassettes
Details the traditional Sioux family's struggles from 1877 to
the late twentieth century. Chief Dull Knife led a midwinter
break from a deadly reservation to head for tribal homelands,
George Dull Knife toured Europe with Buffalo Bill Cody to earn
money for family needs, Guy Dull Knife fought in France during
World War I, and Guy Dull Knife Jr. worked search-and-destroy
missions in Vietnam. Violence. 1995.
Until the Twelfth of Never: The Deadly Divorce of Dan and
Betty Broderick RC 41224
by Bella Stumbo
read by Madelyn Buzzard
5 cassettes
Betty Broderick bore four children while her young husband, Dan,
completed medical and law school. Sixteen years later,
millionaire Dan divorced Betty to marry the office worker he was
having an affair with. As he denied Betty fair support payments
and got custody of the children, she declined emotionally,
finally killing Dan and his wife. Strong language and some
violence. 1993.
Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women RC
41227
by Geraldine Brooks
read by Carole Jordan Stewart
2 cassettes
Portrait of an oppressed class slowly achieving some liberation.
During a six-year Middle East assignment, a Western journalist
wears the veil and mixes with Muslims in a quest to understand
women in the Islamic world. Brooks talked with fundamentalists
and feminists, studied the Koran, witnessed surgical procedures
to repair female genital mutilation, and gathered impressions of
cultural traditions. 1995.
The Villagers: Changed Values, Altered Lives; the Closing of
the Urban-Rural Gap RC 41232
by Richard Critchfield
read by Butch Hoover
5 cassettes
Twenty-five years after first visiting villages in Latin
America, Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and the United States,
Critchfield returns to many of the same villages to observe the
changes that have taken place. He concludes that villages are in
danger of losing their moral values as villagers move into more
urban settings. Sequel to The Villages (in production).
1994.
Montserrat Caballé: Casta Diva RC 41235
by Robert Pullen and Stephen Taylor
read by Mitzi Friedlander
5 cassettes
Portrait of the Catalan-born soprano who, since her 1956 debut,
has sung in nearly four thousand performances in spite of being
plagued with poor health. Noting that Caball, has recorded an
unusually large number of roles (thirty-four), the authors also
include a critical discography of her performances. 1994.
Wedge: The Secret War between the FBI and CIA RC
41237
by Mark Riebling
read by Art Metzler
5 cassettes
Riebling chronicles the feud between the FBI and CIA since World
War II. Using declassified documents and in-depth interviews
with former agents from both agencies, the author discusses the
terms of J. Edgar Hoover (FBI) and William J. Donovan (CIA) and
the careers of James Jesus Angleton (CIA) and Aldrich Ames
(CIA). He also suggests ways by which the agencies might work
together. Some strong language. 1994.
American Technological Sublime RC 41239
by David E. Nye
read by John Richardson
3 cassettes
A professor at the Center for American Studies of Odense
University, Denmark, discusses the nature of the sublime: an
experience of astonishment, awe, and a degree of horror. Usually
associated with natural phenomena like the Grand Canyon and
Niagara Falls, the sublime is, Nye says, also found in human
creations like the Empire State Building, the atomic bomb, and
the space program. 1994.
Harry and Teddy: The Turbulent Friendship of Press Lord Henry
R. Luce and His Favorite Reporter, Theodore H. White RC
41241
by Thomas Griffith
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
An editor of Time and Life dissects a complex
friendship and details the policies and politics of the two
magazines. Luce and White split over Luce's refusal to print
White's reports criticizing General Chiang Kai-shek. White
became a successful author, and Luce continued to promote his
own political agenda in his magazines. 1995.
Charles Kuralt's America RC 41249
by Charles Kuralt
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
Following his retirement from CBS in 1994, Kuralt set out to
spend a month each at favorite places during their best seasons.
In his easygoing style, Kuralt describes the places he went and
the people he met from Alaska to Key West and Louisiana to
Maine. He comments on Charleston in the spring; Ketchikan,
Alaska, in June; the lakes of Minnesota in July; and New York
City at Christmas. Bestseller 1995.
Terrible Honesty: Mongrel Manhattan in the 1920s RC
41253
by Ann Douglas
read by Lynn Schrichte
6 cassettes
A professor of English and comparative literature interprets the
Jazz Age, arguing that America was spurred by the "thrilling"
World War I to develop a unique art. Discussing an array of
writers, musicians, and artists, she portrays a decade shaped by
the themes of "terrible honesty," a shedding of Victorian
standards; repudiation of maternal control; the surge of black
artists; and the "mongrel" mixing of styles. 1995.
Provençal Light RC 41256
by Martha Rose Shulman
read by Laura Giannarelli
3 cassettes
Shulman's love affair with the Provençal area of France inspired
her to adapt the region's traditional recipes to fit her low-fat
standards. The diet of Provence is inherently healthy,
consisting mainly of vegetables, grains, legumes, and fish, and
the author provides more than two hundred recipes that she finds
have adapted well to fat reduction. 1994.
Altered Fates: Gene Therapy and the Retooling of Human Life
RC 41261
by Jeff Lyon and Peter Gorner
read by Annie Wauters
6 cassettes
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists expand on a topic they
covered in a 1986 Chicago Tribune series. They track
research enabling scientists to change the genetic code of human
beings and recount attempts to apply gene therapy to specific
diseases. The authors cite cases and discuss rivalry among
researchers, ethical problems, and needed oversight. 1995.
Evelyn Waugh: A Biography RC 41262
by Selina Hastings
read by Vanessa Maroney
6 cassettes
Hastings recounts the entire life of the well-known British
writer who died in 1966. Though successful professionally, the
author of Brideshead Revisited (RC 14575) and other
acclaimed novels abused alcohol and drugs and was known for his
unpleasant personality. He married twice, reared a family,
converted to Catholicism, and bitterly regretted changes in the
church after Vatican II. 1994.
The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes RC 41265
by Langston Hughes
read by Marcia Churchill
4 cassettes
"What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a
raisin in the sun?" asks Langston Hughes in "Harlem [2]," one of
860 poems presented here. Others include "Aesthete in Harlem,"
"Beaumont to Detroit: 1943," "Blues on a Box," "Easy Boogie,"
"Prayer Meeting," and "Sunset--Coney Island." Hughes often uses
jazz rhythms to share the pain and joy of life in black America
from the 1920s to the mid-1960s. The collection is edited by
Arnold Rampersad. 1994.
Cuba on the Brink: Castro, the Missile Crisis, and the Soviet
Collapse RC 41270
by James G. Blight and others
read by Peter Gil
17 cassettes
Academics participating in the 1992 Havana conference with
Soviet, Cuban, and U.S. policy makers present transcripts and
analysis of the discussions. Attendees' memories of the 1962
crisis and documents, some declassified in the 1990s, lead the
authors to conclude that Cuba's role and the risk of nuclear war
were greater than previously supposed. 1993.
On the Real Side: Laughing, Lying, and Signifying--the
Underground Tradition of African-American Humor That Transformed
American Culture, from Slavery to Richard Pryor RC
41288
by Mel Watkins
read by Bob Moore
5 cassettes
Traces the development of African American humor from its
African origins to the present. Watkins contrasts the authentic
voice of black humor with traditional stereotypes and shows how
comics of the 1960s and 1970s brought this true voice to movies
and television. Some strong language. 1994.
A Way through the Wilderness: The Natchez Trace and the
Civilization of the Southern Frontier RC 41290
by William C. Davis
read by Michael Consoli
4 cassettes
The author of many works on the South, including Jefferson
Davis: The Man and His Hour (RC 35513), presents an account
of life on the Trace from the early 1700s to the 1830s. The
route, made up of animal and Indian trails, ran from Nashville,
Tennessee, to Natchez, Mississippi. It brought explorers and
settlers, but finally gave way to easier modes of
transportation. 1995.
Rethinking Life and Death: The Collapse of Our Traditional
Ethics RC 41330
by Peter Singer
read by Randy Atcher
2 cassettes
The animal rights advocate probes inconsistencies in legal
decisions on abortion, treatment of persons with severe
disabilities, "brain death," assisted suicide, and animal
rights. He calls for a "Copernican revolution" against the
religiously inherited idea that human beings are the center of
the ethical universe and proposes new "commandments" for these
issues. 1994.
Mother Love: Poems RC 41331
by Rita Dove
read by Mitzi Friedlander
1 cassette
The 1993-1995 U.S. poet laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner
collects poems previously published elsewhere into a volume
focusing on the myth of Demeter and Persephone. Loosely
following the sonnet form, the poems express a mother's anxious
care for her daughter and a daughter's experience in leaving her
mother for the wider--and more dangerous--world. 1995.
Shared Values for a Troubled World: Conversations with Men
and Women of Conscience RC 41334
by Rushworth M. Kidder
read by Butch Hoover
2 cassettes
The author interviewed twenty-four distinguished individuals
from diverse backgrounds, asking each to respond to a question
about global ethics. From all the interviews, eight common
values emerge: love, truthfulness, fairness, freedom, unity,
tolerance, responsibility, and respect for life. 1994.
God: A Biography RC 41337
by Jack Miles
read by Lou Harpenau
4 cassettes
Miles, a former Jesuit, examines the Old Testament books in the
order of their appearance in the Hebrew Bible (law, prophets,
and writings) in order to show that God is "an amalgam of
several personalities in one character." He portrays the
literary figure of God as moving through many stages of
development while progressing toward eventual reconciliation
with the people he created. 1995.
A Very Easy Death RC 41340
by Simone de Beauvoir
read by Carole Jordan Stewart
1 cassette
Ironically titled, the book describes the author's mother's last
thirty days, spent in a hospital. She suffers from cancer, a
disease she has always feared, but she dies thinking otherwise.
The book deals with her reactions and those of the author and
her sister. 1965.
Family RC 41342
by Ian Frazier
read by Lou Harpenau
3 cassettes
While going through his parents' belongings after their deaths,
Frazier found letters dating back to the time of the Civil War.
Realizing he knew very little about his family's history,
Frazier began research that took him back through two hundred
years of middle-class life in small-town America and revealed
how his forebears were affected by the social, economic, and
domestic events in history. 1994.
My War RC 41347
by Andy Rooney
read by Barry Bernson
2 cassettes
The columnist and 60 Minutes commentator recounts his
experiences as a reporter for the military's Stars and
Stripes during World War II. Rooney worked mainly in Europe,
where he witnessed numerous battles, the liberation of Paris,
and the uncovering of Nazi death camps. His book is a mix of
dramatic stories, humorous anecdotes, and personal opinions.
1995.
Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for
Women's Rights RC 41348
by Nadine Strossen
read by Carole Jordan Stewart
3 cassettes
The president of the American Civil Liberties Union attacks
efforts, especially by feminists, to ban pornography. She cites
laws, ordinances, and court decisions, arguing that each attempt
to censor only increases the oppression of women and that
feminists who oppose pornography side with conservatives who
think sex is bad. Explicit descriptions of sex and some strong
language. 1995.
The De-Moralization of Society: From Victorian Virtues to
Modern Values RC 41349
by Gertrude Himmelfarb
read by Janis Gray
2 cassettes
Author of On Looking into the Abyss (RC 38430) reexamines
the Victorian era for clues to the success of its
family-oriented society. Himmelfarb discovers that secular
values along with a commitment to public good were a much
stronger force than Christian virtues. She believes the
restoration of moral and civic standards would do wonders for
modern society. 1994.
Consuming Culture: Why You Eat What You Eat RC 41350
by Jeremy MacClancy
read by Roy Avers
2 cassettes
An anthropologist takes a lighthearted look at food and its
relationship to religious, cultural, and social influences.
MacClancy examines past and present cultures worldwide for this
study of the role of food in sex, language, class, power,
friendship, magic, and religion. He also investigates taboos,
fast food, cravings, table manners, and mealtimes. 1992.
The Color of Welfare: How Racism Undermined the War on
Poverty RC 41351
by Jill Quadagno
read by Kerry Cundiff
2 cassettes
A sociology professor at Florida State University complains that
America is, compared to most European nations, a "welfare state
laggard." She blames opposition generated when the public
perceived that programs to assist the disadvantaged would help
blacks attain equality. Her scholarly account applies this
theory to the New Deal, Social Security, and other programs.
1994.
Forcing the Spring: The Transformation of the American
Environmental Movement RC 41354
by Robert Gottlieb
read by Randy Atcher
3 cassettes
Explores the historical roots of the environmental movement from
the 1890s; chronicles the rise and consolidation of conflicting
ecological groups; and considers the importance of gender,
ethnicity, and class on how environmental organizations define
their issues, constituencies, tactics, and goals. 1993.
Looking at the Sun: The Rise of the New East Asian Economic
and Political System RC 41358
by James Fallows
read by Butch Hoover
5 cassettes
A journalist looks at the Asian challenge to Western-style
capitalism. Fallows warns that the American emphasis on
individual enterprise and outmoded theories based on consumption
and competition place the economy in grave danger. He points to
the West's need to recognize how Japan's success depends upon
cultural and nationalistic factors based on production. 1994.
The Language of Genes: Solving the Mysteries of Our Genetic
Past, Present, and Future RC 41360
by Steve Jones
read by James DeLotel
2 cassettes
A genetics researcher explains the science in popular language,
sometimes with humor. He compares genetic evolution to the
development of languages, showing how each reveals a path by
which to trace ancestry. He also discusses the use of genetics
in treating diseases and speculates that social changes are
slowing human evolution. 1993.
Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who
Discovered He Was Black RC 41361
by Gregory Howard Williams
read by John Polk
3 cassettes
As a child in Virginia, Gregory Williams believed his father,
Tony, to be Italian. When Gregory's parents separated, he was
shocked to meet his father's poor black family in Muncie,
Indiana. Williams, now a law professor, describes how this
change affected him. Strong language, violence, and some
descriptions of sex. 1995.
Along the Edge of America RC 41376
by Peter Jenkins
read by Jack Fox
2 cassettes
Jenkins, author of A Walk across America (RC 14204) and
Walk West (RC 17346), hit a low period after his divorce.
Even though he had no boating experience, the cure he chose was
taking a boat trip along the Gulf Coast. Jenkins describes the
people and places he discovered during the two years he spent on
the small boat, which he named Cooper after the dog who
accompanied him on his earlier treks. 1995.
Going Where I'm Coming From: Memoirs of American Youth RC
41385
by Anne Mazer
read by Jill Fox
2 cassettes
Fourteen multicultural autobiographical tales of young people
growing up in America. Some tales explain what it was like to
immigrate to the United States, and others describe the
experience of growing up within two cultures. In "Sound-Shadows
of the New World," Ved Mehta, a blind student from India,
arrives in America to attend a school for the blind. For junior
and senior high readers. 1995.
Killing Custer: The Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Fate
of the Plains Indians RC 41407
by James Welch and Paul Stekler
read by Gary Roan
2 cassettes
The 1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn is a frequently portrayed
event in American history. Welch covers the period from 1870 to
1890 to provide background and show the long-term effects. Using
new research to reconcile firsthand accounts, he recounts the
story of Custer's last stand from the point of view of the Sioux
and Cheyenne tribes. 1994.
John Steinbeck: A Biography RC 41413
by Jay Parini
read by John Stratton
4 cassettes
Portrait of the American writer best known for the
depression-era classic The Grapes of Wrath (RC 21574).
Convinced of his talent and unashamed to work at menial jobs, if
necessary, to support his calling, Steinbeck was not always
respected by the literary world even though he won the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1962, but his novels were popular
worldwide. The author assesses Steinbeck's work and probes his
paradoxical character. 1995.
The History of the Blues: The Roots, the Music, the People;
from Charley Patton to Robert Cray RC 41418
by Francis Davis
read by Christopher Hurt
3 cassettes
A companion volume to the PBS series. Davis combines legend,
documentation, and speculation in an interpretive account. He
discusses his definition of the blues and presents
chronologically arranged profiles of individual musicians.
Includes a discography, a bibliography, and a timeline linking
blues milestones with contemporary events. Some strong language.
1995.
The Ant and the Peacock: Altruism and Sexual Selection from
Darwin to Today RC 41432
by Helena Cronin
read by Patrick Horgan
5 cassettes
In his evolutionary thinking, Darwin grappled with the apparent
anomalies of altruism and sexual ornamentation. Cronin traces
the birth and development of Darwin's ideas. She then leads two
philosophical discussions about natural selection, using the
worker ant and the peacock to illustrate how more recent
scientific study has resolved these anomalies. 1991.
Balzac: A Life RC 41433
by Graham Robb
read by Robert Blumenfeld
4 cassettes
Portrait of nineteenth-century French novelist Honoré de Balzac,
whose excesses and contradictions in life matched or exceeded
those in his work. Balzac's best-known book is The Human
Comedy, an incomplete work with more than 2,000 characters.
Robb relates Balzac's melodramatic personal life to his creation
of the realistic novel. 1994.
Entry in an Unknown Hand RC 41436
by Franz Wright
read by Gordon Gould
1 cassette
Thirty-seven short poems first published in 1989 by the winner
of the 1991 Whiting Award. A teacher at Emerson College in
Boston, Wright was born in Vienna and traveled extensively in
the United States, where he sets his poems. The title poem
portrays a fear of everyday life, "To the Hawk" depicts the bird
and its high-country world, and "Vermont Cemetery" describes
fighting sleep while driving through the countryside. 1989.
Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History
Textbook Got Wrong RC 41440
by James W. Loewen
read by Ralph Lowenstein
3 cassettes
A professor of sociology at the University of Vermont argues
that students have been made "stupid" by their study of U.S.
history. He contrasts the "lies" he found in twelve popular
history textbooks with the "truth" revealed in primary sources.
For example, Helen Keller worked for socialism in her adulthood,
and Patrick Henry owned slaves even as he made his famous
speech. 1995.
Copyright's Highway: From Gutenberg to the Celestial Jukebox
RC 41443
by Paul Goldstein
read by Ralph Lowenstein
2 cassettes
A professor of law at Stanford University probes troublesome
aspects of the law from "fair use" photocopying to controlling
the electronic capabilities of the "celestial jukebox." Should
the law favor the creator's right to income or the consumer's
right to use the product? Goldstein also points out differences
between U.S. law and that of some European countries. 1994.
In the Fast Lane: A True Story of Murder in Miami RC
41446
by Carol Soret Cope
read by Richard Davidson
2 cassettes
In 1986 a fifty-two-year-old self-made millionaire, builder Stan
Cohen, is shot to death in his Miami home while his
thirty-five-year-old fourth wife, Joyce, is in another part of
the house. Cohen's attorney son and news-anchor daughter suspect
Joyce is behind the murder, and the police begin a search for
evidence that finally results in Joyce's arrest and trial. Some
strong language. 1993.
Naming the Antichrist: The History of an American Obsession
RC 41448
by Robert C. Fuller
read by Frank Coffee
3 cassettes
The professor of religious studies at Bradley University defines
the Antichrist as a satanic agent bent on leading believers
astray in a prelude to the apocalyptic millennium. Fuller states
that for historical reasons Americans have been especially prone
to naming their enemies the Antichrist. "Antichrists" have
included Native Americans, Catholics, Communists, and the New
Age Movement. 1995.
Honor by Fire: Japanese Americans at War in Europe and the
Pacific RC 41457
by Lyn Crost
read by Suzanne Toren
2 cassettes
A former war correspondent's account of the Japanese-American
men, or nisei, who volunteered for military service during World
War II. Crost portrays the brave soldiers who had to fight
prejudice on the home front before they were allowed to join the
combat forces in Europe and the military intelligence service in
the Pacific. 1994.
An Independent Woman: The Autobiography of Edith Guerrier RC
41464
by Edith Guerrier
read by Lindsay Ellison
2 cassettes
Previously unpublished account of the self-sufficient woman who
died in 1958 at age eighty-eight. Guerrier reminisces on a
childhood shuttling between her father and other relatives and
tells how need forced her to improvise a career at a time when
women were just beginning to do so. She organized "girls clubs"
for immigrant women, worked as a librarian, and founded an art
pottery. 1992.
Cassette Books, 1995 RC 41476
by National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped
read by various narrators
4 cassettes
A catalog of talking books produced on cassette for adult and
young adult readers during 1995. The nonfiction and fiction
sections list books by subject categories. Separate listings
identify books for young adult readers and for Spanish readers.
1995.
A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian RC 41479
by Judy Krizmanic
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
1 cassette
Using experiences of vegetarian teenagers, a former editor at
Vegetarian Times describes what it is like to give up
eating meat and using other animal products such as leather and
explains why more and more young people are making these
changes. She gives hints for gaining acceptance from family and
friends and provides information and easy recipes for a
nutritionally sound vegetarian diet. For junior and senior high
and older readers. 1994.
High Tide in Tucson: Essays from Now or Never RC
41482
by Barbara Kingsolver
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
2 cassettes
Autobiographical essays from novelist who wrote Pigs in
Heaven (RC 35911). In the title selection, Kingsolver,
returning from an ocean vacation, inadvertently brings a hermit
crab back to her desert home. After puzzling over his odd
behavior, she decides her new pet is reacting to the tides of
Tucson! Other selections discuss being a writer, a mother, and a
desert dweller. Bestseller 1995.
The Menopause Industry: How the Medical Establishment
Exploits Women RC 41483
by Sandra Coney
read by Martha Harmon Pardee
3 cassettes
The author expresses concern about hormone replacement therapy
as a growing regimen for women entering menopause. Coney says
drug companies have overemphasized the negative effects of aging
to promote the sale of synthetic hormones, and that inaccurate
ads overstate the losses of the older woman while downplaying
the dangers of estrogen replacement. Contains anatomical
descriptions. 1994.
Alone: The Classic Polar Adventure RC 41488
by Richard E. Byrd
read by Bill Wallace
2 cassettes (Reissue)
The account of the explorer's dangerous and dramatic five months
of isolation at an observation base in Antarctica. 1938.
Middle Class Dreams: The Politics and Power of the New
American Majority RC 41491
by Stanley B. Greenberg
read by Jake Williams
2 cassettes
The pollster for President Clinton and advisor to the Democratic
Party analyzes the perceptions of middle America and shows how
they have affected the fortunes of the two main parties
throughout U.S. history. Citing polls and voting statistics, he
argues that both "bottom up" and "top down" policies have failed
and alienated the middle class. 1995.
The Chemistry of Conscious States: How the Brain Changes Its
Mind RC 41495
by J. Allan Hobson
read by Bill Wallace
2 cassettes
Using personal experiences and those of others, a neuroscientist
examines the mind and the brain and concludes that all mental
activity is a continuous state of waking, deep sleep, and rapid
eye movement (REM) sleep regulated by two distinct chemical
systems. In lay language, Hobson explains what he believes
occurs as the brain shuttles among these distinct states. 1994.
The Evolution of Racism: Human Differences and the Use and
Abuse of Science RC 41496
by Pat Shipman
read by Bill Wallace
3 cassettes
A paleoanthropologist tells how scientific attempts to
understand the nature and genesis of the human race have led to
the practice of eugenics and to racism. She traces this course
from Darwin's theory through the Nazi Final Solution to the
Human Genome Project and the search for genetic causes of crime.
1994.
Wrongful Death: A Medical Tragedy RC 41501
by Sandra M. Gilbert
read by Jill Ferris
3 cassettes
Writer and English professor describes the devastating loss of
her husband and colleague, Elliot Gilbert. In 1991, Elliot,
sixty, was admitted to a University of California medical center
for prostate surgery. During an extended stay in the recovery
room, Elliot died. Sandra learned the initial explanation given
the family was far from complete--Elliot's death was a result of
medical negligence. Some strong language. 1995.
Where the Suckers Moon: An Advertising Story RC
41502
by Randall Rothenberg
read by John Rayburn
4 cassettes
Into an account of Subaru of America's search for a new
advertising agency, a former New York Times columnist
weaves his theory of how strategy, famous names and images,
slogans, hype, and media campaigns are, in the end, no match for
the power of the consumer. 1994.
Ever After: A Father's True Story RC 41507
by William Wharton
read by David Hartley-Margolin
2 cassettes
Novelist Wharton describes events surrounding the deaths of his
thirty-six-year-old daughter Kate, her husband, and her two
small daughters. They were killed in an automobile pileup caused
by smoke from field burning in Oregon. After Wharton has a dream
in which his late son-in-law asks him to help stop the burning,
he attempts to change the laws that led to their deaths. Some
strong language. 1995.
Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty RC
41509
by James Bovard
read by John Rayburn
4 cassettes
A journalist who has written for the Wall Street Journal,
New Republic, and other publications inveighs against
government intrusion on citizens' rights. Targets include zoning
laws, right of eminent domain, environmental and banking
regulations, drug and gun control, teacher licensing
requirements, labor laws, and the IRS. Remedies proposed:
legalize drugs and repeal regulations. 1994.
Emotional Intelligence RC 41511
by Daniel Goleman
read by Anne Flosnik
3 cassettes
The New York Times science writer argues that emotional
intelligence is as much a factor of success as is the
intelligence quotient. And because self-awareness and control of
"toxic" emotions can, he says, be taught, he calls for education
to guide children's emotional development. He also discusses
ways adults can continue to grow emotionally. Bestseller 1995.
David Letterman's Book of Top Ten Lists and Zesty Lo-Cal
Chicken Recipes RC 41513
by David Letterman and Steve O'Donnell
read by Gregory Gorton
1 cassette
Collection of humorous top ten lists from the Late Show with
David Letterman. Example of a British nickname for Americans
is "tea-dumping psychos," a rejected McDonald's slogan is
"somewhat safer than smoking," and a way to tell you're at a bad
airport is the "gift shop selling items from your just-checked
luggage." Some strong language. Bestseller 1995.
Jacques Pépin's Simple and Healthy Cooking RC 41529
by Jacques Pépin
read by Anne Flosnik
2 cassettes
Pépin, who has cooked for three French presidents, has taken
recipes with high caloric or fat content and adapted them for a
healthier lifestyle. He shows how appetizers, main courses, side
dishes, and desserts can be made not only healthy but attractive
and delicious. He also includes sample menus having less than 30
percent of their calories from fat--the percentage recommended
by many doctors. 1994.
Nano: The Emerging Science of Nanotechnology; Remaking the
World--Molecule by Molecule RC 41532
by Ed Regis
read by Bob Moore
2 cassettes
In popular, humorous style, Regis details the development of
nanotechnology, the process of making anything from steak to
diamonds by mechanically constructing its atoms and molecules.
Physicist Richard Feynman proposed the idea, and K. Eric Drexler
experimented with machines to carry out the process. Regis
speculates on positive and negative uses of nanotechnology.
1995.
Diary of a Fat Housewife: A True Story of Humor, Heartbreak,
and Hope RC 41539
by Rosemary Green
read by Cecelia Riddett
2 cassettes
Having fought obesity most of her adult life, the author began a
diary in 1982 to record her range of feelings about the
struggle. During the next ten years, her weight increased to 310
pounds after the birth of one of her six children, but she
brought it back down to about two hundred pounds. 1995.
How Good People Make Tough Choices RC 41569
by Rushworth M. Kidder
read by Michele Schaeffer
2 cassettes
The founder of the Institute for Global Ethics and former
columnist for the Christian Science Monitor offers
guidelines for dealing with ethical dilemmas. Using anecdotes to
illustrate conflicts between truth and loyalty, individual and
community, short-term and long-term goals, and justice and
mercy, Kidder shows how decisions are made using "ends-based,"
"rule-based," or "care-based" principles. 1995.
The Penny Whistle Traveling with Kids Book: Whether by Boat,
Train, Car, or Plane--How to Take the Best Trip Ever with Kids
of All Ages RC 41587
by Meredith Brokaw and Annie Gilbar
read by Madelyn Buzzard
1 cassette
Collection of ideas to help parents plan trips that the entire
family will enjoy. Topics include rules of the road, planning a
trip, games to play while traveling, exercises to do, travel
journals, and food to take along--including recipes. 1995.
Flannery O'Connor: Literary Prophet of the South RC
41590
by Susan Balée
read by Janis Gray
1 cassette
The author of Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It
Away, available in Three by Flannery O'Connor (RC
32752), died at thirty-nine of lupus. After being diagnosed
at twenty-five, O'Connor spent her adult years on her mother's
southern dairy farm, writing and raising peacocks. Many of her
short stories deal with racial or religious issues. For junior
and senior high and older readers. 1995.
What Comes Next: The End of Big Government--and the New
Paradigm Ahead RC 41601
by James P. Pinkerton
read by Butch Hoover
3 cassettes
A former Bush White House assistant, the author is convinced our
current structure of government is destined for "the ash heap of
history." With humor and dash, he discusses his belief that a
new paradigm, or pattern of thinking about government, must be
adopted by all political parties, and offers ideas for an
empowered, compassionate, and better America through collective
action. 1995.
Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a
Nation RC 41639
by Jonathan Kozol
read by Gordon Gould
2 cassettes
Children in the South Bronx, who exhibit an amazing grace
despite their often hopeless surroundings, speak about their
lives. The residents dispel stereotypes of life in the ghetto.
Their spirit of caring shines through, casting a spotlight on
the real inhumanities that continue. 1995.
Nobody's Child: A Woman's Abusive Past and the Inspiring
Dream That Led Her to Rescue the Street Children of Saigon RC
41644
by Christina Noble and Robert Coram
read by Terry Donnelly
2 cassettes
Noble spent a nightmarish childhood in the slums of Dublin. As
an adult she had a dream of being in Vietnam, with a little girl
reaching out to her. Almost twenty years later, she traveled to
Vietnam and began helping the street children. Strong language,
some violence, and some explicit descriptions of sex. 1994.
Most Way Home RC 41646
by Kevin Young
read by Gordon Gould
1 cassette
"Reward," an announcement of runaway slaves, introduces poems
exploring the idea of "home" in the African American experience.
In "Husbandry," the first of four sections, Young tells one
family's story of life and death, love and loss. "The Spectacle"
depicts a southern freak show. "Getting Religion" is about
rituals, each sacred in its own way. "Beyond the Pale," the
final section, contains poems with a contemporary view of life.
1995.
Dared and Done: The Marriage of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert
Browning RC 41648
by Julia Markus
read by Lisette Lecat
3 cassettes
Chronicles the celebrated love story of two nineteenth-century
poets, whose admiration for one another's work led to courtship
and marriage. Markus draws on many unpublished sources for this
account of the younger, much-admired Browning's success in
winning the heart of a reclusive, dependent woman and notes
changes in their individual efforts during the fifteen-year
partnership. 1995.
Princesse of Versailles: The Life of Marie Adelaide of Savoy
RC 41719
by Charles Elliot
read by Cecelia Riddett
4 cassettes
Elliot's account of Marie Adelaide of Savoy is interwoven with
the story of life at the court of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Marie
is only ten when she arrives at Versailles to marry the duc de
Bourgogne, but her arrival brings life back into what has become
a dying court. Marie is portrayed as having a keen wit and also
as kind, thoughtful, intelligent, and dignified. 1992.
Tales My Father Never Told RC 41723
by Walter D. Edmonds
read by Gary Telles
2 cassettes
The author of Drums along the Mohawk (RC 11697) and other
historical novels and children's books writes about his own
childhood, spent alternately in New York City and at the family
dairy farm in the Adirondacks. The author tells anecdotes
illustrating his uneasy relationship with his strong-willed
father, who was fifty-three years old when Edmonds was born in
1904. 1995.
To Renew America RC 41734
by Newt Gingrich
read by John Rayburn
2 cassettes
Speaker of the House Gingrich believes America must reform to
avoid drastic consequences. He offers six changes that would
keep America "prosperous, free, and safe": renew its
civilization, accelerate its entry into the "third-wave
information age," rethink its competition in the world market,
replace the welfare state with an opportunity society, reject
centralized bureaucracy, and balance the federal budget.
Bestseller 1995.
Archibald Grimké: Portrait of a Black Independent RC
41738
by Dickson D. Bruce
read by Jake Williams
2 cassettes
A history professor and author recounts the life of the activist
who argued with both Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois on
how to obtain civil rights for blacks. Grimké was the son of a
planter and his slave. His mother taught him independence, and
his father's abolitionist sisters aided his education. An author
and politician, Grimké served as consul to the Dominican
Republic from 1894 to 1898. 1993.
Presenting Richard Peck RC 41751
by Donald R. Gallo
read by Jamie Horton
2 cassettes
Richard Peck was thirty-seven in 1971 when he quit his teaching
job to write his first novel for young adults. He has written
one young adult book almost every year since, including
Bel-Air Bambi and the Mall Rats (RC 39020). Gallo
discusses Peck's works (which also include poetry and essays)
and sketches the author's life. For junior and senior high and
older readers. 1993.
Dances with Trout RC 41760
by John Gierach
read by Jamie Horton
2 cassettes
Eighteen "fish stories." Though he is a serious fisherman, the
author is not too involved in the sport to enjoy its quirkiness.
An apt storyteller, he evokes a sense of being outdoors
alongside a river and enjoying the rigors of fly-fishing. A
party of five friends stalking salmon in Scotland have a rousing
good time, even with a total catch of one fish. By the author of
Trout Bum (RC 28522). Some strong language. 1994.
America's Dumbest Criminals: Based on True Stories from Law
Enforcement Officials across the Country RC 41793
by Daniel R. Butler and others
read by Christopher Hurt
1 cassette
Humorous true stories of criminals who were their own worst
enemies but a big help to the police. After coming home in a
cab, a drunken man robs the driver at gunpoint. Another stickup
man carefully disguises his face and vehicle but forgets to
remove his maintenance uniform, which has his name and place of
employment printed on it. Bestseller 1995.
Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder RC 41918
by Lawrence Weschler
read by Frank Coffee
1 cassette
Weschler, staff writer for the New Yorker, describes the
Museum of Jurassic Technology, which he had often heard about on
his visits to Los Angeles and finally decided to visit. He
discusses the bizarre display of natural marvels, like the hairy
horn of an English woman who lived in 1688, he found inside. He
segues into the origins of modern museums, a subject he learned
about in his search for information about the strange exhibits.
Bestseller 1995.
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