Colonie Library Book Zone

People of Albany : the first 200 years +

2009-11-13T13:45:00.001-05:00

Peter J. Hess. Did you know that Jamestown, Virginia was the earliest English settlement but Jamestown was abandoned in 1699 making Dutch Albany the oldest continuous European settlement in the original thirteen English colonies? Did you know that Santa Claus may have made his first appearance in the New World in Albany and that Santa Claus has nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas? Read about the earliest Van Rensselaers, Schuylers, Ten Broecks, Yates and Lansings. Learn about: Anneke Jans Bogardus who owned 62 acres of Manhattan Island just north of Wall Street-probably the most valuable land in the United States, Kajingahaga and Agotzagena-the earliest Indian tribes encountered at Albany, the entire male population of Albany marching north to fight at Saratoga, all of the events leading up to the Hamilton-Burr duel that happened in Albany, the Albanian who drafted the document that was the basis for the Bill of Rights, the discovery of the Cohoes Mastodon and Cardiff Giant, and much more. (Check Catalog)

Skeletons at the feast : a novel

2009-11-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

by Christopher A. Bohjalian. In his 12th novel, Bohjalian (The Double Bind) paints the brutal landscape of Nazi Germany as German refugees struggle westward ahead of the advancing Russian army. Inspired by the unpublished diary of a Prussian woman who fled west in 1945, the novel exhumes the ruin of spirit, flesh and faith that accompanied thousands of such desperate journeys. Prussian aristocrat Rolf Emmerich and his two elder sons are sent into battle, while his wife flees with their other children and a Scottish POW who has been working on their estate. Before long, they meet up with Uri Singer, a Jewish escapee from an Auschwitz-bound train, who becomes the group's protector. In a parallel story line, hundreds of Jewish women shuffle west on a gruesome death march from a concentration camp. Bohjalian presents the difficulties confronting both sets of travelers with carefully researched detail and an unflinching eye, but he blinks when creating the Emmerichs, painting them as untainted by either their privileged status, their indoctrination by the Nazi Party or their adoration of Hitler. Although most of the characters lack complexity, Bohjalian's well-chosen descriptions capture the anguish of a tragic era and the dehumanizing desolation wrought by war. --Publisher's Weekly. (Check catalog)

Your rights in the workplace

2009-11-11T10:15:00.001-05:00

by Barbara Kate Repa. The full gamut of workers' rights is covered in an all-new edition of this comprehensive guide that includes the latest federal and state legislation and case law in regard to such issues as dress codes, harassment and discrimination, wages, on-the-job safety, insurance and retirement, job loss, and more. Original. (Check Catalog)

Pornografia

2009-11-10T12:09:00.002-05:00

by Witold Gombrowicz. Originally published in 1966 and previously translated into English in 1978, this existential novel is set in occupied Poland during World War II. Narrator Witold and his enigmatic companion, Fryderyk, two intellectuals with ties to the underground resistance, find themselves holed up at a friend's farm. The two men quickly become obsessed with the farmer's teenage daughter and a young farmhand with whom she has been friends since childhood and attempt, for their own voyeuristic amusement, to entice the two into beginning a sexual relationship. Eventually, their games are derailed by, and possibly contribute to, a series of bizarre and disastrous incidents. Each event is overanalyzed by the narrator, allowing Gombrowicz to reveal his underlying concern with the "blind elemental forces" that determine human events: war, love, religion, sin, and desire. VERDICT Philosophical, sensual, and occasionally jarring, Gombrowicz's writing swirls with strange meanings. His singular style may deter casual readers, but those who brave a few chapters will find themselves hypnotized. Borchardt's translation, from the original Polish, returns a clarity and impact to the text that had been lost in the earlier two-step translation from the French. Especially recommended for fans of Sartre, Camus, and similar authors. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

The war that killed Achilles : the true story of Homer's Iliad

2009-11-09T15:07:00.002-05:00

by Caroline Alexander. Alexander, a professional writer who has been published in Granta, The New Yorker, and National Geographic, holds a Ph.D. in classics from Columbia University. Her new book explores her deep fascination with Homer's Iliad. Essentially, she offers an extended discussion of the plot, elaborating and contextualizing it by reference to extant fragments from other epics and other ancient texts and archaeological and historical evidence. She also relates the resonances of The Iliad in the modern world, from Muhammad Ali's refusal to serve in the Vietnam War to the account of an American war widow responding to the death of her husband in Iraq. Verdict Alexander's book is vigorous and deeply learned yet unpedantic. Highly recommended to general readers interested in a full appreciation of the power and the enduring relevance of The Iliad. --Library Journal. (Check Catalog)

The year of the flood : a novel

2009-11-05T15:44:00.002-05:00

by Margaret Atwood. Never one to rest on her laurels, famed Canadian author Atwood redeems the word sequel with this brilliant return to the nightmarish future first envisioned in Oryx and Crake. Contrary to expectations, the waterless flood, a biological disaster predicted by a fringe religious group, actually arrives. In its wake, the survivors must rely on their wits to get by, all the while reflecting on what went wrong. Atwood wins major style points here for her framing device, the liturgical year of the God's Gardeners sect. Readers who enjoy suspense will also appreciate the story's shifting viewpoint and nonlinear time line, which result in the gradual revelation of key events and character relationships. Atwood's heroines seem uniformly grim and hollow, but one can hardly expect cheerfulness in the face of the apocalypse, and the hardships of their lives both pre- and postflood are moving and disturbing. VERDICT Another win for Atwood, this dystopian fantasy belongs in the hands of every highbrow sf aficionado and anyone else who claims to possess a social conscience. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

The shadows of youth : the remarkable journey of the civil rights generation

2009-11-04T14:37:00.002-05:00

by Andrew B. Lewis. With deep admiration and rigorous scholarship, historian Lewis (Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table) revisits the "ragtag band" of young men and women who formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Impatient with what they considered the overly cautious and accommodating pace of the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr., the black college students and their white allies, inspired by Gandhi's principles of nonviolence and moral integrity, risked their lives to challenge a deeply entrenched system. Fanning out over the Jim Crow South, SNCC organized sit-ins, voter registration drives, Freedom Schools and protest marches. Despite early successes, the movement disintegrated in the late 1960s, succeeded by the militant "Black Power" movement. The highly readable history follows the later careers of the principal leaders. Some, like Stokely Carmichael and H. "Rap" Brown, became bitter and disillusioned. Others, including Marion Barry, Julian Bond and John Lewis, tempered their idealism and moved from protest to politics, assuming positions of leadership within the very institutions they had challenged. According to the author, "No organization contributed more to the civil rights movement than SNCC," and with his eloquent book, he offers a deserved tribute. --Publisher's Weekly. (Check Catalog)

Tears of Pearl

2009-11-03T10:05:00.002-05:00

by Tasha Alexander. Lady Emily and Colin Hargreaves are on their honeymoon tour, headed to Constantinople via the Orient Express. On the train, they assist Sir Richard St. Clare after he falls ill at dinner. In appreciation of their help, Sir Richard invites the couple to attend an opera at the sultan's palace. As guests are leaving, the body of a harem girl is found. She's identified as Sir Richard's missing daughter, who was kidnapped by bandits over 20 years ago. Emily is determined to exhibit her sleuthing abilities and discover the truth, but is it worth the personal price she'll pay? Because this is the fourth book in Alexander's Victorian series (after A Fatal Waltz), characters have been well established, but their relationships and inner conflicts continue to develop in interesting ways. Curious facts about the Ottoman Empire, comparisons of women's independence there and in England, and vivid descriptions of locations and objects add that little something extra. Verdict The strong female lead and historically accurate details will please readers of Anne Perry, Laurie R. King, and Deanna Raybourn seeking a new fan-favorite author. (Check catalog)

Parallel play : growing up with undiagnosed Asperger's

2009-11-02T10:25:00.001-05:00

by Tim Page. At the age of 45, Pulitzer Prize-winning music critic and writer Page learned that he had Asperger's syndrome. The diagnosis explained his lifelong struggle to fit in with others, the parallel play that he engaged in as a child, existing alongside others but never with them. Page watched with envy as his younger sister and brother came into the world, merged into the family, and found a place for themselves in both while he continued to founder. In school, he was absolutely no good at subjects that didn't interest him. Music was a saving grace, regimented yet soaringly creative. Old movies were also an obsession, inspiring him to try his hand at writing and directing silent films cast by his siblings and neighborhood children. His difficulty in making friends heightened the pain of adolescence, but he was pulled into the human race by Emily Post's etiquette lessons, which helped him decipher the mysteries of social conventions. Repulsed by the human touch, Page admits that lovemaking was very mechanical, well into adulthood. In adolescence, he dropped out of school, considered suicide, and dabbled in drugs, including LSD, which produced nightmarish hallucinations on what was already a delicate and disordered psyche. Page eventually found an esteemed career that he thinks might have been enhanced not debilitated by his condition. This highly introspective memoir includes photographs and drawings that evoke a life of struggle and triumph. --Booklist. (Check Catalog)

Say you're one of them

2009-10-28T12:13:00.002-04:00

by Uwem Akpan. Nigerian-born Jesuit priest Akpan transports the reader into gritty scenes of chaos and fear in his rich debut collection of five long stories set in war-torn Africa. "An Ex-mas Feast" tells the heartbreaking story of eight-year-old Jigana, a Kenyan boy whose 12-year-old sister, Maisha, works as a prostitute to support her family. Jigana's mother quells the children's hunger by having them sniff glue while they wait for Maisha to earn enough to bring home a holiday meal. In "Luxurious Hearses," Jubril, a teenage Muslim, flees the violence in northern Nigeria. Attacked by his own Muslim neighbors, his only way out is on a bus transporting Christians to the south. In "Fattening for Gabon," 10-year-old Kotchikpa and his younger sister are sent by their sick parents to live with their uncle, Fofo Kpee, who in turn explains to the children that they are going to live with their prosperous "godparents," who, as Kotchikpa pieces together, are actually human traffickers. Akpan's prose is beautiful and his stories are insightful and revealing, made even more harrowing because all the horror--and there is much--is seen through the eyes of children. --Publisher's Weekly. (Check Catalog)

The American Civil War : a military history

2009-10-27T10:00:00.002-04:00

by John Keegan. Award-winning British war historian Keegan brings his enormous talents for understanding the "face of battle" and the shape of war to what he calls "one of the most mysterious great wars of history." The American Civil War, to Keegan, was in many ways unique, especially because of the sustained intensity of combat, the importance of infantry and relative insignificance of artillery and cavalry in deciding battles, the voluntarism of the soldiers and their persistent willingness to fight, the complications of geography and topography, and the inability of either side to deliver a decisive military victory. Keegan follows such writers as T. Harry Williams and James McPherson in assessing generalship, and he offers little new about the place of the home fronts and politics in defining and sustaining the war effort, but he moves confidently across military terrain. VERDICT His emphasis on the role of military training, geography, the importance of entrenchments, the use of firepower and infantry tactics, and the technology of war gives Keegan's book a primary place in the annals of modern warfare. With only a few missteps, Keegan provides the single best one-volume assessment of the military character and conduct of America's ordeal by fire. In doing so, he shows why war was so terrible but also, in this case, so necessary. Highly recommended --Library Journal (Check catalog)

The vintage caper

2009-10-26T10:25:00.002-04:00

by Peter Mayle. Mayle uncorks a winning wine caper in the tradition of To Catch a Thief. When a hot-shot Hollywood lawyer's most treasured and expensive wines are stolen, his insurance company calls in Sam Levitt, a gourmand and lawyer-of-all-trades with a varied background, to investigate. The investigation takes Sam to Paris and Bordeaux, where he hooks up with the elegant insurance agent Sophie Costes, a fellow wine and food snob. The trail finally leads them to a man named Francis Reboul in Marseille, and soon, with the help of Sophie's journalist cousin, Phillipe, they get an in with Reboul and close in on closing the caper. While the plot may be predictable, the pleasures of this very French adventure-and there are many-aren't in the resolution, of course, but in the pleasant stroll through the provinces and in the glasses of wine downed and decadent meals consumed. (Check Catalog)

Connected : the surprising power of our social networks and how they shape our lives

2009-10-23T15:37:00.002-04:00

by Nicholas A. Christakis. Harvard professor and health care policy specialist Christakis (Death Foretold: Prophecy and Prognosis in Medical Care) became interested in social connectivity when observing that the mortality rate of spouses spike after a partner passes away. Christakis sought out a collaboration with Fowler, a health systems and political scientist, and together they compare topology (the hows of a given structure) across different social networks to better explain how participation and positioning enhances the effectiveness of an individual, and why the "whole" of a network is "greater than the sum of its parts." Five basic rules describe the relationship between individuals and their networks-including mutual adaptation, the influence of friends and friends' friends, the network's "life of its own"-but the results do more than promote the good of the group: they also spread contagions; create "epidemics" of obesity, smoking and substance abuse; disseminate fads and markets; alter voting patterns; and more. A thorough but popular take on a complex phenomenon, this volume offers an entertaining guide to the mechanics and importance of human networking. -Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Crush : a Karen Vail novel

2009-10-22T18:35:00.002-04:00

by Alan Jacobson. FBI Profiler Karen Vail's idyllic vacation to Napa Valley with her boyfriend, Det. Robby Hernandez, is derailed on day one. A mutilated body bearing distinctive wounds is discovered during their exclusive wine tasting, and Vail is drawn to the case. Further investigations lead her to a second corpse with similar wounds. By the end of day two, Vail joins the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force. As additional bodies are found, Vail and her new colleagues begin a relentless pursuit of "The Napa Crush Killer." As possible motives and patterns begin to emerge and task force members are targeted, intensity levels increase. Jacobson's extensive FBI research background yields a gripping story laced with political underpinnings and dizzying twists that will have readers perched on the edge of their seats. In a style rivaling that of Patricia Cornwell or Harlan Coben, Jacobson surpasses his first Karen Vail thriller, The 7th Victim. Verdict Essential for suspense aficionados. One caveat: readers expecting a neat ending may be disappointed, as a sequel is forthcoming. -Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Ghosts of NY's Capital District : Albany, Schenectady, Troy & more

2009-10-21T12:41:00.002-04:00

by Renee Mallett. Covering a dozen communities within the area, read about historic hauntings and modern-day spooks in upstate New York. Renee Mallett is the author of several books, all available from Schiffer Publishing, and numerous pieces of short fiction and poetry. She is a book critic for several online literary journals. She has published articles on a variety of topics ranging from celebrity interviews and travel essays, to fashion reporting. Renee Mallett lives with her husband and three children in southern New Hampshire. (Check catalog)

Nocturnes : five stories of music and nightfall

2009-10-20T10:15:00.002-04:00

by Kazuo Ishiguro. In Venice, an old-time singer drafts a guitar player from one of the piazza's bands to accompany him as he serenades the wife he is about to leave. She later turns up in the tale of a sax player whose own wife, having left him, offers to pay for plastic surgery that could help his career. A man who once shared a love for show tunes with an old friend is asked by her husband to act the fool to help save their marriage. A self-centered songwriter breeds disruption while working at his sister's inn, and an inspiring cellist encounters a most unusual teacher. Despite what one might expect from the title, these aren't stories about music, which is simply enfolded in the characters' lives; the music doesn't so much inspire the action as frame it. The writing is lighter and more loose-limbed than one might expect of the author of Never Let Me Go, but it delivers the same scary insights into human misbehavior. Verdict Once again Ishiguro does something different; recommended for anyone who loves thoughtful writing. --Library Journal. (Check Catalog)

The photographer's eye field guide : the essential handbook to traveling with your digital SLR camera

2009-10-19T14:18:00.002-04:00

by Michael Freeman. Whether on a weekend city break or a month-long trekking vacation, this handy litle guide will be your indispensable companion. Taking photos that really capture the essence of your time away is a real skill, and swamped with a multitude of choices, it can be hard to organise your time and focus on the shots that really matter. Written by Michael Freeman, one of the world's leading travel photographers, this portable mine of information takes a hands-on approach to travel photography, offering a comprehensive guide to planning and executing your trip. Advice covers everythingnbsp;and includes:nbsp;choosing what to photograph and how to do it, coping with challenging lighting conditions,nbsp;and negotiating customs and security issues. The subjects section covers a diverse array of settings, including: safaris, deserts, diving, cycling, mountains and water. This ensures that, whatever situation you encounter, you have the information you need to take stunning shots right at your fingertips. The themes section takes a more conceptual approach, and is packed with invaluable advice on situations you may encounter: shooting, for example, worship scenes, markets, landscapes and light. There is even a section on reworking cliches, so you can visit the much-photographed sites of the world and come away with something truly unique. Packed with stunning shots, and rooted entirely in the photographers own experiences, this is a highly practical approach to a key area of photography, and an inspirational guide for photographers on the move everywhere. (Check Catalog)

The devil's punchbowl

2009-10-13T16:53:00.002-04:00

by Greg Iles. Bestseller Iles's stellar third suspense novel to feature Penn Cage (after Turning Angel) finds the former prosecutor and bestselling novelist serving as the mayor of Natchez, Miss., his hometown. Frustrated by his limited ability to change the system, Cage is plunged into a deadly duel of wits with some bad guys after a childhood friend, Tim Jessup, now a card dealer, alerts him to illegal dog fighting and sexual abuse connected with a floating casino. Before Jessup can deliver proof of his allegations, he's tortured and killed. Convinced Jessup managed to pass on the evidence to the mayor, Jessup's boss confronts and threatens Cage. Daniel Kelly, an old friend working for a private security organization, lends support, sneaking Cage's 11-year-old daughter out of town to safety. Iles brilliantly creates opportunities for his characters to demonstrate principle and courage, both on a large and small scale, making this much more than just an exciting read. --Publisher's weekly (Check Catalog)

The making of Americans : democracy and our schools

2009-10-09T10:31:00.002-04:00

by E.D. Hirsch. Hirsch's 1987 bestseller, Cultural Literacy, generated an intense debate over its proposals for education reform, namely that all schools should teach a standard core curriculum—the information every American should be equipped with in order to participate in the national cultural life (e.g., everyone should understand the term Achilles heel; know who said, To be or not to be or who wrote the Gettysburg Address). Hirsch's new book fine-tunes his philosophy while rebutting the criticism that cultural literacy fostered a conservative white curriculum that didn't take into account the learning styles and knowledge base of minority groups. Although must reading for educators, the book undoubtedly will reignite the earlier controversy. For example, Hirsch questions the wisdom of charter schools and educational vouchers, insisting that a trans-ethnic common educational experience can be had only in public schools attended by rich and poor together. However, in the context of the continuing shortcomings of American education and armed with the support of prominent educators, Hirsch once again challenges the prevailing child-centered philosophy, championing a return to a subject-centered approach to learning. --Publisheer's Weekly. (Check Catalog)

Half broke horses : a true-life novel

2009-10-08T14:29:00.002-04:00

by Jeanette Walls. No one familiar with Walls's affecting memoir, The Glass Castle, will be surprised by her subtitle here: Walls is a careful observer who can give true-life stories the rush and immediacy of the best fiction. Here she novelizes the life of her grandmother, giving herself just the latitude she needs to create a great story. Lily Casey Smith is one astonishing woman, tough enough to trot her pony across several hundred miles of desert to her first job when she's only a teenager. After a brief stint in Chicago and marriage to a flim-flam man, she's back in the West, teaching again and eventually remarrying, helping her fine new husband at the gas station, raising her children, and running hootch if she must to make ends meet during the Depression. Her story is at once simple and utterly remarkable, for this is one remarkable woman—a half-broke horse herself who's clearly passed on her best traits to her granddaughter. VERDICT Told in a natural, offhand voice that is utterly enthralling, this is essential reading for anyone who loves good fiction—or any work about the American West. --Publisher's Weekly (Check catalog)

How to raise the perfect dog : through puppyhood and beyond

2009-10-07T11:07:00.002-04:00

by Cesar Milan. The star of Dog Whisperer presents a wealth of advice, tips, and techniques for ideally raising a puppy, addressing a range of common concerns from selecting a compatible breed and meeting health needs to housebreaking essentials and achieving ideal behavior. TV tie-in. (Check catalog)

South of Broad : a novel

2009-10-06T11:25:00.002-04:00

by Pat Conroy. "Kids, I'm teaching you to tell a story. It's the most important lesson you'll ever learn," says the protagonist of Conroy's first novel in 14 years (since 1995's Beach Music). Switching between the 1960s and the 1980s, the narrative follows a group of friends whose relationship began in Charleston, SC. The narrator is Leopold Bloom King (his mother was a Joyce scholar), a likable but troubled kid who goes from having one best friend, his brother, to having no friends after a tragedy, to having, suddenly, a gang, of which he is perhaps not the leader but certainly the glue. Conroy continues to demonstrate his skill at presenting the beauty and the ugliness of the South, holding both up for inspection and, at times, admiration. He has not lost his touch for writing stories that are impossible to put down; the fast pace and shifting settings grip the reader even as the story occasionally veers toward the unbelievable. VERDICT Filled with the lyrical, funny, poignant language that is Conroy's birthright, this is a work Conroy fans will love. Libraries should buy multiple copies. —Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Just like us : the true story of four Mexican girls coming of age in America

2009-10-05T12:17:00.002-04:00

by Helen Thorpe. In 2004, Denver journalist Thorpe met four Mexican girls-two legal, two undocumented-and began a five-year journey of chronicling their lives and the lives of their families against the backdrop of growing tensions on immigration issues. She follows the girls-Marisela, Clara, Yadira, and Elissa-from their high-school proms through college graduation, documenting the huge differences between the challenges and uncertainties faced by those with documents and those without. Thorpe also chronicles the family dynamics and economic struggles as the girls tentatively move into the middle class, the tensions of assimilation as the girls become increasingly American, and the emotional challenges to maintaining cultural ties to their families and communities. She follows the story into Mexico when Marisela's mother is deported. But Thorpe also follows the opposition, including former U.S. Representative Tom Tancredo (R-Colorado), who made a name for himself by vociferously opposing illegal immigrants. All the while, Thorpe had the added complication of being married to the mayor of Denver, whose business and political stances added to the heated debate. Thorpe does a masterful job of exploring issues of class, race, and culture in the American amalgam through the lives of four young Mexican women. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

The year of the flood : a novel

2009-10-02T12:06:00.002-04:00

Margaret Atwood. Never one to rest on her laurels, famed Canadian author Atwood redeems the word sequel with this brilliant return to the nightmarish future first envisioned in Oryx and Crake. Contrary to expectations, the waterless flood, a biological disaster predicted by a fringe religious group, actually arrives. In its wake, the survivors must rely on their wits to get by, all the while reflecting on what went wrong. Atwood wins major style points here for her framing device, the liturgical year of the God's Gardeners sect. Readers who enjoy suspense will also appreciate the story's shifting viewpoint and nonlinear time line, which result in the gradual revelation of key events and character relationships. Atwood's heroines seem uniformly grim and hollow, but one can hardly expect cheerfulness in the face of the apocalypse, and the hardships of their lives both pre- and postflood are moving and disturbing. VERDICT Another win for Atwood, this dystopian fantasy belongs in the hands of every highbrow sf aficionado and anyone else who claims to possess a social conscience. (Check catalog)

The healing of America : a global quest for better, cheaper, and fairer health care

2009-10-01T16:00:00.002-04:00

by T.R. Reid. For all the rights and privileges enjoyed in the U.S, this country remains the only industrialized one that does not guarantee medical services to all its citizens. As a result, our health-care system ranks poorly when it comes to infant mortality, life expectancy, satisfaction, and overall performance. Reid traveled the globe to study the health-care systems of other democratic nations, such as France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and Canada, where medical services are available to every citizen. None of these systems are perfect, but he found that a single national health-care system is not only more efficient but also costs less, saves lives, and provides a better quality of care than the dysfunctional hodgepodge that we have in this country. Reid dispels the common fears about "socialized medicine," waiting lists, and other myths disseminated by the lobbyists and politicians with a stake in the status quo. Here, we get a clear picture of why we have a moral imperative to implement a heath-care system for all Americans. --Booklist (Check Catalog)