Books to Get You Thinking 2019 Holiday Edition
Nonfiction and Biography
LeDoux, professor of neural science at New York University, explores the fascinating area of consciousness, thought and behavior and its evolution over billions of years from a simple single cell entity to the present day human with intelligence, emotion and consciousness. LeDoux traces how behavior came into being with the birth of the first living beings and how the nervous system evolved in different ways in different living organisms. All species are special because of their differences but, while the human survival capacity is not vastly different from ancient microbes’, what separates us from the rest of the species is our language, our capacities of thinking and reasoning, and our ability to reflect upon who we are. The book is elegantly organized, each chapter is self-contained, dealing with themes like survival and behavior, the beginning of cognition, cognitive hardware, and emotional subjectivity.
Edmund Morris, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the Theodore Roosevelt Trilogy, completed this biography of Edison just months before his death in May 2019. The book draws a compelling portrait of Edison by skillfully interweaving fascinating details about his many scientific discoveries, his outstanding brilliance and genius, but also unique facets of his personality. Edison was a ceaseless workaholic. Besides his many well-known inventions, including the phonograph, X-ray fluoroscope and the incandescent bulb, he earned 1,093 patents during his lifetime. It was Edison who first pioneered the idea of a research lab where scientists could collaborate and work together on ideas - his Lab in Menlo Park laid the foundation for Bell Labs, the labs at Dupont, and others that emerged as hubs of invention and innovation in twentieth century America.
During his yearlong mission aboard the International Space Station in 2015, astronaut Scott Kelly’s days were busy conducting scientific experiments and maintaining the shuttle’s hardware. At the same time, he was able to use his camera to record spectacular views of the earth, the cosmos, and rare celestial events, as well as his life aboard the Space Station from his vantage point 250 miles above the earth. It was not easy to focus a camera in the microgravity environment of space, where earth was flying past at 17,500 miles per hour, but Kelly mastered the technique of balancing himself with the camera and panning the camera steadily and quickly as the shutter released. Kelly was successful in capturing the amazing beauty and splendor of earth in all its different shades and sharing it with readers in this breathtaking collection of photographs.
Deeply researched over a period of seven years, Eliza Griswold’s book focuses on a few residents of a small town in Southwestern Pennsylvania when the region becomes the epicenter of the newly emerging fracking business. Stacey Haney, like many of her neighbors, struggled to bring up her two children and sold the mineral rights of her land to Range Resources in 2008. Soon, leaking chemicals poisoned the water supply, farm animals started to die and Stacey’s son was afflicted with a serious stomach ailment. The gripping account of Stacey’s fight against Range Resources brings in stark view not just the fractures and fissures within a community where fracking benefited some while bringing devastation to others, but also the failure of the political and legal system to protect the people whose interests it was designed to safeguard.
This book provides fascinating insights into the special role mathematics plays in the expression of human thought and knowledge abstraction. It describes the lives of two extraordinary intellectuals - Andrew Weil, a brilliant mathematician, and his younger sister Simone Weil, a philosopher with exceptional empathy who volunteered in the Spanish Civil War and died at a very young age. Riveting accounts of Andrew and Simone’s childhood and their fascination with mathematics and literature set up an intriguing chronicle which moves at a rapid pace as the brutalities of the Second World War bring into focus moral questions of existence, enduring truth and the value of human life. Embedded in the narrative are the author’s own experiences of learning mathematics at Harvard and many historical references which emphasize the elegance and beauty of mathematics.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, celebrated astrophysicist, director of New York’s Hayden Planetarium, and popular educator follows up his bestselling Astrophysics for People in a Hurry with this companion volume. The volume features a collection of Tyson’s favorite letters sent to him by people from all over the world searching for answers on the varied topics of science, philosophy, life, faith and beliefs. In his correspondence with them, Tyson provided them with insights and unique perspectives, stemming from his deep knowledge of science and the universe. The 101 letters are arranged in four groups in which Tyson reflects on matters ranging from hope, mortality and tragedy, to school days and parenting.
Fiction, Cooking and Entertainment
The novel, set against the backdrop of twentieth century England, revolves around the life of Victoria Speedwell, a woman who loses both her fiancé and brother in World War I. Finding herself alone in an environment where a woman was only valued as a wife or mother, Victoria’s struggles to carve out an independent, fulfilling life for herself against all odds. Victoria finds peace and solace in the beauty and craftsmanship of stitching and embroidering beautiful, colorful kneelers for the Winchester Cathedral. A new world opens its doors to as she makes new friends and companions.
The book spans five decades of a family saga centered around two siblings: Maeve and Danny. Central to the novel is the 1922 mansion on the hill known as the Dutch House, acquired by their father, Cyril Conway as a surprise for their mother, Elna. The lavishly furnished house fills Elna with guilt and, after abandoning her children, she flees to take care of the poor in distant India. Ultimately the book is about emotional loss and how it can define lives and future relationships. For Maeve and Danny, the Dutch house from where they’re evicted by their evil stepmother after Cyril dies, becomes an embodiment of the pain and loss in their lives - a pain which, at the same time, pulls the siblings together in an inseparable bond.
Elizabeth Strout’s earlier novel Olive Kitteridge, portraying a headstrong, self-opinionated retired middle school math teacher, became an instant bestseller and won the 2009 Pulitzer prize for fiction. In her sequel Olive Again, the author once more delights readers with thirteen interrelated stories that continue the story of Olive and other inhabitants of Crosby, a small fictional coastal town of Maine. The stories are skillfully interwoven to reflect the complexity of human behavior, the play of conflicting emotions, the limits of human tolerance, and the resilience of people in the face of the harshest circumstances.
Author Rachel Joyce follows up her earlier bestselling novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, with this delightful book. Set in 1988, Frank the owner of a rundown music shop sells vinyl records in a dilapidated dead end street in England. Frank has the incredible gift of being able to make a connection with anyone who comes into his shop and find exactly the right piece of music that they need to lift their spirits. The book captures beautifully the healing power of music as well as the life-changing nature of love and romance.
Named a Best Cookbook for spring 2019 by the New York Times and Bon Appetit, this book is designed to help readers prepare delicious meals every single day of their busy work week. The winning solution, according to the author, lies in planning ahead and finding small pockets of time on weekends or other days to put together a few sauces and sides that are featured in the section of the book titled Projects. Another section is devoted to a list of must have staples for the pantry that can help you whip up meals at short notice. In other sections of the book, delectable recipes with gorgeous accompanying photographs are arranged in the broad categories of Breakfast and Brunch; Midday Meals; Mains and Sweets and the all-important, Cooking for Friends.
Bobby Flay, a celebrated chef and winner of the James Beard Award, has authored thirteen cookbooks by drawing inspiration from his personal experiences at his individual restaurants. His books have focused on many popular foods, including Mediterranean cuisine, outdoor grilling, burgers and shakes, as well as dishes to keep you fit and healthy. This cookbook is different as Bobby Flay opens up his home to readers, providing us with some of the favorite dishes that he prepares for his family and friends. There are over 165 recipes in the book, arranged in nine different chapters that cover breakfast and brunch, snacks and appetizers, vegetables and sides, pizza and pasta, meat, seafood, desert and cocktails. Readers can also find handy tips on pantry essentials and recipes for basics like stocks, vinaigrettes and pestos that serve as building blocks for flavorful dishes.
- Nita Mathur, West Windsor
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