Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman

Call Number: Stacks E169.12 .K56 2004
Recommended by: Rus Springer

In this collection of essays Chuck Klosterman explores popular culture as experienced by people coming of age in the 1980s and 1990s. For the rest of us, he gives insight into the ways in which who we are in reality is often only a reflection of who we are in popular culture.

Along the way he touches upon how, ultimately, no one is able to find real love because of John Cusack; how the Real World changed from being a sample of the youth of America to unintentionally creating the youth of America; the realization that Pamela Anderson, like Marilyn Monroe before her, is the sex symbol for our time largely because times change; that the 1980s rivalry between the Celtics and the Lakers represents not just race in American but “absolutely everything” about America; the fact that Saved by the Bell is an explanation of all things Generation X; and the relationships between the apocalyptic, Christian theology of the Left Behind series and NFL football and “America’s insipid Oprah Culture”—plus much more.

His irreverent and uniquely skewed take on such things may produce a chuckle but, ultimately, he delivers the ideal in criticism: it is less about a specific artifact and more about the culture itself.

Schuyler’s Monster: A Father’s Journey with His Wordless Daughter by Robert Rummel-Hudson

Recommended by: Stephan J. Macaluso, Librarian
Call Number: Stacks RJ506.D47 H83 2008

Robert and Julie’s daughter, Schuyler, was born with a malformation of the folds of the brain. It robs Schuyler of speech and fine motor control. Robert refers to her condition as a Monster: it is a very rare disease with dire consequences and a frightening name; it lay in wait from before Schuyler’s birth, only to manifest itself at age three. Schuyler, Robert and Julie endured years of testing before her diagnosis--Schuyler was originally thought to be autistic. After much research, consultations with leading experts and a series of unforgettably enervating meetings with school officials, Schuyler began special classes and was given an electronic speech device, paid for in part by readers of Robert’s blog. This book is as much about a father’s unconditional love for his daughter as it is about a child with a complicated disease. Robert is a fine storyteller and this memoir is an honest, inspiring and very real look at fatherhood, coping, and a family’s resilience.

What is the What : The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng by Dave Eggers

Recommended by: Megan Coder, Librarian
Call Number: Stacks PS3605.G48 W43 2006

What is the What is a heartbreaking and heartwarming story about Valentino Achak Deng, a Lost Boy of Sudan. Dave Eggers tells his story through fact and some fictionalized accounts. It’s amazing to read all that Valentino went through during his flight from Sudan to escape the civil war where over two million people died. He had to leave his family without ever seeing them again, watch many of his dear friends die on the treks to Ethiopia and Kenya, endure countless days without food or water, and tolerate many trials and tribulations at various refugee camps. However, Valentino is a hopeful soul and though his tale is full of much sorrow What is the What is an inspirational read because of his positive attitude and resilience.

Nursing America: One year behind the nursing stations of an inner-city hospital by Sandy Balfour

Recommended by: Stephan J. Macaluso, Librarian
Call Number: Stacks RT34 .B34 2005

UK-based TV producer and journalist Balfour shadowed the nursing staff at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Tennessee (“The Med”) for more than a year and a half beginning in 2003. The Med treats a disproportionate share of the region’s crime victims, suicide attempts, high-risk deliveries and accident casualties. Many patients cannot possibly pay for the services they receive. One thing that makes The Med so special is its nurses, whose knowledge, optimism and sense of humor enable them to heal others while coping with the trauma they see each shift. Balfour introduces us to their families, their spiritual lives and their hopes for the future; we learn why they stay so long at The Med. Despite different backgrounds, they all display an inspiring level of caring and joy in their work. An enlightening look at the urban poor, the state of American healthcare and the diversity of the nursing profession.

Hope in hell : inside the world of Doctors Without Borders by Dan Bortolotti

Recommended by: Stephan J. Macaluso, Librarian
Call Number: Stacks RA390 .F8 B67 2004

Better known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Doctors Without Borders has led humanitarian missions to the world’s most dangerous places, including Rwanda, Angola, Chechnya and Iraq. Under unimaginable conditions, MSF personnel administer local clinics and deliver food, vaccines and clean water to the world’s refugees in an effort to restore their health and dignity. The work is perilous: MSF workers risk falling victim to infection, assault and kidnapping. They are often helpless to remedy otherwise treatable conditions, like starvation, malaria and cholera.
After witnessing mass displacements and even genocide, many MSF workers simply cannot cope with post-mission home life, and MSF has become famous for speaking out against the injustices that give rise to disease and disaster. Hope in Hell tells MSF’s story through the eyes of its workers. Their stories are sometimes funny, sometimes shocking and heartbreaking. The volume includes an excerpt from the compelling and controversial Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech by MSF leader James Orbinski. An enlightening read for anyone who’s ever thought about volunteerism, humanitarian aid, or the state of global affairs.

Medicine in the days of the pharaohs by Bruno Halioua and Bernard Ziskind

Recommended by: Stephan J. Macaluso, Librarian
Call Number: Stacks R137 .H3413 2005

Egyptian physicians were considered the best in the ancient world for more than a millennium: their work even influenced Hippocrates. They had an enormous herbal pharmacopoeia at their disposal, and they supplemented their prescriptions with religious practice and magic to address illnesses ranging from adolescent heartache to tetanus. Using CAT scans, ancient papyri, tomb illustrations and mummy autopsies, the authors uncover how Pharaonic physicians understood and treated disabilities, accident victims and congenital diseases.
Clever occupation-based chapters outline ailments common to farmers (serpents!), miners (scorpions!), fisherman (crocodiles!), scribes and even the mummy-making embalmers themselves. Halioua and Ziskind also offer a thought-provoking look at the pathology behind the plagues of the Old Testament. And, yes, they tell us how mummies were made. Enjoy!

Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell

Recommended by: David Agnardo, Community Member
Call Number Stacks: DP269 .O74 1955

I first read this book 30 years ago, but not until recently did I realize
or understand the divisions in Spain between the Catalan and the
Castilian languages. This book gives a small insight into these cultural and linguistic divisions.

A prayer for the city by H.G. Bissinger

Recommended by: Andy Perry, Librarian

Call Number: Stacks F158.54.R46 B57 1997

The book is about Ed Rendell's term as mayor of Philadelphia but in a largersense is about the city itself. Ed Rendell is now the PA governor. The author is a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer who was "embedded" with the mayor's office. The book is
very powerful, funny, and also sad. You can't put it down and you won't forget it.

The legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods by Julia Butterfly Hill

Recommended by: Megan, STL Librarian
Call Number: Stacks: SD129.H53 A3 2000

Julia Butterfly Hill lived in a California Redwood tree named Luna for 2 years. Hill
wanted to save Luna from being cut down by the Pacific Lumber Company. This is her
amazing and inspirational story. I recommend it to all especially
those interested in the daily life of a tree hugger.