The Bezzle by Cory Doctorow ( Fic Doctorow)
Cory Doctorow's new novel contains lots of historical trivia that I had not known before. For example, the economist John Kenneth Galbraith coined the term "bezzle" (from the word "embezzle") in the 1950s to describe the time bet...
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In the last year or so it seems everyone has yearned for lands near and far. The lockdown of 2020 and isolation of years past has invigorated the travel bug in many and researching unfamiliar locations is a must. Mechanics’ Institute has always maintained a robust travel guide section and regularly updated these books as new editions came out. These last few years have seen the travel industry change and many of the guideb...
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A Perfect Vacuum/ Stanislaw Lem. (Fic Lem)
Stanislaw Lem’s satire/parody of literary criticism -- in the form of critiques of books no one ever wrote -- will have you either laughing or groaning with recognition of the academic prose many of us have grown to know and loathe. Writers, literary people, or anyone who took an Engl...
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The 2024 Summer Olympic Games begin this week in Paris! Officially running from Friday, July 26 through Sunday, August 11. 32 sports are being played with 329 gold medals to be awarded. The only new sport to debut at this Olympiad is breaking, otherwise known as breakdancing. This style of dance originated in the ‘70s and has gone on to become a competitive sport with international competitions and world championships. Dan...
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PRINT BOOKS
FICTION
Lau Yee-Wa Tongueless Fic Yee-Wa
Miguel Bonnefoy Heritage Fic Bonnefoy
Jasper Fforde Red side story Fic Fforde
Emily Hauser For the most beautiful : a novel of the women of Troy...
PRINT BOOKS
NON-FICTION
Arts, Architecture & Crafts
Scott Doorley Assembling tomorrow : a guide to designing a thriving future from the Stanford d.school 744 D691
Biography & Genealogy
Kathleen Hanna Rebel girl : my life as a feminist punk 780.92 H243
Francine Pr...
EBOOKS
Isabelle Schuler Queen Hereafter : A Novel Of Lady Macbeth
Wesley Lowery American whitelash : a changing nation and the cost of progress
Rachel Carson The sea around us
E Lily Yu Jewel box : stories
Cory Do...
Many of us who first started our study of chess 30 (or more) years ago fondly remember Fred Reinfeld. Chess books can overwhelm the novice with a torrent of incomprehensible advice or lose them in a maze of complex analysis of numerous lines. Although many of the more advanced chess instruction books may inform a much more advanced player, they often will baffle and confuse the person picking up a chess book for the first...
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Some authors want more than just success. Although many writers express some regrets about some part of their published writing, a few come to dislike, and even hate their most successful and well-known work. Here are some examples I found, organized into 4 categories.
1. They thought some (or all) of their other writings were much better
Anthony Burgess,...
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It’s not often an employee puts in a lifetime of service to an employer. Mechanics’ Institute has been fortunate to have several long-serving, dedicated staff members over the years, but one in particular has set a high bar for his longevity and commitment to the Library. Alfred “Craig” Jackson has recently celebrated his 33rd year at Mechanics’ Institute and will be enjoying a much deserved retirement at the end of June.
Craig has a wealth of experience and instit...
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