Plymouth Librarians' Choice

BORN IN THE USA: HOW A BROKEN MATERNITY SYSTEM MUST BE FIXED TO PUT WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST by Marsden Wagner, M.D., M.S.
Adult Nonfiction-Upper Level 362.198 W

It’s a little-known fact that the maternal mortality rate in the United States has been rising for the past 25 years, and both our maternal mortality and infant mortality rates are among the worst in the industrialized world. Wagner uses both hard scientific evidence and lots of personal experience to wade through the tangles of modern obstetrical care. Doctors and scientists are in conflict, he says, because while a scientist must assume that everything is known, a doctor must assume that he or she knows what the problem is and how to treat it in order to get anywhere. A lack of oversight, love of technology, lack of knowledge of normal birth, and a fear of litigation combine to make hospital births increasingly dangerous for mother and child. After documenting these grim facts, Wagner goes on to paint a picture of an ideal maternity system, similar to those already existing in other countries, which have been established even without the approval of the obstetrical community. For the sake of the mothers in your life, read this book.

BIG & GREEN edited by David Gissen
Adult non-fiction shelves upper level

As our cities are filling and our globe is warming, architects are looking to green (environmental) methods of building to help relieve the pressure on the earth’s resources. Aside from being environmentally sound, green designs and buildings are currently red-hot in the trends department. Big & Green, covering a former museum exhibit, displays the potential for these green methods on a large urban scale. Don’t know a lot about architecture? No matter- this book is full of pretty pictures, and the fascinating interviews with architects at the end of the book can provide a great introduction for those who are just learning. You’ll be surprised by some of the imaginative ideas that these architects have up their sleeves.

Infrastructure: A Field Guide to the Industrial Landscape by Brian Hayes
Adult Non-Fiction, Upper Level: 711.6 H

Ever wonder how water is available from your kitchen faucet, or where it goes after it runs down the drain? Ever consider how it is possible to pull a phone out of your pocket in Plymouth and call your cousin in Tampa, or how those tennis shoes arrived here from China?

Buried under the ground, hanging from poles, hidden behind fences and sitting high on towers are the ubiquitous components of Infrastructure. This large format, photograph-packed book is your introduction to the many aspects of the often hidden and rarely noticed nerve and skeletal system that makes modern society work. Author Brian Hayes turns what could be a very dry and technically off-putting collection of facts into an engaging and entertaining exploration of the incredible technologies that do everything from clean sewage, to transport natural gas across half a continent to your stovetop. From railroads to airports to oil wells to power plants, this book is a wonderful introduction to the unheralded tools that bring technology to our homes.

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Adult Nonfiction - 364.1523 L, CD Books - 364.1523 L,
Cassette Books - Larsen

Devil in the White City is a one-of-a-kind book that combines a history of Chicago at a pivotal time in its development and a riveting “true crime” story of a notorious serial killer. The main story revolves around building the “White City” for the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. Larsen unearths the telling details that bring history to life. He gives us an insider’s view of the clash of egos, the artistic temperaments, the nervous bankers, and the near disasters related to building a city within a city. Among the challenges faced by the fair’s sponsors was finding an attraction to rival the Eiffel Tower, which had been built for the prior World’s Fair. (The attraction they created was a huge success, but I won’t ruin the surprise by revealing it here.)

In contrast to the noble struggle to build the “White City,” the book describes the “devil” – Herman Mudgett and how he constructed a house of horrors. Mudgett selected perspective victims from the ranks of jobseekers and fairgoers flocking to Chicago. He befriended them and offered them a place to stay. Once he had the victims under his roof, he had plenty of time to arrange alibis to use if and when the victims’ families got suspicious. No one knows for sure how many people Mudgett murdered. He confessed to 27, but Larsen produces convincing evidence for many, many more.

Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn – Adult Non-Fiction – Upper Level
Are you in the mood for something sweet? Well if you are and you like the idea of a little cake all to yourself, you should pick up a copy of Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn. This cute compact book packs much information about all things cupcakes including stories about cupcakes and recipes for basic cupcakes, holiday cupcakes, “cupcake-like” treats, muffins, and delicious and creamy frostings. There is even a recipe for a cupcake wedding cake. The recipes are neatly written and simple to understand. Most ingredients are items that anyone can find in their grocery aisle. When the recipe calls for something more extravagant, the author will lead you to the right place to find these items.

Anne Byrn has delivered 135 unique and fascinating recipes in Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor that will aid anyone who needs to make a tasty dessert. Whether celebrating a birthday, a dinner party, or any old day of the week, you will find the perfect recipe for your taste buds in this little cookbook. Some examples of the recipes within the book include: red velvet cupcakes, s’mores cupcakes, fortune cookie cupcakes, Halloween spider cupcakes, peach cobbler cupcakes, creamy lemonade frosting, coconut pecan frosting, and classic buttercream frosting. The recipes are divided into neat sections based on different categories such as “cupcakes for kids,” “cupcakes with class,” “celebration cupcakes,” and “muffins: breakfast cupcakes.” If that isn’t enough, there are also beautiful colored illustrations of these tasty morsels located at the beginning of the book. Looking at these delicious treats is certain to get your mouth watering for something small and sweet! In fact, it will be hard not to try and enjoy one of these recipes once you look at this amazing little dessert cookbook—Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn.

The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron
by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
Adult Non-fiction 333.79 M

The Smartest Guys in the Room
DVD Collection – Documentary – ENR

The current meltdown in the sub-prime mortgage market reminds me in some ways of the Enron collapse. Aside from the similarities to the current mortgage/credit/housing disaster, the story of Enron as told in The Smartest Guys in the Room is well worth a look. This true story of real events and larger-than-life personalities reads like a suspense novel. The authors, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, dish out the juicy details about wild corporate excesses, such as one "meeting" held while motor biking through Mexico; an Enron executive who spent most of his work day time at a local strip club; and Ken Lay wandering the halls to solicit opinions about the décor on his new corporate jet as the company is unraveling. These high jinks are juxtaposed with the human interest stories of people who had the courage to stand up for what was right, such as, Sherron Watkins, who found out about the imaginary profits and took her concerns to top management. The authors also show the devastating consequences for the folks who lost their livelihoods and their retirement savings when Enron collapsed.

What makes this book unique is that McLean and Elkind (both writers at Fortune Magazine) provide easy-to-understand explanations about how corporate finance works so that the average person can understand how Enron’s management was able to create billions of dollars in nonexistent profits. From there, it is easy to follow the story through the desperate gambles necessary for Enron's management to keep the charade going for as long as they did. The book explains how Enron used its virtual monopoly of the California energy supply as a "cash cow" to forestall bankruptcy. There is convincing and detailed evidence that Enron insiders knew what they were doing when they urged others to buy Enron stock just as they were dumping theirs.

The documentary focuses on the dramatic and human interest sides of the story with a brief description of how the financial sleight-of-hand worked. Of course, the book has much more information than the film. I did need to flip back and forth in order in the book in order to keep the players straight, but that's a minor quibble when compared to how well the authors have organized a complicated and far-flung story.

The authors do leave some important questions unanswered. How did a handful of insiders perpetrate a fraud worth billions that duped not only the "average" investor, but also professional financiers? If Enron suffered from a “culture of corruption," how and when did Enron become corrupt? What were the systemic flaws within our economy that allowed Enron to happen and wreak such havoc on the markets? The authors have provided an accurate and engaging story about what happened at Enron, but it remains for someone else to analyze how that story relates to the economy as a whole.

For readers interested in business and investing who would like a more detailed (if less dramatic) narrative about the various missteps on the slippery slope to corporate failure, I recommend Final Accounting: Ambition, Greed and the Fall of Arthur Andersen by Barbara Lev Toffler. Toffler worked at Arthur Andersen during its ill-fated relationship with Enron. As an ethics expert, she was both an insider and an impartial observer to how Arthur Andersen, an accounting firm with a sterling reputation for integrity, got caught up in the Enron mess. She also offers valuable insights into how the events at Arthur Andersen and Enron related to the economic climate at the time.

Freakonomics: a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything by Steven D. Levitt
Adult Non-Fiction Upper Level

Seemingly absurd questions are asked, and answered, by the brilliant economist, Steven Leavitt, in this thoroughly engaging book. For example, what do Sumo wrestlers and public school teachers have in common? Or, why do drug dealers still live with their moms? I guarantee that some of the answers will surprise you.

Perhaps the greatest virtue of Freakonomics is that it encourages the reader to think critically and challenge conventional wisdom. As Leavitt points out, conventional wisdom was created by an economist to describe certain ideas that are generally accepted by the public to be true, regardless if they are or not.

The book boils down to the basic premise that doubt is a good thing. An Iranian proverb reminds us that “Doubt is the key to knowledge.” After reading Freakonomics odds are that you will begin to doubt a few things yourself.

Journey Through Heartsongs
Written and Illustrated by Mattie J. T. Stepanek.
Adult Non-Fiction - Upper Level - 811.54 S

This is a beautiful collection of poetry from a very inspirational young man—Mattie Stepanek. Mattie suffered from a rare form of muscular dystrophy called dysautonomic mitochondrial myopathy. However, despite his suffering, Mattie was able to find constant joy in the most simplest of things. That is what his poetry in Journey Through Heartsongs is all about—having faith and spreading love (your “heartsongs”) to one another so that we can create a better world.

Some of the titles of his poems are: “Peace of Patience,” “Believing for the Journey,” “Touch of Heaven,” “Sunset,” and “Eternal Echoes.” Mattie truly was a special young man, and these poems are sure to inspire all those who read them!

Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit, and the Era of Predatory Lenders by James D. Scurlock
DVD 332.743 M
New Adult Nonfiction 332.743 S

The main theme of Maxed Out is that the rules of the credit game are changing faster than investors and consumers can keep up with them. James Scurlock demonstrates this by looking beyond the financial pages to tell the stories of real people caught up in the credit industry. In addition to the usual "talking heads" - economists, academics, financial advisers, and industry spokespeople - we hear the perspectives of collection agency owners, pawn brokers, real estate agents, and many others. But the real emotional punch of the movie is the unforgettable interviews with average folks caught in financial nightmares that they never saw coming and which they can not control.

Scurlock also deserves credit (excuse the pun) for identifying the hidden liabilities in the mortgage industry and correctly predicting the economic melt down that would ensue. (Maxed Out was completed near the end of 2005, when the housing/mortgage market was still going strong.)

Maxed Out also highlights some surprising facts about how the credit industry conducts business, such as:

• Most credit card companies and banks are MORE likely to loan money to borrowers who are LEAST able to pay off their debts, because these customers generate the most profits.
• Credit card customers who pay all of their charges every month are known within the credit industry as “free loaders” and “deadbeats.”
• Approximately 1 of every 10 credit reports contains, at least, one error and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to remove an error from a credit report.

One minor criticism of the movie is that it covers such a broad range of issues - credit cards, pawn shops, payday loans, sub-prime mortgages, Las Vegas real estate, gambling addiction, FICO scores, collection agencies, the Great Depression, the national debt, bank mergers, and more – that it can be hard to follow how all these things are connected. Luckily, most of these questions are answered in the companion book.

The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin
Adult Nonfiction - 978.02L

When I saw people walking around downtown Plymouth in shorts at 9PM in early January in Michigan, it reminded me of this amazing and true account of the school children’s blizzard of 1888. That day 120 years ago began with unseasonably balmy temperatures and ended tragically when a ferocious blizzard, gale force winds, and sub-zero temperatures exacted a terrible toll in hundreds of lives lost. The morning dawned so warm that many children were able to travel to school for the first time in weeks, in many cases without coats or shoes. The storm was dubbed “the school children’s blizzard” because so many of its victims were children on their way home from school or trapped in buildings without heat.

The storm aligned with the conditions of pioneer families struggling to survive in a harsh landscape with tragic results. Although the settlers came from northern and eastern Europe and were used to cold weather, they were unprepared for the volatile and violent shifts in weather on the prairie. Because each homestead was an isolated island on a sea of grass, anyone caught in the storm would have to walk miles to find shelter in the blinding, wind-driven snow with few landmarks to guide them across a featureless landscape.

David Laskin tells the story of this terrible storm from several perspectives. He gives the background on several families: why and how they emigrated from Europe, why they choose to become homesteaders, and what they were each doing when the blizzard hit. Laskin provides background on the state of the westward expansion, how weather patterns form, why the Army Signal Corps didn’t warn the settlers in time, and the effects of hypothermia on the human body.

The most compelling and memorable parts of the book are the accounts of the individuals trapped in the blizzard. There’s the story of Minnie Freeman, who employed ingenuity, bravery, and a long rope to get her young pupils to safety. (Her story can also be found in a children’s picture book, The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard by Marty Rhodes Figley.) Some men working in the fields huddled with their livestock through the worst of the storm. One woman unable to see her hand in front of her face literally stumbled into a frozen haystack – her shelter in the storm. Accounts of that terrible day have been passed down through the generations of families who endured it. These accounts and David Laskin’s research make for a compelling read.

I feel a little guilty reviewing books on the bestseller list. After all, anyone can read the bestseller list; these books maybe don't need more people promoting them. But here it is. I read it, I loved it, and now I will share the love.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp, and Camille Kingsolver
New Book Shelves - Upper Level - 641.0973 K

Kingsolver, her husband, and two children set out in this vivid nonfiction adventure to spend and document a year spent eating only locally produced food. After years spent living in suburban Arizona, the family moves to rural Appalachia, with the intent, Kingsolver says, of living in a place that contains more than one of the three basic necessities of life. Starting the year with the first asparagus and some trepidation, they head to the farmer's market to see what they can find. What they end up with is delicious bounty – different things at different times of the year, to be sure, and no bananas – but always good, varied food in the peak of flavor. Trying for the first time to raise enough to eat year-round rather than a small vegetable garden provides room for meditation on the loss of vegetable varieties and the fragility of farmers' livelihoods, while harvesting their turkeys and chickens brings up the issues of carnivory and the difficulties with both CAFOs and vegetarianism. An early autumn trip to Italy shows a culture where food and culture is still deeply connected to the land. As Kingsolver narrates the year, Hopp steps in as "Dr. Science", with factual sidebars, while teenaged Camille provides a week's worth of meals with recipes for each month. It can be a little preachy, but if you already believe that the earth and our diets are in need of some help, it's inspirational rather than disturbing. All the authors are clearly passionate in showing that eating locally is delicious and doable by anybody with a will and a local farmer's market or garden. (Their total costs for delicious local organic food came out to significantly less than typical supermarket fare.) After listening to the audiobook, with Kingsolver's gently twangy voice, my husband and I were both inspired – I to tomato canning, and he to trying home cheese making, as well as more frequent trips to the farmer's market. For anyone who cares about good food, this is an essential read.

>The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
New Book Shelves – Upper Level – 330.122 K

Journalist Klein gives us a superbly researched look at the intersection of modern economics, politics and poverty that ranks among the most disturbing things I have ever read, on par with the literature I read for the Theology of the Holocaust class I took in college.

The current popular theory of economics started in parallel with two seemingly unrelated people. One was a psychologist named Ewan Cameron, who researched how to break down personalities. At the same time, a man named Milton Friedman was developed a new theory of economics. Instead of controlling businesses and taxing businesses and people to level society, Friedman claimed that capitalism could regulate itself, and become a thing of abstract beauty. The way to get there was to shock a people or a nation into acceptance, either by the sheer economic shock of making massive changes all at once or using whatever means were necessary.

Hungry Planet: what the world eats photographed by Peter Menzel; written by Faith D’Aluisio
Adult Non-Fiction - Upper Level - 641.3 M

Everybody eats. This book is an intimate look at one of the most universal activities—eating. Photographer Peter Menzel and journalist Faith D’Aluisio chronicled 30 families in 24 countries. These profiles vividly depict family life and offer a close-up of food gathering and eating around the globe. Each family purchased a week’s worth of groceries and arranged a family portrait with their food; whether it was sacks of grain and plantains or pizzas and packaged cereals. The stories give an inside look at their shopping and eating habits, and recipes for special dishes are included. Sidebars provide enough information to fill an atlas. The cost of Big Macs, cigarette use, and alcohol consumption are some of the data featured for each nation.

We meet families including the Baintons of Great Britain, whose charming portrait includes Polo the terrier and his box of kibble. Meanwhile, the Natomos of Mali struggle to feed a family of nine children on $26.39 a week. Another picture shows a TV satellite dish in Bhutan used as a container to dehydrate chili peppers. While the photography is gorgeous, it’s the issues that these images bring to light that make this book so fascinating.

Celebrate Earth Day, Spring, and our new Gardening Collection all at the same time.

Ann Lovejoy's Organic Garden Design School by Ann Lovejoy
Adult Gardening Collection – Upper Level – 635.0484 L

Organic gardening may be good for the planet, but Lovejoy gets into that only briefly in this comprehensive look at organic garden design. For her, the primary benefits of an organic garden are minimal care, plants that thrive without taking over, and gardens that tie into the surrounding landscapes. The pictures are beautiful, and the descriptions inspiring. The hitch, of course, is the amount of planning and research that goes into making these extremely site-specific gardens - since she's from the West, you'll want to pair this with one of our books on Michigan gardening. The book leads you through it all, though, concluding with a 30-pages workbook to help figure out what you want and how to get there. If you follow the steps, you’ll be rewarded with a garden that needs little more than annual compost to keep it beautiful.

Go! Scuba Dive by Monty Halls.
Adult Non-fiction 797.23H

Interested in Scuba Diving? Although scuba diving can be very rewarding, there are important safety precautions that should be taken. Monty Halls does a good job of addressing this by providing both a basic background and instructional information on this extreme sport. The focus of this book is not on photographing marine life of diving sites, but rather is designed as an overview of the sport. The pictures greatly enhance his how-to explanations.

For those who find it frustrating to learn techniques from a book, the book is accompanied with a DVD that provides the same basic information. The DVD is a wonderful addition as it allows the viewer to actually see what is happening. It is important to remember, however, that no amount of studying a book can compare to actually practicing the sport, but this book is a great introduction of what to expect or good for a quick refresher.

Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman
Adult Non-Fiction - Upper Level - 814.54 F

This book is a collection of essays about books and reading, every one of them just delightful. The first essay, “Marrying libraries” talks about how long it took for her and her husband to combine their libraries, and the difficulties of doing so. “Never do that to a book” talks about the difference between courtly lovers of books, who would never write in or otherwise mutilate their books, and carnal lovers of books, who do so as a matter of course. (My mother, who refuses to write even in pencil on photocopied music, definitely falls into the courtly camp. I have seen her write only penciled corrections in poorly edited books.) “The His’er Problem” talks about the difficulties of gender in language, where using non-gendered language is awkward and ungainly, but gendered language really does exclude people of the non-mentioned gender. And while “essay” sounds dull, every one of these had me laughing and reading bits aloud to whomever was unfortunate enough to be around. If you are reading this blog in the first place, it’s a fairly safe assumption that you like books. And if you like books, you’re missing out if you haven’t read this one.

Good Dog. Stay. by Anna Quindlen.
New Book Shelves - Upper Level – 636 Q
Dogs truly are man’s best friend and in Good Dog. Stay, Anna Quindlen lovingly describes the everlasting bond between human and canine. This book is a written tribute to her beloved black Labrador retriever, Beau. As you read, you will share in the triumphs and struggles of Beau’s life with Ms. Quindlen and probably think of your own little “Beaus” who have produced the same pleasures and frustrations.

Good Dog. Stay. is truly a touching portrait of the special bonds we share with our animals. Sprinkled throughout the text are lovely black and white photographs of dogs of all sizes and types. Thus, if you have ever experienced a slobbery kiss or a moony-eyed glance from a beloved pet, this book is perfect for you!

Beautiful Boy by David Sheff.
Adult New Non-Fiction - 362.29 S

Beautiful Boy takes the reader into the heart and soul of a father as he struggles with his son’s meth addiction. In this raw account, we follow young Nic from his seemingly normal childhood into his teenage years where he starts experimenting with illegal substances. Family dynamics rapidly change as he spirals deeper into addiction. Nic repeatedly gets in trouble with the law, and finds himself in and out of both treatment facilities and work. He has hurt everyone that loves him, but his addiction has a firm grip on him that does not seem to want to let go.

This is an educational book that reads more like a fictional story that will appeal to many audiences. From parents experiencing similar struggles, to teachers and social workers, to anyone who has contact with today’s youth, Beautiful Boy is a must read. Not only does Sheff’s careful introspection of what happened with his family take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster, but he also has written a book that can provide hope and guidance to those in similar situations.