Braille Book Review

May-June 2003
Books for Adults--Nonfiction

The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library.

Note: For the infomation of the reader, a notice may appear immediately following the book description to indicate occurrences of strong language, explicit descriptions of sex, or violence. The word "some" before any of these terms indicates an occasional or infrequent occurence, as in "some strong language.".

This page includes Web-Braille links to full-text braille versions of books. Eligible patrons may sign up for Web-Braille through the library that handles their braille magazine subscriptions.

Nonfiction

Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly BR 13782
by Sue Halpern
2 volumes
Describes a trip into Mexico accompanying a cowboy entomologist tracking the monarch's migration. Combines scientific knowledge and research on this butterfly population, profiles of people who study and follow monarchs, and travel adventures. 2001.

Computer and Web Resources for People with Disabilities: A Guide to Exploring Today's Assistive Technology BR 13816
by Alliance for Technology Access
4 volumes
Provides an overview of the hardware, software, and other considerations surrounding computer resources for people with disabilities. Includes personal stories about using technology in daily life. Discusses braille displays, braille embossers and translators, and speech synthesizers among other products. Foreword by Stephen Hawking. Third edition. 2000.

A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations BR 13832
by Kate L. Turabian
4 volumes
A guide for students in every phase of term-paper preparation. Discusses the mechanics of writing, documentation, and manuscript production using personal computers and citing electronic sources. Revised by John Grossman and Alice Bennett. 1996.

Winning Chess Openings BR 13869
by Bill Robertie
1 volume
Explains the twenty-five essential chess openings from the standard King's Pawn to the counterattacking half-open defenses. Discusses each approach and the thought processes involved from "both white's and black's perspectives, and the possibilities of moves and their strengths (and weaknesses) fully played out." 1995.

The Greatest War Stories Ever Told BR 13883
edited by Lamar Underwood
4 volumes
Twenty-four excerpts from fiction and nonfiction, describing instances of heroism and bravery. Includes writings by Bruce Catton, Michael Shaara, and Stephen Crane on the American Civil War, Ernie Pyle on World War II, and Leo Tolstoy on Napoleon. Some violence and some strong language. 2001.

The Cat Who'll Live Forever: The Final Adventures of Norton, the Perfect Cat, and His Imperfect Human BR 13886
by Peter Gethers
2 volumes
In the latest tale of his Scottish Fold cat Norton, Gethers realizes that nothing lives forever. He recalls how Norton taught him lessons of loving and coping with illness after the cat developed kidney problems and then cancer. Sequel to A Cat Abroad (BR 9458). Some strong language. 2001.

The Flag, the Poet, and the Song: The Story of the Star- Spangled Banner BR 13894
by Irvin Molotsky
2 volumes
Relates the history of the United States flag, how it inspired the poem written in 1814 by Francis Scott Key, and how the poem was set to music and later adopted as the national anthem. Discusses the myths and facts surrounding these events. 2001.

The Oxford Fiftieth Anniversary Book of the United Nations BR 13901
by Charles Patterson
3 volumes
History of the United Nations, from its creation in 1945. Describes the organization's charter, goals, and major agencies and programs. Discusses how the U.N. responds to world problems and the role it plays in peacekeeping. For junior and senior high and older readers. 1995.

Handbook for the Heart: Original Writings on Love BR 13905
edited by Richard Carlson and Benjamin Shield
2 volumes
Inspirational essays on the value of love by spiritual teachers such as Deepak Chopra, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Marianne Williamson, Leo Buscaglia, and Ram Dass, among others. 1996.

The Pocket Parent BR 13910
by Gail Reichlin and Caroline Winkler
3 volumes
Addresses some of the most troubling issues facing parents of two- to five-year-olds. Down-to-earth solutions to such child rearing problems as surviving "morning crazies," discipline, playmates, manners and mealtime, explaining death, instilling self-esteem, potty training, and bedtime. 2001.

How to Read a French Fry: And Other Stories of Intriguing Kitchen Science BR 13911
by Russ Parsons
3 volumes
Examines the fundamentals of cooking, such as baking, boiling, frying, and roasting and explains the scientific principles behind them. Discusses how to improve cooking skills by providing little-known culinary facts, offering practical tips, and sharing more than one hundred recipes. 2001.

The Wisdom of Menopause: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing during the Change BR 13918
by Christiane Northrup
7 volumes
The author examines female menopause in the context of a mind-body connection. Discusses hormone replacement therapy, herbal treatments, diet and exercise, sex, osteoporosis, heart disease, and other physical changes and emotional issues, including stress and depression. Bestseller 2001.

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures BR 13930
by Mary Baker Eddy
6 volumes
The basic text of the Church of Christ, Scientist, written by the church's founder, Mary Baker Eddy, to explain the tenets of Christian Science. The "Key to the Scriptures" analyzes certain passages in Genesis and Revelation in relation to Christian Science. 1875.

Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs BR 14052
by William Zinsser
3 volumes
Celebratory survey of popular American music from 1927 to the 1960s--Broadway songs, Hollywood songs, individual hits by famous composers, and great one-shots from out of nowhere. Organized in loose chronological order around the lives of the songwriters, the book is filled with anecdotes, morsels of social history, and personal commentary. 2000.

Epilepsy and Seizures: Everything You Need to Know BR 14055
by Donald F. Weaver
2 volumes
Neurologist explains the history, biology, diagnosis, and treatment for epilepsy and other seizure disorders. Analyzes different concerns regarding the condition in children, seniors, and pregnant women and the social aspects of dealing with the disease. 2001.

Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm BR 14061
by Kim Cattrall and Mark Levinson
1 volume
Husband and wife team present information to help couples achieve deep sexual fulfillment by bringing themselves together psychologically, emotionally, and spiritually. Authors share ideas, scenarios, and suggestions for techniques and positions designed to bring both the man and woman to orgasm. Explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller 2002.

The Prophet BR 14069
by Kahlil Gibran
1 volume (Reissue)
Prose-poem reflections by the Lebanese mystic poet, Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931). Meditations on such subjects as love, marriage, joy and sorrow, crime and punishment, pain, and self-knowledge. 1923.

The Guy Book: An Owner's Manual for Teens; Safety, Maintenance, and Operating Instructions for Teens BR 14118
by Mavis Jukes
2 volumes
Provides information for male adolescents on changes that occur in their bodies during puberty and offers advice on sexual topics, nutrition, health, relationships, peer pressure, etiquette, and other issues. For junior and senior high readers. 2002.

The Teenagers' Guide to School outside the Box BR 14119
by Rebecca Greene
3 volumes
Explores alternative education for teens including internships, apprenticeships, and volunteer opportunities as well as traveling, summer activities, and distance learning. Besides anecdotes from young people, the author includes advice on résumé writing and provides resources for further information. For senior high readers. 2001.

Walt Whitman: Selected Poems BR 14123
by Walt Whitman
2 volumes
Selection of more famous poems by American Walt Whitman (1819- 1892). Presented in chronological order are such favorites as "I Sing the Body Electric" and "I Hear America Singing." Also includes Civil War poems and his elegy for the assassinated president Abraham Lincoln, "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." 1992.

Edgar Allan Poe: Complete Poems BR 14130
by Edgar Allan Poe
1 volume
Collection of all the poems by American lyric poet Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1894). Contains the final versions of such works as "Annabel Lee," "The Raven," and "Tamerlane." 1992.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Selected Poems BR 14131
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
2 volumes
Representative selection of work by the nineteenth-century English poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). Includes "The Cry of the Children," lamenting child labor in Britain; "Sonnets from the Portuguese," about her love for poet Robert Browning; and excerpts from "Aurora Leigh," which was an 1857 bestseller. 1995.

Beethoven's Hair BR 14163
by Russell Martin
2 volumes
An investigation of the convoluted history of a lock of Beethoven's hair, taken from the composer's head at his death in 1827. Reconstructs the snippet's odyssey from Austria to America, where it was purchased in 1994 by two Beethoven devotés intent on forensic analysis to explain Beethoven's medical problems, deafness, and cause of death. 2000.

Candlemaking for the First Time BR 14164
by Vanessa-Ann
1 volume
Comprehensive guide for beginners describing supplies, tools, and techniques that can be used to create simple or complex molded and scented candles. Provides step-by-step instructions for twenty-two projects. 2001.

The Right Words at the Right Time BR 14194
edited by Marlo Thomas
3 volumes
Actress Marlo Thomas's compilation of more than one hundred celebrities' accounts of personal turning points in life. Contributors include Muhammad Ali, Tom Brokaw, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Toni Morrison, Steven Spielberg, Sammy Sosa, Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, and others. Bestseller 2002.

Once upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen BR 14210
by Bob Greene
2 volumes
The inspirational story of North Platte, Nebraska, a town that served as a momentary haven for millions of WWII American soldiers. From Christmas Day 1941 until the end of the war, the residents welcomed every troop train with food, drink, magazines, and words of encouragement. Bestseller 2002.

The Lord God Made Them All BR 14213
by James Herriot
3 volumes (Reissue)
Following World War II, James Herriot returns home to Yorkshire and his work treating the diseases and injuries of the area's farm animals. Postwar life is normal except for his trip to Russia with a load of pedigreed sheep. Sequel to All Things Wise and Wonderful (BR 5779). 1981.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: Selected Poems BR 14221
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
2 volumes
A selection of Henry Longfellow's (1807-1882) best-loved poetry. Among the shorter lyric poems are "The Village Blacksmith," "The Children's Hour," and "Paul Revere's Ride." Includes two complete narrative poems: "Evangeline" and "The Courtship of Miles Standish." 1992.

Kant BR 14230
by Ralph Walker
1 volume
Summarizes the influential work of German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804). Discusses Kant's ideas on moral law, duty, and the categorical imperative. 1999.

The Art of Growing Up: Simple Ways to Be Yourself at Last BR 14325
by Véronique Vienne
1 volume
Essays on realizing the pleasures of getting older. Advises smiling, never apologizing for your age, and throwing away old things. "The second part of one's life is second to nothing. Too bad we have to wait so long to get to it." 2000.


Next section of Braille Book Review | Previous section of Braille Book Review | Braille Book Review Home Page


Go to the NLS Home Page