Braille Book Review

Books for Adults The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending library. Note: For the information 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." Books for Adults 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." Nonfiction

The Bible: Authorized King James Version BR 14828

23 volumes
This edition of the King James Version of the Bible, a translation from the original languages authorized in 1611, includes the Apocrypha, fourteen books removed from the Protestant canon during the Reformation. Introduction by Stephen Prickett. Notes by Robert Carroll. 1997.

The Weather-Resilient Garden: A Defensive Approach to Planning and Landscaping BR 15650
by Charles W.G. Smith
4 volumes
Naturalist, horticulturist, and educator demonstrates how to plan and plant a garden that is both beautiful and resistant to nature's forces. Describes measures that protect a landscape from wind, lightning, hail, ice, snow, flood, and fire. Lists drought- tolerant plantings and lawns and the top one hundred weather- resilient plants. 2004.

Explorers House: National Geographic and the World It Made BR 15845
by Robert M. Poole
4 volumes
Former executive editor of National Geographic magazine chronicles the National Geographic Society from 1888 through 2003. Discusses how Alexander Graham Bell and his descendants built an institution that influenced worldwide audiences and sponsored exploration, discovery, and invention. Also examines the organization's race and gender policies. 2004.

The Only Menopause Guide You'll Need BR 15848
by Michele Moore
2 volumes
Second edition of this menopause medical guide updates the research on hormone replacement therapy. Physician's advice on aging covers its emotional and physiological symptoms, alternative and traditional therapies, and other health concerns for women. 2004.

Seven Steps to Stop a Heart Attack BR 15869
by Bob Arnot
3 volumes
Physician makes recommendations for preventing heart attacks. Explains warning signs, risk factors, diagnostic tests, medications, and lifestyle changes necessary to avoid sudden death. 2005.

The Amateur Magician's Handbook BR 15877
by Henry Hay
4 volumes
Fourth edition of classic guide for conjurers of all skill levels. Includes step-by-step instructions for standard coin and card tricks, gimmicks and fakes, slight-of-hand techniques using props like billiard balls and cigarettes, and mind reading. Also includes tips for entertaining children, staging shows, and using comedy, pantomime, and music. 1982.

Mortgages 101: Quick Answers to Over 250 Critical Questions about Your Home Loan BR 15885
by David Reed
3 volumes
Loan officer describes how to negotiate the "mortgage maze" and obtain the best financing to purchase a home. Discusses finance fundamentals, credit scores, insurance, refinancing, and loans as well as interest rates, closing costs, and finding the right lender. Includes a chapter on use of the Internet. 2004.

One Hundred Words Almost Everyone Confuses and Misuses BR 15913
by American Heritage Dictionaries
1 volume
This guide to the most troublesome words in the English language clearly explains everyday pitfalls such as the difference between "flaunt" and "flout." Examples of proper usage include many quotations from well-known authors. Companion to One Hundred Words Every High School Graduate Should Know (BR 15198). 2004. 2004.

The Creative Writer's Style Guide: Rules and Advice for Writing Fiction and Creative Nonfiction BR 15918
by Christopher T. Leland
3 volumes
Professor of creative writing discusses the basics of grammar, usage, and style. Part two covers such topics as titles and names, images, descriptions, allusions, and accuracy. 2002.

Real U Guide to Your First Apartment BR 15938
by Megan Stine
1 volume
Information about moving out of the family home and renting an apartment on one's own. Gives practical advice on finding a roommate, dealing with landlords, saving money on college housing, and furnishing the new place. For senior high and older readers. 2004.

Real U Guide to Saving and Investing BR 15939
by Mike Kavanagh
1 volume
Advice for young people on beginning to invest and save money for a sound retirement. Explains the stock market and other investment options. For senior high and older readers. 2004.

Real U Guide to Buying Your First Car BR 15940
by Johanna Bodnyk
1 volume
Advice for the first-time automobile purchaser on making a decision to buy. Discusses price considerations, negotiation at the dealership, tips for looking at used vehicles, finances, and insurance. Also describes the pros and cons of leasing. For senior high and older readers. 2004.

Real U Guide to Bank Accounts and Credit Cards BR 15941
by Ilyce R. Glink
1 volume
Information on opening checking and savings accounts, using a bank's services, obtaining a credit card, and managing credit. Explains debt, interest rates, and online banking. For senior high and older readers. 2004.

Real U Guide to Living on Your Own BR 15942
by Liesa Abrams
1 volume
Advice on setting up a household, including cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, making simple repairs, and budgeting. For senior high and older readers. 2004.

One Hundred Words Every High School Freshman Should Know BR 15947
by American Heritage Dictionaries
1 volume
Selected vocabulary organized from A to Z includes straightforward terms and typical items from textbooks for grades 7 and 8. Definitions are accompanied by example sentences from familiar authors. Includes a few exercises to build vocabulary. For junior and senior high readers. 2004.

Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat BR 16086
by Megan Carle and Jill Carle
1 volume
Recipes for breakfast, snacks, soups and salads, dinner for one, family meals, and desserts. Follows the principle of preparing food "in the easiest possible way." Dishes reflect the sister- authors' preferences for vegetarian ethnic and all-American comfort foods. For junior and senior high and older readers. 2004.

Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence BR 16091
by Carol Berkin
2 volumes
American history professor addresses the roles of women in the American Revolution, through first-person accounts. Reveals the contributions made by African Americans and Native Americans, as well as white revolutionaries and loyalists. An epilog examines the impact of war on gender images. 2005.

How Full Is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life BR 16093
by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton
1 volume
Grandson-grandfather coauthors present a life guide based on positive psychology and the simple metaphor of a bucket and a dipper, which can be used either positively or negatively to influence others. Offers five strategies for increasing good emotions including praising others appropriately, giving unexpectedly, and reversing the Golden Rule. 2004.

Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History, from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation BR 16094
by William R. Polk
2 volumes
American scholar of Middle Eastern Studies distills fifty years of research and experience into a concise overview of Iraqi history, providing insight into Iraqi conduct and culture under American occupation. Discusses possible outcomes for Iraq's economy, government, and internal administration depending on whether the United States continues occupation or withdraws. 2005.

The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age BR 16095
by Daniel J. Solove
3 volumes
Law professor examines the proliferation of databases that store information on individuals' activities, interests, and preferences assembled through computers and the Internet. Examines privacy and legal concerns including identity theft, the debate over public records, and the use of government access to profile people for criminal or terrorist activity. 2004.

The Abu Ghraib Investigations: The Official Reports of the Independent Panel and Pentagon on the Shocking Prisoner Abuse in Iraq BR 16097
edited by Steven Strasser
2 volumes
Former Newsweek editor presents excerpts from the Final Report of the Independent Panel to Review Department of Defense Detention Operations and from Major General Fay's investigation of U.S. troops' abuse of Iraqi prisoners in 2003. Includes official military interrogation policies and an introductory essay by Craig R. Whitney. 2004.

Too Late to Die Young: Nearly True Tales from a Life BR 16102
by Harriet McBryde Johnson
2 volumes
A lawyer specializing in disability issues protests Jerry Lewis's telethon and media heroes like Christopher Reeve. Born with a neuromuscular disease, the wheelchair-user relates anecdotes from her life of advocacy including involvement in Charleston, South Carolina, politics. Some strong language. 2005.

Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life BR 16127
by Michael Lewis
1 volume
Author reminisces about his irascible, often terrifying high school baseball coach, a former minor league catcher. Lewis relives his pitching career at a New Orleans private school and his experiences with the man who taught him not only about winning but also about self-respect, sacrifice, courage, and endurance. Bestseller 2005.

Sex and Love for Grownups: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Life of Passion BR 16129
by Sallie Foley
1 volume
Certified marital and sex therapist answers questions written to the "Modern Love" column in AARP The Magazine for middle- aged people. Topics include finding new love, maintaining sexual health, understanding dating etiquette, and resolving conflicts between couples. Includes resources. Some descriptions of sex. 2005.

A Child's Christmas in Wales BR 16134
by Dylan Thomas
1 volume
Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953) recalls the celebration of Christmas in Wales and the feelings it evoked in him when he was a child. 1954. 1954.

Astro Turf: The Private Life of Rocket Science BR 16148
by M.G. Lord
2 volumes
Cultural critic and investigative journalist blends history and social commentary in this memoir of her late father, Charles Lord, an aerospace engineer at the Pasadena, California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in the 1960s. Explores JPL's development and the abstract ideal of masculinity typified by the cold-war-era rocket scientist. 2005.

The Rise of the Indian Rope Trick: How a Spectacular Hoax Became History BR 16149
by Peter Lamont
2 volumes
British historian specializing in magic researches the famous but fictitious trick that supposedly originated in India in the 1890s. Discusses the journalistic sources of the hoax and previous efforts to debunk it, as well as the western world's gullibility and fascination with mysteries of the East. 2004.


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