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The idiot / by Batuman, Elif,1977-author.;
"A portrait of the artist as a young woman. A novel about not just discovering but inventing oneself. The year is 1995, and email is new. Selin, the daughter of Turkish immigrants, arrives for her freshman year at Harvard. She signs up for classes in subjects she has never heard of, befriends her charismatic and worldly Serbian classmate, Svetlana, and, almost by accident, begins corresponding with Ivan, an older mathematics student from Hungary. Selin may have barely spoken to Ivan, but with each email they exchange, the act of writing seems to take on new and increasingly mysterious meanings. At the end of the school year, Ivan goes to Budapest for the summer, and Selin heads to the Hungarian countryside, to teach English in a program run by one of Ivan's friends. On the way, she spends two weeks visiting Paris with Svetlana. Selin's summer in Europe does not resonate with anything she has previously heard about the typical experiences of American college students, or indeed of any other kinds of people. For Selin, this is a journey further inside herself: a coming to grips with the ineffable and exhilarating confusion of first love, and with the growing consciousness that she is doomed to become a writer. With superlative emotional and intellectual sensitivity, mordant wit, and pitch-perfect style, Batuman dramatizes the uncertainty of life on the cusp of adulthood. Her prose is a rare and inimitable combination of tenderness and wisdom; its logic as natural and inscrutable as that of memory itself.The Idiot is a heroic yet self-effacing reckoning with the terror and joy of becoming a person in a world that is as intoxicating as it is disquieting. Batuman's fiction is unguarded against both life's affronts and its beauty--and has at its command the complete range of thinking and feeling which they entail"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Bildungsromans.; Coming of age; Identity (Psychology); Turkish Americans; Women college students;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The big fix : 7 practical steps to save our planet / by Harvey, Hal,author.; Gillis, Justin,author.; Myers, Amanda,author.; Silberg, Mark,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."An engaging, accessible citizen's guide to the seven urgent changes that will really make a difference for our climate--and how we can hold our governments accountable for putting these plans into action. Dozens of kids in Montgomery County, Maryland, agitated until their school board committed to electric school buses. Mothers in Colorado turned up in front of an obscure state panel to fight for clean air. If you think the only thing you can do to combat climate change is to install a smart thermostat or cook plant-based burgers, you're thinking too small. That's where The Big Fix comes in, offering everyday citizens a guide to the seven essential changes our communities must enact to bring our greenhouse gas emissions down to zero--and sharing stories of people who are making those changes reality. Energy policy advisor Hal Harvey and longtime New York Times reporter Justin Gillis hone in on the seven areas where ambitious but eminently practical changes will have the greatest effect: electricity production, transportation, buildings, industry, urbanization, use of land, and investment in promising new green technologies. In a lively, jargon-free style, the pair illuminate how our political economy really works, revealing who decides everything from what kind of power plants to build to how efficient cars must be before they're allowed on the road to how much insulation a new house requires-and how we can insert ourselves into all these decisions to ensure that the most climate-conscious choices are being made. At once pragmatic and inspiring, The Big Fix is an indispensable action plan for citizens looking to drive our country's greenhouse gas emissions down to zero-and save our climate"--
Subjects: Climate change mitigation; Energy policy; Environmental policy; Sustainable development;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . . A LOVE Story [electronic resource] : by Reynolds, Jason.aut; cloudLibrary;
“Jason Reynolds has done it again!...Fresh from start to finish…This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and everyone) wait for your Neon!” —Judy Blume, New York Times bestselling author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Forever... #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first. Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine. Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that. Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away. Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite. And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!
Subjects: Electronic books.; Dating & Sex; Boys & Men; Emotions & Feelings;
© 2024., Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books,
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The fast : the history, science, philosophy, and promise of doing without / by Oakes, John G. H.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."An engaging exploration of the unique history and biology of fasting-an essential component of many traditional health practices, religions, and philosophies, resurging in popularity today-perfect for readers of Breath by James Nestor and Why We Sleepby Matthew Walker. We fast all the time, even when we're not conscious of doing so. A fast manifests the idea of holding back, resisting the animal impulse to charge ahead. Its flip side is similarly everywhere: call it splurging, self-indulgence, or a variant of "self-care." Based on extensive historical, scientific, and cultural research and reporting, The Fast illuminates the numerous facets of this act of self-deprivation. John Oakes interviews doctors, spiritual leaders, activists, and others who guide him through this practice-and embarks on fasts of his own-to deliver a book that supplies readers curious about fasting with profound new understanding, appreciation, and inspiration. Fasting has become increasingly popular for a variety of reasons-from health advocates who see fasting as a method to lose weight or to detox, to the faithful who fast in prayer, to seekers pursuing mindfulness, to activists using hunger strikes as an effective means of peaceful protest. Fasting is central to holy seasons and days such as Lent in Christianity, Ramadan in Islam, and Yom Kippur in Judaism. Advocates for justice who have waged hunger strikes include Gandhi in India, Bobby Sands in Ireland, and the Taxi Workers Alliance in New York City. Whether for philosophical, political, or health-related reasons, fasting marks a departure from daily routine. Fasting involves doing less but doing less in a radical way, reminding us that a slower, more intentional contemplative experience can be more fulfilling. Ultimately, this book shows us that fasting is about much more than food: it is about reconsidering our place in the world"--
Subjects: Fasting; Fasting; Fasting;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Prophet and the Idiot A Novel [electronic resource] : by Jonasson, Jonas.aut; Willson-Broyles, Rachel.; cloudLibrary;
Obsessed by what they are certain is the impending apocalypse, a mismatched trio sets off on a globe-trotting road trip in the latest feel-good adventure from the internationally bestselling author of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared In the fading days of summer 2011, self-taught astrophysicist Petra has calculated that the atmosphere will collapse in a few weeks’ time—on September 21, at approximately 9:20 p.m.—ending the world as we know it. But the distraught Petra will not have to carry the burden of this terrible news alone for long. Fate intervenes, bringing her into the orbit of a pair of unlikely companions: Johan, a man whose intellectual prowess is remarkably overshadowed by his culinary skills, and Agnes, a seventy-five-year-old widow who has made a fortune posing as a young influencer on social media. Convinced of their impending doom, Petra, Johan and Agnes embark on a wild adventure in a camper van that will take them from their homes in Sweden, through Europe, to their destination: Rome. Johan plans to make the most of the time he has left. He has decided at last to stand up to his heinous big brother, promising to deliver a swift yet brutal blow in more ways than one. But of course, nothing ever goes as planned. Not even the end of the world. In this, his sixth novel, Jonas Jonasson takes us on a dazzling odyssey across the globe—from Sweden, through Europe, across Africa and all the way to the U.S. The Prophet and the Idiot is an immensely funny, socially conscious and life-affirming yarn about what happens when three odd yet fully reasonable characters come together and find cause to make mutual plans, all relayed in Jonasson’s classically hilarious style. Translated from the Swedish by Rachel Wilson-Broyles
Subjects: Electronic books.; Action & Adventure; Humorous;
© 2024., HarperCollins Canada,
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Lookout : love, solitude and searching for wildfire in the boreal forest / by Moyles, Trina,author.;
"A powerful and intimate memoir about a young woman's grueling, revelatory summers working alone in a remote lookout tower and her riveting eyewitness account of the increasingly unpredictable nature of wildfire in the Canadian north. While growing up in Peace River, Alberta, Trina Moyles heard many stories of fire tower lookouts--strange, eccentric types who spent whole summers alone in 100-foot high towers, watching for signs of fire in the surrounding Boreal forest. How could you isolate yourself for that long? she wondered. Craving adventure and connection, she pursued humanitarian work abroad, and ultimately found herself in Uganda, immersed in a vibrant community with a deep sense of belonging--and in love with Akello, a warm, handsome Lugbara man. After three years in Uganda, Trina returned to Peace River with a plan to make money to sponsor Akello's immigration. She applied for the well-paid tower position and was offered the job. But, back in a place where she'd never truly felt she belonged, she began to sink under the weight of their shared dreams and economic goals. Thus begins her first summer as one of a handful of scattered lookouts in the Boreal, with only a farm dog, Holly--labeled part-wolf by her former owners--to keep her company. Throughout two grueling summers and the winter in between, Trina grapples with her long-distance relationship, the death of her treasured grandfather, and a dawning awareness of the environmental crisis in the Boreal forest. In her days alone, she teeters on the edge of sanity while discovering a new kind of self-awareness and self-reliance that only solitude can deliver. As she searches for smoke, there is a bright beam of hope, a deep consciousness of the nature and wildlife around her, and a burgeoning sense of community among those dedicated to wildfire detection and combat. Lookout is a personal, riveting story of loss, transformation and belonging to oneself, layered with an eyewitness account of the increasingly precarious state of our northern forests."-- Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Biographies.; Moyles, Trina.; Fire lookout stations; Fire lookouts; Wildfires;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Njuta : enjoy, delight in : the Swedish art of savoring the moment / by Brantmark, Niki,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Derived from the old Swedish word "niuta", the concept of "njuta" is a deeply held philosophy closely tied to Swedish cultural and social ideology. Njuta is believed to have originated with Viking culture, and to have evolved from the old Norse word "njota" which means to enjoy, to keep, to use. Deeply ingrained in the Swedish psyche, njuta is about simplicity and intentionalism in every aspect of life-from work and leisure to family and food and everything in between. The Swedish are masters at gleaning delight from the simple things in life. It is the small things in which greatness lies and it does not take grand gestures or vast amounts of money to believe that life is not only okay but truly wonderful. What the Swedish understand is that simple pleasures are all around us, every minute, every hour of the day. You just have to stop, tap into your senses, and take time to consciously appreciate them. You need to "njuta"! In this inviting, inspirational, illustrated guide, Niki Brantmark explains njuta and how to incorporate it into your own lifestyle. In the home, take time to savor that first sip of coffee in the morning. Relish a quiet moment while everyone is out - just you, in a cozy corner by the window in silence. In nature, enjoy the landscape, the silence, the dappled sunlight over the snowy tracks, your breath forming clouds in the frigid air. Njuta might be as simple as deciding to stop mid-step and angle your face up to the sun to soak up its wonderful warmth, or feel the wind in your hair as you cycle to work. This guide will also help you discover njuta in moments spent with your friends and family, and moments spent with yourself. With this beautifully designed, idea-filled guide, you can learn to relax and consciously enjoy a moment in time no matter how small"--
Subjects: Happiness.; Home economics; Life skills; Self-realization.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Growing plants and flowers : all the know-how you need to plant and tend outdoor areas using eco-friendly methods / by McManus, Sean,author.; McManus, Allison,author,photographer.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.There are no stupid questions here. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all. In The First-Time Gardener's Guide to Growing Plants and Flowers, Sean and Allison McManus, the gardening pros behind the popular website and podcast Spoken Garden, answer all of your questions and more. Caring for outdoor plantings can be intimidating, especially if the process is completely new to you. Before running to the hardware store to stock up on plastic bags of mulch and tools you don't really need, arm yourself with the know-how to plant and tend outdoor areas correctly and safely. Doing so saves you time, money, and energy--and helps make the process a whole lot more fun. With help from this easy-to-follow beginner gardening guide, you'll learn: Tips for selecting the best plants and flowers for your growing conditions; The best planting techniques for different types of plants; How to mulch trees, shrubs, and garden beds correctly; Pruning dos and don'ts for common garden plants; Ways to keep weeds out of outdoor areas--without using synthetic herbicides; How to recognize and manage different pests and diseases naturally; Insider tips on everything from the difference between annuals and perennials to choosing the best organic fertilizer. Plus, you'll find time-management advice and tips for effective, resource-conscious gardening. You will close the book not only knowing how to care for your home's outdoor plantings using earth-friendly methods, but also knowing the satisfaction of a beautiful, all-natural landscape. This book is part of The First-Time Gardener's Guides series from Cool Springs Press, which also includes The First-Time Gardener's Guide to Growing Vegetables. Each book in The First-Time Gardener's Guides series is aimed at beginner gardeners and offers clear, fact-based information that's presented in a friendly and accessible way, including step-by-step instructions and full-color illustrations throughout.
Subjects: Flower gardening.; Gardening; Gardens; Organic gardening.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Determined : a science of life without free will / by Sapolsky, Robert M.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."One of our great behavioral scientists, the bestselling author of Behave, plumbs the depths of the science and philosophy of decision-making to mount a devastating case against free will, an argument with profound consequences. Robert Sapolsky's Behave, his now classic account of why humans do good and why they do bad, pointed toward an unsettling conclusion: We may not grasp the precise marriage of nature and nurture that creates the physics and chemistry at the base of human behavior, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Now, in Determined, Sapolsky takes his argument all the way, mounting a brilliant (and in his inimitable way, delightful) full-frontal assault on the pleasant fantasy that there is some separate self telling our biology what to do. Determined offers a marvelous synthesis of what we know about how consciousness works-the tight weave between reason and emotion and between stimulus and response in the moment and over a life. One by one, Sapolsky tackles all the major arguments for free will and takes them out, cutting a path through the thickets of chaos and complexity science and quantum physics, as well as touching ground on some of the wilder shores of philosophy. He shows us that the history of medicine is in no small part the history of learning that fewer and fewer things are somebody's "fault"; for example, for centuries we thought seizures were a sign of demonic possession. Yet, as he acknowledges, it's very hard, and at times impossible, to uncouple from our zeal to judge others and to judge ourselves. Sapolsky applies the new understanding of life beyond free will to some of our most essential questions around punishment, morality, and living well together. By the end, Sapolsky argues that while living our daily lives recognizing that we have no free will is going to be monumentally difficult, doing so is not going to result in anarchy, pointlessness, and existential malaise. Instead, it will make for a much more humane world"--
Subjects: Free will and determinism.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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But everyone feels this way : how an autism diagnosis saved my life / by Layle, Paige,author.;
Includes bibliographical references.""For far too long, I was told I was just like everyone else. All my struggles and feelings were supposedly universal, and the real difference was that I was just a weak, manipulative, selfish, emotional baby. I had to toughen up. But as much as everyone tried to convince me, I knew it couldn't be true. Living just seemed so much harder for me than everyone else. Whilst the people around me seemed to have no problem being calm and happy, I had panic attacks multiple times a day, where my hyperventilating made my legs numb and sometimes I lost consciousness. I cried almost every day from stress, frustration, exhaustion, or all three at once. This wasn't okay. This wasn't normal. This wasn't functioning. And it certainly wasn't fine." Paige Layle was normal. She lived in the countryside with her mom, dad, and brother Graham. She went to school, hung out with friends, and all the while everything seemed so much harder than it needed to be. A break in routine threw off the whole day. If her teacher couldn't answer "why" in class, she dissolved into tears, unable to articulate her own confusion or explain her lack of control. But Paige was normal. She smiled in photos, picked her feet up when her mom needed to vacuum instead of fleeing the room, and received high grades. She was popular and well-liked. And until she had a full mental breakdown, no one believed her when she claimed that she was not okay. In "But Everyone Feels This Way," Paige Layle shares her story as an autistic woman diagnosed late. Women are frequently diagnosed with autism much later than men - in their late teens or early twenties. Armed with the phrase "Autism Spectrum Disorder" (ASD), Paige set out to learn how to live her authentic, autistic life. She challenges stigmas, taboos, and stereotypes so that everyone can see themselves. Along the way, her online activism has spread awareness, acceptance, and self-recognition in millions of others"--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Layle, Paige.; Autistic people; Autistic women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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