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The wisdom of plagues : lessons from 25 years of covering pandemics / by McNeil, Donald G.,Jr.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."For a certain class of American's, Donald McNeil was a comforting voice when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. He was the regular reporter on the New York Times's popular Daily podcast, and he was telling folks to prepare for the worst. A generation of NYT readers went out and stocked up on food and PPE stuff because of his clear advice. He'd covered public health for the Times for 25 years and understood what he was seeing out of China. THE WISDOM OF PLAGUES is his account of what he learned over a quarter-century of reporting on public health in over 60 countries: part-memoir, part history, and part activism. Many science reporters understand the basics of diseases--how a virus works, for example, or what goes into making a vaccine. But very few understand the psychology of how small outbreaks turn into pandemics: How everyone from hunters to farmers to guano-diggers gets exposed to animal diseases. How diseases spread through networks of similar people and by "mass-gathering" events. How surveillance fails. How countries respond slowly or even cover up outbreaks. Why people refuse to believe they're at risk, or why they reject protective measures like quarantine or vaccines. How wild rumors spring up and scare people away from common sense responses. How greedy makers of false remedies spread confusion. Why public health agencies fumble and let things spiral out of control. The Covid pandemic was the story McNeil had trained his whole life to cover. His experience and deep bench of sources let him make many accurate predictions in 2020 about the course that a deadly new respiratory virus in Wuhan, China, would take and how different countries would respond. By the time McNeil wrote his last Times stories about the Covid-19 pandemic he had not lost his compassion, but he had grown far more stone-hearted about how he thought governments should react. He had witnessed so many failures and read enough history to realize that while every epidemic is different, failure was the one constant. Again and again, containable outbreaks ballooned into catastrophes because weak leaders were mired in denial. Citizens refused to make even minor sacrifices for the common good and were encouraged in that by money-hungry entrepreneurs and power-hungry populists. Science was ignored, obvious truths were denied, and the innocent too often died. THE WISDOM OF PLAGUES is ultimately about what we can do to improve global health and be better prepared for the next pandemic, which is coming"--
Subjects: COVID-19 (Disease); Epidemiology.; Pandemics.; Public health surveillance.; Public health;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Once more, with feeling / by McCreesh, Sophie,author.;
"Once More, With Feeling follows Jane, an artist navigating her closest relationships while fixating on her own perceived failures and self-imposed isolation. When Jane receives a student grant to attend a workshop in London, England, she sees the opportunity to leave her tedious life behind and start anew, bringing along her new friend Kitty, who Jane will not admit she has little in common with other than a shared appreciation for boxed wine and various other drugs. In London, Jane struggles to improve both her craft and her mindset while Kitty thrives, and a once exciting trip abroad transforms the already uneven dynamic of their friendship, leaving Jane feeling more withdrawn than ever. As her increasingly destructive behaviour gets in the way of her artistic ambitions, her most important relationships--those with Kitty, her absent lover Richard and a discredited therapist named Anna--begin to deteriorate as Jane starts to examine her growing dependence on substances."--
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Anxiety; Artists; Canadians; Drug addiction; Female friendship; Self-destructive behavior; Self-esteem; Social isolation; Substance abuse;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The autumn of the ace / by De Bernières, Louis,author.; Frith, Nicholas John,illustrator.;
Daniel Pitt has seen a lot of action. He was an RAF fighter in the First World War and an espionage agent for the SOE in the Second. Now the conflicts he faces are closer to home. Daniel and Rosie's marriage has fractured beyond repair and Daniel's relationship with their son, Bertie, has been a failure since Bertie was a small boy. But after his brother Archie's death, Daniel is keen for new perspectives. He first travels to Peshawar to bury Archie in the place he loved best, and then finds himself in Canada, avoiding his family and friends back in England. But some bonds are hard to break. Daniel and Bertie's different experiences of war, although devastating, also bring with them the opportunity for the two to reconnect. If only they can find a way to move on from the past. Louis de Bernieres' new novel is a moving account of an extraordinary life in extraordinary times. Daniel is a flawed but captivating hero, and this coming-of-old-age story illuminates both the effect of two World Wars on a generation and the irrepressible spirit and love that can connect families despite great obstacles.
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Historical fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Families; Marital conflict; Fathers and sons; Veterans; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1939-1945;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The silence [sound recording] : a novel / by DeLillo, Don,author.; Anderson, Laurie,1947-narrator.; Bobb, Jeremy,narrator.; Ireland, Marin,narrator.; Miles, Robin,narrator.; Sanders, Jay O.,1953-narrator.; Stuhlbarg, Michael,narrator.; Simon & Schuster Audio (Firm),publisher.;
Read by Laurie Anderson, Jeremy Bobb, Marin Ireland, Robin Miles, Jay O. Sanders, Michael Stuhlbarg."Five people gathered together in a Manhattan apartment in 2022 react to a mysterious, catastrophic event that severs all of modern life's digital connections in this new novel from the National Book Award-winning author of White Noise"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Psychological fiction.; Digital communications; Disasters; Electric power failures;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Joy hunter : messy faceplants, radical love, and the journey that changed everything / by Jones, Alexis,1983-author.;
"With a successful speaking career putting her on the road 250 days a year, a slew of prestigious awards for her activism, the hugely successful book I Am That Girl, and a happy marriage, Alexis Jones was living a seemingly charmed life. But the principles of self-care, setting boundaries, and eschewing perfectionism that she espoused in her talks didn't seem to translate into her own life; she still never seemed to feel "enough" inside. Then, in a matter of months, things started to fall apart on the outside, too: She discovered that the man she'd always called dad was not her biological father, she had a devastating miscarriage, and the pandemic sidelined her travel schedule--and paycheck. A self-described "productivity junkie," she was forced to slow down for the first time in her life. Hoping that time away would be a good distraction from all the chaos and heartbreak, Alexis rented an RV and set out for the open road to explore the rugged American west with her husband and their best friend. For her, the trip was both healing and disruptive. In the presence of nature's majesty, she re-learned the art of sitting still and surrendering to the unknowable; along treacherous hiking trails she wrestled with her self-doubt and fear of failure; and through profound conversations with friends old and new, she reconnected to the power of sisterhood and began to rebelliously reconsider her priorities and ambitions--for herself and whatever shape her family might take going forward. A soulful memoir of seeking and finding, Joy Hunter traces Alexis's quest to reclaim her voice and find wholeness within. Along the way she discovers that there is always purpose to our pain and that happiness is not something that can simply be checked off a list. Joy, it turns out, is not a destination; it's a way of life."--
Subjects: Autobiographies.; Personal narratives.; Jones, Alexis, 1983-; Jones, Alexis, 1983-; Self-actualization (Psychology) in women.; Self-realization in women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Love letters to a serial killer / by Coryell, Tasha,author.;
"Recently ghosted and sick of watching her friends fade into the suburbs with their husbands and children, thirty-something Hannah finds new community in an internet true crime forum that's on a mission to solve the murders of four women who were dumped in a ravine outside Atlanta. When a handsome lawyer named William is arrested for the killings, with evidence of his guilt piling up as quickly as the bodies, Hannah begins writing him letters as another outlet for both her frustration at her failure to launch and her feminist rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first - until William writes back. Their correspondence tips Hannah's interest in the case from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. When she loses her job, she heads to Georgia to attend the trial, finding herself quickly embedded in a colorful group of fellow true crime junkies and trial chasers. But, a fifth woman is soon found in the same ravine while William is on trial, and the jury has no choice but to find him 'not guilty.' Hannah is the first person he calls upon his release, and they quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss. Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder ... "--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Acquittals; Man-woman relationships; Serial murder investigation; Serial murderers; Trials (Murder); Women; Young women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Cheat day : a novel / by Stratman, Liv,author.;
"A smart and funny debut novel about the unexpected consequences of one woman's attempt to exert control over her entire life by adhering to a strict wellness regimen. Kit and David were college sweethearts. Now married and twelve years older, they live in Kit's childhood home in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. While David has a successful career, jetting off on work trips to exotic destinations, Kit is stuck in a loop. She keeps quitting her job managing her sister's bakery to seek a more ambitious profession, but fear of failure always brings her right back to Sweet Cheeks. Kit finds a fraught solace in cycling through fad diets, which David, in his efforts to be supportive, follows along with her. Their latest program is the Radiant Regimen, an intense seventy-five-day cleanse, and Kit is optimistic about embarking on a new chapter of clean eating and self-control. But hungry in more ways than one, she soon falls into a flirtation with a carpenter named Matt who is building new shelves for the bakery kitchen. Unable to resist their mutual attraction, Kit and Matt fall into a passionate affair. Kit suppresses the guilt of her betrayal by adhering more and more strictly to the Radiant Regimen, pushing the diet, and her infidelity, to greater extremes. Told in precise, intimate detail, Cheat Day is a sharply comic novel that explores family, loyalty, monogamy versus monotony, deprivation versus indulgence, and the limitations of modern wellness"--
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Adultery; Married people;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Advanced parenting : advice for helping kids through diagnoses, differences, and mental health challenges / by Fradin, Kelly,MD,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Any parent or teacher who has ever walked out of a concerning appointment with their child's doctor or teacher has experienced a heady mix of emotions--fear, love, confusion, concern, sadness, and perhaps even anger. While every parent hopes for a healthy child, the reality is that children face many common challenges, including medical issues like ADHD, asthma, food allergies, autism, school failure, depression, and developmental delays, throughout their formative years. As the role of a parent becomes one of a caregiver, it can be overwhelming for parents and children alike, particularly if money, time, access, or any combination of those are in short supply. As a balm, Dr. Kelly Fradin offers Advanced Parenting, based on her experience as a complex-care pediatrician. In this crucial guide, parents will find empathy and support as well as evidence-based practical guidance. Of greatest import is the need for tools with which to manage the emotional stress that comes from having a child who deviates from the norm, as well as coping with uncertainty and navigating the business of care. Readers will discover ways to optimize the outcomes for their family and make their day-to-day life easier. Advanced Parenting will help families from the beginning of their journey, beginning with recognizing when a child needs help, accepting the implications of a challenge, obtaining a correct diagnosis, learning about the issue, building a treatment team and coming up with a comprehensive plan. Dr. Fradin explores how a child struggling can affect the entire family dynamic including the parent's relationships and the siblings overall well-being, and with her experience as a complex care pediatrician, she will help parents avoid common mistakes. Parents will feel seen, supported, and better prepared to be both a parent and a caregiver"--
Subjects: Parenting.; Parents of problem children.; Problem children;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The life of the mind : a novel / by Smallwood, Christine,1981-author.;
"As an adjunct professor of English with a draining and tedious courseload, Dorothy feels "like a janitor in the temple who continued to sweep because she had no idea what else to do but who had lost her belief in the essential sanctity of the enterprise." No one but her partner knows that she's just had a miscarriage, not even her therapists--Dorothy being the kind of person who begins seeing a second because she's too conflict-averse to break things off with the first. It's not so much that Dorothy is ashamed of the miscarriage itself as she is of the sense of purpose the prospect of motherhood had provided, of how much she'd wanted it. The freedom not to be a mother is one of the victories of feminism. So why does she feel like a failure? (That's another thing she's ashamed of.) The Life of the Mind is a novel about endings: of youth, of aspirations, of possibility, of the illusion that our minds can ever free us from the tyranny of our bodies. And yet our minds are all we have to make sense of a world largely out of our control--which is to say our world; a world where things happen, but there is no plot. And so Dorothy must make do with what she has, as the weeks pass and the bleeding subsides. Often witty and consistently alive to how stories end and begin again, The Life of the Mind is a moving, darkly funny, and starkly original examination of how life, as they say, goes on"--
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Miscarriage; Women; Women college teachers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Stolen focus : why you can't pay attention - and how to think deeply again / by Hari, Johann,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening-and how to get our attention back. Like so many of us, Johann Hari was finding it much harder to focus than he used to. He found that a life of constantly switching from device to device, from tab to tab, is diminishing and depressing. He tried all sorts of self-help solutions-even abandoning his phone for three months-but in the long-term, nothing seemed to work. So Hari went on an epic journey across the world to interview the leading experts on human attention and to study their scientific findings-and learned that everything we think we know about this crisis is wrong. In the U.S., teenagers now focus on a task for only sixty-five seconds on average, and office workers manage only three minutes. We think this inability to focus is a personal flaw, an individual failure to exert enough willpower over our devices. The truth is even more disturbing: Our focus has been stolen by powerful external forces, and the science shows that these forces have been ramping up for decades-leaving us uniquely vulnerable, when social media arrived, to corporations determined to raid our attention for profit. These forces have been so successful that our collapse in attention is behind many of the wider problems society faces. In Stolen Focus, Hari embarks on a thrilling journey, taking readers from veterinarians who diagnose dogs with ADHD, to Silicon Valley dissidents who exposed social media companies' furtive attempts to hack our focus; from a favela in Rio where everyone lost their attention in a particularly catastrophic way, to an office in New Zealand that discovered a remarkable technique to restore their workers' attention. In this urgent, deeply researched book, Hari shows that if we understand the twelve true causes of this crisis-from the collapse of sustained reading to the disruption of boredom to rising pollution-we, as individuals and as a society, can finally begin to solve it by staging an "attention rebellion." Finally, we have a way to get our focus back"--
Subjects: Attention.; Distraction (Psychology);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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