Search:

The Silk Roads : a new history of the world / by Frankopan, Peter.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Our world was made on and by the Silk Roads. For millennia it was here that East and West encountered each other through trade and conquest, leading to the spread of ideas and cultures, the birth of the world's great religions, the appetites for foreign goods that drove economies and the growth of nations. From the first cities in Mesopotamia to the growth of Greece and Rome to the depredations by the Mongols and the Black Death to the Great Game and the fall of Communism, the fate of the West has always been inextricably linked to the East. The Silk Roads vividly captures the importance of the networks that crisscrossed the spine of Asia and linked the Atlantic with the Pacific, the Mediterranean with India, America with the Persian Gulf. By way of events as disparate as the American Revolution and the horrific world wars of the twentieth century, Peter Frankopan realigns the world, orientating us eastwards, and illuminating how even the rise of the West 500 years ago resulted from its efforts to gain access to and control these Eurasian trading networks. In an increasingly globalized planet, where current events in Asia and the Middle East dominate the world's attention, this magnificent work of history is very much a work of our times"--Provided by publisher.LSC
Subjects: World history.; Trade routes; East and West; Imperialism; Culture conflict; Acculturation;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Question authority : a polemic about trust in five meditations / by Kingwell, Mark,1963-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Philosopher Mark Kingwell thinks about thinking for yourself in an era of radical know-it-all-ism. "Question authority," the popular 1960s slogan commanded. "Think for yourself." But what started as a counter-cultural catchphrase, playful in logic but serious in intent, has become a practical paradox. Yesterday's social critics are the tone-policing tyrants of today, and critical theory that once augured emancipation has hardened into ideological enforcement. The resulting crisis of authority, made worse by rival political factions and chaotic public discourse, has exposed cracks in every facet of shared social life. Politics, academia, journalism, medicine, religion, science -- every kind of institutional claim is now routinely subject to objection, investigation, and outright disbelief. A recurring feature of this comprehensive distrust of authority is the firm, indeed unshakeable, belief in personal righteousness and superiority: what Mark Kingwell calls "addiction to conviction." In this critical survey of the predicament of contemporary authority, Kingwell draws on philosophical argument, personal reflection, and details from the headlines in an attempt to reclaim the democratic spirit of questioning authority and thinking for oneself. Defending a program of compassionate skepticism, Kingwell illuminates the connection between humility about human limits, including the limits of certainty, and the infinite project of justice."--
Subjects: Authority; Authority; Critical thinking.; Skepticism.; Trust;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Uncomfortable conversations with a Jew / by Acho, Emmanuel,author.; Tishby, Noa,1977-author.;
Includes bibliographical references."For Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby no question about Jews is off-limits. They go there. They cover Jews and money. Jews and power. Jews and privilege. Jews and white privilege. The Black and Jewish struggle. Emmanuel asks, "Did Jews kill Jesus?" To which Noa responds, "Why are Jewish people history's favorite scapegoat?" They look at Judaism itself: Is it a religion, culture, a peoplehood, or a race? They discuss whether Jews are white. They poke at whether you're antisemitic, if you're anti-Zionist? The questions -- and answers -- might make you squirm, but together, they explain the tropes and catalysts of antisemitism in America today. This book is a lexicon for a fraught cultural moment. The topics are complicated and Acho and Tishby bring vastly different perspectives. Tishby is an outspoken Israeli American. Acho is a mild-mannered son of a Nigerian American pastor. But they share a superpower: an uncanny ability to make complicated ideas easy to understand so anyone can follow the straight line from the past to our immediate moment -- and then see around corners. Acho and Tishby are united by the core beliefs that the only way out is through and that hatred toward one group is never isolated: if you see the smoke of bigotry in one place, expect that we will all be in the fire"--Dust jacket flap.
Subjects: Jews.; Jews; Jews; Judaism.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Private rites : a novel / by Armfield, Julia,author.;
"From the award-winning author of Our Wives Under the Sea, a speculative reimagining of King Lear, centering three sisters navigating queer love and loss in a drowning world. It's been raining for a long time now, so long that the land has reshaped itself and arcane rituals and religions are creeping back into practice. Sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes have not spoken in some time when their father dies. An architect as cruel as he was revered, his death offers an opportunity for the sisters to come together in a new way. In the grand glass house they grew up in, their father's most famous creation, the sisters sort through the secrets and memories he left behind, until their fragile bond is shattered by a revelation in his will. More estranged than ever, the sisters' lives spin out of control: Irene's relationship is straining at the seams; Isla's ex-wife keeps calling; and cynical Agnes is falling in love for the first time. But something even more sinister might be unfolding, something related to their mother's long-ago disappearance and the strangers who have always seemed unusually interested in the sisters' lives. Soon, it becomes clear that the sisters have been chosen for a very particular purpose, one with shattering implications for their family and their imperiled world"--
Subjects: Lesbian fiction.; Queer fiction.; Domestic fiction.; Novels.; Family secrets; Lesbians; Sisters; Sisters;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Exposure / by Emerson, Ramona,1973-author.;
"A dual-voice cat-and-mouse thriller, told from the points of view of a killer who has created his own deadly religion and the only person who can stop him, an embattled young detective who sees the ghosts of his Native victims. In Gallup, New Mexico, where violent crime is five times the national average, a serial killer is operating unchecked, his targets indigent Native people whose murders are easily disguised as death by exposure on the frigid winter streets. He slips unnoticed through town, hidden in plain sight by his unassuming nature, while the voices in his head guide him toward a terrifying vision of glory. As the Gallup detectives struggle to put the pieces together, they consider calling in a controversial specialist to help. Rita Todacheene, Albuquerque PD forensic photographer, is at a crisis point in her career. Her colleagues are watching her with suspicion after the recent revelation that she can see the ghosts of murder victims. Her unmanageable caseload is further complicated by the fact that half the department has blacklisted her for ratting out a corrupt fellow cop. And back home in Tohatchi on the Navajo reservation, Rita's grandma is getting older. Maybe it's time for her to leave policework behind entirely-if only the ghosts will let her"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Ghost stories.; Novels.; Ghosts; Indigenous women; Legal photography; Murder; Navajo women; Police; Serial murderers; Women photographers;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Build your family tree : a guide for Canadians with local and global roots / by Butler, Lynne(Writer on Canadian law),author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Take your geneaology research to the next level by completing your ancestral story with historical will and probate records. Often, when you research your family tree, you can find only basic facts about ancestors, such as birth, marriage, and death dates. Sometimes, you can figure out a bit more from these records such as their religion, occupation, and names of some other family members. While all of these facts are crucial to your research, they do not paint much of a picture of your family members as people. Wills are underused in genealogy research. This may be because many family genealogists use primarily online sources for research and most wills are not found online; it could also be because the documents are usually in old, unfamiliar, handwritten script and are not easy to read. With a little work, you could uncover some surprises or a treasure trove of information. For those who want to dig deeper and really get to know their ancestors, Build Your Family Tree explains how a will or probate record can offer a much more robust image of lives lived and legacies left. Once you know what is in a physical archive and how to view those records, you are able to take your information about your ancestors to a new level. The story of your family could be different than you imagined. Are you ready to find out how?"--
Subjects: Genealogy.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The queer evangelist : a socialist clergy's radically honest tale / by DiNovo, Cheri,1950-author.;
"In The Queer Evangelist, Rev. Dr. Cheri DiNovo (CM) tells her story, from her roots as a young socialist activist in the 1960s to ordained minister in the ‘90s to member of provincial parliament. As the New Democratic member representing Parkdale-High Park in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2006 to 2017, DiNovo passed more LGBTQ bills than anyone in Canadian history. She describes the behind-the-scenes details of major changes to the law, including Toby's Law, the first Transgender Rights legislation in North America in a major jurisdiction. She also passed bills banning conversion therapy, proclaiming parent equality for LGBTQ parents, and for enshrining in Ontario law the Trans Day of Remembrance. On this day in the legislature, the provincial government is mandated to observe a minute of silence while Trans murders and suicides are detailed. Interspersed with her political work DiNovo describes her conversion to religious life, her theological work, and her ongoing struggle with the Christian Right. Cheri DiNovo's story shows how queers can be both people of faith and critics of religion, illustrating how one can resist and change the repressive systems from within. Her book is the story of queer justice realized and a story of hope for queer (and other) kids everywhere. Includes a foreword by Kathleen Wynne, former premier of Ontario."--
Subjects: Biographies.; Autobiographies.; DiNovo, Cheri, 1950-; Legislators; Political activists; Clergy; Sexual minorities; Sexual minorities;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

Better with books : 500 diverse books to ignite empathy and encourage self-acceptance in tweens and teens / by Hart, Melissa,1970-author.; Draper, Sharon M.(Sharon Mills),writer of foreword.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Needed now more than ever: a guide that includes 500 diverse contemporary fiction and memoir recommendations for preteens and teens with the goal of inspiring greater empathy for themselves, their peers, and the world around them. As young people are diagnosed with anxiety and depression in increasing numbers, or dealing with other issues that can isolate them from family and friends-such as bullying, learning disabilities, racism, or homophobia-characters in books can help them feel less alone. And just as important, reading books that feature a diverse range of real-life topics helps generate openness, empathy, and compassion in all kids. Better with Books is a valuable resource for parents, teachers, librarians, therapists, and all caregivers who recognize the power of literature to improve young readers' lives. Each chapter explores a particular issue affecting preteens and teens today and includes a list of recommended related books-all published within the last decade. Recommendations are grouped by age: those appropriate for middle-grade readers and those for teens. Reading lists are organized around: Adoption and foster care; Body image; Immigration; Learning challenges; LGBTQIA+ youth; Mental health; Nature and environmentalism; Physical disability; Poverty and homelessness; Race and ethnicity; Religion and spirituality"--
Subjects: Teenagers; Children; Empathy in children.; Self-acceptance in adolescence.; Parent and child.; Books and reading.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

The signature of all things / by Gilbert, Elizabeth,1969-;
"Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker--a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry's brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father's money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma's research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction--into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist--but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life. he story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad. But most memorable of all, it is the story of Alma Whittaker, who--born in the Age of Enlightenment, but living well into the Industrial Revolution--bears witness to that extraordinary moment in human history when all the old assumptions about science, religion, commerce, and class were exploding into dangerous new ideas"--Provided by publisher.
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Enlightenment; Industrial revolution; Painters; Women botanists;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI

My head for a tree : the extraordinary story of the Bishnoi, guardians of nature / by Goodman, Martin,1956-author.; Budhnagar, Ram Niwas Bishnoi,writer of preface.; Vogel, Franck,illustrator.; Wohlleben, Peter,1964-writer of foreword.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Meet the Bishnoi, followers of the only religion with nature conservation at its heart. Today, Bishnois remain fierce defenders of trees and animals, living by principles set by their guru Jambhoji in the fifteenth century. They chase down armed poachers, rescue and care for injured animals, save endangered species, and lead heroic reforestation efforts in the Rajasthani desert. In a time of biodiversity loss and climate change, what lessons do they have to teach us? The story of the Bishnoi is true, though it reads like a fable. In 1730, the Maharajah of Jodhpur sent his troops to chop down a forest in northwest India. When 363 local villagers, led by Amrita Devi, hugged the trees to protect them, the Maharajah's men chopped off their heads. Who are these people who love trees so much that they would give their lives to save them? Martin Goodman was invited deep into the world of the Bishnoi, who asked him to share their message. My Head for a Tree takes us from temples, homes, and schoolrooms to animal sanctuaries, farms, and desert forests, revealing a thriving community of eco-warriors. Their stories inspire and challenge readers to live more kindly and defend nature with a passion. While you can only be born a Bishnoi, Goodman writes, we can all follow their example."--
Subjects: Bishnois; Environmental protection; Human ecology;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
unAPI