Results 41 to 43 of 43 | « previous
- The paper birds : a novel / by Lynes, Jeanette,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."Set in the sweltering summer of 1943 in Toronto, The Paper Birds, is a novel about Gemma Sullivan, who works in a top-secret government codebreaking unit in Mimico, Ontario, during World War II. Gemma is an orphan, who was raised by her elderly aunt Wren after the death of her parents. Her aunt harbors of a deep love of crosswords and Tarot cards and an equally passionate hatred for war since the death of her own fiancée in WWI. While they are barely making ends meet, the last thing Wren would want for her niece is a job that involves anything to do with the war. It's a good thing then that Gemma's new job is top secret. Gemma is hired to work at The Cottage, where she and her female colleagues labour under a lifelong oath of secrecy, breaking codes and administering top secret information during the war. On the shores of Lake Ontario, close to Gemma's workplace, there is also a POW camp where Gemma encounters a prisoner named Tobias. She talks to Tobias through the fence even though she's at risk of losing her job, or worse, if she's caught fraternizing with the enemy. After several weeks of risky conversations, Tobias disappears from the camp. As Gemma is pulled deeper into her cryptology work, she becomes an integral part of the codebreakers' circle. While she loves her work, Gem didn't anticipate the tremendous psychological strain it would take. The job threatens to drive a wedge between Gem and her beloved aunt, as she struggles with the burden of secrecy. When Gemma unexpectedly runs into Tobias outside of the prison, Gemma's world is turned upside down and they are both forced to confront the secrets they've been keeping from each other. The Paper Birds is a love story that reveals the struggles and sacrifices of every day working women during the war and highlights the previously unknown codebreaking work undertaken by women in Canada during WWII."--- Subjects: Historical fiction.; Novels.; Cryptographers; Cryptography; Interpersonal relations; Man-woman relationships; Secrecy; World War, 1939-1945; Young women;
- Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
-
unAPI
- The lonely century : how to restore human connection in a world that's pulling apart / by Hertz, Noreena,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."An economist takes on the most urgent social issue of our time, exploring the evolution of the global loneliness crisis, the sweeping impact of social isolation during the coronavirus, and the opportunities a post-Covid world presents to reverse these trends-by finding new ways to reconnect with each other, our communities, and even our democracy. Even before the global pandemic brought terms like "social distancing" into the vernacular, loneliness was well on its way to becoming the defining trait of the twenty-first century. Today, nearly half of adults in the United States report feeling lonely, and more than twenty percent of millennials say they have "no friends at all." All around us, the fabric of community is unraveling. And technology isn't the lone culprit. Rather, the crisis stems from the dismantling of civic institutions, the radical reorganization of the workplace, mass urban migration, and decades of neoliberal policies that placed self-interest above the collective good. On one hand, the prolonged period spent under lockdown has accelerated these trends: from remote work to contactless commerce to the hollowing out of shared public spaces. On the other, it has sharpened our awareness of the toll isolation takes on our families, our communities, and our mental health. This is not merely a mental health crisis. Loneliness increases our risk of heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Statistically, it's as bad for our health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. It's also an economic crisis, costing us billions annually. And it's a political crisis, as feelings of marginalization fuel divisiveness and extremism around the world. In The Lonely Century, readers accompany Hertz as she "rents a friend" in Manhattan, attends a "how to read a face" class at an Ivy League university, and meets Japanese nursing home residents who knit bonnets for their robot caregivers. Along the way, she urges us to ask ourselves what kind of world we want to create, post-pandemic: one where we retreat further into our self-isolating bubbles and remain ever-fearful of others, or one where we are more committed to reconnecting with one another, and with the democratic process itself. From compassionate AI to new models for urban living to the ingenuity unleashed in finding new ways to stay connected in the era of social distancing, The Lonely Century offers a hopeful vision for how to heal our fractured communities and restore connection in our lives. In the wake of Covid-19, this is not only more urgent, but more possible than ever"--- Subjects: Interpersonal relations.; Loneliness; Social media; Loneliness;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
-
unAPI
- Diet, drugs, and dopamine : the new science of achieving a healthy weight / by Kessler, David A.,1951-author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From the New York Times bestselling author of The End of Overeating comes an illuminating understanding of body weight, including the role of the latest weight loss drugs, and the possibility of changing our health forever. The struggle is universal: we work hard to lose weight, only to find that it slowly creeps back. In America, body weight has become a pain point shrouded in self-recrimination and shame, not to mention bias from the medical community. For many, this battle not only takes a mental toll but also becomes a physical threat: three-quarters of American adults struggle with weight-related health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. We know that diets don't work, and yet we also know that excess weight starves us of years and quality of life. Where do we go from here? In Diet, Drugs, and Dopamine, former FDA Commissioner Dr. David A. Kessler unpacks the mystery of weight in the most comprehensive work to date on this topic, giving readers the power to dramatically improve their health. Kessler, who has himself struggled with weight, suggests the new class of GLP-1 weight loss drugs have provided a breakthrough: they have radically altered our understanding of weight loss. They make lasting change possible, but they also have real disadvantages and must be considered as part of a comprehensive approach together with nutrition, behavior, and physical activity. Critical to this new perspective is the insight that weight-loss drugs act on the part of the brain that is responsible for cravings. In essence, the drugs tamp down the addictive circuits that overwhelm rational decision-making and quiet the "food noise" that distracts us. Identifying these mechanisms allows us to develop a strategy for effective long-term weight loss, and that begins with naming the elephant in the room: ultraformulated foods are addictive. Losing weight is a process of treating addiction. In this landmark book, one of the nation's leading public health officials breaks taboos around this fraught conversation, giving readers the tools to unplug the brain's addictive wiring and change their relationship with food. Dr. Kessler cautions that drugs, on their own, pose serious risks and are not a universal solution. But with this new understanding of the brain-body feedback loop comes new possibilities for our health and freedom from a lifelong struggle. Eye-opening, provocative, and rigorous, this book is a must-read for anyone who has ever struggled to maintain their weight-which is to say, everyone"-- Provided by publisher.- Subjects: Reducing diets.; Weight loss preparations.; Weight loss;
- Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
-
unAPI
Results 41 to 43 of 43 | « previous