Books listed in this issue of Braille Book Review were recently sent to cooperating libraries. The complete collection contains books by many authors on fiction and nonfiction subjects, including biographies, classics, gothics, mysteries, romances, and others. Contact your cooperating library to learn more about the wide range of books available in the collection.
To order books, contact your cooperating 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 occurrence, as in "some strong language."
The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American
Life BR 9837
by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray
10 volumes
The authors assert that information and the intellectual ability
to use it separate the "haves" from the "have nots" in American
society. The authors' stated goal is to convince public policy
makers to acknowledge that differences in ability exist, that
reliance on prejudicial assumptions is wrong, and that open
discussion of class intelligence is vital. Bestseller 1994.
Building Basic Skills in Reading, Book 2 BR 10355
by Contemporary Books, Incorporated
2 volumes
Second half of a two-book program on practicing reading skills.
A pretest is followed by exercises in both critical and
practical reading. Topics include sorting facts from opinions;
recognizing bias and propaganda; understanding style and tone;
following written instructions; and reading diagrams, schedules,
and charts. Also includes a posttest on these reading skills.
1982.
Building Basic Skills in Science BR 10356
by Contemporary Books, Incorporated
2 volumes
Designed to help readers build science knowledge while
practicing reading skills. Includes units on biology, earth
science, chemistry, and physics, as well as a pretest, a
posttest, and a glossary. 1981.
Building Basic Skills in Social Studies BR 10357
by Contemporary Books, Incorporated
2 volumes
Designed to help readers build social studies knowledge while
practicing reading skills. Includes units on economics,
geography, political science, history, and behavioral science,
as well as a pretest, posttest, and glossary. 1981.
History of the Peloponnesian War BR 10511
by Thucydides
5 volumes
Written in the fifth century B.C. by an Athenian commander, this
is a history of the twenty-seven-year conflict between Athens, a
democratic state and sea power, and the states of the
Peloponnese headed by Sparta, a conservative power with an
efficient military force. 1993.
The Rivals: William Gwin, David Broderick, and the Birth of
California BR 10513
by Arthur Quinn
4 volumes
Recounts the events in the mid-1800s when two ambitious
adversaries rose to power as U.S. senators from California.
Reviews the personal and political conflicts that culminated in
a duel, which left Broderick dead and Gwin discredited, and
presents details of this tragedy using young California's
transformation from a remote province to a prosperous state as a
backdrop. 1994.
Sofi's Aegean Kitchen: A Light Approach to Traditional Greek
Home Cooking BR 10556
by Sofi Lazarides Konstantinides
2 volumes
When the author moved from Greece to Los Angeles, she opened a
Greek restaurant that became a great success. Here she offers
tips on stocking a Greek kitchen and recipes for dishes from
appetizers or mezethes to phyllo pies such as spanokopita and
desserts such as baklava. Soups, main dishes, and vegetables
round out a collection that is lower in fat and sugar than
traditional Greek cuisine. 1993.
Le Cordon Bleu Classic French Cookbook BR 10577
edited by Julia Alcock
3 volumes
One hundred classic recipes to celebrate the cooking school's
centenary. Includes first courses, such as vichyssoise; main
courses, such as duck breasts with pistachios; and desserts,
such as chocolate and Cointreau gateau. A section on techniques
provides the beginner with the basics for becoming a successful
cook. 1994.
Terry: My Daughter's Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism
BR 10578
by George McGovern
2 volumes
A former senator and onetime presidential candidate's anguished
story of his daughter's unhappy life and alcohol-related death.
He tries to understand and explain her steady, uncontrolled
descent into depression and alcoholism, concluding that genetic
vulnerability was a key factor. 1996.
What Happens When Women Pray BR 10581
by Evelyn Christenson
1 volume
The 1968 national women's chairman for the Baptist General
Conference shares her experiences in leading women in prayer.
She offers the "Six S's" rules for prayer groups: subject by
subject, short prayers, simple prayers, specific prayer
requests, silent periods, and small groups. Supports text with
Bible passages and relates results obtained by many prayer
groups. 1975.
Cocaine and Crack: The Drug Library BR 10616
by Marilyn Carroll
1 volume
Carroll explains that cocaine comes from the coca plant of
western South America. She discusses the history of cocaine use;
describes how it is processed and what the different forms are;
and outlines the effects of cocaine, the personal aspects of
abusing cocaine and crack, and the efforts that are being made
to solve this drug problem. For junior and senior high readers.
1994.
Making Wood Tables: Practical Projects for Every Room BR
10618
by Hugh Foster
2 volumes
Step-by-step instructions lead novice- and intermediate-level
woodworkers through the construction of twenty-six tables.
General woodworking information contains descriptions of tools
and techniques from selecting stock to finishing. Projects
include a workbench, nightstands, several sofa tables, and an
unusual glass-topped display for wood carvings. 1994.
I Can Hear the Cowbells Ring BR 10636
by Lionel G. Garcia
2 volumes
Garcia, whose novels have earned him awards from Southwest and
Texas organizations, recalls his childhood in a South Texas
Mexican American community during the 1950s. With warmth and
humor he retells family stories he heard from his grandparents
and their children. Reveals a town with very human, and often
quirky, characters. 1994.
Fear of Wine: An Introductory Guide to the Grape BR
10637
by Leslie Brenner
3 volumes
Humorous lessons on wine by a food and wine writer. Brenner
gives an overview of the wine-making process, tells which grapes
yield certain flavors, and explains the information on the
bottle. She describes how to taste, smell, and swirl wine and
which wines complement particular foods. Gives tips on selecting
a bottle for a dinner party and compiling a small domestic or
international wine cellar. 1995.
Pearl's Kitchen: An Extraordinary Cookbook BR 10638
by Pearl Bailey
2 volumes
The popular singer wrote this book at her kitchen table late at
night, "thinking of yesterday and cooking for tomorrow."
Contains advice on child rearing, entertaining, and
housekeeping. 1973.
Sister to Sister: Women Write about the Unbreakable Bond BR
10639
edited by Patricia Foster
3 volumes
The bond of sisterhood as experienced by twenty women writers.
The complexities of their relationships with their sisters--love
and hate, pride and jealousy--are described by women who make a
living observing humankind. Some of the bonds include tragedy,
but all include unique intimacies. Some strong language and some
descriptions of sex. 1995.
Train Go Sorry: Inside a Deaf World BR 10653
by Leah Hager Cohen
3 volumes
The author, who is not deaf, grew up in the New York Lexington
School for the Deaf, where her parents worked. Her own memoirs
combined with the stories of her deaf grandparents and those of
current students reflect the changing deaf culture. Cohen
discusses issues such as American Sign Language versus oralism
and attitudes toward cochlear implants. 1994.
The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses,
Meetings, Management Fads, and Other Workplace Afflictions BR
10668
by Scott Adams
3 volumes
A humorous look at the workplace from the creator of the
"Dilbert" cartoon strip. The Dilbert Principle is that "the most
ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where
they can do the least damage--management." Bestseller 1996.
On Our Own Terms: Portraits of Women Business Leaders BR
10672
by Liane Enkelis and Karen Olsen
2 volumes
Interviews with fifteen women who lead large corporations and
also have a personal life. The women include the principal chief
of the Cherokee Nation, the president of two highly successful
catalog companies, and the head of one of the world's leading
software companies. 1995.
How Good Do We Have to Be? A New Understanding of Guilt and
Forgiveness BR 10700
by Harold S. Kushner
1 volume
Kushner, who wrote When Bad Things Happen to Good People (BR
5310), believes individuals demand too much of themselves in
regard to sin and guilt. By offering a different approach to the
story of Adam and Eve, Kushner suggests that God forgives our
mistakes--experiences from which people learn and grow.
Bestseller 1996.
Seeds of Disquiet: One Deaf Woman's Experience BR
10701
by Cheryl M. Heppner
2 volumes
The author says that as a profoundly deaf child, she was taught
to adapt to the hearing world. But after two strokes left
Heppner completely deaf, she learned sign language and then
realized how frustrating her earlier life had been. She
eventually became an advocate for deaf people. 1992.
Jobs vs. the Environment: Can We Save Both? BR 10709
by Nathan Aaseng
1 volume
Aaseng rejects the claim that environmentalists negatively
impact the economy, yet also proposes ways to protect the earth
that would least disrupt workers' lives. He provides an overview
of the issue from 1681 to the 1990s. For junior and senior high
and older readers. 1994.
The Air Down Here: True Tales from a South Bronx Boyhood BR
10723
by Gil C. Alicea
1 volume
A collection of short autobiographical ruminations by a
sixteen-year-old from New York's South Bronx. Alicea discusses
issues and problems that he confronts in his stressful urban
environment: drugs, violence, gangs, parents with HIV, and the
deaths of his mother and sister. For junior and senior high
readers. 1995.
Pierced by a Ray of Sun: Poems about the Times We Feel Alone
BR 10735
selected by Ruth Gordon
1 volume
Seventy-three poems culled from a variety of sources but unified
by one overlying theme: loneliness. Gordon's collection--which
includes poems by Keats, Sandburg, and Yeats and translations
from other languages--illustrates that alienation is a universal
experience. For junior and senior high readers. 1995.
My Dog Skip BR 10740
by Willie Morris
1 volume
The author tells how he grew up in a small southern town in the
1940s with a dog that could run football patterns and, it was
believed, drive a car. The author demonstrates his storytelling
skills in this tribute to his dog, Skip. Grade 1 braille. 1995.
The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. BR 10758
selected by Coretta Scott King
1 volume
Selections from King's speeches and writing arranged in seven
areas of concern: the community of man, racism, civil rights,
justice and freedom, faith and religion, nonviolence, and peace.
An introduction by Coretta Scott King provides personal and
historical background for King's words. Also includes a
chronology of his life. 1983.
A Beginner's Faith in Things Unseen BR 10759
by John Hay
1 volume
Reminiscences of a life lived in harmony with the natural order,
written by a man on the brink of eighty. Laments the damage
wreaked on the environment through technology. Celebrates nature
as it is seen through "the eye of a child." 1995.
Saving Our Sons: Raising Black Children in a Turbulent World
BR 10762
by Marita Golden
2 volumes
An African American mother tells of her ten-year life in America
after her divorce in Nigeria. She contrasts her son's relative
safety overseas against the perils that beset young black males
in America. She depicts actual cases of violence to dramatize
her message and provide insights into the issue. Strong
language. 1995.
The Trumpet of Conscience BR 10772
by Martin Luther King
1 volume
These five essays, delivered as radio lectures by King in
November and December 1967, portray a nightmarish America of
reality and the egalitarian America of his visions. They express
his hopes for the future of nonviolence as a means to social
revolution even in a climate of riot. 1968.
Braille Books 1995-1996 BR 10811
by National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped
2 volumes
A catalog of braille books produced during 1995 and 1996 by the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped. Separate sections list fiction and nonfiction
subject categories. Young adult books are also included. 1996.
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