The following books were recently produced for the NLS program. To order books, contact your braille-lending 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 Immortal Game: A History of Chess; or, How Thirty-two Carved Pieces on a Board Illuminated Our Understanding of War, Art, Science, and the Human Brain BR 17706
by David Shenk
3 volumes
Journalist explores the fifteen-hundred-year history of chess from
antiquity and the Middle Ages to modern Western culture. Discusses
influence on military strategy, mathematics, and the arts. Provides
move-by-move analyses of six famous matches including the 1851 contest
between Anderssen and Kieseritzky that is dubbed the "immortal game."
Explains rules. 2006.
The Menopause Thyroid Solution: Overcome Menopause by Solving Your Hidden Thyroid Problems BR 18486
by Mary J. Shomon
4 volumes
Asserts that many women who are entering menopause also have a thyroid
slowdown and, because the symptoms of both conditions are similar, these
women are rarely diagnosed with or treated for thyroid deficiencies.
Describes tests to determine thyroid problems. Discusses treatments to
improve metabolism, increase energy, and balance hormones. 2009.
Living with HIV: A Patient's Guide BR 18487
by Mark Cichocki
3 volumes
Registered nurse recaps the history of the human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) and describes the entire disease life span from prevention to
diagnosis and beyond. Includes information on treatment options and
associated conditions. Provides guides to monitoring one's health,
treating the whole person, and living with HIV. 2009.
Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft BR 18639
by Thor Heyerdahl
2 volumes
Recounts the 1947 voyage of six Norwegians who sailed from Peru to Tahiti
on a balsa-log raft to test the author's theory that the original settlers
of Polynesia were South Americans following Pacific Ocean currents.
Describes the sailors' difficult, exhilarating, and ultimately successful
one-hundred-one-day journey. Includes 2004 foreword. 1950.
Pretty Little Pincushions BR 18641
by Susan Brill
1 volume
Provides instructions for creating thirty pincushions that range from
elegant and vintage to classic and cute. Uses basic hand-sewing techniques
and materials like felt and fabric scraps, ribbons, trim, and buttons.
Projects include a porcupine, a beehive, cacti, a pot of violets, and a
flower corsage. 2007.
Great Expectations: The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding BR 18743
by Marianne Neifert
4 volumes
Pediatrician pens a complete guide to breastfeeding. Discusses issues such
as preparation before birth, health benefits, common problems, high-risk
babies, and expressing and storing milk. Offers tips for working moms and
guidelines for adjusting to parenthood. Also covers dietary matters and
weaning. 2009.
Choral Masterworks: A Listener's Guide BR 18944
by Michael Steinberg
4 volumes
Essays based on program notes present musical analysis and background of
some fifty works for accompanied chorus arranged alphabetically by
composer. Discusses Handel's Messiah, Bach's Mass in B Minor,
Beethoven's Missa solemnis, and compositions by Haydn, Brahms,
Mendelssohn, Verdi, Berlioz, Rachmaninoff, Vaughan Williams, Stravinsky,
Adams, and Wuorinen, among others. 2005.
How to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew BR 18948
by Erin Bried
2 volumes
Ten grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression contribute
practical, money-saving tips for housekeeping and personal care.
Step-by-step instructions cover cooking, gardening, composting, cleaning,
mending, grooming, budgeting, and menu planning. Also includes advice for
staying on good terms with family, neighbors, and friends. 2009.
Confessions of an Alien Hunter: A Scientist's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence BR 18969
by Seth Shostak
3 volumes
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) astronomer reflects on the
history of humankind's search for life on other planets and moons and
discusses the probability of discovering alien life via radio signals.
Explains SETI's origins, mission, and work performing technical
consultations for Hollywood. 2009.
The Dog Says How BR 19072
by Kevin Kling
1 volume
Good-humored autobiographical essays from playwright and National Public
Radio commentator Kling feature his life in Minnesota. He discusses his
family, dog, and travel experiences and ruminates on a motorcycle accident
that injured his arm, leading him to use voice-activated software on his
computer. 2007.
Bit Literacy: Productivity in the Age of Information and E-mail Overload BR 19073
by Mark Hurst
2 volumes
Offers strategies for dealing with the barrage of information delivered
through e-mails, the Internet, cell phones, and other digital devices.
Describes ways to maintain an empty in-box, manage and prioritize to-do
lists, organize and store digital photos, and work more productively with
bits. 2007.
Seven-Tenths: Love, Piracy, and Science at Sea BR 19090
by David Fisichella
2 volumes
David Fisichella, a mechanical engineer, chronicles a series of research
cruises on which he served as the "eyes" for Amy Bower, a Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute oceanographer with deteriorating vision. He
reflects on their experiences together, including surviving a pirate
attack, and their courtship. 2010.
Lamentations of the Father BR 19153
by Ian Frazier
2 volumes
Thirty-six essays by American humorist and New Yorker magazine
contributor. In the title piece Frazier adopts an Old Testament tone for a
wrathful father chastising his children about table manners. "What I Am"
recounts an ongoing argument between husband and wife over loading the
dishwasher. Thurber Prize. 2008.
Are We Not There Yet? Travels in Nepal, North India, and Bhutan BR 19172
by Chuck Rosenthal
2 volumes
American teacher/novelist knowledgeable about Buddhism recounts a
four-month trip to South Asia with a small group of travelers. Describes
the intensity of Calcutta, the beauty of Bhutan, the discomforts
encountered while visiting out-of-the-way temples and monasteries in
search of the elusive yeti, and other adventures. Some strong language.
2009.
Tocqueville's Discovery of America BR 19179
by Leo Damrosch
3 volumes
Prizewinning biographer reconstructs the nine-month journey of French
historian Alexis de Tocqueville and his friend Beaumont through the United
States in 1831-1832. Captures the young nation's mood through letters and
documents reflecting Tocqueville's perspective. 2010.
A Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever BR 19213
by Marianne Williamson
2 volumes
Author offers holistic techniques to integrate mind, body, and spirit to
fight obesity. Discusses the connection between spirituality and weight
loss and illustrates ways to retrain one's mind to break the cycle of
overeating, dieting, and shame. Bestseller. 2010.
Orchid of the Bayou: A Deaf Woman Faces Blindness BR 19223
by Cathryn Carroll and Catherine Hoffpauir Fischer
3 volumes
Autobiography of deaf Cajun woman follows her early childhood, attendance
at the Louisiana School for the Deaf, and graduation from Gallaudet
University. Describes the post-childbirth vision problems that led her to
research her heritage as an Acadian, the group with the highest rates of
Usher syndrome in the world. 2001.
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