ARRT Unplugged Booklist

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Unplugged

Do you dream of being able to turn off the TV and sink into a good book, but you just don’t know where to start? With tens of thousands of books in the library, surfing the shelves can be a lot harder than clicking through the channels. Worry no more. The following books are ideal for readers who don’t want to stray too far from the small screen. From the History Channel to Home and Garden, we’ve got a wide variety of titles to help you control the remote (and not the other way around!)

A & E	Biography	CNN	Comedy Central	Court TV	Discovery
E!	ESPN	Food	History	Home & Garden	Lifetime
MTV	National Geographic	Spike	Travel	Weather

Judith Jacklin Belushi
Samurai Widow
1990 427p.

An intimate and touching memoir of the love shared between late comedian John Belushi and his wife. (MCB)

H. G. Bissinger
Friday Night Lights
1990 367p.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist examines a small Texas town’s obsession with its high school football team and the effects of the community’s unbridled desire to win the championship--at any cost--to compensate for its failing economy. Readers who enjoy sports as well as explorations of the American psyche will be riveted by this detailed account of everyday people caught in the maelstrom of their own shattered hopes and dreams. (TB)

Tim Brookes
Guitar: An American Life
2005 339p.

Interspersing history, anecdotes, biographies of musicians, and the sensual pleasure of seeing his own guitar built by a master luthier, Brookes traces the history of the guitar in America, from its arrival with the Spanish explorers to the rise of pop, rock, and soul. A lively chronicle for any musician or fan of guitar music, classical and popular, as well as those interested in Americana. (JS)

Augusten Burroughs
Dry: a Memoir
2003 293p.

In this installment of his memoir, Burroughs, now in New York, has landed a successful job in advertising. But like his bottle-strewn apartment, the neat façade obscures his chaotic personal life. Laced with darkly comic episodes as he tries to mask his downward spiral and his eventual forced rehab stint, this will appeal to fans of David Sedaris who like the sharp humor and unflinching look at the seamier side of life. (JH)

Norman F. Cantor
In the Wake of the Plague: The Black Death & the World it Made
2001 245p.

Cantor’s fascinating account traces the history of the mid-14^th century medical crisis that killed one-third of Western Europe's population and changed history. Offering details of the disease, the lives of famous people felled by it, and the intriguing historical background, Cantor relates the history of the disease and its devastating effect on culture and society. (DB)

Jung Chang
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
1991 524p.

In this compelling story of three generations of women during China’s turbulent twentieth century, Grandmother Yu-Fang is sold as a concubine to a Bejing police chief; her daughter Bao Qin, growing up during the Japanese occupation, marries a dedicated party member; and granddaughter Chang (the book’s author) witnesses her parents’ public humiliation during Mao’s Cultural Revolution and later attests to Communism’s inhuman oppression. Chang’s heartbreaking memoir will appeal to those interested in women’s history and multicultural studies. (MC)

Emily Craig
Teasing Secrets From the Dead: My Investigations at America’s Most Infamous Crime Scenes
2004 284p.

Medical illustrator Craig, who returned to school in her mid-forties to study forensic anthropology, recounts her remarkable career. As she meticulously explains the processes followed in solving the crimes, she also vividly describes the concomitant textures and smells in this fast-moving, compelling narrative. Her exploration of the compassionate side of forensics as well as of the exhilaration of solving the mysteries makes this a good choice for fiction readers too, if they like their crime scenes grisly and detailed. (BK)

Bob Dylan
Chronicles: Volume One
2004 304p.

Much like his music, singer-songwriter Dylan’s memoir is pensive, poetic and moves at its own pace. What comes across most strongly is Dylan’s love of music and musicians. Even readers who are not particular fans of the songs that have become the soundtrack to the second-half of a century will be entertained by Dylan’s reflections on musicianship, fame, and the need for an occasional detour. (KK)

Carolly Erickson
The Girl from Botany Bay
2005 234p.

Blending elements of history and naturalism, this moving survival story follows a teen-aged petty criminal from Cornwall, where her death sentence is commuted when she is shipped to Australia as part of the 19^th century British attempt to colonize New South Wales. Enduring privation and misery aboard ship and on land, she survives to escape against all odds, be recaptured, escape again, and finally make her way home to England. Readers who are intrigued by lesser known historical events may find this an astonishing glimpse of British history. (D. Walsh)

Robert Evans
The Kid Stays in the Picture
1994 412p.

A self-glorifying yet entertaining chronicle of the legendary movie producer’s life in Hollywood. (MCB)

Ranulph Fiennes
Race to the Pole: Tragedy, Heroism, and Scott's Antarctic Quest
2004 462p.

Capt. Robert Scott reached the South Pole in 1912 but perished on the return trip. In this combination biography and adventure story, Fiennes reconstructs Scott’s expedition and tells a compelling tale of heroic adventure, death, and betrayal, restoring Scott to his rightful place among the great explorers of the early 1900s. (DB)

Martin Fletcher
Almost Heaven: Travels through the Backwoods of America
1998 304p.

British writer and The Times (London) correspondent offers his unique perspective of the "second America," as he experienced life in non-urban communities while traversing the country from Washington D.C. to Seattle. A fascinating book for armchair travelers and those with a curiosity about the cultural diversity of small-town USA. (MLM)

David Halberstam
Firehouse
2002 201p.

This gripping book by a master historian personalizes the September 11, 2001 tragedy in New York with an emotional portrayal of 13 courageous firefighters from one Upper West Side firehouse, 12 of whom died that fateful day. Based on interviews with surviving colleagues and family members, this deeply felt tribute to decent, honorable and heroic men provides engrossing details about what happened during the catastrophe and afterwards, making for an unforgettable reading experience. (TB)

Amanda Hesser
Cooking for Mr. Latte: a Food Lover’s Courtship, with Recipes
2003 288p.

Shakespeare may have thought that music was the food of love, but most of us need something more substantial! Here Hesser combines both food and love in a collection, begun as a series of essays for the New York Magazine, that describes the courtship of a foodie and a nonfoodie (on their first date, he dares to order a latte after dinner) and offers insights into the ways what we eat does and doesn’t affect who we are. Funny and witty, it includes Hesser’s recipes, foibles, and that certain New York je ne sais quoi. (JH)

Ed Hinton
Daytona: From the Birth of Speed to the Death of the Man in Black
2001 380p.

This spellbinding history of American stock car racing offers an entertaining overview of the sport loved by millions, since its beginnings in the early 1900s as a favorite pastime of the rich. World famous drivers come to life for the readers professionally as well as personally. (CL)

Tracy Kidder
Mountains Beyond Mountains: Healing the World: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World
2003 317p.

Even the author, Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Kidder, at times finds himself under the spell of the charismatic Farmer, a Harvard-educated doctor who has devoted himself so completely to a clinic he started in Haiti and a world-wide effort to curb infectious diseases that he has compromised his health, his family and his personal finances. Although Kidder provides wonderful detail about epidemiology, the strength of this narrative is Farmer’s single-mindedness. He not only believes that one man can make a difference; he proves it. (KK)

Jon Krakauer
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster
1997 293p.

Sent by Outside magazine to examine the safety of commercial trips up Mount Everest, Krakauer reports on the harrowing expedition that caught climbers in a blizzard near the peak and took eight lives. In addition to the details of his gripping personal experiences, he also recounts tales of past climbs, both successful and tragic, all the while marveling at the beauty and majesty of the mountain. (CL)

Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life
2005 220p.

In this unique, immensely readable, and frequently hilarious encyclopedia-cum-memoir, Rosenthal alphabetically explores her life as an average Chicago woman circa 2005. Almost every reader is sure to have an "Aha" moment with this book (as in, "Aha! I’m not the only one who does that!") (RV)

Robert Kurson
Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II
2004 375p.

In 1991 two deep-sea divers discovered a wreck off the coast of New Jersey. After much difficulty they identified it as a German WW II submarine...although none was ever reported missing! A good choice for readers of adventure, history and even mystery stories, this true-life tale charts eleven years of nerve-racking diving and compulsive research to discover the truth. (VM)

Susan Herrmann Loomis
On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town
2001 306p.

Since she apprenticed at cooking school La Varenne Ecole in the 1970s, Susan Loomis has always loved French cuisine and culture. Finally in 1994 she and her family moved to a small town in Normandy where she worked on a French cookbook for Americans. They bought a dilapidated medieval convent and restored it as they immersed themselves in the vagaries of French culture. With delicious recipes and descriptions of food, anyone who loves food will find this book mouthwatering while travelogue readers will enjoy the insider’s look at life in a small French town. (MJ)

James McBride
The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother
1996 228p.

While McBride was growing up among eleven siblings and step-siblings, his mother would never talk about her family origin and background. Her focus was on the work of raising and educating twelve active children. Ruth McBride Jordan finally reveals her former life to her adult son, and her story is interwoven with his recollections of his early years. A touching account of survival and racial identity in the historical context of the 1960s and 70s. (MLM)

Farley Mowat
Born Naked
1994 256p.

Nature writer Mowat revisits his Canadian childhood. He grew up sharing a home, not with brothers and sisters, but with pet rats, snakes, and owls, and he took every opportunity to explore the marshes, waterways and prairies in search of those he calls the Others, those that crawl, swim and fly upon the earth. Mowat‘s memoir explores how the obsessions of the child developed into the passions of the adult. (DWordinger)

Bill Moyers
Moyers on America: A Journalist and His Times
2004 204p.

Moyers presents a heartfelt, eye-opening narrative in this blend of memoir and political discourse. As he follows the history of democracy in America, he reveals how democracy has always been susceptible to corruption. One important theme that runs through this book is his despair at the loss of journalistic freedom of independent newspapers, since the media has fallen into the hands of a few conglomerates. Sprinkled with personal stories and insights of the Lyndon Johnson presidency (Moyers was Johnson’s press secretary), this book will appeal to readers of biographies and political histories. (BK)

Noor, Queen of Jordan
Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life
2003 467p.

Born in 1951 to wealthy Arab-American parents, Lisa Halaby entered Princeton in its first co-ed class. A chance meeting with King Hussein led to their courtship, and when they wed in 1978, he gave her the name "Noor al Hussein," Light of Hussein. The politics of the Middle East feature prominently here, as the couple traveled extensively to promote peace. Noor’s projects to aid her people demonstrate how Jordanians came to accept her. (JE)

Mary Roach Norton
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
2003 303p.

A sometimes gruesome, frequently humorous, but consistently fascinating exploration of the history and techniques of using human cadavers for medical research, criminal forensic studies, car and aviation crash tests, and military experiments. This book proves that it is possible to lead a rather extensive existence after death. (RN)

Nathaniel Philbrick
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
2000 302p.

In 1819, a giant whale attacked and sank the Essex, leaving the crew to attempt survival in three small boats on the open sea. In an ironic twist, they avoided taking refuge on nearby islands because they feared cannibals; in the end, they resorted to cannibalism themselves. This shocking true adventure story includes fascinating psychological details about the effects of starvation on human behavior. (SC)

James Ruddick
Death at the Priory: Sex, Love and Murder in Victorian England
2001 209p.

In 1876, after drinking a jug of water, a malicious lawyer died of poisoning. Although eleven suspects had motives, the case was never solved. 125 years later, using original sources, the author is able to crack the case. Written in two parts–first, as a look at Victorian times and the events leading up to the murder and secondly, as an investigative research project–the book appeals to mystery readers as well as fans of the Victorian era. (VM)

Eric Schlosser
Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
2001 356p.

An expose of the food industry by journalist Schlosser, who manages, without muckraking, to uncover grim realities regarding ingredient safety, poor working conditions, and the shady business dealings of food corporations. This may very well change the way you eat. (RV)

Bob Smith
Hamlet’s Dresser: a Memoir
2002 287p.

Poignant, wise and sometimes provocative, this touching memoir juxtaposes Shakespearean insight with 21^st century reality. In spite of a difficult childhood, the author became a noted authority on the plays of Shakespeare, directing theater programs at several prominent universities and festivals. Readers who enjoy thinking about the power of Literature with a capital "L" may appreciate the story of a self-taught student of all things Shakespeare who found his calling sharing his gift with the elderly and disenfranchised while reflecting on the universal truths of life. (DW)

Alice Steinback
Without Reservations: the Travels of an Independent Woman
2000 278p.

A Pulitzer prize winning journalist sets out on a voyage of self-discovery in this memoir chronicling her year traveling alone in Europe. Beginning in the City of Light where she has an unexpected romantic encounter, her meanderings lead her to discover unexplored villages, delightful fellow travelers, the universality of humanity, and a sense of her own worth. (RN)

Amy Stewart
From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden
2001 261p.

Stewart always wanted to have a garden full of flowers and vegetables. It looked so easy until she actually set out to build her first garden and found that gardening is much more difficult than it seems, as she confronted weeds, depleted soil, and all sorts of insects that were out to destroy her beautiful plants. Anyone who loves gardening or enjoys humorous stories will be enthralled with Amy’s adventures with her garden. (MJ)

Mark Svenvold
Big Weather: Chasing Tornadoes in the Heart of America
2005 289p.

While the focus of the book is on a month the author spent in the midwest following storms with a group of dedicated tornado chasers, weather phenomena, the politics of weather, and our fascination with extreme weather figure prominently. Svenvold provides an intriguing introduction to meteorology, a brief history of major tornadoes, heart-stopping accounts from survivors of an F5 tornado that caused the most damage in U.S. history, and a tantalizing taste of the hyperbole that accompanies weather forecasts and storm chases when extreme weather becomes a possibility. (JS)

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
The Tribe of Tiger
1994 238p.

Anthropologist Thomas observed cats from the lions of the Serengeti, to pumas in the Rockies, to her own housecats to report on cat culture: how cats interact with their environment, each other, and other species, including humans. Readers will find themselves watching their own Fluffy or Boots differently as they try to understand the complicated social workings of the cat. (DW)

Paco Underhill
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping
1999 255p.

Marketing guru Underhill describes today’s malls, department stores, and supermarkets and explains what attracts--and repels--customers and the often surprising reasons why. Whether you adore or despise shopping, this lively and entertaining book will open your eyes to the good, the bad and thed ridiculous in the world of retail. (SC)

David Von Drehle
Triangle: The Fire that Changed America
2003 340p.

By 1911, New York City was teeming with immigrants who found jobs in the prosperous clothing industry where hours were long, conditions dreadful and pay minimal. The fire that erupted in March of that year claimed 146 lives and was the worst workplace disaster in New York City until the World Trade Center attack in 2001. Triangle tells the stories of victims and survivors. (JE)

Jay Winik
April 1865: The Month That Saved America
2001 461p.

This exciting narrative of the last thirty days of the American Civil War covers pivotal events whose outcomes ultimately shaped our nation: the fall of Richmond; Lee’s retreat; plots to destroy a chaotic Union government; the South’s desperate, last-ditch war efforts; and Lincoln’s assassination. Winik’s account, set within the larger frame of history with its familiar characters and accompanied by his unique assessment of the War’s final days, will appeal to those who would enjoy a riveting, well-documented retelling of this crucial period in American history. (MC)

Annotations written by members of the Adult Reading Round Table Steering Committee: Mary Constance Back, Ted Balcom, Darlene Bull, Mary Cella, Stacy Cisneros, Jeanne Etling, Hoanna Hazelden, Merle Jacob, Karen Kleckner, Barb Kruser, Corky Lee, Vivian Mortensen, Mary Lynn Mysz, Ricki Nordmeyer, Joyce Saricks, Rebecca Vnuk, Debbie Walsh, Debbie Wordinger. (2005)