Recently Added Books

Nothing Was the Same: A memoir

Written by Kay Redfield Jamison, "the clinical psychologist whose widely acclaimed 1995 memoir, "An Unquiet Mind," revealed her lifelong struggle with manic-depressive illness. "Nothing Was the Same" is the story of her marriage to the late Richard Wyatt, a man who overcame severe childhood dyslexia to become a leader in schizophrenia research." It is a story of "true love" that saw the couple through her mental illness and his cancer and ultimate death. The best writing is in the chapter "Mourning and Melancholia" that compares grief and depression. The penetrating insights, gained from first-hand experience, were written so beautifully that I could not help but sighed deeply and frequently.

The How of Happiness

Fourty percent (40%) of happiness is determined by intentional activities within one's control. In this book, psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky draws research on happiness and describes an easy-to-follow plan tailored to individual needs. It will work if you practice with committed effort.

Traveling with Pomegranates

An intimate dual memoir by Mother (Sue Monk Kidd) and daughter (Ann Kidd Taylor) who traveled together to sacred sites throughout Greece and France between 1998 and 2000. It touches the issues of aging (for mother), career decision (for daughter), the sacred feminine, the creative process behind the writing of "The Secret Life of the Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd, and of course, the reaffirmation of mother-daughter bonding.

Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us about All Animals

As it turns out, we really CAN talk to the animals. Seeing is believing! Be sure to check out the companion web site: http://www.reachingtheanimalmind.com. The chapter videos are amazing! Try "Training a Fish to Swim through a Hoop" chapter 4. Who knew fish could get upset!

Still Alice

Endorsed by the National Alzheimer's Association, this is a fiction about early-onset Alzheimer's disease from a first person's perspective. It is informative and a gripping page turner!

Alex & Me

"How a Scientist and a Parrot Uncovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence - and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process". Alex, the African Grey parrot in this story may have started out as an Avian Language EXperiment, but ended up a charming, sometimes cranky, and often mischievous companion to researcher Irene Pepperberg, shattering just about every pre-conceived notion about animal intelligence and emotion in the process. Despite Alex' fame, finding research funding proved to be a never-ending struggle for Dr. Pepperberg; amazingly, much of the groundbreaking work was done with student volunteers on a shoestring budget. See http://brightcove.newscientist.com/services/link/bcpid1873822884/bctid1902498604 for a video of Alex in action.

Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's

A fascinating personal account of living with Asperger's (autism). Told with wit and grace. An inspiration.

Madness: A Bipolar Life

An amazing window into the mind of someone on the far end of the bipolar spectrum.

The Drool Room

Product Description Angry, frustrated, and certain that nothing around him makes sense - the narrator of this uniquely conceived book forces you to look at the world through his eyes: as a dyslexic student in the earliest days of Special Education, as a self-destructive teenager fighting his way through life, as a New York City cop trying to survive The Bronx streets during the 1980s - as a child, a lover, a parent. --- Ira David Socol's debut novel brings you to the sharpest edges of our society through a sequence of compelling and remarkable stories - stories as fascinating and entertaining as they are painful and disturbing.

The Goldilocks Enigma

This book offers explanations based on current science as to why our corner of the universe is "just right" for intelligent life.

Climate of Extremes

Global warming science they don't want you to know

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

Double Helix

The Andromeda Strain

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Only a Theory: Evolution and the Battle for America's Soul

With the upcoming revisions of public school science standards, this book is a must-read for anyone in Texas! The premise of this book by (practicing Christian) Kenneth R. Miller is that the "Intelligent Design" (ID) movement is undermining American science education and threatening America's position as the greatest scientific nation in the world. ID is not serious science but rather the creationism wolf in sheep's clothing. By definition, intelligent design implies an intelligent designer. And of course an intelligent designer implies a divine creator... Even so, what if ID really were a bona fide scientific theory? How can we use it to explain the fossil record? How do we explain all those extinctions, and the fact that many species seem related to other species? Why do we carry broken genes, and why do we share matching mutations with other species? And what about the idea of "irreducible complexity" as "proof" of ID? Does irreducible complexity really exist, or can we spot descent with modification instead?

This is your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession

Where else are you going to find a book recommended by world-renowned neurologists like Dr. Oliver Sacks, and world-class musicians such as Sting and David Byrne? This book by musician/sound engineer/music producer-turned-scientist Daniel J. Levitin will have you humming, tapping, and maybe even singing out loud as you learn about the ways composers exploit our hard-wired biological musical tendencies. Great fun!

Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism

The premise of this book is that there is no autism "epidemic", but rather that increased awareness and increased assignment of the autism medical code for insurance or school purposes have made it seem so. A touching look at autism across North American, South American, Indian and Asian cultures.

The Most Dangerous Animal: Human Nature and the Origins of War.

This very well-written book will not only delve into the biological impulse for war, and the biological basis of the self-deception necessary for waging war, it will also answer juicy questions such as "Why do women call the shots when it comes to sex?". Read this as a companion to Chris Hedges' "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning" above.

Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs.

As horrific as Elissa's story is, the great value of this book is not necessarily what is written, but what is not. Reading between the lines will give you a glimpse into the minds of those living in a religious sect, and how some victims may bond with their victimizers to the point of no return. Also see the AP interview on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BftbM2wzPBs.