Spotlight

Books for a smarter, happier, better you from 2013

Now that 2013 is over let's look at some of the books that we think will make you smarter, better, and happier. Whether you want to know how to your smartphone or get new insights into history, here are some of our favorites.

Biography

"Six Feet Under meets The Wire in a dazzling and darkly comic memoir about coming-of-age in a black funeral home in Baltimore"

Picked by Steven, Reference Librarian

Technology

"Step-by-step instructions with callouts to iPhone images that show you exactly what to do."

Picked by Lalu, Reference Assistant

Psychology & Self-Help

"Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so."

Picked by Lalu, Reference Assistant

Religion & Spirituality

"As an antidote to the complexities and challenges of modern life, award-winning author Philip Gulley offers the opportunity to participate in a world where the values of the Quaker way"

Picked by Gwen, Reference Assistant

Sociology

"Uncovers the hidden rules that shape the balance between the weak and the mighty, and the powerful and the dispossessed."

Picked by Cathy, Reference Librarian
"In What My Mother Gave Me, women look at the relationships between mothers and daughters through a new lens: a daughtere(tm)s story of a gift from her mother..."

Picked by Cathy, Reference Librarian

Science

"The Particle at the End of the Universe, Caltech physicist and acclaimed writer Sean Carroll takes readers behind the scenes of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN"

Picked by Steven, Reference Librarian

Education

"An explosive new look at the pressures on today's teachers and the pitfalls of school reform"

Picked by Steven, Reference Librarian

Health

"A bootcamp in Utah in 118 degree heat. A raw food diet. Hypnotic suggestions... These are just a few of the stops Lauren Kessler makes on her journey to reverse time from the inside out."

Picked by Gwen, Reference Assistant
"the story of how one faithful, charitable, loving, and sometimes prudent mutt...taught a well-meaning woman the true nature and pleasures of the good life."

Picked by Gwen, Reference Assistant

Cooking

"Holiday favorites for all year round, from the #1 New York times bestselling author and Food Network personality"

Picked by Lalu, Reference Assistant

Art & Photography

"This book brings together some of the best-known images from Brassais...showcasing them alongside previously unpublished photos and archive material"

Picked by Christina, Reference Librarian
History
"Tells the dramatic story of the titanic battle for Western Europe from D-Day to the thrust to the heart of the Third Reich."

Picked by Joanne, Reference Librarian