For several hours a week, I work at the Huntley Library re-shelving items. During this process, opportunity presents itself for me to peruse materials I’d not see while looking on my own. Very often I say to myself, oh, that looks interesting … and then I keep it or jot down the info. I’ll share some with you that pique my interest.
The Frackers
Gregory Zuckerman
338.762 ZUC
Oklahoma has been in the news lately for several things, one of which is the exponential increase in earthquakes throughout the state in the last 2 years. I thought of that when I saw this 2013 book in the economics section about a handful of ambitious men who experimented with hydraulic fracturing through dense shale and started an energy revival…oh, and made themselves extremely rich. Activists argue that this method harms the water supply and threatens environmental chaos. Written in narrative form by a Wall Street Journal writer, it appears this book is more background than either condemnation or defense of the controversial practice.
Missing Man: The American Spy Who Vanished In Iran
Barry Meier
NEW 327.12 MEI
I went looking for this book after reading a review in TIME last month. In 2007, a retired FBI agent (Bob Levinson) flew to an Iranian island hoping to recruit a spy for the CIA. What would compel a safely retired G-man to take such an extraordinary risk? It did not go well; Levinson disappeared and is still missing. According to the TIME review, the story is “constructed as a nonfiction thriller” which “is at its core a tragedy”. More real than James Bond for sure.
Summer Cocktails
Maria Del Mar Sacasa
641.874 SAC
In the extensive “home cooking” section of our library, several beautiful books cover mixology. This one caught my eye because I was thinking about drinks on the drive! Anyone can tote over a beer, but this book invites some creativity in a Mason jar, shaker, or tall glass! Punch made with Strawberry Vodka and rhubarb syrup, Pimm’s No. 1 with lemon juice, or ginger beer with dark rum. Yikes! Reading the ingredients on a few pages made me appreciate all that a real bartender must know. The photographs are worth the price of the book.
Italian Diabetic Meals in 30 Minutes
Robyn Webb
641.563 WEB
My brother likes Italian food and he’s diabetic. In my continuing effort to wean him from pizza and cheeseburgers, this book looked as if it could have some tempting ideas. Although there are no pictures, the recipes are sectioned off by the main dish ingredient (fish, chicken, beef, pork, pasta, etc). Each recipe covers only 1 page with good-sized print plus I saw none with more than 4 steps. Excellent. A section on vegetables follows the main dish section; we should ALL eat more veggies. Check out the easy roasted asparagus idea on page 148.
