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General Recommendations

Adult Summer Reading 2021: Non-fiction Books

By:

GRWInfoTeam

Greenwich Library

Staff-created list

A variety of topics are represented in this list including history, travel, the arts, physics, and many others. Several are classics of their genre, many will make you laugh, all are engaging and enlightening. These books are available to download as ebook, audiobook or in both formats.

By:

GRWInfoTeam

Greenwich Library

21 items

21 items

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne

by Darlington, Terry

eBook - 2008

Here is a riotously funny account of a couple's voyage through France on a "Narrow Dog"--i.e., English canal boat. Their pet whippet steals the show. Here is a riotously funny account of a couple's voyage through France on a "Narrow Dog"--i.e., English canal boat. Their pet whippet steals the show. Show less

Here is a riotously funny account of a couple's voyage through France on a "Narrow Dog"--i.e., English canal boat. Their pet whippet steals the show. Here is a riotously funny account of a couple's voyage through France on a "Narrow Dog"--i.e., English canal boat. Their pet whippet steals the show. Show less

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At the Existentialist Café

At the Existentialist Café

Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails With Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone De Beauvoir, Albert Camus, Martin Heidegger, Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Others

by Bakewell, Sarah

eBook - 2016

Named one of the Ten Best Books of 2016 by the New York Times, a spirited account of a major intellectual movement of the twentieth century and the revolutionary thinkers who came to shape it, Named one of the Ten Best Books of 2016 by the New York Times, a spirited account of a major intellectual movement of the twentieth century and the revolutionary thinkers who came to shape it, Show less

Named one of the Ten Best Books of 2016 by the New York Times, a spirited account of a major intellectual movement of the twentieth century and the revolutionary thinkers who came to shape it, Named one of the Ten Best Books of 2016 by the New York Times, a spirited account of a major intellectual movement of the twentieth century and the revolutionary thinkers who came to shape it, Show less

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The Baroness

The Baroness

The Search for Nica, the Rebellious Rothschild

by Rothschild, Hannah

eBook - 2013

Beautiful, romantic and spirited, Pannonica, known as Nica, was born to extraordinary, eccentric privilege and a storied history. In the early 1950s she ...Show more Beautiful, romantic and spirited, Pannonica, known as Nica, was born to extraordinary, eccentric privilege and a storied history. In the early 1950s she heard Round Midnight by the jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk and, as if under a powerful spell, abandoned her marriage and moved to New York to find him. Show less

Beautiful, romantic and spirited, Pannonica, known as Nica, was born to extraordinary, eccentric privilege and a storied history. In the early 1950s she ...Show more Beautiful, romantic and spirited, Pannonica, known as Nica, was born to extraordinary, eccentric privilege and a storied history. In the early 1950s she heard Round Midnight by the jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk and, as if under a powerful spell, abandoned her marriage and moved to New York to find him. Show less

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The Disappearing Spoon

The Disappearing Spoon

And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World From the Periodic Table of the Elements

by Kean, Sam

eBook - 2010

These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are he...Show more These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are here, like Marie Curie (and her radioactive journey to the discovery of polonium and radium) and William Shockley (who is credited, not exactly justly, with the discovery of the silicon transistor)--but the more obscure characters provide some of the best stories, like Paul Emile François Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose discovery of gallium, a metal with a low melting point, gives this book its title: a spoon made of gallium will melt in a cup of tea. Show less

These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are he...Show more These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are here, like Marie Curie (and her radioactive journey to the discovery of polonium and radium) and William Shockley (who is credited, not exactly justly, with the discovery of the silicon transistor)--but the more obscure characters provide some of the best stories, like Paul Emile François Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose discovery of gallium, a metal with a low melting point, gives this book its title: a spoon made of gallium will melt in a cup of tea. Show less

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The Liars' Club

The Liars' Club

A Memoir

by Karr, Mary

eBook - 2015

This is the first installment in a trilogy of works that focus, often hilariously, on the early life of the author. What she relates can be quite harrowi...Show more This is the first installment in a trilogy of works that focus, often hilariously, on the early life of the author. What she relates can be quite harrowing, but the cast of characters, especially her dipsomaniac mother, is one reason this book sparked a renaissance in the memoir genre. Show less

This is the first installment in a trilogy of works that focus, often hilariously, on the early life of the author. What she relates can be quite harrowi...Show more This is the first installment in a trilogy of works that focus, often hilariously, on the early life of the author. What she relates can be quite harrowing, but the cast of characters, especially her dipsomaniac mother, is one reason this book sparked a renaissance in the memoir genre. Show less

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The Hare With Amber Eyes

The Hare With Amber Eyes

by De Waal, Edmund

Downloadable Audiobook - 2011

Netsuke are Japanese wood and ivory carvings, none of them bigger than a matchbox. Edmund de Waal traces the journey of his great uncle's netsuke collecti...Show more Netsuke are Japanese wood and ivory carvings, none of them bigger than a matchbox. Edmund de Waal traces the journey of his great uncle's netsuke collection from a burgeoining empire in Odessa to 'fin de siecle' Paris, from occupied Vienna through generations of his remarkable family, against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. Show less

Netsuke are Japanese wood and ivory carvings, none of them bigger than a matchbox. Edmund de Waal traces the journey of his great uncle's netsuke collecti...Show more Netsuke are Japanese wood and ivory carvings, none of them bigger than a matchbox. Edmund de Waal traces the journey of his great uncle's netsuke collection from a burgeoining empire in Odessa to 'fin de siecle' Paris, from occupied Vienna through generations of his remarkable family, against the backdrop of a tumultuous century. Show less

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The First Four Notes

The First Four Notes

Beethoven's Fifth and the Human Imagination

by Guerrieri, Matthew

eBook - 2012

Guerrieri, offers informed insight to lay readers in his in-depth examination of the iconic Fifth symphony. The author is music critic for the Boston Globe. Guerrieri, offers informed insight to lay readers in his in-depth examination of the iconic Fifth symphony. The author is music critic for the Boston Globe. Show less

Guerrieri, offers informed insight to lay readers in his in-depth examination of the iconic Fifth symphony. The author is music critic for the Boston Globe. Guerrieri, offers informed insight to lay readers in his in-depth examination of the iconic Fifth symphony. The author is music critic for the Boston Globe. Show less

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Quiet

Quiet

[the Power of Introverts in A World That Can't Stop Talking]

by Cain, Susan

Downloadable Audiobook - 2012

This book demonstrates how the introverts among us are undervalued in modern culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal exam...Show more This book demonstrates how the introverts among us are undervalued in modern culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal examples of how to use introvert talents to adapt to various situations. Introverts are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Show less

This book demonstrates how the introverts among us are undervalued in modern culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal exam...Show more This book demonstrates how the introverts among us are undervalued in modern culture, charting the rise of extrovert ideology while sharing anecdotal examples of how to use introvert talents to adapt to various situations. Introverts are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Show less

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Sicilian Carousel

Sicilian Carousel

by Durrell, Lawrence

eBook - 2012

A moving account of friendship and discovery on the island of Sicily from the acclaimed travel writer, bestselling author of The Alexandria Quartet (and one of the real life Durrells of Corfu) A moving account of friendship and discovery on the island of Sicily from the acclaimed travel writer, bestselling author of The Alexandria Quartet (and one of the real life Durrells of Corfu) Show less

A moving account of friendship and discovery on the island of Sicily from the acclaimed travel writer, bestselling author of The Alexandria Quartet (and one of the real life Durrells of Corfu) A moving account of friendship and discovery on the island of Sicily from the acclaimed travel writer, bestselling author of The Alexandria Quartet (and one of the real life Durrells of Corfu) Show less

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The Great Bridge

The Great Bridge

The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge

by McCullough, David

eBook - 2007

The dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption,...Show more The dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption, and obstruction but also of optimism, heroism, and determination, told by master historian David McCullough. Show less

The dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption,...Show more The dramatic and enthralling story of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge at the time, a tale of greed, corruption, and obstruction but also of optimism, heroism, and determination, told by master historian David McCullough. Show less

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Life on the Mississippi

Life on the Mississippi

by Twain, Mark

Downloadable Audiobook - 2011

In 1882, Mark Twain returned to the river of his youth as a mature writer, determined to expand seven articles which he had serialized in The Atlantic Mo...Show more In 1882, Mark Twain returned to the river of his youth as a mature writer, determined to expand seven articles which he had serialized in The Atlantic Monthly in 1875 into the definitive travelogue on the great Mississippi. Although Life on the Mississippi was not commercially successful when first published in May 1883, it is the work that Twain later claimed was the favorite among his books. Show less

In 1882, Mark Twain returned to the river of his youth as a mature writer, determined to expand seven articles which he had serialized in The Atlantic Mo...Show more In 1882, Mark Twain returned to the river of his youth as a mature writer, determined to expand seven articles which he had serialized in The Atlantic Monthly in 1875 into the definitive travelogue on the great Mississippi. Although Life on the Mississippi was not commercially successful when first published in May 1883, it is the work that Twain later claimed was the favorite among his books. Show less

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Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

by Rovelli, Carlo

eBook - 2016

In this short, playful, entertaining and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, Rovelli explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum me...Show more In this short, playful, entertaining and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, Rovelli explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind. In under one hundred pages, readers will understand the most transformative scientific discoveries of the twentieth century. Show less

In this short, playful, entertaining and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, Rovelli explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum me...Show more In this short, playful, entertaining and mind-bending introduction to modern physics, Rovelli explains Einstein's theory of general relativity, quantum mechanics, black holes, the complex architecture of the universe, elementary particles, gravity, and the nature of the mind. In under one hundred pages, readers will understand the most transformative scientific discoveries of the twentieth century. Show less

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Desert Solitaire

Desert Solitaire

A Season in the Wilderness

by Abbey, Edward

Downloadable Audiobook - 2010

When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Here, Abbey vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah. When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Here, Abbey vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah. Show less

When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Here, Abbey vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah. When Desert Solitaire was first published in 1968, it became the focus of a nationwide cult. Here, Abbey vividly captures the essence of his life during three seasons as a park ranger in southeastern Utah. Show less

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The Guns of August

The Guns of August

by Tuchman, Barbara W.

Downloadable Audiobook - 2008

In this landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning account, renowned historian (and former Greenwich resident), Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of Wor...Show more In this landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning account, renowned historian (and former Greenwich resident), Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of World War I: thirty days in the summer of 1914 that determined the course of the conflict, the century, and ultimately our present world. Modern Library selected it as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time Show less

In this landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning account, renowned historian (and former Greenwich resident), Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of Wor...Show more In this landmark, Pulitzer Prize winning account, renowned historian (and former Greenwich resident), Barbara W. Tuchman re-creates the first month of World War I: thirty days in the summer of 1914 that determined the course of the conflict, the century, and ultimately our present world. Modern Library selected it as one of the 100 best nonfiction books of all time Show less

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A Time of Gifts

A Time of Gifts

On Foot to Constantinople : From the Hook of Holland to the Middle Danube

by Fermor, Patrick Leigh

eBook - 2005

This beloved account about an intrepid young Englishman on the first leg of his walk from London to Constantinople is simply one of the best works of travel literature ever written. This beloved account about an intrepid young Englishman on the first leg of his walk from London to Constantinople is simply one of the best works of travel literature ever written. Show less

This beloved account about an intrepid young Englishman on the first leg of his walk from London to Constantinople is simply one of the best works of travel literature ever written. This beloved account about an intrepid young Englishman on the first leg of his walk from London to Constantinople is simply one of the best works of travel literature ever written. Show less

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Turing's Cathedral

Turing's Cathedral

[the Origins of the Digital Universe]

by Dyson, George

Downloadable Audiobook - 2012

Legendary historian and philosopher of science George Dyson vividly re-creates the scenes of focused experimentation, incredible mathematical insight, and...Show more Legendary historian and philosopher of science George Dyson vividly re-creates the scenes of focused experimentation, incredible mathematical insight, and pure creative genius that gave us computers, digital television, modern genetics, models of stellar evolution--in other words, computer code. Show less

Legendary historian and philosopher of science George Dyson vividly re-creates the scenes of focused experimentation, incredible mathematical insight, and...Show more Legendary historian and philosopher of science George Dyson vividly re-creates the scenes of focused experimentation, incredible mathematical insight, and pure creative genius that gave us computers, digital television, modern genetics, models of stellar evolution--in other words, computer code. Show less

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H Is for Hawk

H Is for Hawk

by Macdonald, Helen

Audiobook CD - 2015

When the author's father dies and she is knocked sideways by grief, she becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. Destined to be a clas...Show more When the author's father dies and she is knocked sideways by grief, she becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. Destined to be a classic of nature writing, H is for Hawk is a record of a spiritual journey--an unflinchingly honest account of Macdonald's struggle with grief during the difficult process of the hawk's taming and her own untaming. Show less

When the author's father dies and she is knocked sideways by grief, she becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. Destined to be a clas...Show more When the author's father dies and she is knocked sideways by grief, she becomes obsessed with the idea of training her own goshawk. Destined to be a classic of nature writing, H is for Hawk is a record of a spiritual journey--an unflinchingly honest account of Macdonald's struggle with grief during the difficult process of the hawk's taming and her own untaming. Show less

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The Hidden Reality

The Hidden Reality

Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos

by Greene, Brian

eBook - 2011

That our cosmos is but one of many has inspired a recent spate of theoretical physicist-authors—Lisa Randall, Michio Kaku, Leonard Susskind—to advance the...Show more That our cosmos is but one of many has inspired a recent spate of theoretical physicist-authors—Lisa Randall, Michio Kaku, Leonard Susskind—to advance their particular idea of the multiverse in general-interest works. As bizarre as multiverses appear, the credence that scientists accord them is wonderfully transmitted to a lay readership by Greene. Show less

That our cosmos is but one of many has inspired a recent spate of theoretical physicist-authors—Lisa Randall, Michio Kaku, Leonard Susskind—to advance the...Show more That our cosmos is but one of many has inspired a recent spate of theoretical physicist-authors—Lisa Randall, Michio Kaku, Leonard Susskind—to advance their particular idea of the multiverse in general-interest works. As bizarre as multiverses appear, the credence that scientists accord them is wonderfully transmitted to a lay readership by Greene. Show less

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The Invention of Nature

The Invention of Nature

Alexander Von Humboldt's New World

by Wulf, Andrea

Downloadable Audiobook - 2015

A portrait of the German naturalist reveals his ongoing influence on humanity's relationship with the natural world today, discussing such topics as his views on climate change, conservation, and nature as a resource for all life A portrait of the German naturalist reveals his ongoing influence on humanity's relationship with the natural world today, discussing such topics as his views on climate change, conservation, and nature as a resource for all life Show less

A portrait of the German naturalist reveals his ongoing influence on humanity's relationship with the natural world today, discussing such topics as his views on climate change, conservation, and nature as a resource for all life A portrait of the German naturalist reveals his ongoing influence on humanity's relationship with the natural world today, discussing such topics as his views on climate change, conservation, and nature as a resource for all life Show less

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The Orchid Thief

The Orchid Thief

by Orlean, Susan

eBook - 2002

Susan Orlean first met John Laroche when visiting Florida to write for the New Yorker about his arrest for stealing rare ghost orchids from a nature reser...Show more Susan Orlean first met John Laroche when visiting Florida to write for the New Yorker about his arrest for stealing rare ghost orchids from a nature reserve. Fascinated both by Laroche and the world she uncovered of orchid collectors and growers, she stayed on, to write this magical exploration of obsession and the strange world both of the orchid obsessives and of Florida, that haunting and weird 'debatable land' of swamps and condos, retirement communities and real-estate scams. Show less

Susan Orlean first met John Laroche when visiting Florida to write for the New Yorker about his arrest for stealing rare ghost orchids from a nature reser...Show more Susan Orlean first met John Laroche when visiting Florida to write for the New Yorker about his arrest for stealing rare ghost orchids from a nature reserve. Fascinated both by Laroche and the world she uncovered of orchid collectors and growers, she stayed on, to write this magical exploration of obsession and the strange world both of the orchid obsessives and of Florida, that haunting and weird 'debatable land' of swamps and condos, retirement communities and real-estate scams. Show less

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The Club

The Club

Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped An Age

by Damrosch, Leopold

eBook - 2019

In 1763, the painter Joshua Reynolds proposed to his friend Samuel Johnson that they invite a few friends to join them every Friday at the Turk's Head Tav...Show more In 1763, the painter Joshua Reynolds proposed to his friend Samuel Johnson that they invite a few friends to join them every Friday at the Turk's Head Tavern in London to dine, drink, and talk until midnight. Eventually the group came to include among its members Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, Edward Gibbon, Oliver Goldsmith, David Garrick and James Boswell; a brilliant, competitive, and eccentric cast of characters, whose ideas helped to shape their age, and our own. Show less

In 1763, the painter Joshua Reynolds proposed to his friend Samuel Johnson that they invite a few friends to join them every Friday at the Turk's Head Tav...Show more In 1763, the painter Joshua Reynolds proposed to his friend Samuel Johnson that they invite a few friends to join them every Friday at the Turk's Head Tavern in London to dine, drink, and talk until midnight. Eventually the group came to include among its members Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, Edward Gibbon, Oliver Goldsmith, David Garrick and James Boswell; a brilliant, competitive, and eccentric cast of characters, whose ideas helped to shape their age, and our own. Show less

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