Columbine by Dave Cullen

Taryn's comments:


Award-winning journalist Dave Cullen has followed the story of Columbine for the past 10 years, and this book is a result of his exhaustive research on the horrifying event, its devastating effect on the town, and the chilling backstory of the killers responsible for the tragedy.

This was a disturbing yet riveting read. It made me sick to my stomach to read some of the details from the killers' journals, websites, and videotapes as they planned their attack. The massacre was described in vivid detail as well, which was difficult to read. At times it was so intense that I had to take a break from reading, but I returned to the book because it was so well-written and researched, and I needed to read on to see if there was any way to make sense of this unspeakable tragedy.

Much of what I thought I knew about the Columbine massacre was actually not true. Cullen dispels many of the myths created by the media about the killers' motives and the events of that terrible day. He details the mistakes and coverups that plagued the police investigation in the years following the massacre as well as the struggles faced by survivors and the families of those who died.

The information in this book is not presented in chronological order. Different narratives from before, during, and after the event are pieced together seamlessly. Cullen presented everything with tremendous compassion for the community and everyone affected.

Columbine is a thought-provoking read which provides a complete picture of the tragedy from multiple perspectives.

Adult Nonfiction, 373.7888 CUL

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Erin's comments: 


I'm not a huge reader of non-fiction, but I'm beginning to think that I'm just not reading the right books, because I read this book more compulsively than any recent novel in fiction. 

Devil in the White City brings to light just how dramatically Chicago's 1893 World Fair impacted and changed the world. This book walks you through nearly every phase of creating and constructing the magical city that stood in such contrast to the dark and bleak streets of Chicago. So much happened for the country during the grand event: The Ferris Wheel was designed and built to outshine Eiffel's Tower; electrical bulbs were used on a mass scale to light the paths of the fair; and Chicago proved that it deserved a place alongside the grand cities of Paris, London, and New York. What I found most compelling was how dedicated the city was to completing the project in spite of unforgiving weather, national economic collapse, labor strikes, fire, sickness, and death. Larson does a wonderful job of working facts into this tale of wonder and terror surrounding this great exposition. 

Though I was thoroughly fascinated with the architectual journey of the fair, I was equally intrigued by the chapters relating to Dr. H. H. Holmes and his hotel of horror. Holmes' ability to outsmart and distract from an entire life of crime and murder was particularly striking, and Holmes himself was such a dynamic and cold character, it's hard to believe he was not a work of fiction. 

Though some of the work seemed speculative, I believe most historical books are, and this particular one kept me turning the pages unlike any other I've read. In fact, I was so enthralled with Holmes' life, I decided to try another non-fiction/serial killer read: Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

Adult Nonfiction, 364.1523 LAR

Today We Are Rich by Tim Sanders

Kendra’s comments:   

With all that life throws my way on a daily basis, I have found that positive thinking is critical to my survival both personally and professionally.  I was lucky to have been raised in a home that taught me to be grateful for all that God has given me and to not dwell on the difficulties and challenges that come my way.  Reading books, articles, and listening to stories and music that reinforce that message allows me to not only cope in today’s world, but to thrive.  Today We Are Rich is an excellent source of inspiration for someone wanting to reconnect with the basics of gratitude, service, and the power of positive thinking.  Tim Sanders lays out seven principles for re-aligning your mindset to be more positive in your home and work life.  The ideas and suggestions for how to improve are nothing I haven’t heard before, but it is a nice reminder of just how important it is to surround yourself with positive messages and to stay focused on the person you want to be instead of the person you fear you might become.  This is a great book that isn’t too long, forced me to think about my outlook and encouraged me to incorporate a few helpful daily habits to help me along my life journey.  

Adult Nonfiction, 170.44 SAN

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy

Kendra's comments:

Reading great books has the power to change your life, or that is the basic premise of Conroy’s autobiographical tale about his life as it relates to reading.  This delightful book showcases the ways literature and those who introduced him to it shaped the writer that Conroy eventually grew into being.

My Reading Life is a collection of stories told by a master storyteller. Conroy’s ability to paint a picture and draw you into the situation he is describing is phenomenal.  I love reading, and was able to relate to the emotion that Conroy expressed as he discussed his dependence and need for great literature in his life. My Reading Life has me going to the book shelves in search of the classics that I have missed in my own reading life, and I look forward to reading and extracting as much meaning and value as Conroy has over the years. 

I listened to the audiobook version, which is available at Greenwood Public Library along with the print copy and digital copies.  

Adult Biographies, BIO CONROY

AV Books on CD, BKCD BIO CON

Also available as a downloadable eBook or audiobook

Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute

Kendra’s comments:  

It can be easy to become trapped in a cycle of self-deception and find yourself blaming others for everything that is going wrong in your life, both personally and professionally.  In Leadership and Self-Deception, this hopeless feeling of being trapped and unhappy is called “being in the box.”  Through the use of a fictional story that makes up the content of this audiobook, the Arbinger Institute provides real life personal and professional situations which help listeners to identify situations in which they have acted in a self-deceptive manner and provides alternative ways of handling those situations that would have resulted in more positive outcomes.  Caring for and helping others are not foreign concepts, but this audiobook serves as a nice reminder of the wonderful benefits of listening to your inner voice.     

This audiobook is available at Greenwood Public Library. 

AV Books on CD, 658.4 LEA

Anticancer: A New Way of Life by David Servan-Schreiber

Kendra’s comments:

Cancer touches everyone in one way or another, either by dealing with the disease first hand or by watching a loved one deal with it.  The cause of cancer is still unknown, however, there are factors that exist between your environment and your chances of contracting the disease (smoking and lung cancer being the most widely known example).  The amount of research that exists regarding contraction of the disease, methods of prevention, treatment options, and techniques for minimizing the impact of the disease once it does hit is quite extensive, however.  Dr. Servan-Schreiber started studying this topic over fifteen years ago.  After he overcame his first bought of brain cancer, he had a relapse which required a second round of treatment.  Dr. Servan-Schreiber’s desire to never experience that horror again motivated him to look at all treatment options worldwide to see if there was anything more he could be doing to minimize the impact of the disease on his life.  He found that there were many more documented links between fixing your personal environment or terrain and the impact that cancer has on a patient than what was known by any of his personal physicians and oncologists.  While writing this book he studied over 350 professional journals in order to better define and back up the methods he adopted himself many years ago which he believes has kept the disease away while improving his life in many unexpected ways.  Anticancer is inspirational in that it provides hope to those who fear the disease and those dealing with it that there are often things they could be doing and habits they could be adopting to help minimize cancer’s effect on the body.  While it would take quite a lot of commitment to adopt all of the ideas highlighted in this book, several are common sense (like healthy eating and regular exercise) that we should be doing for our bodies anyway. 

I listened to this audiobook version of Anticancer.  It is available for checkout at Greenwood Public Library.   

AV New Books on CD

Making the Corps by Thomas E. Ricks

Taryn's comments:

Making the Corps follows a platoon of young men through Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina and provides insight into the process of becoming a Marine. Ricks describes day-to-day life at boot camp in great detail and gives readers an in depth look at the transformation that occurs within each recruit during those grueling weeks. I was surprised to learn how much emphasis was given to imparting the values, traditions, and culture of the Marine Corps at boot camp—it’s not just physical training that takes place. Ricks provides the perspectives of both recruits and drill instructors to give a complete picture of what really goes on at boot camp. Ricks seamlessly weaves information about the history of the Marine Corps into the boot camp narrative and examines the role of the Marine Corps’ role in American society in the past, present, and future. 

I read this book while my husband (then my fiancé) was at boot camp in San Diego, and it helped me understand--to some extent--what he was going through. Some things about boot camp may have changed since this book was published in 1997, but it is still a great introduction to the Marine Corps. There is a 10^th anniversary edition with a new afterword from the author which includes information on the recruits in the book who went on to serve in Iraq. I recommend this book to anyone who has friends or family members in the Marine Corps or anyone just wants to learn more about the history and culture of the Marine Corps. 

Available through Evergreen

Click: The Magic of Instant Connections by Ori Brafman

Kendra's comments:

The ability to connect with so many different people is one part of my job as a librarian that I love.  Sometimes, however, those connections are very powerful and extraordinary.  You know when you are interacting with the other person that things are just – “clicking”.  Whether it is with a total stranger, or a coworker as we work on a project, or a loved one, that sensation of connecting is almost magical.  When you are clicking with another person you are able to bounce ideas back and forth without fear of judgment, you are able to communicate verbally and non-verbally, and things happen at a much higher rate than normal with higher levels of quality and success.  The Brafman brothers have explored this phenomenon in the book Click.  They have looked at academic literature on the subject, and also spoken with many successful people and have pinpointed several key characteristics that foster a greater sense of clicking. 

Some people are known to be “schmoozers”, but this book points out that most people who foster the greatest degrees of clicking do so without the aim of gaining anything, they are just naturally curious and adaptable and therefore succeed at faster rates than others in the work force.  The last three chapters of the book focus on real-world applications for becoming better tuned to the world around you in an attempt to click with a wider group of people.  In other words, if it isn’t your natural state to “click” right away with others, then it gives some ideas for becoming a better “clicker.”

Request this book in Evergreen. 

Shakespeare: The World As Stage by Bill Bryson

Valerie's comments:

Bill Bryson takes a bit of a detour from his usual writing style in this biography of Shakespeare. While Bryson generally writes about his own personal experiences, in this book he is writing about what little is known of the most famous writer of the English language. Despite this departure, Shakespeare: The World As Stage is not without Bryson's trademark humor. Bryson is able to bring to life the period in which Shakespeare lived. He sticks mostly to the facts, and rarely ventures into conjecture as some biographies of Shakespeare tend to do. Bryson describes the bits of evidence that have been found regarding Shakespeare, from his marriage to Anne Hathaway, the birth of his children, the move to London, the tax evasion, the signing of his will and his eventual death. He describes the frustration that scholars have faced in regards to the limited amount of information about when Shakespeare actually wrote his plays, and in what order. Bryson celebrates the editors who had the good sense to actually publish Shakespeare's plays, allowing them to be preserved for years to come. He acknowledges the vast influence Shakespeare has had on the English language as a whole. (Several common phrases used today were coined by Shakespeare.) He even presents several theories about whether Shakespeare was in fact the author of the many plays he has be credited with writing, although Bryson does seem to disagree with such theories. And despite the fact that this biography is mostly retellings of bits and pieces of facts and rumors, Bryson was able to create a cohesive story that is easy to understand and enjoy. While this may not be a title for a serious Shakespearean scholar, it is certainly worth sharing with any fan of history or Shakespeare's works. 

Request this book in Evergreen. 

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures by Malcolm Gladwell

Joe's comments:

Gladwell, the humorous staff writer at the New Yorker magazine has compiled a book of dozens of his best and award-winning pieces from the magazine. From interviewing pioneering businessmen like Ron Popeil (for which he garnered awards), to tracking the history of ketchup, to examining the secrets of Cesar “The Dog Whisperer” Millan, Gladwell brings humor and wit to this book of fascinating true stories. This book is great for anyone who enjoys reading about business history or anyone who enjoys humorous stories in general. If you enjoy it, or want to check out any of Gladwell’s other books, check out “Outliers,” or “Blink.”


Call # 814.6 GLA

My Jesus Year: A Rabbi’s Son Wanders the Bible Belt in Search of His Own Faith by Benyamin Cohen

Joe's comments:

Benyamin Cohen is the son of an orthodox Atlanta rabbi. In his thirties, he writes a memoir of his experiences under the yoke of his domineering father.

Cohen grew up across the street from a Methodist church that he always knew was forbidden fruit. Always awed by the colorful stained glass, the spires and crosses, and throngs of families in attendance, he compared the church congregation with the declining attendance at his own synagogue. What was so much more appealing about Christianity? What was missing in his own spiritual life that examining Christianity might answer?

Make no mistake- Cohen is not looking to convert. He sees his religion as one that he can’t escape from. He doesn’t want to escape from it. He wants a more enriching spiritual experience and sees that a varied experience might help. Each chapter examines his travels among various Christian groups. One visit to an Baptist “megachurch” near Atlanta, one visit to a Christian-themed ultimate fighting match, a visit with Mormon missionaries while on mission, even a day spent with a community of Ethiopian Jews who see themselves as lost descendants of King Solomon.

The book is humorous. Cohen does relate many of his own struggles in life with his declining spiritual health. By the end, though, the author finds what he was looking for all along: his relationship with God is stronger by having experienced religious culture in a new light. 

Call # 921 COH

Winning by Losing by Jillian Michaels

Taryn's comments:


I enjoy watching Jillian Michaels on The Biggest Loser and Losing It with Jillian, and I often use her workout DVDs at home. I had never read any of her books before, so when I saw this one at the library, I had to pick it up. I like how the book is organized into three sections: Self, Science, and Sweat. For me the most interesting and helpful section was Self. Jillian really makes you think about your attitudes toward food and exercise and identify some of the excuses you make for not eating healthy or exercising. I like that she addresses these issues before giving recommendations on diet and exercise. The second section, Science, focuses on nutrition and figuring out what type of metabolism you have. My eyes glazed over a bit at some of the sheer amount of details in this chapter, but overall it was good advice tailored to different types of metabolisms. The final section, Sweat, focuses on anatomy and exercise. There were plenty of pictures included that demonstrated correct form for specific exercises. 

Winning by Losing is a great book for anyone who wants a little motivation to get healthy by eating right and exercising.


Check status at GPL / Place book on hold. 

When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace by John Yokoyama

Kendra's comments:

Through various news stories over the years, I have heard about the throwing fish mongers at Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.  As a food lover, this is a place that I am eager to visit one day.  I did not realize what an amazing business model the market is, and that a number of small businesses, large corporations, and school districts have used the lessons the market has adapted over the years to positively shift the way every employee, supervisor, and owner sees themselves and the impact of their work on the world. 

Pike Place Fish Market has been around for over forty years.  They were doing okay and getting by, but the owner, John Yokoyama, wanted to try to expand the business into the wholesale fish business about twenty years ago.  This failed miserably, and the business was in danger of going under.  Instead of giving up, however, he sought the advice of a coach who helped him to reframe his thinking.  He re-evaluated how he viewed his management style, his employees, and the future of his business.  Yokoyama explored what his business would look like if he was able to create a new vision for his business along with his employees, and that there might be a greater purpose to his business than just selling fish.      

This is a powerful little book about the power of positive thinking.  I hope my coworkers will take a few hours and listen to this message, and I believe it would serve anyone working in any kind of organization well.  GPL owns the audio version of this book, and it is available for checkout.  If you prefer to read the print version of the book and have an Evergreen card, you may place it on hold through our catalog. 

A Great Resource for Job Hunters

If you are currently looking for a job, you may be interested in the 2011 edition of What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard N. Bolles. 

This detailed guide to job-hunting provides specific answers to questions such as: 

• What are the five best--and worst--ways to search for a job? 
• What are the most helpful job sites on the Internet, out of the thousands that are out there? 
• What interview questions can I expect to be asked, and how do I answer them? 
• I want to use a resume. What should I include?
• I haven't a clue how to do salary negotiation. Help!
• There are no jobs out there, so I'm thinking of starting my own business. Where do I begin?
• Since I'm out of work, I'd like to use this opportunity to find more purpose and sense of mission in my next job. How do I do that?
• What are the ten biggest mistakes made during interviews? 

This is just a sampling of some of the many topics introduced in this valuable resource. Click here to check the book's status in our catalog or place it on  hold. 

GPL offers many other job searching resources, and librarians are always here to help you if you need assistance (and encouragement!) as you seek employment. 

Math Doesn't Suck by Danica McKellar

Taryn's comments:


While Danica McKellar may be best known for being an actress (you may recognize her from The Wonder Years or more recently, The West Wing), she is also an internationally recognized mathematician and advocate for math education.

In recent years, much media coverage has been given to the fact that the math scores of students in the U.S. are lagging behind their peers around the world. Studies show that girls' scores in particular start to fall in middle school.This could be due to some of the negative social messages girls receive - that math is hard and that it is something they should be afraid of.

McKellar's book, Math Doesn't Suck, challenges the notion that girls can't do math. The author serves as a great role model for girls because she used to be terrified of math before she started to finally understand it and even enjoy it. In this book she shares stories of real women who overcame their math phobia and went on to successful careers. McKellar provides instruction on middle school math concepts that cause the most confusion and includes plenty of real-world examples that demonstrate why these concepts are important.She also includes several memory tricks she created throughout the years for remembering tricky math concepts. Reading this book is like having your own personal tutoring session with the author.

Also included in the book is a troubleshooting guide and a "Smart Girl's Resource Guide" for more help and inspiration. This informative and visually appealing book is a must-read for any young girl struggling with math. I wish it had been around when I was in middle school! Parents, teachers, and tutors may also be interested in this book and other books by McKellar, including Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss and Hot X: Algebra Exposed.

Check status at GPL / place the book on hold.

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez

Ellen's comments: 

If you've read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen, you'll find this book especially interesting. (And if you haven't read Three Cups of Tea, I recommend that you do!)

In 2002 Deborah Rodriguez was a member of a CFAF humanitarian mission in Afghanistan. A beautician among doctors, nurses, and therapists, she felt like a water boy--supporting the team, but not contributing anything of real value. She soon discovered, however, two areas in which she excelled. First, she had a real gift for befriending the local people. Second, her skills were called upon by Westerners who hadn't had a decent haircut for months and by Afghan women who took great pride in their appearance--even under the burkhas they were required to wear. Thus was a dream born: to train women of Kabul to be capable beauticians and thus support themselves or supplement meager family incomes.

Back in the U.S. after the mission ended, she began to tell her dream t friends and to corporate executives. Contributions began to roll in, by the handful and by the truckload. Storage, then shipping, eventually worked out, and she was on her way back to Afghanistan to begin her beauty school.

There were problems, of course: language barriers, culture differences with some embarrassing and even dangerous missteps, uncertain funding, pressure from the Taliban...One step at a time, she met those challenges and worked through them. Eventually, Rodriguez is introduced to and marriage is arranged with an Afghan man who has power, position, and wealth to see her through many crises.

This is the compelling story of a woman who gave up security and the comfort of familiar surroundings to help others. And isn't that what life's all about?

Check status at GPL or place the book on hold.

Linchpin by Seth Godin

Kendra's comments:

 It is Godin's belief that most of us are lucky enough to have a choice in life. We can choose mediocrity or we can choose to do something remarkable with our talents. This self-help book motivates people to think of their work as a form of art. It doesn't matter if you are the CEO of a billion dollar company or a barista at a local coffee shop, everyone has a choice about how they perform their particular skills.

Why do you go to work every day? Is there some reason besides a paycheck that keeps you working on a project until it is just right? Do you ever put in a little more work or try a little harder to get something just right? Seth Godin challenges us to use this style of thinking in relation to performing our work, or art, as he likes to call it. The type of worker that continually works harder and isn't afraid to push the boundaries of what is possible is what Godin likes to call a "Linchpin" - an indispensable worker who will not only find themselves in better working conditions as time goes on, but will also be happier and have more fun in life.

This is a great book for anyone wanting a little motivation to invest a little more energy into their work. It's a very positive book that makes everything seem possible if you have the determination to make it happen and aren't afraid of some hard work.

Check status at GPL or place book on hold.

The Northern Lights by Lucy Jago

Ellen's comments:
From childhood I remember a spectacular display of Northern Lights: blowing "curtains" of brilliant colors all across the sky. It was beautiful but also fearsome because I didn't understand what I was seeing. Turns out nobody did--except for Kristian Birkeland and his research team.

Lucy Jago tells the story of this man who made it his life's work to unlock the secrets of the Aurora Borealis. In 1899, with four assistants and led by a Lapp guide, he set out to spend the winter at Haldde Observatory, located at the northernmost reach of Norway. One associate, an aspiring surgeon, suffered such severely frostbitten fingers on the trip that he had to return immediately. His fingertips were lost, as was his dream of becoming a surgeon. This was but the beginning of the difficulties of the winter as the group observed and recorded weather conditions, magnetometer readings, and Northern Lights displays in some of the harshest climate the world has to offer.

Birkeland's work was largely overlooked because the scientists of most of the rest of the world considered "Norwegian scientist" to be pretty much an oxymoron. Birkeland, however, was an amazing man with an amazingly creative, fertile mind. It is impossible to give a true picture of his genius in a few short paragraphs. The list of his inventions is long, and many of them have been the basis for modern scientific equipment, hydroelectric power, industrial production of saltpeter for fertilizer, even space exploration and weapons of war.

Cheated of the Nobel Prize by an arrogant associate, Birkeland continued his research, and was in Egypt exploring Zodiacal Light when he was trapped by the outbreak of World War I and unable to return home. He eventually "took the long way home," via Japan, where he became ill and died. Ironically, at the time of his death he was being considered for the Nobel Prize for his work on the Aurora Borealis. It was not until the 1960s(!), however, that his explanation for the Northern Lights was accepted by the scientific community and is how we understand them today.

This is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel, and though you may not understand the principles of physics involved, you will find the life of this man engrossing.

Check status at GPL.

Learn to knit and create "Charmed" projects!

Amber's Comments: If you're resolving to pick up a new hobby or to get crafty this year, GPL has a great opportunity to help get you started in the new year.

The first Tuesday of each month, the library offers the Hip to Knit

program for all ages and experience levels. Anyone who knits or crochets is welcome to bring their own project and knit in the company of others.

If you don't knit, but want to learn - we would love to have you. Bring a pair of needles and some enthusiasm, and we'll get started. It usually takes a little practice, but is a fun, addictive, and rewarding hobby once you start!

Join us in Reference Meeting Room upstairs from 5:30-7:30 pm on January 5.

I'll be working on my current project, Jaywalker Socks, which I got from Ravelry - a great FREE online pattern resource.

If you're looking for more knitting inspiration, the library has several great books. One of my favorites is Charmed Knits (check status at GPL). This book is great for Harry Potter fans. It has patterns of several sweaters that have been included in the Harry Potter movies, and some other patterns that are inspired by the series. You can also make your own house scarf, Errol the owl or some ornament-sized Weasley sweaters! The patterns include levels similar to those at Hogwarts (easy projects are OWLs and difficult ones are NEWTs), which adds a fun magical touch to the instructions.

There's nothing like cozying up with some nice yarn on cold winter nights, so make sure to join us on Tuesday!

Chocolate Anyone?

Kendra's Comments: I love chocolate. I grew up in a chocolate loving household, and especially at this time of year, I get craving decadent desserts of all kinds. If you are anything like me in this regard, Greenwood Library has a treat for you. On Tuesday, December 8 at 6:30pm a program Chocolate Anyone? will take place in community room B. Jay Noel of Abbott’s Also will be talking about chocolate and his shop. We hope to taste some of his delights as well. Come relax for an educational and fun evening next week.

There are a fair number of books in our collection that deal with chocolate. The number of cook books devoted solely to chocolate desserts is astounding. If you are feeling ready for a new challenge, try out a unique recipe from one of the many books now on display upstairs such as 70 Classic Chocolate Recipes : Famous Recipes and Special Treats Using the World's Most Irresistible Ingredient. My favorite cookbook is the Hershey Chocolate Cookbook that my mom bought me several years ago (hint, hint, if you are looking for a unique Christmas present for the baker in your life!).

As far as fiction goes, there are many options for the chocolate lover to feel connected. Check out JoAnna Carl’s Chocoholic series starting out with The Chocolate Cat Caper. My all time favorite chocolate fiction is Chocolat by Joanne Harris and its sequel The Girl With No Shadow. Sure, Chocolat is all about that other chocolate centered holiday (Valentine’s Day), but it’s good enough to adapt yourself. It’s one of my favorites!

So have a cup of hot cocoa and settle in with a delicious book this season. And don’t forget about the library’s chocolate program on Tuesday. See you then!