Even if you are not going back to school this September, it is a great time to put on your thinking cap and broaden your horizons. To continue our monthly series of book lists, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library would like to recommend the following titles to exercise your grey matter.
Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Charles Seife. The history of the concept of the number zero -- from its birth in the East to it eventual acceptance in the West. Recounts the battles among scholars and mystics, scientists and clergymen. Cassette book RC 49949.
What To Listen For in Music by Aaron Copland. The renowned American composer discusses the creative process and elements of musical anatomy, principal musical forms, and the various levels of listening. Cassette book RC 33377. Braille book BR 3505.
Blood and Guts: A Short History of Medicine by Roy Porter. A study of Western medicine from ancient times to the present. Includes the changing landscape of diseases, doctors, therapies, surgeries, hospitals, and laboratories. Cassette book RC 56792. Braille book BR 14887.
How to Read and Why by Harold Bloom. Literary critic Bloom presents excerpts and interpretations of his favorite literary works to affirm the value of engaged reading. Cassette book RC 51628. Large print book LP 16758. Braille book BR 13309.
The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality by Brian Greene. Physicist examines three hundred years of scientific investigation into the basic but enigmatic concepts of space, time, and reality. Cassette book RC 57798.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss. Despairing over the abysmal state of British usage, a stickler for punctuation dissects common language errors involving apostrophes, commas, dashes, and hyphens. Cassette book RC 58442. Braille book BR 15421.
The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History by Stephen Jay Gould. Twenty-three essays chronicle the field of paleontology and present biographical sketches of scientists, including commentary on contemporary issues. Cassette book RC 53348.
Link to previous Recommended Reads.