Library News and Notable New Books

Library Offers New Patriotic Readings - The Crawfordsville Library will be closed Sunday, July 3rd and Monday, July 4th for the Independence Day holiday.

Here are new books in the Library's collection with patriotic themes. "What So Proudly We Hail" by Kass, Kass, and Schaub was written to help all Americans realize who they are as citizens of the United States; selections by our country's greatest writers and leaders express patriotism in stories, speeches, and songs. The book is a great review of American literature from present day reflections to federal period essays. "The Idea of America" by Gordon Wood is made up of reflections on the birth of the United States, showing why it remains the most significant event in our history by studying the fears and hopes of the Revolutionary generation. An interesting related book this week is "Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature, and the Shaping of the American Nation" by Andrea Wulf which shows the founding fathers "as they've never before been seen."

Timothy Ferris' "The Science of Liberty" makes a case for science as the inspiration behind the rise of democracy; it surveys the forces that have opposed liberty, from communism and fascism to postmodernism and Islamic fundamentalism. "Abraham Lincoln: Great American Historians on our Sixteenth President" offers 86 short essays on every aspect of his being' sponsored by C-Span which became "the television network of the Lincoln bicentennial." President Ronald Reagan's "The Notes" a book edited by Douglas Brinkley was written from Reagan's 4-by-6 note cards where he recorded his favorite nuggets of political wisdom and, from which it's clear, his methods helped him be "The Great Communicator." "Freedom at Risk" is James Buckley's reflection on politics, liberty, and the state, having held high office in each branch of the federal government as a senator, an under secretary of state, and a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals. He lists the steps that must be taken to save constitutional government.

"The Encyclopedia of Country Living" by Carla Emery holds all kinds of data many people, even city people, can use; there's a section on Garden Vegetables that describes each of them, tells how to use them in foods, which of their greens to eat, how to plant them, and their food values in "From Fava to Peanut, Garbanzo to Soy" for instance. Then under Poultry there's "Some of My Favorite Goose Recipes". Under Grasses, Grains & Canes there's "Unleavened Egg, and Acid-Base Leavened Breads."

From Rodale Press "The Doctors Book of Home Remedies" specializes in quick fixes, clever techniques, and uncommon cures to get you feeling better fast. Sheri Williamson has written the latest Peterson Field Guide called "Hummingbirds of North America." Next comes "Take Charge of your Nursing Career: Open the Door to your Dreams" by Lois Marshall contains information to use along the path to success and/or change. The "MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers" comes from the Modern Language Association which now has online access. "The 2011 Poet's Market" shows over a thousand updated listings to help poets get their work published. "Warman's Antiques & Collectibles" for 2012 by Mark Moran is a trip among beautiful things along with their stories and values. If you plan to visit Hawaii, there's Frommer's full-color Hawaii tour guide which includes a pocket map.

Stella Cameron's Court of Angels novels "Out of Body" and "Out of Sight" are suspenseful fantasy stories about a killing force attacking New Orleans.