Inyo County Free Library - New Acquisitions

These are books and media new to the library and cataloged by the Inyo County Free Library.

Additional information about each title can be found in the catalog (click on the title). For older acquisition lists choose from Select another list. To request any of these titles please contact your local library branch.

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NEW RELEASE

Train: riding the rails that created the modern world : from the Trans-Siberian to the Southwest Chief

By Zoellner, Tom

Publishing Date: 2014

Classification: 300

Call Number: 385.09 ZOE

"A revelatory, entertaining account of the world's most indispensable mode of transportation Tom Zoellner loves trains with a ferocious passion. In his new book he chronicles the innovation and sociological impact of the railway technology that changed the world, and could very well change it again. From the frigid trans-Siberian railroad to the antiquated Indian Railways to the futuristic MagLev trains, Zoellner offers a stirring story of man's relationship with trains. Zoellner examines both the mechanics of the rails and their engines and how they helped societies evolve. Not only do trains transport people and goods in an efficient manner, but they also reduce pollution and dependency upon oil. Zoellner also considers America's culture of ambivalence to mass transit, using the perpetually stalled line between Los Angeles and San Francisco as a case study in bureaucracy and public indifference. Train presents both an entertaining history of railway travel around the world while offering a serious and impassioned case for the future of train travel"--

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NEW RELEASE

The island of knowledge: the limits of science and the search for meaning

By Gleiser, Marcelo

Publishing Date: [2014]

Classification: 500

Call Number: 501 GLE

"Do all questions have answers? How much can we know about the world? Is there such a thing as an ultimate truth? To be human is to want to know, to understand our origins and the meaning of our lives. In The Island of Knowledge, physicist Marcelo Gleiser traces our search for answers to the most fundamental questions of existence, the origin of the universe, the nature of reality, and the limits of knowledge. In so doing, he reaches a provocative conclusion: science, the main tool we use to find answers, is fundamentally limited. As science and its philosophical interpretations advance, we are often faced with the unsettling recognition of how much we don't know. Limits to our knowledge of the world arise both from our tools of exploration and from the nature of physical reality: the speed of light, the uncertainty principle, the second law of thermodynamics, the incompleteness theorem, and our own limitations as an intelligent species. Our view of physical reality depends fundamentally on who we are and on how we interact with the cosmos"--

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NEW RELEASE

The grapes of math: how life reflects numbers and numbers reflect life

By Bellos, Alex

Publishing Date: 2014

Classification: 500

Call Number: 510 BEL

"From the bestselling author of Here's Looking at Euclid, a dazzling new book that turns even the most complex math into a brilliantly entertaining narrative. From triangles, rotations and power laws, to cones, curves and the dreaded calculus, Alex takes you on a journey of mathematical discovery with his signature wit and limitless enthusiasm. He sifts through over 30,000 survey submissions to uncover the world's favourite number, and meets a mathematician who looks for universes in his garage. He attends the World Mathematical Congress in India, and visits the engineer who designed the first roller-coaster loop. Get hooked on math as Alex delves deep into humankind's turbulent relationship with numbers, and reveals how they have shaped the world we live in"--

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Traveling the 38th Parallel: a water line around the world

By Carle, David

Publishing Date: c2013

Classification: 500

Call Number: 551.48 CAR

Between extremes of climate farther north and south, the 38th North parallel line marks a temperate, middle latitude where human societies have thrived since the beginning of civilization. It divides North and South Korea, passes through Athens and San Francisco, and bisects Mono Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada, where authors David and Janet Carle make their home. Former park rangers, the authors set out on an around-the-world journey in search of water-related environmental and cultural intersections along the 38th parallel. This book is a chronicle of their adventures as they meet people confronting challenges in water supply, pollution, wetlands loss, and habitat protection. At the heart of the narrative are the riveting stories of the passionate individuals--scientists, educators, and local activists--who are struggling to preserve some of the world's most amazing, yet threatened, landscapes. Traveling largely outside of cities, away from well-beaten tourist tracks, the authors cross Japan, Korea, China, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Greece, Sicily, Spain, Portugal, the Azores Islands, and the United States--from Chesapeake Bay to San Francisco Bay. The stories they gather provide stark contrasts as well as reaffirming similarities across diverse cultures. Generously illustrated with maps and photos, "Traveling the 38th Parallel" documents devastating environmental losses but also inspiring gains made through the efforts of dedicated individuals working against the odds to protect these fragile places.

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FitzRoy: the remarkable story of Darwin's captain and the invention of the weather forecast

By Gribbin, John R.

Publishing Date: 2004

Classification: 500

Call Number: 551.5092 GRI

The name of Robert FitzRoy, captain of the Beagle, is forever linked with that of his most famous passenger, Charles Darwin. This exceptionally interesting biography brings FitzRoy out of Darwin's shadow for the first time, revealing a man who experienced high adventure, suffered tragic disappointments, and, as the inventor of weather forecasting, saved the lives of countless fellow mariners. John Gribbin and Mary Gribbin draw a detailed portrait of FitzRoy, recounting the wide range of his accomplishments and exploring the motivations that drove him. As a very young and successful commander in the British navy, FitzRoy led a life in the mold of a Patrick O'Brien novel. Later disappointments, including an unpopular tenure as governor of New Zealand and a sense of dismay over his own contributions to Darwin's ideas of evolution, troubled FitzRoy. Even his groundbreaking accomplishments in meteorological science failed to satisfy his high personal expectations, and in 1865 FitzRoy committed suicide at the age of sixty. This biography focuses well-deserved attention on FitzRoy's status as a scientist and seaman, affirming that his was a life that, despite its sorrowful end, encompassed far more successes than failures. The adventurous life and many accomplishments of the sea captain who invited Charles Darwin aboard.

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The West without water: what past floods, droughts, and other climatic clues tell us about tomorrow

By Ingram, B. Lynn

Publishing Date: c2013

Classification: 500

Call Number: 551.6978 ING

From the publisher. The West without Water documents the tumultuous climate of the American West over twenty millennia, with tales of past droughts and deluges and predictions about the impacts of future climate change on water resources. Looking at the region's current water crisis from the perspective of its climate history, the authors ask the central question of what is "normal" climate for the West, and whether the relatively benign climate of the past century will continue into the future. The West without Water merges climate and paleoclimate research from a wide variety of sources as it introduces readers to key discoveries in cracking the secrets of the region's climatic past. It demonstrates that extended droughts and catastrophic floods have plagued the West with regularity over the past two millennia and recounts the most disastrous flood in the history of California and the West, which occurred in 1861-62. The authors show that, while the West may have temporarily buffered itself from such harsh climatic swings by creating artificial environments and human landscapes, our modern civilization may be ill-prepared for the future climate changes that are predicted to beset the region. They warn that it is time to face the realities of the past and prepare for a future in which fresh water may be less reliable.

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An appetite for wonder: the making of a scientist : a memoir

By Dawkins, Richard

Publishing Date: 2013

Classification: 500

Call Number: 574.092 DAW

Famous for his radical new vision of Darwinism, Richard Dawkins paints a colorful, richly textured canvas of his early life from innocent child to charismatic world-famous scientist.

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NEW RELEASE

The sixth extinction: an unnatural history

By Kolbert, Elizabeth

Publishing Date: 2014

Classification: 500

Call Number: 576.84 KOL

Provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

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NEW RELEASE

Seeds of hope: wisdom and wonder from the world of plants

By Goodall, Jane

Publishing Date: 2014

Classification: 500

Call Number: 580 GOO

Renowned naturalist and bestselling author Jane Goodall examines the critical role that trees and plants play in our world.

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Animal wise: the thoughts and emotions of our fellow creatures

By Morell, Virginia

Publishing Date: 2013

Classification: 500

Call Number: 591.513 MOR

Explores the frontiers of research on animal cognition and emotion, offering a surprising examination into the hearts and minds of wild and domesticated animals.

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Salt, sugar, fat: how the food giants hooked us

By Moss, Michael

Publishing Date: c2013

Classification: 600

Call Number: 613.2 MOS

The story of how the food industry have used three essential ingredients to control much of the world's diet.

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An astronaut's guide to life on Earth: [what going to space taught me about ingenuity, determination, and being prepared for anything]

By Hadfield, Chris

Publishing Date: 2013

Classification: 600

Call Number: 629.45 HAD

Hadfield takes readers into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. He developed an unconventional philosophy at NASA: Prepare for the worst-- and enjoy every moment of it. By thinking like an astronaut, you can change the way you view life on Earth-- especially your own.

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The astronaut wives club: a true story

By Koppel, Lily

Publishing Date: 2013

Classification: 600

Call Number: 629.45 KOP

"As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons. Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter was proclaimed JFK's favorite; and licensed pilot Trudy Cooper arrived on base with a secret. Together with the other wives they formed the Astronaut Wives Club, meeting regularly to provide support and friendship. Many became next-door neighbors and helped to raise each other's children by day, while going to glam parties at night. As their celebrity rose-and as divorce and tragic death began to touch their lives-they continued to rally together, and the wives have now been friends for more than fifty years. THE ASTRONAUT WIVES CLUB tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history"--

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Shed nation: design, build, and customize the perfect shed for your yard

By Eckstein, Dan

Publishing Date: c2010

Classification: 600

Call Number: 690.892 ECK

This compact book is peppered with great photographs of a variety of sheds, including tree houses and green buildings, but Eckstein (curriculum director, Yestermorrow Design/Build Sch.) offers only four building projects. In an authoritative and confident tone, he covers the basics of construction; however, a beginner would need more step-by-step instruction. This inspirational guide is best for the experienced builder. Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

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Still on the road: the songs of Bob Dylan, 1974-2006

By Heylin, Clinton

Publishing Date: c2010

Classification: 700

Call Number: 782.42 HEY

Still on the road is a continuation of Clinton Heylin's first volume, Revolution in the air : the songs of Bob Dylan, 1957-1973. Heylin has arranged the songs, including a number that have never been performed, in the chronology of when they were actually written, rather than when they appeared on albums. Using newly discovered manuscripts, anecdotal evidence, and knowledge of every Bob Dylan live performance, Heylin has uncovered a wealth of information about these songs and about Bob Dylan.

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NEW RELEASE

Fireball: Carole Lombard and the mystery of Flight 3

By Matzen, Robert D.

Publishing Date: c2014

Classification: 700

Call Number: 791.43 MAT

This fresh look at Hollywood's "Queen of Screwball," Carole Lombard, presents a first-ever examination of the events that led to the shocking flight mishap that took her life on the side of a Nevada mountain in 1942. It also provides a day-by-day accountof the struggles of Lombard's husband, Clark Gable, and other family, friends, and fans to cope with the tragedy. Based on extensive research rather than gossip, this investigation further explores the lives of the 21 others on the plane, including 15 members of the U.S. Army Air Corps, and addresses one of the most enduring mysteries of World War II. On a clear night full of stars, with TWA's most experienced pilot at the controls of a 10-month-old aircraft under the power of two fully functioning engines, why did the flight crash into that Nevada mountainside?

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NEW RELEASE

Five came back: a story of Hollywood and the Second World War

By Harris, Mark

Publishing Date: 2014

Classification: 700

Call Number: 791.4302 HAR

Plagued by accusations of un-American attitudes before World War II, movie folks rallied when the fighting broke out. Outstanding among them, says Harris (Pictures at a Revolution), were the directors John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens, who served worldwide in various branches of the military. (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC

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I promise not to suffer: a fool for love hikes the Pacific Crest Trail

By Storey, Gail Donohue

Publishing Date: 2013

Classification: 700

Call Number: 796.51 STO

When her husband, Porter, quits his job to hike the 2,663-mile Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, Gail Storey refuses to let him go alone. Gail, fifty-six at the time, was not a hiker and was terrified of leaving behind their comfortable Houston home for life on the trail. In the end, the trip tested and deepened their relationship, with each walking into the question Who am I?

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Recollections of Norman Clyde

By Milleron, Norman D.

Publishing Date: 2013

Classification: 700

Call Number: 796.522 MIL