NONFICTION TITLES PUBLISHED IN FEBRUARY 2020
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February's Nonfiction Titles PDF
Biography
The Adventurer's Son: A Memoir by Roman Dial
An Alaska Pacific University scientist and National Geographic Explorer recounts his two-year effort to uncover the fate of his adventurer son, who in 2014 disappeared into the untracked rainforest of Corcovado National Park.
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As Needed for Pain: A Memoir of Addiction by Dan Peres
The award-winning former editor-in-chief of Details presents a cautionary memoir that reveals his celebrity encounters and private life as an opioid addict, detailing how his addiction significantly impacted his life and career.
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Fighting for Space: Two Pilots and Their Historic Battle for Female Spaceflight by Amy Shira Teitel
The spaceflight historian and creator of YouTube's "Vintage Space" traces the engaging story of female pilots Jackie Cochran and Jerrie Cobb, who battled personal and patriarchal challenges to pursue their dream of becoming astronauts.
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Half Broke: A Memoir by Ginger Gaffney
A top-ranked horse trainer at an alternative prison ranch in New Mexico describes how her work rehabilitating abandoned horses and traumatized inmates helped her form profound bonds and overcome difficult personal challenges.
Imperfect Union: How Jessie and John Frémont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity, and Helped Cause the Civil War by Steve Inskeep
An NPR host tells the riveting story of John and Jessie Frémont, the husband and wife team who in the 1800s were instrumental in the westward expansion of the United States, and thus became America’s first great political couple.
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The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice—Crossing Antarctica Alone by Colin O'Brady
A multiple world-record holder and premier endurance athlete recounts his triumphant recovery from a disabling burn accident in early adulthood and his inspiring 932-mile solo crossing of Antarctica.
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In the Land of Men by Adrienne Miller
The author of The Coast of Akron traces her coming of age in the male-dominated 1990s literary world, discussing her relationship with David Foster Wallace and her achievements as the first female literary editor of Esquire.
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The Last Negroes at Harvard: The Class of 1963 and the 18 Young Men Who Changed Harvard Forever by Kent Garrett & Jeanne Ellsworth
A Harvard graduate who attended as one of 18 African-American recruits in an early affirmative-action program describes how he reconnected with his fellow graduates half a century later to learn their remarkable stories.
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Shadow on the Mountain: A Yazidi Memoir of Terror, Resistance and Hope by Shaker Jeffrey & Katharine Holstein
A teen Yazidi activist and former interpreter and spy for the U.S. military in Iraq describes the massacre of his community by ISIS and his underground effort to rescue more than 1,000 civilians.
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Strung Out: One Last Hit and Other Lies That Nearly Killed Me by Erin Khar
The "Ask Erin" columnist traces her 15-year struggle with opioids, discussing the cultural factors that are shaping addiction today and how her complicated recovery process has been shaped by stigma and parenthood.
These Fevered Days: Ten Pivotal Moments in the Making of Emily Dickinson by Martha Ackmann
Shares remarkable insights into the mythologized world of Emily Dickinson through 10 decisive episodes that marked her evolution as a poet, from her religious crisis as a student at Mount Holyoke through her relationship with sister-in-law first reader, Susan.
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Open Book: A Memoir by Jessica Simpson
An unstinting memoir by the pop artist and fashion icon traces the story of her life before and after fame, the role of faith in her achievements and her difficult decision to step out of the limelight.
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Washington's End: The Final Years and Forgotten Struggle by Jonathan Horn
The former White House speechwriter and author of The Man Who Would Not Be Washington traces the lesser-known story of the first President's final years to reveal the schemes, rivalries and private torments that shaped his post-presidency.
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When Time Stopped: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann
A first book by a Venezuelan foreign correspondent describes the harrowing early experiences of her father, an only survivor of their Jewish-Czechoslovakian family, who hid from the Gestapo in plain sight before starting over in South America.
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You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe
The award-winning author of Alice + Freda Forever: A Murder in Memphis and the host of the Audible program Presidents Are People Too! takes a closer look at the first U.S. president—and finds he is not quite the man we remember.
Family & Relationships
Brother & Sister: A Memoir by Diane Keaton
The Academy Award-winning film star and best-selling author of Then Again presents a memoir of her complicated relationship with a beloved younger brother, who transitioned from a close sibling into a troubled and reclusive alcoholic.
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Decoding Boys: New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons by Cara Natterson
Citing the less-recognized behavioral tendencies of male adolescence that complicate communications between parents and children, a guide to raising teen boys shares strategic guidelines on effective parenting, managing screen time and understanding the sources of negative behavior.
Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World by Madeline Levine
The New York Times best-selling author of The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well explores how today’s parenting techniques and our myopic educational system are failing to prepare children for their certain-to-be-uncertain future—and how we can reverse course to ensure their lasting adaptability, resilience, health and happiness.
General Nonfiction
The Age of Football: Soccer and the 21st Century by David Goldblatt
The "Game of Our Lives" podcaster and author of the best-selling The Ball Is Round presents a wide-reaching exploration of soccer and society that charts the sport's global cultural ascent, economic transformation and deep politicization.
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Animalkind: Remarkable Discoveries About Animals and the Remarkable Ways We Can Be Kind to Them by Ingrid Newkirk & Gene Stone
The founder and president of PETA and a bestselling author pair their tour of the astounding lives of animals with a guide to the exciting new tools that allow humans to avoid using or abusing animals as we once did.
Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America's Most Dangerous Cults by Mitch Weiss & Holbrook Mohr
Investigates Jane Whaley's Word of Faith Fellowship—a secretive evangelic cult that destroyed the lives of its congregants through a combination of manipulation, blackmail and violence—and provides a dramatic portrait of those who escaped.
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Clearer, Closer, Better: How Successful People See the World by Emily Balcetis
The New York University psychology professor and TED talk perception expert reveals the misperceptions that limit everyday life, drawing on cutting-edge discoveries to outline the unique perceptual habits, routines and practices of successful people.
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Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction by David Enrich
The New York Times finance editor and award-winning author of The Spider Network presents a journalistic exposé of the scandalous activities of Deutsche Bank and its shadowy ties to Donald Trump's business empire.
Death Is but a Dream: Finding Hope and Meaning at Life's End by Christopher Kerr & Carine Mardorossian
The CEO and chief medical officer at Hospice Buffalo provides the first book to validate the meaningful dreams and visions that bring comfort as death nears.
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Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
The authors of the best-selling Designing Your Life share tools and ideas for using today's resources to transform current jobs into their best-possible versions while establishing positive mindsets to facilitate new opportunities.
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Elemental Knits: A Perennial Knitwear Collection by Courtney Spainhower
A collection of 20 customizable knitting patterns counsels do-it-yourself crafters on how to select practical patterns and fibers while creating wardrobe-enhancing fashions for different times of the year. By the author of Family Friendly Knits.
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The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis by Christiana Figueres & Tom Rivett-Carnac
In a cautionary but optimistic book, the architects of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement tackle arguably the most urgent and consequential challenge humankind has ever faced: the world’s changing climate and the fate of humanity.
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Hold On, but Don't Hold Still: Hope and Humor from My Seriously Flawed Life by Kristina Kuzmic
A popular speaker on family and parenting tells her story of ditching her fairytale dreams and falling in love with her unpredictable, chaotic, imperfect life.
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The Hope of Glory: Reflections on the Last Words of Jesus from the Cross by Jon Meacham
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of American Gospel explores the last seven sayings of Jesus in historical and theological contexts, revealing how they epitomize His messages and created a foundation for Christian oral and written traditions.
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Lurking: How a Person Became a User by Joanne Mcneil
Provides a concise but wide-ranging personal history of the internet from the point of view of the user.
The Math of Life and Death: 7 Mathematical Principles That Shape Our Lives by Kit Yates
A first book by an Oxford-trained mathematician illuminates seven mathematical principles that shape our lives, from the controversies of DNA testing to the probabilities that shaped the Chernobyl disaster.
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Murder Your Darlings: And Other Gentle Writing Advice From Aristotle to Zinsser by Roy Clark
From an influential American writing teacher comes a collection of 50 of the best writing strategies distilled from 50 writing and language books—from Aristotle to Strunk and White.
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Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Mallory Ortberg
The writer of Slate's "Dear Prudence" column presents an irreverent collection of essays and observations on all things pop culture, from a sinister reimagining of HGTV's House Hunters to the beauty of William Shatner.
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Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives by Daniel J. Levitin
A leading neuroscientist and best-selling author examines how to make the most of our post-60 years by examining those who age joyously and discussing resilience strategies and practical, cognitive enhancing tricks.
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Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe by Brian Greene
The Columbia University theoretical physicist and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe explores subjects ranging from quantum mechanics to black holes, sharing insights into how human life and consciousness emerged from chaos.
Health & FITNESS
Brain Wash: Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking, Deeper Relationships, and Lasting Happiness by David Perlmutter & Austin Perlmutter with Kristin Loberg.
The #1 New York Times best-selling author of Grain Brain and his son, also a medical doctor, explore how modern culture threatens to rewire our brains and damage our health, offering a practical plan for healing.
Cured: The Life-Changing Science of Spontaneous Healing by Jeffrey Rediger
A Harvard Medical School psychologist examines the root sources of illness to counsel readers on how to create healing environments that incorporate strategic principles about diet, immunities, stress reduction and personal identity.
Food Fix: How to Save Our Heath, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet—One Bite at a Time by Mark Hyman
The best-selling author of The Blood Sugar Solution explains how today's agricultural policies have been compromised by corrupt influences, sharing insights into how everyday food choices shape chronic disease, climate change, poverty and other global crises.
History
The Boston Massacre: A Family History by Serena Zabin
A "people's history" of the event that helped trigger the American Revolution draws on original sources and lively stories to recount the personal and political conflicts that led to the 1770 shooting of locals by British soldiers.
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The Cost of Loyalty: Dishonesty, Hubris, and Failure in the U.S. Military by Tim Bakken
A West Point professor of law argues that much destruction has been wrought by the arrogance, incompetence and duplicity he sees as prevalent in the U.S. military.
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Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights by Gretchen Sorin
The true story behind the award-winning film of the same name explores the role of travel in civil rights, the specific impact of the automobile on African-American life and the cultural importance of Victor and Alma Green's famous Green Book.
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Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward J. Larson
The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and award-winning author of Summer for the Gods presents a dual biography of the two Founding Fathers to illuminate in fresh detail how their underexplored relationship forged the United States.
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A Game of Birds and Wolves: The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II by Simon Parkin
Tells the triumphant story of a group of young women who helped devised a winning strategy to defeat the Nazi U-boats and deliver a decisive victory in the Battle of the Atlantic.
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Operation Chastise: The RAF's Most Brilliant Attack of World War II by Max Hastings
The award-winning journalist and author of Vietnam presents an account of the 1943 raid on German dams by the Royal Army Force's heroic 617 Squadron, sharing new insights into the mission's less-understood successes and losses.
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Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era by Jerry Mitchell
An award-winning investigative journalist recounts the 1964 "Mississippi Burning" murders of three civil rights workers by the KKK, describing his role in reopening the case and bringing its mastermind and participating Klansmen to justice.
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The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson
The best-selling author of Dead Wake draws on personal diaries, archival documents and declassified intelligence in a portrait of Winston Churchill that explores his day-to-day experiences during the Blitz and his role in uniting England.
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Suffrage: Women's Long Battle for the Vote by Ellen Carol DuBois
Published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, a high-energy chronicle of the movement for women's voting rights shares bold portraits of its devoted leaders and activists. By the author of Feminism and Suffrage.
The Three-Cornered War: The Union, the Confederacy, and Native Peoples in the Fight for the West by Megan Kate Nelson
A deeply researched narrative account of the lesser-known pursuit of Western expansion during the American Civil War provides coverage of the lesser-known contributions of nine individuals who fought to secure strategic Western territories.
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Unknown Valor: A Story of Family, Courage, and Sacrifice From Pearl Harbor to Iwo Jima by Martha MacCallum
The Fox News host of The Story with Martha MacCallum presents a 75th anniversary tribute to the heroes of Iwo Jima, retracing the story of a relative who sacrificed his life to help defeat the Imperial Army.
Political Science
American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power by Andrea Bernstein
Examines the multigenerational saga of two families who rose from immigrant roots to the pinnacle of U.S. power that tracks the unraveling of American democracy.
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Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote by Craig Fehrman
A journalist historian shares lesser-known insights into the public and private writing lives of America's Presidents, from Lincoln's secret speech anthology for the 1860 election to Teddy Roosevelt's accounts of his life-risking safaris.
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Blackout: How Black America Can Make Its Second Escape From the Democrat Plantation by Candace Owens
The social media commentator and founder of the #Blexit movement shares the reasons she has embraced conservative politics, arguing that the race policies of America's Democratic party promote victim mentalities and widespread economic dependency.
Code Red: How Progressives and Moderates Can Unite to Save Our Country by E. J. Dionne, Jr.
Looks at as whether progressives and moderates will feud while America burns, or whether these natural allies take advantage of the greatest opportunity since the New Deal Era to strengthen American democracy and defeat radical conservatism.
The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success by Ross Douthat
From a New York Times columnist and best-selling author of Bad Religion comes a powerful portrait of how our age in human history, so superficially turbulent, is actually defined by stagnation, repetition, deadlocks and decay.
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F*ck Silence: Staying Principled in an Unprincipled Time by Joe Walsh
The Republican presidential candidate and former Congressman reveals the traits and politics that Donald Trump shares in common with dictators, explaining why he believes that the President poses existential dangers to conservativism, the presidency and national unity.
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The Nation City: Why Mayors Are Now Running the World by Rahm Emanuel
The former Chicago mayor and White House Chief of Staff counsels progressives and centrists on how to get things done in today's America, outlining working examples of how to improve local-level education, job conditions, environmental policy and more.
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The Ones We've Been Waiting for: How a New Generation of Leaders Will Transform America by Charlotte Alter
A national correspondent for TIME magazine offers an optimistic look at the future of American leadership.
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Sinking in the Swamp: How Trump's Minions and Misfits Poisoned Washington by Lachlan Markay & Asawin Suebsaeng
Two White House reporters from The Daily Beast provide an inside look at the workings of the Trump White House and those in Trump's inner circle.
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The Storm Before the Calm: America's Discord, the Coming Crisis of the 2020s, and the Triumph Beyond by George Friedman
The founder of Geopolitical Futures and best-selling author of The Next 100 Years analyzes historical cycles and current trends to predict a dramatic imminent reshaping in American government, foreign policy, economics and culture.
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Supreme Inequality: The Supreme Court's Fifty-year Battle for a More Unjust America by Adam Cohen
A New York Times best-selling author examines the conservative direction of the Supreme Court over the last 50 years since the Nixon administration.
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Un-Trumping America: A Plan to Defeat Trumpism and Make America a Democracy Again by Dan Pfeiffer
The #1 New York Times best-selling author of Yes We (Still) Can and cohost of Pod Save America is back with a sharp political playbook for defeating Trump and saving the nation from Republican-driven disaster.
Social Science
Hood Feminism: Notes From the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall
A fresh new voice in black feminism critiques today’s broader feminist movement.
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Invisible Americans: The Tragic Cost of Child Poverty by Jeff Madrick
Citing the alarming percentage of children who live in poverty in today’s America, an urgent report examines contributing factors, including government indifference, a failing social welfare system and entrenched racism, while outlining a politically feasible option for next steps.
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Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor by Layla F. Saad. Foreword by Robin DiAngelo.
The host of the "Good Ancestor" podcast presents an updated and expanded edition of the Instagram challenge that launched a cultural movement about taking responsibility for first-person racism to stop unconsciously inflicting pain on others.
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The Second Chance Club: Hardship and Hope After Prison by Jason Hardy
A former New Orleans parole officer shares the intertwining stories of seven parolees to reveal shortcomings in a criminal justice system that does not provide former inmates with the tools they need to survive. A first book.
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This Brilliant Darkness: A Book of Strangers by Jeff Sharlet
The "immersion journalist" and award-winning author of The Family describes his post-heart attack decision forge human connections, in a work of radical empathy that explores topics ranging from the loneliness of dementia to gay pride in Putin's Russia.
True Crime
18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb
An account of the life of the woman best known for creating the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death dioramas describes her transition from a wealthy socialite to a leader in modern forensics whose methods are still used today.
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American Sherlock: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson
Describes the life of America's greatest, and first, forensic scientist, who invented tools that are still being used today, including blood spatter analysis, ballistics, lie-detector tests and fingerprints and solved at least two thousand cases during his forty-year career.
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The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird by Joshua Hammer
Documents the true story of Irish national Jeffrey Lendrum and his globetrotting adventures as a smuggler of rare birds, detailing the efforts of British wildlife detective Andy McWilliam to protect the world's endangered birds of prey.
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The Phantom Prince: My Life With Ted Bundy. Updated and Expanded Edition by Elizabeth Kendall with Molly Kendall
An updated, expanded edition of the author's 1981 memoir detailing her six-year relationship with serial killer Ted Bundy, which was the basis for the Amazon Original docuseries, includes a new introduction and a new afterword by the author, never-before-seen photos, and a startling new chapter from the author’s daughter.
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The Scientist and the Spy: A True Story of China, the FBI, and Industrial Espionage by Mara Hvistendahl
Describes the fascinating and very real phenomenon of the industrial espionage perpetrated by China and the threat is poses to Western competitiveness and reveals what the United States is doing to combat the theft of proprietary innovation.
