Top 10 Los Gatos Library Nonfiction Books

1. Chiwalking: Danny Dreyer  

In ChiWalking, Danny and Katherine Dreyer, well-known walking and running coaches, teach the walking technique they created that transforms walking from a mundane means of locomotion into an intensely rewarding practice that enhances mental, emotional, and physical well-being. (amazon)

2. Collected poems, prose & plays: Robert Frost                 

This collection brings together all the major poetry, a generous selection of uncollected poems, all of Frost's dramatic writing, and an extensive gathering of his prose writings.

3. A necessary evil: a history of American distrust of government, Garry Wills                 

In his most original and important work on American history since "Lincoln at Gettysburg," Garry Wills examines Americans' skepticism and distrust of government, which he ascribes to our misunderstanding of the Founding Fathers and of much of our history. (amazon)

4. An anthropologist on Mars: seven paradoxical tales, Oliver W. Sacks

Profiles seven neurological patients, including a surgeon with Tourette's syndrome and an artist whose color sense is destroyed in an accident but finds new creative power in black and white

5. Ride the tiger to the mountain: t’ai chi for health, Martin Lee

T’ai Chi Ch’uan is an “inner martial art,” a set of beautifully slow, continuous movements based on ancient Chinese philosophy and medicine. Here is a practical guide to the twelve most basic T’ai Chi exercises, a program for relaxation and surprising physical rejuvenation through greater mind-body awareness, which can also bring improvement in conditions ranging from ulcers to arthritis to high blood pressure.

6. Chinese fitness: Ch'ingshan Liu             

Liu discusses the philosophy of qi and the practice of qigong, then presents a 20-minute routine consisting of 18 qigong harmony exercises that he recommends performing three times daily.

7. Work from the inside out: Nancy O'Hara

Everyone hopes for a rewarding and fulfilling career, but the day-to-day reality can be just the opposite. The routine of our jobs, office politics, and problematic projects can often be the cause of frustration, worry, and disappointment. The quest to find personal satisfaction, much less pride in our work, can be daunting.

8. How to prepare for the CBEST, California Basic Educational Skills Test/A

Model tests by Decision Development Corporation, Concord, California."

9. The Muslim next door: Sumbul Ali-Karamali

Introduces the values, practices, and beliefs of Islam, discussing what it means to be a Muslim in contemporary American society, and providing information about such topics as jihad, Islamic fundamentalism, and women's rights.

10. Chinese cooking, Nim Chee Lee