Great New Non-Fiction Reads!

This week we bring to you something different.  If you are a fan of non-fiction books, or if you are looking for something different to read, you will definitely want to give these new titles a try.  Non-fiction books can be just as good as a great novel.  We hope you will visit the Strongsville Branch Library to check these out.  Happy Reading!

The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism By Doris Kearns Goodwin, November 2013, 960 pages.

Contemporary-sounding headlines serve as the backdrop for Doris Kearns Goodwin’s latest book, a well-researched history of the Progressive era.  The story is told through the friendship of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft.  They had a close relationship that strengthened both men until their brutal fight for the presidential nomination divided their family and friends and crippled the progressive wing of the Republican Party.  Fans of presidential biographies should elect to pick up this book.

David and Goliath : Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants  By Malcolm Gladwell, October 2013, 380 pages. 

The best-selling author of Blink and The Tipping Point is back with a new provocative read on why underdogs so often succeed.  The stories he relates, from the troubles in Northern Ireland and the civil rights movement to pioneering doctors and grieving parents manage to surprise readers with conclusions that defy conventional thinking, in this case about power and advantage.  Fans of his earlier works, and of authors like James Burke (Connections) will want to pick up this dazzling and thought-provoking book. 

The Hidden White House: Harry Truman and the Reconstruction of America's Most Famous Residence  By Robert Klara, October 2013, 384 pages.

In 1948, President Harry Truman almost fell through the ceiling onto a tea party of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  A team of architects was brought in and they found out the White House was in serious decay.  Truman and his family were moved across the street to the Blair House while Congress argued over who was going to foot the bill to rebuild the White House.  All this was happening as the Cold War  started when the Soviets set off their first atomic bomb.  Klara does an excellent job sharing the interesting story of how the White House was gutted and rebuilt to the grandeur we know today.  Fans of American history will want to give this new book a try. 

Reviews brought to you each week by Librarians – Jennifer Niederhausen, Dona Stein, & Heather Timko
Adult Services Division
Strongsville Branch Library