Non-Fiction for Adults

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All books listed in Braille Books Acquired that also have an equivalent Electronic Braille version will now have both the BR and the EB number listed in the entry.

Adventure

BR74262, EB74262 Beyond the horizon: the great race to finish the first human-powered circumnavigation of the planet by Colin Angus. 4 v. of braille. In June, 2004, Colin Angus left Vancouver on his bicycle, and nearly two years later, he rolled back in, having completed the first human-powered circumnavigation of the globe. Angus cycled, skied, and rowed a route that took him to Alaska, across the Bering Sea and the Siberian winter, through Europe from Moscow to Portugal, then across the Atlantic to Costa Rica and home. Along the way he burned through 4,000 chocolate bars, 72 inner tubes, 250 kgs of freeze-dried foods, 31 dorado fish (caught from the sea), 2 offshore rowboats, 4 bicycles, and 80 kgs of clothing - all without polluting the planet. Some strong language. 2007.

Animals (science)

BR74560, EB74560 Never cry wolf by Farley Mowat. 2 v. of braille. The eloquent record of the author's study of the habits and behaviour of wolves in the subarctic barren lands indicates that wolves are not as dangerous as tradition has led us to believe. 1992, c1963.

Archeology

BR73703, EB73703 Forbidden archeology's impact by Michael Cremo. 10 v. of braille. When Cremo's book "Forbidden Archaeology" was published in 1993, the scientific world was shocked by its extensive evidence for extreme human antiquity - pushing the origin of the human race back tens of millions of years. "Forbidden Archeology's Impact" documents the explosive reactions to his controversial book. 1998.

Biography

BR74547, EB74547 My years as Prime Minister by Jean Chrétien. 5 v. of braille. By the time he left office, Jean Chrétien had been in politics for forty years. Through the decade 1993 to 2003 he won three majority elections as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. Finding the country dangerously in debt and bitterly divided, he describes how his government wiped out the deficit in just four years, helped to defeat the separatists in the cliffhanger Quebec referendum, passed the Clarity Act, and set out to fulfill the economic and social promises his party made in its famous Red Books. 2007.

BR74402, EB74402 Heart matters by Adrienne Clarkson. 3 v. of braille. Adrienne Clarkson's family escaped from Japanese-occupied Hong Kong in 1942, arriving in Ottawa. After a long CBC career, she returned in 1999 to Ottawa to become Canada's twenty-sixth and sometimes controversial Governor General. She reflects on her public and private life, including her beautiful but troubled mother, the death of an infant, and the estrangement from her two daughters and their later reunion. 2006.

BR74354, EB74354 I feel bad about my neck: and other thoughts on being a woman by Nora Ephron. 2 v. of braille. In a series of humorous vignettes, author Nora Ephron obsesses about being a woman in her sixties. Discusses her expensive regimen to camouflage signs of aging, her purse and its contents, parenting, ex-husbands, and former presidents. In "Serial Monogamy: A Memoir," Ephron admits her infatuation with famous chefs. Bestseller. 2006.

R74369, EB74369 The way it works: inside Ottawa by Eddie Goldenberg. 5 v. of braille. As Jean Chrétien's right-hand man for thirty years in Ministries all over Ottawa, Eddie Goldenberg got to know how things worked in politics - especially from 1993 to 2003, when he was Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister. For example, during Paul Martin's years at Finance, Eddie was the go-between who linked Chrétien and Martin, who were for much of the time barely on speaking terms. Part political science textbook, part memoir, Goldenberg's work is a sometimes brutally honest look at the way the federal government really operates. 2006.

BR74362, EB74362 Reluctant genius: the passionate life and inventive mind of Alexander Graham Bell by Charlotte Gray. 6 v. of braille. Biography of Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), inventor of the telephone and champion of the deaf. Discusses his temperament; creativity; marriage to Mabel Hubbard, who was deaf; family life; and friendship with Helen Keller. Covers his many inventions, years living in Washington, D.C., and association with the National Geographic Society. 2006.

BR73768, EB73768 Legends, liars, and lawbreakers: incredible tales from the Pacific northwest by Valerie Green. 1 v. of braille. Throughout history some people have pushed the limit of what is acceptable to society. Those featured here lived in an era when smuggling was rife, liquor was plentiful, and murder was rampant. Many become legends in their own lifetimes and, although often feared and loathed, are remembered as colourful characters who were products of the times in which they lived. Some descriptions of violence. 2004.

BR74542, EB74542 John A: the man who made us : the life and times of John A. Macdonald, [vol. 1] by Richard Gwyn. 7 v. of braille. The first of two volumes of a biography of John A. Macdonald follows his life from his birth in Scotland in 1815 to his emigration with his family to Kingston, Ontario. Covers his days as a young, rising lawyer, his tragedy-ridden first marriage, the birth of his political ambitions, and his commitment to the all-but-impossible challenge of achieving Confederation. Concludes with his presiding, with his second wife Agnes, over the first Canada Day of the new Dominion in 1867. 2007.

BR73532, EB73532 Rebel women: achievements beyond the ordinary by Linda Kupecek. 1 v. of braille. Many famous women of the west are celebrated elsewhere. In this book, we meet lesser known rebels, those who lived with passion, individuality, and courage. These are women who dared to follow their own path through life; women who dared to be different. 2003.

BR73524, EB73524 Great Canadian love stories: romances, affairs, and passionate tales by Cheryl MacDonald. 1 v. of braille. From the Irish princess, taken prisoner by pirates, who fell in love with one of her captors and settled in Newfoundland, to the ardent courtship of Alexander Graham Bell and his bride-to-be, Mabel, this book celebrates the passion, the pain, and the romance of Canadian lovers through the ages. 2003.

BR74431, EB74431 Causeway: a passage from innocence by Linden MacIntyre. 4 v. of braille. Linden MacIntyre remembers the day construction started on the Canso Causeway, which would link his Cape Breton village with the mainland. With its grand promises of jobs and riches and progress, the building of the causeway also became a personal icon for MacIntyre, the road that would bring him closer to the father who was always away. His memoir is a coming-of-age story, a portrait of a vanishing way of life, and a reflection on fathers and sons. Some strong language. 2006.

BR74562, EB74562 Roughing it in the bush: or, life in Canada by Susanna Moodie ; introduction by Charlotte Gray. 6 v. of braille. Set in the Peterborough area, these sketches are based on the Moodies' experiences as settlers in Upper Canada between 1832 and 1839. Originally published in 1852. 2006.

BR74276, EB74276 My name is number 4: a true story by Ting-xing Ye. 2 v. of braille. After the death of both her parents, Ting-xing and her four siblings endured the brutality of Red Guard attacks on their schools and even their house as they struggled against poverty and hunger. Then at sixteen, she was exiled to a prison farm far from home. This is the story of Ting-xing's tumultuous life, turned upside down by China's Cultural Revolution. Some strong language. 2007.

Blindness & visual impairment

BR74357, EB74357 Long time, no see by Beth Finke. 2 v. of braille. NPR commentator's memoir of confronting blindness from diabetic retinopathy. Includes medical information pertinent to her personal experience as she discusses going blind as a twenty-six-year-old newlywed, having and caring for a multiply disabled child, using a talking-computer setup, and acquiring a guide dog to support her independence. Some strong language. 2003.

Cookbooks

BR74041, EB74041 The G.I. diet cookbook: 200 easy, delicious recipes for permanent weight loss by Rick Gallop. 3 v. of braille. Offers two hundred nutritious, low-G.I. recipes for breakfasts, lunches, snacks, appetizers, dinners and desserts. There are simple-to-prepare dishes for weekday meals, simmers and roasts for leisurely weekends, and elegant fare for entertaining friends. Includes recipes for Crunchy Granola, Creamy Seafood Chowder, Spinach-stuffed Chicken Breasts and Chocolate Cake with Ganache Icing. 2006.

Crime

BR74471, EB74471 Too late to say goodbye: a true story of murder and betrayal by Ann Rule. 6 v. of braille. In 2004, Jenn Corbin, mother of two and wife of a successful dentist, was found dead in her home with a gunshot wound to her head. Neither her family nor the county sheriff believed she would end her own life, and so began a harrowing search for the truth. Some descriptions of sex, violence, and some strong language. 2007.

Death and bereavement

BR74404, EB74404 Home with God: in a life that never ends : a wondrous message of love in a final conversation with God by Neale Donald Walsch. 3 v. of braille. Author of the "Conversations with God" books explores death, dying, and the afterlife. Walsch states that his dialogue with God, addressing life's purpose and passing, reveals that death is a joyful, peaceful experience - not an end, but an act of creation. 2006.

Disabilities

BR74464, EB74464 Critical disability theory: essays in philosophy, politics, policy, and law edited by Dianne Pothier and Richard Devlin. 8 v. of braille. Twenty-four scholars from a variety of disciplines come together here to identify the problems with traditional approaches to disability and to provide new directions. The essays range from focused empirical and experiential studies of different disabilities, to policy analyses, legal interrogations, and philosophical reconsiderations. 2005.

Disaster non-fiction

BR73823, EB73823 The curse of the narrows: the Halifax explosion, 1917 by Laura Mac Donald. 6 v. of braille. On December 7, 1917, in the heart of the World War I, two ships collided in Halifax harbour. The resulting explosion killed over 2,000 people and injured some 6,000 more. Macdonald presents the whole story of how the military, volunteers and ordinary citizens united to organize one of the most complex relief efforts in North American history. Some descriptions of violence. 2005.

Essays

BR74371, EB74371 What is a Canadian?: forty-three thought-provoking responses by edited by Irvin Studin. 4 v. of braille. Studin approached leading Canadians from all walks of life - politics, the civil service, academia, literature, journalism, business, the arts - from both official language groups, and from all regions of the country, as well as from the Canadian diaspora, to tell us what they believe defines us. The answers to "What is a Canadian?" range from "someone who crosses the road to get to the middle" to "the citizen of a country badly in need of growing up" to "adaptable. To illustrate, consider the depth and breadth of the Canadian woman's wardrobe". 2006.

General non-fiction

BR74040, EB74040 Getting to maybe: how to change the world by Frances Westley, Brenda Zimmerman & Michael Quinn Patton. 3 v. of braille. Many of us want to make the world a better place, but often our good intentions are undermined by the fear that we are so insignificant in the grand scheme of things that nothing we do will actually help. The trick is to stop looking at the discrete elements and start trying to understand the complex relationships between them. By studying real-life examples of social change this way, the authors tease out the rules of engagement between volunteers, leaders, organizations and circumstance. 2006

Geography

BR74798 World maps prepared by Nancy Amick and Ruth Bogia. 1 v. of press braille. Thermoformed tactile maps of all the continents, regions and countries of the world. Using clear variations in height and texture, allowing a greater amount of readable information in a given space. Includes rivers, mountain ranges, bodies of water and other physical features, and country borders and capital cities. Labelled in Braille, the facing pages have key information in large print and Braille. 2003.

Health

BR73704, EB73704 From fatigued to fantastic!: a proven program to regain vibrant health, based on a new scientific study showing effective treatment for chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia by Jacob Teitelbaum. 7 v. of braille. Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) can cause a baffling array of symptoms and are frequently misdiagnosed or even dismissed by physicians. Teitelbaum presents the latest information about CFIDS and FMS, where they come from, and how you can eliminate them. Includes facts on endocrine and hormonal imbalances, nutritional problems, hypothyroidism, blood pressure disturbances, yeast overgrowth, sleep disorders, recurrent infections, parasites, mitochondrial dysfunction, and anatomical anomalies. 2001.

History (Canadian)

BR73765, EB73765 Ghost town stories II: from renegade to ruin along the Red Coat Trail by Johnnie Bachusky. 1 v. of braille. When the train came west through southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, settlers and then outlaws were quick to follow. They came with high hopes and grand ambitions, but the Depression and a series of natural disasters left them destitute. Author Johnnie Bachusky journeys back to the towns in their heyday to tell the stories of their colourful past. Some descriptions of violence and some strong language. 2003.

BR74031, EB74031 The Acadians: in search of a homeland by James Laxer. 5 v. of braille. In 1604, a small group of migrants fled political turmoil and famine in France to start a new colony on Canada's east coast. Their roughly demarcated territory included what are now Canada's Maritime provinces, land that was fought over by the British and French empires until the Acadians were finally expelled in 1755. In the absence of a state, what defines an Acadian today is elusive, and while their community, centred in New Brunswick, is more confident than ever, it is entering a contentious debate about its future. Some descriptions of violence. 2006.

History

BR74286, EB74286 Web of deceit: the history of Western complicity in Iraq, from Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush by Barry M. Lando. 5 v. of braille. The Iraq invasion of 2003 was only the latest in a long line of episodes of Western manipulation in that country, which owes its existence - and its complex and troubled demographics - to the designs of British imperialists. The brunt of Lando's argument is that the U.S. has routinely played Iraq for profit and strategic advantage yet consistently evaded responsibility for exacerbating the carnage of its destructive wars and humanitarian crises. Descriptions of violence. 2007.

BR73743, EB73743 The bloody red hand: a journey through truth, myth and terror in Northern Ireland by Derek Lundy. 5 v. of braille. Author Derek Lundy, bearing in mind that the name "Lundy" is synonymous with traitor in Ulster, delves into the lives of ancestors Robert Lundy, Protestant governor of Derry in 1688, William Steel Dickson, a Protestant preacher of the early 19th century who advocated resisting the English, and Billy Lundy, born in 1890 and the embodiment of what the Ulster Protestants became - a tribe united in their hostility to Catholics and to the prospect of an independent Ireland. 2006.

How-to Books

BR74445, EB74445 Ecoholic: your guide to the most environmentally friendly products, information and services in Canada by Adria Vasil. 6 v. of braille. A Canadian resource of practical tips and products that helps you do your part for the environment. Information on what not to buy and why, services such as computer recyclers and hazardous waste disposal, and tips on sustainable food choices and how to reduce energy use. Includes a city-by-city guide. 2007.

Law

BR74517, EB74517 Lawyers gone bad: money, sex and madness in Canada's legal profession by Philip Slayton. 4 v. of braille. Slayton, a corporate lawyer and former dean of law, sheds light on those who betrayed clients and committed crimes - sometimes for very little personal gain. While recounting actual cases of Canadian lawyers who ran afoul of the law, he searches for what drives a respected professional to corruption. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007.

Native people

BR74377, EB74377 The long exile by Melania McGrath. 3 v. of braille. 1953. A young and inexperienced Irish-Canadian policeman, Ross Gibson, was asked by the Canadian government to draw up a list of Inuit who were to be experimentally resettled in the uninhabited polar Arctic and left to fend as best they could. Among them was Joseph Flaherty, the son of Robert Flaherty who had shot the film "Nanook of the North" 30 years earlier. 2006.

Poetry

BR74819, EB74819 An anthology of verse edited by Roberta A. Charlesworth & Dennis Lee. 6 v. of braille. A collection of poems by a wide variety of writers, such as Dylan Thomas, Edward Lear, John Keats, Emily Bronte, Robert Frost and W.H. Auden. 1964.

Psychology

BR74439, EB74439 This is your brain on music: the science of a human obsession by Daniel J. Levitin. 5 v. of braille. Neuroscientist and musician investigates the role of music in human evolution and daily life. Examines the science of music from the perspective of cognitive neuroscience. Discusses how the brain processes music, details studies on musical meaning and pleasure, and offers insights into personal perceptions and preferences. 2006.

Science

BR74370, EB74370 The weather makers: how we are changing the climate and what it means for life on earth by Tim Flannery. 5 v. of braille. Conservationist and author of "Eternal Frontier" explores the history and possible impact of global warming. Notes phenomena such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and increasing instances of extreme weather, and predicts their future effects on global climate. Urges a transition to carbon-free fuels to reduce air pollution. 2006.

Terrorism

BR74418, EB74418 Satanic purses: money, myth, and misinformation in the war on terror by R.T. Naylor. 7 v. of braille. Naylor exposes the post 9/11 global War on Islamic Terror as based on myth, misinformation, and even deliberate disinformation - all of it premised on misguided notions about the nature of terrorist financing and the structure and organization of terrorist groups. Naylor believes that the secret agendas behind, and the private interests that profit from, an illusory War on Terror may be far more dangerous than the events that led to it. 2006.

Travel and culture

BR73907, EB73907 Poets and pahlevans: a journey into the heart of Iran by Marcello De Cintio. 3 v. of braille. Di Cintio prepares for his journey to Iran by taking lessons in Farsi, researching Persian poetry and sharpening his wrestling skills. Once there, he talks politics with men in tea houses, wrestles, and visits sites and shrines associated with great Persian poets, learning that poetry is loved and quoted by everyone from taxi-drivers to students. The mosaic of incidents, encounters, conversations, sights, smells and moments creates a detailed impression of a country and society that will challenge preconceptions. 2006.

BR73912, EB73912 Red, white, and drunk all over: a wine-soaked journey from grape to glass by Natalie MacLean. 4 v. of braille. To learn about all aspects of wine, MacLean interviews everyone from grape growers in Burgundy to upstart zinfandel producers in Sonoma Valley. Every encounter incorporates vivid descriptions of tastings and colourful personalities. Also includes an explanation for 103 different shapes of glassware, solid research, and commonsense advice. 2006.

BR74530, EB74530 Beijing confidential: a tale of comrades lost and found by Jan Wong. 4 v. of braille. In the early 70s, Canadian Jan Wong was studying at Beijing University when a young stranger, Yin Luoyi, asked for help in getting to the United States. Wong, then a starry-eyed Maoist, immediately reported Yin to the authorities. Thirty-three years on, Wong revisits the Chinese capital to begin her search for the person who has haunted her conscience; to apologize, to somehow make amends, and at the very least, to discover whether Yin survived. Some strong language. 2007.