Adult DAISY Audio Books and Online Digital Audio - Non-fiction

• Biography
• Blindness and Viual Impairment
• Cookbooks
• Crime
• Disaster Non-Fiction
• Health
• History
• Humour (Non-Fiction)
• Philosophy
• Poetry
• Politics and Government
• Psychology
• Reference Books
• Religion (Christian)
• Science
• Sermons
• Travel and Culture in Canada
• War

Biography

DC29423
Searching for Bobby Orr by Stephen Brunt.
1 disc. Narrated by Roger Ashby.
Bobby Orr redefined the defensive style of hockey - he was the first to infuse the defenseman position with offensive juice, driving up the ice, setting up players and scoring some goals of his own. He was the first player to win three straight MVP awards, the first defenseman to score twenty or more goals in a season. But history will also remember Bobby Orr as a key figure in the Alan Eagleson scandal, and as the unfortunate player forced into early retirement in 1978 because of his injuries. Some strong language. 2006.

DC33768
Catch a wave: the rise, fall & redemption of the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson by Peter Ames Carlin.
1 disc. Narrated by Jan Doherty.
Using first-person interviews and unreleased recording-session transcriptions, former People magazine writer analyzes the life of Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson. Describes the Wilson brothers' emotional abuse at the hands of their father, Brian's descent into depression, and his comeback with the 2004 album Smile. Some strong language. 2006.

DC18604
In search of kinship: modern pioneering on the western landscape by Page Lambert.
1 disc. Narrated by Janis Gray.
A woman chronicles her family's harsh, yet fulfilling, life on a Wyoming ranch. Celebrates their connection with the land and nature, while lamenting the passing of family traditions in the modern world. 1996.

DC31083
Loretta Lynn: coal miner's daughter by Loretta Lynn with George Vecsey.
1 disc. Narrated by Deborah Kipp.
The country music star from Butcher Holler, Kentucky, recalls her life from rags to riches. Lynn emphasizes the importance of her twenty-five-year-old marriage and her faith in people and in God. c1976.

DC34045
Otherwise by Farley Mowat.
1 disc. Narrated by Norman Anderson.
From an innocent childhood, spent free of stricture and largely in the company of animals, Mowat was catapulted into wartime service, where the carnage of the Italian campaign shattered his faith in humanity forever. On his return, he accepted a stint on a scientific collecting expedition to the Barrengrounds, where in the bleak but beautiful landscape he found his purpose - first with the wolves and then with the Ihalmiut. Out of these experiences came his first battles with federal bureaucracy, and his first books. Some descriptions of sex, some strong language. 2008.

DC21737
Garth Brooks: the road out of Santa Fe by Matt O'Meilia.
1 disc. Narrated by Don Emmick.
Former drummer in a band called Santa Fe describes the early career of the group's country western singer. O'Meilia recalls meeting Garth Brooks in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1986, appearing with him during the next year, and being impressed with the singer's determination to succeed even after a series of failures. Some strong language. 1997.

Blindness and Visual Impairment

DC29576
Reading hands: the Halifax School for the Blind by Shirley J. Trites.
1 disc. Narrated by Juanita Sumner.
Nearly 2,000 children passed through the Halifax School for the Blind, which followed the Nova Scotia curriculum, much of it taught by blind teachers who were former students. The school graduated citizens into a wide variety of professions and trades. Author Shirley Trites attended the school, and presents its first-ever written history, as well as the progress made that allows blind persons to live productively in a world of the sighted. 2003.

Cookbooks

DC31372
Canada's best cookbook for kids with diabetes by Colleen Bartley ; introduction by Doreen Yasui.
1 disc. Narrated by Angela Ciccotelli.
Developed to help parents of children with diabetes provide delicious and nutritious kid-friendly food that the whole family can enjoy, like Chocolate and Strawberry Waffles, Spaghetti and Meatballs or Peanut Butter Chip Muffins. More than 125 recipes provide ideas for everything from after-school snacks to main meals and desserts. Each recipe includes a complete nutritional breakdown and has been reviewed by diabetes educators. c2005.

DC32657
Fresh: seasonal recipes made with local ingredients by John Bishop [with] Dennis Green & Dawne Gourley ; stories by Gary King.
1 disc. Narrated by Angela Willson.
BC restaurateur John Bishop and chef Dennis Green are known for their insistence on organically grown, locally sourced produce and sustainable seafood. Their menus reflect the seasons and the local bounty, including Fanny Bay oysters, Fraser Valley lamb, and Okanagan peaches. "Fresh" brings together more than 100 award-winning recipes and some of the stories behind the ingredients. c2007.

Crime

DC14175
Guarding the secrets: Palestinian terrorism and a father's murder of his too-American daughter by Ellen Harris.
1 disc. Narrated by Michele Schaeffer.
True story of Palestinian Zein Isa, who moves his family to St. Louis but forbids his daughters to act American. When daughter Tina defies him by dating a young black man and working part-time, Isa and his wife stab her to death. The FBI, investigating Isa's terrorist activities, gets the murder on tape. Strong language and violence. 1995.

Disaster Non-Fiction

DC30411
Heat: a firefighter's story by Jon Wells.
1 disc. Narrated by Jim Roger.
1997. Hamilton, already considered a fire town, experienced an inferno set by an arsonist which broke out at a warehouse containing more than 400 tons of PVC plastic. The burning polyvinyl chloride released chemicals which rained down on the firefighters, the main fire burned for four days, and eventually involved 264 of Hamilton's 400 firefighters. Focusing on the life and career of Captain Bob Shaw, Wells puts a human face to Canada's worst toxic fire. c2006.

Health

DC31815
Hot flashes, hormones, & your health by JoAnn E. Manson with Shari S. Bassuk.
1 disc. Narrated by Joyce Clark.
Explains the changes that occur during menopause, and provides up-to-date information to help you make informed decisions about hormone therapy and other options for treating symptoms of menopause. Helps you work more effectively with your health care provider to make the best decisions about your medical care. 2007.

History

DC08879
A stillness at Appomattox by Bruce Catton.
1 disc. Narrated by Lou Harpenau.
A description of the last year of the Civil War when General Grant rebuilt the Union Army into a fighting force and turned defeat into victory. 1954 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for history. Sequel to "Glory road". 1953.

DC08068
Scotland through the ages written by Michael Jenner.
1 disc. Narrated by Tom Martin.
This survey of Scottish history explains how Scotland's national heritage differs from that of England, and describes the development of Scottish national identity. 1987.

Humour (Non-Fiction)

DC20115
I'm not really here by Tim Allen.
1 disc. Narrated by Jim Zeiger.
Known for his starring role in the sitcom Home Improvement, Allen humorously describes an unusual weekend. Alone while his wife and daughter have gone camping, he puzzles over "the big questions" brought on by his midlife crisis--while he searches for a missing hood ornament. Strong language. 1996.

DC07225
Kids say the darndest things! by Art Linkletter.
1 disc. Narrated by Harold Roberts.
A collection of some of the wise, funny, revealing and startling bits of dialogue that have cropped up while Linkletter interviewed children on his television program. 1957.

DC14725
All the trouble in the world: the lighter side of overpopulation, famine, ecological disaster, ethnic hatred, plague, and poverty by P.J. O'Rourke.
1 disc. Narrated by Ray Foushee.
Political humourist O'Rourke travelled around the world to research the topics he addresses here. His study includes overpopulation in Bangladesh (it has the same number of people as Fremont, California), famine in Somalia (where weight-loss doesn't make one look better), and ecology (remember a tree was killed to make your bed). Bestseller 1994. c1994.

Philosophy

DC08065
A history of Western philosophy by D.W. Hamlyn.
1 disc. Narrated by Dale Carter.
Emphasizes the ancient and modern periods of western philosophy and includes brief biographies and some historical background on the philosophers. Concentrates on what they have written, in order to give a sense of the complexity of philosophical issues. 1987.

Poetry

DC32863
Selected poems by William Wordsworth ; edited and with an introduction and notes by Stephen Gill.
1 disc. Narrated by John Goddard.
One of the major poets of Romanticism, Wordsworth epitomized the spirit of his age with his celebration of the natural world and spontaneous expression of feeling. Contains works from the most creative phase of his life, including extracts from The Prelude, and shorter poems such as 'Composed Upon Westminster Bridge', 'Tintern Abbey', and 'I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud'. 2004.

Politics and government

DC12572
The prosperous few and the restless many by Noam Chomsky ; interviewed by David Barsamian.
1 disc. Narrated by Barrett Whitener.
Based on interviews with this author of several books on contemporary issues, Chomsky contends that the globalization of the economy will result in the internationalization of power. He predicts that NAFTA will harm low-level workers, will debase environmental standards, and will be a bonanza for investors. Some of the other topics that he comments on are food distribution, Israel, India, and racism. c1993.

DC09083
From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman.
1 disc. Narrated by Ralph Lowenstein.
An account of the political situation in the Middle East as witnessed by the author during his years as a journalist in Beirut and Jerusalem. He reports on the killing of Palestinian civilians at refugee camps in Lebanon and Palestinian uprisings in the Israeli-occupied territories. 1989 winner of the National Book Award for Non-Fiction. 1989.

Psychology

DC24523
The dance of connection: how to talk to someone when you're mad, hurt, scared, frustrated, insulted, or desperate by Harriet Lerner.
1 disc. Narrated by Carol Dines.
Psychologist and author of "The Dance of Anger" and other popular titles explains how to communicate with loved ones. Uses anecdotes from her own and her patients' lives to illustrate how to change one's behaviour. 2001.

Reference Books

DC32668
Only in Canada you say: a treasury of Canadian language by Katherine Barber.
1 disc. Narrated by Caroline Yeung.
Highlights more than 1,200 words and phrases that are unique to Canada. Did you know that every time you ask for Gravol at the drug store, you're using a word that is unknown anywhere else, or that there are three distinctly Canadian sex words and 17 Canadian words for ice? Covers Canadian English from coast to coast to coast, with sections dedicated to the things we love to do, where we live, how we get around, and what we wear. Some descriptions of sex. 2008, c2007.

Religion (Christian)

DC21031
Don't know much about the Bible: everything you need to know about the Good Book but never learned by Kenneth C. Davis.
1 disc. Narrated by Margaret Strom.
Examines the culture and environment in which the Bible was written and explores the Good Book by placing some of its accounts in historical perspective. Details views on when and by whom the Old and New Testaments were written and how other traditions influenced their contents and structure. 1998.

Science

DC32870
The geography of hope: a tour of the world we need by Chris Turner.
1 disc. Narrated by Alex Macdonald.
To offset the grim predictions of environmentalists, Turner describes solutions already at work around the world, from Canada's largest wind farm to Asia's greenest building and Europe's most eco-friendly communities. He also seeks out the next generation of political, economic, social, and spiritual institutions that could provide the global foundations for a sustainable future, including the parliament houses of Scandinavia and the villages of southern India, where microcredit finance has remade the social fabric. Some descriptions of sex and some strong language. 2007.

Sermons

DC04827
A room called Remember: uncollected pieces by Frederick Buechner.
1 disc. Narrated by Jerry Fordyce.
Selection of sermons, lectures and articles that explore faith, hope, love and the power of words. 1984.

Travel and Culture in Canada

DC11894
Arctic adventures: exploring Canada's north by canoe and dog team by text and photographs by Ian & Sally Wilson.
1 disc. Narrated by Bryon Johnsen.
The authors travelled 3500 kilometres through the Arctic, lived with an Inuit family and learned to build igloos. 1992.

War

DC10139
Hitler's undercover war: the Nazi espionage invasion of the U.S.A. by William Breuer.
1 disc. Narrated by Peter Johnson.
Subtitle: the Nazi espionage invasion of the USA. In the 1930s, undercover Nazi agents in America stole military secrets and influenced public opinions. Until alerted, the newly-formed Federal Bureau of Investigation was more concerned with underworld criminals than foreign spies. 1989.

DC12366
The destructive war: William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, and the Americans by Charles Royster.
1 disc. Narrated by Art Metzler.
Examines how Americans became involved in civil war, what they expected to gain from it, and their understanding about what they had done. Royster contends that generals on both sides envisioned the total destruction of their opponent from the beginning, contrary to the limited-conflict version sometimes advanced by historians. Winner of the Bancroft Prize. 1991.