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Art Circle Public Library
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Crossville, TN 38555
Library News Article for April 1
The library will be closed at this time through April13 due to the unsure nature of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We will be using this time to install new carpet on the second floor of the library. In addition, all scheduled programs for the entire month of April have been cancelled.
Great New Books
The Last Odyssey by James Rollins
A half mile beneath the frozen (if melting) tundra of (not-for-sale) Greenland, archaeologists find a medieval ship whose hold contains Bronze Age artifacts, including a clockwork gold atlas ringed by silver astrolabe crafted by a Muslim inventor named Ismail al-Jazari who inspired Leonardo Da Vinci. The moving globe reveals Odysseus unexpectedly following an underground river to dark Tartarus (that's ancient Greek for hell), and now the entire war- and terrorist-ridden region is in an uproar, which puts Sigma Force front and center.
The System Who Rigged It, How We Fix It by Robert B. Reich
Millions of Americans have lost confidence in our political and economic system. After years of stagnant wages, volatile job markets, and an unwillingness to deal with profound threats such as climate change, there is a mounting sense that the system is fixed, serving only those select few with enough money to secure a controlling stake. With the characteristic clarity and passion that has made him a central civil voice, Robert B. Reich shows how wealth and power have interacted to install an elite oligarchy, eviscerate the middle class, and undermine democracy. Using Jamie Dimon, the chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase as an example, Reich exposes how those at the top propagate myths about meritocracy, national competitiveness, corporate social responsibility, and the "free market," to distract most Americans from their accumulation of extraordinary wealth, and power over the system. Instead of answering the call to civic duty, they have chosen to uphold self-serving policies that line their own pockets and benefit their bottom line. Reich's objective is not to foster cynicism, but rather to demystify the system so that we might instill fundamental change and demand that democracy works for the majority once again.
Hacking Planet Earth: How Geoengineering Can Help Us Reimagine the Future by Thomas M. Kostigan
An enthusiastic guide to reversing global warming. As award-winning science journalist Kostigen (National Geographic Extreme Weather Survival Guide, 2014, etc.) points out, humans add 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere every year, an amount that's rising steadily despite current efforts to curb it. Since grassroots endeavors have not worked, the author proposes that "industry, the sector of society responsible for much of human-caused global warming...has to turn things around and lead the charge to help mend our climate." Innovators--entrepreneurs, scientists, and technologists--must "do what they do best: invent, pioneer, disrupt the same old ways of doing things." Kostigen provides plenty of intriguing accounts of underground cities, vertical farms, artificial meat, genetically modified food, and the quest to effectively turn sewage into drinking water.
Shakedown by Newt Gingrich & Pete Earley
Mayberry and Garrett are caught in the middle of a deadly crisis with a pending nuclear bomb attack and little help from the government that sidelined them both. With too many enemies emerging and too little time, the two Americans are forced to operate outside official channels to stay ahead of naive US politicians and foreign enemies out to entangle their efforts in red tape. Operating in an international tinderbox, Mayberry and Garrett must decipher which players are allies and which are posers--in time to thwart a cataclysmic nuclear attack on US soil and prevent an international incident that could ignite a third world war. And they must keep themselves alive.
The Last Tourist by Olen Steinhauer
A decade ago, the CIA's Department of Tourism, a corps of highly trained assassins, went defunct, but now something similar has emerged from its ruins in this thriller featuring ex-CIA operative Milo Weaver. No dummies survive in this twisty shadow realm, and Weaver's wits keep him alive as the complex, layered plot reaches a shrewd, nuanced climax at the World Economic Forum, leaving the reader with the hope that global elites can't rig the rules of every game.
Libraries=Information
Protecting your knees: To minimize your risk of experiencing pain, stiffness and inflammation in your knees, take these steps: maintain a healthy weight, regular physical exercise, strengthen the muscles that support your knees (develop strong thigh muscles), perfect your posture, choose the right shoes, and finally, if you develop pain and swelling in your knee, take a break from any high-impact activity you’re doing.
Stingy Schobel Says
Got a problem with squirrels raiding your bird feeder? Instead of nets, traps, and awkward hanging places for the feeder, why not just change the type of feed? Safflower seeds (which are from a thistle-type flower) are sold at home improvement stores and are a type of food that birds love, but squirrels hate. Once squirrels have a taste of the bitter seed, they will stay far away from the feeder. And here’s a bonus: Giant bags of safflower seeds are also very affordable, so it’s economical, too!
Library Laugh
What’s the best way to cook an alligator? In a crock pot.
