Nonfiction

Nonfiction Book Group September 2016

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A loving and hilarious--if occasionally spiky--valentine to Bill Bryson's adopted country, Great Britain. Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to discover that green and pleasant land. The result was Notes from a Small Island, a true classic and one of the bestselling travel books ever written. Now he has traveled about Britain again, by bus and train and rental car and on foot, to see what has changed--and what hasn't. Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis in the south to Cape Wrath in the north Bryson rediscovers the wondrously beautiful, magnificently eccentric, endearingly singular country.

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Fleeing Eastern Europe as the shadow of WWI looms large with nothing but twenty dollars in his socks, Nathan arrives in New York with the insatiable desire to make a better life, and within two years he sets up a shop of his own, hawking frankfurters for five cents at the sleepy little beach retreat of Coney Island. As New York booms, pushing trains and patrons to the shore, so too do Nathan's humble hotdogs. Within ten years he has the whole corner, and a brand as recognizable as Coca-Cola and Cracker Jack.

 In 2009, Clinton Romesha of Red Platoon and the rest of Black Knight Troop were preparing to shut down Command Outpost (COP) Keating, the most remote and inaccessible in a string of bases built by the US military in Nuristan and Kunar in the hope of preventing Taliban insurgents from moving freely back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three years after its construction, the army was finally ready to concede what the men on the ground had known immediately: it was simply too isolated and too dangerous to defend. On October 3, 2009, after years of constant smaller attacks, the Taliban finally decided to throw everything they had at Keating. 

Being a practising Muslim in a Western society is sometimes challenging, sometimes rewarding and sometimes downright absurd. How do you explain why Eid never falls on the same date each year; why it is that Halal butchers also sell teapots and alarm clocks. How do you make clear to the plumber that it's essential the toilet is installed within sitting-arm's reach of the tap? Zarqa Nawaz has seen and done it all.

Jackie Robinson : an integrated life by J. Christopher Schutz

The National Institute on Aging recommends older adults regularly include four types of exercise in your routine: Endurance Exercises to help you keep up with your grandchildren, Flexibility Exercises to bend down to tie your shoes, Strength Exercises to lift your carry-on up into the overhead bin, and Balance Exercises to walk along a cobblestone path...

Good balance is essential. Recent scientific studies point to good balance as an indicator for longevity. As we age, our balance and coordination begin to diminish, leading to a higher risk of falls. In fact, falls are the leading cause of injury among Americans over age 65. The Stand Strong workout presented in this handbook will guide you to improved balance through simple, easy to follow exercises. Now you can reclaim your independence and restore your confidence by improving your coordination and regaining your sense of balance by using Exercises for Better Balance as your guide to freedom and mobility, while helping you to lessen the risks of falls, improve your posture, and restore motor control, all while increasing your strength and energy.

Fitness after 50 by Walter H. Ettinger

It's never too late to get fit! Fitness After 50 shows you exactly how to get there, addressing all of your questions about exercise--and more. Whether you are completely new to exercise or are looking to fine-tune your existing program, this information-rich book will show you how to get started, stay on track, and have fun as you meet your fitness goals. This easy-to-understand manual also serves as a self-paced workbook, which teaches you what to ask your doctor about physical activity, how to exercise safely, and how to fit activity into your busy schedule. If you have an existing medical condition such as heart disease, osteoporosis, or diabetes, you will also find ways to adapt your activity level to your condition. Sample aerobic, muscular fitness, and combination programs are provided, along with lifestyle strategies for fitting activity into your daily routine. Fitness After 50 offers reliable advice you can trust. Authors Walter Ettinger, Brenda Wright, and Steven Blair are among the most highly regarded experts in the field of physical activity and health. And since all of them are over 50, they understand your needs and concerns firsthand. Easy to use and full of more than 50 forms, lists, and other learning tools, Fitness After 50 is the one-stop source for fitness information that you'll reach for again and again.

Tracing paper's evolution from antiquity to the present, the bestselling author of Cod and Salt challenges common assumptions about technology's influence, affirming that paper is here to stay. Paper will be the commodity history that guides us forward and illuminates our times.

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