Road to Detroit, a national group that aims to revitalize the US auto industry with a more socially and environmentally responsible vision, is hosting a Drive the Future Weekend on August 20-22. In addition to attending one of the events in Detroit, AADL has a few books to jump start your education in how to make your own motor fuel, including how to use vegetable oils as fuel and alcohol as fuel. Or check out Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy (left), by Greg Pahl (2005).

On the Diane Rehm show, Friday July 29, 2005, Guest host: Susan Page of USA Today interviews Timothy Naftali: "Blind Spot" a national security historian relates the story of America's decades-long attempt to fight terrorism.
Mr. Timothy Naftali, is an associate professor of history at the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs and contractor during 2003-3004 for the 9/11 commission.

You heard it here first. Beat the early buzz on Brian Strause’s charming, poignant Maybe a Miracle, due for release in October. Strause writes with the sure hand and smooth self-assurance of a seasoned novelist in this, his first fiction title.

Monroe Anderson just wants to get high before he heads to the prom but his visit to the family’s pool house to smoke some dope is aborted when he spots his beloved 11 year old sister, Annika, face down in the pool.

He revives her but she remains in a coma and despite her brother’s desire to protect her privacy, she becomes a media phenomenon with her healing powers and inexplicable stigmata.

Are you in the mood for the chills of a good mystery? Check out these new releases on this week’s list.

At #6 is Double Tap by Steve Martini: another legal thriller featuring Paul Madriani who stumbles across government secrets while defending a soldier on trial for murder.

At #10 is Long Time Gone by J.A. Jance: another familiar name has a new murder mystery set in the state of Washington.

At #12 is Chill of Fear by Kay Hooper: an FBI agent investigates a cold case in Tennessee in Hooper’s latest novel of romantic suspense.

“Standage offers a distilled account of civilization founded on the drinking habits of mankind from the days of hunter-gatherers to yesterday’s designer thirst-quencher. History, along with a bit of technology, etymology, chemistry and bibulous entertainment. Bottoms up!” (from Kirkus Reviews)

Match the epoch with the beverage:

1. Beer.........A. Enlightenment
2. Wine........B. Globalization
3. Spirits......C. Hunter Gatherer to Farmer
4. Coffee......D. British Empire, Industrialization and Colonization
5. Tea...........F. Exploration
6. Cola.........G. Classical Times

To see the answer to "Match the epoch with the beverage", click on "Read More"(below).

Standage also wrote The Turk : the life and times of the famous eighteenth-century chess-playing machine

Nora Jane: a life in stories is the latest from National Book Award winner (Victory Over Japan, 1984) Ellen Gilchrist.

A graduate of Vanderbilt University and a student of Eudora Welty’s Creative Writing Course at Millsaps College in Jackson, she is considered one of the shinning stars of Southern literature. Gilchrist presently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas while also maintaining a home in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

To find out what is on Ellen Gilchrist’s book shelves and why reading is important to her, here is Oprah’s interview with Gilchrist in August 2002.

Lily decides Tamika will be her best friend. She tries to impress Tamika with a new bathing suit and learning how to dive. Lily learns you can't always pick who will be your friend. This is a good book for young readers who are learning the complexity of friendships.

What fun I had reading Guys Write for Guys Read filled with funny and touching tales from guys for guys and I am a girl! Jon Scieszka edited the collection of stories and he has a fabulous website for kids and parents Guysread.com. Come to the downtown library to see our display of books for guys and gals like me.

Ever feel like you have too much on your plate between work, family life and any attempt to be your own person in the time you have left? Feel alone? Well, if nothing else, Confessions of a Slacker Wife will show you that you have company. With a healthy dose of humor, Muffy Mead-Ferro talks about the "slacking" that created a sense of balance in her life. If you like this, you might try another of her books, Confessions of a Slacker Mom. You won't be sorry.

The 37th Man Book Prize committee has announced the long list of fiction titles for the prestigious 2005 Booker. The Booker Prize is one of the most sought-after literary awards. It honors the best novel from the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The recipient of the £50,000 purse receives instant worldwide recognition, boosting sales tremendously.

Past winners include Alan Hollinghurst for The Line of Beauty (2004), Yann Martel for Life of Pi (2002), and Margaret Atwood, Blind Assassin (2000).

The long list of 2005 finalists, which includes four previous winners, is:
Tash Aw, The Harmony Silk Factory
John Banville, The Sea – scheduled for U.S. publication in 2006
Julian Barnes, Arthur and George – scheduled for U.S. publication in 2006
Sebastian Barry, A Long Long Way