Local author, historian and journalist Richard Bak can be seen on CTN Channel 17 during the week of December 6 through 10 speaking on his fascinating book A Distant Thunder: Michigan in the Civil War. The talk was recorded last December at Mr. Bak’s appearance in the Library’s Sunday Edition book talk series. The book is a comprehensive, well-illustrated chronicle of the contributions and sacrifices of the people of Michigan during the war between the states. Videos of the presentation are also available for home viewing. Mr. Bak is also the author of The Corner: A Century of Memories at Michigan and Trumbull, Detroit: Across Three Centuries and Henry and Edsel: The Creation of the Ford Empire.

Hypnotize by System of a Down debuts this week at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart. Place a hold on Hypnotize and other favorites by
System of a Down- Mezmerize and Toxicity.

This is the second time this year that System of a Down has reached the number one position on the Billboard 200 chart.

Thanksgiving weekend kicked off the holiday shopping season. According to the business reports, book sales were brisk. The following two titles must have been on many wish lists.

At #1 is A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin: the Seven Kingdoms is under siege in Book 4 of this fantasy series.

At #2 is Light from Heaven by Jan Karon: this is the final book in the sentimental journey of Father Tim and gentle folk of Mitford.

Alan Alda was inteviewed on the Diane Rehm show on 11-29-05 about his new book "Never have your dog stuffed... Alda, star of stage and screen, looks back on his life in show business and how a life threatening illness atop a Chilean mountain changed his life.

Alan Alda played Hawkeye Pierce for 11 years on the TV series M*A*S*H. Last year he was nominated for: an Oscar for his role in "The Aviator;" an Emmy for his role on "The West Wing"; and, a Tony for his performance in "Glengarry Glen Ross."

The Economist may be a respected international newsmagazine, but it’s also great for students. Every issue has useful sections on each continent or geographic region of the world. In the table of contents you can see which particular countries are covered in that issue. There are short summaries of recent newsworthy events, longer articles, and plenty of maps, graphs, statistics, and pictures. While the focus is on economics, they cover the full range of news events in every corner of the globe. It’s perfect for country reports, current events assignments, or just to impress your social studies teacher! (Read More)

Tis the Season....for the Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Bah humbug, it has never been one of The Play Ground's favorites. Well, the Performance Network is featuring Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol by Tom Mula. It is well done, inventive and an interesting new take on this old standard. Through December 24. Fans of the original Christmas Carol may wish to check out the 1951 classic starring Alastair Sim and Kathleen Harrison.

Freedom on the Menu is the story of the Greensboro Four told through the eyes of a young girl named Connie. Connie wants to sit at the Woolworth counter like the girl she sees twirling on the stool, but the law does not allow African Americans to sit at the lunch counter. Through protests and sit-ins sparked by a sermon by Dr. Marin Luther King, the law is changed and Connie gets to eat her first banna spilt sitting at a Woolworth counter. Carole Weatherford tells the story of this historic event in language that even a young child can understand.

The Vanishing Point by Louise Hawes is the story of Lavinia Fontana, daughter of painter Prospero Fontana. In sixteenth century Bologna, it was difficult for a woman painter to be trained and receive recognition. Lavinia finds a way with the help of Paolo, an apprentice of her father's, who passes off her paintings as his own. When her father learns what's happened, he allows her to train with him. Mixed in with this story is a budding romance with Paolo and Lavinia's intervention in a family conflict. A great read for historical fiction fans.

Take a sneak peek at The New York Times 100 Notable Books of the Year, scheduled for release in the Book Review's Holiday Issue on December 5. Here are just a few of the titles on the list: Kafka on the Shore, Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide, On Beauty, Made in Detroit: A South of 8 Mile Memoir, Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are and Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.

“ When you build a house, you start with one brick.”

Jeremy Gilley believed there should be a specific day dedicated to peace every year. He traveled the globe meeting with world leaders to get support for a World Peace Day. With help from the Dalai Lama and Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General, former Israeli leader Shimon Peres and others, the UN unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global cease-fire and nonviolence in 2002. In his book Peace One Day; The Making of World Peace Day, Gilley describes the journey to make Peace One Day a reality.