Ages 18+.
Deadwood on DVD
by anonymous
Will they or won't they? Who knows if they will ever tell more of the story and make the Deadwood movies? Either way, the third and last season of Deadwood was released in June. Relive the conflict between George Hearst and the residents of Deadwood. Watch Sheriff Seth Bullock and saloon owner Al Swearengen form an uneasy partnership to counter Hearst. Don't miss the ladies, Calamity Jane, bank owner and claim holder Alma Garret Ellsworth, former Madame of the Chez Ami Joanie Stubbs, and their lives either. Beware of foul language!
What Boomers Want?
by muffy
Publishers Weekly has teamed up with AARP to recommend books "for, by and about boomers and others in the over-50 age bracket", called Books for Grownups.
Each bi-monthly list will include five picks each in fiction, nonfiction and self-help/lifestyle. It will appear on the AARP's book portal, as well as the PW site.
The next one will be out in August.
Robots on the rise
by N3RD
I don't want to panic anyone but I don't like the way my toaster is looking at me.
If we're on the brink of a robot uprising where our hi-tech gadgets get back at us then
How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion. is the survival guide to have.
Keep this book in your back pocket just on the off chance you need a refresher on the hand-to-metal pincer combat techniques when battling large robots.
How To Survive a Robot Uprising is a surprisingly funny book with a lot of background information about robots. After reading the book I kept thinking what does the author know that he's not letting on, like maybe Skynet is about to come online...
Robots of every size and shape
by N3RD
For some reason lately I've been on a bit of a "Robot Kick". Maybe its all the run up and hype for the release of the Transformers Movie or maybe I'm just geeked about the Library Lego League. (I can't wait to see how the new program works out ;0)
I remember reading a quote from Joseph Engelberger (early robotic pioneer ) about what makes a robot a robot he is quoted to have said.
"I can't define a robot, but I know one when I see one."
Downtown Historical Street Exhibit On-line
by MarilynG
Are you a local history buff or simply interested in Ann Arbor's early days? Check out the on-line tour of permanent sidewalk exhibits located at sixteen landmark sites in our city. Locate the actual street exhibits by using a map provided on the site. You'll find the on-line tour and a look into the past.
Measuring Energy Consumption
by manz
Do you ever want to measure how much electricity something uses? With an energy meter you can find out just how much electricity your appliances are using. Simply plug the appliance or device into the meter, plug the meter into an outlet and then read the display. Sounds handy, doesn’t it? If this is of interest to you, the AADL has energy meters that you can check out for home use.
More new Arabic books
by Tara LS
More new Arabic books at all library locations. Look for the new "FLC 7/07" stickers on each book when browsing or search the catalog by call number ranging from "FLC ARA 152" to "FLC ARA 191". If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about Arabic books or other foreign language books at the library, please e-mail stantont@aadl.org.
al-Zaynī Barakāt by Jamāl al-Ghīṭānī.
ʻAbir sarīr : riwāyah / Ahlam Mustaghanimi
Shahrazaad tarhil ila al-gharb(Sheherazade goes west) by Fatima Mernissi
al-Manzar by Tamim al-Barghouti
Hikaayati sharhun yatul by Hanan al-Shaiq
al-ʻUsfuriyah by Ghaza ʻAbd al-Rahman al-Qusaybi
New Arabic Books Available
by Tara LS
Coming soon to all locations, new Arabic books for adults. These Arabic books will be marked with "New 7/07" stickers and can be searched for in the catalog by call number. The call numbers range from "FLC ARA 152" to "FLC ARA 191". We hope you enjoy these new books. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about Arabic books or other foreign language books, please contact stantont@aadl.org.
A partial listing of new Arabic books:
Suraya bint al ghul by Imil Habibi
al-ʻAdāmah by Turki Hamad
Tāksī: ḥawādīt al-mashāwīr by Khālid al-Khamīsī
Bayna al-qaṣrayn by Naguib Maḥfouz
Sarīr al-gharībah: shiʻr by Maḥmūd Darwīsh
Qamar ʻalá Samarqand by Muḥammad al-Mansī Qandīl
Czezlaw Milosz
by Maxine
Today, June 30, is the birthday of poet, Czselaw Milosz who was born in Lithuania in 1911. His family eventually settled in Poland. After studying law in college, Milosz worked for a Polish radio station but was fired when he let Jews broadcast their opinions on the air. He also worked for another radio station where he covered the invasion of Poland by the Nazis in 1939. While working as a janitor at a university, he began to secretly write anti-Nazi poetry. His first book of poems, Rescue, was about the mass killing of Jews in Warsaw. After the war, he moved to Paris and then to the U.S. where he taught at the University of California at Berkeley. In 1980, he received the Nobel Prize for literature.
Following is one of his poems:
A Task
In fear and trembling, I think I would fulfill my life
Only if I brought myself to make a public confession
Revealing a sham, my own and of my epoch:
We were permitted to shriek in the tongue of dwarfs and
demons
But pure and generous words were forbidden
Under so stiff a penalty that whoever dared to pronounce one
Considered himself as a lost man.
Books into Movies
by anonymous
Looking for a way to pass the time in the hot summer months? Try reading one of the books recently turned into a movie. Some of the options include The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maughaum, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, A Good Year by Peter Mayle, Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson, The Good German by Jospeph Kanon, and Little Children by Tom Perrotta. When you finish, watch their movie counterparts and decide which is better!