bookshelf

The Age of Abundance by Brink Lindsey

How Prosperity Transformed America's Politics and Culture
394 pgs (c) 2007, Broward Library 973.92 LI, Read 09/20/07

A well-documented examination of how prosperity developed in the U.S. and how it has impacted private and public life.

The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester

William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology
6 tapes, 9 1/2 hrs, Narrated by the author
(c) 2001, Harper Audio, Recorded Books 04/20/09

 William Smith's biography could have been written by Dickens: a stint in debtor's prison, a victim of plagiarism and class prejudices and a mentally ill young wife afflicted with nymphomania are just a few of the subplots.

Empires of Trust by Thomas Madden

How Rome Built - and America Is Building - A New World
10 CDs, 12.5 hours. (c) 2008. Narrated by Richard Poe
Recorded Books, Read: 03/22/09, Blog 03/23/09

Madden compares the development and influence of Rome (defined as both the Republic and the Empire, covering a span of 2,000 years) and the U.S. on the larger world. Unexpected and thought-provoking parallels are drawn, challenging conventional thinking.

Great Catherine by Carolly Erickson

A biography of Catherine the Great
11 tapes / Narrated by Davina Porter
Recorded Books, Read: 01/28/08, Blog 03/12/09

The author wants to set the record straight and dispel the worst of the criticism against Catherine the Great. The empress or Russia is presented as a sympathetic character who had her hands full with a problematic family life and an unwieldy realm.

1491 by Charles C. Mann

New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus
465 pgs (c) 2005, Knopf
Broward Library 970.911 MA Read: 01/01/06

When you’re ready to learn something new, this book on the pre-Columbian Americas has surprising information and insightful observations that can change the way you see the world around you. The writing is lively and witty and never bogs down.

Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith

ISBN 0553585975
First published in 1776. Narrated: Michael Edwards, 35 hrs.
Purchased from Audible, Read 01/14/08

This fascinating and entertaining book is the granddaddy of capitalist free market thought. Fully fleshed out with examples, observations and conclusions, it provides unique insight not only into our current economic system; but also a window into the revolutionary era of the 18C. Free audio downloads are available at Librivox.com.

Lost White Tribes by Riccardo Orizio

The End of Privilege and the Laser Colonials in Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Brazil, Haiti, Namibia, and Guadeloupe
270 pgs (c) 2000, Secker & Warburg, (c) 2001, Free Press, NY
Broward Library # 909.090869OR Read: 01/08/08

This is a fascinating little book of colonialism, emigration, assimilation and cultural separation. It answers such questions as: Whatever became of the expatriate U.S. Confederates who settled in Brazil? the Poles in Haiti? the Dutch Burghers in Indonesia? the Germans in Jamaica?

Leviathan by Eric Jay Dolin

The History of Whaling in America
16 hrs, narr. by James Boles, © 2007 Tantor Media
© 2007 W.W. Norton, 480 pages
Audible download Read 02/22/09

During this 400-year history, whaling was greatly affected by war, commodity prices, trade barriers, international competition, changing consumer preferences and new technologies. In today’s era of economic failure and uncertainty, this book shows how one industry responded to the same stresses that affect businesses today.

Commodore by Edward J. Renehan Jr.

Commodore: The Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by Edward J. Renehan Jr.
11 CDs, 12.75 hours, Narrated by John McDonough
(c) 2007, Edward J. Renehan Jr., (c) 2008 Recorded Books. Read 02/10/09

Edward J. Renehan Jr. sets the record straight about the life of Cornelius Vanderbilt, clearing up inaccuracies of earlier biographies by using newly available materials as well as extensive contemporaneous sources. He brings to life this single-minded, notorious empire-builder of early industrialization in the United States.

American Alchemy by Brian Roberts

The California Gold Rush and Middle Class Culture
328 pgs (c)  2000, The University of North Carolina Press
Purchased at Raven Used Books, Cambridge, MA. Read 08/03/08

The majority of Americans who decamped for California were not down-and-outs or ruffians, but respectable members of the new middle class-men who had the financial wherewithal to make the expensive and difficult journey. He examines why they undertook such a speculative endeavor and how the women left behind stepped up to manage the homes, farms, and businesses.