Category: displays

Best Books of 2010 Are Now On Display

Lisa

Happy New Year!  Once again it’s time for our annual “best books” display.  This year we have combed through 17 best books lists from a wide range of sources (Amazon.com, The New York Times, The Economist and Publishers Weekly, just to name a few) to bring you our Best Books of 2010 display. 

Featuring fiction and non-fiction titles in both print and audiobook format, this display includes many books that were credited on multiple best-of lists – books like Parrot in Olivier in America, The Invisible Bridge, More Money than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite, The Coral Thief, and Country Driving: A Journey Through China From Farm to Factory.  You will also find quite a few books that may not have received much publicity when they were released, but which shouldn’t be overlooked.

We’re certain that this display contains something for everyone, but if you don’t see anything of interest at first glance keep checking back.  We are adding to the display daily as new acquisitions arrive and currently checked-out books are returned. Please stop by and browse, or view the entire listing online.

Books & Films That Will Whet Your Appetite

Lisa

Foodies delight! Our current display is a mouth-watering selection of books and films about food and drink. One part history, one part culture, a generous dollop of biography, a dash of business and pinch of fiction is the perfect recipe for a collection to savor. We’ve also thrown in a few cookbooks to inspire you to whip up your own gastronomic delights.

We have books that pay tribute to the potato chip, unveil the tale of the first genetically engineered tomato, examine the six beverages that have changed history, and tell the saga of the chocolate wars.  You can learn more about two of the first ladies of food – Julia Child and Betty Crocker – and follow the humorous adventures of New York Times food critic Ruth Reichl.

Explore the cultural, social, and historical importance of food from places near and far, and take a trip back in time to examine how food and cooking have evolved from ancient civilization to the present day. We also have all of the icons covered, whether you’re thirsting for information about Coca Cola or looking for something just a bit stronger, like the life and times of Jack Daniel.

Stop by and pick up something you can sink your teeth into.

It Pay$ to be Green – Green Business books on display

Lisa

“People, planet, and profit” – these are the pillars of the Triple Bottom Line, a phrase coined by John Elkington in 1994 and expanded upon in his 1997 book Cannibals With Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business.  Sixteen years later, “going green” is a hot topic.  Government, corporations and consumers are focused on sustainability.

For our current display we’ve selected a variety of titles that present the case that sustainable business practices make sense for the environment, society and the bottom line.  Included in our picks are green business success stories like that of Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm and Ray Anderson of Interface, Inc., insight from business strategists such as Peter Senge, and guidance from environmentalists including Paul Hawken and Lester Brown.

Stop by and check things out for yourself.

And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth

Amy

Would you believe that the latest Janet Evanovich tale is … a comic book? It’s true! A lifelong comic book fan, Evanovich co-wrote  Troublemaker. Book 1: A Barnaby and Hooker Graphic Novel with her daughter, Alex. Troublemaker is just one of the many graphic novels available to borrow from our library.

Janet Evanovich Signing at San Diego Comic Con International

We have the books that inspired movies, such as Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta, From Hell, and Watchmen. And, we have the movies inspired by the comics including American Splendor, Sin City, and many more!

No longer the sole domain of men in tights, comic books and graphic novels have evolved into moving works of non-fiction. Ari Folman and David Polonsky bring to life Folman’s experience as an Israeli soldier during a 1982 conflict in Waltz with Bashir. Marjane Satrapi gives the reader a glimpse into her life in 1970s Iran in Persepolis.

In October, you can get totally geeked out at Wizard World New England Comic Con at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center. Local comic book scribe Christopher Golden will be a featured guest, along with six cast members of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. You can prepare by reading Prince of Stories: The Many World of Neil Gaiman, which Golden co-wrote with Hank Wagner and Stephen R. Bissette.

Don’t worry, you don’t really need to be a geek to appreciate our picks.  Stop by and take a look or browse the display online.

Game On! Sports Books & Movies On Display

Lisa

Get in the spirit and come check out our display of sports books and movies.  We’ve got the entire field covered – sports from baseball to wrestling, athletes, teams, owners, fans and events are all represented here!

If you just can’t get enough of this Celtics/Lakers rivalry come check out When The Game Was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.  Prepare for the World Cup with More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs. Apartheid, The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told or The Damned United.  Football fans can get a double-dose of The Blind Side by reading the book AND seeing the movie.   Why not revisit the historic 2004 baseball season with Stephen King and Stewart O’Nan in Faithful: Two Diehard Boston Red Sox Fans Chronicle the Historic 2004 Season? Speaking of Stephen King, we have his newest, limited-edition release – a baseball novella titled Blockade Billy.

Of course we also have a slew of fan favorites on DVD. There’s something to suit whatever your mood, whether you’re looking for something dramatic (Chariots of Fire), intense (Raging Bull), inspirational (Cinderella Man), or lighthearted (Fever Pitch).

You don’t have to be a sports fanatic to find something of interest… If science is your thing take a look at The Physics of NASCAR: How to Make Steel + Gas + Rubber = Speed.  Biographies and memoirs such as Andre Agassi’s Open or Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Wait Till Next Year will appeal to all types of readers.

Stop by today and score yourself something good to take home. 

On Display: Book Club Favorites

Lisa

The semester is drawing to a close, which means that soon it will be time to trade in your textbooks for a much more enjoyable novel or audiobook.   Let the Bentley Library help you select something good to read!  Stop by to check out our newest display, featuring books that have been popular choices for book clubs and reading groups.

We’ve chosen a variety of print and audio titles, hoping to help you rediscover books that you intended to read years ago but never got around to, as well as to point you to some of our newer acquisitions.  It includes classics of literature such as Jane Eyre and Mrs. Dalloway, contemporary best-sellers by Jodi Picoult, Sue Monk Kidd, Barbara Kingsolver, Richard Russo, and Lisa See, and popular works of nonfiction such as Timothy Eagan’s The Worst Hard Time and Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City.

Pay us a visit and pick up something fun to read or listen to!

Are You Interested in Joining a Book Group at the Library?

The Library is seeking students, faculty and staff who are interested in joining a book discussion group that will start in the fall of 2010.  If you are interested in being a part of the book group please take our online survey to give us your contact information and answer a few quick questions about your reading interests.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Money & Taxes: Books on Display

Kimberly

“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”
~ Albert Einstein

“Money often costs too much.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In the spirit of the season…tax season that is…we have pulled together a selection of books, DVDs and audiobooks about taxes, monetary and taxation policies, and the history of money.   This display presents general interest and scholarly works from the fields of economics, finance, history, law, and philosophy, and includes areas of current  research that will be of interest to the Bentley community.

From Charles Rossotti’s behind the scenes tale of the IRS in Many Unhappy Returns: One Man’s Quest to Turn Around the Most Unpopular Organization in America, to Lauren Weber’s intriguing socioeconomic chronicle of the history of American frugality in In Cheap We Trust: The Misunderstood American Virtue, to the award-winning documentary Maxed Out, we’re highlighting an eclectic selection of titles.

Please take a moment to stop by, browse and borrow.

Best Books of 2009 Now On Display

Lisa

It wouldn’t be a new year without the customary publishing of year-end, “best-of” lists!  We have combed through many best books lists from a wide range of sources (Amazon.com, Publishers Weekly,  The Economist and The New York Times, just to name a few) to bring to you our Best Books of 2009 display.

Featuring a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles, it includes many books that were credited on multiple best-of lists.  We are certain we have something to interest everyone, so please take a moment to stop by and browse.