Readers > Adult & teen lists > Best Nonfiction Reads of 2007
Staff Picks — Best Nonfiction Reads of 2007
These titles were the best books read by Multnomah County Library staff during 2007.
- Campbell, Alastair
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941.085 C1855b 2007Written by one of Blair's closest advisers, this diary of Tony Blair's first nine years as head of the British Labour Party is a fascinating day-to-day chronicle of how British and international politics look from inside 10 Downing Street. (Steve)
- Clapton, Eric
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782.42166 C589c 2007Even die-hard Clapton fans are likely to learn something new in this candid, revealing book, and it's amazingly well-written. Anyone interested in the history of rock and roll, particularly the 1970s and 1980s, will enjoy this. (Candy)
- Cleary, Brian
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j 428.1 C623h 2005 Beginning FactsVery clever rhyming easy facts book illustrating the titular concepts: "A bee can be, a flea can flee, a Burro can burrow a hole; a horse can get hoarse from talking, of course. A ewe could take you for a stroll." One in a fun series of math and grammar basics titles. (Deborah)
- Cooper, Bernard
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B-Co7842b 2006What would you do if you received a bill for parenting services from one of your parents? In his touching memoir, Cooper (art critic, Los Angeles magazine; author of Maps to Anywhere), builds his memories around this key incident, when his father hands him an invoice of close to $2 million for the cost of raising him. Cooper looks back on his complicated relationship with his father and actually enlists his father's help to pull together bits and pieces of the family history. (Jayne)
- Davis, Mike
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307.76 D263p 2006Dystopia on a global scale as Davis — revolutionary, scholar and visionary — examines the forces which are rapidly creating megacities around the earth's midsection: gigantic, unstable and unplanned. Davis' unmistakable voice manages to convey really bad news in a way that seems bracing and prophetic. (Markrid)
- Draper, Robert
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973.931 D766d 2007A biography of George W. Bush that tries to answer the question: If Bush is "The Decider", what is he deciding and why? This is an insightful, provocative and original look at Bush by a journalist who covered Bush when he was still in Texas. (Steve)
- Electric, Angela
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ZINE OH(2007)Over lunch and a few beers with Mom, Angela and her sister learn Mom's been driving across state borders to buy illegal hooch. But it's Mom's use and misuse of slang (for example, referring to Angela's anal-retentive cleaning habits as “anal intentions”) that make her daughters die of embarrassment. Quick, funny — Issue 10, Lunch with Mom cracked me up. (Cathy C.)When Angela and Chris move into the house of their dreams, they discover a German Shepard named Budweiser that never barks, neighbors who bring them pork chops, pesky kids next door and hardwood floors that cover up a pestiferous surprise — namely termites and carpenter ants. Profusely illustrated, Volume 2, issue 9, The Pork Chops Kind of Make It All Worth It is the perfect read for new or prospective home owners. (Cathy C.)
- Hemphill, Stephanie
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y811.5 P716he 2007The brief life of Sylvia Plath is well-known and thoroughly documented. Poet Hemphill has chosen a different biographical approach: the events of Plath's life are related by those who knew her in short fictional poems; poems that mirror the style of Plath's own work at the time of the writing. Each poem is accompanied by brief biographical information that helps to establish context and fill in narrative. The verse is accessible; skilled and elegant without being derivative. This excellent introduction may send you seeking The Bell Jar or Ariel. (Lee)
- Herring, Margaret
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634.907 H567f 2007Wind River Experimental Forest is near Carson, Washington. This is a well-written account of the science conducted there and how the emphasis on the science of the forest has changed over time with social changes. (Helen)
- Isenberg, Nancy
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B-B968i 2007I really enjoyed this compelling biography of a controversial historical figure. It also highlights the political turmoil of early America and sets the stage for our current political state. (Keli)
- Kalman, Maira
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741.6092 K14p 2007The author's description: "What is this book? What is anything? Who am I? Who are you? Stop it. Forget it. This is a year in my life. Profusely illustrated. Abounding with anguish, confusion, bits of wisdom. Musings, meanderings, buckets of joie de vivre and restful sojourns." I can say no more. (Leslie)
- Kingsolver, Barbara
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641.3 K55a 2007This was an amazing and thorough look at how we do food in this country. It was much more interesting and inspiring than I would have guessed. It certainly is not a book about how there is nothing to eat in the winter when you can't even have salad grown locally. It made me really think about pineapples and bananas and hot cocoa and being a good steward of the Earth's resources. Also a good book to make you feel very blessed to live where we do. (Lorna )
- Klein, Naomi
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330.122 K64s 2007At the core of disaster capitalism is the use of cataclysmic events to advance radical privatization combined with the privatization of the disaster response itself. Klein argues that by capitalizing on crises, created by nature or war, the disaster capitalism complex now exists as a booming new economy, and is the violent culmination of a radical economic project that has been incubating for 50 years. This is a long and complex book, but bracing. It's like finally being told the truth. (Moira)Combines impassioned journalistic essay writing and rigorous investigative reporting. (Izetta)
- Kurson, Robert
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362.41 K96c 2007Mike Mayer became blind at age three after a chemical explosion. This didn't slow him down, let alone stop him. Now in his 40s he's faced with an opportunity to restore his sight, but with the risk of losing it at any time. Fascinating story of a remarkable man, blind or sighted, and how newly acquired vision is impacted by years of only seeing by touch. (Cathy)
- Lebovitz, David
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641.862 L449p 2007Lebovitz provides simple instructions and well-tested recipes for classic and obscure flavors, as well as ice-cream paraphernalia like cones, mix-ins and sauces. I cannot wait for summer to come again. (Caleb)
- Leopold, Jason
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070.92 L587n 2006Leopold broke key stories about the California energy crisis and Enron's infamous phony trading floor as a reporter for the Dow Jones Newswires. While he exposed high-rolling hucksters and double-dealing politicians, Leopold hid the secrets of his own felonious past, terrified that he would be discovered. (Jayne)
- Lewis, Michael
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796.332 L675b 2006I was surprised to find that this was an amazing page-turner because I read more fantasy than sports nonfiction! It consists of two equally absorbing stories: one about the development of the passing game in football, leading to quarterback sacks, usually by the pass rusher, leading to the increasing importance of the left tackle who guards the QB's blind side. The other is the unlikely story of Michael Oher, a huge and athletically talented African-American kid (and a natural left tackle, even though he didn't know it) who grew up destitute in the Memphis ghettos and, through a weird series of events, was essentially adopted by a rich white family. (Deborah)
- McBastard, Clutch
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ZINE CLUTCH(2007)Through four panel comic strip descriptions of the year 2003 you'll encounter war, naps, bicycle rides, Blazers games and the work of zine librarian Clutch McBastard. This hilarious and moving book of journal entries is a must read! (Laural)
- Mindell, Amy
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616.8914 M663a 2006An innovative and playful take on the dynamics between those who heal and those who seek healing. To an extent, Mindell's book resembles an instruction manual for students of the interdisciplinary form of therapy taught and practiced at the Process Work Institute based in Portland, Oregon. Beyond its apparent value as a training tool, however, this book is for anyone interested in new ways of considering the deep, subtle, transforming roles enacted in therapeutic relationships. (Izetta)
- Nader, Ralph
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B-N135s 2007This is an autobiographical piece about the traditions instilled in young Ralph and how he became the man he is. The traditions are: listening, the family table, health, history, scarcity, sibling equality, education and argument, discipline, simple enjoyments, reciprocity, independent thinking, charity, work, business, patriotism, solitude, and civics. Whether you love or hate his consumer protection work, his political work, (or how he has been portrayed in the media) or his truly patriotic achievements, this book shows a history of a one in a million (or billion) popular leader. This is a great book all parents should read, no matter what your political opinions may be. If I could do half as good a job raising my kids as Mr. Nader's folks did I would be thankful. (Grant)
- Natalie
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ZINE 796.6 PORTLANDThis charming little zine introduces bike enthusiasts to the ins and outs of the Portland cycling scene. It is practical, sharp-witted and sometimes profound. Definitely required reading! (Emily-Jane)
- Ovenden, Mark
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388.4 O96t 2007Usually people don't read encyclopedias for fun, but this one is almost all pictures and fascinating historical facts! If you like maps or trains, this book is for you – historic and contemporary maps of dozens of subway systems and other urban train networks are shown in full color, together with a history of each city's public transportation system. (Emily-Jane)
- Pahl, Greg
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333.79 P141c 2007Pahl's handbook describes old, new and emerging energy solutions and highlights municipal and community solutions to an increasingly important problem. Since communities make and use energy, citizens should be the stewards — not some global conglomerate without ties to any nation or place (i.e. Enron). This book was a bit of a bore to rummage through, so if semi-technical text can drag on for you (as it can for me), use this as a reference book — it is the best I have seen on the subject (and I have been looking). The uplifting stories explain why the more local our energy solutions are the more viable they become. (Grant)
- Robison, John Elder
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616.85883 R666L 2007August Burroughs' brother is a high-functioning person with Asperger's syndrome. He eloquently explains the world from what he calls an "Aspergerian perspective." (Leslie)
- Roethke, Theodore
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818.5 R719sf 2006Cheating a little, since this is a handsome new publication of a collection of Roethke's work which is still as lovely, fresh, profound and often funny as it was in 1972. I often open this book at random, just to be startled or inspired — sometimes by a fragment so short it would fit into a fortune cookie. Even Roethke's prose is poetry. (Markrid)
- Santos, Michael
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365.6 S237i 2006I'm fascinated by what it's like in prison: I imagine it's about as far away from my life as you could get. Santos becomes our Virgil illuminating the distinctions of life in prisons with different security levels. To survive in this brutal environment, he skillfully weaves his way between warring groups of prisoners, taking no sides, making no judgments. (Leslie)
- Scahill, Jeremy
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355.354 S278b 2007This is a "horror" story that is pure truth. Like Hitler did in the 1930s with the SS, Bush has created his own private military, mercenary army that is legally "above the law". I didn't really care for the writing style, as the book leaves in whole-piece bits copied from the Blackwater company. These bits are a bit too scary even for me, and read like an advertisement for the company. A quick summary with comments would have been helpful. However, the bulk of this under-reported information is very valuable indeed and well worth the sifting through. The activities of the domestic arm of this company might be the most enlightening and under-reported (and scary). Some examples: the use of live rounds in New Orleans to "protect the security of the region" by soldiers who arrived straight from Iraq, or the exclusive contract signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in California for "emergency earthquake relief." Many Blackwater employees are South African and Chilean mercenaries who are barred from armed security work in their own countries due to the atrocities they committed, but U.S. companies find these skills "highly valuable." (Grant)
- Schlitz, Laura Amy
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j812.6 S344g 2007The young residents of a 13th century English town are vividly brought to life in a series of poetic and prose monologues. A reader can absorb some medieval history, while getting to know Taggot, the blacksmith's daughter, and Jack, the half-wit. Each monologue is accompanied by cheerful illustrations that evoke illuminated manuscripts, along with a little more information should you wish to learn. I've always found historical fiction to be painless learning, and this is another way to understand our past. (Lee)
- Tolan, Sandy
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956.9405 T647L 2006This is a social history of 20th entury Palestine, Israel and the Middle East. The story follows Dalia — who was raised in Israel in a house that she was led to believe was "abandoned" by a Palestinian family years earlier — and Bashir, a Palestinian boy whose family had been forced from the very home that Dalia's family later occupied. Dalia and Bashir meet when he returns to his family home as an adult, and they subsequently meet over the years and struggle together with the fact that this house is home to both of them. This is a very accessible, well-written personal history of the Israel/Palestine conflict, from the point of view of people directly affected. It offers a chance to see the validity of two very different points of view, the importance of home, and offers hope for peace. (Cathy)
- Toobin, Jeffrey
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347.7326 T668n 2007When my hold came in, I didn't think I really had time for this and I was going to turn it back in right away until I read the preface. This is an interesting book about the people who sit on the Supreme Court and the direction some of the decisions have taken our country. It is very thought-provoking and very well-written. (Lorna)
- Wells, Gail
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979.5043 W454L 2007In a series of grace-filled essays, Wells describes her family's three generations of experience in living in a fitfully remodeled old schoolhouse in Oregon's Coast Range. (Helen)
- Wolf, Bonny R.
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641.5 W8533t 2006National Public Radio listeners will recognize Bonny Wolf from her weekly food commentaries. This is a lovely collection of food writing with varying topics, from Jell-O molds to Bundt cakes (and their origin — fascinating!) to the comfort of buttered toast and how to perfectly roast a chicken. Wolf's essays reflect her encounters with Midwestern and East Coast foods, celebrating state fairs and potlucks. Most of her recipes feed large groups, in harmony with Wolf's aspiration to let food serve as the center of all sorts of events that bring people together. I've made several of the recipes and they are fabulous. (Tama)
- Zachter, Mort,
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B-Z12d 2007This engaging memoir traces the writer's discovery of millions of dollars in his frugal Uncle Harry's account — proceeds from 70 years at the family day-old bread store. Later he realizes that his entire family knew about the wealth all along and were resigned to turning it over to Uncle Harry. Zachter wrestles with the enigma of his family's complicity with humor and compassion. (Judy H.)
- Zinn, Howard
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306.20973 Z78p 2007Zinn's book chronicles the struggles of ordinary citizens to better understand the history of the past 250 years. He presents stories of people who have overcome — and sometimes did not overcome — suppressive regimes. Zinn relates the story of well-known and little-known struggles in American history that have been altered by traditional historians. A Power Governments Cannot Suppress is a great book for all people by an educational leader. It was refreshing to read such a well-written book. Mr Zinn's years of teaching have paid off. His ability to explain information is amazing. (Grant)