Staff Favorites: Nonfiction books get thumbs-up from our librarians

Things the Grandchildren Should Know by Mark Oliver Everett
Early in this absorbing memoir, Mark Oliver Everett states: “Thanks to my ridiculous, sometimes tragic, and always unsteady upbringing, I was giventhe gift of bone-crushing insecurity.” If, like me, you appreciate the simple honesty of that statement, then read this book. The author is better known as E, the guy who formed a rock band/music project called EELS. He shares how he became a successful independent musician and what it was like to grow up in a complicated family with a father who was a genius quantum physicist. I loved it. – Hannah P.

The Zookeeper’s Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
This is a fascinating, true story of how the proprietors of the Warsaw Zoo helped hide hundreds of Jews and Resistance fighters from the Nazis during World War II.  Diane Ackerman (author of A Natural History of the Senses) paints a vividly tactile portrait of the city of Warsaw, the zoo, its animals and the many colorful characters who worked for the Resistance. – Paige C.

Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water by Maude Barlow
At times difficult to process, if simply because the data is so overwhelming, this book is an eye-opener. From bottled water and privatized water systems to the shrinking pools of clean fresh water, Blue Covenant documents the current state of the world’s water supply. It’s reminiscent of the dystopian future presented in Tank Girl (Jamie Hewlett) where water has become the most valuable currency and water pirates fight for survival. Very disturbing and worthy of fame akin to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. – Toby T.