August events

Read about these historical events in August. Jefferson Morley Snow-Storm in August: Washington City, Francis Scott Key, and the Forgotten Race Riot of 1835 Request this item Erica Reischer Never a Dull Moment: 1971, The Year that Rock Exploded Request this item Buzz Bissinger Three Nights in August: Strategy, Heartbreak, and Joy Inside the Mind of a Manager Request this item If you want any more suggestions or ideas, please call or come in the library today!

On the Rebound

On the Rebound by Jim Cangany Summary: Sabotaged by scandal, basketball coach Greg Miller can't find work in the men's division. Humble and defeated, he takes a job as an assistant coach for a women’s college team. Deciding that he's going to make the best of it and clear his name of any wrongdoing, Greg sets out to make a difference and prove himself to everyone who doubted him. When circumstances arise and a valuable player needs some help, the coach begins working alongside elegant and determined academic advisor Ciara Monaghan. Soon, Greg finds he needs more than just a victory on the court. Disgusted by his immoral reputation, Ciara steers clear of the basketball coach's full court press. However, as they are forced together and the truth comes out, Ciara realizes there is more to Greg than she ever realized. With the season coming to an end and the clock running out, will one of them take the shot and finally change the game? Angie’s comments: I am not a basketball fan, but I thoroughly enjoyed this love story of people and basketball. The romance is fantastic and believable, and great for readers who don’t like play-by-play of bedroom scenes. It was cute, fun, and the issues are realistic. Recommended for readers of gentle romance and readers of sports romance. Request this item

Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer Summary: A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster. By writing Into Thin Air, Krakauer may have hoped to exorcise some of his own demons and lay to rest some of the painful questions that still surround the event. He takes great pains to provide a balanced picture of the people and events he witnessed and gives due credit to the tireless and dedicated Sherpas. He also avoids blasting easy targets such as Sandy Pittman, the wealthy socialite who brought an espresso maker along on the expedition. Krakauer's highly personal inquiry into the catastrophe provides a great deal of insight into what went wrong. But for Krakauer himself, further interviews and investigations only lead him to the conclusion that his perceived failures were directly responsible for a fellow climber's death. Clearly, Krakauer remains haunted by the disaster, and although he relates a number of incidents in which he acted selflessly and even heroically, he seems unable to view those instances objectively. In the end, despite his evenhanded and even generous assessment of others' actions, he reserves a full measure of vitriol for himself. This updated trade paperback edition of Into Thin Air includes an extensive new postscript that sheds fascinating light on the acrimonious debate that flared between Krakauer and Everest guide Anatoli Boukreev in the wake of the tragedy.  "I have no doubt that Boukreev's intentions were good on summit day," writes Krakauer in the postscript, dated August 1999. "What disturbs me, though, was Boukreev's refusal to acknowledge the possibility that he made even a single poor decision. Never did he indicate that perhaps it wasn't the best choice to climb without gas or go down ahead of his clients." As usual, Krakauer supports his points with dogged research and a good dose of humility. But rather than continue the heated discourse that has raged since Into Thin Air's denouncement of guide Boukreev, Krakauer's tone is conciliatory; he points most of his criticism at G. Weston De Walt, who coauthored The Climb, Boukreev's version of events. And in a touching conclusion, Krakauer recounts his last conversation with the late Boukreev, in which the two weathered climbers agreed to disagree about certain points. Krakauer had great hopes to patch things up with Boukreev, but the Russian later died in an avalanche on another Himalayan peak, Annapurna I. In 1999, Krakauer received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters--a prestigious prize intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment."  According to the Academy's citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer.  His account of an ascent of Mount Everest has led to a general reevaluation of climbing and of the commercialization of what was once a romantic, solitary sport; while his account of the life and death of Christopher McCandless, who died of starvation after challenging the Alaskan wilderness, delves even more deeply and disturbingly into the fascination of nature and the devastating effects of its lure on a young and curious mind." Angie’s comments: This account of a climbing disaster is well-written and poignant. Krakauer is very good at explaining climbing issues such climbing with or without oxygen. He details the personalities of each person, as he saw them, and tries to look at the situation fairly. Recommended for readers of true adventure.  Request this item