Monday, April 20, 2015

New Nonfiction and DVDs











Alive Inside - DVD
“A joyous cinematic exploration of music's capacity to reawaken our souls and uncover the deepest parts of our humanity. Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles the astonishing experiences of individuals around the country who have been revitalized through the simple experience of listening to music.” –WorldCat

The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy Revolution and Changed the World by Russell Gold
“Fracking has vociferous critics and fervent defenders, but the debate between these camps has obscured the actual story: Fracking has become a fixture of the American landscape and the global economy. It has upended the business models of energy companies around the globe, and it has started to change geopolitics and global energy markets in profound ways. Here the author tells the story of this once-obscure oilfield technology, a story with an incredible cast of tycoons and geologists, dreamers and drillers, speculators and skeptics, a story that answers a critical question of our time: Where will the energy come from to power our world, and what price will we have to pay for it?” –Jacket

Feminisms Matter: Debates, Theories, Activism by Victoria L. Bromley
"In this lively narrative, newcomers to women's and gender studies, feminist politics, history, and sociology explore a refreshing take on a subject matter often loaded with assumptions. Feminist theories are viewed through the critical intersections of race, class, sexuality, age, and ability, and are embedded in the experiences of everyday life, allowing Bromley to engage readers in doing theory, in making sense of concepts like ‘power’ and ‘privilege,’ and in effecting social change. Using a variety of devices, including provocative images, discussion questions, and classroom activities, Feminisms Matter helps readers cultivate a way of thinking critically about their everyday worlds." –WorldCat

The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters by Gregory Zuckerman
“Things looked grim for American energy in 2006. Oil production was in steep decline and natural gas was hard to find. The Iraq War threatened the nation’s already tenuous relations with the Middle East. China was rapidly industrializing and competing for resources. Major oil companies had just about given up on new discoveries on U.S. soil, and a new energy crisis seemed likely. But a handful of men believed everything was about to change….By experimenting with hydraulic fracturing through extremely dense shale—a process now known as fracking—the wildcatters started a revolution. In just a few years, they solved America’s dependence on imported energy, triggered a global environmental controversy—and made and lost astonishing fortunes.” –Jacket

Groundswell: The Case for Fracking by Ezra Levant
"In a few short years, the discovery of vast reserves of until now unreachable natural gas, and the adoption of a process to get at it, have brought about a shale-gas revolution. Fracking involves the injection of millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals into a well deep underground to fracture shale rock. Levant debunks claims about contaminated groundwater, fracking chemicals, and earthquakes, and looks at fracking's benefits." –WorldCat

Human Planet - DVD
“Humans are the ultimate animals - the most successful species on the planet. Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth. Each episode examines one of the extremes of our planet: the arctic, mountains, oceans, jungles, grasslands, deserts, rivers, and even the urban jungle. Each habitat engenders astonishing solutions in the face of extreme adversity. Here are people who survive by building complex, exciting, and often mutually beneficial relationships with their animal neighbors, or the hostile elements of the natural world. This eight-part series is a celebration of the amazing, complex, profound, and sometimes challenging relationship between humankind and nature.” –WorldCat

The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall - DVD
“On one night in August 1961, a few railway cars and a lot of barbed wire were moved into position in Berlin, dividing East Germany from West. It was a barrier that would be extended and become increasingly more sophisticated over the 18 years of its existence, a technological counter to each escape attempt. In this feature length special, History uses a computer imagery to reconstruct how the wall grew from a meager obstacle to a 97-mile barrier of concrete slabs, watchtowers and guards. It charts the rise and then the sudden fall of the wall on November 9, 1989.” –WorldCat

Running From Crazy - DVD
”This documentary examines the personal journey of Mariel Hemingway, the granddaughter of writer Ernest Hemingway, as she strives for a deeper understanding of the suicide and mental illness that have afflicted so many of her family members. Intimate verité footage and raw, emotional interviews with Mariel and her daughter are interwoven with rarely seen archival footage of the three Hemingway sisters and their parents.” –WorldCat