Staff Picks: Non-fiction for Adults

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Cascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry By Cmarie Fuhrman (Editor), Elizabeth Bradfield (Editor), Derek Sheffield (Editor) Cover Image
By Cmarie Fuhrman (Editor), Elizabeth Bradfield (Editor), Derek Sheffield (Editor)
$29.95
ISBN: 9781680516227
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Mountaineers Books - February 13th, 2023

To quote Robin Wall Kimerer, "Have you ever been so filled up with the wonder of a place, that it wants to spill out as a song?  Well, here is the songbook."  Truly, a uniquely beautiful & lovingly collected paean to the diverse eco-region of the Pacific Northwest in all its wonder, fragility, resiliance, & glory." -Lauren


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I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan By Katie Porter Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593443989
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Crown - April 11th, 2023

Hilarious and on-point, this is the book for everyonewho's ever wondered what the heck is actually going on in Congress anyway.  Representative Katy Porter takes down ignorance, incompetence, & neglegence one Congressional Hearing at a time.  Accountable politics, for normal people, by a normal person!  A must-read!  -Recommended by Lauren


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Koala: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future By Danielle Clode Cover Image
$27.95
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9781324036838
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - January 17th, 2023

An in-depth journey into the life and history of an animal you thought you knew.  Delightful, surprising, and vividy rendered.  A must-read!"  -Recommended by Lauren


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Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again By Johann Hari Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780593138533
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Crown - January 24th, 2023

WOW!  This book is cognitively exhilirating.  If you are even a little bit interested, get it!  You'll be glad you did."  -Recommended by Christie


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The Oldest Cure in the World: Adventures in the Art and Science of Fasting By Steve Hendricks Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9781419748479
Availability: Backordered - we'll try to let you know how long!
Published: Abrams Press - September 6th, 2022

First: this is a fun read.  Seond: Holy smokes, our bodies are fascinating.  Third: I learned things that changed my habits for the better.  Enjoy!" -Recommended by Christie


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Fieldwork: A Forager's Memoir By Iliana Regan Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781572843189
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Agate Midway - January 24th, 2023

Everything about this memoir is unusual:  her voice, her childhood, her choices, and above all the natural world she inhabits daily.  It sticks with you like a good (foraged!) meal.  -Recommended by Christie


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Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures By Merlin Sheldrake Cover Image
$20.00
ISBN: 9780525510321
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks - April 13th, 2021

Equally illuminating & enigmatic, this deep dive into the kingdom of Fungi will change the way you think about inter-relationships in the natural world... Recommended by Lauren


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Ghostways: Two Journeys in Unquiet Places By Robert Macfarlane, Stanley Donwood, Dan Richards Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781324015826
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - November 24th, 2020

-Recommended by Lauren


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Stay True: A Memoir By Hua Hsu Cover Image
By Hua Hsu
$26.00
ISBN: 9780385547772
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Doubleday - September 27th, 2022

It's a deeply personal Nor Cal story that also has much to say (concisely!) about time, memory, and how we make meaning.  A gem.  -Recommended by Christie


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Birds and Us: A 12,000-Year History from Cave Art to Conservation By Tim Birkhead Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9780691239927
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Princeton University Press - August 9th, 2022

Bird Sense author & ornithologist does it again- full of feathery passion, this incisively written account covers humankind's relationship with birds from the Neolithic period to present day.  Clear, with fascinating first-hand accounts.  A must have for bird & art lovers.  -Recommended by Lauren


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Why Peacocks?: An Unlikely Search for Meaning in the World's Most Magnificent Bird By Sean Flynn Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781982101084
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Simon & Schuster - May 17th, 2022

A crime-writer and father gets a surprise text:  "Any chance you guys want a peacock?  No kidding!"  What could possibly go wrong?  Deftly written, absurd, & even poignant, this book is an absolute delight.  If you enjoyed Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?, then this book is for you!  -recommended by Lauren


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Mumbai Modern: Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by Indian Roots and California Cuisine By Amisha Dodhia Gurbani Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9781682686287
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Countryman Press - November 2nd, 2021

"I want to eat this whole book!  Beautiful, achievable Indian food.  A must have for every kitchen!"  Recommended by Lauren.


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Living Untethered: Beyond the Human Predicament By Michael A. Singer Cover Image
$18.95
ISBN: 9781648480935
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: New Harbinger Publications - April 27th, 2022

"Brilliant!  Min-Blowing!  Heart-opening!  I got it now.  Thanks.  Wow."  -Recommended by Alena


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This Is Not a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch: The Joy of Loving Something--Anything--Like Your Life Depends On It By Tabitha Carvan Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780593421918
Availability: Backordered - we'll try to let you know how long!
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - May 31st, 2022

"Part memoir, part cultural essay, this book is actually an ode to passion, enthusiasm, fandom, obsession, and joy - wherever you find it.  Hilarious and insightful; as a self-professed nerd, I felt so seen!"  -Recommended by Molly


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Bittersweet (Oprah's Book Club): How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole By Susan Cain Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780451499783
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Crown - April 5th, 2022

"From the author of Quiet comes another AMAZING book!  Boy, did I need to read it.  Helped me open uo to my own bittersweet (which I had been closed to recently).  I was surprised how uplifting I found this book.  Feels so good to be re-opened."  -Recommended by Alena


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The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times (Global Icons Series) By Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781250784094
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Celadon Books - October 19th, 2021

"It had been too easy for me to despair about the world until I found this book, which showed me hope is an action- not a fantasy, but a reality.  FYI, the audio version has the added bonus of hearing Goodalls uplifting voice."  -Recommended by Jeanette


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Punk, Post Punk, New Wave: Onstage, Backstage, In Your Face, 1978-1991 By Michael Grecco, Jim Sullivan (Introduction by), Fred Schneider (Foreword by) Cover Image
By Michael Grecco, Jim Sullivan (Introduction by), Fred Schneider (Foreword by)
$40.00
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9781419748547
Published: Abrams - November 10th, 2020

"For lovers of David Bowie, Devo, and the Sex Pistols, this book is a visual diary from a photographer who has rocked as hard as the bands he features.  Punk lives!"  -Rob


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The Wild Unknown Pocket Tarot By Kim Krans Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9780063113732
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: HarperOne - November 16th, 2021

"A beautiful mini-version of this gorgeous deck, with full tiny book!  Take it with you in its tin.  I love it!"  -Alena


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Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide By John Cleese Cover Image
$14.00
ISBN: 9780385348270
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Crown - September 8th, 2020

"Brilliant!  Fun!  Captivating!  Pithy!"  -Alena


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Our Class: Trauma and Transformation in an American Prison By Chris Hedges Cover Image
$26.99
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ISBN: 9781982154431
Published: Simon & Schuster - October 19th, 2021

"Be astounded by what it takes to overcome the inhumanity of imprisonment, to rise above it, and to create a thing of beauty." - Jeanette


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Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life By Lulu Miller Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781501160349
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Simon & Schuster - April 6th, 2021

This is not only an absorbing profile of an ichthyologist (I couldn't resist using that word!), but also a probing examination of what it means to find purpose in life. Recommended by Jeanette


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Miracle Country: A Memoir of a Family and a Landscape By Kendra Atleework Cover Image
$19.99
ISBN: 9781643751412
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Algonquin Books - June 1st, 2021

If you, too, love the eastern side of the Sierras, you will follow Kendra's wandering trail with a heightened appreciation for the area. Recommended by Jeanette


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Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred Land in the American West By Lauren Redniss Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9780399589720
Availability: Backordered - we'll try to let you know how long!
Published: Random House - November 17th, 2020

This book has the power of a vision quest with its illuminations on Apache cultural history and the boom/bust cycles of a mining town. Recommended by Jeanette


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Every Day Is a Poem: Find Clarity, Feel Relief, and See Beauty in Every Moment By Jacqueline Suskin Cover Image
$17.99
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9781683644842
Published: Sounds True - October 20th, 2020

Part poetry/part self-help, this book guides us to open our eyes to the details of life worth writing about and gives us tools to actually write about them. I picked this up and was immediately inspired. A great tool for the new poet and an affirmation to the veteran. Recommended by Rob


How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy By Jenny Odell Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781612198552
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Melville House - December 29th, 2020

So much more than the title implies, this is really a work of philosophy. Full of insight, it explores new questions about how we think these days. Recommended by Christie


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Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope By Nicholas D. Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9780525564171
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Vintage - September 1st, 2020

I can't imagine a more vital book for people seeking solutions to the socio-economic problems ravaging our country. Recommended by Jeanette


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Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer's Path By Nicole Gulotta Cover Image
$17.95
ISBN: 9781611806656
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Roost Books - October 15th, 2019

This isn't "another book on writing." It's a book that reminds us that it's ok to not be writing but if we want to be writing, there are doors and paths that can lead us out of the dark. Wild Words is:

Refreshing   

EyeOpening   

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Recommended by Rob


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The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz By Erik Larson Cover Image
$35.00
ISBN: 9780385348713
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Crown - February 25th, 2020

A historical and cinematic narrative of non-fiction by a true master, The Splendid and the Vile is the story of Winston Churchill's most difficult years and his greatest triumphs, both worldly and domestic. The amazing Erik Larson hits it out of the park! Recommended by Rob


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Department of Mind-Blowing Theories By Tom Gauld Cover Image
$21.95
ISBN: 9781770463752
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Drawn and Quarterly - April 14th, 2020

Enter the wonderful, wacky world of Tom Gauld and leave with a big smile on your face! In his new collection of cartoons, Gauld focuses his unique humor on the world of science with hilarious results. You might want 2 ... 1 for you and 1 for a friend. Recommended by Jane


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Thriving as an Empath: 365 Days of Self-Care for Sensitive People By Judith Orloff Cover Image
$24.95
ISBN: 9781683642916
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Sounds True - October 22nd, 2019

I loved Orloff's book, The Empath's Survival Guide. Here's a lovely check-in and supportive guide for us sensitive souls. Read it daily or as needed -- with gratitude and joy. Recommended by Alena


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The Sun Is a Compass: My 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds By Caroline Van Hemert Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316414449
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Little, Brown Spark - February 25th, 2020

Confession: I'm only an armchair adventurer. My love of the outdoors doesn't extend to risky escapades, so I vicariously follow others on their treks -- and this one thrilled me. Recommended by Jeanette


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Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race By Lara Prior-Palmer Cover Image
$16.95
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9781948226981
Published: Catapult - April 28th, 2020

Two amazing feats in one book:

1 - The author won a grueling horse race across Mongolia when all the odds were against her.

2- She keeps you racing along with her wondering how in the world she did it.

Recommended by Jeanette


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Keep Going: 10 Ways to Stay Creative in Good Times and Bad (Austin Kleon) By Austin Kleon Cover Image
$14.95
ISBN: 9781523506644
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Workman Publishing Company - April 2nd, 2019

More inspiration and solid ideas from the author brought us Steal Like an Artist. Recommended by Alena


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Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love By Dani Shapiro Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9780525434030
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Anchor - January 28th, 2020

Just wonderful*. And impossible to put down. *As is all Shapiro's writing. Recommended by Christie


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The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America By Matt Kracht Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781452174037
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Chronicle Books - April 2nd, 2019

Hilariously snarky (yet true) laugh-out-loud descriptions of 50 orth American birds, written by a professional birding amateur. Newver fails to bring a silly smile to my day. Recomended by Vera


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Joy Enough: A Memoir By Sarah McColl Cover Image
$15.95
Email or call for price
ISBN: 9781631496639
Published: Liveright - January 14th, 2020

A lovely, sensitively written meditation on grief and joy. Recommended by Christie


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Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country By Pam Houston Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9780393357660
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - January 7th, 2020

As always, her work is both timeless and exquisitely timely, as she explores the challenges and rewards of loving nature as our hearts break over it. Recommended by Christie


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Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age By Mary Pipher Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781632869616
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Bloomsbury Publishing - March 3rd, 2020

I'm turning 60 this year, and this book is just what I needed to hear! Encouraging, empowering, knowledgeable, and real. Like being in a group of women, led by Mary Pipher, who share their stories to support, harness growth and transformative, meaningful aging! Recommended by Alena


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Ground Rules: 100 Easy Lessons for Growing a More Glorious Garden By Kate Frey Cover Image
$19.95
ISBN: 9781604698787
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Timber Press - October 30th, 2018

Down-to-earth tips for gardeners, plus a charming cover and interior illustrations designed by Mia Johnson, who grew up right here in Mendocino. Recommended by Jeanette


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Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive By Stephanie Land, Barbara Ehrenreich (Foreword by) Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316505093
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Legacy Lit - January 21st, 2020

This is a story that everyone needs to read -- as citizens, as mothers, as neighbors. But it's also a story that everyone will WANT to read, because it's utterly captivating. I'm grateful to the author for her generosity in sharing her life so well. Recommended by Christie


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Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth By Sarah Smarsh Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781501133107
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Scribner - September 3rd, 2019

You've read the statistics, but this personal story makes it relentlessly real what it is to lead a hardscrabble life in the midst of our times of increasingly politicized socioeconomic disenfranchisement. Recommended by Jeanette


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The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers By Maxwell King Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781419735165
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Abrams Press - September 17th, 2019

I've always been a little obsessed with Mr. Rogers, and this book has caused a serious relapse. It captures the spiritual clarity, the commitment to unerring kindness, and the radical honesty that drew me as a child. And he was full of surprises! I love this book. Recommended by Christie


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From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death By Caitlin Doughty, Landis Blair (Illustrator) Cover Image
By Caitlin Doughty, Landis Blair (Illustrator)
$15.95
ISBN: 9780393356281
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: W. W. Norton & Company - October 9th, 2018

Morbid? No way! This is an utterly fascinating look at how we as humans have widely different approaches to death. (Disclosure: I'm a huge fan of the author. Check out her "Ask a Mortician" You-Tube Series.) Recommended by Jeanette


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The Order of Time By Carlo Rovelli Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780735216112
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Riverhead Books - December 10th, 2019

MIND-BLOWING! Elegantly written. Deeply engaging. I actually listened to this book -- read Benedict Cumberbatch -- on my phone! Thanks to Libro.fm. Interested? Ask us how or follow the "All About Audio" link on our Front Page. Recommended by Alena


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Ageless Soul: The Lifelong Journey Toward Meaning and Joy By Thomas Moore Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250141002
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: St. Martin's Essentials - January 22nd, 2019

Thomas Moore who wrote Care of the Soul and Dark Nights of the Soul, now brings us a book on soul and aging. Need I say more?  Recommended by Alena.


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Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI By David Grann Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780307742483
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Vintage - April 3rd, 2018

It's a fascinating look at an unsavory time in early modern history. Grann revisits the systematic killings of the Osage people and tells it with the mystique of an intense "whonunnit." And he writes with such character that the real people involved in the case become like sympathectic cast members in a mystery play. This is a must read for American History buffs and mystery lovers! Recommended by Rob


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Lab Girl: A Memoir By Hope Jahren Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9781101873724
Availability: We can get this for you pretty soon!
Published: Vintage - February 28th, 2017

If you like plants, people, or science, this is for you! It's a lyrical memoir of life in and out of the lab that starts strong and just gets stronger. I loved it! Recommended by Christie


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The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate--Discoveries from a Secret World By Peter Wohlleben, Tim Flannery (Foreword by), Jane Billinghurst (Translator) Cover Image
By Peter Wohlleben, Tim Flannery (Foreword by), Jane Billinghurst (Translator)
$26.95
ISBN: 9781771642484
Availability: On our shelves now!
Published: Greystone Books - September 13th, 2016

Amazing!!! Here's a forester from Germany whose love of nature from when he was six years old is reignited by what he experiences with trees -- how they communicate through their roots, scream at ultrasonic levels, feel pain, live as family groups, care for their elders and youngsters. Groundbreaking! Imagine a "managed" forest where machines are banned. It exists! Let's spread the word. Anyone who loves trees will love this book. Recommended by Alena & Christie