The Buzz...About Books

Following up on my earlier post  Hot Nonfiction for Summer 2017, here are a few more nonfiction books that were popular in 2017.  It certainly has been another fantastic year for fans of nonfiction.  

Leonard da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
Da Vinci is best known for his famous paintings, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Yet, he was just as much a man of science and technology as art. Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo's notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work,  Isaacson reveals Da Vinci's many passions as he pursued studies in diverse fields and became history's most creative genius.
• Audiobook
• ebook
• eaudiobook
• Talking Book (Restricted to print disabled patrons)

Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine by James Maskalyk.
Dr. Maskalyk draws upon his experience treating patients in the emergency rooms around the world, including Toronto,  to discover that all hospitals are linked by their ground floors - their emergency rooms.  In the emergency room, Dr. Maskalyk has witnessed humanity - the mourning and laughter, the tragedies and hopes, and the frailty and the resilience of the human spirit. Winner of Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize  and Finalist for the Toronto Book Award. 
• ebook

Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston
The legend of a  lost city deep in the ancient rain forests of Honduras has been rumoured for centuries.  As a  frequent contributor to National Geographic, author Douglas Preston, was given the opportunity to join an archaeological mission deep into treacherous snake-infested rain forest to uncover the truth behind these rumours.  
• Large Print
• Audiobook
• ebook
• eaudiobook
• Talking Book (Restricted to print disabled patrons)

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat : The Four Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
Chef Samin Nosrat has taught many people, including author Michael Pollan, to cook using her simple philosophy. She contends that anyone mastering the use of the four elements of good cooking  - salt, fat, acid and heat - can make anything they cook delicious.
• Audiobook
• ebook

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by by Michael Finkel
In 1986, Christopher Knight drove to Maine and disappeared into the woods for thirty years.  Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is an account of the why and how of his secluded life and the challenges he has faced returning to the world. 
• Large Print
• Audiobook
• ebook
• eaudiobook
• Talking Book (Restricted to print disabled patrons)

What Happened by Hilary Rodham Clinton
The former secretary of state relates her experiences as the first woman candidate nominated for president by a major American political party. Discussing the sexism, criticism, and double standards she had to confront, Clinton brings much-needed perspective to the election, especially for her millions of supporters, who also want to know what happened and why.
• Large Print
• Audiobook
• ebook
• eaudiobook
• Talking Book (Restricted to print disabled patrons)