Daniel Boone Regional Library

We recently added “How to Survive A Plague” to the DBRL collection. This film played at the True/False Film Festival in 2012, and currently has a rating of 100% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

The story of the brave young men and women who successfully reversed the tide of an epidemic, demanded the attention of a fearful nation, and stopped AIDS from becoming a death sentence. This improbable group of activists bucked oppression and infiltrated government agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, helping to identify promising new medication and treatments and move them through trials and into drugstores in record time.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info. Director David France was in Columbia this last weekend moderating a panel for the True False Film Fest.

March is Women’s History Month, and this year we are honoring the generations of female scientists, mathematicians, and engineers whose passion for the advancement of human knowledge changed the way we understand the natural world. Whatever your gifts, the stories of these intrepid women are certain to make you appreciate living in a world that allows you to develop them in ways your great-grandmother might never have thought possible.

In my nerdier moments, I’ve often dreamed of hobnobbing with the great minds of the twentieth century, instigating feuds and ruffling feathers (“Pardon me, Lord Russell, but there appears to be a slight problem with your Principles of Mathematics…”). So I was excited to discover “I Died for Beauty: Dorothy Wrinch and the Cultures of Science,” the story of a woman who, in many ways, lived just that dream, studying at Cambridge and Oxford and making significant contributions to fields from philosophy to protein structure. Marjorie Senechal paints a compelling portrait of this fascinating and influential woman whose “life was her work, [and] her work her life.”

We’ve all heard of Marie Curie, the pioneering physicist whose research on radioactivity remains relevant to this day. What you may not have known was that Curie had two daughters, Eve and Irene, who followed in their mother’s iconoclastic footsteps. (Eve became a foreign correspondent and humanitarian, and Irene played an important role in the discovery of nuclear fission.) In “Marie Curie and Her Daughters,” Shelley Emling tells the story of this extraordinary family, especially Curie’s struggles against sexism and xenophobia and the aftereffects of her long-term exposure to radiation. Inspiring and moving, this book is sure to secure Curie’s place in your pantheon of personal heroes.

In “Sisters in Science: Conversations with Black Women Scientists about Race, Gender, and Their Passion for Science,” Diann Jordan, a scientist herself, interviews 18 prominent black women scientists to learn about their experiences. Some of the women include Shirley Ann Jackson, the first black woman to earn a doctorate in theoretical physics and the first black woman to head the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Lynda M. Jordan, who rose from a housing project outside of Boston to become a professor of chemistry; and Jennie R. Patrick, one of the first students to integrate her Alabama high school, who was the first black woman to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering in the United States.

Reading their stories, and those of the Curie family and Dorothy Wrinch, I was struck by how important it is to use our gifts and abilities in order to become who we were meant to be. Through hard work, the women in these books found their place in the scientific community and in the world. We would be much the worse if not for their courage and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge.

Read more about Women’s History Month and local events celebrating the achievements of women in science by visiting the library’s subject guide.

March is Women’s History Month, and this year we are honoring the generations of female scientists, mathematicians, and engineers whose passion for the advancement of human knowledge changed the way we understand the natural world. Whatever your gifts, the stories of these intrepid women are certain to make you appreciate living in a world that allows you to develop them in ways your great-grandmother might never have thought possible.

In my nerdier moments, I’ve often dreamed of hobnobbing with the great minds of the twentieth century, instigating feuds and ruffling feathers (“Pardon me, Lord Russell, but there appears to be a slight problem with your Principles of Mathematics…”). So I was excited to discover “I Died for Beauty: Dorothy Wrinch and the Cultures of Science,” the story of a woman who, in many ways, lived just that dream, studying at Cambridge and Oxford and making significant contributions to fields from philosophy to protein structure. Marjorie Senechal paints a compelling portrait of this fascinating and influential woman whose “life was her work, [and] her work her life.”

We’ve all heard of Marie Curie, the pioneering physicist whose research on radioactivity remains relevant to this day. What you may not have known was that Curie had two daughters, Eve and Irene, who followed in their mother’s iconoclastic footsteps. (Eve became a foreign correspondent and humanitarian, and Irene played an important role in the discovery of nuclear fission.) In “Marie Curie and Her Daughters,” Shelley Emling tells the story of this extraordinary family, especially Curie’s struggles against sexism and xenophobia and the aftereffects of her long-term exposure to radiation. Inspiring and moving, this book is sure to secure Curie’s place in your pantheon of personal heroes.

In “Sisters in Science: Conversations with Black Women Scientists about Race, Gender, and Their Passion for Science,” Diann Jordan, a scientist herself, interviews 18 prominent black women scientists to learn about their experiences. Some of the women include Shirley Ann Jackson, the first black woman to earn a doctorate in theoretical physics and the first black woman to head the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Lynda M. Jordan, who rose from a housing project outside of Boston to become a professor of chemistry; and Jennie R. Patrick, one of the first students to integrate her Alabama high school, who was the first black woman to earn a doctorate in chemical engineering in the United States.

Reading their stories, and those of the Curie family and Dorothy Wrinch, I was struck by how important it is to use our gifts and abilities in order to become who we were meant to be. Through hard work, the women in these books found their place in the scientific community and in the world. We would be much the worse if not for their courage and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge.

Read more about Women’s History Month and local events celebrating the achievements of women in science by visiting the library’s subject guide.

March brings the promise of spring. With this season approaching, you can start thinking about spring cleaning, which can be more than what you do for your house.  You can also offer your body a spring cleaning with a detoxification regime. Take advantage of this month’s second floor table display near the reference desk at the Columbia Public Library for information on this topic. We’ll be featuring books on nutrition, including detoxification diets, herbal and home remedies. As always, be sure to consult with your doctor if you are considering using any of these alternative modalities.

There are many things you can do yourself at home to bolster your health, treat illness and prevent disease. Good health is the result of many factors, but an essential contributing one is diet. You can think about “food as medicine,” that what you eat is very important in creating and maintaining vibrant well-being.  Since each of us has different dietary needs and preferences, there is no “one size fits all diet” for everyone. Fortunately, there is no shortage of options to investigate if you want to use food as a first line of defense in preventing illness. Paul Pitchford’s book “Healing with Whole Foods“ looks particularly interesting. His approach synthesizes Asian healing traditions with modern nutrition to offer treatment for disease.

An herbal or home remedy can be a useful first response when treating common maladies. I’ve said it before but I’ll repeat it here; my all-time favorite “cure” collected along my since-teen-hood herbal medicine path is garlic and onion broth* to help clear colds and sinus infections. My mother spent some time researching her line of the family tree and let me know that Dr. A. Q. Simmons – my great, great, great, great, great grandfather of Georgia – developed “Dr. A. Q. Simmons Vegetable Liver Medicine” back in 1840.  This medicine was later patented by Simmon’s grandson, Miles Thedford, and sold as Thedford’s Black Draught. The main active herbal ingredient in this dark, syrupy elixir was senna, a powerful laxative, and so says my mother, “it will set you free.”

So it seems my interest in herbs as medicine goes back even farther; I’m channeling Dr. Simmons – he lives through me in the 21st century! Wishing you vibrant health and speedy recoveries from whatever may ail you.

*The Garlic & Onion Broth Cure (for colds and sinus infections):

Gently simmer in a covered pot, one half of a thickly sliced onion with 3 cloves of garlic in a quart of water for 30 minutes. Drink all of it over the course of the day. Repeat daily for as long as you have symptoms.

Help us get ready for Summer Reading by designing an original bookmark based on the teen theme, “Beneath the Surface.” Winners’ artwork from each library branch will appear on bookmarks to be distributed late spring through summer. Please design two-dimensional artwork, using crayons, markers or any other illustration tool or medium. Photography is also acceptable, as long as it is your own! Download an entry form or pick one up at your nearest library branch. Ages 12-18.  Entry deadline is Saturday, March 30. 

February 28-March 3: True False Film Fest in downtown Columbia. (via)
March 7: “Project Nim” 5:30 p.m. at Ragtag, free. (via)

We recently added “Undefeated” to the DBRL collection. This academy award winning film played at the True/False Film Festival in 2012, and currently has a rating of 96% from critics at Rotten Tomatoes. Here’s a synopsis from our catalog:

No hope. No future. Until a football season united a team and revealed the character that turned them into heroes. Undefeated is the inspiring and moving tale of three underprivileged student-athletes from inner-city Memphis and the volunteer coach, Bill Courtney, trying to help them beat the odds on and off the field.

Check out the film trailer or the official film site for more info.

Got the heat cranked up for the winter? Considering the whirlwind of inconsistent weather we’ve had this month, you may soon be turning on the air conditioning. Whether you are running the heat or AC, your electric bill might be more than you’d like. To save money, my roommate and I have bundled up inside and kept the heat off altogether. Just as we were considering cooking all of our food by way of bonfire on the balcony, we thought of something a little less primal. Our computers and television, as well as our portable video game systems, were taking up most of our electrical outlets. All of the energy that went into charging them alone must have been driving our bill through the roof. The alternative? Reading, of course!

Imagine the cost of keeping the lights on, plus the heat, plus the TV and the DVD player. Instead, how about just one or two lamps by the couch for some light reading? Or maybe a hot cup of tea from the kettle and a warm fuzzy blanket? My friend and I have been reading “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen out loud to each other. It’s a great social activity for the family or just when you have a night in. And it’s probably a little healthier than a big, buttery bag of popcorn and a rerun of Law & Order.

Also, did you know that being on devices before bed can make it harder to sleep? Staring at a screen, of any kind, causes neurons in your brain to go off, and they keep firing long after you’ve shut down. Reading a book 30 minutes before bed instead of texting can lead to healthier and easier sleep.

Here are some books the library carries on saving energy in your home and your body:

• “Consumer Guide To Home Energy Savings” by Jennifer Thorne Amann
• “The Fresh Energy Cook Book” by Natalia Rose
• “Raw Energy” by Stephanie L. Tourles
• “Sleep, It Does A Family Good” by Archibald D. Hart

photo credit: Martin Gommel via photopin cc

Reviewer: Audrey B.

Why you liked this book: I liked this book because it was kind of a break from a lot of YA fiction as in it wasn’t COMPLETELY centered around romance. Throughout the book Roger kind of holds back on his feelings. He acts very mysterious for about the first half of the book, but that added to the story. So did the tension between Amy, her mom, and her brother. I liked Amy a lot because she was very vulnerable which made her really awkward around Roger. At the end of the book, Roger and Amy… Ha, you thought I would actually tell you! That’s funny. I’m going to make you read the book. No question.

Three words that describe this book: amazing, romantic, and tense.

You might pick this book up if… you like a book that’s not completely centered around romance, or if you like road trips. Also, “Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour” is a Gateway Award Nominee. Be sure to check out the other titles on this list of must-reads.