“Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service” is a book edited by Michael Lewis, featuring essays by various authors. The book challenges the negative connotations of “bureaucrat” by providing deep insights into the roles, responsibilities, and general humanity of government workers across seven different agencies.
I really enjoyed the level of depth the authors gave about each person, and how there was a balance of historical context to organizations, modern impact on everyday people, and personal connection to the employees. As with any book by several authors, I preferred some writing styles over others, but the heart of the book is still worth reading.
Three words that describe this book: Educational, blended writing
You might want to pick this book up if: You want to learn what your government does for you!
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in September. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters” by Christine Webb (Sep 2)
Darwin considered humans one part of the web of life, not the apex of a natural hierarchy. Yet today many maintain that we are the most intelligent, virtuous, successful species that ever lived. This flawed thinking enables us to exploit the earth towards our own exclusive ends, throwing us into a perilous planetary imbalance. But is this view and way of life inevitable? “The Arrogant Ape” shows that human exceptionalism is an ideology that relies more on human culture than our biology, more on delusion and faith than on evidence. Harvard primatologist Christine Webb has spent years researching the rich social, emotional, and cognitive lives of our closest living relatives. She exposes the ways that many scientific studies are biased against other species and reveals underappreciated complexities of nonhuman life — from the language of songbirds and prairie dogs, to the cultures of chimpanzees and reef fishes, to the acumen of plants and fungi. With compelling stories and fresh research she gives us a paradigm-shifting way of looking at other organisms on their own terms, one that is revolutionizing our perception both of them and of ourselves. Critiques of human exceptionalism tend to focus on our moral obligation towards other species. They overlook what humanity also stands to gain by dismantling its illusions of uniqueness and superiority. This shift in perspective fills us with a sense of awe and satisfies one of our oldest and deepest desires to belong to the larger whole we inhabit. What’s at stake is a better, sustainable way of life with the potential to heal and rejuvenate our shared planet. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: September 2025”
“North Woods” by Daniel Mason, will be the subject of the First Thursday Book Discussion on September 4 at noon in the Columbia Public Library.
“North Woods” was selected by a community vote, after a small committee of local residents narrowed down nearly 200 nominations to just two, to be this year’s Community One Read. Attending the book discussion is a great way to kick of the month of community activities that will be centered around the book. Hear other patrons’ opinions, discuss themes and share your ideas and questions. You’ll be primed to partake in the events throughout the month!
The discussion should be lively. “North Woods,” has been loved by some readers and less so by others. It has no shortage of imagery and symbolism for analysis: apples, rot, growth and fertility, to name a few. The story crosses a variety of genres and topics, changing with the passage of time across this small piece of Massachusetts.
Hey, there, comic fans! I’m back once again with some Quintessential Comics for you to enjoy! We’re currently wrapping up Summer Reading and the theme this year was Color Our World. To celebrate that, why not check out some of these graphic novels that incorporate color in interesting ways? I’ve attempted to include selections that either utilize color to enhance the narrative or are just really pretty, because why not? Let’s not waste anymore time and just jump right in.
“Asterios Polyp”
This has received praise for its use of color to convey emotion and provide insight on character perspective. What I find appealing about this entry is how it bounces between two narratives that each employ shades of color in very purposeful ways. You get a sense of warmth radiating from a character or sit with a feeling of longing all through the use of color. The premise for this one is relatively simple, while its themes are not. Our protagonist leaves behind his career as an architect in order to become a mechanic after experiencing a spiritual crisis. He possesses a very rigid worldview, which is only highlighted by the two prominent color schemes, one of which is used to signal past events that led to his current situation. It’s all a very interesting exploration of philosophy, identity, and subjective reality. Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Color Our World”
Recently, I created a nonfiction book display composed of nothing but cute books. I set a couple of parameters for myself: they had to be adult nonfiction; I could not select exclusively animal books (a real possibility); and I would offer some variety. I decided to come up with a system for selecting books.
Cute books seem to come in a number of categories. Let’s start with the obvious: baby animals. In this category, we find “Nursery Earth: the Wondrous Lives of Baby Animals and the Extraordinary Ways They Shape Our World,” by Danna Staaf. Booklist says, “Case study after case 
study, like those of the 17-year cicada and the one-day mayfly, demonstrates that, despite obvious differences, every creature (humans included) experiences these cycles, and in ways that scientists can learn from: the two-year fertilization of elephant eggs, water births of salamanders and octopus, the internal hatching of seahorses within the father’s pouch.” I would argue that all baby animals are not equal in cuteness but they all have their place in the ecosystem. The variety of ways in which different creatures are brought into the world is certainly fascinating. If you want to jump straight into cute pictures, check out “Cute Animals for Hard Times,” from Chronicla Books. It has over seventy delightful animal photos to brighten your day.
An offshoot of this is adult animals. Here is a book by the always-cute baker, Kim Joy: “Bake Me a Cat: 50 Purrrfect Recipes for Edible Kitty Cakes, Cookies and More!” “Catering for a range of skill
levels, whether you fancy baking Tiger Buns, Meow Bao, Kit-tea Scones or a Happy Purrrrthday Cake, bring joy to your cooking and a smile to every cat-owner’s face with Bake Me a Cat!” Adorable. Continue reading “That’s So Cute!”
Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in August. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb” by Garrett M. Graff (Aug 5)
The building of the atomic bomb is the most audacious undertaking in human history: a rush by a small group of scientists and engineers in complete secrecy to unlock the most fundamental power of the universe. Even today, the Manhattan Project evokes boldness, daring, and the grandest of dreams: bringing an end to World War II in the Pacific. As Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen fight overseas, men and women strive to discover the atom’s secrets in places like Chicago, Berkeley, Oak Ridge, Hanford, and Los Alamos. On August 6, 1945, the world discovers what the end of the war—and the new global age—will look like. The road to the first atomic bomb ends in Hiroshima, Japan, but it begins in Hitler’s Europe, where brilliant physicists are forced to flee fascism and antisemitism—bringing to America their determination to harness atomic power before it falls into the Führer’s arsenal. “The Devil Reached Toward the Sky” traces the breakthroughs and the breakneck pace of atomic development in the years leading up to 1945, then takes us inside the B-29 bombers carrying Little Boy and Fat Man and finally to ground zero at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff, “The Devil Reached Toward the Sky” is the panoramic narrative of how ordinary people grapple with extraordinary wartime risks, sacrifices, and choices that will transform the course of history. Engineers experiment with forces of terrifying power, knowing each passing day costs soldiers’ lives—but fearing too the consequences of their creation. Hundreds of thousands of workers toil around the clock to produce uranium and plutonium in an endeavor so classified that most people involved learn the reality of their effort only when it is announced on the radio by President Truman. The 509th Composite Group trains for a mission whose details are kept a mystery until shortly before takeoff, when the Enola Gay and Bockscar are loaded with bombs the crew has never seen. And the civilians of two Japanese cities that have been spared American attacks—preserved for the sake of judging the bomb’s power—escape their pulverized homes into a greater hellscape. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: August 2025”
1. “Party Girl” dir. Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Release Date: June 9, 1995
Why I Picked It: Ragtag Cinema selected “Party Girl” for their annual birthday screening in June, and I couldn’t miss out on this story of a hedonistic diva finding happiness behind the circulation desk. Watching it at Ragtag was a treat, but if you didn’t make it, try Kanopy. 5/5 falafels.
Continue reading “Quick Recs: 3 Movies + 2 Books + 1 Album”
Merrill Sapp is a Columbia, MO author whose debut book is “
Knowing Wonder: An Elephant Story.” The book is a blend of fiction and nonfiction exploring the lives of elephants within the context of real behaviors, scientific insights, and environmental challenges. Sapp, a cognitive psychologist and
Stephens College professor, is dedicated to understanding and protecting elephants. She was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email.
Continue reading “Q&A With Merrill Sapp, Author of “Knowing Wonder: An Elephant Story””
In the past few years I’ve noticed more books with lead characters who have several decades of living under their belts. Perhaps publishers have come to realize that a good chunk of their audience is comprised of older adults who would like to see themselves represented in stories and another segment contains readers who want to imagine a future in which they don’t disappear into the background as they age. Then there’s the fact that the more past a character has, the more richly layered their backstory is. Here are a few titles with older and bolder protagonists:
“Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame” by Olivia Ford has been called a “coming-of-old-age tale.” After nearly 60 years of marriage, Jenny Quinn’s husband seems content to believe the time for new adventures is past. But Jenny surprises him, and herself, by winning a spot on a reality TV show, “Britain Bakes,” where she wows the world with her baking skills. Each edible creation relates to her past in some way, which serves to unfold her story. But as her fame grows, she finds herself struggling with the possible revelation of a secret she’s kept for decades. Continue reading “Older and Bolder: Fiction”
Join staff and community members for next First Thursday Book Discussion at noon on August 7 in the Columbia Public Library to talk about “Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love With the World’s Greatest Museum.”
The title sounds like it could be the next hot mystery from Dan Brown, à la “The Da Vinci Code.” Instead “Adventures in Louvre,” by Elaine Sciolino is a lively nonfiction account of the famous Parisian museum. By the end, you will understand why the Louvre, the artworks within, and the history without have inspired such a dazzling variety of passionate responses ranging from Beyonce and Jay-Z’s 2018 viral music video (explicit content) to a 1909 protest threatening to burn or flood the museum. Continue reading “August First Thursday Book Discussion: Adventures in the Louvre”
