Sutherland Shire Libraries News

Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non-fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection.

The lying ape : an honest guide to a world of deception by Brian King
We tell an average of six lies a day, psychologists believe. So the next time you speak to someone, the chances are that you will be lied to, or that you will lie. The author looks at some of the great liars of history, and reveals how scientists can observe the brain as it suppresses the awkward truth, in favour of a convenient lie. Of course lies are not to be confused with non-core promises, that’s just election rhetoric. And nobody tells the truth then.

The rough guide to American independent film by Jessica Winter
Intended for those interested in American Independent, low-budget and maverick filmmaking, this book looks at the history of American 'indie' cinema, from its earliest incarnations in the 60s and 70s to the rise of Spike Lee and the Coen brothers. Profiles films such as Sideways, Mean streets, Go fish and everyone’s favourite, Eraserhead. No billion dollar Hollywood dross here.

Misogyny : the world’s oldest prejudice by Jack Holland
Sets out to answer a question: how do you explain the oppression and brutalization of half the world's population by the other half, throughout history? This book looks at both historical and contemporary attitudes to women.

Saving the daylight : why we put the clocks forward by David Prerau
Every spring, the clocks go forward, and every autumn they go back. This book explores the contentious story of this deceptively simple attempt to regulate the sunlight hours. It brings together the historical, political, and technical aspects of the story behind the movement for DST. It doesn’t explain why a teenager stays in bed until after midday.

Torture taxi : on the trail of the CIA’s rendition flights by A.C Thompson
Extraordinary rendition, is the USA’s practice of kidnapping suspects, flying them to an undisclosed location in a third-world country, and letting them be tortured to force a confession. This allows the US to deny allegations of direct torture by themselves. Cute isn’t it. This information can then be used in military trials which have about the same degree of justice as a hearing in Stalin’s Russia.

The shock of the old : technology in global history since 1900 by David Edgerton
Offers a global account of the place of technology in twentieth century history. This book aims to challenge the idea that we live in an era of ever increasing change, where only the newest is best. But as we know some earlier technologies still work just as well as ever. The idea of increasing change and the consumption that goes with it may bring the world to the edge of disaster. And there’s something obscene about a $100,000 car.

Done like a dinner : great restaurant crimes by Jennifer Cooke
At first I thought this was a book about detestable meals, food so bad you thought it a crime to have it on a plate. But no, it documents true crimes, but with a food twist. Jaime Oliver meets P.D. James. Perhaps it not surprising that some brutal crimes take place inside eating establishments. After all, that’s where the shock jocks make their deals. Wild Bill Hickok got shot in a hotel while having his back to the door. After reading this you might want to check your next seat in a restaurant. Eat in tonight?

There is no me without you : one woman's odyssey to rescue Africa's children by Melissa Fay Greene
The story of Haregewoin Teferra who after her beloved 23-year old daughter was consumed by an unnamed sickness sank into a deep, reclusive depression. But, when the priests brought her two children, AIDS orphans, she took them in, and found a new reason to live as she watched them grow strong, happy, and healthy. Since then her she has raised and educated dozens of children and given hope where previously there was despair.

The scarlet thread : Australia’s Jack the Ripper : a true crime story by Maurice Gurvich
A woman is brutally murdered in Melbourne in 1892. This true story will take readers back to a time when the now prosperous city was in a time of economic depression, when horrific crimes abounded. It recreates a time when life was more hand-to-mouth and scruples were less and survival was more instinctual and many people lived on the edge of the criminal world. Looking at Melbourne over the last few years of gangland war you may wonder what has changed.

To the ends of the Earth : 100 maps that changed the world
The idea of mapping the world is not all that old. Even 500 years ago most people had no concept of the shape of the world (except that it was flat and there were dragons just beyond the next village). The dawn of exploration, breakthroughs in astronomy and the quest for knowledge led to the explosion of maps. As early as 600 B.C. there were maps of the Mediterranean (showing where the best olive oil could be bought). This wonderfully produced book tells us of the influence of maps on history and civilization.

Overboard : the stories cruise lines don’t want told by Gwyn Topham
Love boat, shining and new, come aboard, we’re expecting you. Expecting you to get drunk or raped, fall overboard, get put of the boat in some foreign port and generally act like a goat, that is. What you pay for ain’t what you get. Hopefully for $28,000 as the lowest fare a trip on the Queen Mary 2 will be the trip of a lifetime, not the last trip of your lifetime. Captain Jack Sparrow has got nothing on the thieves and brigands running some cruises.

Icons of twentieth-century landscape design by Katie Campbell
Looks at 25 distinctive an influential examples of modern landscape. New materials plus the influence of modernism in art and music made the freeing up of architecture and design possible. The examples of Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus were instrumental in the new directions of the mid and late 20th century.

The tycoons: how Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Jay Gould, and J.P. Morgan invented the American supereconomy by Charles R. Morris
They were the giants of the Gilded Age, a moment of riotous growth that established America as the richest, most inventive, and most productive country on the planet. The ruthless, competitive Camegie, the imperial Rockefeller, and the provocateur Gould were obsessed with progress, experiment, and speed. They were balanced by Morgan, the gentleman businessman, who fought, instead, for a global trust in American business. Through their antagonism and their verve, they built an industrial behemoth - and a country of middle-class consumers. The tycoons tells the incredible story of how these four determined men wrenched the economy into the modem age, inventing a nation of full economic participation that could not have been imagined only a few decades earlier.

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Due to too much christmas cheer there is only a small addition to our Collection Capers this month...

Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non-fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection. Click on the title to reserve a copy.

End of time : the Mayan prophecies revisited by Adrian Gilbert
Part travel book, part historical mystery tour, this book revisits the ancient archaeological sites of the Maya, and makes astonishing discoveries about their cosmology and calendar. It includes information on the correlation between Mayan Ages and observable astronomy. The prediction is for the world to end December 21st 2012. Christmas that year might be a bit of a fizzer.

Holding on : a story of love and survival by Jo Gambi
Tells the inspirational story of how Jo and Rob Gambi conquered the highest mountains on all seven continents - while Rob, on two occasions, suffered from serious bouts of cancer. Despite coming close to death, Rob, along with Jo, have continued to live their life with an incredible intensity. In their spare time they’ve skied to the North and South poles. Bet that was just a vacation.

Museum of the missing : the high stakes of art crime by Simon Houpt
The masterpieces of art that have been stolen could fill a museum. This offers readers a rare glimpse into the greatest gallery that never was. Of course recently we had the unforgivable looting and destruction of the treasures of Baghdad and the thieving of the Nazis during World War Two. And Australia had the theft of a Picasso from the Victorian Art Gallery. Among items lost are painting by Rembrandt, Matisse, Dali, Monet, Munch. Of course nothing by Jeff Koons has ever been stolen even after gallery directors have pleaded with thieves to take them.


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Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non-fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection. Click on the title to reserve a copy.

Guerra! Living in the shadows of the Spanish Civil War by Jason Webster
Jason Webster journeys through recent Spanish history to unearth the secrets of the Spanish Civil War, and explore its legacy today. In a land of still undiscovered mass graves, the bitter divisions of the Civil war still linger. The author finds there is still a ‘dark side’ that, like Germany, has a grip on the country’s soul. If readers want a contemporary account of the times take a look at George Orwell’s ‘Homage to Catalonia’.

How to lose a battle: foolish plans and great military blunders edited by Bill Fawcett
This engrossing and fact-filled compendium of great military disasters and ill-advised battle plans highlights the worst military decisions throughout history and the world. It seems that ‘Dad’s Army’may have been the template for some strategies.

Overthrow: America’s century of regime change from Hawaii to Iraq by Stephen Kinzer
The United States has been one of the most imperialistic empires in history. Most of its ambitions have not been land grabs (though some were) but efforts to bring down governments that they didn’t like (including some they had sustained). Often they installed brutal dictators (Pinochet, the Shah of Iran) This book shows the scope of the role of the U.S. in a series of coups, revolutions, and invasions that toppled fourteen foreign governments, from the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 to the 2003 war in Iraq. Many of these events were helped along by the CIA, the Committee to Intervene Anywhere.

Blackbeard: America’s most notorious pirate by Angus Konstam
Of all the colourful cutthroats who scoured the seas in search of plunder during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early eighteenth century, none was more ferocious or notorious than Blackbeard (who probably went by the name of Edward Teach). Nearly three centuries after his death his name is still synonymous with piracy. Not content with becoming the scourge of the Caribbean, this brutal and fearless hell-raiser then sailed north to strike terror in the hearts of American colonists from New York to the Carolinas.

Endangered: wildlife on the brink of extinction
Looks at those species which have become extinct or which are so severely threatened that they soon will be extinct, if we do not apply some international rational restraint upon the way we exploit our environment. This book is seeking endorsement from the world wildlife fund for nature. Thousands of species have disappeared from the Earth over the industrial age. It seems we just cannot help ourselves from destroying our wonderful world.

Dances in deep shadows: Britain’s clandestine war in Russia 1917-20 by Michael Occleshaw
An appraisal of the revolution and Civil War in Russia, this work shows that the clash between communism and capitalism was never as clear-cut as later historians sought to claim. Britain had a network of spies and supported clandestine military operations against the Bolshevik forces.

Why birds sing: one man’s quest to solve an everyday mystery by David Rothenberg
The richness and variety of birdsong is both a scientific mystery and a source of wonder. Combining scientific research with an understanding of musical beauty, this book offers a different look at this natural phenomena. One wonders how less the world would be without the song of the magpie, the lark, the canary and how better off it would be without the songs of Oasis and Silverchair.

The shroud story by Brendan Whiting
The Shroud of Turin has fascinated observers for many centuries. Some people believe it to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ or a clever trick done as a self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci. A small number of truly strange people believe it to be an early painting by Rolf Harris done with a can of British Paints about 1970. Whatever the truth this book goes through the saga of this mysterious image.

Shopping for bombs: nuclear proliferation, global insecurity and the rise and fall of the A.Q. Khan network
With a title almost as long as an equation for building a small thermo-nuclear device this is an enthralling chapter in recent geo-political history. Presents a detailed account of Pakistan's acquisition of nuclear technology, and how it sold it to Iran, Libya, and North Korea. This is an essential read on the topic dominating international relations and world politics today.

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Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non-fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection. Click on the title to reserve a copy.

Mayflower : a voyage to war by Nathaniel Philbrick
‘I was riding on the Mayflower when I thought I spot some land’. A tale of violence, subterfuge, and drama. This book tells the story of the Pilgrim fathers, who set sail on the Mayflower. Landing on the coast of North America the settlers and American forefathers came perilously close to annihilation and would not have survived except for Indian help and generosity. This was repaid in bloody battle that they ultimately waged against the Native Americans.

Berlin Games : how Hitler stole the Olympic dream by Guy Walters
The 1936 Olympic Games, held in Berlin, was the most political sporting encounter of the 20th century. Famed for its spirit of ferocious competition, it was the Nazi’s power display to the world. Not long after Hitler would unleash his Third Reich dream on the world. Of course, these days the dream has been stolen by drug cheats,
corporate corruption and an IOC more interested in travel, bribes and cocktail parties.

Busy body : my life with Tourette’s syndrome by Nick Van Bloss
Nick Van Bloss has had Tourette’s syndrome since he was 7 years old. A sudden compulsion to shake his head from left to right, twice in rapid succession developed into further frantic behaviour. Yet he learned to play the piano extremely well (not unusual for people with this and similar conditions who often have fantastic manual dexterity, or even the mental ability to be surgeons). This book allows us into the heart and mind of a wonderfully witty and talented man.

The curse of celebrity : how and why our favourite stars go off the rails by Rita Wright
They're beautiful, successful and rich, they lead lives most of us only dream of, and they seem so perfect. So with the world at their fingertips, why are celebrities so messed up? Read about a bunch of overpaid, self-important people who expect us to have pity when they get divorced or break a fingernail or get caught sniffing cocaine.

The sunburnt queen : a true story by Hazel Crampton
Reconstructs 18th-century South Africa. A seven year old girl is shipwrecked and brought up by a local tribe who eventually becomes a prince’s wife. The book relates her life and those of her descendants during a turbulent time.

Letters lifted into poetry : selected correspondence between David Campbell and Douglas Stewart 1946-1979
Ranging over a period of four decades, this is correspondence between two major Australian poets. Their lives of poetry, publishing, friends, nature and fishing are all canvassed Letters lifted into poetry documents a great Australian literary friendship and provides an insight into the writing and lives of these remarkable men. The love of the outdoors, in particular trout fishing is evidenced in their many pastoral poems.

Terra Australia incognita : the Spanish quest for the mysterious Great South Land by Miriam Estensen
There have been several recent books about Dutch exploration of the Pacific. This one dealing with the voyages of Luis Baez de Torres who may have been the first European to sight Australia. Then it deals with Quiros, the great explorer of the South American region sent by Philip III to search for the mysterious continent.
And of course Torres who disappeared from the Philippines. Of only he’d had a decent map.

The world according to the Simpsons : what our favourite TV family says about life, love and the pursuit of the perfect donut by Steven Keslowitz
This entertaining and informative book is a fun and intelligent look at how society is reflected in the TV show "The Simpsons". This book looks at subjects, such as: parenting; gender roles; individuality; expression; politics; and many others. Plus you might just get a laugh, which is why its there in the first place... and then you can go and buy all the merchandise that goes with it.

Surfings greatest misadventures : dropping in on the unexpected by Paul Diamond (editor)
These true surfing stories cross the spectrum, from horrifying to comical, to downright bizarre, they tell unbelievable stories of big waves, shark attacks, tsunamis, boating disasters, devastating wipeouts, pranks, and bad judgement calls. Not to mention too
much booze and dope (which probably aren’t mentioned).

Extreme weather : nature’s most dramatic moments
Earth's atmosphere is like a restless ocean of air, surging and swirling around us. It can be tranquil or it can be violent, capable of unleashing tempests, hail and destruction. Humanity has always been fascinated with the weather, and has striven to understand why and how phenomena such as lightning, thunder and rainbows occur. This book is full of fantastic photos which show just how powerful the forces of nature can be.

The Tour de France : a cultural history by Christopher S. Thompson
Tells the story of the Tour de France, from its creation in 1903. It links the history of the tour to key moments and themes in French history, and concludes with a discussion of the longstanding practice of doping, and considers the complex case of the seven-time champion, Lance Armstrong. Perhaps one year it might be nice if the race were contested by riders on Penny-farthings wearing three piece suits and top hats.

The way we were : remembering Diana by Paul Burrell
Another book about Diana. Wacko, absolute joy!

The dodger : inside the world of Roger Rogerson by Duncan McNab
This presents a brilliant, behind-the-scenes account of disgraced former policeman Roger Rogerson, and the police culture that created him. It tells of the rise and fall of Rogerson, a bent cop in a bent police world. Friends with criminals and police (sometimes one and the same) it also describes the macho, dog-eat-dog culture where a honest policeman went in fear of his life.

Intractable : hell has a name: Katingal: life inside Australia’s first super-max prison by Bernie Matthews
Intractable is not only a shocking story of what it's like to do time but it is also a history of one of the great political scandals of the 70s, from a unique perspective. Bernie Matthews, convicted armed robber is a man who managed to turn his life around in the worst of Australia's prisons, Katingal.

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Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non-fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection.

Friendship an expose by Joseph Epstein
A wry, critical analysis of the changing face of modern-day friendship examines the diverse forces and factors that have shaped friendship, presenting a witty look at the various types of friendships, the differences between male and female friendships, the duties and requirements of friendship, the impact of marriage and change.

Waking : a memoir of trauma and transcendence by Matthew Sanford
An inspirational memoir about a car accident that ended the lives of two of the author's family members and rendered him a paraplegic. He describes he, his mother and brother picked up the pieces of their lives, his recuperation at the Mayo Clinic, and his decision to become a disabled yoga instructor. The author discovers for himself a new meaning of being and living.

Written on the skin : an Australian forensic casebook by Liz Porter
With a title that could make Friday night ABC crime TV this book shows how forensic investigators, including pathologists, chemists, entomologists, and document examiners, have used their expertise in dozens of fascinating crimes. Readers can picture DrsSam Ryan and Iain McCallum performing their gruesome work.

Rebel Queen : the trial of Caroline by Jane Robbins
The extraordinary story of how the wife of George IV was tried by Parliament for adultery. This action made her a figurehead for anti-government feeling and nearly sparked a revolution. The trial became one of the first true celebrity scandals in which the emerging popular press took sides, confirming the power of 'public opinion'. This was also at a time of rising parliamentarypower and decreasing royal influence.

Gravity’s arc : the story of gravity, from Aristotle to Einstein and beyond by David Darling
Gravity, it gets to all of us. The history of speculation and analysis of gravity is the story of pure research into the unknown. Most ideas of space and time before Copernicus were based on an Earth centric view derived from Aristotle and the Bible. The 16th century brought great leaps forward in science, maths and medicine. Kepler, when working on planetary motion produced 900 pages of calculations, without Excel or Photoshop. That would be enough to get him into the science hall of fame. In fact most of the important work was done without any electronic input. Just some quill pens, parchment and a few ripe apples.

Brainwash : the secret history of mind control by Dominic Streatfield
What would it take to turn you into a suicide bomber, or release Sarin gas? This book traces the evolution of the world's most secret psychological procedure, from its origins in the Cold War to the height of the war on terror. If you read Joseph Conrad’s The secret agent you will get a glimpse of the nefarious world of brainwashing. Of course many have seen the same idea used by religious cults and department stores.How else to you explain the mad consumer fever that grips people every Boxing Day?

Women who changed the world : 50 inspirational women who shaped history
A celebration of the lives, careers and influences of 50 women. From empire builders and healers to daring explorers and iconoclastic thinkers, from queens and politicians to musicians and nurses. with the odd saint or two 2 thrown in as well. This would be a good resource for many school projects.

The dead man in the bunker : discovering my father by Martin Pollack
Gerhard Bast, was found shot in an abandoned bunker in northern Italy in April 1947. Martin Pollack, his son, was then three and has no memories of his father. In attempting to piece together his father's life, Pollack assembles the memories of family and friends. His father was a Gestapo leader in Austria and a participant in mass murder in Poland and Slovakia. It must have been a painful journey into his father's dark past for the author.

Struck by lightning : the curious world of possibilities by Jeffrey S. Rosenthal
This book deconstructs the odds and oddities of chance, examining both the relevant and irreverent role of randomness in our everyday lives. It explains the mechanics of randomness and teaches us how to develop an informed perspective on probability. It doesn’t explain why the Cronulla Sharks are going so badly. It’s probably the probability of meeting better teams.

The quantum zoo : a tourist’s guide to the neverending universe by Marcus Chown
The two towering achievements of modern physics are quantum theory and Einstein's general theory of relativity. This book attempts to explain both without giving you a migraine. But is it worth the risk? Perhaps it’s better to go back to pre-Copernican days and flat Earth beliefs. At least they made sense.

Not buying it : my year without shopping by Judith Levine
The author traces a year during which she and her partner struggled with a pledge to avoid consumer spending practices in spite of their American conditioning, an effort that had a profound impact on their careers, family relationships, and personal identities. I find it hard just getting through Lent, and most of us would probably give up at the first sale we came across.

On the road to Kandahar : travels through conflict in the Islamic world by Jason Burke
Reflecting his intimate knowledge of the Islamic world, the author addressed the wider question of how we are to get to grips with radical Islam and what it really means. He tries to show how various and un-monolithic Islam is, and how the sort of standard Western generalizations about it are dangerous.

Getting stoned with savages : a trip through the islands of Fiji and Vanuatu by Maarten Troost
In the sequel to The Sex Lives of Cannibals, the author returns to the South Pacific, heading to Vanuatu and Fiji, where he and his wife cope with Mother Nature--typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes--the relaxed lifestyle of the islanders, and new parenthood. This might be a nice change from the pains and perils of everyday life.

Have you recently seen an interesting book that we don’t have? Visit our web site to Suggest an Item for the Library's collection.

Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection.

The Medici conspiracy : the illicit journey of looted antiquities from Italy’s tomb raiders to the world’s greatest museums by Peter Watson and Cecilia Todeschini
The Medici are at it again, stealing antiquities from museums which eventually end up in the hands of other museums and collectors. The thefts are so well organized that corruption and inside dealing must seem the only way they could happen. Also implicated are the auction houses who perhaps acted with less than adequate regard for honesty.

Razor’s edge : the unofficial history of the Falklands War by Hugh Bicheno
A former British spy and diplomat goes behind the scenes and official version of the origins of the Falklands War. Also analyses the battles and the political outcome of the war.

Too close to the sun :the life and times of Denys Finch Hatton by Sara Wheeler
Denys Finch Hatton, Eton boy and Oxford graduate with the larrikin aristocrat about him. A soldier in the East Africa Campaign, a white hunter, farmer, pilot - the epitome of a brave pioneer. This book talks about the life of one of the key figures in the mythic story of British settlers in East Africa. An adventurer straight out of the boys own annuals, or a character to fit well in Michael Palin’s Ripping yarns.

Riding rockets : the outrageous tales of a space shuttle astronaut by Mike Mullane
The memoir of the author's career with the space shuttle program. Describes his work as a Mission Specialist in the first group of shuttle astronauts, and voyages aboard Discovery and Atlantis. Also delves into the politics and personality of NASA, the problems, heartache and ineptitude.

Written lives by Javier Marias
A short compendium of literary biographies with a dash of quirkiness, just taking some interesting facets of some authors’ lives without going into too much detail that clouds the anecdotes.

The mystery of the Tunguska fireball by Surendra Verma
In 30 June, 1908 a huge fireball exploded in the Siberian sky. A thousand times the force of the Hiroshima bomb, it flattened an area of remote Tunguska forest bigger than Greater London, forming a large mushroom cloud. Tremors registered in St Petersburg and soundwaves were registered in England. The prevailing view is that a large meteor did the damage but perhaps the meteor triggered an underground volcanic reaction.

Rat by Jonathan Burt
A beaut little book that traces the history of the rat, particularly its relationship with human beings. Reviled for its tendency to start plagues and run across floors at your fancy dinner party, it also makes a wonderful pet (here Basil). It plays an important part in science and medicine and would no doubt be aggrieved at being put in the same basket as Hitler, Stalin, certain football players and unnamed politicians.

Sing Sing : the inside story of a notorious prison by Denis Brian
A chilling but thrilling account of one of the most infamous prisons in the world (well, at least one we know about – who knows what’s hidden out there). This prison held some of the most cold-blooded killers in history including mafia chiefs, the ‘Lonely Hearts killers’ plus alleged spies the Rosenbergs whose convictions and executions still arouse much controversy.

10 simple solutions to adult ADD by Stephanie Moulton Sarkis
If someone you know is running around crazily, always doing three things at once and stressing out big time, its okay, they’re parents and the situation is normal. But if someone is perhaps being overly forgetful and lacking concentration they could have ADD with an extra A, or adult ADD. This book may help, if you can stop long enough to read it.

The man who wrote Mozart : the extraordinary life of Lorenzo da Ponte by Anthony Holden
The many and varied lives of Lorenzo da Ponte - librettist of three of Mozart's greatest operas. He had an extraordinary life, from court poet to bookseller and Italian Professor at Columbia University. But he is really only known as the librettist of the Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan tutti and Don Giovanni, any one of which would guarantee immortality. Da Ponte was also a skilful negotiator to make his way in the Viennese court amongst jealous rivals and officials. A triumph of art over trivia.

Sundials : history, art, people, science by Mark Lennox-Boyd
Before the dawn of the modern watch, sundials were the main way of measuring time.This book charts the evolution of sundials around the world from the earliest neolithic rondels and stone circles. It has many historical examples and showcases a range of stunning modern sundials that have been inspired by them. At the time the earliest watches were being developed, people had wrist sundials which they would use to correct their watches as the watches were very unreliable.

Stutter by Marc Shell
Lewis Carroll, E.M. Forster, John Updike are just some of famous writers who stuttered. Written by someone who has himself struggled with stuttering all his life, this provocative and wide-ranging book investigates stuttering across history and culture. Did you know that Marilyn Monroe stuttered? So it affects many people, as well as Donald Duck and Porky Pig.

Have you recently seen an interesting book that we don’t have? Visit our web site to Suggest an Item for the Library's collection.

Collection Capers is a monthly newsletter of NEW interesting or unusual non fiction added to the Sutherland Shire Libraries collection.

Real mosquitoes don’t eat meat by Brad Wetzler
A whimsical collection of essays on the natural world draws on the knowledge of scientists, outdoors specialists, and professors and offers insight into numerous scientific curiosities, from the causes of a bat's crooked flight to the reasons why woodpeckers do not get headaches. Perhaps you’ve wondered why you
feel wavy several hours after getting off a boat.

1606 : an epic adventure by Evan McHugh
1606 marked the first European sighting of Australia, when the Dutch ship Duyfken landed on Cape York. This gripping book tells the stories of the seafaring explorers, shipwrecks and mutinies that followed. The pre Cook voyages are full of daring as sailors really did sail into the great unknown.

Angels of death : inside the bikers’ global crime empire by William Marsden and Julian Sher
A terrifying journey to the heart of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, the most infamous biker group in the world. It’s not all Easy rider out there on the highway. Since the 1960s the Hells’ Angels have a reputation for being heavily involved in crime, including murder, kidnap and running a worldwide amphetamine empire. But to the Angels it’s just business, with a little bit of biking thrown in.

Animal nation: the true story of animals and Australia by Adrian Franklin
Bib No. 285212, Call No. 304.27FRA
Traces the complex relationship between animals and humans in Australia. Starts with the colonial period and brings us full circle to the present when native species are finally getting the protection they’ve so sadly lacked
over the last 200 years .

Voyageur : across the Rocky Mountains in a birchbark canoe by Robert Twigger
An intrepid journey of two thousand miles, painfully towing a canoe against the current this tale relives a journey first undertaken in 1793. It is a voyage into real wilderness, of bears, ice and bracing cold. Readers might also be interested in No man’s river by Farley Mowat, another extraordinary account of canoeing in the Alaskan wilderness. On a lighter note, Whit Deschner’s Travels with a kayak is very humourous.

Leonardo’s machines : da Vinci’s inventions revealed by Domenico Laurenza
Combining the original coded notebooks and modern computer imaging, this work includes over 30 of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions. It includes recreations of the finished inventions, and shows how they would have been used in contemporary life - from manned flying machines and mechanical bridges to devastating circular tanks. This book will not make any money for Dan Brown.

Et tu, Brute : the murder of Caesar and political assassination by Greg Woolf
Most of us probably think of Shakespeare when we think of the assassination of Gaius Julius Caesar. The life dictator of Rome, not quite a king and not yet a god, was murdered by Brutus and other on the Ides (15th) of March in 44 BC. But why should we care about the Ides of March? In part because Caesar's ghost long outlasted the Roman Empire and partly because it resonates through the centuries as a keystone for
political treachery.

Miracle in the Andes : 72 days on the mountain and my long trek home by Nando Parrado
Probably one of the most well-known (and infamous) tales of wreck and survival (apart from the lives of the late George Best and the immortal Keith Richards). This is the story of the 1972 Andes plane crash and rescue, made famous by Piers Paul Read in his book, Alive, finally told by one of the heroes who saved his team-mates. Controversial because of the cannibalism
Involved which was the only way to save lives.

Hooked : a true story of pirates, poaching and the perfect fish by G Bruce Knecht
A rip-roaring tale of modern day piracy on the high seas, and one of the longest and most dangerous pursuits in maritime history: the 21 day hunt for the Uruguayan fishing vessel suspected of poaching Patagonian Toothfish in Australian waters. A desperatechase across the cold Antarctic waters for 3900 nautical miles.

The definitive guide to the Da Vinci code Paris walks by Peter Caine
All the sights of the story are covered and explained in full: The Louvre, St Sulpice, The Ritz, The American University, Place Vendome, the Chateau de Villette and Chartres. A very timely guide as it will help you avoid all those people walking around with this book.

Child of the revolution : growing up in Casto’s Cuba by Luis M. Garcia
Cuba, a land of cigars, hot nights, sultry music and romantic revolutionary heroes. But what was it really like to live in Fidel Castro's tropical paradise? With an evocative wide-eyed innocence, Luis Garcia takes us back to his Cuban childhood and his parents' dream of escape.

1973 nervous breakdown : Watergate, Warhol, and the birth of post-sixties America by Andreas Killen
An engaging and eye-opening dissection of a watershed year in American history, 1973, which was defined by defeat in Vietnam, Roe v. Wade, the oil crisis, and the Watergate hearings, using the cultural media of the time. Perhaps the sixties was an excess of hype and the incandescence of the counter-culture, but then came the myopic seventies and the reaction against both the excess of the 60s and the sins of Richard Nixon. Should be a nice nostalgia trip for the soon to be retired baby boomers.