Women in History

Four queens : the Provençal sisters who ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone
Traces the lives of the four daughters of the count of Provence who eventually became the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily, from Marguerite's cultural clashes within the Palais du Roi and Eleanor's civil-war-provoking political aspirations to Sanchia's lonely life and Beatrice's life-risking ambitions.

Born to rule : five reigning consorts, granddaughters of Queen Victoria by Julia P. Gelardi
Traces the stories of five of Queen Victoria's most famous and powerful granddaughters, drawing on unpublished letters, memoirs, diplomatic documents, and interviews to reveal how their life events and marriages to reigning European monarchs directly influenced history

Bess of Hardwick : empire builder by Mary S. Lovell
Chronicles the life of a sixteenth-century impoverished nobleman's daughter who rose to become one of England's most wealthy and powerful women, in an account that describes her four marriages, witness to four monarchies, and building of the great house at Chatsworth

The Pirate Queen: the story of Grace O'Malley, Irish pirate by Alan Gold
A meticulously detailed, fictional portrait of the legendary Irish pirate describes how Grace O'Malley built a powerful empire that became the terror of the English on the high seas and chronicles her daring exploits in defiance of English rule during the Elizabethan era.

Patriot hearts : a novel of the founding mothers by Barbara Hambly
The triumphs and turmoil of early America are revealed through fictional portraits of four women--Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Sally Hemings, and Dolley Madison--who played key roles during four presidential administrations

The Peabody sisters : three women who ignited American romanticism by Megan Marshall
Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia Peabody were in many ways our American Brontes. The story of these remarkable sisters — and their central role in shaping the thinking of their day — has never before been fully told. Twenty years in the making, Megan Marshall's monumental biograpy brings the era of creative ferment known as American Romanticism to new life.
Elizabeth, the oldest sister, was a mind-on-fire thinker. A powerful influence on the great writers of the era — Emerson, Hawthorne, and Thoreau among them — she also published some of their earliest works. It was Elizabeth who prodded these newly minted Transcendentalists away from Emerson's individualism and toward a greater connection to others. Mary was a determined and passionate reformer who finally found her soul mate in the great educator Horace Mann. The frail Sophia was a painter who won the admiration of the preeminent society artists of the day. She married Nathaniel Hawthorne — but not before Hawthorne threw the delicate dynamics among the sisters into disarray.
Marshall focuses on the moment when the Peabody sisters made their indelible mark on history

Inspiring African American women of Virginia by Veronica A. Davis Includes Jennie Dean, founder of the Manassas School, Bessie Thorpe (Tharps), physician, Maggie Lena Walker, bank president and Virginia Florence, first African American female librarian, singer Roberta Flack and poet Rita Dove among many familiar and not so familiar names.

Biography finalists from National Book Critics Circle

Five Important Biographies according to the National Book Critics Circle:


Stanley: The Impossible Life Of Africa's Greatest Explorer by Tim Jeal Selected as the winner by the National Book Critics Circle
Many think of Stanley as a cruel imperialist who connived with King Leopold II of Belgium in horrific crimes against the people of the Congo--and the journalist who conducted the most legendary celebrity interview in history, opening with, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" But these perceptions are not quite true, as biographer Jeal shows. With access to previously closed Stanley family archives, Jeal reveals the extent to which Stanley's career and life have been misunderstood and undervalued. Few have started life as disadvantaged as Stanley. Rejected by both parents and consigned to a Welsh workhouse, he emigrated to America as a penniless eighteen-year-old. Jeal re-creates Stanley's rise to success, his friendships and romantic relationships, and his life-changing decision to assume an American identity. Stanley's epic but unfairly forgotten African journeys are described, establishing the explorer as the greatest to set foot on the continent

Edith Wharton by Hermione Lee A critical biography of one of America's greatest writers describes Wharton's adventure-filled travels in Europe, the literary and artistic circles in which she lived and worked, her heroism during World War I, and the evolution of her writing.

Ralph Ellison by Arnold Ramersad The definitive biography of an important American cultural intellectual of the twentieth century--Ralph Ellison, author of the masterpiece Invisible Man. In 1953, Ellison's explosive story of a young black man's search for truth and identity catapulted him to national prominence. Ellison earned many honors, but his failure to publish a second novel, despite years of striving, haunted him for the rest of his life. Rampersad, the first scholar given complete access to Ellison's papers, provides a complex portrait of an unusual artist and human being. This biography describes a man of magnetic personality who counted Saul Bellow, Langston Hughes, Robert Penn Warren, Richard Wright, Richard Wilbur, Albert Murray, and John Cheever among his closest friends; aman whose life and art were shaped mainly by his unyielding desire to produce magnificent art and by his resilient faith in the moral and cultural strength of America.

The Life Of Picasso: The Triumphant Years, 1917-1932 by John Richardson
The third volume of a major study of the artist.

Thomas Hardy by Claire Tomalin A seminal portrait of the enigmatic nineteenth-century novelist and poet, written by the Whitbread Book of the Year-winning author of Samuel Pepys, discusses his humble origins, rise through the London literary scene, and efforts to challenge the sexual and religious conventions of his time.

Tim Jeal's book on Stanley was selected as the winner this year, as announced on March 6.

Notable Black Virginians and more

The Library of Virginia has selected 8 new honorees as
Notable Black Virginians

In addition to biographical information about the honorees, there is a link to suggested classroom activities, and links to last years honorees including Arthur Ashe.

At the Fauquier County Library, additional resources about black Virginians and their role in Virginia history includes:

My Confederate kinfolk : a twenty-first century freedwoman confronts her roots by Thulani Davis

Israel on the Appomattox : a southern experiment in Black freedom from the 1790s through the Civil War by Melvin Patrick Ely

Inspiring African American women of Virginia by Veronica A. Davis

Black Confederates and Afro-Yankees in Civil War Virginia by Ervin L. Jordan, Jr

Best New Science Books of 2007-Part 2

Titles on this list were selected in http://www.edge.org/
Third Culture Holiday Reading 2007 list
(annotations from the Fauquier Library Catalog and/or publisher descriptions)

Endless Universe: Beyond the Big BangThe Big Bang theory--the leading explanation for the origin of the universe--posits that space and time sprang into being about 14 billion years ago in a hot, expanding fireball of nearly infinite density. Over the last three decades, the theory has repeatedly had to be revised to address such issues as how galaxies and stars first formed and why the expansion of the universe is speeding up--let alone what caused the Big Bang in the first place. This book presents a bold new cosmology: Steinhardt and Turok recount remarkable developments in astronomy, particle physics, and superstring theory that together form the basis of their groundbreaking "Cyclic Universe" theory. According to this picture, the Big Bang was not the beginning of time, but the bridge to a past filled with endlessly repeating cycles, each accompanied by the creation of new matter and the formation of new galaxies, stars, and planets.

Why Beauty is Truth: a history of symmetry Mathematics, physics and the universe.

The Black Swan: the impact of the highly improbable Examines the role of the unexpected, discussing why improbable events are not anticipated or understood properly, and how humans rationalize the black swan phenomenon to make it appear less random.

Good calories, bad calories Argues that refined carbohydrates are the ultimate cause of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer; that overeating and sedentary behavior are side effects of increased insulin; and that removing these carbohydrates from one's diet is the only way to lose weight.

Death by black hole: and other cosmic quandaries A collection of favorite essays on the cosmos, written by a well-known American Museum of Natural History astrophysicist and author of Origins, includes the title essay, "Holy Wars," "The Search for Life in the Universe," and "Hollywood Nights."

Avoid boring people: lessons from a life in science by James Watson A scientific memoir by the co-discoverer of DNA describes a life devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, offering valuable lessons about how to get the most out of college, select a career, manage others, and keep one's work relevant.

The World without us
You've watched it on TV, now read what would happen to Earth if the human presence was removed, from the objects that would vanish without human intervention to those that would become long-lasting remnants of humankind.

Evolution for Everyone: how Darwin's theory can change the way we think about our lives
What is the biological reason for gossip?
For laughter? For the creation of art?
Why do dogs have curly tails?
What can microbes tell us about morality?

These and many other questions are tackled by renowned evolutionist David Sloan Wilson in this witty and groundbreaking new book. With stories that entertain as much as they inform, Wilson outlines the basic principles of evolution and shows how, properly understood, they can illuminate the length and breadth of creation, from the origin of life to the nature of religion. Now everyone can move beyond the sterile debates about creationism and intelligent design to share Darwin’s panoramic view of animal and human life, seamlessly connected to each other.

Evolution, as Wilson explains, is not just about dinosaurs and human origins, but about why all species behave as they do—from beetles that devour their own young, to bees that function as a collective brain, to dogs that are smarter in some respects than our closest ape relatives. And basic evolutionary principles are also the foundation for humanity’s capacity for symbolic thought, culture, and morality.

In example after example, Wilson sheds new light on Darwin’s grand theory and how it can be applied to daily life. By turns thoughtful, provocative, and daringly funny, Evolution for Everyone addresses some of the deepest philosophical and social issues of this or any age. In helping us come to a deeper understanding of human beings and our place in the world, it might also help us to improve that world.

Proust and the squid: the story and science of the reading brain A developmental psychologist evaluates the ways in which reading and writing have transformed the human brain, in an anecdotal study that reveals the significant changes in evolutionary brain physiology throughout history.

The Lucifer effect: understanding how good people turn evil What makes good people do bad things? How can moral people be seduced to act immorally? Where is the line separating good from evil, and who is in danger of crossing it?

Renowned social psychologist Philip Zimbardo has the answers, and in The Lucifer Effect he explains how–and the myriad reasons why–we are all susceptible to the lure of “the dark side.” Drawing on examples from history as well as his own trailblazing research, Zimbardo details how situational forces and group dynamics can work in concert to make monsters out of decent men and women.

Zimbardo is perhaps best known as the creator of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Here, for the first time and in detail, he tells the full story of this landmark study, in which a group of college-student volunteers was randomly divided into “guards” and “inmates” and then placed in a mock prison environment. Within a week the study was abandoned, as ordinary college students were transformed into either brutal, sadistic guards or emotionally broken prisoners.

By illuminating the psychological causes behind such disturbing metamorphoses, Zimbardo enables us to better understand a variety of harrowing phenomena, from corporate malfeasance to organized genocide to how once upstanding American soldiers came to abuse and torture Iraqi detainees in Abu Ghraib. He replaces the long-held notion of the “bad apple” with that of the “bad barrel”–the idea that the social setting and the system contaminate the individual, rather than the other way around.

Best New Science Books from 2007-Part 1

The Canon: a whirligig tour of the beautiful basics of science Award-winning science journalist Angier takes us on a "guided twirligig through the scientific canon." She draws on conversations with hundreds of the world's top scientists, and her own work as a reporter for the New York Times, to create an entertaining guide to scientific literacy--a joyride through the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. It's for anyone who wants to understand the great issues of our time--from stem cells and bird flu to evolution and global warming. It's also one of those rare books that reignites our childhood delight in figuring out how things work: we learn what's actually happening when our ice cream melts or our coffee gets cold, what our liver cells do when we eat a caramel, how the horse shows evolution at work, and that we really are all made of stardust.
("we are star dust...we are golden " Joni Mitchell)

Super Crunchers: How thinking by numbers is the new way to be smart Touting the benefits of detailed statistical analysis, an economist explains how sorting through mass quantities of easily stored information can offer greater insight into human behavior for businesses, governments, and consumers.
(we were half a million strong)

Musicophilia: tales of music and the brain Drawing on the individual experiences of patients, musicians, composers, and ordinary people, the author explores the complex human response to music, and how music can affect those suffering from a variety of ailments.
(just join in a rock and roll band)

The Genetic Strand: Exploring a family history through DNA Chronicles the author's personal experience with DNA testing and research into his own family, in an anecdotal study that traces his genealogical investigation into his paternal ancestry.
(we are a billion year old carbon)

Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the ridden rivalries that ignited the space age Describes how the fierce political battles of the Cold War spawned the space race, discussing the implications of the 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in terms of the battle between the two superpowers to put a man on the moon.

A ball, a dog and a monkey: 1957: the space race begins An account of the first year of the space race describes the dramatic rivalry between the U.S. and the Soviet Union and how it was marked by such contributing factors as UFO sightings, intelligence gathering, and fierce nationalism.
(and I dreamed I saw the bomber death planes riding shotgun in the sky)

The Language of God: a scientist present evidence for belief A head of the Human Genome Project and former atheist presents a scientific argument for the existence of God, revealing how science can support faith by citing the areas of nature that can and cannot be fully explained by Darwinian evolution.
(I came upon a child of God, walking down the road)

Cosmic Jackpot: why our universe is just right for life Looks at cutting-edge scientific discoveries to explore why the fundamental features of the physical universe seem tailor-made to produce life, offering a study of the radical multiverse theory and its implications in terms of reality, time, life, and the cosmos.
(and we've got to get back to the garden)

I am a strange loop
Argues that the key to understanding ourselves and consciousness is the "strange loop," a special kind of abstract feedback loop that inhabits the brain. By the author of Godel, Escher, Bach.
(I feel like I'm a cog in something turning round and round)

Einstein: his life and universe A narrative portrait based on the complete body of Einstein's papers offers insight into his contributions to science, in an account that describes the influence of his discoveries on his personal views about morality, politics, and tolerance.

The Stuff of Thought: language as a window into human nature Presents a study of the relationship between language and human nature, explaining how everything from swearing and innuendo to prepositions and baby names reveals facts about key human concepts, emotions, and relationships.
(but life is for learning)

Rethinking thin: the new science of weight loss-and the myths and realities of dieting Analyzes the psychological and cultural factors that cause many people to be obsessed with attaining unrealistically slender physical proportions.
(we just got caught up in some devil's bargain)

Proust was a neuroscientist Details the contributions of an unlikely group of artists--including artist Paul Cézanne, chef Auguste Escoffier, writer Gertrude Stein, and novelist Marcel Proust--to an understanding of the inner workings of the human brain.
(everywhere you look there was a song and a hope and a celebration)

Ghost: a novel by Alan Lightman Three months after being unexpectedly fired from his banking job, David takes a temporary position at a local mortuary, where he experiences an inexplicable encounter with the unknown that transforms his relationships with everyone around him. The author is a physicist and novelist, who teaches at MIT, and frequently combines scientific explorations with his novels.

Uncertainty: Einstein, Heisenberg, Bohr, and the struggle for the soul of science An analysis of the uncertainty principle, first introduced by German physicist Werner Heisenberg in 1927 and discusses the birth, evolution, and impact of this important idea.
(get back to the land and set my soul free)

Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics and the battle over global warming Uses scientific evidence from the 2006 hurricane season to study the link between global warming and the ferocity of hurricanes and explores the influence of the media and politicians on commonly held ideas about climate change.

Terra: our 100 million year old ecosystem-and the threats that now put it at risk An analytical synthesis of evolutionary biology, paleontology, and environmental science shows how all three branches of science can help us understand how human behavior endangers the entire global ecosystem and how we can prevent a mass extinction event.
(Can I walk beside you? I've come here to lose the smog)

Titles on this list were selected from http://www.edge.org/
Third Culture Holiday Reading 2007 list.
(annotations from the Fauquier Library Catalog)
my apologies to Joni Mitchell

"Biography is the only true history"...

according to Thomas Carlyle.

Similarly, Ralph Waldo Emerson stated "There is properly no history; only biography."

More recently, writer Mark Feeney stated, "Once the implicit aim of biography was to uplift now it is to unveil."

If reading about people's lives is one of your passions, and you are looking for something else to read while waiting for a copy of the Diana Chronicles, there is a new resource that will keep you posted about all aspects of biography, through a monthly e-newsletter.

The Biographer's Craft provides news about upcoming biographies, both subjects and their authors, reviews of biographical books, and articles related to the fine art of biography.
You can view their newsletters, starting from March 2007, in the archives on the website to decide if you want to subscribe.


The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Biography this year is:
The Most Famous man in America: the biography of Henry Ward Beecher by Debby Applegate

To see a complete list of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographies:
Pulizter Prize for Biography or Autobiography

To find out about new biographies available at the library, check out the
New to the Collection List on the catalog's home page. List # 5 is for recently added biographies.

If you prefer to browse the biographies at the library, the latest additions can be found in the "New Book" section at each branch, or the full collection in the separate "Biography" collection in the adult non-fiction area.

Biographies are indicated with a "B" as the call number, and shelved according to the
person the book is about, so, for example, all the biographies about Franklin Roosevelt would be shelved together under B ROO.