THE FRIDAY LIST

Every week, new books and eBooks are arriving at RLB Library! Below are a few highlighted titles that are placed in the 1st floor leisure reading kiosk. There you’ll also find past The Friday List titles, but there are many more that we just don’t have room to show off. The last 30 days of new arrivals are listed at the bottom of this post, where you’ll be sure to find something to read for class assignments, your own personal enrichment, or just to have some fun!

Twentieth century Baltimore : a native son’s casual history of the city on the Patapsco, by Jack Burkert, 2024

This is the story of a city: Baltimore, Maryland, my hometown. It is a direct result of my work in developing and presenting a series of popular Baltimore history lectures beginning in 2011. Over time, more and more social history – how people worked and lived, what issues concerned them – began to emerge. Jobs, industry, and work were always the core material, but increasingly the life of the city and the stories of its people became the focus of my programs. Audience members asked, When are you going to write all of this down? Well, here you have it: a story of a city and its people, a history from the perspective of a fellow Baltimorean, one native son who is also an amateur historian. It is a story of Baltimore in the 20th century, no more and no less, the history of a place and its people from many walks of life.

How to think like a philosopher : twelve key principles for more humane, balanced, and rational thinking, by Julian Baggini, 2023

By now, it should be clear: in the face of disinformation and disaster, we cannot hot take, life hack, or meme our way to a better future. But how should we respond instead? In How to Think like a Philosopher, Julian Baggini turns to the study of reason itself for practical solutions to this question, inspired by our most eminent philosophers, past and present. Baggini offers twelve key principles for a more human, balanced, and rational approach to thinking: pay attention; question everything (including your questions); watch your steps; follow the facts; watch your language; be eclectic; be a psychologist; know what matters; lose your ego; think for yourself, not by yourself; make connections, not theories; and don’t give up. Each chapter is chockfull of real-world examples showing these principles at work-from the discovery of penicillin to the fight for trans rights-and how they lead to more thoughtful conclusions. More than a book of tips and tricks (or ways to be insufferably clever at parties), How to Think like a Philosopher is an invitation to develop the habits of good reasoning that our world desperately needs.

Story mode : the creative writer’s guide to narrative video game design, by Julialicia Case, Eric Freeze, and Salvatore Pane, 2024

The opioid epidemic : origins, current state and potential solutions, by Ethan O. Bryson and Christine E. Boxhorn, 2023

This important book argues that the course of the opioid epidemic can be changed. Covering the origins of addiction, the state of the worldwide epidemic, and the likelihood of success for current and proposed solutions, it is an invaluable resource for healthcare professionals, medical students, and those affected by addiction.

New Arrivals in the last 30 days: