Readers' Nook

E-AUDIOBOOKS

Safiya Sinclair How to say Babylon : a memoir
Claire Dederer Monsters : a fan's dilema
Warhorses of letters.
Sarah Graves A bat in the belfry : A home repair is homicide mystery
Chiara Atik Bump
Sarah Milov The cigarette : a political history
Manfred Karge The conquest of the South Pole
William Shakespeare Macbeth
Richard Brinsley Sheridan The school for scandal
William Shakespeare Twelfth Night
Sallie Tisdale Advice for future corpses (and those who love them) : a practical perspective on death and dying
Nick Neely Alta california : From San Diego to San Francisco, a journey on foot to rediscover the golden state
Olivia Allen-Price Bay curious : Exploring the hidden true stories of the san francisco bay area
Ann Hood The obituary writer
John King Portal : San Francisco's Ferry Building and the reinvention of American cities
Michael Mann Heat 2 : a novel
W Somerset Maugham The constant wife
Five short stories by women.
Nic Cheeseman How to rig an election
Fyodor Dostoyevsky The idiot
Anna Nicholas Incunabula
I͡U Li͡ubimov Master and Margarita
Jessica Dickey Nan and the lower body
John Logan Red
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov Three sisters

Attacking chess for club players: improve your skills to overpower your opponents / Herman Grooten. 794.12 G876 

Another generous gift from the estate of Jeremy Silman. In this book, Grooten presents techniques for experienced club players to enhance their game. He uses an analysis of middle game positions to explain advanced concepts (or rather, explain the greater complexities of concepts you already know). Grooten includes 106 exercises with additional analysis in the solutions. Not intended for beginners.

Studies for practical players: improving calculation and resourcefulness in the endgame / Mark Dvoretsky & Oleg Pervakov; foreword by Jan Timman. 794.124 D98s

Dvortetsky's books are a favorite with Mechanics Institute Chess players. This one, co-written with Oleg Pervakov, is his latest to come out in English translation. (Book 2 of this set, with the subtitle "improving important endgame concepts," is due out in February.) These studies allow players to practice the lessons taught in his previous books. 

Match for the World Chess Championship, Mikhail Botvinnik - David Bronstein, Moscow 1951 / Mikhail Botvinnik. 794.159 B75m

Botvinnik retained his world championship status by drawing Bronstein in this match. Behind at the end of the 22nd game, he won the 23rd, then with his draw in the 24th, he retained his title. In this now-out-of-print book, Botvinnik provides detailed commentary and analysis of his games. We are fortunate to have been given such a fine copy of this book. Thank you Kenneth Hills!   

Winning chess openings / Yasser Seirawan. 794.122 S46

Seirawan has received high praise from club members who feel that reading his books has resulted in a noticeable improvement in their games. Written for beginners, this book will help those trying to pick out an opening that best suits their style of play.

Mikhail Tal: the street-fighting years / Alexander Koblenz; translated from Russian by Alexei Zakharov. 794.15 T13ko

To say "street-fighting" regarding a chess champion is curious, but the title of this classic (first published in 1963) refers to Tal's early games. The book includes 77 of these games annotated by Koblenz, who served as Tal's long-term coach and second.  

Perpetual chess improvement: practical chess advice from world-class players and dedicated amateurs / Ben Johnson; forward by GM Ben Finegold. 794.1 J661

Perpetual Chess Podcast host, USCF Master Ben Johnson has compiled some of his favorite stories told by a wide variety of guests to his show. Along with advice on how to approach and study different aspects of the game including openings, endgames, tournament games, and speed chess, he also includes information on finding a chess coach and a like-minded chess community. Additionally, he also recommends the best ways to use the powerful chess study tools available today.

The world's most instructive amateur game book / Dan Heisman. 794.1 H473w

Here’s a book for the intermediate players. Heisman analyzes 30 games by intermediate players and offers guidance on improvement. The positions you find in this book will likely resemble the positions you will encounter in the under 1600 tier of a tournament. The study of the brilliant games of grandmasters of yesteryear is always helpful, but it’s also beneficial to learn from the mistakes of players at the same level as you.

Theoretical rook endgames / Sam Shankland; edited by Jeremy Hart. 794.124 S528

In January 2024, the Mechanics Institute had the good fortune to host one of our members, Sam Shankland, for a book signing and chess presentation. Sam is well known in the chess community and we had a strong turnout for the event. All copies of Sam's books sold out. That's not surprising given he has proven to be a brilliant teacher as shown on his DVD (also in the MI library) The Shankland Method. DVD 794.1 S528 

February is Black History Month, and the Mechanics' Institute Library is proud to celebrate with a curated display brimming with captivating reads. Located on the 3rd Floor, this showcase highlights diverse voices and experiences, inviting you to dive into the rich tapestry of Black history and culture.

Flip through and discover:

Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History—Delve into the powerful history of this revolutionary movement, which started in the Bay Area, through the engaging medium of graphic storytelling.

Shout Sister, Shout—Uncover the electrifying life and influence of this pioneering musician who paved the way for rock and roll.

Those Who Saw the Sun: African American History from the Jim Crow South—Witness the resilience and resistance of Black communities through firsthand accounts gathered in this poignant collection.

Troublemaker for Justice: The Story Bayard Rustin, the Man behind the March on Washington—Shine a light on the history of this openly gay Civil Rights leader and his pivotal role in the fight for equality, published by City Lights for readers in middle grades and up.

And that's just the beginning! Our display expands in the month of February with recent publications exploring various aspects of Black history. So, visit the 3rd Floor and embark on a journey of discovery. Remember, like any book you encounter on display in the 3rd Floor, these treasures are yours to borrow and bring home!

Let's celebrate Black History Month together, one insightful page at a time.

Bonus Tip: Looking for more recommendations? Ask our friendly Library staff members—they're happy to guide you towards enriching reads that spark your curiosity.

—Myles Cooper, Library Manager

PRINT BOOKS

NON-FICTION

Arts, Architecture & Crafts

Murakami : unfamiliar people, swelling of monsterized human ego 709.2 M972
Ken Grossinger Art works : how organizers and artists are creating a better world together 700.1 G878
Aperture. 251, summer 2023 770 A641
Robert B. Kozma Make the world a better place : design with passion, purpose, and values 745.2 K889
Scott Powell Frances Elkins : visionary American designer 747.092 E438
Karen Nepacena Midcentury modern style : an approachable guide to inspired rooms 747 N439
Deborah Turbeville : photocollage 779.092 T93
Knitting for Olive Knitting for Olive : classic, timeless knitting patterns 746.43 K719kn
The grain of the present. 779 G743
This land : June 1, 2018-March 31, 2019, Pier 24 Photography. 779 T448
Fraenkel Gallery The plot thickens 779 P729
J. F. Turner Create and be recognized : photography on the edge 779 T944
Diane Arbus Diane Arbus : in the beginning, 1956-1962 770.92 A66i
Jim Goggin The great jazz revival : a pictorial celebration of traditional jazz 781.65 G613

Biography & Genealogy

Jack Kelly God save Benedict Arnold : the true story of America's most hated man 973.3 A752

Business & Economics

Jordan Belfort The wolf of investing : my insider's playbook for making a fortune on Wall Street 332.62 B428w
Ed Conway Material world : the six raw materials that shape modern civilization 333.7 C767
William F. Meehan Engine of impact : essentials of strategic leadership in the nonprofit sector 658.048 M494
Dave Kerpen The art of people : 11 simple people skills that will get you everything you want 650.13 K399
Thomas J. Neff You're in charge, now what? : the 8 point plan 658.4 N383
Christine. Comaford-Lynch Smarttribes : how teams become brilliant together 658.4 C728
Achieving excellence in fundraising 658.152 A178
Marcus Buckingham Nine lies about work : a freethinking leader's guide to the real world 658.4 B923ni

Food & Drink

Joseph Geha Kitchen Arabic : how my family came to America and the recipes we brought with us 641.5929 G311
Angela Dimayuga Filipinx : heritage recipes from the diaspora 641.5959 D582
Viola Buitoni Italy by ingredient : artisanal foods, modern recipes 641.5945 B932

History

Iván de la Nuez Cubanthropy : between the Cold War's socialist promise and a capitalist future 972.91 N964
Daniel Finkelstein Two roads home : Hitler, Stalin, and the miraculous survival of my family 940.5318 F499
A republic of scoundrels : the schemers, intriguers & adventurers who created a new American nation 973.3 R426
The making of the West : peoples and cultures : a concise history 909.0982 M235
Medea Isphording Bern San Francisco jazz 979.461 B5171s
Charles Freeman The children of Athena : Greek Intellectuals in the Age of Rome: 150 BC-400 AD 938 F855c
Rebecca Clarren The cost of free land : Jews, Lakota, and an American inheritance 978.3 C613
Scott Martelle 1932 : FDR, Hoover and the dawn of a New America 973.917 M376
Edward L. Ayers American visions : the United States, 1800-1860 973.5 A977

Literature & Writing

Tongo Eisen-Martin Blood on the fog 811.6 E361b
Tim Z. Hernandez Some of the light : new and selected poems 811.6 H557s
Joshua Bennett Spoken word : a cultural history 808.545 B471
Jed Munson Commentary on the birds 814 M969
Craig Santos Perez From unincorporated territory [åmot] 811.6 S237
Pathetic literature : an anthology 808.8 P297
Gabrielle Octavia Rucker Dereliction 811 R911
Sunjata : Gambian versions of the Mande epic by Bamba Suso and Banna Kanute 896 S958
Melissa Crowe Lo : poems 811.6 C953
Georgia Douglas Johnson After a thousand tears : poems 811 J661
Brandon Som Tripas : poems 811.6 S693
Julia Kolchinsky Dasbach 40 weeks : poems 811.6 D229
Leah Nieboer Soft apocalypse 811.6 N665
Ru Freeman Bon courage : essays on inheritance, citizenship, and a creative life 814.6 F855
Jay Wright Soul and substance : a poet's examination papers 814 W947

Natural Sciences & Mathematics

Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology All about birds : California 598.0979 A416
Kevin Hobbs Edible : 70 sustainable plants that are changing how we eat 581.632 H682

Performing Arts & Music

Makana Eyre Sing, memory : the remarkable story of the man who saved the music of the Nazi camps 780.89 K962
Louis Niebur Menergy : San Francisco's gay disco sound 781.648 N665

Philosophy, Psychology & Religion

Julie Ingersoll Building God's kingdom : inside the world of Christian reconstruction 230 I47
Empty the pews : stories of leaving the church 277.3 E558
Ludwig Wittgenstein Über Gewissheit = On certainty 121.6 W83
Carlos M. N. Eire They flew : a history of the impossible 133.8 E359

Social Sciences & Current Events

Alex Espinoza Cruising : an intimate history of a radical pastime 306.76 E776
David Pietrusza Gangsterland : a tour through the dark heart of jazz-age New York City 364.106 P626
Geoff White The Lazarus heist : from Hollywood to high finance : inside North Korea's global cyber war 364.168 W582
Grace E. Lavery Pleasure and efficacy : of pen names, cover versions, and other trans techniques 306.76 L399
Michael Gross Flight of the WASP : the rise, fall, and future of America's original ruling class 305.8 G87
Schuyler Bailar He 306.76 B153
Yascha Mounk The identity trap : a story of ideas and power in our time 305 M928
Jeremy Heimans New power : how power works in our hyperconnected world --and how to make it work for you 303.48 H467
Robert F. Dalzell The good rich and what they cost us 305.52 D153
Dana Brakman Reiser For-profit philanthropy : elite power and the threat of limited liability companies, donor-advised funds, and strategic corporate giving 361.74 R375
Rob Reich Just giving : why philanthropy is failing democracy and how it can do better 361.7 R34j
Equal Justice Initiative The National Memorial for Peace and Justice. 305.896 E647
Danny. Lyon Like a thief's dream 365.6 L991
Shanterra McBride Courageous discomfort : how to have important, brave, life-changing conversations about race and racism : 20 questions about race and racism answered 305.8 M1191
Maribel Morey White philanthropy : Carnegie Corporation's An American dilemma and the making of a white world order 305.8 M845

Travel & Geography

Lonely planet Vietnam. 915.97 L847
Tom Lutz The kindness of strangers 910.4 L975k
Scotland. 914.11 L847
Las Vegas. 917.931 F653