Carolina Law Library’s Annual Holiday Gift Guide
November 21, 2024Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the book lovers in your life? Let our talented law librarian, Kerri-Ann Rowe, guide your shopping with her thoughtful recommendations that will appeal to all kinds of readers. From exploring pivotal legal trials and the dawn of reality television to understanding AI’s impact and climate change, plus a beautiful celebration of North Carolina art, there’s a recent release here they’ll love unwrapping.
Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted a Nation
By: Brenda Wineapple
For the legal history buff. Keeping the Faith focuses on Clarence Darrow, starting with his childhood, showcasing his career and what led to his defense of John T. Scopes in the historic Tennessee v. Scopes trial (also known as the “Scopes Monkey Trial”). Keeping the Faith navigates this “trial of the century”, the divisions it demonstrated, and the lessons it taught (and continues to teach) about the United States of America and “the heart of democracy.”
Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV
By: Emily Nussbaum
For the reality tv afficionado. Cue the Sun! offers the “lively, outrageous origins” that led to the “lowbrow” art form that we know and love today. From the “tawdry cash grabs” to the “earnest social experiments”, Cue the Sun! describes the history of reality tv and how it explores human nature while having fun along the way. Fans will reminisce about reality tv’s key moments while learning more about the intentions that created them.
Taming Silicon Valley: how We Can Ensure That AI Works for Us
By: Gary F. Marcus
For the technophile who wants to learn more about the stakes of GenAI. GenAI has both been described as mankind’s savior and our future destruction. Taming Silicon Valley presents it as both before offering concrete policies that can be implemented to ensure that AI is used responsibly. This book is perfect for anyone trying to understand the big AI stakes and what can be done about them.
Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics
By: Julia Sonnevend
For those curious about political leaders and the strategies they have employed to obtain power. Framed around five techniques politicians use to charm their audiences, Charm presents the differing approaches politicians took “in their quest for power”, exploring which methods worked and which methods backfired. Charm aims to provide an understanding of “this bit of political magic”.
H is for Hope: Climate Change from A to Z
By: Elizabeth Kolbert, Illustrated by Wesley Allsbrook
For someone in need of a little hope. A is for Arrhenius who created the world’s first climate model and who “was, by nature, an optimist.” H is for Hope presents twenty-six essays designed to explore climate change through a variety of lenses with captivating artwork. While at times unflinchingly honest (“here we all are, watching things fall apart”), H is for Hope still manages to provide exactly that, hope for the future.
Art of the State: Celebrating the Visual Art of North Carolina
By: Liza Roberts, Photography by Lissa Gitwals, and foreword by Lawrence J. Wheeler
A bonus book for anyone who wants to celebrate the art of North Carolina. Art of the State starts with the question “What is North Carolina Art?” before diving into what truly makes the art of the state: the communities, the artists, and the uniquely North Carolinian interests. Each is richly explored, and, yes, it also has pretty pictures of that art throughout.