Pets, Lincoln, Edison, and Chocolate!

This weekend is shaping up to be a busy one for big celebrations.

You may have already seen the Google doodle for today commemorating Thomas Edison's 164th birthday.

At Shake library you can explore lots of Edison's inventions from the light-bulb to the electric chair. Why not flip through his biography in our ebook collection?

• Dyer, Frank L. Edison, His Life and Inventions. Champaign, Ill: Project Gutenberg, 1990. Ebook.

Image: Worldcat

Tomorrow we celebrate Lincoln's birthday! There's no shortage of books on him in our library (over 100 so far). Newly published is Richard Campanella's treatment of Lincoln's Flatboat Voyages which took him through Vincennes!

Campanella, Richard. Lincoln in New Orleans: The 1828-1831 Flatboat Voyages and Their Place in History. Lafayette: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 2010.

In 1876 the abolitionist Frederick Douglass observed, "No man can say anything that is new of Abraham Lincoln." but that hasn't stopped scholars from continuing to explore the legacy of this incredible president. Curious to know more? You might want to check out Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World (New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008.) by Eric Foner. Here you'll find essay's on Lincoln's views on race and citizenship, political acumen, his literary style, religious beliefs, and family life. 

Well, enough about these individuals, let's turn to this Monday's Valentine's day festivities. Whether you are eagerly anticipating the holiday or generally dreading the influx of red & pink, you'll find some great resources in the library. Such as: 

Critical Thinking About Sex, Love, and Romance in the Mass Media by  Mary-Lou Galician &  Debra L. Merskin. (Media Literacy Applications. Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007.) This book explores how romantic coupleship is represented in books, magazines, popular music, movies, television, and the Internet within entertainment, advertising, and news/information. 

Image: Worldcat

not interested? Well how about....Mort Rosenblum's Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light. (New York: North Point Press, 2005.)

Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. It's the Valentine's Day drug of choice, has more antioxidants than red wine, and triggers the same brain responses as falling in love. Nothing, in the end, can stand up to chocolate as a basic fundament to human life. In this scintillating narrative, acclaimed foodie Mort Rosenblum delves into the complex world of chocolate. From the mole poblano--chile-laced chicken with chocolate--of ancient Mexico to the contemporary French chocolatiers who produce the palets d'or--bite-sized, gold-flecked bricks of dark chocolate--to the vast empires of Hershey, Godiva, and Valrhona, Rosenblum follows the chocolate trail the world over. He visits cacao plantations, meets with growers, buyers, makers, and tasters, and investigates the dark side of the chocolate trade as well as the enduring appeal of its product. (Publisher's Description)

Whatever you celebrate over the next 3-4 days don't forget that this month is Responsible Pet Owner Month!

Do you know how to protect your pets in an emergency?  Click here for information from the CDC

Do you know how to give first aid to your pet? Click here for information from the American Veterinary Medical Association