Creative or Narrative Nonfiction @ GCVI
Creative or literary nonfiction, narrative nonfiction is a genre of nonfiction in which factual matter is
presented in a narrative style using literary techniques. (Study.com) The primary goal of the creative
nonfiction writer is to communicate information, just like a reporter, but to shape it in a way that reads
like fiction. (Wikipedia.com)
Read books on Technology and Music; Your Mind or your DNA or your Brain; Businesses such as Tim Horton's
and Walmart; Environmental Issues; Sisters; Dogs; Great Scientists and their Discoveries or their Blunders;
Money; Living without "Made in China"; Your home and what is in it and many more other interesting
topics!
Title
Author
Call#
Summary
Date
Things a Little
Bird Told Me
Stone,
Biz
006.
754
STO
Biz Stone, the co-founder of Twitter, discusses the power of creativity 2014
and how to harness it, through stories from his remarkable life and
career. Biz tells fascinating, pivotal, and personal stories from his
early life and his careers at Google and Twitter, sharing his knowledge
about the nature and importance of ingenuity today.
Guitar Zero
Marcus,
Gary
153.
9
MAR
The author describes how he was able to learn to play the guitar in
2009
midlife in spite of a limited musical aptitude, revealing what he
learned about the brain's capacity for musical proficiency at any time
of life and how his findings challenge commonly accepted beliefs
about musical talent and training.
Everyone Loves a
Good Train Wreck
Wilson,
Eric
155.
935
WIL
The author sets out to discover the source of our attraction to the
2012
caustic, drawing on the findings of biologists, sociologists,
psychologists, anthropologists, philosophers, theologians, and artists.
A professor of English literature and a lifelong student of the
macabre, Wilson believes there's something nourishing in darkness.
Stick to Your Vision
Williams,
Wes
158.
1
MAE
The author shows you how to define your vision, how to achieve it, 2012
and what to do once you're there. He offers useful tips and advice, as
well as inspirational stories and quotes, and exercises that will keep
you moving towards your own vision.
Help Yourself
Pelzer,
David
158.
1
PEL
Dave Pelzer doesn't believe in feeling sorry for himself. Abused
2010
mercilessly by his mother as a child, Dave has taken everything that
happened to him and turned it into something positive so that he can
help others. Now happily married and with a child of his own, he
celebrates the twin pillars of strength that saw him through his
darkest hours: resilience and gratitude. And he shows how anyone
can tap into these virtues to live a better and more fulfilling life.
Creative Narrative Non Fiction
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
The Tao of Pooh
Hoff,
Benjamin
299.
514
HOF
The how of Pooh? The Tao of who? The Tao of Pooh!?! In which it is 1992
revealed that one of the world's great Taoist masters isn't Chinese--or
a venerable philosopher--but is in fact none other than that
effortlessly calm, still, reflective bear. A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh!
While Eeyore frets, and Piglet hesitates, and Rabbit calculates, and
Owl pontificates, Pooh just is.
The Te of Piglet
Hoff,
Benjamin
299.
514
HOF
The Te of Piglet . . . in which a good deal of Taoist wisdom is revealed 2000
through the character and actions of A. A. Milne's Piglet. Piglet? Yes,
Piglet.For the better than impulsive Tigger? or the gloomy Eeyore? or
the intellectual Owl? or even the lovable Pooh? Piglet herein
demonstrates a very important principle of Taoism: The Te--a Chinese
word meaning Virtue--of the Small.
Connected
Christakis,
302.
Nicholas, MD, 3
PHD and
CHR
James H.
Fowler, PHD
How your friends' friends' friends effect everything you feel, think
and do. Renowned scientists Christakis and Fowler present
compelling evidence for our profound influence on one another's
tastes, health, wealth, happiness, beliefs, even weight, as they
explain how social networks form and how they operate.
The Virtual self: How
our digital lives are
altering the world
around us
Young,
Nora
303.
48
YOU
The new radically social habit of tracking our behaviours and
2013
preferences is booming. From Facebook timelines to Google
Navigator to Twitter, we generate enormous amounts of online data
about our activities: where we go, what we do, how we feel. In The
Virtual Self , journalist Nora Young examines this growing
phenomenon of self-tracking - why it's compulsive, its attractions and
benefits, the dangers surrounding privacy and information control,
and moreover, what it means for our sense of self.
Technopoly:The
Postman,
surrender of culture to Neil
technology
303.
483
POS
Beyond Genetics
McGee,
Glenn
Gender Failure
Spoon,
Rae and
Ivan Coyote
306.
46
McG
306.
76
SPO
In this witty, often terrifying work of cultural criticism, the author of
Amusing Ourselves to Death chronicles our transformation into a
Technopoly: a society that no longer merely uses technology as a
support system but instead is shaped by it--with radical
consequences for the meanings of politics, art, education,
intelligence, and truth.
The user's guide to DNA, why your genes are your most important
asset.
2009
1993
2003
Ivan E. Coyote and Rae Spoon are accomplished, award-winning
2014
writers, musicians, and performers; they are also both admitted
"gender failures." In their first collaborative book, a poignant
collection of autobiographical essays, lyrics, and images, Ivan and Rae
explore and expose their failed attempts at fitting into the gender
binary, and how ultimately our expectations and assumptions around
traditional gender roles fail us all.
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
The Sister Knot
Apter,
Terri
306.
8754
APT
Why sisters? -- The power of complicated feelings -- Younger sisters 2007
and other variations: why the sibling trauma is universal, empathy
and identity between sisters , how sisters find and resist family roles,
Group dynamics among sisters, when one sister outshines the other -Sistering: a lifelong tie.
Indian Country: Inside Krotz,
another Canada
Larry
323.
1197
KRO
An eloquent story of life on five diaparate Canadian reserves. Krotz
introduces us not to stereotypes, but to real people; not to the
marginalized and oppressed, but to articulate, educated men and
women who are engaged in a constant struggle to strengthen their
footing in a nation that remains indifferent to the aspirations.
The New Asian
Hemisphere: The
Irresistible Shift of
Global Power to the
East
327.
5
MAH
By 2050, three of the world’s largest economies will be Asian: China, 2012
India, and Japan. In The New Asian Hemisphere , Kishore Mahbubani
argues that Western minds need to step outside their “comfort zone”
and prepare new mental maps to understand the rise of Asia. The
West, he says, must gracefully share power with Asia by giving up its
automatic domination of global institutions from the IMF to the
World Bank, from the G7 to the UN Security Council. Only then will
the new Asian powers reciprocate by becoming responsible
stakeholders in a stable world order.
Shop Class as Soulcraft: Crawford,
An Inquiry into the
Matthew
value of work
331
CRA
A brief case for the useful arts -- The separation of thinking from
2009
doing -- To be master of one's own stuff -- The education of a
gearhead -- The further education of a gearhead : from amateur to
professional -- The contradictions of the cubicle -- Thinking as doing -Work, leisure, and full engagement.
The Wealthy Barber
Chilton,
David
332.
024
CHI
The common sense guide to successful financial planning.
Banker to the Poor
Yunus,
Muhammad
332.
1
YUN
The founder of the Grameen Bank relates how he developed the
1997
system of micro-credit to help eradicate poverty in countries such as
Bangladesh by providing financial education and small loans to rural
families.
Sea Sick: The global
Ocean in Crisis
Mitchell,
Alanna
333.
9154
MIT
Explores the current state of the world' s oceans and the fact that we 2000
are altering everything about them; temperature, salinity, acidity, ice
cover, volume, circulation, and the life within them.
Mahbubani,
Kishore
1990
1989
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
Who Killed Avro
Arrow?
Gainor,
Chris
338.
4
GAI
The Avro Arrow vaulted Canada into the front ranks of military
aircraft design and manufacturing. Less than a year later, the Arrow
program was cancelled and Avro Canada went from being one of
Canadas largest corporations to a bitter memory. The completed
Arrows, jet fighters full of cutting edge technology and capable of
flying at twice the speed of sound, were put to the torch. The Arrow
became a subject of controversy that goes on today, nearly 50 years
after it flew.
Tales From Under the
Rim
Buist,
Ron
338.
761
BUI
Want to know the secrets behind Canada’s most popular coffee-and- 2003
donuts chain? Read all about them in a new book chronicling the rise
of Tim Hortons, from its humble beginnings to the national institution
it is today. Written by former Tim Hortons marketing director Ron
Buist, Tales from Under the Rim: The Marketing of Tim Hortons is an
engrossing, fast-paced business memoir.
No Logo: Taking Aim at Klein,
the Brand Bullies
Naomi
338.
88
KLE
Naomi Klein tracks the resistance and self-determination mounting in 2008
the face of our new branded world and explains why some of the
most revered brands in the world are finding themselves on the
wrong end of a bottle of spray paint, a computer hack, or an
international anti-corporate campaign.
The Science of Cold
Case Files
363.
25
RAM
Looks at the principles and techniques of forensic investigation,
describing how facial reconstruction, handwriting analysis, DNA,
fingerprints, and old-fashioned police work combine to uncover the
truth about unsolved cases.
2004
Six Degrees: Our future Lynas,
on a hotter planet
Mark
363.
738
LYN
In astonishing and unflinching detail, a noted science journalist
explains how Earth's climate will be impacted with every degree of
increase in global warming--and what can be done about it now.
2008
Hot Air: Meeting
Canada's Climate
Change Challenge
363.
7387
SIM
Here’s a clear, believable book for Canadians concerned about our
situation — and it offers a solution.
2007
364.
152
SCH
364.
1523
LAR
The Shafia murders and the culture of honour killings.
2012
Honour On Trial
Devil in the City
Ramsland,
Katherine
Simpson,
Jeffrey,
Mark Jaccard,
Nic Rivers
Schliesmann,
Paul
Larson,
Erik
2007
2003
Erik Larson—author of #1 bestseller In the Garden of
Beasts —intertwines the true tale of the 1893 World's Fair and the
cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their
death. Combining meticulous research with nail-biting storytelling,
Erik Larson has crafted a narrative with all the wonder of newly
discovered history and the thrills of the best fiction.
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
Big-Box Swindle
Mitchell,
Stacy
381.
12
MIT
The author illustrates how mega-retailers are fueling many of our
2006
most pressing problems, from the shrinking middle class to rising
water pollution and diminished civic engagement. She uncovers the
role government policy has played in the expansion of mega-retailers
and builds a compelling case that communities composed of many
small businesses are healthier and more prosperous than those
dominated by large chains.
The Wal-Mart Effect
Fishman,
Charles
381.
32
FIS
We know about the lawsuits and the labour protests, but what we
2006
don't know is how profoundly the "Wal-Mart effect" is changing our
America's economy, our workforce, our communities, and our
environment. Journalist Fishman takes us on a behind-the-scenes
investigative expedition, interviewing 25 high-level ex-executives and
a host of Wal-Mart's suppliers, and journeying to the ports and
factories where Wal-Mart's power is warping the very structure of
the world's market.
A Year without "Made Bongiorni,
in China"
Sara
382.
6095
BON
After she and her family spent one year not buying any products from 2007
China, the author offers revealing insights into the complex
relationship between the American standard of living and the
numerous Chinese imports that are necessary to maintain it.
The Secret House
Bodanis,
David
500
BOD
This Explains
Everything
Brockman,
John
500.
23
BRO
The author takes the reader through an average day in and around an 1986
average house, showing us the fascinating science beneath the
surface-from the static between radio stations, to the millions of
pillow mites that snuggle up with us every night, from the warm
electric fields wrapped around a light bulb filament, to what really
makes the garden roses red. With wit, whimsy, and delightful detail,
David Bodanis explains it all in ordinary words--on an extraordinary
tour.
In This Explains Everything, John Brockman, founder and publisher of 2013
Edge.org, asked experts in numerous fields and disciplines to come
up with their favorite explanations for everyday occurrences. Why do
we recognize patterns? Is there such a thing as positive stress? Are
we genetically programmed to be in conflict with each other? Those
are just some of the 150 questions that the world's best scientific
minds answer with elegant simplicity.
Brilliant Blunders
Livio,
Mario
500.
23
LIV
From Darwin to Einstein--colossal mistakes by great scientists that
changed our understanding of life and the universe.
523.
1
HAW
Cogently explained, passionately revealed, A Brief History of Time is 1988
the story of the ultimate quest for knowledge: the ongoing search for
the tantalizing secrets at the heart of time and space.
A Brief History of Time Hawking,
Stephen W.
2013
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
ATOM
Krauss,
Lawrence
523.
1
KRA
A single oxygen atom's odyssey from the Big Bang to life on earth . . . 2001
and beyond. The story of matter and the history of the cosmos--from
the perspective of a single oxygen atom--is told with the insight and
wit of one of the most dynamic physicists and writers working today.
The Disappearing
Spoon
Kean,
Sam
546
KEA
True tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the
periodic table of the elements.
Hurricane Watch
Sheets,
Dr. Bob and
Jack Williams
551.
6452
SHE
Avoid Boring People
Watson,
James D.
572.
8
WAT
This in-depth look at these awe-inspiring acts of nature covers
2001
everything from the earliest efforts by seafarers at predicting storms
to the way satellite imaging is revolutionizing hurricane forecasting.
A compelling history of man's relationship with the deadliest storms
on earth.
From a living legend—James D. Watson, who shared the Nobel Prize 2007
for having revealed the structure of DNA—a personal account of the
making of a scientist. In Avoid Boring People, the man who discovered
“the secret of life” shares the less revolutionary secrets he has found
to getting along and getting ahead in a competitive world.
The Double Helix
Watson,
James D.
572.
86
WAT
The classic personal account of Watson and Crick’s groundbreaking
discovery of the structure of DNA.
The Gene Wars:
Science, Politics and
the Human Genome
CookDeegan,
Robert
573.
212
COO
In this firsthand account of the protracted struggle to launch the
1994
genome project, a close observer of that process—and sometime
participant in it—unravels the tangled scientific and political threads
of the story, relying on primary documents gathered even as events
unfolded, supplemented by interviews with all the main
actors—including the controversial first head of the National Institute
James D. Watson. The result is an absorbing case study in the politics
on a project with far-reaching medical and social implications.
Devil's Teeth
Casey,
Susan
597.
33
CAS
Genome
Ridley,
Matt
599.
935
RID
Presents the author's firsthand account of her stay on the Farallon
2005
Islands--in the shark infested waters thirty miles west of San
Francisco--and includes information on shark behavior and scientists
who study them.
An Autobiography of a species in 23 chapters. Matt Ridley recounts 2000
the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to
the brink of future medicine.
The Brain that Changes Doidge,
Itself
Norman
612.
8
DOI
2010
1968
Norman Doidge, M.D., traveled the country to meet both the brilliant 2007
scientists championing neuroplasticity, its healing powers, and the
people whose lives they've transformed. Using these marvelous
stories he probes mysteries of the body, emotion, love, sex, culture,
and education.
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
Will to Live
Stroud,
Les
613.
69
STR
In a survival situation, life really does hang in the balance, and a
2010
wrong decision could spell the difference between life and death. Les
examines a host of famous and less well-known (but no less
compelling) survival stories, and he not only explains what happened
and why but also offers perspective on what went right, what went
wrong and what could have been done differently.
The Autistic Brain
Grandin,
Temple
616.
85
GRA
Temple Grandin weaves her own experience with remarkable new
1982
discoveries, introduces the neuroimaging advances and genetic
research that link brain science to behavior, and even shares her own
brain scans from numerous studies. We meet the scientists and selfadvocates who are introducing innovative theories of what causes,
how we diagnose, and how best to treat autism.
Inside of a Dog
Horowitz,
Alexandra
636.
7
HOR
Chew on This
Schlosser,
641.
Eric & Charles 3
Wilson
SCH
What do dogs know? How do they think? The answers will surprise
2009
and delight you as Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains
how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other
quirky animal, the human.
Examines the fast food industry with facts about its evolution and
2006
practices, the effects of fast food consumption on public health, and
the international success of fast food.
The Tiger
Vaillant,
John
799.
2775
VAI
The Tiger is a true life murder mystery. When Yuri Trush was called to 2010
investigate an attack by a Siberian tiger in December 1997, what he
found was unlike anything he'd ever encountered.
Dead Wake
Larson,
Erik
940.
4514
LAR
On May 1, 1915, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English 2015
country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a
record number of children and infants. As U-20 and the Lusitania
made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and
achingly small -- hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and
more -- all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.
Ortona Street Fight
Zuehlke,
Mark
940.
5421
ZUE
Recounts how two Canadian infantry battalions and a tank regiment
fought--sometimes hand-to-hand--against German troops for the
small Italian port of Ortona in December of 1943, one of the most
notable battles ever waged by the Canadians.
2011
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
Eagle Day
Collier,
Richard
940.
5486
COL
All the Daring of the
Soldier
Leonard,
Elizabeth
973.
7082
LEO
1966
Collier's chronicle of the Battle of Britain, drawing heavily on
eyewitness accounts from RAF and Luftwaffe combatants, gives a
compelling account of history in the making. Over the English
Channel, across southern Britain, and into the heart of the savagely
fought confrontation, go where the commanders made their
decisions, along with those who fought and experienced this
tumultuous time. Trace the course of actions as they unfolded
between August and mid-September 1940--a brief period that helped
determine the world''s fate.
The fascinating stories of the women who worked as spies, as
1999
daughters of the regiments, or who disguised themselves as male
soldiers to play their heroic part in the Civil War.
15/04/2016
Creative or Narrative Non-Fiction
15/04/2016