REFERENCE BOOKS
Oxford Dictionary of Contemporary World History from 1900 to the Present Day, by
Jan Palmowski (non-fiction)
Provides more than 2,600 entries covering major historical events from the beginning of
the twentieth century to the present day
CIRCULATING BOOKS
A Traveler’s Literary Companion (fiction)
This is a series of books divided by country that include short stories written by authors
from the country that the book is about. Stories are written by contemporary authors such
as Salman Rushdie and historic authors such as Lu Xun.
15 books on the following countries:
Australia
Brazil
Chile
China
Costa Rica
France
Greece
India
Italy
Ireland
Israel
Japan
Mexico
South Africa
Spain
Bride’s Story (book 1), by Kaoru Mori (graphic novel, fiction)
As she and her husband adjust to their arranged marriage, Amir strives to find her role as
she settles into a new life and a new home in a society quick to define that role for her.
China in the 21st Century: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom
(non-fiction)
Wasserstrom provides cogent answers to the most urgent questions regarding the newest
superpower and offers a framework for understanding its meteoric rise. He reveals that
China today shares many traits with other industrialized nations during their periods of
development, in particular the United States during its rapid industrialization in the 19th
century and provides guidance on the ways we can expect China to act in the future vis-avis the United States, Russia, India, and its East Asian neighbors.
Chronicle of a Blood Merchant, by Yu Hua (fiction)
Xu Sanguan is a Chinese everyman-a cart-pusher in a silk mill struggling under the
cruelty and hardships of Mao's leadership. This is an unflinching portrait of China under
Chairman Mao.
Kosovo: What Everyone Need to Know, by Tim Judah (non-fiction)
Presents the historical and geopolitical background of the country of Kosovo, including
its annexation by Serbia in 1912 and incorporation into Yugoslavia, its declaration of
independence in February, 2008, and its strategic importance to the Western Balkans
Men of Salt: Crossing the Sahara on the Caravan of White Gold, by Michael Benanav
(non-fiction)
Provides a narrative of the Islamic culture's centuries-old trek between Timbuktu and the
notorious salt mines of Taoudenni, describing how camel drivers march for eighteen
hours per day in sandstorms and searing heat.
Mirror, Sword & Jewel, by Kurt Singer (non-fiction)
A unique interpretation of the essence of Japanese society and individual psychology.
Explores the mind and soul of the Japanese and points to the hidden laws of everyday
life, which have created the singular character of the country
Modern Japan: A History in Documents, by James L Huffman (non-fiction)
James L. Huffman combines primary sources, including newspapers, diaries, cartoons,
literature, wood block prints, maps, memoirs, photographs, and political essays, to
present a narrative of Japan's history from 1600 through the twentieth century, focusing
on cultural and economic, as well as political and intellectual, developments.
Other Voices, Other Vistas: Short Stories from Africa, China, India, Japan, and Latin
America, edited by Barbara H. Solomon (fiction)
Presents twenty-five contemporary stories by authors from countries and cultures around
the world, including selections by Chinua Achebe, Isabel Allende, Wang Anyi, and
others
Pocket Timeline of Islamic Civilizations, by Nicholas Badcott (non-fiction)
Describes the ancient Islamic civilizations and their impact on world history and culture,
including the Mughals, the Ottomans, and early Islamic Spain
Raise the Red Lantern: Three Novellas, by Su Tong (fiction)
"Raise the Red Lantern," which became a critically acclaimed film, tells the story of
Lotus, a young woman whose father's suicide forces her to become the concubine of a
wealthy merchant. Crushed by loneliness, despair, and cruel treatment, Lotus finds her
descent into insanity both a weapon and a refuge.
"Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes" is an account of a family's struggles during one
momentous year; plagued by disease, death, and the shady promise of life in a larger
town, the family slowly disintegrates.
Finally, "Opium Family" details the last years of a landowning clan whose demise is
brought about by corruption, lust, and treachery -- fruits of the insidious crop they
harvest.
Stones into schools: promoting peace with books, not bombs, in Afghanistan and
Pakistan, by Khaled Hosseini (non-fiction)
In this dramatic first-person narrative, Greg Mortenson picks up where "Three Cups of
Tea" left off in 2003, recounting his relentless, ongoing efforts to establish schools for
girls in Afghanistan; his extensive work in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan after a massive
earthquake hit the region in 2005; and the unique ways he has built relationships with
Islamic clerics, militia commanders, and tribal leaders even as he was dodging shootouts
with feuding Afghan warlords and surviving an eight-day armed abduction by the
Taliban.
The Cold War: A History in Documents, by Allan M. Winkler (non-fiction)
Uses contemporary documents to explore the development of the Cold War struggle, the
consequences in the 1950s and 1960s, and the lasting effects on American social and
cultural patterns
The Death of Vishnu, by Manil Suri (fiction)
Vishnu, the odd-job man in a Bombay apartment block, lies dying on the staircase
landing. Around him the lives of the apartment dwellers unfold: the warring housewives
on the first floor, lovesick teenagers on the second, and the quietly grieving widower on
the top floor of the building. An intimate and compelling view of an unforgettable world
The Kids from Nowhere: The Story Behind the Arctic Educational Miracle, by George
Guthridge (non-fiction)
An award-winning writer delivers the inspiring, true story of Alaskan Eskimo students
who, despite lacking world knowledge and speaking English as a second language,
manage to achieve great educational feats.
The Multicultural Cookbook for Students, by Lois Sinaiko Webb and Lindsay Grace
Roten (non-fiction)
Introduces the culture and traditions of 120 countries from every part of the world, and
provides complete recipes for more than 350 representative dishes.
The Rise of Music in the Ancient World: East and West, by Curt Sachs (non-fiction)
In this groundbreaking, all encompassing work, an eminent musicologist explores the
evolution of music, from the ecstatic singing and Shaman songs of early civilizations to
the development of more structured styles in Egypt, East Asia, India, Greece, Rome, the
Middle East, and Europe. Eight plates of illustrations depict players and orchestras.
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Chila, Her American Doctors,
and the Collision of Two Cultures, by Anne Fadiman (non-fiction)
Discusses a sick child of Laotian immigrants whose beliefs conflict with Western
medicine (This is one of my favorite books of all time. Life changing. -Shoshannah)
The White Tiger, by Aravind Adiga (fiction)
When he relocates to New Delhi to take a new job, Balram Halwai is disillusioned by the
city's materialism and technology-spawned violence, a circumstance that forces him to
question his loyalties, ambitions, and past.
To Live, by Yu Hua
An award-winning, internationally acclaimed Chinese bestseller originally banned in
China but recently named one of the last decade’s ten most influential books there, To
Live tells the epic story of one man’s transformation from the spoiled son of a rich
landlord to an honorable and kindhearted peasant.
Tokyo Cancelled, by Rana Dasgupta (fiction)
Thirteen passengers are stranded at an airport. Tokyo, their destination, is covered in
snow and all flights are cancelled. To pass the night they form a huddle by the silent
baggage carousels and tell one another stories. Told by people on a journey, these are
stories about lives in transit, stories from the great cities--New York, Istanbul. Delhi.
Lagos. Paris. Buenos Aires--that grow into an epic cycle about the hopes and dreams and
disappointments that connect people everywhere.
Turkey: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Andrew Finkel
From the Kurdish question to economic policy, from Turkey's role in Iraq to its quest for
EU membership, Finkel illuminates the past and present of this unique, and uniquely
consequential, country.
Vegetarian Cooking: 60 Inspired Recipes from Around the World, by Nicola Graimes
Tempting ideas from cuisines all over Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the
Americas bring variety and spice to your cooking
World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and
Global Instability, by Amy Chua (non-fiction)
Many developing countries are in fact consumed by ethnic violence after adopting free
market democracy. She also shows how this dynamic helps explain the rising tide of
anti-Americanism around the world.