YA McManus' anthology is a loony look at human foibles in the backwoods and byways of life, but it is more universal than that. The outdoors and activities thereof are, for McManus, vehicles for showing the crazy side of human nature. Fishermen are not the only ones who will find meaning in the ``Angler's Dictionary,'' and almost anyone will laugh knowingly at ``Muldoon in Love.'' These short pieces with long laughs should have special appeal for reluctant readers. Karl Penny, Houston Public Library REUPLOAD NEEDED
Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why a chimp fetus resembles a human being? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction--is it worse than the disease?
What is death and why does it matter to us? How should the knowledge of our finitude affect the living of our lives and what are the virtues suitable to mortal beings? Does death destroy the meaningfulness of lives, or would lives that never ended be eternally and absurdly tedious? Should we reconcile ourselves to the fact of our forthcoming death, or refuse to "go gently into that good night"?
Touching the Void (Level 3-Intermediate) (Only audio)
In 1985, two mountain climbers, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, go to climb Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. They reach the summit successfully, but on the way down, Joe has a bad accident. Simon has to make some terrible choices. Should he cut the rope that holds him and Joe together and save himself? Or should he stay on the mountain with Joe and wait to die?
