Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World

Elliott, Colin. Pox Romana: The Plague That Shook the Roman World. 2024. 328p. ISBN 9780691219158. 

Rome has a long an dramatic history as a city that conquered the world and imposed its rule from Britain to Arabia, and from Germany to north Africa. The death of Julius Caesar destroyed what remained of the Roman Republic, and the civil wars that ensued ended when Augustus ascended the throne. For 150 years, rulers came and went, Romans fought each other, but the Roman Empire kept on expanding, imposing a set of common laws, measures, and, to some extent, a shared language. By the 170s, Rome was at its zenith.

But the timid peace imposed by Roman arms, known as Pax Romana, was shattered by the arrival of a strange disease that affected the young and the old, as most diseases do, but also healthy adults, especially soldiers. The Antonine plague, as this disease was known, spread like wild fire, much like the Black Plague would a millenium later, devastating entire cities and regions. Combined with a decade-long famine due to climatic conditions in Egypt, the equilibrium that maintained Rome at the top of the ancient Western world came tumbling down, and though the Roman world endured for another 300 years, the Empire was never able to regain its footing and glory.

Looking through historical evidence to determine what this disease could have been, the Antonine plague was most likely the world's first pandemic, affecting the globe from China to Britain and into Africa. Over the course of five or six years, the plague wound its way through the Roman world, destroying legions, savaging the economy, and exposing that the Roman foundation of prosperity and peace rested on quickly shifting sand. Examining reports from the era, and reconstructing the history of the times, Pox Romana convincingly argues that the first pandemic started the inexorable decline and fall of the Roman Empire, but that this process was hastened by conditions that existed prior to the arrival of the pandemic.

Fans of history and of the Roman Empire will appreciate the scope and breath of Pox Romana and will explore a time where, at the height of its power, the Empire was already collapsing from within.

Miss Quinces

Fajardo, Kat. Miss Quinces. 2022. 256p. ISBN 9781338535587. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

There's nothing Suyapa would love more than to go to camp with her friends this summer. Unfortunately, she's heading to Honduras to visit her extended family. Before departing for the summer, the comic club at school has given everyone the assignment to create a comic over the summer. But Suyapa is not inspired at all. If she was at sleepaway camp with her friends, maybe she's have some ideas, but now that she's in Honduras, what is she supposed to illustrate? Her own boring life, in the middle of nowhere with no Internet and no cellphone service?

Being the middle daughter of three daughters means that Suyapa is annoyed both by an older sister and by a younger sister. Her cousins are even more of a handful. When Suyapa thinks life cannot get any worse, she realizes that her mother has been planning a quinceañera for her, with frilly clothes and lots of pink. Both of these things are definitively not Suyapa, so now she feels ambushed. 

Suyapa's grandmother helps her gain a new perspective on life, and her sudden death reinforces the idea that she should in fact go through her quinceañera, but on her own terms. And, perhaps this summer vacation spent with her family does in fact make an excellent comic for the comic club!

Fun an engaging, Suyapa's tales of woes having to perform activities she has no interest in are entirely relatable. The images are crisp, well defined, and very colorful. Fans of graphic novels should give this one a read, they will thoroughly enjoy it!

Charmed Life

Dumas, Marti. Charmed Life. Book 2 of the Wildseed Witch series. 2023. 384p. ISBN 9781419755637.

Hasani is a fairly skilled witch, but there have been enough incidents that suggest she's not quite in control of her magical abilities. She spent the summer in a school for witches, where she failed miserably at harnessing her powers. Ready to return to a certain level of normalcy, Hasani looks forward to the school year at Riverbend Middle. Plus, this is the year she will finally be the captain of the Mathletes, something she has been looking forward to for years!

Two large obstacles stand in her way of having a great 8th grade year, however. First, Hasani must find a way to let Angelique, her best friend, know she's a witch. Hasani is part of a coven, and the other two girls have now become friends with Hasani's group, but Hasani is worried that Angelique might not feel the same way about their relationship after she reveals she's a witch. But, more importantly, Hasani's nemesis, a fellow witch LaToya, has returned to ruin her life and now attends Riverbend Middle, and has even joined the Mathletes!

As an infestation of termites ruins the beginning of school, and Hasani is convinced LaToya is behind it. The exterminator turns out to be a witch as well, and she suggests to Hasani and her mother that perhaps Hasani would benefit from additional training. Hasani soon finds herself working with Ms. Lafleur, who teaches her to better control her magic. Hoping to catch LaToya and undermine her credibility once and for all, Hasani pursues an investigation, while juggling her friendships and tutoring. But the deeper she digs, the more she loses sight of what is really important for her. Can Hasani make her way back to what matters most?

American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky

Smith, Sherri L. amd Elizabeth Wein. American Wings: Chicago's Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky. 

The soaring of the first airplane triggered a race to the skies in the United States. Intrepid individuals took to the air in home-made planes, but as commercial engines became available, a whole infrastructure grew up around servicing and flying airplanes. African-Americans, who were discriminated against, wanted to fly just like their White counterparts, but were being prevented by segregated airfields and laws and customs that argued for the separation of people. African-Americans who wanted to fly were thus hampered in their abilities to do so, and had to ingeniously devise their owns way to get airborne.

During the First World War, several Black pilots flew airplanes, but they did it for France or for the United Kingdom. American pilots could only be White. Following the end of the war, a few of them came back but found their flying prospects limited. Others, like Cornelius Coffey, were enthusiasts who wanted very much to fly, but were blocked from doing so. Cornelius Coffey, a mechanic by trade, partnered with Johnny Robinson, and the two of them, instead of being deterred by all of the obstacles in their way, decided to create their own flying opportunities. They bought their own plane, secured rights to use a field, and eventually even started their own flying school. Black women were doubly hampered by these restrictions, but they fought just like their male counterparts and soon many of them were flying as well.

The struggle continued with exams that Black students could not sit for, permits that were not delivered, and Jim Crow attitudes especially in the South, but through it all Black pilots persevered. As the world hurled towards the Second World War, the need for more military pilot became apparent, and soon programs were expanded to Black students as well, providing them opportunities that had not previously existed., such as the Tuskegee program. These programs demonstrated that integration was possible and did not undermine the fighting spirit and cohesion of a unit. 

By the end of the Second World War, Harry Truman desegregated the military, and folks of all stripes could now learn to fly. Thanks to the struggles of those who came before them, today's pilots share the skies regardless of race or gender.

One of the authors of this book also wrote Code Name Verity, about two girls who fly airplanes during the Second World War and crash in France.

Naruto, Vol. 16

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 16. 2003. 200p. ISBN 9781421510903. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Naruto concludes his battle Gaara, which started in Naruto, Vol. 15. The two of them are evenly matched, and they expand all of their chakra before arriving at a draw. As they lay on the ground completely spent, Naruto explains to Gaara that love helped him overcome his loneliness, and that despair is the true enemy. Gaara is rescued by Temari and Kankuro, ending this particular battle.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru's attack on Konoha fails as the Third Hokage manages to seal Orochimaru's jitsu away as he enters the lands of death. Konoha's remaining ninjas defeat Orochimaru's ninjas, and the village takes a moment to honor its former leader. But already enemies begin circling. Uchina Itachi, Sasuke's brother, returns to Konoha on a secret mission, but Kakashi interrupts his reconnaissance. 

Jirayia, who was entrusted with teaching Naruto, sets out to find Tsunade, so that he doesn't have to become the next Hokage. They set out, but Uchina Itachi is right on their heels, while Sasuke, who heard that the brother he seeks vengeance against was in town, is also looking for them ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 17.

The Misfits #1: A royal Conundrum

Yee, Lisa. The Misfits #1: A royal Conundrum. 2024. 288p. ISBN 9781984830296.

Olive doesn't fit in anywhere. She attracts troubles through no fault of her own, and has a tendency to find herself in tight spots. Her grandmother, who used to take care of her when her parents were gone on their frequent trips, has recently passed away, and the home has been lonely and empty without her. Called down to the school office, Olive wonders what she's done now to earn yet another trip to this dreaded place. Strangely, she's met by her mother, who tells her she's not in trouble, but it's time to go.

Back home, Olive discovers that her mother, who is about to leave on yet another trip with her father, has enrolled Olive in a boarding school up the coast, and she starts today. Surprised, Olive packs quickly, and drops her suitcase in the car. She soon finds herself in RASCH, a reforming art school located in a former castle on an island that was then turned into a prison before becoming a school. Left with her mother's suitcase by accident instead of her own, Olive must navigate being the new kid at a new school.

But RASCH is not what it seems. In fact, RASCH also train teen spies, and soon Olive joins an eclectic crew of specialists and starts training, honing skills she didn't know she had. However, RASCH is threatened with closing due to a lack of funds. A planned fundraiser centered on a famous jewel auction is planned to replenish the coffers, but one of the greatest jewel thief is also on the prowl, looking to steal this amazing gem. It will be up to Olive and her friends to prevent the theft and save their schools, otherwise they must return to their own boring lives!

Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

Abdaal, Ali. Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You. 2023. 304p. ISBN 9781250865038.

The focus on productivity in the last decades has increased significantly, with companies attempting to squeeze workers for ever more efforts, while workers and entrepreneurs feel that they are already working as hard as they can. Though the word productivity is now part of our lexicon, most people don't stop to think what it actually means to be productive. And, more importantly, is it possible to feel good while being productive, or is productivity linked only to hard work?

Dr. Abdaal, a productivity expert, explores the psychology behind productivity and he explains that being productive should be defined as being engaged in a meaningful activity. Since the activity represents something of value to you, you are willing to commit time and effort, and in the end it will feel both fun and you will have accomplished much.

In Feel-Good Productivity, Dr. Abdaal presents the three blocks we encounter when we try to be producting, including procrastination and a lack of motivation. He also discusses the three aspects of productivity that can energize you, and the three sustaining aspects of productivity that prevent burning out. Filled with actionable changes the reader can implement in their life, becoming productive does not mean working harder, but working smarter at something you enjoy.

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 12

Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist, Vol. 12. 2014. 202p. ISBN 9781421575360. Available in the graphic novels section of the library. 

With the Illuminati on the move in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 11, everyone is feeling on edge. Fortunately, it is time to celebrate the True Cross Academy festival. As the exwires prepare themselves for a great evening of fun and entertainment, a spy has infiltrated the organization, and one of their own is in danger. 

Snared by the Illuminati, Izumo finds herself in the basement of one of the organization's buildings, confronted by an evil doctor and ... her very own mother. Izumi's backstory as a child is explored, and the path she took to end up at the True Cross Academy was an eventful one. But now, what could this evil scientist want with her?

With one of their own in the clutches of the Illuminati, Rin and the other exwires pledge themselves to Mephisto. They will find and rescue Izumo!

The story continues in Blue Exorcist, Vol. 13.

The Night in Question

Glasgow, Kathleen and Liz Lawson. The Night in Question. Book 2 of the Agathas Mysteries. 2023. 416p. ISBN 9780593645833.

Alice and Iris are fans of mystery novels, and their hero is Agatha Christie. Last fall the amateur sleuths solved the murder of Brooke Donovan, and managed to get her killer arrested and jailed. This time, the girls are heading to Levy Castle for a school dance, and they look forward to all of the mysteries that are present in that old landmark. Levy Castle was once home to the 1940s movie star Mona Moody, who was killed in the castle and whose murder was never solved. 

But just as they start poking around the place for clues to this old event, one of their classmates is brutally assaulted and is almost killed. With a more contemporary attempted murder available, Alice and Iris grab their metaphorical magnifying glasses and begin investigating clues, looking for the person responsible. However, the more they dig, the more links to the distant past of the 1940s they uncover, and the more persuaded they become that Moody's murder and this attempt on their classmate's life are linked, even if almost eighty decades separate them. But the closer they dig, the closer they get to someone who has nothing to lose!

Fans of light mysteries will appreciate this fast moving tale, and will keep guessing who the culprit is as tantalizing hints are dropped along the way.

Free to Obey: Management from Nazism to the Present Day

Chapoutot, Johann. Free to Obey: Management from Nazism to the Present Day. 2020. 144. ISBN 9781609458041.

When the Nazis were elected to power in 1933, they set out to dismantle the State to achieve what they deemed a "free" society. The Nazis sought to remove any constraints on actions to further the Nazis' goals, as the people were the State, and not the other way around. This created particular difficulties for the organization of labor, as corporations and businesses were organized around unions and management relations. The Nazis took over all unions, and enforced strict management rules. How could workers express their displeasures at labor policies under such a system? Reinhard Höhn, a technocrat and respected labor specialist, joined the Nazis and proposed changes that would increase German productivity without undermining the power of management to set goals and run their organizations as they saw fit. 

Höhn promoted the concept of freedom for employees. Management could set goals, and employees were free to find ways to meet these goals. Obviously, they were expected to be successful, and would own any failure that resulted from attempting to reach these goals. In this way, employees gained flexibility while the rigid hierarchical structure that granted management power and control over the employees remained solidly in place, despite a push for eliminating the rest of the "State."

Following Germany's defeat, Höhn did not disappear from public life like many other former Nazis. Instead, he founded a management school that continued to extoll the virtues he promoted during the Nazi years, without the racial component so clearly loved by them. And over the following decades, more than half a million managers and white collar workers attended the school, receiving instructions and being formed to this management idea that workers should be free to obey. This definition remains a cornerstone of Western-style management today. Thus, Nazi-inspired ideas about organization of labor and the management of corporations remain with us to this day.

Fans of history and of management will appreciate this succinct history, and will wonder if there are better opportunities to structure labor / management relationships in organizations in businesses that will increase productivity while reducing labor conflicts.