Philosophical inquiry at the movies… a looming retirement crisis… familiar New York landmarks seen from unexpected angles… the birth of NYC’s power system… the language hoax… the hidden history of the mob in NYC…   Tomorrow-Land, the 1964-1965 World’s Fair… the great Boston - New York subway race… the Kitty Genovese murder… the inventor of electric traction… the hospice movement… the makers of modern Manhattan…  are the varied topics up for discussion at our Author @ the Library talks in August 2014. We hope you’ll join these accomplished authors for a look into their recent non-fiction books. Author talks take place at 6:30 p.m. on the 6th floor of the Mid-Manhattan Library unless otherwise noted. 

Are popular films a new setting for a philosophical inquiry into the timeless themes of sacrifice, innocence, rebirth, law, and love? On Monday, August 4,  Paul W. Kahn talks about Finding Ourselves at the Movies: Philosophy for a New Generation.

Why isn’t the do-it-yourself retirement system working and what can individuals and society do about it? On Wednesday, August 6, James W. Russell discusses Social Insecurity: 401(k)s and the Retirement Crisis.

Think you know New York? See if you can identify familiar landmarks from unusual angles when you play Point of View New York City: A Visual Game of the City You Think You Know  with Janko Puls on Thursday, August 7.

We take our electricity for granted, but how did it get here? On Monday, August 11,  Joseph J. Cunningham, author of New York Power, explains the birth, development, and growth of New York City’s electric power system.

Does the language we speak shape our world view, or is it really the other way around? On Tuesday, August 12, linguist John H. McWhorter challenges the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis and celebrates the diversity of languages and the cultures that speak them  in a discussion of The Language Hoax: Why the World Looks the Same in Any Language.

Americans are fascinated by the Mafia, but what do we really know about the mob? On Wednesday, August 13, Alex Hortis, author of The Mob and the City: The Hidden History of How the Mafia Captured New York, reveals “Myths About the Mafia: Exploring the Truth behind Popular Images of the Mob.”

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the New York World’s Fair Joseph Tirella discusses Tomorrow-Land: The 1964-65 World's Fair and the Transformation of America on Thursday, August 14. The author follows the fair from its earliest days as a seed of an idea to the rechristening of the land as Flushing Meadows-Corona Park 18 months after the last visitor left the fairgrounds.

Which American city had the first subway and what amazing problem solving was needed to get it built? On Monday, August 18, Doug Most of The Boston Globe recounts the thrilling true tale of The Race Underground: Boston, New York, and the Incredible Rivalry That Built America's First Subway.

What’s the true story of the brutal 1964 murder that took place in Queens and shocked the world? On Tuesday, August 19, Kevin Cook explores Kitty Genovese: The Murder, The Bystanders, the Crime that Changed America.

Who is the father of electric traction and why was he important? On Wednesday, August 20, John L. Sprague describes The Birth of Electric Traction: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Inventor Frank Julian Sprague.

"Nobody wants to die badly.” Can hospices help? On Tuesday, August 26, Fran Smith discusses Changing the Way We Die: Compassionate End of Life Care and The Hospice Movement.

Nearly all of the makers of modern Manhattan came from elsewhere. On Wednesday, August 27, Donald L. Miller, author of Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Birth to Modern America, tells the story of Manhattan’s growth and transformation in the 1920s and the people behind it.​

If you'd like to read any of the books presented at our past author talks, you can find book lists from our January 2013 - August 2014 Author @ the Library programs in the BiblioCommons catalog.

The Author @ the Library posts include authors discussing their recent non-fiction works at the Mid-Manhattan Library. Don't miss the many other interesting classes, films, readings and talks on our program calendar. Enjoy art lectures and artist conversations, musical tributes, virtual tours of the city, and short story readings at Story Time for Grown-ups. And don't forget that all of our programs are free!

We hope to see you soon at the library!