Shelf Life: News From the Loyola University Libraries

God Grew Tired of Us

By John Bul Dau
An absorbing story of survival told by one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”, a group of several thousand teenage children who became refugees during the civil war in Sudan. After walking several hundred miles to Ethiopia and then to Kenya while facing the constant threat of death, the author finally arrives at a United Nations-run camp where he receives an education. After an arduous process, he is able to immigrate to the United States, where he chronicles his efforts to adapt to an entirely different culture.

Location: Cudahy Main Stacks
Call Number: HV640.5 .S9 D29 2007

Joan: The Mysterious Life of the Heretic Who Became a Saint

By Donald Spoto
An interesting biography of Joan of Arc and her short-lived campaign as a commander of the French army during the Hundred Years War. It is said that leadership can come from anywhere, and there are few more unlikely stories than a peasant teenage girl rising to power in the late 1420’s and leading an army of Frenchmen in a series of victories in one of the darkest period of the War. The strategies and tactics she executes are intriguing given her circumstances, although her success ultimately leads to her trial and death at the age of 19.

Location: Cudahy Main Stacks
Call Number: DC103 .S66 2007

Thundersturck

By Erik Larson

An excellent thriller in the same type of style as the author’s The Devil in the White City. Rather than Chicago, this book is set in England and follows the stories of a genius, Guglielmo Marconi, and a killer, Dr. Hawley Crippen. The manner in which Marconi’s invention of wireless communication is interwoven with the murderer’s crime and subsequent attempted escape makes for a great read.

Location: Cudahy Main Stacks
Call Number: HV6248 .C75 L37 2006

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

By James L. Swanson
This book tells the story of Lincoln’s assassination from the point of view of John Wilkes Booth, whose motivation, which was not completely rational, is examined. The author traces in detail Booth’s path from Ford’s Theater on the night of the shooting to his eventual death at Garrett’s Farm 12 days later. A comparison of the manner in which people communicated, traveled and interacted with one another then and just 150 years later is fascinating.

Location: Cudahy Main Stacks
Call Number: E457.5 .S993 2006

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

By Patrick Lencioni
A compelling look at the manner in which the dysfunctions of a team have an adverse impact on the ability of an organization to be effective. The nice part of this book is that the “five dysfunctions” are described in the context of a story of a group of people trying to address some issues they are experiencing. Would that every group working session would end as well as this one does.

Location: Lewis Main Stacks
Call Number: HD66 .L456 2002

For One More Day

By Mitch Albom
This is a book about an alcoholic son’s look back on his relationship with his father and, more importantly, his mother, and how they impacted his childhood and adult lives. Told as a kind of fantasy in which the main character, Charley, converses with his dead mother after he fails a suicide attempt, the book follows Charley’s realization of all the sacrifices his mother made, and his eventual rebuilding of his life. Not as compelling as Tuesdays with Morrie, but a decent quick read.

Location: Cudahy Main Stacks
Call Number: PS3601 .L335 F596 2006

Tuesdays with Morrie
Location: Lewis Main Stacks
Call Number: LD571 .B418 S383 1997