6 Nonfiction Genres Strathdee, Steffanie, and Thomas Patterson, with Tessa Barker. The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug A Memoir. 2019. 352p. A/YA Steffanie Strathdee’s terrifying mission to save her husband, psychologist Thomas Patterson, began in Luxor. Initially diagnosed with food poisoning, he was readmitted to the hospital and then airlifted out of Egypt when he was discovered first to have acute pancreatitis and then to have a football-­ sized cyst in his abdomen full of the deadly, multidrug-­resistant superbug A. baumannii. Back in the United States, as every approved treatment failed, Strathdee looked for any alternative, finding a possibility in phage therapy, dismissed by clinicians a century ago. Almost as horrifying as this medical nightmare is a calmly detailed history of antibiotics and recounting of the difficulties faced by modern medicine, including the rise of drug-­ resistant bacteria. This story of two HIV researchers and a medical nightmare that could happen to anyone is an eye-­opening thriller for readers interested in science and medicine. Keywords: Patterson, Thomas Phage therapy Strathdee, Stephanie Sports Adventures The men and women in these books have all of the best traits hoped for and expected from athletes, such as mental and physical endurance, an underdog’s ability to overcome obstacles, and the determination necessary to make it to the finish line despite what life may throw in their way. The books in this category allow readers to go along for the ride. Well-­ written incorporations of the sport allow readers to appreciate the achievements of the books’ subjects without having a background in the game being played, though fans of the sport will be drawn to them automatically. As the focus is on the achievement rather than a particular player, these books have a more lasting appeal and a longer life span in library collections. Ballard, Chris. One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season. 2012. 272p. H A/YA Lynn Sweet, already widely regarded with suspicion for his liberal teaching methods, had no intention of becoming the baseball coach in the small town of Macon. His unparalleled success with the team both on and off the field is a fascinating and thrilling story for both baseball fans and readers who enjoy rooting for any sort of underdog. Surprisingly, this story hasn’t yet made it to a screen of any size. Keywords: Baseball Sweet, Lynn
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