LFPL's At the Library Series

Award-winning journalist Blaine Harden's newest book, "Escape from Camp 14," tells the story of Shin Dong-hyuk, a North Korean born and raised in a prison camp - and one of the few prisoners to have escaped captivity. Through the remarkable story of Shin Dong-hyuk, Harden examines one of the world's most secretive and repressive totalitarian states.

"The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook," the long-awaited first cookbook from Deb Perelman, the food blogging founder of SmittenKitchen.com, debuted at #2 on the New York Times Bestseller list and features over 100 original recipes, each illustrated with Perelman's own colorful photographs.

Dale Dougherty, a Louisville native, tech pioneer and a national leader of the Make-It-Yourself movement, talks about how that movement is opening up the world -- and bringing people together. Dougherty is the founder, president and CEO of Maker Media, producer of Make Magazine. In 1993 he developed GNN, the first commercial website.

"The Idea Factory" is the definitive history of America's greatest incubator of technological innovation. In this first full portrait of the legendary Bell Labs, Jon Gertner takes readers behind one of the greatest collaborations between business and science in history.

A veteran of military journalism, author Fred Kaplan's latest book, "The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War," tells the story of the small group of "soldier-scholars," led by General David Petraeus, who sought to change how the American military wages war. (Audio recording courtesy of MetroTV)

In week 4, this Short Course examines flowers, from structures and basic floral biology, to orchids, bees and Tulipomania.

The Humana Festival of New American Plays: How did the Festival get started 37 years ago and what's shaped its growth into the foremost theater festival of new work in America, how plays are selected -- and previews of the plays that will be in the 2013 Festival in March.

In week 3, this Short Course examines leaves, from basic structures and types, to variegation, pigmentation and the chemistry of fall color.

The History of Actors Theatre, 50 years: We focus on how the theater began and developed into a driving force in the American theater landscape.

In week 2, this Short Course examines stems, from stem structures, types, and functions to the soil-root-stem continuum.

The Artists of Actors Theatre: We look at the evolution of this regional theater, by looking at the careers of the three artistic directors who have led Actors Theatre and many of the prominent actors, directors, designers who have been part of the theater's family. This class also focuses on how the season is put together and how artistic decisions are made, including the process of hiring the actors.

In week 1, this Short Course takes a close look at seeds, from seed types and structures to seed banks and national security. (Note: The lecture begins with an unnarrated video that is not included in this audio release.)

The Role of Theater in Our Community: We examine the growth of theater from the Broadway model to the regional model of theaters like Actors Theatre of Louisville and how these regional theaters have an impact on their communities.

Hear about the latest research in regenerative medicine - whether the target is heart disease or diabetes - from Dr. Stuart Williams, executive director of Louisville's Cardiovascular Innovation Institute.

In her book "The End of Men," journalist Hanna Rosin argues that at this unprecedented moment, by almost every measure, women are no longer gaining on men: they have pulled ahead. Rosin discusses how this new state of affairs is radically shifting the dynamics between men and women at every level of society, with profound implications for marriage, sex, children, work, and more.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Peter the Great", "Nicholas and Alexandra," and "The Romanovs" returns with the extraordinary story of "Catherine the Great," one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.

Dr. Keith Mountain is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Louisville. From shrinking ice to scorching summers, he has been engaged as a researcher in the science of climate change for over 30 years - his perspective shaped by his research in places as far away as Antarctica, Greenland, China, Africa and South America, and as close as Louisville's Iroquois Park. In this first installment of LFPL's new What's Next series, Dr. Mountain leads a discussion on global climate change.

If you think "old-fashioned" means intimidating, time-consuming pressure-cooker canning, think again: Wiche is a fan of traditional techniques like salting and drying, poaching and preserving-in-oil that save flavor, time and energy. Jeneen Wiche writes farm and garden columns for community newspapers across Kentucky and Southern Indiana and feature columns for Back Home in Kentucky and Edible Louisville.

From the New York Times reporter whose beat is culture and ideas comes a revelatory and timely social history of the concept of middle age. "In Our Prime" is a biography of the idea of middle age, from its invention in the late nineteenth century to its current place at the center of American society, where it shapes the way we view our families, our professional obligations, and our inner lives.

Not until she visited Texas, did Gail Collins, the bestselling author and columnist for the New York Times, realize that she had missed the one place that mattered most in America's political landscape: Texas, where Bush, Cheney, Rove, and Perry created a conservative political agenda that is shaping our political landscape. "Like it or not," she says, "as Texas goes, so goes the nation."