Library Guides: Weird or Wonderful? Books in the ISU Library Collection: Staff picks

Staff picks

We asked ISU Library staff to share their favorite weird and/or wonderful materials from our collection. Here's a selection of what they shared! Weird or wonderful? You decide!

Each book links out to a page with information on where to find the book and whether it's checked out. ISU students, faculty, and staff can log in on that page to request that the book be held at the Main Desk for pickup, or be recalled if it's checked out.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Call Number: PS3573 E4932 A6 2018
Picked by an anonymous library staff member: This is the first book in a series about a self-aware human-robot construct that calls itself Murderbot. It may sound scary but all it really wants to do is binge-watch its favorite shows. Come for the pew-pew space battles, stay for the most relatable A.I. you'll read this century.
The Anatomy of Disgust by William Ian Miller
Call Number: BF575.A886 M55 1997
Picked by Scott Marron, the [Unintelligible] in Charge of [unintelligible] Inquiry: I read this book every year and still discover things about myself that I would never had imagined!
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
Call Number: UG1282 A8 S235 2012
Picked by Eric Schares: Sheinkin writes a clear and engaging story of splitting the atom and the work at Los Alamos.
The Book of Hope by Jane Goodall; Douglas Abrams
Call Number: GE220 G68 2021
Picked by the Inspector of new books: Inspiring read when you could use some encouragement and new ways to keep looking for hope for better times.
Breath by James Nestor
Call Number: RA782 N47 2020
Picked by Eric Schares, who supports engineering departments and analyzes the library's subscriptions: Breath shows how the way you breathe affects your health - through your nose vs. mouth, the speed and frequency, and even which *nostril* changes things.
Crap Taxidermy by Kat Su
Call Number: QL63 S84 2014
Picked by Miranda, who works in Interlibrary Loan: This book is one of the more interesting requests we've received in interlibrary loan. The fact that such a book exists amuses me to no end.
Dark Archives: a librarian's investigation into the science and history of books bound in human skin by Megan Rosenbloom
Call Number: Z269.3 A58 R67 2020
Publication Date: 2020
There are books out there, some shelved unwittingly next to ordinary texts, that are bound in human skin. Would you know one if you held it in your hand? In Dark Archives, Megan Rosenbloom seeks out the historic and scientific truths behind anthropodermic bibliopegy.
Does It Fart? by Nick Caruso; Dani Rabaiotti
Call Number: QL780 C37x 2018
Picked by an anonymous library staff member: This book answers the timeless and very important question of whether different animals fart, and why.
The Emily Dickinson Reader by Paul Legault
Call Number: PS3612 E3516 E45 2012
Picked by Dan Coffey: It's Emily Dickinson "translated" from 19C English to 21C English. It's funny, very weird, but also brilliant. Paul Legault, the editor, is known for his offbeat approach to literature.
The End of Everything by Katie Mack
Call Number: QB991 E53 M33x 2020
Picked by Robin Sinn, who oversees the library's spending on our tangible and online resources as well as our support for open resources: It's a neat idea to teach the physics of the universe by describing all the different ways it could end. Who knew?
English As She Is Spoke by José Da Fonseca; Pedro Carolino; Paul Collins (Editor); McSweeney's Books Staff
Call Number: PN6231 B8 F6 2004
Picked by Lisa Muccigrosso, Book Conservator: It's rumored that the Portuguese author of this book didn't know English and so cribbed much of the work from two sources: a Portuguese-French phrasebook and a French-English phrasebook. The result is an unintentionally hilarious read that is beloved by many, including Mark Twain and the cast of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
Flattened Fauna by Roger M. Knutson
Call Number: QL155 K58 2006
Picked by an anonymous library staff member: I love the book cover! Also, it turns out to not be as unique as I would have expected. WorldCat lists 222 books with the subject of Roadkill. Three of which were written for juvenile readers.
Generation Occupy by Michael Levitin
Call Number: HN59.2 L4948 2021
Picked by the Inspector of new books: For those who have a passion for understanding income and wealth inequality, this is a review of what the Occupy Movement accomplished, how it was done, and what were the outcomes.
Get Your War On by David Rees
Call Number: PN6728 G435 R46 2008
Picked by Megan O'Donnell, Research Data Services Librarian: A satirical comic that addresses the shock, despair, anger, and frustration of a generation of young Americans who witnessed 9/11 and the War on Terror. Content warning: Sparsely illustrated, highly cynical, and very crass.
Ghosts: A Haunted History by Lisa Morton
Call Number: BF1461 M68 2015
Picked by Katie Wampole, who works with Research Data Services and Library Assessment: As a general fan of spooks, I thought this provided a fun look at the prevalence of ghosts around the world.
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Call Number: PR9639.4 M845 G53x 2019
Picked by Erin Thomas, Engineering Librarian: Swords. Bones. Mystery. Internet humor. LESBIAN NECROMANCERS IN SPACE! Gideon is the sort of strange mashup that shouldn't work, but totally does. It's a book that is gleefully weird, very funny, and a little bit gross. ("Spot the meme" is a fun game to play while you read, too!)
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Call Number: PS3601 D4655 G63 2015
Picked by Kris Stacy-Bates, Science & Technology Librarian: He’s in his late teens, just moved here, feels constantly underprepared, and is tested every day. A stressed-out college freshman? No--the new Emperor of the Elflands, inheriting the throne when his father and older brothers die suddenly. After a life in exile, Maia Drazhar has to find allies or die.
Heidegger and a Hippo Walk Through Those Pearly Gates by Thomas Cathcart; Daniel Klein
Call Number: BD444 C38 2009
Picked by Abbey Elder, Open Access Librarian and subject expert for History, Classical Studies, and Anthropology: Aside from its sister book, "Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar..." this book has no equals. Simultaneously playful, sincere, and rooted in philosophical theory, "Heidegger and a Hippo..." is a surprisingly lively afternoon read about the nature of death.
Honor Thy Label by Gero Leson
Call Number: HD9999 S74 L47 2021
Picked by the Inspector of new books: Sustainable sourcing, manufacturing and distribution, hemp, palm and olive oil, mint and chocolate in the context of the story of one product, Pure-Castile-Soap.
How Buildings Learn by Stewart Brand
Call Number: NA2542.4 B73 1994
Picked by an anonymous library staff member: Just as people change, grow and age over time, so do buildings. This book opened my eyes to how many ways this happens, what brings about the changes and ways to better anticipate them.
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
Call Number: HM851 O374 2019
Picked by Ben Rearick, Web Content Strategist: "How to do nothing" definitely made me think of purpose, living, and community in a new way. I loved the wonderfully designed cover, and the common-place book feel of the structure selecting from a wide range of disciplines to support its argument.
Hummingbirds: A Life Size Guide to Every Species by Michael Fogden; Marianne Taylor; Sheri L. Williamson
Call Number: QL696 A558 F638x 2014
Picked by Kris Stacy-Bates, one of the science & technology librarians, who loves the chance to answer weird questions about information sources: Descriptions of 338 hummingbird species, most with photos. Hummingbirds easily fit on a page and are brilliantly colored, ideal for a life-size photo book. But if these tiniest of all the dinosaurs aren’t your thing, the ISU Library also offers Life-size Guides on frogs, fungi, and more.
The Icepick Surgeon by Sam Kean
Call Number: Q175.35 K436 2021
Picked by Katie Wampole: I found this browsing through the Library stacks one day. A super cool but grim look at the darker histories behind celebrated scientific achievements.
Infrastructure by Brian Hayes
Call Number: TS190.5 .H39 2014
Picked by Tammy Troup, Librarian: Infrastructure is an incredibly brilliant field guide to our industrial environment. If you've ever wondered "huh... what exactly is a slag pile?" then you'll wonder no longer after reading this book. Illustrated with high-quality color photographs and accompanied by Hayes' informative descriptions, Infrastructure will expand your understanding of our world!
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
Call Number: PL856 U673 K5713 2018
Picked by Scott Marron, Library Assistant: Looking for both weird and wonderful? Look no further! When I read this book in 2019, I was completely weirded out and thought it was wonderful! Time for a re-read!
The Manly Art of Knitting by David Fougner
Call Number: TT820 F7 2014
Picked by an anonymous library staff member: (Definitely weird) Gentlemen, have you thought about learning to knit but feared it was too feminine a hobby? Worry no more! This book presents tools (like recycled garden hose as knitting needles) and techniques (like knitting on horseback in cowboy hat and chaps) to give your knitting the masculine touch.
Meal by Blue Delliquanti; Soleil Ho
Call Number: PN6727 D45 M43x 2018
Picked by Megan O'Donnell, Research Data Services Librarian: A great story that addresses the culture, history, and future of insects as human food. I really appreciated how the authors managed to artful include so many aspects of entomophagy into one story.
NeuroScience Fiction by Rodrigo Quian Quiroga
Call Number: PN1995.9 S26 Q5313 2020
Picked by Katie Wampole: This book is a cool look at SciFi films through the lens of science and philosophy. It's really interesting to think about how some movie concepts are no longer solely in the fantasy realm.
Our First Book - Fine Taxidermy by Jaap Sinke; Martyn Lawrence Bullard (Preface by); Ferry van Tongeren; Helen Chislett
Call Number: N7660 D27x 2018
Picked by Megan O'Donnell, Data Services Librarian: This is a very artistic (and Dutch) approach to taxidermy. Taxidermy is usually done to display trophies or to preserve scientific specimens but this studio treats it as fine art with arrangements in the style of Dutch Golden Age painters (think Rembrandt or Vermeer) and with animals sourced from breeders and zoos that died of natural causes.
Rick Baker by J. W. Rinzler; Brandon Alinger (Editor)
Call Number: PN1998.3 B314 R56x 2020
Picked by Steph Scherbart, who orders the books n' stuff: Rick Baker is legend in the area of special effects, makeup, and prosthetics to create marvelous creatures that are featured in many movies like Men in Black and an American Werewolf in London. It is a 2 volume set with so many images and the history of his craft in the 1950s to modern day. It is just fascinating and wonderful!
Rob's Word Shop by Robert Fitterman
Call Number: PS3606 I87 R64x 2019
Picked by Dan Coffey; Fitterman, a poet and conceptual artist, decided to set up a "word shop" in NYC. Customers could request words to be written at the rate of $1 per word, and all transactions were recorded. This book contains the transcripts of these exchanges. Silly? Boring? At times, it's each, but also a fascinating look at how we view language and art in terms of commerce.
The Sound of Things to Come by Trace Reddell
Call Number: PN1995.9 S26 R435 2018
Picked by Katie Wampole: SciFi/Fantasy is one of the most popular film genres today but this book focuses on the evolution of music and sonic innovation within the genre.
The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America by Julian Montague
Call Number: TR655 M66 2006
Picked by Jeff Kushkowski, Collector of curious books: Do you see stray shopping carts and wonder how they ended up in the ditch? You know you do! This book provides a taxonomy for those poor lost carts. Focuses on the Eastern US but you can infer similarities with Midwestern carts. Yes, I bought this book for the collection.
This Book Really Sucks! by Planet Dexter Staff
Call Number: PZ132 T349
Picked by Lorrie Pellack, Science Librarian: This book is a humorous, but factual, discussion of all sorts of things that suck: gravity, leeches, babies, straws, and more. The cover has suction cups all over it! I discovered this book due to a book review in the local newspaper that was written by a middle school student.
Touch the Universe by Noreen Grice
Call Number: QB68 G75 2002
Picked by Erin Thomas, Engineering Librarian: A visitor asked if we had Braille books in the Library’s collection. While we don’t have many, we do have this tactile book from NASA that includes Braille text and 3-D embossed images!
Toxic Legacy: How the weedkiller glyphosate is destroying our health and the environment by Stephanie Seneff
Call Number: RA1270 P4 S446 2021
Picked by our anonymous New Book Inspector. Useful information on Roundup. Interesting fact it opens up with: Although Roundup isn't toxic to humans, it is toxic to the gut biota, which is vital for health...
Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team by Steve Sheinkin
Call Number: PZ9.3 T398s
Picked by Eric Schares: Sheinkin writes another engaging historical novel, this time starring Jim Thorpe, Pop Warner, and the Carlisle Indian School team that "invented football."
Why Does Asparagus Make Your Pee Smell? by Andy Brunning
Call Number: TX545 B78x 2016
Picked by an anonymous library staff member: From the Fascinating Bathroom Reading series? Seriously? This book has easy-to-understand scientific explanations that make you realize that how your body reacts to certain foods is normal and the info can be handy to know such as: why chocolate is poisonous to dogs and why grapefruit reacts to some medications.
You Look Like a Thing and I Love You by Janelle Shane
Call Number: Q335 S463x 2019
Picked by Erin Thomas, Engineering Librarian: If you've ever seen artwork created by an AI, read machine-generated text, or had a strange interaction with a bot and wondered what on earth happened... this book is a fascinating (and funny) look at how AI works and why it is so weird.