Talking Books Talk - Website at State Library of Kansas

An epidemic is the quick spread of something within a population, community, or geographic region that affects a large number of people at the same time. Pandemics are similar, but instead of spreading only within a defined group or region, spread beyond to affect a wider geographic area such as multiple countries, continents, or the globe. The two terms are most commonly associated with the spread of disease. Both have a dramatic impact on the societies they affect and can even have a global impact through population change, reshaping of geographic boundaries, political and policy changes, and/or medical advancements.

As humans survive outbreaks of disease, there is an inherent need to examine the past, what happened then, and how it may influence the future. We have gathered a list of books that explore different epidemics and pandemics throughout history and the effects they have had on humankind. These books are available for near immediate access using BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a free download service for all Kansas Talking Books patrons provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). You can also receive any of the following books on cartridge by ordering through the KTB online catalog, calling our office to order books at 1-800-362-0699, or emailing KTB@ks.gov To learn more about downloading books, visit our BARD Resources webpage for more information.

DB 61644 The great influenza: the story of the deadliest pandemic in history by John M. Barry
Traces the medical and social history of the 1918 influenza epidemic that erupted during World War I. Discusses the conditions both biological (swiftly mutating flu virus passing between animals and humans) and political (troop movements between continents) under which the disease thrived and its effect on world populations. Keck Award. 2004.

DB 113585 Pathogenesis: a history of the world in eight plagues by Jonathan Kennedy
"According to the accepted narrative of progress, humans have thrived thanks to their brains and brawn, collectively bending the arc of history. But in this revelatory book, Professor Jonathan Kennedy argues that the myth of human exceptionalism overstates the role that we play in social and political change. Instead, it is the humble microbe that wins wars and topples empires. Drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, Pathogenesis takes us through sixty thousand years of history, exploring eight major outbreaks of infectious disease that have made the modern world. Bacteria and viruses were protagonists in the demise of the Neanderthals, the growth of Islam, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the devastation wrought by European colonialism, and the evolution of the United States from an imperial backwater to a global superpower. Even Christianity rose to prominence in the wake of a series of deadly pandemics that swept through the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries: Caring for the sick turned what was a tiny sect into one of the world's major religions. By placing disease at the center of his wide-ranging history of humankind, Kennedy challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions about our collective past-and urges us to view this moment as another disease-driven inflection point that will change the course of history. Provocative and brimming with insight, Pathogenesis transforms our understanding of the human story." -- Provided by publisher. -- Some strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook.

DB 111393 Breathless: the scientific race to defeat a deadly virus by David Quammen
"The story of the worldwide scientific quest to decipher the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, trace its source, and make possible the vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Breathless is the story of SARS-CoV-2 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems, and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe. He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a "forever virus," destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly, in one variant form or another. As scientists labor to catch it, comprehend it, and control it, with their high-tech tools and methods, the virus finds ways of escape. Based on interviews with nearly one hundred scientists, including leading virologists in China and around the world, Quammen explains that: -Infectious disease experts saw this pandemic coming -Some scientists, for more than two decades, warned that "the next big one" would be caused by a changeable new virus-very possibly a coronavirus-but such warnings were ignored for political or economic reasons -The precise origins of this virus may not be known for years, but some clues are compelling, and some suppositions can be dismissed -And much more. Breathless takes you inside the frantic international effort to understand and control SARS-CoV-2 as if we were peering over the shoulders of the brilliant scientists who led the chase." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook.

DB 111105 Fevers, feuds, and diamonds: Ebola and the ravages of history by Paul Farmer
"In 2014, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea suffered the worst epidemic of Ebola in history. The brutal virus spread rapidly through a clinical desert, where basic health-care facilities were few and far between. Causing severe loss of life and economic disruption, the Ebola crisis was a major tragedy of modern medicine. But why did it happen, and what can we learn from it? Paul Farmer, the internationally renowned doctor and anthropologist, experienced the Ebola outbreak firsthand--Partners in Health, the organization he founded, was among the international responders. In Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds, he offers the first substantive account of this frightening, fast-moving episode and its implications. In vibrant prose, he tells the harrowing stories of Ebola victims while showing why the medical response was slow and insufficient. Rebutting misleading claims about the origins of Ebola and why it spread so rapidly, he traces West Africa's chronic health failures back to centuries of exploitation and injustice. Under formal colonial rule, disease containment was a priority but care was not-and the region's health-care woes worsened, with devastating consequences that Farmer traces up to the present." -- Provided by publisher. -- Some strong language, violence. Commercial audiobook.

DB 110070 Get well soon: history's worst plagues and the heroes who fought them by Jennifer Wright
"A witty, irreverent tour of history's worst plagues?from the Antonine Plague, to leprosy, to polio?and a celebration of the heroes who fought them "In 1518, in a small town in Alsace, Frau Troffea began dancing and didn't stop. She danced until she was carried away six days later, and soon thirty-four more villagers joined her. Then more. In a month more than 400 people had been stricken by the mysterious dancing plague. In late-nineteenth-century England an eccentric gentleman founded the No Nose Club in his gracious townhome?a social club for those who had lost their noses, and other body parts, to the plague of syphilis for which there was then no cure. And in turn-of-the-century New York, an Irish cook caused two lethal outbreaks of typhoid fever, a case that transformed her into the notorious Typhoid Mary. Throughout time, humans have been terrified and fascinated by the diseases history and circumstance have dropped on them. Some of their responses to those outbreaks are almost too strange to believe in hindsight. Get Well Soon delivers the gruesome, morbid details of some of the worst plagues we've suffered as a species, as well as stories of the heroic figures who selflessly fought to ease the suffering of their fellow man. With her signature mix of in-depth research and storytelling, and not a little dark humor, Jennifer Wright explores history's most gripping and deadly outbreaks, and ultimately looks at the surprising ways they've shaped history and humanity for almost as long as anyone can remember." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 109897 Plagues in the nation: how epidemics shaped America by Polly J. Price
"In this narrative history of the US through major outbreaks of contagious disease, from yellow fever to the Spanish flu, from HIV/AIDS to Ebola, Polly J. Price examines how law and government affected the outcome of epidemics-and how those outbreaks in turn shaped our government. Price presents a fascinating history that has never been fully explored and draws larger conclusions about the gaps in our governmental and legal response. |Plagues in the Nation| examines how our country learned-and failed to learn-how to address the panic, conflict, and chaos that are the companions of contagion, what policies failed America again and again, and what we must do better next time." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.

DB 96020 The pandemic century: one hundred years of panic, hysteria, and hubris by Mark Honisbaum
Author of The Fever Trail (DB 57286) examines the history of pandemics since the 1918 Spanish influenza. Cases include the 1924 pneumonic plague in Los Angeles, 1930 "parrot fever," and 2015 Zika outbreaks. Discusses public health efforts, prominent personalities, and potential future epidemics. Commercial audiobook. 2019.

DB 92818 Pandemic 1918: eyewitness accounts from the greatest medical holocaust in modern history by Catherine Arnold
A narrative account of the Spanish Flu epidemic in the early twentieth century, which killed more than fifty million people on a global scale. Provides firsthand accounts of the disease's devastation and discusses how governments handled the disastrous epidemic. 2018.

DB 19110 Anatomy of an epidemic by Gordon Thomas
The true story of one of the most baffling medical mysteries of the century--the outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in Philadelphia during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. This suspenseful recreation moves among victims and their families, epidemiologists, hotel personnel, and even a hard-working prostitute to tell the story of the tragedy.

DB 16814 Plagues and people by William Hardy McNeill
Describes the dramatic impact of infectious diseases on the rise and fall of civilizations and how they have changed the course of history.

DB 47020 Viruses, plagues, and history by Michael B. A. Oldstone
Chronicles the effects that the smallpox, measles, polio, and yellow fever viruses once had worldwide. Traces the history of newer viruses such as mad cow disease, Ebola, and HIV. Includes discussion of the social and political climates during epidemics, the major scientists who struggle to combat the diseases, and the principles of immunology.

DB 61804 Beating back the devil: on the front lines with the Disease Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service by Maryn McKenna
Reporter traces the history of the Atlanta-based Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1951 to 2003. Follows EIS medical professionals as they investigate disease outbreaks caused by polio, West Nile virus, smallpox, AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, SARS, and biological weapons. 2004.

DB 104145 The plague year: America in the time of COVID by Lawrence Wright
Author of God Save Texas (DB 90876) and The Looming Tower (DB 63287) presents an analysis of the arrival and spread of Covid-19 in America. Topics include the response of the Centers for Disease Control and the Trump administration, a hospital's Covid ward, and the science of the virus. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2021.

DB 106695 Phantom plague: how tuberculosis shaped history by Vidya Krishnan
Journalist narrates the impact of tuberculosis across the world, from the nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. Topics include prominent personalities who survived and died from it, the development of treatments, and regional access to its antibiotic cure. Commercial audiobook. 2022.

Recent Posts

Agents of Change: Pandemics and Epidemics in History

It's cold and flu season, and while all of us at Kansas Talking Books (KTB) wish everyone a healthy and safe holiday season, we also want to take this opportunity to look back on epidemics and pandemics of the past.An epidemic is the quick spread of something within a population, community, or geographic region that affects a large number of people at the same time. Pandemics are similar, but instead of spreading only within a defined group or region, spread beyond to affect a wider geographic area such as multiple countries, continents, or the globe. The two terms are most commonly associated with the spread of disease. Both have a dramatic impact on the societies they affect and can even have a global impact through population change, reshaping of geographic boundaries, political and policy changes, and/or medical advancements.As humans survive outbreaks of disease, there is an inherent need to examine the past, what happened then, and how it may influence the future. We have gathered a list of books that explore different epidemics and pandemics throughout history and the effects they have had on humankind. These books are available for near immediate access using BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, a free download service for all Kansas Talking Books patrons provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS). You can also receive any of the following books on cartridge by ordering through the KTB online catalog, calling our office to order books at 1-800-362-0699, or emailing KTB@ks.gov To learn more about downloading books, visit our BARD Resources webpage for more information.DB 61644 The great influenza: the story of the deadliest pandemic in history by John M. Barry Traces the medical and social history of the 1918 influenza epidemic that erupted during World War I. Discusses the conditions both biological (swiftly mutating flu virus passing between animals and humans) and political (troop movements between continents) under which the disease thrived and its effect on world populations. Keck Award. 2004.DB 113585 Pathogenesis: a history of the world in eight plagues by Jonathan Kennedy "According to the accepted narrative of progress, humans have thrived thanks to their brains and brawn, collectively bending the arc of history. But in this revelatory book, Professor Jonathan Kennedy argues that the myth of human exceptionalism overstates the role that we play in social and political change. Instead, it is the humble microbe that wins wars and topples empires. Drawing on the latest research in fields ranging from genetics and anthropology to archaeology and economics, Pathogenesis takes us through sixty thousand years of history, exploring eight major outbreaks of infectious disease that have made the modern world. Bacteria and viruses were protagonists in the demise of the Neanderthals, the growth of Islam, the transition from feudalism to capitalism, the devastation wrought by European colonialism, and the evolution of the United States from an imperial backwater to a global superpower. Even Christianity rose to prominence in the wake of a series of deadly pandemics that swept through the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries: Caring for the sick turned what was a tiny sect into one of the world's major religions. By placing disease at the center of his wide-ranging history of humankind, Kennedy challenges some of the most fundamental assumptions about our collective past-and urges us to view this moment as another disease-driven inflection point that will change the course of history. Provocative and brimming with insight, Pathogenesis transforms our understanding of the human story." -- Provided by publisher. -- Some strong language, some violence. Commercial audiobook.DB 111393 Breathless: the scientific race to defeat a deadly virus by David Quammen "The story of the worldwide scientific quest to decipher the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, trace its source, and make possible the vaccines to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Breathless is the story of SARS-CoV-2 and its fierce journey through the human population, as seen by the scientists who study its origin, its ever-changing nature, and its capacity to kill us. David Quammen expertly shows how strange new viruses emerge from animals into humans as we disrupt wild ecosystems, and how those viruses adapt to their human hosts, sometimes causing global catastrophe. He explains why this coronavirus will probably be a "forever virus," destined to circulate among humans and bedevil us endlessly, in one variant form or another. As scientists labor to catch it, comprehend it, and control it, with their high-tech tools and methods, the virus finds ways of escape. Based on interviews with nearly one hundred scientists, including leading virologists in China and around the world, Quammen explains that: -Infectious disease experts saw this pandemic coming -Some scientists, for more than two decades, warned that "the next big one" would be caused by a changeable new virus-very possibly a coronavirus-but such warnings were ignored for political or economic reasons -The precise origins of this virus may not be known for years, but some clues are compelling, and some suppositions can be dismissed -And much more. Breathless takes you inside the frantic international effort to understand and control SARS-CoV-2 as if we were peering over the shoulders of the brilliant scientists who led the chase." -- Provided by publisher. -- Commercial audiobook.DB 111105 Fevers, feuds, and diamonds: Ebola and the ravages of history by Paul Farmer "In 2014, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea suffered the worst epidemic of Ebola in history. The brutal virus spread rapidly through a clinical desert, where basic health-care facilities were few and far between. Causing severe loss of life and economic disruption, the Ebola crisis was a major tragedy of modern medicine. But why did it happen, and what can we learn from it? Paul Farmer, the internationally renowned doctor and anthropologist, experienced the Ebola outbreak firsthand--Partners in Health, the organization he founded, was among the international responders. In Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds, he offers the first substantive account of this frightening, fast-moving episode and its implications. In vibrant prose, he tells the harrowing stories of Ebola victims while showing why the medical response was slow and insufficient. Rebutting misleading claims about the origins of Ebola and why it spread so rapidly, he traces West Africa's chronic health failures back to centuries of exploitation and injustice. Under formal colonial rule, disease containment was a priority but care was not-and the region's health-care woes worsened, with devastating consequences that Farmer traces up to the present." -- Provided by publisher. -- Some strong language, violence. Commercial audiobook.DB 110070 Get well soon: history's worst plagues and the heroes who fought them by Jennifer Wright "A witty, irreverent tour of history's worst plagues?from the Antonine Plague, to leprosy, to polio?and a celebration of the heroes who fought them "In 1518, in a small town in Alsace, Frau Troffea began dancing and didn't stop. She danced until she was carried away six days later, and soon thirty-four more villagers joined her. Then more. In a month more than 400 people had been stricken by the mysterious dancing plague. In late-nineteenth-century England an eccentric gentleman founded the No Nose Club in his gracious townhome?a social club for those who had lost their noses, and other body parts, to the plague of syphilis for which there was then no cure. And in turn-of-the-century New York, an Irish cook caused two lethal outbreaks of typhoid fever, a case that transformed her into the notorious Typhoid Mary. Throughout time, humans have been terrified and fascinated by the diseases history and circumstance have dropped on them. Some of their responses to those outbreaks are almost too strange to believe in hindsight. Get Well Soon delivers the gruesome, morbid details of some of the worst plagues we've suffered as a species, as well as stories of the heroic figures who selflessly fought to ease the suffering of their fellow man. With her signature mix of in-depth research and storytelling, and not a little dark humor, Jennifer Wright explores history's most gripping and deadly outbreaks, and ultimately looks at the surprising ways they've shaped history and humanity for almost as long as anyone can remember." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB 109897 Plagues in the nation: how epidemics shaped America by Polly J. Price "In this narrative history of the US through major outbreaks of contagious disease, from yellow fever to the Spanish flu, from HIV/AIDS to Ebola, Polly J. Price examines how law and government affected the outcome of epidemics-and how those outbreaks in turn shaped our government. Price presents a fascinating history that has never been fully explored and draws larger conclusions about the gaps in our governmental and legal response. |Plagues in the Nation| examines how our country learned-and failed to learn-how to address the panic, conflict, and chaos that are the companions of contagion, what policies failed America again and again, and what we must do better next time." -- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB 96020 The pandemic century: one hundred years of panic, hysteria, and hubris by Mark Honisbaum Author of The Fever Trail (DB 57286) examines the history of pandemics since the 1918 Spanish influenza. Cases include the 1924 pneumonic plague in Los Angeles, 1930 "parrot fever," and 2015 Zika outbreaks. Discusses public health efforts, prominent personalities, and potential future epidemics. Commercial audiobook. 2019.DB 92818 Pandemic 1918: eyewitness accounts from the greatest medical holocaust in modern history by Catherine Arnold A narrative account of the Spanish Flu epidemic in the early twentieth century, which killed more than fifty million people on a global scale. Provides firsthand accounts of the disease's devastation and discusses how governments handled the disastrous epidemic. 2018.DB 19110 Anatomy of an epidemic by Gordon Thomas The true story of one of the most baffling medical mysteries of the century--the outbreak of Legionnaires' Disease in Philadelphia during the 1976 Bicentennial celebration. This suspenseful recreation moves among victims and their families, epidemiologists, hotel personnel, and even a hard-working prostitute to tell the story of the tragedy.DB 16814 Plagues and people by William Hardy McNeill Describes the dramatic impact of infectious diseases on the rise and fall of civilizations and how they have changed the course of history.DB 47020 Viruses, plagues, and history by Michael B. A. Oldstone Chronicles the effects that the smallpox, measles, polio, and yellow fever viruses once had worldwide. Traces the history of newer viruses such as mad cow disease, Ebola, and HIV. Includes discussion of the social and political climates during epidemics, the major scientists who struggle to combat the diseases, and the principles of immunology.DB 61804 Beating back the devil: on the front lines with the Disease Detectives of the Epidemic Intelligence Service by Maryn McKenna Reporter traces the history of the Atlanta-based Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1951 to 2003. Follows EIS medical professionals as they investigate disease outbreaks caused by polio, West Nile virus, smallpox, AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, SARS, and biological weapons. 2004.DB 104145 The plague year: America in the time of COVID by Lawrence Wright Author of God Save Texas (DB 90876) and The Looming Tower (DB 63287) presents an analysis of the arrival and spread of Covid-19 in America. Topics include the response of the Centers for Disease Control and the Trump administration, a hospital's Covid ward, and the science of the virus. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2021.DB 106695 Phantom plague: how tuberculosis shaped history by Vidya Krishnan Journalist narrates the impact of tuberculosis across the world, from the nineteenth century to the early twenty-first century. Topics include prominent personalities who survived and died from it, the development of treatments, and regional access to its antibiotic cure. Commercial audiobook. 2022. ...

On The Download - December 2025

Check out last month's top BARD downloads in Kansas! If you aren't yet a BARD user, you can learn more at the NLS BARD website. If BARD isn't a good fit for you, we are happy to mail books and magazines directly to your home. Just drop us a line at KTB@ks.gov or call 800-362-0699 to order. Happy reading! Most popular audiobook downloads in Kansas, November 2025 DBC32225 Hey, Cowgirl, Need a Ride? by Black, Baxter.DB130298 Nightshade by Connelly, Michael.DB131735 The Hamptons Lawyer by Patterson, James & Lupica, Mike.DBC29308 Mean and Evil by Johnstone, William W. & Johnstone, J. A.DB128800 The Argument by Jenkins, Victoria.DBC30966 The Nutcracker and The Mouse King by Hoffmann, E. T. A. DBC32243 Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected writings on family, animals, and life by Grogan, John.DB130268 The Palm Beach Murders by Patterson, James; Arnold, Tim; Born, James O. & Swierczynski, Duane.DB131217 A Marriage at Sea: A true story of love, obsession, and shipwreck by Elmhirst, Sophie.DB100981 The Thursday Murder Club by Osman, Richard.DB131459 She Didn't See It Coming by Lapena, Shari.DB131463 The Asheville Christmas Cabin by Holloway, Hope & Scott, Cecelia.Most popular audio magazine downloads in Kansas, November 2025Reader's Digest October, 2025Talking Book Topics September, 2025Atlantic Monthly October, 2025The Week October 24, 2025Atlantic Monthly November, 2025Southern Living October, 2025The New Yorker November 03, 2025National Geographic October, 2025Smithsonian September, 2025The New Yorker November 10, 2025The Week November 21, 2025National Review October, 2025Bookmarks November, 2025Most popular braille book downloads in Kansas, November 2025BR26189 NLS Digital Advanced Player 2 (DA2) User Guide by Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.BR11816 The Horse Whisperer by Evans, Nicholas.BRC02116 NLS Braille eReader HumanWare User Guide: Version 2.0.BRG05206 Life After Life by Atkinson, Kate....

New Language December

If you've ever desired to learn a new language, why not begin your learning journey now? December is National Learn a Foreign Language Month.It may seem an unusual time to start learning a new language. With the lead up to the winter holidays you might be busy preparing for the arrival of family of friends or to do your own traveling. However, if you're stuck in a car or a plane for your travels, going to the store for shopping, cleaning or cooking, or just have some free on your hands, you can use that time to try some of our language learning materials. Studying time varies depending on the person and the language, but many language learning apps use lessons of 15 minutes to 30 minutes in length per day. That could cover a trip to the store and back for some or an exercise session for others.Plus, there are many benefits of learning another language. It can help stimulate the brain, helping to reduce cognitive decline as it requires you to use more functions of the brain. Learning a second language can boost your attention span, help improve memory, and more. With help from our collection, you can start your foreign language adventure from a varied collection of languages.Download the books on any of the following languages to take on the go with the BARD Mobile app. BARD makes using our language learning materials easy when traveling or moving around as mobile devices are easily portable and you can download and listen to the material directly on the device. And, there are no due dates or expiration dates on the books from BARD so you can use them for as long as you wish. BARD, Braille and Audio Reading Download, is a free library download service provided by the National Library Service or the Blind and Print Disable (NLS) for all talking books patrons. To learn more, visit https://library.ks.gov/talking-books/bard, or contact the KTB office at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov. You can also contact the office or use the online catalog to order books to be sent on cartridge which also have no due dates.Foreign Language BooksFor this list of foreign language study books in our collection, we have divided them by the system/publisher and the languages they offer.Behind the WheelYou can find more information about each of these titles through our online catalog by typing the book number and searching or from the search results we've made available for the Behind the Wheel language program.Arabic: DB106816 Level 1French: DB104580 Level 1; DB104581 Level 2French Braille Supplementary Material: BR23830 Level 1German: DB104582 Level 1; DB104583 Level 2German Braille Supplementary Material: BR23832 Level 1; BR23833 Level 2Italian: DB107092 Level 1; DB107093 Level 2Spanish: DB98320 Level 1; DB98321 Level 2; DB98322 Level 3Spanish Braille Supplementary Material: BR23827 Level 1; BR23828 Level 2; BR23829 Level 3Pimsleur Language ProgramMany languages are available from Pimsleur. We have gathered a list of popular foreign languages and a couple other languages. For a full list, use our online catalog search results we've made available for the Pimsleur Language Program books. If you want to find out more about the books listed below, use the online catalog and search for the book number typing in the number as written here.DBF04932 Cantonese DBF04976 French DBF05003 German DBF04951 Hebrew DBF04920 Japanese DB124817 Polish Level 1DBF05001 Russian DB 104584 Spanish Level 1DB121173 Tagalog Drive Time by Living LanguageLiving Language publisher offers popular languages to learn in their Drive Time series. For more information about the books, you can visit the online catalog and search for the book number or use our catalog search results we've made available.DB087039 French beginnerDB087040 Italian beginnerDB087041 German beginnerDB087042 Japanese beginnerDB087043 Spanish beginnerDB083399 eTicket Spanish phrasebookLanguage Study BooksThis list of books focuses on different topics about languages and language learning.DB086500 Languages: a very short introduction by Stephen R. Anderson Linguistics professor uses biological species analogy to illustrate difficulty of identifying and counting languages. Examines loss from declining diversity, endangered languages, the difference between language and dialect, linguistic change as an inevitable aspect of history, the criterion of mutual intelligibility, universal characteristics, and signed languages. 2012.DB086400 Linguistics: a very short introduction by P. H. Matthews The origins of language, how and why languages change, the relationship between speaking and thinking, the development of rules for grammar and syntax, the mechanics of speech, and the brain's role in processing language. 2003.DB130478 Proto: how one ancient language went global by Laura Spinney "Daughter. Duhitár-. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history's most unlikely journeys. All four languages--along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish--trace their origins to an ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west. Its last speaker died thousands of years ago, yet Proto-Indo-European lives on in its myriad linguistic offspring and in some of our best loved works of literature, including Dante's Inferno and the Rig Veda, The Lord of the Rings and the love poetry of Rumi. How did this happen? Acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney set out to answer that question, retracing the Indo-European odyssey across continents and millennia. With her we travel the length of the steppe, navigating the Caucasus, the silk roads and the Hindu Kush. We retrace the epic journeys of nomads and monks, warriors and kings -- the ancient peoples who carried these languages far and wide. In the present, Spinney meets the scientists on a thrilling mission to retrieve the lost languages and their speakers: the linguists, archaeologists and geneticists who have reconstructed that ancient diaspora. What they have learned has profound implications for our modern world, because people and their languages are on the move again. Proto is a revelatory portrait of world history in its own words." -- From publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB126122 Linguaphile: a life of language love by Julie Sedivy "A celebration of the beauty and mystery of language and how it shapes our lives, our loves, and our world. If there is one feature that defines the human condition, it is written, spoken, signed, understood, and misunderstood, in all its infinite glory. In this ingenious, lyrical exploration, Julie Sedivy draws on years of experience in the lab and a lifetime of linguistic love to bring the discoveries of linguistics home, to the place language itself within the yearnings of the human heart and amid the complex social bonds that it makes. A Life of Language Love follows the path that language takes through a human life--from an infant's first attempts at sense-making to the vulnerabilities and losses that accompany aging. As Sedivy shows, however, language and life are inextricable, and here she offers them a childish misunderstanding of her mother's meaning reveals the difficulty of relating to other minds; frustration with "professional" communication styles exposes the labyrinth of standards that define success; the first signs of hearing loss lead to a meditation on society's discomfort with physical and mental limitations. Part memoir, part scientific exploration, and part cultural commentary, this book epitomizes the thrills of a life steeped in the aesthetic delights of language and the joys of its scientific scrutiny."-- Goodreads. -- Some strong language.DB117753 The origins of life: from the birth of life to the origin of language by John Maynard Smith "In this fascinating book, John Maynard Smith and Eors Szathmary present an original picture of evolution. They propose that during evolution there have been a number of major transitions in the way in which information is passed between generations. These transitions include the appearance of the first replicating molecules, the emergence of co-operative animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans. Containing many new ideas, this book is contemporary biology on the grandest scale, from the birth of life to the origin of language." -- Provided by publisher.DB120663 Language city: the fight to preserve endangered mother tongues in New York by Ross Perlin "From the codirector of the Endangered Language Alliance, a captivating portrait of contemporary New York City through six speakers of little-known and overlooked languages, diving into the incredible history of the most linguistically diverse place ever to have existed on the planet. Half of all 7,000 plus human languages may disappear over the next century and because many have never been recorded when they're gone, it will be forever. Ross Perlin, a linguist and co-director of the Manhattan-based non-profit Endangered Language Alliance, is racing against time to map little-known languages across the most linguistically diverse city in history: contemporary New York. In Language City, Perlin recounts the unique history of immigration that shaped the city, and follows six remarkable yet ordinary speakers of endangered languages deep into their communities to learn how they are maintaining and reviving their languages against overwhelming odds. Perlin also dives deep into their languages, taking us on a fascinating tour of unusual grammars, rare sounds, and powerful cultural histories from all around the world. Seke is spoken by 700 people from five ancestral villages in Nepal, a hundred of whom have lived in a single Brooklyn apartment building. N'ko is a radical new West African writing system now going global in Harlem and the Bronx. After centuries of colonization and displacement, Lenape, the city's original Indigenous language and the source of the name Manhattan ("the place where we get bows"), has just one fluent native speaker, bolstered by a small band of revivalists. Also profiled in the book are speakers of the Indigenous Mexican language Nahuatl, the Central Asian minority language Wakhi, and the former lingua franca of the Lower East Side, Yiddish. A century after the anti-immigration Johnson-Reed Act closed America's doors for decades and on the 400th anniversary of New York's colonial founding, Perlin raises the alarm about growing political threats and the onslaught of "killer languages" like English and Spanish. Both remarkable social history and testament to the importance of linguistic diversity, Language City is a joyful and illuminating exploration of a city and the world that made it"-- Provided by publisher. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.DB094042 Babel: around the world in twenty languages by Gaston Dorren Linguist examines the world's most commonly spoken languages. Discusses their origins, the ways they grew, and their quirks, and debunks myths about them. Includes information about Vietnamese, Korean, Tamil, Turkish, Javanese, Persian, Punjabi, Japanese, Swahili, German, French, Malay, Russian, Portuguese, Bengali, Arabic, Hindi-Urdu, Spanish, Mandarin, and English. 2018.DB082463 The unfolding of language: an evolutionary tour of mankind's greatest invention by Guy Deutscher Linguist Guy Deutscher examines the genesis, evolution, and decay of language throughout mankind's history. Deutscher argues that destruction and creation are irrevocably entwined in language, demonstrating how these processes unceasingly operate to generate new words, structures, and meanings. 2005DB060014 Language in danger: the loss of linguistic diversity and the threat to our future by Andrew Dalby Linguistic historian addresses the rapid disappearance of the world's native tongues as national languages, including English, are increasingly adopted by minority peoples. Drawing on historical examples, Dalby laments these vernacular losses and stresses the need for a "multiplicity of languages" to preserve the knowledge and cultural traditions embodied within them. 2003.DB053683 The Science Times book of language and linguistics by Nicholas Wade Thirty-six articles from the science section of the New York Times on the origins and acquisition of language. Topics covered include the tree of language, language in other species, language and the brain, and language and society. 2000.DB122342 The language puzzle: how we talked our way out of the Stone Age by Steven J. Mithen "The relationship between language, thought and culture is of concern to anyone with an interest in what it means to be human. The Language Puzzle explains how the invention of words at 1.6 million years ago began the evolution of human language from the ape-like calls of our earliest ancestors to our capabilities of today, with over 6000 languages in the world and each of us knowing over 50,000 words. Drawing on the latest discoveries in archaeology, linguistics, psychology, and genetics, Steven Mithen reconstructs the steps by which language evolved; he explains how it transformed the nature of thought and culture, and how we talked our way out of the Stone Age into the world of farming and swiftly into today's Digital Age. While this radical new work is not shy to reject outdated ideas about language, it builds bridges between disciplines to forge a new synthesis for the evolution of language that will find widespread acceptance as a new standard account for how humanity began"--Publisher's description. -- Unrated. Commercial audiobook.ReferencesNational Day Calendar. (n.d.). Learn a Foreign Language Month. Retrieved November 24, 2025, from https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/december/learn-a-foreign-language-month-decemberUniversity of the Potomac Marketing. (2025, April 4.). 9 benefits of learning a second language. University of the Potomac. https://potomac.edu/benefits-of-learning-a-second-language/ ...

Kansas Talking Book News Update – Winter 2025

From the Director’s DeskWinter is approaching but the cold weather won’t slow us down! Kansas Talking Books (KTB) staff are already looking ahead to the coming year. In 2026, we’re focusing on improving the services you rely on and exploring new ways to welcome more readers to our library.One of the first updates you’ll notice is a change to this newsletter. We’re shifting from a quarterly schedule to a bimonthly one, delivering shorter issues with more timely information. With only two additional issues each year, you can expect more frequent updates without feeling overwhelmed.We’re also excited to introduce a new quarterly mystery book club, an addition suggested by several patrons. Our first meeting will be held on February 11. More details can be found below.Finally, I want to thank you all for your support over the past year. I’ve been asked frequently by enthusiastic patrons, “How can we help?” The biggest thing you can do is keep doing what you’re doing. Continue to check out items, continue to download from BARD, continue to use Newsline, and continue to share with friends and neighbors what Kansas Talking Books means to you and how the service we provide makes a difference in your daily life. If you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to work with you. Call me at 620-341-6287 or email me at michael.lang@ks.gov. Have a safe holiday season, stay warm, keep reading, and thank you all for your support.–Michael Lang, DirectorKansas Talking Book UpdatesHelp Kansas Talking Books feature real Kansans like you in our outreach photos! We are looking to feature pictures of you, your friends, and family reading Braille, using BARD or NFB-NEWSLINE on your phone or your talking books machine to promote Kansas Talking Books.Close ups are great and we’d love to see your face, your screens or other Talking Books tools you use to stay connected and enjoy reading. Send your action shots showing where you have your reading adventures; at home, outside, with friends at the diner, hiking, taking a break from work … anywhere.Each quarter we will randomly draw the name of a person who has sent in digital photos to receive a sturdy ceramic State Library of Kansas mug. There are four quarters and four mugs to give away in 2026. Email your photos and short descriptions about where you are and what Talking Books tools you are using to michael.lang@ks.gov between now and April 1, 2026, so you can be eligible for the first mug. You’ll hear reminders on our social media soon.BARD on the DA2 Webinar Recording AvailableGet the new books you want immediately on the DA2, the new digital talking book machine. Learn how by watching the recording of our webinar A New Way to BARD: BARD on the DA2. The presentation includes instructions on connecting to a Wi-Fi network, logging into your BARD account, navigating the BARD menu, searching for, downloading, and playing a book on the DA2. If you like what you learn, we have players we can send to you today. Give us a call for more information or to request a new DA2 for yourself. Newsline and YouHow do you use NFB-Newsline? We want to share your stories about how the resources available on Newsline benefit you in your daily life to encourage others to give it a try! If you’ve got a story, send it to Sarah and tell her how Newsline helps you. Not yet signed up for Newsline? Sarah can help you get started. Drop her an email or call 620-341-6284.Join the Discussion, Join a Virtual Book Club KTB outreach librarian, Maggie, facilitates two ongoing virtual book clubs and will launch a new mystery focused book club in February. All Kansas Talking Books patrons are welcome to participate. Clubs meet via Zoom, and you can join using a computer, smartphone, or touch-tone phone. If you are interested in participating in any of our book clubs, contact Maggie at 620-341-6281 or maggie.witte@ks.gov.The quarterly book club meets four times per year. The next two meetings and books are:December 10, 2025, at 12:00 p.m.: DB 52929 Skipping Christmas by John Grisham March 11, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.: Bring Your Own Book – Talk about a book or books you’ve read recently, a new or old favorite.Mystery Readers Circle, a new virtual mystery book club for all our mystery lovers, will meet in February, May, August, and November on the second Wednesday of the month at 12:00 p.m. The first book we will be discussing is:February 11 at 12:00 p.m.: DB 120193 How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen PerrinDetails about the Quarterly Virtual and Mystery Readers Circle book clubs can be found on our Talking Books Programs page.The VIP Book Club typically meets at 1:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month. The next two dates and books for discussion are:December 16: DB 38703 The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman.January 20: DB 115207 The Book of Charlie: Wisdom from the remarkable American life of a 109-year-old man by David Von Drehle. Find the list of all upcoming VIP books on our Talking Books Talk blog.Warm Up with Friends During Winter Coffee HoursOur virtual coffee hours return this winter! Mark your calendar for an hour to meet and chat with other KTB patrons about all sorts of topics, not just books. This come-and-go program meets twice a month, December through February, using Zoom (accessible by computer, smartphone, or touchtone telephone). Virtual coffee hours will be held:December 2025:Wednesday, 12/10, at 6:00 p.m.Wednesday, 12/17, at 3:00 p.m.January 2026:Thursday, 01/15, at 6:00 p.m.Wednesday, 01/21, at 3:00 p.m.February 2026 Wednesday, 02/11, at 6:00 p.m.Wednesday, 02/18, at 3:00 p.m.Contact the office at 1-800-362-0699 or KTB@ks.gov if you have questions.KTB Phones Out December 29 and 30KTB phones will be offline December 29th and 30th as Emporia State University performance campus-wide network maintenance. We believe that our circulation system should remain functional, however, we may experience some delays in processing orders. We will have staff available to answer emails as they are able. We apologize for the inconvenience. News from NLSOperational StatusNLS is back to work after the federal government shutdown. They have resumed book/magazine production and distribution, reference and information services, music circulation, and Patron Engagement programming. Patience is requested as NLS works to fully resume operations. There is a large backlog of work to address.NLS Aspiring Leaders Internship Program Application Window OpenNLS, supported by the National Library for the Blind Endowment, has launched a paid internship that offers individuals who are legally blind the opportunity to gain work experience and explore career options working in the areas of collections building, program delivery and business oversight and management. Application details can be found at www.loc.gov/nls/about/internship-program. The deadline for the summer 2026 session is March 1. All interns will have an opportunity for in-person or virtual employment.Readers’ Advisor Recommends: Christmas Cookie Baking DelightMany adaptive tools and assistive technologies can make cooking easier and more enjoyable, even with limited vision or mobility. Being in the kitchen, especially during the holiday baking season, is absolutely possible. Just ask chef Christine Ha, the blind cook who won MasterChef Season 3.With winter holidays approaching, we’ve selected several Christmas cookie recipe books to help you get inspired. Pick a few favorites, bake a batch (or two), and you’ll be all set for your next cookie swap or family gathering.DB 54501 Cookies for Christmas by Jennifer Darling.Collection of more than one hundred Christmas cookie recipes from the Better Homes and Gardens test kitchen. Includes cutout, shaped, sliced, dropped, and bar cookies that feature old world favorites and new cookie ideas with a flavor twist. Also available in braille as BR 14218.DB 55427 Joy of Cooking: Christmas cookies by Irma von Starkloff Rombauer.Collection of over seventy-five recipes for various types of cookies including bar, drop, rolled, filled, hand shaped, and molded. Also shares recipes for icings and glazes and holiday drinks such as eggnog, hot cocoa, espresso, and mulled cider. Also available in braille as BR 14554.DB 121381 Good Housekeeping: The great Christmas cookie swap cookbook: 60 large-batch recipes to bake and share by Samantha Cassetty.A collection of recipes from the 'Good Housekeeping' kitchens for sixty different types of Christmas cookies, all yielding more than eight dozen cookies and perfect for a holiday cookie swap. Also available in braille as BR 25532.DBC01685 Gluten-free Christmas Cookies by Ellen Brown.125 Christmas treats which are made without flour. Includes cookies, brownies, meringues, macaroons and candies like fudge, pralines and truffles.DB 107897 A World of Cookies for Santa: Follow Santa’s tasty trip around the world by M. E. Furman.An overview of the different kinds of holiday treats that await Santa on Christmas Eve. Includes recipes from across the globe for a multicultural celebration. For grades K-3. Local Books on BARDCheck out these recently added books recorded by our fabulous volunteers and produced by KTB staff. DBC29569 Blue Collar Saint by Brenda Leigh White.Brenda White’s verse resounds deeply, even in the dark places and in sentiments we Midwest working-class folk don't often like to share. One might say she gives voice to the masses, her verse capturing the light and dark of those who dare to dream, even when we suspect our dreams might end in disappointment. Only a true poet can turn life's harsh realities into line and stanza that move us to reflect, connect, and read again.DBC29588 Strong Towns: A Bottom-up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity by Charles L. Marohn, Jr.Strong Towns is a book of forward-thinking ideas that breaks with modern wisdom to present a new vision of urban development in the United States. Presenting the foundational ideas of the Strong Towns movement he co-founded, Charles Marohn explains why cities of all sizes continue to struggle to meet their basic needs, and reveals the new paradigm that can solve this longstanding problem. Upcoming State and Postal HolidaysChristmas: Thursday, December 25. Library Closed & Postal Holiday.New Year’s Day: Thursday, January 1. Library Closed & Postal Holiday.Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: Monday, January 19. Library Closed & Postal Holiday.Washington’s Birthday: Monday, February 16. Postal Holiday. Contact Information for Kansas Talking Books Address: 1 Kellogg Circle, Box 4055, Emporia, KS 66801 Toll-Free Phone: 1-800-362-0699 Local Phone: 620-341-6280 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Email: KTB@ks.govWebsite: https://library.ks.gov/talkingbooksTalking Books Talk BlogOn Facebook On X: @kstalkingbooks ...