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9/15/06 The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman

The World is Flat
Thomas L. Friedman

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman talks about the events in recent history that "flattened" the world - lowered barriers to make us more connected with each other, like the fall of the Berlin Wall or when Netscape went public and the rise of internet search engines.

This book is especially important to Washington because or state is the most trade-dependant state in the nation. One out of three jobs in Washington depends on trade, and against other states, we also compete against other nations.

Our educational system also must be able to compete internationally. To survive, we need to go toe-to-toe with Japan, Germany, Ireland and the top schools in India, or any number of countries that invest more to get better results from their schools than us. Business leaders want to know that we have a well-trained, educated, modern workforce and they want good schools for their children and their employees' children.

Friedman says that to succeed in this flat, connected world, you must compete globally.
   

Christine Gregoire
Washington's 22nd Governor

As Washington's 22nd Governor, Chris Gregoire has delivered real results to the people of Washington State. Combining effective leadership with a tireless work ethic, she has shown time and again that she has the courage and independence to stand up and fight for individuals and families. Governor Gregoire's hard work in Olympia is an extension of her lifetime of service to the people of Washington State.

Prior to serving as governor, Gregoire served three terms as attorney general - the first woman to be elected to the position in Washington.

While director of the Washington Department of Ecology, Gregoire negotiated the safe cleanup and permanent storage of radioactive wastes at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The site is regarded as the largest environmental cleanup project in the world.

Chris O'Grady was raised in Auburn, Washington, by her mother who worked as a cook to support the family. She rode horses, picked blueberries and learned the value of hard work and a good education. After graduating from Auburn High School, Chris went on to the University of Washington where she graduated with a teaching certificate and Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and sociology. She met her husband, Mike, in September of 1971 when they both worked for the Washington Department of Social and Health Services. Chris received her law degree in 1977 from Gonzaga University.

Chris and Mike have two daughters, Courtney and Michelle. Courtney is an attorney and Michelle is a junior in college.
   
 
9/9/06 Little Prince by by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

It's my favorite book. It's written in an apparently simple fashion, but in its simplicity it's a very wise book. It tells you all you ever need to know about people.

Important! It's a book you can read 5 minutes at a time. This book doesn't require a high degree of immersion. The chapters a self-contained and very satisfying read each in itself.

It's a thin book - a great advantage! You know you are going to be able to finish it.

It's a very condensed book. Every sentence counts, every word is there only to fire up the engine of one's imagination - and to let you carry on the story of each chapter.

It's a book for all ages. I remember when was the first time I reads the little Prince - as a child of 9 years. One can enjoy reading it as a child, but the depth and truth of the story reveal themselves only over long time. Ever since that first time I have re-read the book several times. Re-reading a book changes the way you read: you look beyond the story line, the facts. You start looking for the fine details, the subtleties of the language.

Last but not least: "The little Prince" is a very musical book.
Especially when you read it in French - in its original language - the phrases are extremely beautiful and the whole language seems to sing.
This is probably the only book I can actually read in French and understand what's going on...

Eckart Preu
Music Director, Spokane Symphony

Eckart Preu is beginning his second season with the Spokane Symphony following a highly acclaimed debut season with the orchestra in which he received rave reviews from critics, audience members and musicians.

Beginning with this 2005-06 season, he is also the serving as music director of the Stamford (Conn.) Symphony. For two seasons he was Associate Conductor of the Richmond Symphony. He also served as Resident Conductor with the American Symphony Orchestra and the American Russian Young Artists Orchestra. Former posts include Music Director of the Norwalk (CT) Youth Symphony and Principal Conductor of the New Amsterdam Symphony Orchestra (NY). He has been associated with the Bard Music Festival since 1997 as both Assistant and Guest Conductor. In Europe, Preu served as Music Director of the Orchestre International de Paris from 1993-95 and was an Assistant Conductor at Radio France.

As a guest conductor, he has appeared with the Pecs Philharmonic (Hungary), the Varna Philharmonic (Bulgaria), Nouvel Ensemble du Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris (France), and in Germany with the Jenaer Philharmoniker, the Hallesche Philharmonic, the Thüringer Kammerorchester, the Landessinfonieorchester Gotha and the Jugendorchester Berlin. Recent highlights include his Carnegie Hall debut in May 1999 and a live radio/TV broadcast with the Radio Philharmonic of Slovenia in February 2000 which also included concerts in Ljubljana, Malibor and Portogruaro (Italy).

A native of Germany, Preu came to the United States as winner of the National Conducting Competition of the German Academic Exchange Service (1996) for graduate studies with Harold Farberman at the Hartt School of Music where he also received the Karl Boehm Scholarship. In Germany he earned a masters degree in conducting from the Hochschule für Musik in Weimar studying under Gunther Kahlert and Nicolas Pasquet. He also studied under Jean-Sebastien Bereau at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris in France.

Preu's education was made possible by scholarships from the Herbert von Karajan Foundation, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the French Ministry of Culture. In November 1998, he took third place at the International Competition for Young Conductors of the European Union in Spoleto, Italy.

Preu's early musical training was in piano and singing. At the age of 10, he became a member of the Boys Choir Dresdner Kreuzchor and went on to work with them as soloist, rehearsal pianist, and Assistant Conductor. He subsequently served as a vocal coach with the Altenburg Opera, the Erfurt Opera House in Germany and the Regina Opera in New York. From 1999-2000, Preu was a Visiting Assistant Professor at Bard College, NY. and in summers 2000 and 2001 he served on the guest faculty of the C.W. Post Chamber Music Festival.
   
 
8/1/06 Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America by Linda Lawrence Hunt
 

Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America
by Linda Lawrence Hunt

Bold Spirit is the story of Helga Estby, a Norwegian immigrant who dares to cross 3500 miles of the American continent on foot to win a $10,000 wager and save her family’s homestead near Spokane in 1896. One of the most interesting aspects of the story is that the family consciously buried the tale since they found it so shocking. Ms. Hunt’s tale reads like a novel, giving insight into women’s history and demonstrating the tenacious spirit of the human will.


Pat Partovi
Director of Spokane Public Libraries

Pat was appointed to the Library Director position in December 2005, following a short stint as Acting Director. She has been with Spokane Public Library since January 1994. Among other positions, she has been the Downtown Branch Manager, Neighborhood Services Manager and Deputy Director of Public Services. Prior to joining Spokane Public Library, Pat served as a regional supervisor for the San Bernadino County Library where she was part of the library system for 11 years. A native of Carlsbad, Calif., Pat received her master’s of Library and Information Science from the University of California at Fullerton in 1977. She also holds a bachelor's in Spanish literature from the University of California at Riverside. She is an active member of the American Library Association, the Public Library Association, and the Washington Library Association.
   
 
 
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