Here’s a special Thursday edition of New Titles Tuesday featuring a selection titles added to the collection over the Christmas break.

Coding interviews: questions, analysis & solutions /Harry He. This book is about coding interview question of software and Internet companies. The basics of languages, algorithms and data structures are discussed as well as questions that explore how to write robust solutions after breaking down problems into manageable pieces. It also includes examples.

 Converts in the Dead Sea Scrolls: the Gēr and mutable ethnicity /by Carmen Palmer. Examines the meaning of the term gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls. While often interpreted as a resident alien, this study of the term as it is employed within scriptural rewriting in the Dead Sea Scrolls concludes that the gēr is a Gentile convert to Judaism. Contrasting the gēr in the Dead Sea Scrolls against scriptural predecessors, Palmer finds that a conversion is possible by means of mutable ethnicity. Furthermore, mutable features of ethnicity in the sectarian movement affiliated with the Dead Sea Scrolls include shared kinship, connection to land, and common culture in the practice of circumcision.

 Duty, honour & izzat: from golden fields to crimson – Punjab’s brothers in arms in Flanders /written by Steven Purewal ; illustrated by Christopher Rawlins ; edited by Alexander Finbow. A look at how Indian soldiers from the Punjab helped Great Britain fight in World War I, as well as the early history of Punjabis in Canada.

 Exoplanets: diamond worlds, super-Earths, pulsar planets, and the new search for life beyond our solar system /Michael Summers, James Trefil. In Exoplanets, astronomer Summers and physicist Trefil explore remarkable recent discoveries: planets revolving around pulsars, planets made of diamond, planets that are mostly water, and numerous rogue planets wandering through the emptiness of space.

 Hijacking history: how the Christian right teaches history and why it matters /Kathleen Wellman. The book proposes that the three most prominent Christian curricula have played a role through the historical narrative promoted for almost fifty years, becoming more widespread in different forms of alternative schooling from Christian schools to voucher programs, and homeschooling. Their narrative has been significant in defining Americans’ understanding of the world and its history and exposes the efficacy of the alliance between certain religious interests, conservative legislators and school boards, and various corporate interests in reshaping education in the United States.

 How art works: a psychological exploration /Ellen Winner. This book is an examination of what psychologists have discovered about how art works—what it does to us, how we experience art, how we react to it emotionally, how we judge it, and what we learn from it.

How food works /editorial consultant, Dr. Sarah Brewer ; contributors, Joel Levy, Ginny Smith.

 If I go missing /text by Brianna Jonnie and Nahanni Shingoose ; art by Neal Shannacappo. A powerfully illustrated graphic novel for teens about the subject of missing and murdered Indigenous people.  The text is derived from excerpts of a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by fourteen-year-old Brianna Jonnie — a letter that went viral and in which, Jonnie calls out the authorities for neglecting to immediately investigate and involve the public in the search for missing Indigenous people. Indigenous artist Neal Shannacappo provides the artwork for the book. Through his illustrations he imagines a situation in which a young Indigenous woman  disappears, portraying the reaction of her community, her friends, the police and media. An author’s note at the end of the book provides context for young readers about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada.

 Light: the visible spectrum and beyond /Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke. Introducing light — Radio waves — Microwaves — Infrared — Visible light — Ultraviolet — X-rays — Gamma rays.

Ocean recovery: a sustainable future for global fisheries? /Ray Hilborn and Ulrike Hilborn. Provides a clear, engaging, and scientifically-based description of the major controversies and contentions surrounding the world’s fisheries. This book will explore very different perspectives on sustainability, and bring together the data from a large number of studies to show where fish stocks are increasing, where they are declining, the consequences of alternative fisheries management regimes, and what is known about a range of fisheries issues such as the impacts of trawling on marine ecosystems. Ocean Recovery is aimed principally at a general audience that is already interested in fisheries but seeks both a deeper understanding of what is known about specific issues and an impartial presentation of all the data rather than selected examples used to justify a particular perspective or agenda. It will also appeal to the scientific community eager to know more about marine fisheries and fishing data, and serve as the basis for graduate seminars on the sustainability of natura l resources.

 Secularity and science: what scientists around the world really think about religion /Elaine Howard Ecklund, David R. Johnson, Brandon Vaidyanathan, Kirstin R.W. Matthews, Steven W. Lewis, et al. Based on over 600 interviews and surveys of over 20,000 scientists worldwide, Secularity and Science tells the story of the relationship between science and religion in the lives of scientists. The book makes four key claims: there are more religious scientists then we might think; religion and science overlap in scientific work; scientists – even atheist scientists – see spirituality in science; and finally, the idea that religion and science must conflict is primarily an invention of the West.

 The Romans in Britain /Howard Brenton. A 1980 stage play that comments upon imperialism and the abuse of power.

The science of religion, spirituality, and existentialism /edited by Kenneth E. Vail and Clay Routledge. Presents in-depth analysis of the core issues in existential psychology, their connections to religion and spirituality, and their diverse outcomes. Leading scholars from around the world cover research exploring how fundamental existential issues are both cause and consequence of religion and spirituality, informed by research data spanning multiple levels of analysis, such as: evolution; cognition and neuroscience; emotion and motivation; personality and individual differences; social and cultural forces; physical and mental health; among many others.