Pines and Plains Libraries

John Stuart Mill's resolute dedication to the cause of freedom inspired this 1859 treatise. Discussed and debated from time immemorial, the concept of personal liberty went without codification until the publication of this enduring work which applies an ethical system of utilitarianism to society and the state which to this day remains well known and studied. Mills (1806-1873), a British economist, philosopher, and ethical theorist whose argument...

"It's December 23, 1971, and the Hildebrandt family is at a crossroads. The patriarch, Russ, the associate pastor of a suburban Chicago church, is poised to break free of a marriage he finds joyless--unless his brilliant and unstable wife, Marion, breaks free of it first. Their eldest child, Clem, is coming home from college afire with moral absolutism, having taken an action that will shatter his father. Clem's sister, Becky, long the social queen...

Eric Metaxas offers a thrilling review of America's uniqueness, and a sobering reminder that America's greatness cannot continue unless people truly understand what their founding fathers meant for them to be. The book includes a stirring call-to-action for every American to understand the ideals behind the 'noble experiment in ordered liberty' that is America. It also paints a vivid picture of the tremendous fragility of that experiment and explains...

Michael Moore visits a host of nations to learn how the U.S. could improve its own prospects. The creator of Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine is back with this hilarious and eye-opening call to arms. Turns out the solutions to America's most entrenched problems already exist in the world. They're just waiting to be co-opted.

After being captured by men, Blue the Appaloosa grabs a chance at freedom and tries to find her way home.

In 1863, as the War Between the States creeps inevitably toward its bloody conclusion, former Kentucky slave Britt Johnson ventures west into unknown territory with this wife, Mary, and their three children, searching for a life and a future. But their dreams are abruptly shattered by a brutal Indian raid upon the Johnsons' settlement while Britt is away establishing a business. Returning to find his friends and neighbors slain or captured, his eldest...

Morgan Freeman takes viewers on a global journey to meet with people from different cultures whose lives are shaped in surprising ways, exploring themes that unite us all. At a time when global events seem to be driving cultures apart, the series aims to reveal the common humanity that lies inside each one of us. Each hour-long episode explores a single fundamental force or topic: freedom, peace, love, social division, power, and rebellion.

Standing at the entrance to New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States early in the twentieth century. To people all over the world it is a symbol of freedom and friendship. How and why was this magnificent statue built? In this book readers will learn the fascinating story behind the statue's creation.

Describes how and why the Statue of Liberty was built and explains the symbolism behind parts of the statue.