What You Don't Know Will Make a Whole New World

From one of Californias most celebrated librarians and public historians, a coming-of-age memoir about the thirst for knowledge and hometown pride. A Best Book of the Year, Oakland Public Library 2023 Bronze Winner for the Foreword INDIES Award, Autobiography & Memoir "What You Dont Know will inspire for its grace, zest and courage." Joan Frank, San Francisco Chronicle Dorothy Lazard grew up in the Bay Area of the 1960s and 70s, surrounded by an expansive network of family, and hungry for knowledge. Here in her first book, she vividly tells the story of her journey to becoming queen of my own nerdy domain. Today Lazard is celebrated for her distinguished career as a librarian and public historian, and in these pages she connects her early intellectual pursuitsincluding a formative encounter with Alex Haleyto the career that made her a community pillar. As she traces her trajectory to adulthood, she also explores her personal experiences connected to the Summer of Love, the murder of Emmett Till, the flourishing of the Black Arts Movement, and the redevelopment of Oakland. As she writes with honesty about the tragedies she faced in her youthincluding the loss of both parentsLazards memoir remains triumphant, animated by curiosity, careful reflection, and deep enthusiasm for life.