The True Flag by Stephen Kinzer

Several years ago, Stephen Kinzer’s Overthrow was a regular part of the Social Studies curriculum and I have some students who are reading it this year for Junior Theme. I know that they and faculty will be interested in his new book, THE TRUE FLAG, especially because of its focus on the debate over America’s role in the world.   Kinzer, though, is writing about the debate which occurred over a hundred years ago when Teddy Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge and William Randolph Hearst argued for expansion while Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington and Andrew Carnegie advocated against imperialist actions.  

The argument itself is fascinating and, of course, well documented by Kinzer, an award-winning foreign correspondent and best-selling author.  It echoes debate today, not just in terms of position and content (morality of “water cure” torture), but also in regards to the role of the media and celebrities. THE TRUE FLAG by Stephen Kinzer received starred reviews from Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews, with the last indicating that THE TRUE FLAG “should be required reading for civics courses.”   

Another “in the news” topic is the plight of refugees around the world. Our students have been studying this in a variety of courses and I am excited to see and share this list of books to “Help Kids Understand What It’s Like to Be a Refugee.” This list applies to a variety of ages and I am looking forward to exploring many of the titles.  Debates have obviously been raging for a long time and civil discourse is critical to democracy and education.  If you have other resources to suggest, please let us know.

Why Time Flies by Alan Burdick

Did you know that time is the most commonly used noun in English (besides pronouns)? Its meaning, though, can be varied, perhaps referring to measurements on clocks, watches or mobile devices; perhaps the sequence or the length of events; and certainly the past, present and future. In his “mostly scientific investigation,” titled WHY TIME FLIES, author Alan Burdick (a staff writer and former senior editor at The New Yorker) discusses chronobiology and circadian rhythm in sections titled “The Hours,” “The Days,” “The Present,” and “Why Time Flies.” He makes all of this accessible to his readers, often relating stories about his own twin boys and frequently quoting scientists and philosophers like St. Augustine.  

There is a range of interesting facts (experiments showing that our brains actually tell us what is happening “right now” at least 80 milliseconds after it has occurred), drawings and charts, plus roughly thirty pages of bibliography and index. If you are curious and wish to reflect more about this topic, consider:

• we have no special receptors for time;
• we do not experience time itself, only its passing;
• that also can vary depending on our mood  such as having fun or experiencing trauma. 

Burdick explores these and many more ideas in WHY TIME FLIES. You can also read or hear an excerpt on the publisher’s page OR listen to this NPR interview with the author OR this one at National Geographic.