Our sophomore students write a “how to” essay, dissecting
and cataloging the steps to complete an activity like “how to change a tire” or
“how to keep your focus as a soccer goalie.” This past week I seem to have been
reading several new “how to” books and thought I would briefly comment on each
one here.
Ellis, a playwright, describes her take on and
affection for various literary characters and writers in How to be a
Heroine. My favorite part included her feminist slant and comments
about Ellen O’Hara (Scarlett’s mother), but she covers much more, and cites numerous influential characters
ranging from the Little Mermaid to Plath’s Esther Greenwood, Lizzy Bennet, Scheherazade, and many more. This memoir (and its copious
notes) will appeal to avid readers, English teachers and aspiring writers. The Observer
exclaims, “fantastically inspirational memoir that makes you want to re-read
far too many books.” Yes, it certainly has that effect and could also provide
some short readings for review and discussion in our Senior Writers’
Seminar. How to be a Heroine
by Samantha Ellis received starred reviews from Booklist and Library
Journal.
How We Can Save Sports by
Ken Reed
Given the recent amount of attention paid to deflate-gate,
NFL concussions and other sports concerns, How We Can Save Sports by
Ken Reed is a very timely work. It begins
with a rant, though, in the form of a foreword by consumer activist Ralph Nader. Reed then proposes a concept of
"citizenship through sports activism,” suggests specific action steps and provides
resources in an appendix. As a blogger for The Huffington Post and sports
policy director for the League of Fans, a sports reform project started by Nader, Reed is an authority on a subject of interest to many of our students.
The XYZ Factor edited by
Nancy Lublin and Alyssa Ruderman
Subtitled “The DoSomething.org Guide to Creating a Culture of Impact,” newly published The XYZ Factor is an exploration of the work environment from the 20-something perspective. All of the authors work together at DoSomething.org, self-described as “the largest membership organization in the world for young people and social change.” They explain that XYZ is a mindset and the goal of the book is to foster productivity by sharing and describing seven secrets (or traits like “we value choice”) of 20-somethings. If I had to manage several employees in this demographic, the examples (huge choice in TV channels, growth in college majors) and analysis (“constant access to choice leads us to feel bored or stymied”) would certainly be helpful in appreciating their perspective. For example, there is a section called “we move fast” that bemoans too slow decision-making and another on the importance of measureable feedback. Much of the discussion is “spot on,” though perhaps a bit more narcissistic and entitled than the editors intended. The XYZ Factor should prompt some valuable workplace dialogue between all ages.
Subtitled “The DoSomething.org Guide to Creating a Culture of Impact,” newly published The XYZ Factor is an exploration of the work environment from the 20-something perspective. All of the authors work together at DoSomething.org, self-described as “the largest membership organization in the world for young people and social change.” They explain that XYZ is a mindset and the goal of the book is to foster productivity by sharing and describing seven secrets (or traits like “we value choice”) of 20-somethings. If I had to manage several employees in this demographic, the examples (huge choice in TV channels, growth in college majors) and analysis (“constant access to choice leads us to feel bored or stymied”) would certainly be helpful in appreciating their perspective. For example, there is a section called “we move fast” that bemoans too slow decision-making and another on the importance of measureable feedback. Much of the discussion is “spot on,” though perhaps a bit more narcissistic and entitled than the editors intended. The XYZ Factor should prompt some valuable workplace dialogue between all ages.
Words Onscreen by Naomi S. Baron
Published by Oxford University Press and written by a specialist
in Linguistics, Words Onscreen has already sparked interest amongst
our faculty. It deals with questions about “the fate of reading in a digital
world.” Baron explains recent research and explores differences and preferences
between reading hardcopy print and online. Her writing is accessible, although her
tone sometimes turns strident as she explores a new normal where "computers,
and now portable digital devices, coax us to skim rather than read in depth,
search rather than traverse continuous prose.” Baron’s preference towards print
is clear, but she raises numerous interesting questions about the act of
reading, its varied purposes, its individual vs. social nature, and its
relationship with writing. I am looking forward to comparing Words
Onscreen with other research on this topic, especially the soon to be
released Mind Change by Susan Greenfield.
Meanwhile, like those Sophomore “how to” essays, each of the above
books focuses on a specific subject and has appeal for a particular audience –
choose the one that best fits your interests!
