Over the past few weeks I have
spent quite a bit of time helping students with research, with citing sources
and with choosing non-fiction books to read for Junior Theme. Their interests are many and varied, often
covering topics that I have noted in previous posts on non-fiction works
related to poverty,
fracking,
class issues, health care, and race or ethnic identity to name just a few. Here, now are comments about several
NEW nonfiction books that were just published in February:
How to Have a Good Day (Crown Business, Feb. 2) is written by Caroline Webb,
a former McKinsey consultant. Webb
builds upon earlier works and offers practical suggestions in sections with titles like Priorities, Productivity or Relationships. I have already been
recommending this book and feel that it is one to which I could often refer. I
especially like that Webb bases her comments on research, but intersperses stories and includes massive amounts of information in three helpful appendices, a glossary and suggestions for further reading. How to
Have a Good Day is likely to join other business-oriented books like The
Originals by Adam Grant, Grit by Angela Duckworth and Small Data
by Martin Lindstrom on best-selling lists. In future posts, I will be reviewing
those later titles and upcoming author appearances ( by Grant and Duckworth) at
local Family Action Network
events.
And Then All Hell Broke
Loose (Simon & Schuster, Feb.
9) by Richard Engel is, to me, a fascinating read since it is based on his 20
some years reporting from the Middle East.
In that role, Engel has had the unique experience of not only
interviewing politicians and personally witnessing historic events, but living
in the region and making numerous local contacts, even surviving a kidnapping
in 2012. In addition to these personal and professional stories, he has been
able to step back somewhat and craft observations on the changes and trends
that have occurred in order to offer readers a broader perspective on the Middle East. Engel’s writing style is extremely accessible
and informative. I learned much as I
read and look forward to handing And Then All Hell Broke Loose to
students and faculty. Starred review from Booklist.
Five Rising Democracies (Brookings Institution, pbk Feb. 23) by Ted Piccone,
a senior fellow with the Project on International Order and Strategy at
Brookings. This work focuses on India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, and
Indonesia. Piccone discusses events and trends which he sees as impacting global
efforts regarding human rights and democracy. Given the upcoming Olympics and challenges from the Zika virus, the section on Brazil seemed especially timely. Five Rising Democracies has more of a scholarly
tone and language, but should have some interest for faculty and specialized Senior classes.
Finally, Untangled
(Random House, Feb. 9) by Lisa Damour is subtitled “Guiding Teenage Girls
through the Seven Transitions to Adulthood.” Damour, a psychotherapist, draws
upon her clinical experience to offer parents guidance on communicating about
difficult topics that range from romance, drugs and alcohol, to eating or mood
disorders, to coping with social media bullying or anxiety, and much more. Damour
asserts that there are predictable paths, although travelled at different
rates, as girls move from middle school, through high school and on towards
independence. In its review, Kirkus describes Untangled as,
"Expert information and counsel on helping parents raise well-rounded
girls.” Others, like Madeline Levine, call it “grounded,” “practical”, “logical,”
and “smart;” this title could easily be a One School, One Book program choice for
parent and teacher groups.
WILDHOOD by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn
Bowers is subtitled “The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans
and Other Animals.” And what an intriguing read it is! Readers can explore peer-pressure in salmon
(who knew?) and courtship behavior in humpback whales, plus many more examples
from the animal kingdom. The authors (Natterson-Horowitz is a visiting
professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard and Bowers
is a science journalist) previously collaborated on the New York Times
bestseller Zoobiquity. In WILDHOOD,
they use chapters divided into four parts representing key life skills (Safety, Status, Sex, and
Self-reliance) in order to discuss parallels with
our own species. Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers write about impulsivity and the
“teenage brain” as well as social hierarchies and “association with high status
animals.” Truly fascinating, their writing is scientific, but accessible and of
interest across disciplines like Psych, Science, and Kinetic Wellness classes. The
authors also raise issues that some Junior Theme students are already
exploring, too, like the impact for humans of having to learn these life skills
both in a real world and a virtual one. Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers recently published
an essay, called “Adolescents Go Wild – And Not Just Humans” in The Wall Street Journal (available
online at school) which gives a brief overview of their research. 
