New Book on Communication from Alan Alda

Alan Alda, perhaps best known as the star of M*A*S*H, has a new book titled IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU, WOULD I HAVE THIS LOOK ON MY FACE?  He was interviewed on PBS NewHour last night:

Alda builds on his experience hosting PBS’s Scientific American Frontiers to stress the importance of listening – really listening with eyes, ears and feelings.  As founder of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University, he points out the importance of empathy, personal connection and trust in communication. His message combines an appreciation for science (saying we need to understand it better so as to support it more) while sharing insights associated with the Humanities, like the acting world's “mirroring” and other improv exercises. IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU, WOULD I HAVE THIS LOOK ON MY FACE? seems particularly timely and useful in an age when so (too?) much of our communication tends to be through screens.

New non-fiction

As librarians, we are always reviewing and looking for non-fiction selections which will be of interest to students and teachers so I was thrilled this past week when I was asked about two new books I have been reading. In one case, a teacher spied the pre-publication copy of Truth or Truthiness on my desk. She, like me, was drawn to the subtitle, “Distinguishing Fact from Fiction by Learning to Think Like a Data Scientist,” for this book written by Howard Wainer. Packed with charts, graphs and data tables, this relatively skinny book examines the line between reason/evidence and belief/faith. It is probably too technical statistically for most students, but all could benefit from the basic idea of asking, “What evidence do you have to support it?” whenever a claim is made.     

Secondly, I have several students who are working on Junior Theme and are interested in learning more about Autism.  We talked this week about the newly released In a Different Key by John Donvan and Caren Zucker. At 688 pages, this is a complex and thorough history of autism, with numerous case studies since the 1930’s, a timeline, and extensive notes and bibliography. Several chapters deal with controversies (“refrigerator mothers,” MMR vaccination) often linked with autism as well as inspiring stories of patients, parents, and physicians.

For more on this book, there is a January 25th New Yorker article, “Seeing the Spectrum” and  pbs NewsHour interview with the authors:

In a Different Key received a starred review from Kirkus.

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Baron

Have you been enjoying Death Comes to Pemberly on pbs? Then definitely look for Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas which is another intriguing mystery which actually features Jane Austen as a main character.  Part of the series by Stephanie Barron, this newly released selection works as wonderful historical fiction, providing detailed description of Georgian Christmas customs as it is set in 1814 and begins with Jane and her family traveling for the holidays.

Eventually, a member of the house party is killed and we are drawn into a closed house mystery, complete with romantic entanglements and political intrigue. The many twists and subplots kept me guessing until the very end of this cozy mystery. Throughout the book, Barron alludes to Austen’s works and captures the tone, language and manners of the time. Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.