Wildhood by Natterson-Horowitz and Bowers

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.

The text itself includes a glossary of terms, almost fifty pages of detailed notes and a helpful index. WILDHOOD received starred reviews from Booklist (“Teens might like reading about their counterparts in the animal kingdom”) and Publishers Weekly. Find it on our shelves soon!

Fifty Years Later: Chasing the Moon and One Giant Leap

Will you be watching the American Experience film titled Chasing the Moon on pbs this week? It’s on for three nights, exploring the early days of the Space race with the Soviet Union, the Apollo 1 tragedy and the triumph of the moon landing on July 20, 1969, all while commenting on how “dreams of space dramatically intersect with dreams of democracy.” CHASING THE MOON by Robert Stone and Alan Andres is the book companion and its chapters are split chronologically, beginning with “a place beyond the sky (1903 -1950).” That discusses pioneering scientists like Robert Goddard and Werner von Braun and will allow readers to contemplate the many innovative ideas and risks of that era – perhaps not unlike today’s efforts in genetic engineering or artificial intelligence. The next chapter looks at the period from 1952 to 1960 and several subsequent chapters cover two or three year periods during the 1960s, with the last chapter, the final frontier, delving into events from the 1970s.  Throughout there are some surprising statistics (e.g., there was a television in one-third of American households by spring 1952) and much evidence of corporate and media involvement (e.g., Colliers early promotion and sponsoring as well as exclusive rights to the astronauts’ story being given to Life magazine and subsequent promotion from Pan Am and others). Stone and Andres also seem to highlight controversial aspects like von Braun’s work for Hitler, early (and offensive) comments about women in space and pleas from Edwin R. Murrow to integrate the astronaut corps. In fact, their subtitle is “The People, the Politics and the Promise that launched America into the Space Age.” CHASING THE MOON has over twenty pages of notes, several brief biographical sketches of astronauts and others, plus a helpful index and numerous black and white and color photographs including iconic images.

Perhaps you have seen the new movie titled Apollo 11? It is a great factual reminder of events leading to the moon landing and also a help to visualizing those described in ONE GIANT LEAP by Charles Fishman. The best-selling author of other non-fiction titles (The Big Thirst, The Wal-mart Effect) strives to inspire readers with the story of “the impossible mission that flew us to the moon.” He begins by stressing how little we knew about space travel when Kennedy issued his famous challenge. Fishman notes, “The astronauts went to the Moon and their skill and courage is undeniable, and also well-chronicled. But the astronauts aren’t the ones who made it possible to go to the Moon. … That extraordinary accomplishment was done by ordinary people … Theirs is a story with unexpected surprises at every turn.”  For example, he points out that only three people were trained and licensed to fold by hand the recovery parachutes so they were forbidden from riding together in order to avoid an accident. And, astronauts relied on miniaturized, state-of-the art computers while also utilizing paper checklists and star charts. Fishman discusses the contributions of the space program – aside from achieving the Moon landing mission – like the use of integrated circuits and real-time computing, re-emphasizing his theme and saying, “The race to the Moon took developments and technologies and trends that most of the rest of the world, most of the rest of the economy, didn’t know about and magnified them, and helped make their significance and value clear well beyond space travel.” More than twenty-five percent of this extensively researched text is filled with notes, a bibliography, index and photographs. ONE GIANT LEAP received a starred review from Library Journal.

If you are looking for more commemorations regarding Apollo 11, consider attending the Winnetka Public library program: One Giant Leap on Saturday, July 13, beginning at 3:00pm.  Designed for adults and teens, actor Terry Lynch will portray astronaut Neil Armstrong as he recounts the lead up to the first moon landing, as well as the other "series of firsts" associated with that historic mission, including: the first color TV transmission from Earth and the first time a customs report was filled out from another planet! Registration is required.

The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero

THE CLASS by Heather Won Tesoriero describes the events of a year spent observing a high school science research class taught by Andy Bramante in Greenwich, Connecticut. Tesoriero has chosen the rather long subtitle: “A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America” and after reading parts of this book, that honestly does not feel like hyperbole.  Bramante, like many teachers, is having a huge (and often under-appreciated) impact on the students in his class.  Likewise, their impressive experiments and thought processes will indeed change the world.  Aside from individual anecdotes and stories shared in chapters labeled Sophie, William, Ethan, and so forth, the multi-page list of the awards they won in 2016-2017 and the list of colleges they are attending all support Tesoriero’s contentions about their intelligence and likelihood of future contributions.

Tesoriero’s credentials as an Emmy-winning former producer at CBS and reporter at Newsweek, Time, and the Wall Street Journal are impressive and THE CLASS is very well-written and engaging. However, the part which gives me pause with regards to purchasing it for a school library is the emphasis on “the Most Inventive Classroom in America.”  Tesoriero herself notes that Bramante’s students “dominated the science fair circuit in unprecedented numbers” and makes reference to working in the lab until midnight.  Clearly, they are not a representative bunch and where is the balance in their lives? I would hesitate to hand this book to one of my students (even though they, too, are very accomplished and privileged), especially at a time when parents and educators are all trying to help teenagers cope appropriately with anxiety (see recent New York Times opinion piece, for example) and high expectations. In this book, even Andy Bramante shows signs of burnout despite his many connections and resources. My other concern is that Tesoriero writes about both male and female students here, but in one section I read she chose to emphasize a story about prom-proposals and what a girl was wearing to the prom.  What message is that sending about women’s roles, especially with respect to science where they tend to be underrepresented?

Do look for THE CLASS if you are interested in stories about innovative science experiments like those that could develop a low-cost Ebola test or create an antibiotic-laced liquid bandage or gauge arterial plaque buildup or study how to help cure Lyme disease. You will be encouraged and impressed – just like all of those high school science fair judges!

NEW INFO: LOCAL Author Talk: Monday, September 24, 2018 -- 2 events

12:00 PM - Loyola University Chicago School of Law; 25 E. Pearson St., Chicago, IL 60611 RSVP HERE

7:00 PM - New Trier High School, Northfield Campus, Cornog Auditorium, 7 Happ Rd., Northfield, IL 60093