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!

On Fire by Naomi Klein

ON FIRE by Naomi Klein is subtitled “The (Burning) Case for a Green New Deal.” Klein is a best-selling author who also holds an endowed chair at Rutgers University and has co-founded the climate justice organization The Leap. Her recent book is basically a collection of essays, some new and some written in the last decade, regarding climate change and its increasing urgency. I agree with other reviewers who have pointed to the necessity of becoming better informed on this topic – whether or not you ultimately agree with Klein. In her latest book, she takes a social justice perspective and argues that we can solve multiple crises at once:

The introduction to ON FIRE is lengthy, but accessible and inspirational, especially for teen readers. For example, she writes about numerous impacts around the world like one million dead fish in Australia’s Darling River, water shortages in Cape Town, South Africa, and wildfires in America’s Pacific Northwest. Klein points out that “wherever in the world they live, this generation has something in common: they are the first for whom climate disruption on a planetary scale is not a future threat, but a lived reality.” She continues to explain the genesis of the recent movement, including providing background on Greta Thunberg and her Friday protests which in turn prompted today's events. Klein asks “what is interfering with humanity’s basic survival instinct – why so many of us aren’t acting like our house is on fire when it so clearly is” and notes that “there are many powerful interests that like things as they are.” Some of Klein’s other sections are titled “Capitalism vs. the Climate,” “Stop Trying to Save the World All by Yourself,” and an epilogue on “The Capsule Case for a Green New Deal.” Klein’s ON FIRE received a starred review from Library Journal.

Epstein's Range, Karlgaard's Late Bloomers, and Boaler's Limitless Mind

One of our faculty members is a close, personal friend of David Epstein (The Sports Gene) and this teacher is extremely enthusiastic (as he should be) about Epstein’s latest non-fiction work: RANGE: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. Epstein is an engaging writer who begins by contrasting the stories of Tiger and Roger – showing that Woods (the early specialist) and Federer (a generalist) achieved dominance in their sports through different philosophies.  Epstein continues by citing examples and academic studies involving music, mathematics, education, science and medicine – essentially giving his readers some broad and general exposure to his thesis. He describes participants of one study who “were perfectly capable of learning from experience, but failed at learning without experience. And [yet] that is what a rapidly changing, wicked world demands – conceptual reasoning skills that can connect new ideas and work across contexts.” Epstein repeatedly points out that frustration actually means that you are learning. RANGE has been favorably reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian and The Atlantic. I highly recommend that you add it to your reading list. Epstein has made me want to do some more exploring of the concepts (like Fermi thinking) and resources (like University of Washington’s course on Calling Bullshit) that he mentions, particularly in regards to the application for our students’ Junior Theme research. If you are looking for more ideas to stretch your mind, consider also the recent list of summer reads for educators recommended on Edutopia.

“The Power of Patience in a World Obsessed with Early Achievement” is the subtitle for LATE BLOOMERS by Rich Karlgaard which one of our administrators has been strongly recommending. There is a great deal to discover in Karlgaard’s writing and beyond; he shares numerous anecdotes and devotes roughly a quarter of the text to notes and sources. He begins by looking at the potential consequences of how we measure and focus on achievement, especially for young people: “when so many people believe they are inferior based on a few narrow measurements made when they were children, society as a whole suffers.” Karlgaard then shifts to a chapter on the strengths of Late Bloomers: curiosity, compassion, resilience, equanimity, insight, and wisdom are all illustrated with numerous inspirational examples. One memorable quote comes from a global consultant named Don Peppers who says, “Not being curious is not only intellectually lazy, but it shows a willful contempt for the facts. If you don’t want to know the truth about something, then how moral can you claim to be?” Karlgaard also mused about the idea that almost everyone seemed to self-identify as a late bloomer and that perhaps some of the current, painful political discourse is a result of people feeling “unacknowledged, unappreciated and disrespected.” He encourages employers to take advantage of that potential, parents to “enjoy your children as they are” and for educators to better meet the needs of late bloomers. This past May, Karlgaard wrote a feature essay (adapted from his book) called “It’s Never Too Late to Start a Brilliant Career” in The Wall Street Journal where he cited many examples including the recently deceased Toni Morrison who “published her first novel, The Bluest Eye, at 39 and won a Pulitzer Prize for Beloved at 56 and the Nobel Prize in Literature five years later.” Reading LATE BLOOMERS may cause you to re-evaluate the path to long-term happiness for yourself and others.  

LIMITLESS MIND by Jo Boaler encourages us to “Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers.” Boaler is the Nomellini-Olivier Professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University, and the faculty director of youcubed.  As you can see from that website, much of her work has focused on mathematics and students in the K-8 range. However, the soon to be released LIMITLESS MIND has application across ages. Boaler first debunks damaging assumptions that limit confidence and willingness to try new things. Using a fairly academic tone, she discusses neuroplasticity and then outlines six keys that deal with our growth journey, the value of mistakes, relationships between beliefs and health, multiple ways of learning, importance of creativity and flexibility over speed, and importance of connections. I especially liked this last section where she discusses how “part of the reason students give up on learning is because they find it difficult and think they are alone in their struggle.” Boaler stresses the importance of working together so that student realize that “for everyone learning is a process and that obstacles are common.” Just as I encourage my student researchers to be sure they use a variety of sources (who will they invite to that metaphorical dinner party?), Boaler also notes that “connecting with another person’s idea both requires and develops a higher level of understanding.” Her examples for schools to encourage community involvement are practical, including a profile of Shane Feldman, founder of Count Me In movement. LIMITLESS MIND is filled with inspirational stories and is worth a look as we continue to grow and “think differently.” As Boaler says, “we are all learning all the time.”