Herding Hemingway’s Cats by Kat Arney

I have been talking about Herding Hemingway’s Cats by Kat Arney quite a bit lately.  In particular, I spoke with several students, especially girls, who want to pursue science careers or write about science subjects and a part of our talks has turned to how to share science knowledge more broadly.  Kat Arney does just that in Herding Hemingway’s Cats where she helps her readers, as the subtitle states, with “understanding how our genes work.”

Arney, a science journalist with a PhD from Cambridge University, is a potential role model as well as an engaging writer. She blithely describes our genome, junk DNA and “throwing the switch” (turning genes on/off at the right time), plus plenty of history and other topics associated with recent scientific research based on her interviews with scientists in the field. Arney often turns to metaphors in an attempt to explain a more complicated idea so of course, I especially enjoyed her use of a library of cookbooks, complete with instructions for components (e.g., how to make frosting) and the way that copying and using recipes in a messy kitchen often results in changes along the way.  Herding Hemingway’s Cats received a starred review from Kirkus and will have a well-deserved place on the shelf next to the forthcoming (May 2016) The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies.

Burn, Baby, Burn by Meg Medina

Burn, Baby, Burn by Meg Medina is a coming of age young adult novel which provides a compelling look into growing up Latina in late 1970’s New York City. The main character, Nora, is about to graduate high school and she is struggling to balance school and work and family obligations, while hoping for independence.  Her future plans are in limbo as the city itself reels from a historic blackout, a frightening string of serial killings and menacing arson attacks.

Nora’s brother, Hector, is basically evil, with seemingly no conscience. One is left to wonder if that is a result of his nature (“boys will be boys” as some of his apologists claim), or the result of nurturing (poor parenting from a single Mom), or somehow related to a culture and environment (urban poverty, drug dealing) which condones or produces violence. Questioning those factors makes Burn, Baby, Burn highly relevant for teens today. There are also quite a few references to first and last names and skin color in this book (Nora’s full name is Leonora Lopez and her sometimes boyfriend Paulie was christened Pablo Ruiz) and the prejudices they face should also resonate with many participating in the current discussions across our country. 

Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal all gave Burn, Baby, Burn starred reviews. I originally picked up this book because I had read and recommended Medina’s Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, winner of the 2014 Pura Belpre Author Award. Definitely look for that title, too.  It’s a realistic, if painful, portrait of high school bullying with another strong Latina character. 

Three new "must read" Business Books ...

I want to recommend three recent business books which we are purchasing.

The Originals by Adam Grant (Viking, Feb. 2) first came to my attention when I was reviewing the list of upcoming FAN (Family Awareness Network) presenters.  Grant will be speaking about

The Originals: How Non-conformists Move the World on Tuesday, April 5 at 7:00pm at New Trier High School’s Gaffney Auditorium. He is the best-selling author of Give and Take and Sheryl Sandberg provides the foreword in this latest work which deals with finding a new idea and developing it.  Grant begins with a chapter on Creative Destruction, moving on to others with titles “Fools Rush In” and “Rethinking Groupthink” while sharing numerous anecdotes and case studies. One of the most valuable sections is an almost ten page list of “Actions for Impact” where Grant summarizes his advice on topics like managing emotions and sparking original ideas, along with suggestions for parents and educators. Our cataloguer will add multiple local notes since students in both Psych and Senior Writers Seminar often research topics (like “birth order”) discussed by Grant. Grab his book and plan to see him speak.

Added September 11 - a New York Times article by Adam Grant: "Why We Should Stop Grading Students on a Curve."

Small Data by Martin Lindstrom (St. Martin’s, Feb. 23) is a fascinating look at cultures around the world.  Lindstrom describes several of his consultancy projects and the “small data” from observations which eventually form patterns and drive his recommendations.  For example, he talks about refrigerator magnets in eastern Russia, about the color choice for cereal boxes in India and about LEGO’s turnaround in the face of videogame popularity.  Our geography students – and those interested in marketing – will find much to entertain and surprise them in Small Data as Lindstrom reviews traditions, consumer behavior, and family relationships on several continents. He is constantly interspersing interesting tidbits (e.g., “with 79 percent precision, software can determine a user’s credit rating based on the degree to which they write in ALL CAPS”).  Though a bit rambling and disjointed at times, Small Data is one of my favorite non-fiction titles so far this year; it features a foreword from Chip Heath and received starred reviews from both Booklist and Kirkus.

Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg (Random House, Mar. 8) is the newest book from the Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter and author of The Power of Habit. Part of this book was adapted in a recent – and very popular – New York Times article "What Google Learned from Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team." Duhigg focuses on motivation, decision-making, problem-solving, and other “secrets of being productive in life and business.” He, too, offers numerous examples ranging from the FBI working to solve a kidnapping case to GM/Toyota adopting "lean manufacturing" to tech firm hiring and much more.  I am working with a Psych research class this week and know they and their teacher will value Duhigg’s insights. Smarter, Faster, Better received a starred review from Kirkus.

All three of these titles should definitely appear on next year’s list of recommended reading for our business classes as well as on lists for other classes mentioned above.