Recently in Common Read - "Literary Launch" Program Category
Book Synopsis
One day in 1993, high up in the world's most inhospitable mountains, Greg Mortenson wandered lost and alone, broken in body and spirit, after a failed attempt to climb K2, the world's deadliest peak. When the people of an impoverished village in Pakistan's Karakoram Himalaya took him in and nursed him back to health, Mortenson made an impulsive promise: He would return one day and build them a school. Although he was a homeless "climbing bum" living out of his aging Buick in Berkeley, California, Mortenson sold what few possessions he had to launch one of the most remarkable humanitarian campaigns of our time." "Three Cups of Tea traces Mortenson's decade-long odyssey to build schools, especially for girls, throughout the region that gave birth to the Taliban and sanctuary to Al Qaeda. While he wages war with the root causes of terrorism - poverty and ignorance - by providing both girls and boys with a balanced, nonextremist education. Mortenson must survive a kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, death threats from Americans who consider him a traitor, and wrenching separations from his family." Today, as the director of the Central Asia Institute, Mortenson has built fifty-five schools serving Pakistan and Afghanistan's poorest communities. And as this real-life Indiana Jones from Montana crisscrosses the Himalaya and the Hindu Kush fighting to keep these schools functioning, he provides not only hope to tens of thousands of children, but living proof that one passionately dedicated person truly can change the world.
with the life-giving power of literature.
If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of
myself in the world, I would do that again by reading,
just as I did when I was young.
~ Maya Angelou ~
"Launch" into the spring with a great book! The book we have selected fits with the Year of Evolution theme and events around the Philadelphia region for Darwin's 200th birthday--"Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body," by Neil Schubin. Students enrolled in LING 001U and GEOSC 021H must have the book completed before the semester begins to be ready for in-class discussions during the first week of classes.All honors students will meet during the spring semester for book discussions with their honors peers and honors faculty.
Book Synopsis
Why do we look the way we do? What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales connected in some way? To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today's most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish.
Neil Shubin, a leading paleontologist and professor of anatomy who discovered Tiktaalik--the "missing link" that made headlines around the world in April 2006--tells the story of evolution by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years, long before the first creatures walked the earth. By examining fossils and DNA, Shubin shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our head is organized like that of a long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genome look and function like those of worms and bacteria.
Shubin makes us see ourselves and our world in a completely new light. "Your Inner Fish" is science writing at its finest--enlightening, accessible, and told with irresistible enthusiasm.
Man ceased to be an ape, vanquished the ape,
on the day the first book was written.
~ Yevgeny Zamyatin ~
Your Inner Fish does an amazing job taking scientific concepts and breaking them down into understandable, interesting chapters. I enjoyed seeing the similarities between my body and long dead creatures. -- Adrienne Showalter
The book was alright. I don't know whether it really proves anything, though. Similarities between creatures' structures, bones, etc., can just as easily point to a common design as to evolution. There is more convincing evidence out there. -- Mary-Therese Capaldi
I found "Your Inner Fish" very interesting. One of the most interesting facts was how the human middle ear bones developed. I could not believe they were once a reptile jaw. Another fact that I found interesting was the gradual development of the human eye. One last thing was how human are susceptible to disease and other viruses. -- John Formento
Book Synopsis
Millions of Americans work for poverty-level wages, and one day Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that any job equals a better life. But how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 to $7 an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich moved from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, taking the cheapest lodgings available and accepting work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson. She soon discovered that even the "lowliest" occupations require exhausting mental and physical efforts. And one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.
Nickel and Dimed reveals low-wage America in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity--a land of Big Boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategies for survival. Instantly acclaimed for its insight, humor, and passion, this book is changing the way America perceives its working poor.
I have often reflected upon the new vistas that reading opened to me.
I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the
course of my life. As I see it today, the ability to read awoke in me
some long dormant craving to be mentally alive.
~ Malcolm X ~
Student comments about this Literary Launch:
I think that "Nickel and Dimed" was an interesting look into the lives of low-wage workers in America. Overall, the book left me with many negative views about the working environment in this country. The process that Barbara went through was very unique, a reporter going undercover to obtain the dirt beneath the system. Although the experience was very unique, I was turned off by Barbara's ease at backing out of the situation anytime she wanted. In reality, most low-wage workers, especially women, are single mothers. Because of that, the intent of the book left me indifferent. -- Teron Meyers"Nickel and Dimed" served as an intriguing introduction to the honors program theme this semester. I enjoyed reading about Erenreich's experiences, and the book has increased my interest in reading more culture-based books! -- Sara Neville
I was skeptical of "Nickel and Dimed" because it wasn't the academic read that I had expected; however, I became engaged when I realized how it applied to my own life. While I am not a Wal-Mart employee or a Merry Maid, I have supported myself on minimum wage without health insurance. I have worked two jobs to make ends meet, and that is part of the reason that I have returned to school. Those living in poverty aren't necessarily lazy or making poor financial decisions - it is impossible (and exhausting) to live a normal, healthy lifestyle under such conditions. -- Dana Gibson
We are adding a new academic activity for our scholars. We are requiring a common read for all of our incoming and returning honors students. The book we have selected is on the Schreyer Honors College reading list—The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell. (Paperback, published in 2002, ISBN: 0316346624)
WHY a summer reading?
The primary goal of the summer reading is to encourage everyone to read and discuss issues that contribute to broad intellectual development. The second goal is to foster intellectual ties through discussion with faculty members and other students.
WHY this particular book?
Take a look at the Editorial Reviews from the Barnes & Noble website. As you can see from the reviews, there is something in this book for everyone of all disciplines. We think you will all be intrigued by Gladwell’s discussion of social epidemics. Keep in mind as you read that we will be asking you about the tipping points YOU have experienced in your own lives!
and strengthens our most fatal tendency--
the belief that the here and now is all there is.
~ Allan Bloom ~
Student comments about this Literary Launch:
I loved the book. It's one of my top ten. Some new things to me [include] the broken window theory as well as the author's theories on the mechanisms that spread social trends. The notion that environment affects the person tremendously made me think about the widespread application of the principle. -- Caleb Freeman
Although the book shed some light on an interesting topic, I felt that it lacked an overall finality. This means that the "tipping point" as an idea was presented, but its direct and concrete application was left out. The book presented some challenging ideas and social issues and was a good basis for topical discussions in class. -- Matthew Thornton
The Tipping Point gets in one's head. Afterwards, every fad and culture phenomenon becomes interesting and suddenly one finds his or herself wondering who pushed these fads and how did they start. The book was highly enjoyable and I found myself mentioning and recommending it to others during the NCUR conference. -- Adrienne Showalter
