NONFICTION (NOT HISTORY)
Ackerman, Jennifer. Ah-Choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold. JH What a
delightful read! If you have any interest in colds, the operations of your body, viruses or
science in general, you will want to read this book! In sprightly, organized, entertaining
form, the book informs the reader about what colds are and aren't, how colds operate in
the body, how they spread, and how you should take care of yourself to treat or avoid
catching one, blasting many old wives tales and misinformation you might think true.
Chance in the Hands of Fate: A Natural History of Heredity. H Nonfiction The book is a
really good, up to date review of how genetics works--or doesn't work, as the case may
be. You really have to be interested in the biology of genetics and how our genes work
chemically to read this book because it is dense with information. Be prepared to spend a
big chunk of time. Well written, interesting, but not necessarily entertaining.
Appleman-jurman, Alicia. Alicia. H Great nonfiction of the Holocaust--but with a difference
from most other holocaust memoirs. Alicia actually never was sent to the death camps.
She manages to hide, escape detection, even join resistance groups and survive with help
of many nonJews. However, the Holocaust makes its mark on her since almost everyone
she knows and loves DOESN'T survive. Her story after the war ends, as a consequence,
is marked by continuing danger and some pretty unpleasant incidents as she works
smuggling Jews into Israel. Dramatic, but definitely adult
Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone. Nonfiction. H You've heard of the "lost boys." This memoir
traces the experiences of a then 13 year old boy from Sierra Leone, forced to become a
"soldier," forced to perpetrate horrible atrocities. After rebel forces raided Beah's village
and scattered his family, he and a handful of others escape. He survives, barely, until he
is taken to a village run by the regular army. There he is safe--until the rebels take the
surrounding area. Then the protecting armed forces forcibly "recruit" the boy refugees,
drugging them and arming them and "training" them. He and his peers kill, torture,
torment, persecute--a lot. Then he is taken by UN forces to the capital to be rehabilitated,
a long, gradual process that saves him--until rebel forces attack the capital. This young
man has near total recall, so his narrative is detailed, explicit, and harsh, but an excellent
eye opener to what a youth can live through and overcome.
Berri, David J. The Wages of Wins. Nonfiction H In order to like this book, you must be
interested in two categories, sports and economics. Though the authors do not include
the esoteric mathematical computations and formulae they use to come up with their
conclusions, they DO talk of the economics of sports to show how much of the accepted
beliefs about economics and sports doesn't hold true, and which of those beliefs do. I
found their breezy, informal style lots of fun to read, and though I have no training in
economics, I understood their clear accounts of their reasoning. I learned a lot about how
owners, managers and coaches make their player decisions, sometimes without basing
those decisions on the economic truths they think they understand. but really do not. One
problem: the book's most recent figures and examples come from the 2004 sports
seasons, so as years go by, the book will become dated. Too bad. It's readable and
informative.
Bird, Larry and Magic Johnson. When the Game was Ours. H Ok, so you really have to like
basketball to enjoy this book. It's an engaging account of the rivalry between Larry Bird
(playing for the Celtics, in the East) and Magic Johnson (playing for the Lakers in the
West) that really MADE pro basketball into a spectator favorite rivaling pro baseball and
football. This team met for the championship several times during the 80-'s, almost
always to dramatic games with results unpredictable. Though these superstars'
personalities contast strongly, they find their approach to the intensity of pro ball and
their total dedication to winning made them very much alike. I enjoyed this book. The
book does deal with Johnson's diagnosis of HIV and how it affected his retirement and
his fellow players, but tastefully.
Blum, Deborah. The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz
Age New York. H This book traces the development of forensic toxicology in New York
City from the early 1900's on, with details of crimes of poisoning and how scientists took
over the study of poison deaths from the elected or politically appointed coroners--but not
without a fight. The stories are gripping, and the personalities involved are endlessly
interesting. It's a great read for those who are interested in true crime, science, and/or
CSI. Although this book traces the history of this field, it contains enough science and
psychology to be on this list.
Bradley, James with Ron Powers. Flags of our Fathers. H. This interesting story tells the
adventure of a young man who finds after his father's death that his dad had been one of
the marines in the iconic Battle of Iwo Gima flagraising photo, and hid it from him and
his family for the rest of his life. The young man traces the battle, the taking of the
photo(s), and what happened to the marines in that photo, finding tragedy and triumph in
their lives. It's been awhile since I read this book. There may be language issues.
Brafman, Ori and Rom Brafman. Sway. H Another great nonfiction read, this book examines the
ways in which we derail our decisions, ignoring rational considerations for the irrational
pull of obstinacy or out of perceptions of unfairness. The engaging writing helps a lot, but
what's most fun to read is the experiences and experiments that support and dramatize the
"pull of irrational behavior" the authors are discussing. Some of the most fun: if someone
you cannot identify must divide a sum of money, offering you as much (or as little) as
they want, knowing that if you refuse their offer, neither of you will get the money, will
you take the offer if they offer less than half? Will it matter if the sum is large or small?
Can contestants on the program "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" trust the answers the
audience gives? Research shows it depends on rhe country: they can trust US audiences,
but French audiences may deliberately steer them wrong, and Russian audiences--well,
read and find out. The answers will surprise you!
Brown, Mark. Emergency!:True Stories from the Nation’s ERs. H Some of these true stories
from nurses and doctors that work in emergency rooms are inspiring and fun to read.
Some are amusing, but others are offensively irreverent and unfunny and really negative.
The book's an ok read, but not as good as I expected.
Cohen, Jared. Children of Jihad. H What could be more unlikely than a New York Jewish kid
acting as voice for young Moslems all over the Arab world. This story of the young
man’s journey through Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran is amazing. He interviews countless
youth who express their hopes, dreams and fears. The book is a source of hope, and a
good book for Americans of all ages to read. It will challenge stereotypes and open up
doors to understanding those who most admire us and those who would like to destroy
our way of life. Very positive.
Cox, Lynne with Martha Kaplan. Swimming to Antarctica. Nonfiction H If you like people like
you who accomplish extraordinary feats, if you like sports narratives, if you like
swimming--this book is for you. I'm not much into sports narratives, but this one is
enchanting. Even though the narrator is world famous, deservedly, for completing some
of the most challenging swims ever attempted (she begins with the English Channel and
goes from there), she is unassuming and just plain nice. Readers will enjoy her positive
values, including patriotism, peacemakingness, and love of people, and her honesty.
D’Ambrosio, Richard Anthony. No Language but a Cry. Nonfiction JH Gripping and inspiring
tribute to human survival--this memoir of a psychologist tells the story of a girl as an
infant fried in a frying pan by abusive parents. Her trauma has left her to grow up not
speaking, barely able to get around, raised by kind nuns in an orphanage. The nuns appeal
to the psychologist to help the girl--and this book is his account of the girl's triumph over
circumstances that should have kept her a victim, but instead make her an inspiring
example. VERY positive.
Denby, David. Great Books. H This book should be required reading for every English/literature
teacher, and really is a good book for anyone interested in the most important writinigs of
Western civilization. It sounds a bit ordinary: a journalist decides, as an adult 20 years
out of college, to go back and repeat his Contemporary Civilization and Literature
Humanities classes required for freshman at Columbia. And then he writes about what he
reads and what the class and its professor discuss about all of these basic texts. As a
journalist, Denby has mastered writing and knows what is interesting. Weaving exerpts
from the texts with his own thinking, the thinking of his classmates and professors, and
with his own life experiences, Denby presents these texts in a way that will help every
experienced reader relive his/her reading adventures and will entice inexperienced
readers to examine these important texts. It helps that I agree with his thoughts on
contemporary literary criticism and teaching, as well as appreciate many of his opinions
about the very important questions these texts raise. It has taken me two weeks to
complete this "great book"--and the book was worth the time and thought! I am
motivated to read Beauvoir, reread Woolf and wade more deeply into Nietzsche,
Rousseau and the other philosophers I have merely sampled.
Didion, Joan. The Year of Magical Thinking. H Sometimes life comes at you fast…like a hardthrown ball-missile in a lightning fast game of dodge ball—only you can’t duck. That’s
what has happened to Joan Didion in this autobiographical account of one tragic year in
her life, beginning with the day her husband died suddenly, in the midst of a family crisis.
Their only daughter suffered with a traumatic septic pneumonia and spent weeks in a
coma. This book traces Didion’s moods and thoughts and imaginings and rememberings
during that fateful year. The book should only be read by people with strong enough
beliefs or optimism or ego strength not to be swept into the depression and despair of the
book. Ultimately a positive testimony that life, does, indeed, go on, Ms. Didion’s psychic
journey is painful and can fill the reader with empathy and compassion as reader and
author relive and assess the ending of a valued and valuable life together.
Emsley, John. Molecules of Murder. H Nonfiction. If you have any interest in poisons and
how they work chemically and biologically, this book will entrance you. Each chapter
informs the reader about one common poison. The author adds narrative accounts of
famous poisonings to illustrate his chemical and biological explanations of the poisons
and how they work in our bodies.
Farrell, Jeanette. Invisible Enemies: Stories of Infectious Disease. DRP 66 JH Nonfiction
Well written, illustrated with historical graphics, this history of seven major historical
diseases covers both the disease itself and how it is spread and the history of each
disease. Gory and excellent, but the last disease covered is AIDS. The book takes the
“politically correct” view of homosexuals and their role in the spread of the epidemic,
sympathetically describing some behaviors that would be found objectionable by Nebo
patrons.
Invisible Allies: Microbes that Shape Our Lives. JH Nonfiction A good companion to
her other book--Though the book about the role of bacteria and fungi in our food, our gut
and in rotting everything dead is classified young adult, it provides fun, interesting
reading for all. Clear, entertaining, informative, the book is a great addition to a
nonfiction library.
Fleischman, John. Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science. MJH
Nonfiction. This fascinating story reads like fiction: Phineas Gage, a young construction
foreman, is supervising a crew blasting a railroad through a granite mountain when an
explosion hurls an iron bar up through his cheek into his brain--and he lives, but is
forever changed in motivation, emotion, personality and behavior, all those things which
make us human. The account brings in what was known about the brain at the time of
the accident, 1848, what is known now, how the accident changed him and why, and the
outcome in his life. The book is appropriate for any young reader interested in medicine,
the brain, or weird gruesome things that happen randomly. Two gruesome illustrations
are the only things kids need to watch for, and they’re pretty tame, considering the
subject.
Flinn, Kathleen. The Sharper the Knife, the Less You Cry. H Kathleen Flynn doesn't like her
corporate life, but she's still devastated when she loses her job. On a whim she moves to
Paris and goes to the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu gourmet cooking school. This book
details her time there--what she learned about, not just cooking techniques, mystery
ingredients and presentation, but also French and the French, love and herself. Good
read. (PS it comes with recipes.)
Foer, Joshua. Moonwalking with Einstein. H Another book that reveals a group of people I never
knew existed: people compete in memory challenges, even international competitions,
that require one to memorize and recite multitudinous digital numbers, matched names
and faces, lists of random words, even poetry. The author goes to research an article on
this subculture and is inveigled into training and competing! The book includes the
author's research into the history of memorizing, as well as his investigations of the
research being done on memory and what it has revealed. An interesting read!
Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink. H This book gives everyone a great reason to submerse themselves
in reading scriptures (no, the book is NOT religious), positive self help books, and
positive fiction because the thesis of this book is that we make most decisions "in a
blink," NOT from reasoned principles. It is only after we act that we think about why,
and hope our actions follow our espoused principles and not just expediency and
pressure. If we want to make good decisions, then, we must pack our unconscious with
good, positive people, experiences, reading, etc, so that when we act in that "blink," our
unconsidered decisions will be positive ones.
Outliers. H This book examines what makes one person achieve beyond the normal,
while another, with about the same education and background, doesn't. It challenges
commonly held ideas of what makes a person successful. Very insightful and fun to read.
The Tipping Point. The thing I like about Gladwell is that he explores interesting social
trends and writes them so that they are clear and fun to read. The tipping point exposes
the reader to those social factors that tip individual actions or fashions or books or
whatever into trends or movements, then into cultural givens that everyone accepts.
What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures. H Another great nonfiction read from
Gladwell, this book doesn't have a central thesis, but wanders through people who create
such products as hair dye and the birth control pill, through problems and paradoxes of
such topics as enron, homelessness, intelligence, and the Challenger explosion, ending
with criminal profiling, the relationship of genius and precocity, and some of the fallacies
that come with hiring practices, pit bulls, and intelligence measures. The first few
accounts were kind of slow, but the book gathers interest and engages more grippingly as
it goes forward. For teachers in conservative districts: the accounts of birth control and
mammograms do include details, but they're very tastefully handled. The book is aimed
at adults and the accounts do include concepts parents need to read with their kids, but
the book is so informative about many of the misconceptions our society propagates
Gantos, Jack. hole in my life. H This memoir begins with Jack’s prison photo. At nineteen, he
casually agreed to help an acquaintance of an acquaintance smuggle a huge amount of
drugs on a small boat from the Caribbean to New York City. The consequences of that
amorally committed act marked him: he was caught and sent to prison, where he spent,
luckily, fifteen months (luckily, because he could have spent six years there, according to
his sentence). His narrative is frank and gripping. This book should be required reading
for the amoral drug abusers and drug dealers in our student bodies. However, all others
should be warned about Gantos’s casual attitude about drugs, about smuggling and
dealing drugs, about the brutality in prison, and the frank way in which Gantos considers
the sexual danger he runs and describes a victim of that danger. He decides to obey rules
in prison, not from any sense of right and wrong—he never displays that—but because he
is afraid of the punishments and consequences he might suffer.
Gawande, Atul. Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance. H This book seconds everything
we try to communicate to kids in our classes. It's a successful surgeon's conclusions
about the values that make people accomplish more/do better than others, qualities and
values that provide excellence. He uses his considerable medical experiences with
different people to illustrate his conclusions. His thesis: one needs diligence, the choices
of right, ingenuity to excel at anything! Great read!
Grann, David. The Lost City of Z. H This book gives readers a double adventure: the author
goes to the depths of the primitive Amazon full of insects, jungle, and interesting native
peoples. He goes to investigate the story of a different Amazonian adventure--the story
of P.H.Fawcett, an early 20th C explorer who became obsessed with finding the
legendary El Dorado civilization--taking his son and a friend deep into the Amazon to
find it, and disappearing, never to be found. Both stories are told in clear and engaging
detail. Both reveal all kinds of fascinating personalities.
Grogan, John. Marley and Me. JH (New York Times bestseller for many weeks in 2007) This
adult book records Grogan’s memories of his dog, Marley, a golden lab who is ADHD
and frantically and uncontrollably active, loving and mischievous. The patience and
longsuffering of Grogan and his wife develop over the couple’s growing up time, from
newlywedded bliss to long established family. The book explores what Grogan and his
family give to this dog, and what the dog gives to them. It’s sweet, though there is some
language and frank sexual discussion (adult themes, but in context of trying to have a
baby in a married relationship).
Groopman, Jerome M.D. The Anatomy of Hope. The book is just what it says it is, a thorough
analysis of hope—what it is, why it is, how it affects us and what happens to us, both the
psychological and physiological experience of hope. The book treats the doctor’s own
experience with serious disease, as well as drawing on his experience treating seriously ill
patients. It’s good for adults, but probably doesn’t move fast enough for kids. It might
be a good book for kids taking psychology.
Jennings, Ken. Braniac. H If you are interested in the subculture of trivia buffs or are a fan of
jeopardy, this book is for you. I had no idea of the history, interest in, and people
obsessed with trivia. The book alternates between Jennings’s own story of the road to
success and money on Jeopardy and the history of trivia, with his research and interviews
with trivia book writers, question researchers, and a whole host of people (and towns)
who center their lives on trivia competitions. It’s a “hilarious, silly, engaging, and
erudite” read. Positive.
Junger, Sebastian. The Perfect Storm. H OK, there is some reason to read this book: it
graphically and vividly illustrates the theme that nature is far superior to man in strength
and unpredictability. The book teaches what a "perfect storm" is--a concatenation of
atmospheric forces that produces a deadly whirling violence of wind and water. Woe
unto the fisherman or boatman that challenges such force! That's what the story is all
about. Well told, the story will grasp the reader and not let go until the story ends--badly,
of course. That's why I don't wholeheartedly recommend this book. If you don't mind
tragedy, if you like being reminded we mortals are just that, mere specks in the eyes of
mom nature, who can casually wipe us out of her eyes without acknowledging our
existence, then you'll like this book.
Kean, Sam. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the History of
the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements. JH I'm not scientific, and haven't had
chemistry since 1960, but I could follow and understand this fascinating tale, actually a
collection of true anecdotes interspersed in this history of the development of the periodic
table, complete with all kinds of information told entertainingly about each element
thereon. What an adventure among the intellects, nerds and eccentrics of science! Even
the least interested among us will enjoy this book.
Krakauer, Jon. Into the Wild. Nonfiction. H. OK, I'll admit it, I don't like books about stupid
people doing stupid things. Admittedly, this kid was a kid and can't be blamed for being
stupid--it often comes with the territory. I still just don't see why people like reading this
book. The protagonist isn't admirable, quite the contrary. And he goes against all
wisdom about living in wilderness. And the consequences, deservedly, follow. (A good
book for any adolescent who has a hankering for isolating himself from society to lead
his own life in the wilderness.) The language used may be offensive to some readers.
Into Thin Air. DRP 66. Nonfiction. This book tells the story of the doomed climbers of
Mt. Everest, caught at the summit by a fatal storm in May 1996 from the point of view of
one of the few of the twenty vulnerable climbers who survived. The account is riveting,
and presents the moral dilemma: if you know other climbers are in trouble in a blinding
storm, but also know that in trying to rescue them, you have little chance for saving their
lives and will probably lose your own life, as well, should you go out to try to help? Be
warned: the book is aimed at adults and includes R rated language (F word, included)
and frank consideration of immoral behavior that will offend some readers. Positive.
Kurson, Robert. Shadow Divers. H This book reveals a world most of us don’t touch: a world
of people, mostly men, who risk their lives exploring sunken ships and submarines in the
bottom of the oceans. This fascinating story deals with the exploration of a World War II
German submarine found off the coast of New Jersey—where no German sub was
supposed to have been sunk. The divers who explored it, some with dire results,
struggled to identify it, and finally succeeded, after suffering much opposition to do so.
The narrative includes sailors’ language, so must be rated PG 13, but the story is well told
and interesting to anyone into war, diving, adventure, and boats.
Lanewiesche, William. The Outlaw Sea. H This very adult book looks at the sea’s human
dangers: piracy, international and corporational corruption, government indifference and
incompetence that results in death and destruction. The book is actually very frightening.
You don’t want to read it if you are taking an extended cruise any time soon. Some of
the incidents are portrayed graphically enough for a PG 13 rating for violence and abuse.
Be careful
Lilienfield, Scott L. 50 Greatest Myths of Popular Psychology. JH Everything you think you
know about psychology probably isn't true! Left brain/right brain dichotomy, the
influence of environment over heredity, schizophrenia as split personality, all kinds of
other popularly held "knowledge" about the human psyche--studies prove these and many
others to be false. This well documented book, with citations of relevant studies and
copious source pages, discusses the fifty most basic untrue beliefs about human thinking
and behavior and adds many others not so widely held. Excellent knowledge and fun to
read.
Mahmoody, Betty. Not Without My Daughter. H This memoir tells the vivid adventure of a
woman who marries an Iranian born doctor in the US and begins a family. Then as he
faces misfortune, the man changes, or reveals who he is, becoming abusive emotionally
and physically as the woman tries to salvage her marriage and the life she thought she
had chosen. Then the man takes the woman and her daughter to Iran for a "visit" to his
family--which he reveals, once he arrives, that he intends the move to be permanent. Life
in the oppressive Islamic republic under the finger of her Islamic husband and his family
becomes worse and worse. The husband tells her she can leave--but not without her
daughter. Gripping adventure follows. The movie doesn't tell the half of her tale.
Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff. When Elephants Weep. H This nonfiction book takes a good look at
animals to bolster the conclusion that animals do indeed feel emotions, many of which
are very like human emotions. With copious, interesting examples from animals studied
in the wild and also in captivity, the book traces one emotion after another, even
discussing such complex concepts as aesthetics in animals. Though the book deals with
many abstracts, the discussions and examples make it a fascinating read.
Mortenson, Greg and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. H This fascinating and gentle
narrative tells the story of Greg Mortenson, who strays off the trail and gets lost in the
high Pakistani mountains after a failed attempt at climbing G2. His life is saved when he
is found and cared for in a small, remote Pakistani Moslem village. Once recovered, out
of gratitude and growing affection and respect for the villagers, he promises the village
he will return to build a school where even girls can learn. The narrative traces his
struggle to raise money, then overcome hurdles of culture, religion and poverty, to build
not just one village school, but many. This narrative is especially relevant today, since
readers come to understand, at least a little, the way of life and cultures of the peoples
who live in the Pakistani and Afghan mountain villages in which many of the terrorist
and suicide bombers originate, and peek at the beliefs, fears and privations that motivate
them and the vast majority of their countrymen to whom their violence brings shame.
The wisdom and charm, the pride and goodness of many of the people Mortenson meets
helps offset the stereotypes the Western world has formed of Moslems from this area in
the wake of 911. The narrative is positive and uplifting, showing the good that one
courageous individual can do in the world.
Mowat, Farley. Never Cry Wolf. Nonfiction. JH Great nonfiction tale of a biologist
commissioned by the Canadian government in the bad old days before environmentalism
to study wolves--so that the government could give the go ahead to slaughter them and
eliminate predators that endangered game hunters love and livestock ranchers wanted to
preserve. He finds the wolves to be much he did not expect. His account of studying and
actually living like the wolves is fascinating and entertaining. (A bit crude in one place
when he marks his territory like his canine counterparts)
Myers, Gary. The Catch: One Play, Two Dynasties, and the Game that Changed the NFL. H
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I am not normally a sports fan, though
I grew up playing and watching a LOT of sports. This book, focused on one climactic
football pass play in the 1982 playoff game between the 49'ers and the Cowboys, is well
told. The author proves how important the play proved to be, marking the beginning of a
49er dynasty and the beginning of the end of the Dallas coach's career. The book
examines everyone involved with "the catch" on both sides--Cowboys and 49'ers-detailing what happened to everyone before and after "the catch." You’ll find some
crude language and references.
Nagami, Pamela. The Woman with a Worm in Her Head: and other True Stories of Infectious
Disease. Great collection of accounts about this doctor's investigations of infectious
diseases from valley fever to worms from pork, to septic shock and chicken pox.
Warning: one of the diseases is AIDS, so if you're in a teacher in a super conservative
district, you may want to read the account first. This book is graphic in its depictions of
symptoms and effects of these horrible diseases and very dense in its information, so may
only be really gripping for advanced teen readers.
Obmascik, Mark. The Big Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession. H Who could
have thought a book about people obsessed with birdwatching could end up being
gripping and fun? At first I almost stopped reading, but then I got caught up in the
competition of three men who were trying for the most birds in US territories in one year!
And the competition is close through the year. The amount of money spent, the "great
race" components, and the weird variety of birds the men go after, not to mention the
character and lives of each of these men, make this book a good read for anyone with any
interest in people and their idiosyncrasies.
Opdyke, Irene. In my Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer. Nonfiction H MATURE.
Wow! This holocaust narrative takes the story from a different point of view--from a girl
who sacrifices A LOT to save those most threatened by the Nazis. Well worth reading.
The book poses the ethical dilemma--what if you are called upon to sacrifice the ultimate
to save many lives--at the cost of your possible salvation. What would you do? Great
read, but mature. The choice the girl faces is R rated—but told tastefully.
Panati, Charles. Extraordinary Endings of Practically Everything and Everybody. H with PG13
rating. This book is everything it says it is: it tells the ending of everybody from bequests
of the US presidents to the deaths of notorious characters of the Old West, from different
kinds of dying, to ancient extinctions, to vanished customs (including sexual practices--so
the book isn't for the faint of heart).
Piers, Paul Read. Alive. Nonfiction. H This true account of the rugby team survivors of a plane
rash in the high Andes in winter proves that man will do anything to survive. This book
is not for the faint of heart. It details, and I do mean details, the survivors’ ethical choice
to eat those who died in the crash in order to have any hope of surviving. The book is
positive, but can be disturbing. It presents an ethical choice no one should be forced to
make.
Preston, Richard. Panic in Level 4: Cannibals, Killer Viruses, and Other Journeys to the Edge
of Science. H This nonfiction collection of essays about scientific anomalies begins with
a very good discussion of the author's approach to writing nonfiction narrative and how
he "climbs into the pot" to write about "soup," that is, comes as close as he can to
experiencing what the people he writes about experience. The accounts of such diverse
scientific adventures as the account two brothers who build a homemade supercomputer
to compute pi, the story of the doctors who worked on an Ebola outbreak, and the
scientists who worked on a collection of Medieval tapestries are told engagingly, with
quotations directly from participants.
Ralston, Aaron. Between a Rock and a Hard Place. Nonfiction. H Aron Ralston's account of
his ordeal in the desert stuck in a rock crevice makes for gripping reading.
Unintentionally, the book also reveals the character of this young man, as he risks not
only his own life, but the life of his friends and those who have to rescue him--again and
again. He comes across as self indulgent and egoistic, and not particularly admirable or
likable. He is ready to throw away his friendships and love interests and to abuse his
family's love--just to climb mountains.
Robison, John Elder. Look me in the Eye. H (but only the paperback version—hardback not
recommended because of language, etc) Be sure to get the paperback version, because
he's cleaned it up a lot for youth to read. This frank autobiography traces the life of a
remarkable man who taught himself to overcome the isolating effects of Asperger's
syndrome and lead a successful life finding what he wanted and how he could relate to
others in a "normal" way. Especially interesting, because this guy designed sound,
explosive guitars and other effects for Kiss.
Roach, Mary. Packing for Mars. H (Readers are strongly cautioned.) This book is packed with
all kinds of great tidbits about what astronauts had to do to prepare for outer space life
(along with all of the testing and experiments scientists did to prepare for the astronauts),
then what living in a space capsule, module, ship or station is like for the astronauts--with
all the grossest details. And that's what will offend many readers: the author holds
nothing back about elimination and defecation in space, nor about sex in space. I really
like the author's style. She mixes hard information with anecdotes and quotes from the
actual astronauts, along with wry and witty commentary. The book is fun to read, as well
as informative, but readers need to take into account their own sensibilities about chapters
about bodily wastes.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. H This very weird book deals with all
things having to do with dead bodies, from Victorian "resurrection men" to odd medical
treatments and cannibalism, to using cadavers as crash dummies. I thought it bogged
down a little for me in the last couple of chapters. The merry, irreverent voice entertains:
imagine chuckling about cadavers, which the reader does throughout the book! The book
is informative and exhaustive. Careful about recommending it to young readers, since a
couple of footnotes and a few paragraphs deal with research into male/female genitalia
and briefly treat necrophilia.
Samaras, Tim. Tornado Hunter: Getting Inside the Most Violent Storms on Earth. H If you have
any urge to see a tornado, even by proxy, this book's for you. It details the story of Tim
Samaras and many other "tornado hunters," who risk life and limb, sacrificing time and
livelihood during tornado seasons, to search out, photograph and study tornadoes.
Readers will learn about this kind of devastating storm as the author tells the history of
those studying this phenomenon, throwing in harrowing tales of some of the most
devastating storms that have destroyed towns and lives during the last hundred years.
Seife, Charles. Proofiness. H Everyone should be required to read this book. In these days of
political machinations, media with its obsession with polls, and questions of global
warming and environmental health threats, all of us need to understand that numbers—
which seem so objective—really can too easily be falsified, manipulated and
misinterpreted, depending on the understanding or the agenda of those communicating
the numbers. The book is really readable, with copious contemporary examples and a
touch of history. (And you don’t have to have a background in math or statistics, though
it will prove interesting for those who do.)
Sheff, David. Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey through his Son’s Addiction. H. Nonfiction
This gripping first person account traces the author's involvement with his son who falls
into meth addiction, and the author's attempts to help him climb out of his addiction. I
found it realistic. It shows how much a parent's love and sense of guilt help keep him in
denial about addiction and its power to transform a beloved son into a monster-sociopath,
willing to do anything for the drug he has chosen. The book also shows very grippingly
how a son's addiction shatters the lives of everyone who loves him. (Warning: some
language—we’re dealing with the drug culture.)
Sparks, Beatrice PhD. Almost Lost. Nonfiction. H. This is the story of 15-year-old Sam who
got into drugs, left home and survived on the street with the aid of his gang family. Told
by his therapist from recorded tapes of his therapy, the story traces his growing trust of
her and growing control of his own depression and self destructiveness. Positive, with
reservations—it’s pretty explicit in language and lifestyle. I would like to get a reaction
of a teen reader. The therapist is pretty preachy throughout with moralizing and advice
and very affectionate compliments and loving remarks towards this boy throughout the
narrative.
It happened to Nancy. DRP 53. JH Nonfiction. The true story of a 14 year old (within
weeks of being 15) thrown into “love” with a college boy who deceives her into
vulnerability, rapes her, then promptly leaves her--with HIV, which quickly proceeds into
AIDS. Her growth emotionally as she faces her disease and tries to have a “normal” life
comes through her diary, allowing teen readers to identify with her in the two+ years this
book chronicles to her death. The book is positive, but there ARE sexual references,
obviously. Teachers need to read this before giving it out. I would rate it PG13 only for
the sexual questions she has to ask herself, after the rape in regards to her “good”
boyfriend, and in consequences of the rape. The editor has treated all of the sexual
material quite sensitively, but still it requires a fairly mature reader.
Stewart, Amy. Wicked Plants. JH If you have ever had any inclination to learn about plants that
threaten man because they are poisonous or dangerous or threaten other plants and
animals important to us, this is the book for you. Entertainingly written, informative,
with wonderful (and scary) sketch-illustrations, this book will educate you about the
houseplants, jungle plants; plants common and rare; that play their sinister part in our
world.
Summit, Pat. Raise the Roof. JH If you’re interested in women’s basketball, or if you like a
good sports story, this nonfiction narrative is for you. The story of the undefeated 1997-8
Tennessee Lady Volunteers, who achieved the almost unprecedented “threepeat” of the
NCAA women’s basketball championship, this book reveals the behind the scenes
conflicts and dramas of a pressure laden season of play. The nature of the coach and how
she is changed by the special nature of that particular team of young women makes this
book touching as well as gripping. Positive.
Thoms, Annie (ed.) with their eyes. New York: Harper Tempest, 2002. JH Stuyvesant High
School is only four blocks from the twin towers/Ground Zero. The magnet high school
for high achieving students draws kids from all over New York City. This unique
account is their way of dealing with 911 only a few months after it happened: they wrote
what they experienced and interviewed other people, including adults, about what
happened to them during and after the trauma. They then took on personas other than
their own to act out, using the free verse monologues as the basis for cathartic drama.
This book collects all of the free verse monologues. It is a little unengaging at first, since
all the participants skirt the idea of death and violence, focusing on the buildings and
their own reactions to what they heard and saw, but not including much detail. However,
the verse narratives are arranged to become more and more dramatic and thoughtful and
bring up and confront the difficult issues the students were forced to wrestle. Excellent in
showing how people react in the face of such crisis--including all of the denial. Very
positive. Excellent for teaching free verse narrative, multiple points of view, and living
history.
Wiesenthal, Simon. The Sunflower. H This book deals with one episode from the life of this
extraordinary man and poses the question, can or should a person victimized in the
holocaust give forgiveness to an SS man on his deathbed for a horrendous deed he did in
the holocaust? Wiesenthal tells the story of this episode in his life, then many people
from different viewpoints discuss the issue of forgiveness and issues of the holocaust.
Woodlief, Jennifer. A Wall of White: The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a
Deadly Avalanche. H This account of a 1982 avalanche in a ski resort near Lake Tahoe
begins by introducing the people who experienced it. The reader knows that seven of
these people will be killed in the avalanche--but not which ones. The author then tells the
fateful events leading up to the avalanche and the tiny decisions and events that
determine the fate of its victims. The account of the avalanche and its aftermath is
riveting. (English teachers--this account really pairs well with The Bridge of San Luis
Rey, if anyone teaches this classic.)