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If you were to pick 10 contemporary non-fiction books...


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for your high schoolers to read, what would they be? I am not even sure what books I would put on the list. I want ds16 to read some books about a variety of issues that will make him start thinking about his role in the world.

 

Maybe books about the impact of technology, poverty, economics, his generation, psychology, global society, world religions, anything really, even books about being the best he can be.

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I liked Nickel and Dimed and it gets a thumbs up from the AP Language listserv.

 

One of my favorite books is The Things They Carried, about the Vietnam War from a soldier's perspective. It focuses on the emotional side of war rather than the battles. WARNING: it has several cuss words and a fantasy about his girlfriend that may offend some parents. There is also a NY Times photo journal of The Things They Carried related to the Gulf War that ties in well.

 

My favorite non fiction on Christianity is The Irresistible Revolution, Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne. It is a very different way of thinking about church, and therefore you may want to preread it.

 

My favorite non-fiction writing is the essay. The Bedford Reader has some really good essays that helps the reader to know what its like to be a minority, life in the 60's, homeless etc.

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How contemporary, LOL?

 

Rachael Carson's book, Silent Spring, and/or others by her

 

the recent book written about Greg Mortensen: Three Cups of Tea

 

maybe Michael Behe's second book (NOT Darwin's Black Box, which is nigh on impossible to read): The Edge of Evolution

 

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek? not sure....

 

practically anything by C. S. Lewis: The Four Loves, Screwtape Letters (and follow-up), there are tons of good ones by him.....

 

Into the Woods

 

there are tons, I'm not sure where to start or end.....

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The two that come to mind are A People's History of the U.S., by Howard Zinn (a really different telling of our history than what most of us heard in school), and 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. I am also hoping dd will read Punished by Rewards, by Alfie Kohn.

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for your high schoolers to read, what would they be? I am not even sure what books I would put on the list. I want ds16 to read some books about a variety of issues that will make him start thinking about his role in the world.

 

Maybe books about the impact of technology, poverty, economics, his generation, psychology, global society, world religions, anything really, even books about being the best he can be.

 

I have several books on queue for when ds is that age. We have many business/motivational books that dh and I have enjoyed over the years.

 

How to win friends and influence people - Carnegie

How to have power and confidence in dealing with people - Giblin (this book really helped me as a introverted, non-confrontational type person)

Do Hard Things - Harris

The Millionaire Next Door

 

We have several biographies for him to read, all the way from Dave Thomas, the late founder of Wendy's to Chuck Yeager.

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Consider Persepolis by the Iranian born, French author/illustrator Marjane Satrapi. Persepolis I & II are autobiographic graphic novels (sounds better than comic books) which describe the unrest in Iran and her subsequent departure to attend boarding school in Europe.

 

Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen

 

There are a number of good books mentioned in the thread Kareni posted.

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(Some of these have a pacifist emphasis because my son was peacewalking. I haven't read all of them myself.)

Hope's Edge

Anatomy of Peace

Post-American World

Getting a Grip

Material World + Women in the Material World

Don't Shoot the Dog

Diet for a Small Planet

In the Shadow of a Rainbow

Red Scarf Girl

Stoke's Animal Tracking

Zlata's Diary

Endless Steppe

In the Footsteps of Gandhi

Beating Celestial Drums

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy

Whatever Happened to Justice

Are You Liberal, Conservative, or Confused

The Wall

The Handbook of Civil Disobedience

Zinn’s People’s History of the U. S.

TWTM logic stage 4th year history list

TC's anthropology lectures

 

Out of that, my youngest is definately reading (in no particular order):

Getting a Grip

Don't Shoot the Dog

Material World

The Handbook of Civil Disobedience

Zinn

anthro lectures

Diet for a Small Planet (whatever the latest version is)

Whatever Happened to Penny Candy

Stoke's Animal Tracking

Beating Celestial Drums

 

I'll find other things for him to read that are more science/tech oriented, but these have become family musts. I would include that horrific book about meat processing and something about global warming, but I know my son couldn't bear it. I didn't separate these out on the transcript as a particular course; I just included them in geography, US history, world history, peace studies, natural history, and US government.

 

-Nan

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Interesting thread!

 

 

Brothers in Arms (war)

 

The Know-it-All: One Mans Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World. (Very contemporary, hip & humorous, lots of fun information).

 

Omnivore's Dilemma

 

Material World (visual presentation of peoples' stuff. The contrasts are insightful and thought-provoking).

 

The Things They Carried (war)

 

Black Boy (autobiography about growing up black in pre- civil rights south)

 

In My Hands (a teenager in Poland risks life to save Jews)

 

Annapurna by Blum (about a group of women climbers. The subtitle is A Woman's Place, but it's not a 'feminist' book, per se. It is full of danger and adventure, even death. Well written with fab photos). There are lots of fantastic books about Denali.

 

Out of Africa

 

I need to think more, Haven't finished my coffee. (That's not a book title. lol)

 

PS I don't think 10 will do . ;) There is nothing about religion or politics etc yet. I am trying to think about my fav book on relgion...there are quite a few))

Edited by LibraryLover
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Into Thin Air (Krackauer)

Kon-Tiki (1940s book on Norwegian who contructs ancient raft to take from Peru to Polynesia)

Into the Wild (Krackauer) (also a movie - brilliant Virginia kid who takes off to Alaska and doesn't make it back)

Between A Rock and a Hard Place (Ralston - young guy who's arm became trapped in a rock in a slot canyon - had to cut it off himself)

 

Maybe these aren't traditional books ... but they are exciting and insightful. Explorers still live on!

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