High School/college. San Francisco in the 1950s. Follows the red scare and fear of Chinese Americans getting deported back to a country they never livHigh School/college. San Francisco in the 1950s. Follows the red scare and fear of Chinese Americans getting deported back to a country they never lived in. Lily is a big school senior living in China Town. She is interested in science and math… and girls. There aren’t a lot of places for young women to meet others, but the Telegraph Club features male impersonators and is welcoming (and illegal).
An interesting dive into Chinese-American History and LGBTQ culture in the 1950s. Strong women were ostracized for pursuing technology careers and sent away when they were unable to confirm to standards of femininity. ...more
Not sure how to rate this... a terrifying read. The paralyses of government and tribalism in our country only fuels discontent. Income disparity and aNot sure how to rate this... a terrifying read. The paralyses of government and tribalism in our country only fuels discontent. Income disparity and an unresolved constitutional crisis (role of religion, role of immigrants, navigating personal rights vs. societal rights, states rights vs. national rights). The founding fathers and constitution were never meant to be permanent nor regarded as religious texts. It all seems to be leading to a divorce.
The author presents 5 different scenarios of ways the separation could go down. Based on other civil wars, us policies and human behavior. Climate change is a slow-moving threat that will disrupt us internally and affect the most vulnerable. The economy is very rigid and with 0% interest, our arsenal is empty. Militias continue to grow as some Americans sense a fall of the republic. It is certainly telling when congress cannot even get enough votes to investigate an attack on their very grounds.
For now, I file this away under dystopia. I also will keep my passport up-to-date....more
Adam Grant never disappoints. This is a fantastic look at how people form opinions and how firm those opinions stay. This would be an excellent read fAdam Grant never disappoints. This is a fantastic look at how people form opinions and how firm those opinions stay. This would be an excellent read for a debate team or public speaking class. For regular folk, I think this book is a powerful reminder to be humble, to listen, and to find commonality. In a world filled with sound bites and divisive language, it is to everyone’s advantage to admit that reading one book or one article does not make one an expert. And experts in a field still need to listen to new ideas because thinking is never finished....more
Adults. Our school district is reading this in an effort to understand emotional health in our community. Maddy was a star student and athlete. She waAdults. Our school district is reading this in an effort to understand emotional health in our community. Maddy was a star student and athlete. She was very driven, but when she attains the highest levels at an Ivy League school-- the adjustment of college and fear of failure/disappointment consume her. She spirals into depression, which she is able to hide through social media and also because nobody at her new school really knows what "normal" Maddy looks like.
Having been through my own depressive episodes, Fagan captures the inner pain. Fear of vocalizing the sadness and despair that would burden other people. Not wanting to disappoint others by making changes. Fear of failure, especially in something you've dedicated your life to. Talking to others about suicide seems forbidden. Like talking about it would make it real. Instead, when we hide dark thoughts we give that nagging voice inside even more power. It's important for people to have someone close enough to confide in. It's also helpful for others to know how to respond when someone might be in crisis,...more
Adults. Best book I've read in a long time. In the future a multi-player virtual reality game called The Oasis is the perfect refuge for the poor and Adults. Best book I've read in a long time. In the future a multi-player virtual reality game called The Oasis is the perfect refuge for the poor and forgotten parts of society. Like Wade. As his avatar Parzival, he can forget that he lives in a stack of trailer homes in Oklahoma city. Instead he can dedicate his life to the quest for an egg left behind in the virtual world by the game's designer. Obsessed with 80's pop culture, Parzival must study the movies, games and music of the decade to complete challenges. ...more
An interesting look at how our brains operate. "We have come to confuse information with understanding." "The key to good decision making is not knowlAn interesting look at how our brains operate. "We have come to confuse information with understanding." "The key to good decision making is not knowledge. It is understanding. We are swimming in the former. We are desperately lacking in the latter."
This book looks at several case studies. Sometimes our first impression is the correct one-- like with the faked art. Years of previous study and knowledge caused experts to sense something "off" because they understand what authenticity is. Meanwhile, non-experts came to different conclusions by surrounding themselves with knowledge that supported their desire to acquire a rare specimen.
Other times, our first reaction can be completely wrong. Under stress we tend to go with our default-- if we believe we are more likely to be shot in a certain part of town by a certain type of suspect, we might shoot first and ask questions later.
Everyone comes with a default mode. Experts can predict the success or failure of a relationship based on facial expressions/comments made between a couple in 3-6 minutes. We might hire a musician, a manager, a president-- based on how successful they LOOK.
Our biggest challenge is being able to see past our "default" mode. How do we decide what information can be useful/relevant without being overwhelmed? How to we look beyond ideas that reenforce our bias to identify new information that challenges or changes our understanding?...more
Professional. Live wholeheartedly by owning mistakes, taking risks and discarding shame. Allow yourself to be vulnerable by sharing the human experienProfessional. Live wholeheartedly by owning mistakes, taking risks and discarding shame. Allow yourself to be vulnerable by sharing the human experience genuinely and without judgement.
The best part for me was explaining the difference between guilt and shame. Shame defines a persons life-- I failed a test, so I am stupid. Guilt defines an event. I failed a test, i still have more to learn about x. A photo album reflects your life while a picture represents one tiny piece/event....more
Grades 5(?)-adult. A look at the fall of the Russian royal family in context of historical events and changes in the feudal system/ industrial revolutGrades 5(?)-adult. A look at the fall of the Russian royal family in context of historical events and changes in the feudal system/ industrial revolution. Explains the tragedy of this disconnection and the challenges faced both medically and culturally. Addresses the Anastasia myth, but not a focus....more
Grades 4-6. Wonderful collection of true stories about dogs who were rescued. My almost 4th grader is enjoying this book since we are adopting a dog tGrades 4-6. Wonderful collection of true stories about dogs who were rescued. My almost 4th grader is enjoying this book since we are adopting a dog this summer. Some of these dogs would never have saved lives (from a fire, from seizures, enabling mobility of owner, etc). Good information is provided about different issues brought up in the book: how to prevent dog bites, what service dogs do, facts about flyball and rules regarding dogs in show business....more
Adults (High School). Interesting facts about health and history you never knew. The lost colony of Roanoke? They joined the local native tribes. Ben Adults (High School). Interesting facts about health and history you never knew. The lost colony of Roanoke? They joined the local native tribes. Ben Franklin? He loved England and never told them the colonists were unhappy. Have hemorrhoids? You're sitting wrong. Advised for adults due to some sexual content and strong language....more
Grades 3-4. RL 940. Short chapters, short book. Lulu knows nothing about dogs and doesn't really like them, but she starts a dog walking business to mGrades 3-4. RL 940. Short chapters, short book. Lulu knows nothing about dogs and doesn't really like them, but she starts a dog walking business to make money. An irritatingly perfect boy named Fleischman helps her out. I know this books was written deadpan to be funny-- but it's not my sort of book. The characters are very flat. Still, there are good ties to math with money word problems throughout the story. And opportunities for word studies....more
Adults. Fun book that will likely stick with me. My favorite chapters: How homelessness is easier to eliminate than manage. How the function of intervAdults. Fun book that will likely stick with me. My favorite chapters: How homelessness is easier to eliminate than manage. How the function of interviews can be misleading in the hiring process, criminal profiling, acceptable risk and the difference between "choking" and panicking....more
High School/ Adults. I loved this book even more than freakonomics. It definitely made me think more about how birth month can affect success in sportHigh School/ Adults. I loved this book even more than freakonomics. It definitely made me think more about how birth month can affect success in sports-- and possibly academics. There is a huge difference between a first grader born in October and a first grader born in July. Is the older one really gifted, or is it just that they've had the advantage of a nine-month head start?...more
Although this book is filled with many things we already know, I really like the short "snippets" of information and ideas for what it looks like in pAlthough this book is filled with many things we already know, I really like the short "snippets" of information and ideas for what it looks like in practice. Advice/ideas are divided into those for parents and those for teachers. I can see myself coming back to this one and picking one or two things to work on at a time....more
High School/Adult. The story of Skeeter, an unmarried Southern college graduate who returns home and dreams of becoming a writer, but her only "place"High School/Adult. The story of Skeeter, an unmarried Southern college graduate who returns home and dreams of becoming a writer, but her only "place" is to be a married society woman. She misses her family's African-American maid/nurse, but nobody will tell her what happened-- even the other maids in town. It is then that she begins to take notice of all the things "The Help" does-- cooking, raising kids, and the constant comments and criticism they must endure. She decides to write a book about it, not knowing if it will be published. When she asks the maids for their stories, they are reluctant to help until violence and injustice in their community makes a few take that first brave step. This was a powerful social snapshot of Mississippi in the 1960s-- and makes me wonder what stories could be told today by minorities and people on the fringes of society that work hard to serve us every day....more
Kate Hastings
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Books:
adult
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