AP Seminar
All entering grade 10/11 AP Seminar students will choose and read one non-fiction book from the list of AP Seminar choices, and complete the assigned tasks.
Bad Feministby Roxane Gay
"In this collection of essays, novelist and social commentator Roxane Gay explores feminism, gender and sexuality, race and entertainment, and politics. She also writes about her own experiences growing up in the American Midwest as a child of Haitian parents. From this unique perspective, Gay examines the challenges women continue to face in society long after the dawn of the feminist movement. She acknowledges cultural contradictions in her own life, including a fondness for Sweet Valley High novels and rap music, despite her dedication to the fight for gender and race equality."
Subjects: Culture, Women, Social conditions, Sex roles, Race relations, Feminism, Intersectionality
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by Eric Schlosser
"A journalist explores the homogenization of American culture and the impact of the fast food industry on modern-day health, economy, politics, popular culture, entertainment, and food production."
Subjects: Environmental history, Food, Popular culture, Public relations, Social class, Weight loss
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by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner
"In Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner discuss such varied topics as crime rates, whether reading to your children will make them better students, abortion laws, and many other topics that are seemingly unrelated to economics. The authors analyze these topics from an economic perspective. They show how this is possible and what can be divined about the future and understood about current statistical rates from economic theories. The book shows that the study of economics is useful for understanding not only business and finance, but also many other diverse fields."
Subjects: Economics, Culture, Current events, Modern Life, Causation, Regression analysis
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by Ari Berman
"In 1965, the Voting Rights Act transformed election demographics in the United States. African Americans in the South began voting, running for office, and being elected for the first time since the Reconstruction period after the Civil War. Journalist Ari Berman compellingly details the act's history and also describes the recent "counterrevolution" against the VRA, in which dozens of state legislatures have passed measures making it more difficult to register and vote. Including views from different sides of the debate on voting restrictions, he presents a balanced but still revealing report on a wide variety of measures that have the potential to influence election results."
Subjects: Civil rights, Election law, Minorities, Race relations, Suffrage
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by Jared Diamond
"This book examines theories of European genetic superiority. Geography, ecology and innovation are just a few of the things that Diamond, a UCLA professor, feels contributed to these theories."
Subjects: Ecology, Genetics, Geography, History, Civilization, Cultural diffusion, Demography, Ethnology, Humans, Social evolution
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"In this book (a rare nonfiction work), author Stephen King discusses his career and offers advice to those interested in pursuing writing as a vocation. King reflects back on his early failures and ultimate triumphs, while at the same time crediting his family for much of his success. He also discusses at length his drug and alcohol addiction and the impact that an auto accident had on his life and work. In addition, King provides guidelines, a recommended reading list, and a host of other material for aspiring writers."
Subjects: Autobiographies, Horror, Literature, Writing
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by Jacques Steinberg
"A revealing study of the college admissions process sheds light on the inside workings of America's "meritocracy," focusing on SAT scores, student essays, transcripts, and other factors vital in the process."
Subjects: Universities and colleges
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Outliers: The Story of Successby Kurt Busiek & Alex Ross
"Malcolm Gladwell has a knack for looking at things from a different perspective. In Outliers, he takes a new look at what makes someone successful. Most think successful people possess common traits, habits, or philosophies. Gladwell suggests we look deeper at heritage and culture as the basis of accomplishment. By looking at famous, successful people he shows their achievements are due to certain advantages in their lives. Advantages that others with similar talents have not had, and therefore have not succeeded. There are many examples throughout the book to illustrate the point of "Outliers". Such as how a large portion of the descendants of Jewish immigrant garment workers have become high power attorneys, or how the hard work of growing rice in East Asia for generations has made children there more adept at math."
Subjects: Success, Culture, Social class, Sociology, Achievement motivation, Business success, High achievement, Human behavior, Intellectuals, Personal conduct, Successful people
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The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industryby Jon Ronson
"In The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry, journalist Jon Ronson examines the theme of madness that seems to be running rampant through the modern world. He explores the minds of psychopaths, as well as the entire industry that has sprung up around their treatment. Ronson draws on first-hand observations of those labeled psychopathic, the doctors and scientists who work in the field, and the everyday citizens who walk a fine line between sanity and madness."
Subjects: Psychology, Sociology, Mental disorders, Biographies, History, Social sciences, Psychiatry, Medical professions, Journalism, Neurosciences
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Waiting for SUPERMANby Karl Weber (Editor)
"This book explores politically charged topics through a series of essays by thinkers at the leading edge of educational innovation. It shows how failing schools destroy neighborhoods--not the reverse--and how research reveals that dedicated, attentive teachers are what help at-risk kids succeed."
Subjects: Education, Equal education policy, Program evaluation in education, School improvement programs
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