Social Sciences Resources
Spring 2019
History & Geography
Why Learn History
by Sam Wineburg
Confronting the reality that even professional historians can make mistakes reading sources on the internet, Wineburg provides clear advice to teachers about what they can do to improve digital media literacy.
In the Shadow of Statues
by Mitch Landrieu
The New Orleans mayor who removed the Confederate statues confronts the racism that shapes us and argues for white America to reckon with its past. A passionate, personal, book from the man who sparked a national debate.
Porous Borders
by Julian Lim
Lim reveals how a borderlands region that has been defined by Mexican-Anglo relations was in fact shaped by a diverse population that came together through many ways including the very act of crossing the border.
Rising
by Elizabeth Rush
Timely and urgent, this report on how climate change is affecting American shorelines provides critical evidence of the devastating changes already faced by some coastal dwellers.
This is the Way the World Ends
by Jeff Nesbit
A passionate overview of human-induced global warming whose effect on climate, agriculture, ecosystems, and extinction is approaching a point of no return.
Road to Disaster
by Brian VanDeMark
A comprehensive history of America's descent into Vietnam during the 1960s that posits a striking new way of understanding that catastrophe, both in what happened and why, and preventing fiascoes in the future.
Extreme Conservation
by Joel Berger
Berger shows how the more adapted a species has become to its particular ecological niche, the more devastating climate change can be. Life at the extremes is more challenging than ever, and the need for action, for solutions, has never been greater.
Prisoners of Geography
by Tim Marshall
In ten, up-to-date maps of crucial regions, award-winning journalist Marshall explains in clear and engaging prose the complex geo-political strategies of these key parts of the globe and of the world powers residing in them.
Discovering the John Muir Trail
by Damon Corso
This thorough text is filled with big, beautiful photos, photography tips, and flower guides that are a useful and inspiring starting point for planning and undertaking one of the most enjoyable backcountry experiences.
Political Science
The Nationalist Revival
by John B. Judis
This book is for those who want answers to how nativism and xenophobia have been allowed to revive by connecting the dots and providing the big picture on how to think about these movements.
Fire and Fury
by Michael Wolff
An in-depth look into an administration that in just one year was beset by numerous scandals and crises. Wolff chronicles events without resorting to an unneeded dramatic writing style.
From Cold War to Hot Peace
by Michael McFaul
McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014, gives a revelatory account of U.S.-Russia relations, told through his experience working for President Obama and witnessing the tightening of Putin's grip firsthand.
Can Democracy Work?
by James Miller
Ranging from the theaters of Athens to the tents of Occupy Wall Street, Can Democracy Work? is an entertaining and insightful guide to our most cherished--and vexed--ideal.
The War on Cops
by Heather Mac Donald
Mac Donald warns that race-based attacks on the criminal-justice system, are eroding the authority of law and putting lives at risk. This book is a call for a more honest and informed debate about policing, crime, and race.
The Age of Walls
by Tim Marshall
Marshall examines how walls, borders, and barriers have been shaping our political landscape for hundreds of years, and how they figure in the diplomatic relations and geo-political events of today.
Sociology
I Have the Right To
by Chessy Prout
A young survivor tells her searing, visceral story of sexual assault, justice, and healing in this gut-wrenching memoir, putting a magnifying glass to a society that blames victims rather than attackers.
History Teaches Us to Resist
by Mary Frances Berry
Berry, a historian and civil rights activist, proves how progressive movements can flourish even in conservative times. This is a timely, and necessary read about resistance during hostile times.
Heartland
by Sarah Smarsh
Heartland is an eye-opening memoir of working-class poverty in America that will deepen our understanding of the ways in which class shapes our country.
LikeWar
by P.W. Singer and Emerson T. Brooking
Combining history and technology, Like War examines the 21st century use of social media as a weapon in modern day warfare. For instance, how ISIS and Taylor Swift use the same twitter tactics to amass millions of followers.
Undocumented Lives
by Ana Raquel Minian
Using real stories from actual people, Minian shows us how dramatically immigration policy can affects peoples’ lives and the double exclusion migrant Mexican workers in the US face from both countries.
What We Talk About
When We Talk About Rape
by Sohaila Abdulali
Examining her own personal experience and others alike, Abdulali gives survivors a platform to shed a direct light on the problem that is rape, rapists, and society in general.
Psychology
The Disordered Mind
by Eric R. Kandel
Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist, Kandel, provides a probing investigation of what brain disorders can tell us about human nature.
Mastering Fear
by Brandon Webb
Drawing on his own range of experiences, along with anecdotes from friends, Webb gives you the all tools and tactics you need to master fear and change the conversation in your head.
It Didn't Start With You
by Mark Wolynn
This is an illuminating read that offers an understanding of inherited trauma and the powerful tools needed to relieve its suffering. Full of stories and insights, this is perfect for those looking for personal healing.
Our Minds, Our Selves
by Keith Oatley
Our Minds, Our Selves is an engaging overview of cognitive psychology and its intersections with numerous other disciplines, including philosophy, anthropology, history, sociology, and cultural studies.
I Feel You
by Cris Beam
Beam adopts both skeptical and supporting stances as she dives deep into empathy’s historical roots and current iterations. She examines how it works, how it transforms us, and how our society misunderstands it.
The Science of Stress Management
by Amitava Dasgupta
After a thorough examination of the health problems associated with chronic stress, Dasgupta delves into a number of potential stress-busters, including pet ownership, social activities, meditation, yoga, exercise, and even dark chocolate.
