Summer Books 2020

Raising White Kids
Jennifer Harvey
Sorry Boulder, with 88% of the population being white this struck me as mandatory. In one of the most racially diverse countries in the world (USA), racial tensions are high, and everyone has a responsibility to do something about it. How should we raise children to see race? How should the conversation of white privilege be incorporated in their education? How do we give children the tools they need to further progress our society towards actual equality?

We keep us safe: Building Secure, Just, and Inclusive Communities
Zach Norris
How do we build safe communities. Zach Norris emphasis that Us vs. Them isn;t the answer. With mass incarceration and aggressive policing harming and perpetuating systemic racism in America’s most marginalized communities, we need to design a system that moves away from fear and punishment and create one that focuses on growth and support.

Ghost Boys
Jewell Parker Rhodes
The fictional story of Jerome who is shot and killed by a police officer at age 12. Jerome continues to see the aftermath of his death as a ghost and soon meets Emmett Till, another ghost who was killed in a different time period. Emmett helps Jerome process what has happened and the history of systemic racism that has led to his death. They also meet Sarah, the daughter of the police officer that killed Jermone.
~Politics~

How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy | Jenny Odell
This is not a self-help book. Busting through the confines of simplistic anti-technological manifestos and back to nature dictations, How to Do Nothing is a wonderful rationale for stepping out of our capitalistic obsessions to progress and rather place our most important asset, our attention, elsewhere

The End of White
Politics: How to Heal Our Liberal Divide
Zerlina Maxwell
In a clear and well deserved dissection of the left’s failures, Maxwell places power in the lane of identity politics. The left, be it the Bernie Bro’s, Hashtag Activists, or liberal billionaires, has long forgotten to cater to a crucial part of the U.S. population, continuing to largely benefit middle class white men. In an attempt to acknowledge the left’s failures and reconcile through examples and ideas, Maxwell provides a future for the party and cure for it’s blatant divide.

The Hardhat Riot
David Kuhn
In May of 1970, construction workers chased and beat students through downtown Manhattan. It was the first clear sign that Nixon had managed to infiltrate the liberal leaning working class. The left was at war with itself and it hasn’t stop since. A wonderful depiction to further our understanding of how the left ended up where it is today.

~Climate~ 2030 | Mauro Guillen
2030 is the tipping point. As we approach the fall of liberal regimes, the global economy will be for the first time powered by non-western consumers, there will be more currencies than countries, more robots than workers, more computers than human brains, and there will be more wealth owned by women than men. Rather than focusing on a single issue, the climate, Guillen focuses on the inter-play of all the different forces that drive humanity.

Our House is on Fire
Jeanette Winter
A picture book depicting the story of Greta Thurnberg and her determination to make the world realize that our house is on fire. Sharing the power that all kids have, Winter gives a power tool to educate toddlers on the importance of the environment and our roles to protect it.

Lockdown | Peter May
An uncanny depiction of a virus stricken London that has entered lockdown and martial law. Originally written fifteen years ago and cast off as unrealistic, the book has stunned readers by it’s relatability to our current pandemic. A fantastic read mixing the nightmares of a pandemic with the horrors of murder and conspiracy.

Which Country has the Best Healthcare System
Ezekiel Emmanuel
The U.S. spends 4 trillion on healthcare, and we’re nowhere close to being the best. In an assessment of the worlds best healthcare systems, Emmanuel explains what it means to have great healthcare, where some of us know what bothers us, what do we really want? What do we really need? What can the U.S. do to improve such a vital component of our society?