The Internet melts your brain in today’s book

If you hear someone talk about being too connected on the web, you’re likely to expect a thesis on the dangers of Twitter or why Facebook is going to ruin us all. Not so, in today’s Book of the Day, OVERconnected: The Promise and Threat of the Internet by William H. Davidow. Instead of looking at oversharing personal information, Davidow points out larger issues like financial failings, natural disaster, and other events have become larger in how people feel their impact and how professionals react. Remember that Icelandic volcano that erupted last year? Would you have without the Internet constantly reminding you?

It’s an interesting look at how the connections we’re forced to have because of the Internet overload us into not only acting quick, but also perhaps has us sacrificing some caution. This book is good for those interested in social and interactive media, history, science, economics, and sociology.

Inequality Enforced by the Post-Civil War Supreme Court

After the Civil War, the Supreme Court of the United States could have really worked to ensure equal rights for US citizens. Instead, they took things like the Civil Rights Act of 1875 (which garanteed fair treatment in establishments regardless of race, among other things) and declared it unconstitutional. Their interpretations of laws are argued to have set up years of oppression in today’s Book of the Day, Inherently Unequal: The Betrayal of Equal Rights by the Supreme Court. This historical account by author Lawrence Gladstone examines the effects of these early decisions and how they defined policy and its enforcement for years to come.

It’s an embarrassing time for the United States, but an important one to know about. Getting Gladstone’s perspective should be of interest to those interested in US history, law, human rights, civil rights, or politics and government.

Physicists at War

 

Author Jim Baggot explores the creation of the atomic bomb in today’s Book of the Day, The First War of Physics: The Secret History of the Atomic Bomb, 1939-1949. Instead of looking at how it was done or the wartime events leading up to it, the author is much more curious about how some of the smartest scientists in the world were pulled into working on a tool for destruction.  Looking at the discovery of nuclear fission and the quest for knowledge, readers will see the difficult journey that these physicists were pulled into projects that would eventually lead to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Know your rights

Today’s book, Search and Seizure Handbook by David M. Waksman, is billed as a valuable resource for future police officers. Heck, even the Supreme Court recommends it for all future law enforcers.  But really, knowing what the police can and cannot do is just as important for every citizen. Now in its 3rd edition, this collection of legal information, sample warrants and consent forms, and stories of law enforcement interactions is important information for you and the 4th Amendment.

Great speeches of the civil rights movement and beyond

It would appear that most people don’t want to go outside, with the way everybody’s treating snow like it’s one of Oprah’s Favorite Things. So if you stay in, I recommend grabbing a book.

Like this one! Triumph, inspiration, struggle, a true appreciation for hardship and an understanding of America’s past and present: Say it Loud! compiles the greatest speeches of the Civil Rights Movement and African American identity. It’s a great resource, tracing the struggles of the 50s and 60s all the way to President Obama’s inauguration speech. While having a collection of speeches is helpful for things like history classes and assignments, it’s an important part of American history and identity that everyone should stay familiar with.

A thorough challenge to your school’s progress

You ever think that someone’s been arguing for the same change so long that they’ve been left behind?  Today’s book argues that both sides can end up hurting school progress by getting hung up on certain ideas, regardless of whether or not they’re more traditional or progressive. In Same Things Over and Over by Frederick Hess, the author shows how debates rage on about hot topic issues like bilingual eductation or vouchers, many aspects considered standard in education are often overlooked (like defining grades by age, for example).

It’s an interesting book for both students, educators, future educators, or current and future parents.

So you’ve got a corpse. What now?

In one of the more interesting (and probably weirder) books we’ve added to the collection recently, Norman Cantor’s After We Die: The Life and Times of the Human Cadaver explores the trip of dead human bodies from end of life through into the ground. Find out what sort of social practices, legal processes, and other fun things get applied to bodies after their primary function has ceased.

It’s a morbidly interesting trip through our customs, medical, and legal systems to find out the rules for cadavers. Recommended for pre-med, pre-law, or anyone else. It’s actually pretty interesting!

Prep for this week’s House by upping your smallpox knowledge

Check out that wicked cover! That’s how you know that, in its day, smallpox was some hardcore business. The wickedly titled Angel of Death: The Story of Smallpox is brought to you by author Gareth Williams, and chronicles how smallpox ravaged humanity. Not to spoil the story or anything, but smallpox is eventually defeated by a rural doctor from the very metal sounding Gloucestershire area in the United Kingdom.

Anyway, beyond the obvious target audience of pre-med and people interested in medical things, on House this week, they’re leading us to believe that smallpox is back like the McRib, but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that this is FINALLY lupus’s big week. Regardless, it might be fun to prep by finding out what the real smallpox was like.

A hen bakes a cake in the Book of the Day

Occasionally I like to remind you that we collect children’s books to support our early child education courses. Why? Because we’re total suckers for pictures here.

 

In The Red Hen, adapted by Ed and Rebecca Emberly, Red Hen bakes a Simply Splendid Cake for her friends… none of which are helping out. Unfortunately, this doesn’t end in a steel cage match, but the pictures are neat and kids will enjoy it.