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The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow
A must! It will make you laugh, cry, think, and be appreciative of the time that we have.
-Chris Boehm, Director of Admission
The Gospel of Inclusion by Carlton Pearson
Featured on 60 minutes and National Public Radio, Carlton Pearson “takes on” his alma mater and mentor, Oral Roberts, in a religious debate over the existence of hell.
-Gina French, Art Director, College Relations Office
Dewey (The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World) by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter
Anybody who loves animals will love this one! Vicki Myron has a wonderful way of connecting “outsiders” to the little town of Spencer, Iowa, through this endearing, charming, funny, and often heart-wrenching gift of a story about Dewey.
-Jessica Morris, Director of Prospect Research and Stewardship, Development Office
Gilead (2004) and Home (2008) by Marilynne Robinson
These are serious, beautiful books set in the 1950s about the households of two clergymen, Congregationalist (UCC, today) and Presbyterian, in a small town in Iowa called Gilead that was founded by antislavery activists before the Civil War. These much awarded and celebrated novels reach deeply into the American past to probe issues of race, gender, religion and nonviolence.
Robinson teaches at the famous University of Iowa Writer's Workshop. Read Gilead first.
-Richard Androne, Ph.D., Professor of English
Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia by James L. Watson
Even if you have no plans to travel, you may find this investigation enjoyable: An easy-going study of how and why the fast food chain has made inroads in the fabric of East Asian cultures. The chapters offer a balance of anecdotes and observations along with analysis. From Beijing to Tokyo, readers discover that “Lovin’ it” is as much about the setting as it is about fusion of local and global food. By the way, the burger in most East Asian countries is considered a snack rather than a meal. Why? Find out...
Black: The History of a Color by Michel Pastoureau
Don’t let the coffee table format fool you. This is a marvelous study that combines the best of art history with culture and social history. Like his previous volume, Blue (from the same publisher), Pastoureau shows the dynamic of taste as it comes to reject, accept and of course seek out a color that was once viewed as the deadly “zero” of colors. And if you know someone who swears only by black clothing, this is definitely a perfect gift.
-Guillaume de Syon, Ph.D,, Associate Professor of History
The Dark Side by Jane Mayer
This is the best account to date of the abuses of power and the war crimes associated with the war on terror. The account is all the more remarkable because her book was written before the recent release of memos and reports, and much of what they say was already in her book. If you want to understand the “dark side” of the war on terror and of the Bush administration, there is no better book.
-Bruce Auerbach, Ph.D., Professor of Political Science
Dissolution, Dark Fire, Sovereign and Revelation, four books by C.J. Sansom
Believe me, 1537 was a very good year for intrigue! Whether you love murder, mysteries or medieval history, (or even if you don’t) C.J. Sansom’s Matthew Shardlake series is intelligent, absorbing and readable. Hunchback lawyer Shardlake has earned the trust of higher ups and keeps finding himself embroiled in the political, cultural and religious turmoil of the reign of Henry VIII, whether he likes it or not. Sansom brings the period totally to life with real characters and exacting period detail. One of the things I like best is that he doesn’t focus on the life of the elite, but on the lawyers, the working folk, the poor, and the messy, brawling, muddy, smelly city of London, managing to find the common threads between people and issues, then and today.
-Barbara J. Marshall, Associate Vice President of College Relations & Marketing
What the Best College Teachers Do by Ken Bain
Winner of the Virginia and Warren Stone Prize, awarded annually by Harvard University Press for an outstanding book on education and society. Ken Bain, vice provost for instruction, professor of history, and director of the Teaching and Learning Resource Center at Montclair State University, will be the featured speaker at Albright’s annual faculty retreat in August.
-Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin
A great read, and it provides fascinating background, especially timely as Obama makes his first pick for the Supreme Court.
Stuff White People Like by Christian Lander
It’s a scream, as long as you enjoy laughing at yourself. And, it has material not found on his web site.
-Denise Greenwood, Instructor of English
Ask Supernanny: What Every Parent Wants to Know and Supernanny: How to Get the Best from Your Children by Jo Frost
Got kids? If so, these are a must. The woman is a genius!
Audition: A Memoir by Barbara Walters
I have always admired Barbara Walters. She’s a gifted interviewer who paved the way for women in journalism. After reading her book, I respect her more than ever for her strength, integrity, passion and courage both as a journalist and as a woman.
-Jennifer P. Stoudt, Director of Publications and Editor, The Albright Reporter
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.” One can never have too many zombies.
Fool: A Novel by Christopher Moore
Shakespeare’s dark, depressing King Lear, as told by the fool. Lotsa laughs!
Hench by Adam Beechen and Manny Bello
The life of a henchman. C’mon, you always wondered what it’s like to be a henchman…
Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior by Geoffrey Miller
Why are people so consumed with consuming? Should be interesting to find out!
-Margaret Upham ’97, Secretary, Development Office
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs
They’re God’s books of psychology, philosophy, and love, respectively, all penned by Solomon, King of Judah and Israel.
-Robert Cannon, Ed.D., Dean of Continuing Education and Community Outreach
Ike by Michael Korda
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
American Lion by Jon Meacham
Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
The Age of the Unthinkable by Joshua Cooper Ramo
Flannery by Brad Gooch
-Lex O. McMillan III, Ph.D., President
Understanding Marijuana, A New Look at the Scientific Evidence by Mitch Earleywine
Speed, Ecstasy, Ritalin, The Science of Amphetamines by Leslie Iversen
The Cigarette Century by Allan M. Brandt
The above are in preparation for my first-year seminar on drugs. I hope to also read:
Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millennium by Carl Sagan
-Ian Rhile, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
It drew me in like a trap! It had a captivating and interesting plot. You could empathize with the characters and understand their actions, either right or wrong. The whole time you’re reading you just wonder if the “secret” will be exposed.
-Lauren Cooley ’03, Special Events Coordinator, Advancement
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