Human Nature by Kate Marvel

Does it seem lately that you are hearing frequently about extra high temperatures, heavy deluges, or strong storms?  How does that make you feel? In a new book called HUMAN NATURE author Kate Marvel devotes a chapter to each of nine emotions to explore both science and stories behind climate change. Marvel, a climate scientist and quoted in The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg, says that she wrote this book for three reasons: (1) to share some of the science behind climate change; (2) to explain how, with things changing so rapidly, it feels to do this science; and (3) to share the range of emotions she felt. Shifting between Greek myths and theoretical physics, Marvel looks at Wonder; Anger; Guilt; Fear; Grief; Surprise; Pride; Hope; and Love in a relatively accessible manner. She obviously cares. Her chapter on Hope acknowledges that we need to stop emitting the greenhouse gases that cause climate change by taking steps to “build renewable energy sources, transmission lines to carry that energy where needed, and batteries to store that energy, which would push aside fossil fuels. Stop heating and cooking with dirty fuels. Learn how to make cement and plastics and steel without spewing carbon dioxide. Replace gasoline cars with electric vehicles, public transportation, and walkable cities. Steward our land more wisely and eat fewer cows.” She admits that this will be difficult, but not impossible and that “renewables are already being deployed at rates forecasters never imagined.” The stories (e.g., transition from whale blubber to kerosene) are fascinating, emotion evoking, and clearly relevant today. Subtitled “Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet,” HUMAN NATURE was described in a Kirkus review as “A highly readable argument for tackling climate change that reckons with both cold hard facts and the human heart.” At least twenty-five percent of the book is devoted to Notes and an Index. 

Beyond the Horse Race by John Zogby

Booklist called BEYOND THE HORSE RACE by John Zogby “A timely read for the politically inclined.” To be honest, I was a bit turned off by the patronizing attitude in his Acknowledgments section which the author displayed towards his daughters-in-law who “made substantial contributions to the production of our babies.” His text is designed to explore “How to Read Polls and Why We Should” but the graphs did not display properly in the preview copy I had. This made it difficult to fully appreciate his points. Zogby, a political consultant and the founder of the Zogby International Poll, does provide a short section at the end of each chapter which summarizes its “lessons” such as “don’t be a victim of myopia and insularity.” Another observation he offers: “Numbers produce stories. Imagination and hard work help us find the stories behind the numbers.” There are many stories and tales here spanning decades which a specialized audience will likely enjoy if they can discount the author’s tone. Slightly less than twenty percent of the text is devoted to notes, an extensive list of Works Cited, and an index. 

The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Vohra

THE STICKY NOTE MANIFESTO OF AISHA AGARWAL by Ambika Vohra sets the perfect tone of what it feels like to be unsure of yourself in high school as you strive to complete AP classes, meet parental expectations, and somehow get the attention of a boy you like. Those goals are important to Aisha Agarwal, main character of this excellent, layered debut novel. Vohra says this was inspired by her own story and she evokes plenty of emotion while exploring fate (commenting on the butterfly effect and noting “God wills everything to happen for a reason”); class distinctions and privilege; race, immigration, assimilation, and compartmentalizing. There are insights on loneliness, romance, and family (“It's not easy untying the mental knots created by parents”), too. Aisha has a crush on her former neighbor and co-valedictorian, Brian. Helping her arrange a date with him and accomplish other items that appear as part of the sticky note manifesto are her best friend Marcy, and new friend, Quentin, a senior at another high school who is struggling with Math and the unexpected loss of his father. Aisha is – like many teens – pretty self-centered, but she grows throughout the story as she expands her experiences and shifts her attitude, finally asking, “What if all the stuff I wanted for so long isn't all that great?” At one point, Quentin remarks, “ultimately, people remember you for how you made them feel” and THE STICKY NOTE MANIFESTO OF AISHA AGARWAL is a feel good, coming of age story. Compared to Never Have I Ever, it would be fun to see on screen, too. Highly recommended.

Math-ish by Jo Boaler

MATH-ISH by Jo Boaler (Limitless Mind) is a clear, straightforward, and user-friendly text on “Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics.”  Library Journal says, “Recommended for readers both fascinated by and leery of math. Educators who are looking for a different way to approach math will especially benefit from this title.” I heartily concur. Boaler is a well-respected mathematician who is a professor of education and equity at Stanford University and the faculty director of youcubed. In MATH-ISH she offers practical, evidence-based ideas for finding the joy in math as well as improving understanding and performance. The book begins with a series of personal stories, gives examples of applying metacognitive thinking, and then continues with data like the following: “between 10 percent  and 40 percent of people in most countries are innumerate and avoid math as much as possible. These folks are vulnerable every time they need to read a chart.” She goes on to cite studies and to stress that “students with positive attitudes toward their learning achieved at higher levels. Positive attitudes reduce anxiety about learning, enhance motivation, and boost students’ persistence.” Sadly, Boaler had to include a section which deals with the harassment which she and her family endured due to contrived controversy over the basic idea that “students are more interested and more successful when the content they are learning allows them to engage in different ways.” In her final chapter she writes effectively about five principles for becoming an effective change agent: (1) believe in yourself; (2) practice empathy; (3) build a network; (4) investigate, collect and share data; and (5) develop a warrior mindset. Boaler references many scholars and includes extensive notes, making up at least fifteen percent of the text. Attitudes towards math and aptitude for math is a highly relevant topic, given the decline in scores related to COVID’s impact and the debate over which students should take algebra in middle school. MATH-ISH is highly recommended.

Brave New Words by Salman Khan

BRAVE NEW WORDS by Salman Khan describes his views on “How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing).” Unfortunately, there are not enough specifics to really guide interested teachers or parents. Like everything else, AI will have an adoption curve and this text does not help innovators and early adopters convince others in their school system of the potential value of AI. Khan recently spoke about his new book at a Family Action Network event with Angela Duckworth.  It was only around minute 50 (video to be posted soon) that he seemed to spark enthusiasm with ideas about using AI to facilitate break out groups or thesis development. In my experience, one needs to really show the majority of teachers how a new tech could be applied in their field before there is widespread use. It is very confusing for students if different teachers are not making tech accessible in similar ways. For starters, K-12 is a huge range; plus, as Khan points out, this is an extremely complex undertaking due to concerns about student privacy, cheating, assessments, job security, etc. Khan touches on these points in his new text and ends with a general “call for educated bravery” wherein “each of us has an obligation to make sure that we use this technology responsibly.”

The field is in flux as the recent announcement by Microsoft and Khan Academy indicates; although they are making the service free for teachers there would still be charges for students and parents. This is a business model – even if Khan Academy is a non-profit with ambitious goals. Seems like more affluent districts will have the infrastructure (e.g., IT consultants and specialized tech staff) in place to at least trial this tech, but doesn’t that (temporarily?) reinforce disparity in education? Could a condition of use be an arrangement with a “sister” district? Or, what incentives could State Boards of Education be encouraged to establish?  

More info on Sal Khan and his latest endeavors concerning AI are provided in this Ted Talk:

Washington Post commentator Josh Tyrangiel says that Khanamigo is “the first AI software I’m excited for my kids to use.” The debate will continue and giving students reliable one-on-one tutoring – meeting them where they are – is exciting. Figuring out an equitable distribution mechanism is key.

End Times by Peter Turchin

END TIMES by Peter Turchin is fascinating … absorbing … captivating in part because of how it uses historical social science combined with mathematical modeling and statistical analysis  (what he and colleagues call cliodynamics) to illustrate important points about “Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration.” Turchin points to the rise of unlikely leaders (Trump, Lincoln, and Hong of China) as a society increasingly experiences elite overproduction (“too many superrich and ultra-educated people, and not enough elite positions to satisfy their ambitions”) and popular immiseration (“when the economic fortunes of broad swaths of a population decline,” resulting in discontent and anger). Turchin, a research associate at the University of Oxford and an emeritus professor at the University of Connecticut, introduces other concepts (like precarity – or the precariat, a social class existing without predictability or security) and points to how power and wealth have long been associated in America (commenting that “before 1850, all American presidents were one-percenters (at the least).” He ultimately concludes, “Complex human societies need elites – rulers, administrators, thought leaders – to function well. We don’t want to get rid of them; the trick is to constrain them to act for the benefit of all.” In addition to several appendices, approximately twenty percent of the book is devoted to detailed notes. END TIMES appeared in the Next Big Idea Club Book List for June, and was reviewed in publications like The Guardian, and, along with The Fourth Turning by Neil Howe, in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. If this topic interests you, then be sure to read a sample or listen to an excerpt on the publisher’s web site.  

More Numbers Every Day by Dahlen and Thorbjørnsen

MORE NUMBERS EVERY DAY is described as a “number vaccine” by the two professors, Micael Dahlen (Stockholm School of Economics) and Helge Thorbjørnsen (Norwegian School of Economics) who are its authors. They are rather anti-number, writing “we do want to bring your attention to how you are influenced by them and help you to relate to them so that the quantification doesn’t make your life poorer.” The text is filled with examples and research with a fairly scholarly (although sometimes humorous) tone and many examples from Scandinavia. One section which is particularly interesting - and troubling - concerns “Numbers and the Truth” where they explore fake numbers and real news. There, they note that “Studies show that when people read news articles without numbers, they judge the credibility of the statements based on the source. However, when the articles contain numbers, the source plays almost no role at all.” Another section looks at the pandemic with its daily numerical updates and their potential impact on a sense of well-being and security. In each case, they provide a numbered summary with observations (e.g., be aware that numbers can get “anchored” in your head) and suggestions that may help craft a more effective “number vaccine.” Well-researched with over ten percent of the book (see how I inadvertently added a numerical measure?) devoted to notes and references, MORE NUMBERS EVERY DAY provides plenty of insight on “How Data, Stats, and Figures Control Our Lives and How to Set Ourselves Free.”

Escape from Model Land by Erica Thompson

ESCAPE FROM MODEL LAND by Erica Thompson is subtitled “How Mathematical Models Can Lead Us Astray and What We Can Do About It.” Thompson, a statistician and senior policy fellow at the London School of Economics, provides a somewhat dense but thought-provoking reflection on the limitations of the many mathematical models on which we rely. One key point she addresses is the inherent bias of model designers, noting for example how educated middle-class modelers during the pandemic under- and over-valued certain costs for lockdowns and other policy decisions. Making this easy to remember, she notes the WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Developed) assumptions which may underlie a model without the developer’s conscious knowledge. Stressing that models are “ubiquitous now in everyday life,” Thompson encourages readers to use them for exploration, to gauge their sensitivity, and to ask probing questions: “How are models constructed? To whom do they deliver power? How should we regulate them? How can we use them responsibly?”  ESCAPE FROM MODEL LAND received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and was reviewed recently in both The Economist and The Wall Street Journal.

It is also interesting to think about these questions in the context of new OpenAI chatbot programs. Some provocative articles include:
The Brilliance and Weirdness of ChatGPT (Dec. 5, 2022; New York Times)
Cheatingwith ChatGPT; Can an AI Chatbot Pass AP Lit? (Dec. 21, 2022; Wall Street Journal)
Did a Fourth Grader Write This? Or the New Chatbot? (Dec.  26, 2022; New York Times)
Is AI the Future of Test Prep? (Dec.  27, 2022; New York Times)
It is fascinating to look at this new tech and how data works.

The Art of Teaching Children

THE ART OF TEACHING CHILDREN by Phillip Done is subtitled “All I Learned from a Lifetime in the Classroom” and Done deftly share thirty-three years of experience. He mainly taught third and fourth graders (roughly 8 to 10 year-olds) and therefore brought back many happy memories of my time with students in that age category. While many of his examples (learning to read, to develop social skills, etc.), apply best to that cohort, he also shares universal truths like “Real learning is messy, not linear.” His love for his students (and theirs for him) is evident in the many anecdotes and that affection will buoy readers who “need a quick pick-me-up, a long heart-to-heart, or just a reminder that you’re not alone.” This is the kind of text which may appeal most to newer teachers -- it is full of general ideas like his emphasis on taking advantage of Teachable Moments, reinforced with colorful examples like the Sunflower lesson or Restaurant Day. Although it focuses primarily on pre-Covid times, THE ART OF TEACHING CHILDREN could easily be a “one book, one school” choice to prompt teacher discussion. For example, Done believes "the use of tech in schools is industry driven, not pedagogically driven. ... Connect your kids to the people in their classroom, not the pixels."

Making Numbers Count

MAKING NUMBERS COUNT by Chip Heath and Karla Starr is all about “The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers.” Kirkus sums up this text as follows: “Astute advice for business people and educators.” The authors note that their book “is based on a simple observation: we lose information when we don’t translate numbers into instinctive human experience.” They offer over 30 possible translation techniques (e.g., use calendar time – like every day for almost 4 months instead of saying 112). Heath and Starr explain the value of visual comparisons – like a pack of cards instead of a 4 ounce portion or thinking of all the world’s water as filling a gallon container (saltwater from the oceans) and three ice cubes (fresh water) with humans only able to drink the few drops melting off the cubes. Memorable, right? Other sections of the book suggest using emotional numbers and translating to a human scale. The examples go on and on, including the New York Times effort to convey the loss of human life to Covid-19 by posting the names and a small fact about just 1000 people -- still filling over 5 pages. Our Library collection has included numerous other texts by the Heath brothers (e.g., Switch; Decisive; Made to Stick; and The Power of Moments) and we will be adding MAKING NUMBERS COUNT soon.