Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Top Ten Books Tackling Tough Issues




Maus: A Survivor's Tale
The Holocaust



Reading Lolita in Tehran
A teacher dares to start a book club for women in Tehran.



No Excuses: Closing the Racial Gap in Learning
Author Abigail Thernstrom takes a close look at the racial gaps that still exist in learning and proposes causes and solutions.


Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
A hurricane unnerves a town.



Columbine by Dave Cullen
How did two boys become killers?



The Last Shot: City Streets, Basketball Dreams
Athletics is a way out for many in poverty.
But is it really?



Material World: A Global Family Portrait
What things does an average family in America have in their home?
How about in Egypt? Denmark?
Peter Menzel finds an average family in countries around the world
and photographs their possessions.


Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
What is wrong with our world?



Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Ehrenreich explores what life is like for those earning minimum wage in America.



Bowling Alone
What happened to the sense of community in America?


What are your favorite top ten books tackling tough issues?


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

24 comments:

  1. Some Good Ones Here , Ive read a few on your list.Old Follower
    http://thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-ten-tuesday-tackling-tough-issues.html

    BTw Have you read the Book "Three Cups of Tea" its a non-fiction, I think set in Tehran or one of those Middle eastern Countries but judging by the books that you listed below it seems like one that you may enjoy if you havent yet discovered it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ooh, this is a good list! I read Zeitoun, and Nickel and Dimed is on mt TBR list. Well done!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like how you went down the non-fiction road. Very logical thing to do when dealing with tough issues. Thanks for your comment BTW!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I need to read at least some of these titles - they all sound good.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like that you took a different approach with this one and listed books that deal more with current social issues, instead of classics. Nickel and Dimed and Columbine both made a huge impact on me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Reading Lolita is on my TBR list...need to get to it soon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I had Maus on my list too- one of the most sensitive portrayals of the Holocaust imho. Great list.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I loved Nickle and Dimed, and Zeitoun made my list as well. I'd never heard of Maus, but I'm more and more liking the graphic novel, so I'm going to check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Glad to see someone else picked some nonfiction choices! I put a different Eggers book on my list, but we hit on some of the same tough issues. Nice list!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bold list!! Great job. I have Nickle and Dimed on my TBR list as well as Maus. I has not heard of Material World or Bowling Alone but both look great and I'm putting them on TBR now. Thanks for introducing them to me!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I generally don't read 'issue' books. At least, not intentionally. But I do think your list is a very good, thought provoking one.

    I'm going to take a look at MATERIAL WORLD and ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE.

    And I've been meaning to read MAUS, also PERSEPOLIS which was on someone else's list.

    ReplyDelete
  12. One of my friends is a survivor from Columbine. I know there are a lot of survivors, but she and her sister were right there in the cafeteria with the shooters. Every April 20, their mom sends them to the spa so that they can not think about the horrors of that day so many years ago.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I liked that you picked non fiction books. I've read several of these lists this morning and yours was the only one that did this. Good picks!

    Here is mine:

    http://deadtreesandsilverscreens.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-ten-tuesdays-july-26.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. I was a bit disappointed with Nickel and Dimed. I didn't feel as if the journalist stretched herself enough to really live like the true working homeless that she wrote about. It's not the same to "pretend" to be homeless when you know that an apartment is waiting for you later that evening.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I want to read Columbine but never get in the frame of mind.

    My Top Ten

    http://teawithmarce.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-ten-books-that-tackle-tough-issues.html

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have quoted Nickel and Dimed so many times. Good call.

    Please visit my blog and sign up for my first Giveaway!

    Anne
    http://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Great list! I've only read Nickel and Dimed but want to read several of the others. Love the concise summary and pictures too! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I've got to get around to reading Zen one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great list! I have a copy of Nickel and Dimed that I haven't started yet, and Bowling Alone is one of my husband's favorite books. And Material World sounds amazing- I'm adding it to my wishlist now, thanks to you!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I've always wanted to read Reading Lolita in Tehran, but have felt like I ought to read Lolita first, and just couldn't get through it. :S

    Material World and Bowling Alone both sound fascinating, too.... those are things I think about with some frequency.

    Thanks for the list!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great List! I have read Nickel and Dimed and think it's a great addition to this list.

    ReplyDelete
  22. thanks for stopping by. your list is very different than anything else i have seen. and there are books on my list to read, and some i have never heard of i should look in to. =D

    ReplyDelete
  23. You listed some very tough reads. I am bookmarking your post.

    Here is my Top Ten post!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Maus 1 and 2 have been some of my favorite books for a long time. Not only did I learn a lot from them but they were incredibly interesting and emotional reads.

    ReplyDelete

I hope you will leave a comment so I know you have visited. If you stop by my blog, I will always stop by yours.

Note: Disqus commenting is only available on the web version of the blog. Please switch to the web version if you are using a mobile device.