S t u d e n t Featured Titles • American History and Society • Food, Health, and the Environment • World Issues • Memoir/World Views • Memoir/ American Voices • World Fiction • Fiction • Classic Fiction • Religion • Orientation Resources • Inspiration/Self-Help • Study Resources www.HarperAcademic.com Index View Print Exit Books for t H e f i r s t - Y e A r s t u d e n t • • 1 FEATURED TITLES The Boy Who Harnessed A Pearl In the Storm the Wind How i found My Heart in tHe Middle of tHe Ocean Creating Currents of eleCtriCity and Hope tori Murden McClure William kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer During June 1998, Tori Murden McClure set out to William Kamkwamba was born in Malawi, Africa, a row across the Atlantic Ocean by herself in a twenty- country plagued by AIDS and poverty. When, in three-foot plywood boat with no motor or sail. 2002, Malawi experienced their worst famine in 50 Within days she lost all communication with shore, years, fourteen-year-old William was forced to drop ultimately losing updates on the location of the Gulf out of school because his family could not afford the Stream and on the weather. In deep solitude and $80-a-year-tuition. However, he continued to think, perilous conditions, she was nonetheless learn, and dream. Armed with curiosity, determined to prove what one person with a mission determination, and a few old science textbooks he could do. When she was finally brought to her knees discovered in a nearby library, he embarked on a by a series of violent storms that nearly killed her, daring plan to build a windmill that could bring his she had to signal for help and go home in what felt family the electricity only two percent of Malawians like complete disgrace. could afford. Back home in Kentucky she went to work for “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind [is] an autobiography Muhammad Ali, who told her that she did not want so moving that it is almost impossible to read without to be known as the woman who “almost” rowed tears. In understated and simple prose, Kamkwamba and Mealer offer readers a tour through one across the Atlantic Ocean—and she knew that he was right. In this thrilling story of high adventure, Malawian boy’s inspiring life. The telling of his story is surprisingly levelheaded. As you read this Tori Murden McClure gives students a true memoir of an explorer who maps her world with rare book (I’d suggest keeping a box of tissues handy) you can be sure that William Kamkwamba’s future is emotional honesty. bright. If this tale is any indication, we’ll be hearing his name again in the years ahead.”—Christian Science Monitor “Unlike Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, Tori Murden McClure’s true story of a woman and the sea and a boat named American Pearl is one of victory. If you want to be inspired, read this book. You won’t William Morrow: 288 pp. stop till you’ve finished.”—Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife 2009 • 978-0-06-173032-0 • hc • $25.99 ($33.99/CAN) Freshman Common Book: Northern Kentucky University Harper: 304 pp. 2009 • 978-0-06-171886-1 • hc • $25.99 ($33.99/CAN) R e s o u R c e s f o R T h e B o y W h o h a r n e s s e d T h e W i n d R e s o u R c e s f o R A P e A r l i n t h e S t o r m Browse Inside the Book Browse Inside the Book Website for The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Website for A Pearl in the Storm Video of William Kamkwamba discussing The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Index View Print Exit Books for t H e f i r s t - Y e A r s t u d e n t • • 2 The Last Lecture A Home on the Field How one CHaMpionsHip teaM inspires Hope randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow for tHe revival of Small town AmeriCa On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Paul Cuadros Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last This is a triumphant true story of a team of Latino lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood high school students and their coach who fought Dreams.” Although he had been diagnosed with against prejudice to win the North Carolina state terminal cancer, that day Randy was youthful, soccer championship. energetic, handsome, and often cheerfully, darkly “Cuadros, a reporter, went to Siler City, North Carolina, funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief to investigate the changes wrought by Latinos arriving moment, as he himself acknowledged. to work in small-town poultry-processing plants. He Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has became part of the story when he lobbied Jordan- the bestselling book he wrote based on the same Matthews High School to create a team for its principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to soccer-loving Latino youth. Three seasons later, he had make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to coached the Jets to a state championship. The engaging pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy tale of the team’s climb to the top also provides a lens continues to inspire all who read The Last Lecture. through which to view the challenges of assimilation.” —Booklist Freshman Common Book: Georgia Institute of Technology, Ramapo College, Cazenovia College Freshman Common Book: Appalachian State University, UNC Chapel Hill Hyperion: 224 pp. 2008 • 978-1-4013-2325-7 • hc • $21.95 ($23.50/CAN) It Books: 288 pp.; illustrated 2007 • 978-0-06-112028-2 • pb • $13.99 ($17.99/CAN) R e s o u R c e s f o R T h e L a s T L e c T u r e R e s o u R c e s f o R A H o m e o n t H e F i e l d Website for The Last Lecture Browse Inside the Book Video of an Interview with Paul Cuadros on WGBH Index View Print Exit Books for t H e f i r s t - Y e A r s t u d e n t • • 3 Not For Sale Fast Food Nation The return of tHe global slave trade— The dark side of tHe all-AmeriCan Meal and How we Can figHt it eric schlosser david Batstone Why is Fast Food Nation a favorite pick for freshman An estimated 27 million people around the globe reading? Among many reasons, it encourages suffer in situations of forced labor and commercial students to think about their everyday actions sexual exploitation from which they cannot free within a larger context. The story of fast food is the themselves. Trafficking in people has become story of postwar America. Though created by a increasingly transnational in scope, and is today the handful of mavericks, the fast food industry has: third most profitable criminal activity in the world. • Triggered the homogenization of our culture As many as half of all those trafficked worldwide for • Hastened the “malling” of our landscape sex and domestic slavery are children under • Widened the gap between rich and poor eighteen years of age. • Fueled an epidemic of obesity In Not For Sale, David Batstone, a Professor of Ethics • Propelled the juggernaut of American cultural at the University of San Francisco, tells the inspiring imperialism abroad stories of rescued victims and their heroic rescuers, Fast Food Nation is a groundbreaking work of including background briefings on human investigation that will show your students how one trafficking, and practical ideas that empower industry has changed the face of America—and the individuals and their communities to join the world. It works in a multitude of courses and disciplines—from history, sociology, and business to campaign for human freedom. composition, health and nutrition—and beyond. Freshman Common Book: Kennesaw State University, University of South Carolina, Aikens “ Channeling the spirits of Upton Sinclair and Rachel Carson. Schlosser’s research is impressive— HarperOne: 320 pp. statistics, reportage, first-person accounts and interviews, mixing the personal with the global.” 2007 • 978-0-06-120671-9 • pb • $14.99 ($18.99/CAN) —San Francisco Chronicle Freshman Common Book: Western Illinois State University, Highline Community College, Prince George Community College, Hamline University, Champlain College, Bentley College, Windward Community College, Louisiana State University at Monroe, Ball State University, SUNY Oswego—and many others! Harper Perennial: 416 pp.; illustrated; index 2005 • 978-0-06-083858-4 • pb • $14.99 ($18.99/CAN) R e s o u R c e s f o R N o t f o r S a l e R e s o u R c e s f o R F a s t F o o d N a t i o N Browse Inside the Book Browse Inside the Book Website for “The Amazing Change” About Fighting the Global Slave Trade Fast Food Nation Movie Website David Batstone’s Blog Website for PBS Frontline Program Modern Meat Instructor’s Guide for Not for Sale The Fast Food Explorer Website Fast Food and Families Website Instructor’s Guide for Fast Food Nation Index View Print Exit Books for the f i r s t - Y e a r s t u d e n t • • 4 SuperFreakonomics Freakonomics Global CoolinG, PatriotiC Prostitutes, a roGue eConomist exPlores the hidden side and Why suiCide bombers should buy of everythinG life insuranCe s teven d.