Surveys all kinds of issues and connects social change to global values systems

books:

	• Global Values 101: A Short Course Beacon Press, 2006 - 276 pages average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Fun interviews with global thinkers

As a college student interested in the state of the world, this book caught my eye. It is full of interviews with the superstars of current debates about globalization, war and peace, work and family and religion. People like Paul Farmer, Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, Juliet Schor, Robert Reich, and Howard Zinn. I had read many of these guys before, but what struck me is that they are even more interesting in interview format than in their own books. More spontaneous and funny, and you get to see them struggling with some difficult questions. And they were interviewed by young people (in a super-popular course at Harvard), which means that you get some really wild questions; I found myself thinking at times, 'Who would have been so stupid and rude as to ask THAT?!' This makes for lively reading. My main complaint is that the book only includes 16 of these interviews (plus an introduction), when many more were done in the course and would have been welcome in the book. But it makes for good reading on a long plane flight, when you want to think about the troubles and joys of the planet you are flying over, rather than about the screaming infant in the seat behind you.

for more information click here

Great Reading

"Democracy is what the people do; it's not what the government does" - H. Zinn.

I was amazed that three pages into this book Zinn touched right on the point my Anthropology teacher was making in class the night before.

Any chance to read thoughts by Zinn, Goodman, Chomsky is definately worth every penny.

for more information click here

Great Thoughts Made Accessible

This book summarizes the conversations held between Harvard students and some of our most innovative thinkers. The students were asked to read and analyze works by these guest speakers and pose thoughtful questions to them. This relatively small book contains astute insights into politics, the economy, environmental issues, and human rights. It is written in precise, accessible language without over simplifying the concepts which are explained.

for more information click here

Great book - fantastic ideas!

I picked up this book not really knowing what it was about and discovered a gem. It interviews great activists and thinkers in an informal, intelligent style that brings out the best in them. Katha Politt's interview was one of my favorites. I recommend this book to any serious students of the world. It deals with the idea of a global morality that passes over religious, ethnic, or racial lines - something crucial in these times of globalization.

Surveys all kinds of issues and connects social change to global values systems

GLOBAL VALUES 101 isn't just the title of a book; it's a course which proved one of the most popular ever offered at Harvard University, in which original thinkers sat down with students and explored how knowledge and ideas contribute to better world citizens. From ideas of success and achievement to issues of war, religion and social change, GLOBAL VALUES 101 surveys all kinds of issues and connects social change to global values systems. Perfect for classroom discussion - even at the high school level.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

for more information click here

Global Values 101 grew out of one of the most popular courses ever offered at Harvard University, in which some of the most original thinkers of our day sat down with students and explored how ideas have made them?and can make us?more engaged, involved, and compassionate citizens. They addressed the topics of war, religion, the global economy, and social change: Amy Goodman, host of the popular radio program Democracy Now as well as the author of The Exception to the Ruler, speaks about the role of the citizen and the media in a free society; Lani Guinier reveals that students' SAT scores more accurately describe the kind of car their parents drive than the grades they will earn in college and shows the way to a more equitable college admissions system; Juliet Schor, author of Born to Buy and The Overspent American, discusses the evolution of personal responsibility in a consumer culture; and Robert Reich, author of Locked in the Cabinet, tells us to get involved in politics because, if you want to see change, you have to make change happen.

For anyone who has been moved by idealism and wondered how to become an engaged citizen, this collection offers a range of stories on how progressive ideals can inform, inspire, engage, and ultimately change lives.

Other contributors include Harvey Cox, Katha Pollitt, Howard Zinn, Diana Eck, and Naomi Klein.

for more information click here

hot