Book Reviews
We understand that as a youth worker, your time is valuable and pulled upon. However, we also understand the value of supplemental knowledge that can cultivate an attitude of continuous learning. With these things said, this page is to help you decipher which books we offer will be worth your time. While we feel all of our books are great, we understand that there are different needs for different people. Below, you will find a growing list of book reviews that get down to the main drive of the books. They also contain questions for reflection and discussion; great tools for your personal application or team dialogue. Please e-mail us know if there are any questions or comments! We love to hear from you.
Fist Stick Knife Gun
A personal history of violence in America
by Geoffry Canada. 1995
Canada describes how relationships with adults, poverty, and safety (or lack thereof) lead kids to use violence to solve problems. In schools, the adults that plan for safety do not always understand the justice laws of the street, and cannot support them while protecting students. Often adults create, unknowingly, larger opportunities for conflict than what naturally occur between youth. Trust is a major concern for young people...[read more]
Can We Talk About Race?
And Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation
by Beverly Daniel Tatum. 2007
The racial mixing of schools helped to create spaces for interacial friendships that could extend into adulthood. Otherwise, races would probably remain segregated. Now, because schools tend to be geographically organized, those who live in segregated neighborhoods will probably attend segregated schools. This how schools are being resegregated...[read more]
by Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh. 2008
Dr. Sudhir Venkatesh is a sociology professor at Columbia University. He has a history of studying poverty in America. This book details his work as a graduate student at the University of Chicago where he studied gang life from a new perspective of sociologist in training and adjunct gang friend...[read more]
Upcoming Titles...