Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom

Albom, Mitch (1997 ). Tuesdays with Morrie.  New York:  Doubleday. 

ISBN: 0385484518

Summary:  The middle-aged author records and reflects on his weekly philosophical and inspirational conversations with his favorite college professor while he is dying of Lou Gehrig's disease. From his wheelchair and later his deathbed, Morrie coaches Mitch with weekly "life lessons" about dying, life's purpose, happiness, culture, love, emotions, and forgiveness. 

Additional comments:  Grab your tissues for this one!  You will fall in love with Morrie as he faces his physical deterioration, increasing dependence on others,  and impending death with bravery, optimism, and spirit.  This is a quick read that will help you to put your priorities and misfortunes into perspective.  

Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich

Ehrenreich, Barbara (2001 ). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America .  New York: Metropolitan Books.

ISBN: 0805063889

Summary:  In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich temporarily disowns her Ph.D. and comfortable multi-room home to investigate life at poverty-level wages. Taking jobs whose mental and physical effort is often underrated, such as waiting tables, cleaning houses and hotel rooms, working at Wal-Mart, and assisting at a nursing home, Ehrenreich must find the cheapest accommodations and meals available in order to survive at six or seven dollars an hour. 

Additional Comments:  Written partly in response to welfare reform, her social experiment is a test to find out just how livable minimum wage is without government assistance.  It might come as no surprise that she is barely able to make ends meet.  Starting in Florida, she moves to several locations around America to compare her findings across geographic regions, yet surviving on minimum wage (even with two jobs) was nearly impossible, not to mention damaging to her health and spirit. Nickel and Dimed is essential reading for privileged high school students who will never be forced to scrub someone else's toilet. They will gain insight and empathy for the hard-working lower-class trying to make an honest living by jobs that the upper-class refuse.

Everything You Need to Know about Latino History

Novas, Himilce (2007). Everything you need to know about Latino history. New York: Plume.
ISBN: 97804522888898 

Summary: Everything You Need to Know about Latino History is an easy-to-navigate retelling of U.S. and Latin American history from a Latino perspective. Novas writes in a question-and-answer format, beginning with general information and proceeding to specific Latino subgroups, such as Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Dominican Americans. In the process, Novas, a journalist and expert on Latino history, debunks common misinformation and stereotypes that are erroneously propagated by Anglo-centric history classes traditionally taught in American schools. 

Additional Comments:  The 2008 edition of Everything You Need to Know about Latino also includes current pop culture, such as “Ugly Betty” and recent famous Latino /Latina athletes, entertainers, and politicians. Everything You Need to Know about Latino History should be required reading to educate all Americans about the contributions and history of the fastest-growing ethnic group.

Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser

Schlosser, Eric (2002). Fast Food Nation: the dark side of the all-American meal. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.  
0395977894

Summary: Eric Schlosser's 2002 New York Times bestseller, Fast Food Nation reveals that a seemingly trivial decision to buy a quick hamburger has hidden costs that are uncovered during Schlosser's disturbing investigation. Schlosser chronicles the rapid spread of fast food chains and the corresponding rise of agribusinesses as the food industry has had to accommodate the massive demand for beef and chicken as more and more franchises open across America and abroad.

Additional Comments:  Be forewarned that you may never again set foot in a McDonald's or Taco Bell after reading this provocative investigation of the fast food industry.  Read this book, and you will forever remember factory workers with missing fingers, factory workers who are forced to work overtime in dangerous conditions, and the gory butchering of cattle and chicken as they are slaughtered.  A moving example of "investigative journalism" that reveals the ways in which chain, fast food restaurants are destructive to employees, to public health, and to animal welfare.

Drink Cultura, by Jose Antonio Burciaga

Burciago, Jose Antonio (1993). Drink Cultura. Santa Barbara: Joshua Odell Editions.
ISBN 1877741078

Summary:  Burciago writes, “I’m Mexican by nature and American by nurture.” (p. 63). A Chicano cultural activist, Burciago presents a series of essays in Drink Cultura that explore elements of American and Mexican cultures and Mexican-American culture. By discussing language, food, and holidays, Burciago explores his identity as a Chicano Texan—neither Mexicano nor gringo, but caught between cultures —with wit and insightful commentary informed by personal experience and history. 

Additional Comments:  Despite his levity, Burciago also addresses serious social injustices against Latinos, such as the past prohibition of Spanish language and Mexican culture in schools, the struggles of the campesino farmworkers and the labor movement, and the evolution of the Chicano Movement. Students of Latin American studies will especially benefit from Burciago’s critique of American culture and history.