Task #14: A book of social science

[Karen]

Cyndi wrote: "Will Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: Ethnicity, Race, and Rights work for this challenge?"

Yes, the Dewey Decimal System lists Class 300 as Social Sciences. This book is listed at 305.86807.

[Candace]

Harper wrote: "I read Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage. It was an interesting, short book about single mothers in poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia. I felt like it ..." This book completely fascinating...I think I'll read this for this task.

[Harper]

Candace wrote: "Harper wrote: "I read Promises I Can Keep: Why Poor Women Put Motherhood Before Marriage. It was an interesting, short book about single mothers in poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia. ..."

Candace, I hope you enjoy it! There is a sort of companion book by the same authors about low-income fathers: Doing the Best I Can: Fatherhood in the Inner City.

[Britany]

Finished

by J.D. Vance - 2 Stars

Not as great as I had anticipated- My Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Pamela]

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil - Jean Sasson

[Julia]

I finished reading The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham yesterday and realized it fits this challenge. This historian, sometimes biographer and political scientist has written about times when we Americans have been in very bad spots, yet we are stronger for it. It's a hopeful book that I recommend, to people who feel hope is lacking now.

[Heather]

Did you decide to read this? I'm Canadian as well and would like to read it but am not super clear on whether it counts as social science? Admittedly, I'm not sure what the line is between investigative journalism and social science...
Kari wrote: "I'm from Canada and looking to do a Canadian read on this one, but not too sure what counts as a "social science" book...I'm thinking of [book:Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths ..."

[Heather]

This was so helpful! You are obviously a genius. :)
Mona wrote: "I see a lot of confusion in this thread about what constitutes "social science." One approach that might help is if you use your library catalog. The Dewey Decimal System classifies social science ..."

[Darlene]

Erika wrote: "Also using the Dewey Decimal Classification trick, anything in the 100s will work as well (Philosophy and Psychology, which are somewhat separate from Social Sciences in the DDC but do also fall un..."

Awesome! I'm going with 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson which falls under DDC 170.44 for Philosophy and Psychology.

[Caleb]

Really interesting book Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Author seems to be an absolute asshole, hated his "voice" in the text but had some really interesting ideas.

[Sherri]

I read Tribe:On Homecoming & Belonging by Sebastian Junger. This book only has 182 pages so you could read it in one sitting.

[Becky]

I HIGHLY recommend Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari. It's about the "War on Drugs" from it's inception in the US a little over a century ago, why it's failed, and how some places have found solutions that work. Absolutely fascinating, well-researched, and Hari is an exceptional journalist whose writing is captivating and entertaining while at the same time providing a solid education on a controversial subject.

I also recommend The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander, which so many people have read and recommended already, for good reason. With our for-profit prison system ever-expanding and the prison pipeline growing, Alexander gives a clear and concise look into some of the reasons how and why this is happening to people of color disproportionately - it's not a coincidence.

[Erica]

What about Parenting Beyond Pink & Blue: How to Raise Your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes?

[Sheri]

I used We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy. It's about American society and the underlying racism and white supremacy that's built into our entire societal build up. It used the lead up to Obama being elected, his two terms, and the election of Trump as a narrative to looking at racism in the country.

[Wellington]

I read Tribe for this challenge. This was an amazing book!! In my own rambling way I have thought that a lot of the problems we have today stem from no longer being part of a community. The author weaves a story that doesn't glorify how things used to be or what war is like, but shows us that so much of our dissatisfaction with our lives stems from a lack of belonging. It would be wonderful if everyone would read this book and we could all start in small ways to try to foster community again.

[Wellington]

Tribe was by Sebastian Junger

[Emma]

I'd recommend Man's Search for Meaning by Vicktor Frankl (which was my pick for this task). It's a fascinating memoir and study of human resilience in the face of atrocities (the author was put in 4 concentration camps during WWII).

[Jolynne]

The Line Becomes A River Incidentally, I hated it!

[Stephanie]

I found an option thanks to this thread, but to check on this book I already own, does this fit social science:

The Color of Law

[Joanna]

Would Between the World and Me work for this prompt? Though it is essentially a memoir it was well researched and seemed to fit to me. Just wanted to see what others thought!

[Bonnie G.]

Stephanie wrote: "I found an option thanks to this thread, but to check on this book I already own, does this fit social science:

The Color of Law"

The Color of Law absolutely fits. I have not gotten to it yet, but have heard great things.

[Tracy]

planned on reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City for this prompt, but since its sitting on my shelf and my girls are starting to get a little older I may switch to American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers ( I mean we have a ways to go , but you can never be too prepared with girls right? And they've been begging for their own YouTube channel 😩)

[Jody]

I don't know what to read! Proust and the Squid or First Bite or something else?

[Genie]

I am reading Bob Woodard's Fear for this part of the challenge. All politics...

[Rachel]

I decided to stick with my original idea, and pick 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You since the prompt didn't specify fiction or non-fiction. This book takes place during a psychological study involving the main characters, so I think it fits.

[Mya]

Rachel wrote: "I decided to stick with my original idea, and pick 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You since the prompt didn't specify fiction or non-fiction. This book takes place during a..."

Social science is a science. By definition, it's non-fiction. However it's your challenge to do with as you will.

[Rachel]

Mya wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I decided to stick with my original idea, and pick 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You since the prompt didn't specify fiction or non-fiction. This book takes..."

To be fair, I misread it originally and thought it said "a book involving social science" so the book I picked seemed to fit.

[Chickadee]

I read S Street Rising: Crack, Murder, and Redemption in D.C. for the True Crime book, but now I'm wondering if this would also count as a Social Science book.

[Chickadee]

Well, I started reading Fear: Trump in the White House for personal interest, but I'm thinking (hoping), this would be an appropriate book for the Social Science category. Thoughts?

[Chickadee]

Genie wrote: "I am reading Bob Woodard's Fear for this part of the challenge. All politics..."

I just posted my thought on this book for the Social Science category before I saw your comment. Great minds think alike!

[Margaret]

Would either of these qualify as social science books?

Color: A Natural History of the Palette by Victoria Finlay

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep is probably more science than social science. And Color is maybe closer to anthropology essay?

How about the soon to be released book The Poison Squad: One Chemist's Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century by Deborah Blum?

[Tracy]

Ok , Help!!

I'm reading this one : Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick right now, but it doesn't fit in my ATY Narrative nonfiction prompt as exactly as I wanted it to and I have other books I'd rather put there so now I'm trying to figure out where I can put it. I think it miiiiiight fit here, but curious what everyone else thinks?? My original plan was to read something by Mary Roach preferably Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War I'm getting my challenges all mixed up. My original plan was either Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City or American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers

[Maurita]

I’m currently reading Health Policymaking in the United States by Longest and Health Economics by Santerre and Neun.

[Bonnie G.]

Tracy wrote: "Ok , Help!!

I'm reading this one : Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick right now, but it doesn't fit in my A..."

Doing Harm absolutely fits, but don't miss out on Evicted, it is amazing. My top read of 2017.

[Tracy]

Bonnie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Ok , Help!!

I'm reading this one : Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick right now, but it doesn..."

Thanks, lol.
I'm going to use it for my Microhistory for Pop Sugar and try and stick to Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City for social Science.... although with an 8 year old that just "borrowed " my phone while I was napping and made snapchat videos (not posted on my account, just playing around) of herself lip syncing to Dua Lipa, Despacito and Don't let me Down by the Chainsmokers, complete with fox ears and nose and a little dance , hand motions and laying on the bed...... 😩 I really feel like I need to go ahead and read American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers. NOW. Where do they learn this?? I thought I was doing a good job sheltering them.

[Bonnie G.]

Tracy wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Ok , Help!!

I'm reading this one : Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick right no..."

LOL! So happy I had a boy!

[Ashley]

Does Happy City by Charles Montgomery count?

[Mya]

Ashley wrote: "Does Happy City by Charles Montgomery count?"

I haven't read it, but from the description Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design absolutely counts. It's urban design, sociology, & a bunch of other stuff that are all social sciences. :)

[Rayne]

I've started listening to American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers. It's horrifying and I've barely begun! My daughter is 12 so she's on the cusp of all this. This book is sick and very hard to keep reading. I feel like a failure of a mother if I quit (like I'm just trying to ignore the issue), but I just don't know if I can do it. It's disturbing.

[Tracy]

Brooklyn wrote: "I've started listening to American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers. It's horrifying and I've barely begun! My daughter is 12 so she's on the cusp of all this. ..."

This is the book I have planned for this category. My daughters are only 6 and 8 but are already masters at gaming and have figured out how to use snap chat filters on my phone. Too smart for their own good. I also have a 12 year old niece who's gotten into some trouble on instagram. I'm terrified to read it but I think its such an important topic and very relevant to society today.

And a side note: Their uncle was taking about him and their aunt getting them iPhones for christmas. OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!!!!!! And what happened to asking permission of the parents before handing out gifts like this? To a 6 and 8 year old?? Bad enough they bought them tablets 2 years ago and got them hooked on YouTube and MineCraft. Tablet time is SO limited in my house but as a single mom I have no idea what goes on in the rest of their families homes.

[Sheri]

Tracy,

Wow that seems super uncool! I don't have kids, but I would NOT want them to have their own devices at that age, unless they were special designed-for-kid ones that don't even have some of the more problematic features that regular phones and tablets have. Also those are expensive gifts. I would 100% double check with a parent before giving something like that. Aside from all the security problems, that's the sort of gift that can super upstage anything their parents gave them.

[Andrea]

I just finished The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement by David Brooks. This read was enlightening.

[Tracy]

Sheri wrote: "Tracy,

Wow that seems super uncool! ....... that's the sort of gift that can super upstage anything their parents gave them."

Oh yes, and that too !!!!!! Like what the hell am I supposed to come up with when they're 13...wait, wait....their aunt and uncle will probably buy them their first cars then lol. I just can't...I want to pull my hair out. I didn't WANT them to have tablets ( at ages 4 and 6) so when I found out they were gifted them I was SUPER pissed. And I especially DO NOT want them to have cell phones. they're in 1st and 3rd grade.

[Octavia]

I read Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt for this and, miracle of miracles, it actually made economics interesting!

I didn't think ANYTHING could do that.

[Sarah]

Rachel wrote: "Does The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over the World count because it's got to do with human behavior as much as feline behavior?

If not, [book:Technic..."

I hop the Lion in Living Room works, because that is what I read for this topic.

[Emily]

Mona wrote: "I see a lot of confusion in this thread about what constitutes "social science." One approach that might help is if you use your library catalog. The Dewey Decimal System classifies social science ..."

I had picked out Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America since I had a copy already, and I just checked my library's catalogue, and it's in the 300s. Whew! Thanks for sharing — this was really helpful.