In an era of fake news, click-bait, and viral media, this book demands to be read.
A helpful and humorous tool to help teens understand and unpack the proliferation of unethical nonsense.
Grant’s (Eureka!: 50 Scientists Who Shaped Human History, 2016, etc.) authorial voice—sometimes clever, sometimes corny—helps readers understand the spread of misinformation in the media and ways to detect such falsifications. Grant unpacks the rhetorical strategies by which liars and spin doctors operate, allowing readers to better distinguish and analyze quote mining, cherry-picking, intimidation, false anomalies, and other deceptive traps. Although Grant overuses the word “bullshit,” the message is clear: We live in a world where facts frequently go unchecked and misinformation spreads instantaneously. Thoughtfully and methodically examining case studies such as climate-change deniers and anti-vaxxers, Grant guides readers in a clearheaded yet entertaining approach to distinguishing falsehoods from facts. The value of this volume goes far beyond the news, as the author explains psychological traps such as confirmation bias and stereotyping and the tragedy of the prejudice that led to a slow response to the AIDS crisis, among other examples. Originally published in 2015, this revised and updated edition includes an additional section on fake news and even addresses how that term is misappropriated. This introduction to the importance of critical thinking in the age of misinformation is both well researched and academic as well as teen friendly.
In an era of fake news, click-bait, and viral media, this book demands to be read. (bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-5415-7856-2
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: June 4, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
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