A community can come together for the common good or be torn apart by disagreement and strife. This collection explores what makes a community and how individuals struggle or succeed in finding their place within it.
Publication year 2021
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community
Tags History: U.S., Politics / Government, Race / Racism, Social Justice, Civil Rights / Jim Crow, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 1990
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Birth, Relationships: Family, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags History: U.S., Health / Medicine, Gender / Feminism, Women's Studies (Nonfiction)
A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on her Diary, 1785-1812 is a 1990 nonfiction biography of midwife Martha Ballard by American historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Using Martha Ballard’s diary as a primary source, Ulrich utilizes a microhistorical approach to evaluate the life of Ballard, the history of Maine’s Kennebec River region, and the themes of social medicine, women’s role in the economy, and religion’s place in everyday life. A Midwife’s Tale won... Read A Midwife's Tale Summary
Publication year 2009
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Education, Society: Community, Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags History: U.S., Social Justice, Race / Racism, Education, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Education, History: World, Biography
Publication year 2023
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Masculinity, Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed
Tags Crime / Legal, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Journalism, Sociology, History: World
Publication year 2020
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Society: Class, Relationships: Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance
Tags Sports, Race / Racism, History: U.S., African American Literature, History: World, Inspirational, Biography
Publication year 1950
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Society: Class, Society: Community
Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, British Literature, Classic Fiction
First published in 1950, A Murder Is Announced is a mystery novel by one of the leading writers of the Golden Age of detective fiction: Agatha Christie, “Queen of Crime.” Although best known for her Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot novels such as Murder at the Vicarage and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Christie also published short story collections and wrote the world’s longest-running play—The Mousetrap (1952). Her fiction has inspired numerous film and television adaptations... Read A Murder Is Announced Summary
Publication year 1985
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community, Society: Education, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Sociology, Education, Science / Nature, History: World, Psychology, Psychology, Philosophy, Arts / Culture, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Technology, Information Age, Education
Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business is a nonfiction book by Neil Postman, published in 1985. Postman was a professor of education and communication at New York University with a special interest in the role of technology and media in society. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York in Fredonia and a master’s degree and doctorate from the Teachers College of Columbia University. In... Read Amusing Ourselves to Death Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Economics, Society: Class, Society: Politics & Government, Society: Community
Tags Philosophy, Politics / Government, Sociology, History: World, Business / Economics, Philosophy
Publication year 1991
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Hope, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Identity: Indigenous, Identity: Race, Identity: Sexuality, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Society: Nation, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Literature
Tags Narrative / Epic Poem, American Literature
Publication year 1987
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Society: Community
Tags Health / Medicine, Science / Nature, Sociology, History: World, LGBTQ, Politics / Government
And The Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic is a work of investigative reporting by Randy Shilts, a reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. Shilts covered the AIDS epidemic from 1982 for the only newspaper willing to give its full attention to the epidemic. Shilts examines the roots of AIDS beginning in 1976 to two events and focuses on the mysterious illness of a Danish physician working in Africa, Dr. Grethe Rask. Before... Read And The Band Played On Summary
Publication year 2020
Genre Poem, Fiction
Themes Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality
Tags Lyric Poem
Publication year 1913
Genre Short Story, Fiction
Themes Society: Nation, Identity: Race, Society: Community
Tags Education, Education, British Literature, Irish Literature, Arts / Culture, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1882
Genre Play, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies, Society: Community
Tags Play: Drama, Classic Fiction, Scandinavian Literature
IntroductionHenrik Ibsen, a well-known Norwegian playwright who is often lauded as the founder of modern drama, wrote An Enemy of the People in 1882. It is an example of Ibsen’s starkly realist, late-career style. Ibsen’s works were very popular throughout his life, but often drew criticism due to their frank discussion of political and social problems in 19th-century Norwegian society. Two years prior he had released the most controversial work of his career, Ghosts, which... Read An Enemy of the People Summary
Publication year 1974
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Identity: Race, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality
Tags Gender / Feminism, Social Justice, Race / Racism, Politics / Government, Civil Rights / Jim Crow
Angela Davis: An Autobiography, originally published in 1974, is a political autobiography focused on the imprisonment and trial of activist and scholar Angela Davis in the early 1970s. In 1970, after guns belonging to Davis were used in an uprising at the Marin County Courthouse in California, Davis was accused and convicted of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder. A jury acquitted Davis of all charges in 1972. She published her autobiography two years later to center... Read Angela Davis Summary
Publication year 2021
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Race, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger
Tags Race / Racism, Social Justice, History: World, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publication year 2000
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Society: Community, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Family, Society: Politics & Government
Tags Memoir / Autobiography, Southern Literature, History: U.S., Politics / Government
Publication year 1955
Genre Biography, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Society: Class, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Science & Technology
Tags History: World, Drama / Tragedy, Technology, History: U.S., Biography, Action / Adventure, Classic Fiction
Publication year 1945
Genre Novel, Fiction
Themes Values/Ideas: Equality, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: Community
Tags Satire, History: European, Politics / Government, Philosophy, Animals, Post-War Era, Allegory / Fable / Parable, British Literature, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Education, Education, Fantasy, Classic Fiction
Published in 1945, Animal Farm by George Orwell (1903-1950) achieved immediate success and remains one of Orwell’s most popular works. A political satire in the guise of a moving and whimsical animal fable, the novella is about a group of farm animals who overthrow their owner, Mr. Jones, and establish animal rule. Although the animals start with high hopes for Animal Farm as a harmonious and just utopia where “all animals are equal” (19), it... Read Animal Farm Summary
Publication year 2014
Genre Book, Nonfiction
Themes Emotions/Behavior: Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Society: Nation, Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Society: War, Values/Ideas: Equality, Society: Education, Identity: Race, Life/Time: The Past, Life/Time: The Future, Society: Community, Natural World: Place, Society: Colonialism
Tags History: U.S., Race / Racism, Social Justice, Politics / Government, Education, Military / War, Anthropology, Colonial America, Class, Colonialism / Postcolonialism, History: World
Publication year 2010
Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction
Themes Relationships: Family, Values/Ideas: Fate, Society: Community
Tags Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Coming of Age / Bildungsroman, Poverty, Addiction / Substance Abuse, Children's Literature, Biography
Author Laura Schroff’s 2012 New York Times bestseller An Invisible Thread: The True Story of an 11-Year-Old Panhandler, a Busy Sales Executive, and an Unlikely Meeting with Destiny recounts a fateful meeting between two vastly different individuals: Maurice, a young boy living in poverty and a broken home, and Schroff, a successful ad executive enjoying a fast-paced career. In the memoir, the author posits that an invisible thread joins their lives. It is beyond her... Read An Invisible Thread Summary