Books: To Err Is Human...

Alexander Pope once wrote that "To err is human; to forgive, divine."  

John Dewey later remarked that "Failure is instructive. The person who really thinks learns quite as much from his failures as from his successes." 

We've spent much of our year in AP Lang learning about close reading, critical thinking, analytical and persuasive writing, and how to speak respectfully yet critically of justice, morals, bias, racism, and more. Now, it is time for us to learn about our errors, our mistakes -- how and why we make them, how to be aware of their existence, and how to learn from them. Each of the books listed below represents a "synthesis" essay (book) about human mistakes and how we think.  They are also common reading assignments in entry-level college communications, rhetoric, and culture classes (and came highly recommended by a few of Mr. Tibbens' former students now studying at prestigious universities across the country). ​

ASSIGNMENT:
​Students should look up each book.  Read some reviews.  Ask around.  Rank book choices from most-to-least desirable.  Do not purchase, borrow, or otherwise obtain a book until after in-class sign-ups and group assignments. Mr. Tibbens will do his best to honor students' book requests/priorities, but some adjustments may be required in order to have functional, balanced groups. ~Sign up the book you actually want to read, not just one that your friends are also choosing.~ 

Once the assignment "goes live," students must obtain copies of their books, read critically, and annotate for three concepts/features: 1) Use/synthesis of evidence, 2) Tone shifts, and 3) Insights about being wrong (content).  If you have questions about the books or the associated assignments, contact Mr. Tibbens via email. 

Disclosure: Students may obtain books via the Amazon.com links below, other book sellers, the school or public libraries, or other sources. Students are encouraged to use a print copy of the book, rather than an ebook/audiobook, for annotation purposes. The English dept. does not own copies of these books to lend, as has been the case for most previous assignments; if this presents a hardship for your family, contact Mr. Tibbens via email as soon as possible.  Purchases made via the Amazon.com links below cost you no additional money, but a small percentage of each purpose go back to supporting this website and additional materials/supplies for classroom use.  Contact Mr. Tibbens if you have any questions or concerns regarding the books, links, etc. 

Book #1: The Coddling of the American Mind

by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt 

This best seller is "for anyone who is confused by what is happening on college campuses today, or has children, or is concerned about the growing inability of Americans to live, work, and cooperate across party lines."

“A disturbing and comprehensive analysis of recent campus trends… Lukianoff and Haidt notice something unprecedented and frightening… The consequences of a generation unable or disinclined to engage with ideas that make them uncomfortable are dire for society, and open the door – accessible from both the left and the right – to various forms of authoritarianism.” —  Thomas Chatterton Williams, The New York Times Book Review (cover review and Editors’ Choice selection)

The author's originally penned an article for The Atlantic in 2015, which received substantial attention; it is linked here and includes an audio recording of the text. 

Book #2: Being Wrong

by Kathryn Schulz

From the back cover: "To err is human. Yet most of us go through life assuming (and sometimes insisting) that we are right about nearly everything, from the origins of the universe to how to load the dishwasher. In Being Wrong, journalist Kathryn Schulz explores why we find it so gratifying to be right and so maddening to be mistaken. Drawing on thinkers as varied as Augustine, Darwin, Freud, Gertrude Stein, Alan Greenspan, and Groucho Marx, she shows that error is both a given and a gift—one that can transform our worldviews, our relationships, and ourselves."

​“Both wise and clever, full of fun and surprise...[BEING WRONG] could also be enormously useful―there are very few problems we face...that couldn’t be helpfully addressed if we we were willing to at least entertain the idea that we might not be entirely right.” (Bill McKibben, author of EAARTH: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet) 

NPR ran a short overview in 2010; it is available here.   Schulz also presented a TED Talk on this topic in 2011. 

Book #3: Talking to Strangers

by Malcolm Gladwell

Disclaimer: Malcolm Gladwell is a best-selling author who selects interesting examples and ideas to support his claims and to inspire critical thought and reflection from his readers.  That being said, this book contains references to and occasional descriptions of content that some readers may find troubling (violence, sexual assault, alcohol abuse, etc.).  The book maintains a professional and thoughtful tone; it does not glorify nor disregard these issues/concerns.  However, students and parents should be aware that there is at least some adult content in the book.  Please proceed accordingly. 

​From Amazon's description: "​How did Fidel Castro fool the CIA for a generation? Why did Neville Chamberlain think he could trust Adolf Hitler? Why are campus sexual assaults on the rise? Do television sitcoms teach us something about the way we relate to each other that isn't true?

Something is very wrong, Gladwell argues, with the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people we don't know. And because we don't know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and our world."

NPR ran a short overview/review of the text in September 2019; it is available here. 

Book #4: Thinking in Bets

by Annie Duke

​From Amazon's Description: "Annie Duke, a former World Series of Poker champion turned business consultant, draws on examples from business, sports, politics, and (of course) poker to share tools anyone can use to embrace uncertainty and make better decisions. For most people, it's difficult to say 'I'm not sure' in a world that values and, even, rewards the appearance of certainty. But professional poker players are comfortable with the fact that great decisions don't always lead to great outcomes and bad decisions don't always lead to bad outcomes.

By shifting your thinking from a need for certainty to a goal of accurately assessing what you know and what you don't, you'll be less vulnerable to reactive emotions, knee-jerk biases, and destructive habits in your decision making. You'll become more confident, calm, compassionate and successful in the long run."

The New Yorker ran a piece on Duke in 2018, shortly after it was published. You can find the article here.