Recommended Reading Material
The following is a list of books recommended to Social Work students. If you would like to submit a book to be added to the list, please send the title and author to Social Work. Thank you, and enjoy these great works.
Inside the Kingdom: My Life in Saudi Arabia
- Author: Carmen Bin Ladin
- Osama’s sister-in-law bravely exposes the realities of women’s status in Saudi Arabia and inside the ruling family.
Bill Bryson’s African Diary
- Author: Bill Bryson
- Bill’s tells the story of his trip for CARE in a humorous and candid style.
My Invented Country: A Memoir or Mi Pais Inventado
- Author: Isabel Allende
- Isabel Allende touches the reader with her opinions and memories of her life in Chile. A great resource for looking at Chilean culture, and a fun read.
Eats, Shoots and Leaves
- Author: Lynne Truss
- A good reference for using correct punctuation and grammar, although not organized to use as a quick reference. Not as funny as it hinted on the jacket - the one good joke is just that - one good joke.
Crossing Over or Cruzando La Frontera
- Author: Ruben Martinez
- Ruben takes you on the journey of illegal immigrant workers, from their homes in Mexico, north across the border, through deportation, back across the line, to their worksites in the USA, and back home again to Mexico. You cannot read this without gaining a sense of respect for workers who migrate. This book is rich in examples of Mexican culture and issues relating to poverty.
Dreams of my Father
- Author: Barak Obama
- Barak Obama opens his soul in this autobiography, written several years before his successful campaing for U.S. Senator. Did you know that, as an Illinois State Senator, he introduced legislature that required the study of how TANF consumers fared under Welfare Reform?
Reading Lolita in Tehran
- Author: Azar Nafisi
- A poignant look into the minds, hearts and lives of women in Iran
Searching for Everardo
- Author: Jennifer Harbury
- American citizen, Jennifer Harbury, searches for information on the disappearance of her husband, Everardo, in Guatemala.
When I Was Puerto Rican
- Author: Esmeralda Santiago
- A story of transitions from Puerto Rico to Mainland USA. A no frills look at life and its realities as experienced by Esmeralda.
Coyotes
- Author: Ted Conover
- The author travels the dangerous route many workers take to the United States. This is a story of the lives of undocumented workers, their struggles, desperation and survival.
Lakota Woman
- Author: Mary Crow Dog
- A First Nations woman tells her story, which includes experiences of oppression and the stand-off at Wounded Knee.
Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting By in America
- Author: Barbara Ehrenreich
- Barbara lives the life of a low-income worker and describes the impossibility of pulling oneself up by the bootstraps.
There are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing up in the Other America
- Author: Alex Kotlowitz
- A shocking look at the lives of two children in the inner-city.
Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope
Rachel and Her Children: Homeless Families in America
Inequalities: Children in America’s Schools
Amazing Grace: The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation
- Author: Jonathon Kozol
- Kozol’s works are always captivating.
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
The Heart of a Woman
Wouldn’t Take Nothin’ for my Journey Now
Gather Together in My Name
A Song Flung Up to Heaven
All God’s Children Need Travelin’ Shoes
Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas
- Author: Maya Angelou
- Angelou’s autobiographies are full of heartbreak and joy. They will make you laugh and make you cry as their wisdom enriches your life
