Recommended Books

This 2010 list of books is a collection of personal favorites of the faculty and administrators, and includes memoirs, history, and reflections on contemporary society. It is not a required reading list, but rather a list of books that you might enjoy reading in the summer. We welcome your comments on the list.

All books on this list are available for loan from the Boston College Libraries.

Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty
by A. Banerjee and E. Duflo

Brother, I’m Dying
by E. Danticat
Memoir that recounts the author’s life from the time her parents left Haiti for the United States and the family’s reunification in New York City

The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR's Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience
by K. Downey

Spelling Love with an X: A Mother, a Son, and the Gene That Binds Them
by Clare Dunsford
Boston College Arts & Sciences Associate Dean Clare Dunsford describes learning that her son has "fragile X syndrome" and that she was an unknown carrier. Dunsford's story is a mother's journey through the health care system and the triumphs and sorrows as her son faces developmental challenges.

Zeitoun
by Dave Eggers
The story of one family's experience of Hurricane Katrina that weaves in themes of survival, injustice and prejudice

Why David Sometimes Wins: Leadership, Organization, and Strategy in the California Farm Worker Movement
by Marshall Ganz

Wrestling with Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness
by Nancy Kehoe
A memoir that chronicles the author's integration of spirituality and practice. Dr. Kehoe will be the keynote speaker at the Spirituality / Diversity Lecture & Luncheon for new students on September 14, 2011.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot

The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients
by Irvin Yalom