aayush0215
San José Public Library
aayush0215's Completed Shelf
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Can't Hurt MeCan't Hurt Me, BookMaster your Mind and Defy the Odds
by Goggins, DavidBook - 2018Book, 2018
Added Mar 10, 2021
Summary:
David Goggins was born into a rich family in which the father owned many bars across the city and earned thousands of dollars everyday. However, his mother faced domestic violence on a daily basis, and Goggins had to fight against his father just to keep his family alive. The violence got so bad that Trunace, the father, almost shot the mother one day. This was the breaking point, and despite knowing that leaving the father would be financially difficult, Goggins and his mother left to find a better life. They struggled economically, but eventually his mother met a much nicer, smarter man. However, this man was murdered soon after his mother married him, and she was devastated. Goggins carried these experiences on his back in school, and struggled switching from school to school, neighborhood to neighborhood. He faced racial taunts and violence, and cheated on every assignment just to stop himself from failing each class. Eventually, he reached his own breaking point, where he realized that no one was going to help him. He started working constantly, waking up at 4am to hit the gym and studying all day to pass a certain test to get into military school. Thankfully, he got in, but then he dropped out soon after and became a pest controller in restaurants. His weight went up to 297 pounds and his diet consisted of donuts and chocolate milkshakes. On the TV one day, he saw men going through Navy Seal training, and wanted to be like them. They were so mentally hard and physically fit, that in order to get into the training, he had to lose over 100 pounds in 3 months. He worked constantly to pass the academic tests and lose that weight to finally get into Navy school. In that school, he faced constant injury and pain but kept going and going, becoming the only person to ever complete 3 hell weeks, which is the toughest week of training, in one year. From then, he just kept on pushing his mind and body to the limit, attempting ultramarathons with no training and completing them while running on broken feet. Goggins uses his life story to educate others on how to push themselves to the mental limits.David Goggins was born into a rich family in which the father owned many bars across the city and earned thousands of dollars everyday. However, his mother faced domestic violence on a daily basis, and Goggins had to fight against his father just to…
Suitability
Ages 16
Added Feb 01, 2021
Comment:
This book gave me a unique perspective on life in a Communist regime. Being in America, the main narrative that is told about Communism is that it is a great evil that creates a slippery slope to authoritarianism. However, since Drakulic is giving a perspective from somebody that actually lived in a Communist regime, there is a much more accurate depiction of what goes own, which is what I think makes this book so awesome.This book gave me a unique perspective on life in a Communist regime. Being in America, the main narrative that is told about Communism is that it is a great evil that creates a slippery slope to authoritarianism. However, since Drakulic is giving a…
Summary:
In these chronicles, Slavenka Drakulic does a fantastic job of explaining what life was like in the Communist country of Croatia. Through a series of individual stories, Drakulic is able to tell her experience in a Communist country. For example, she discusses how fur coats were considered a luxury, and that the rest of the world was skinning otters and other animals at alarming rates for their fur while the dictator in charge of Croatia said that Croatia must care about the environment and not import fur coats. She also discusses the housing situation in Croatia, and how the government would guarantee a small apartment to every household. Sometimes, when housing was in short supply, the government would put multiple families into one small apartment. Additionally, she tells the story of laundry, and how women did all the laundry by hand. When the first washing machines entered Croatia, Drakulic’s grandmother did not trust them, and she kept washing the familys’ clothes by hand. These stories about life in a communist regime go on and one, and each is unique in terms of mood, theme, and tone.In these chronicles, Slavenka Drakulic does a fantastic job of explaining what life was like in the Communist country of Croatia. Through a series of individual stories, Drakulic is able to tell her experience in a Communist country. For example,…
Suitability
Ages 15
Added Feb 01, 2021
Comment:
The main reason I liked this novel was because of the parallels that one could draw from it to the criminal justice system in the United States. The mass incarceration of people of color has led to communities depleted of capital to work in the economy, children growing up without fathers, crime ridden neighborhoods, and inner cities that are considered ghettoes due to the lack of affordable housing, education, nutrition, and clean water. The jury system in this book is similar to the one in America, a confusing system that is difficult to navigate without a lawyer, and one that often has a bias, not representing the right to a jury by one’s peers. In this way, I think Kafka does a great job illustrating the inequities in the criminal justice system and how that affects everyday people.The main reason I liked this novel was because of the parallels that one could draw from it to the criminal justice system in the United States. The mass incarceration of people of color has led to communities depleted of capital to work in the…
Summary:
Joseph K. is an ordinary man who one day wakes up and finds he is under house arrest. He says he doesn't know what crime he commited, and the police who arrested him seem very suspicious as they do not know why they are arresting him, what he is supposed to be doing under house arrest, are not wearing uniforms and don’t have badges. For a few months, Joseph is allowed to continue his normal job and commute between the bank where he works and his home. After that, he faces a trial, but multiple times throughout the book that trial is either delayed or cancelled due to severe backlog. Many of the other people awaiting a trial that he meets seem to be quite shy and scared, while K. has the opposite characteristics of being bold, confident, and very cocky many times throughout the book. Throughout the book, K. faces some interesting experiences, one where he almost dies from gas in a building, and these compound into making him a better, more selfless man towards the end of the novel.Joseph K. is an ordinary man who one day wakes up and finds he is under house arrest. He says he doesn't know what crime he commited, and the police who arrested him seem very suspicious as they do not know why they are arresting him, what he is…
Suitability
Ages 15
Added Feb 01, 2021
Comment:
I think Orwell does an excellent job in depicting the horrors that citizens of modern day authoritarian regimes go through. For example, in China and North Korea, free speech, the internet, and anything that denounces the government is completely censored, so there is no one to hold dictators accountable. Orwell’s critique of this sort of regime is expressed in a way that is humorous but horrifying at the same time, which makes this book a truly unique read for anyone who wants to semi-experience a life with no freedom of expression.I think Orwell does an excellent job in depicting the horrors that citizens of modern day authoritarian regimes go through. For example, in China and North Korea, free speech, the internet, and anything that denounces the government is completely…
Summary:
Orwell’s 1984 features a country where citizen’s are constantly surveilled by the government in the country of Oceania. People opposing the government and the party constantly disappear and their existence is erased to make sure citizens know what their fate will be if they try to speak out or create change. The novel criticizes authoritarian governments that were forming when the book was written, such as Joseph Stalin’s Soviet Union and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi germany. Orwell uses the surveillance and suppression of the authoritarian government to stress how important free speech and thought is for maintaining a free society where popular sovereignty, a government run by the people is, is maintained.Orwell’s 1984 features a country where citizen’s are constantly surveilled by the government in the country of Oceania. People opposing the government and the party constantly disappear and their existence is erased to make sure citizens know what…
Suitability
Ages 15
This Fight Is Our FightThis Fight Is Our Fight, BookThe Battle to Save America's Middle Class
by Warren, ElizabethBook - 2017Book, 2017
Added Feb 01, 2021
Comment:
I love this book because it really breaks down the structural problems within the American economy that allows it to produce some who own multiple islands and yachts but also produce most who live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to put food on the table for their children. Warren has been one of the most outspoken people against the financial sector of the American economy, and is the head of the Senate Banking Committee. I think she does an excellent job of bringing that nuanced knowledge she has about the industry and explaining it so anyone can understand it. Overall, this book does an excellent job breaking down the problems of the American economy and government decisions that have created mass income inequality, which is why I would highly recommend it.I love this book because it really breaks down the structural problems within the American economy that allows it to produce some who own multiple islands and yachts but also produce most who live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to put food on the…
Summary:
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren writes about how the middle class of America is getting smaller over the years, as the manufacturing sector of the United States continues to crash while the financial sector, the big banks, get richer and richer through pushing some buttons and executing financial maneuvers. Warren exposes a system of predatory lending, anti-competitive practices, and other ways in which these big banks have torn apart the middle class to get richer, benefit from financial crises such as the great recession, while millions lose their homes and jobs. Warren analyzes specific issues in the American economy, such as the low minimum wage that is barely raised once every decade or so whereas living costs and labor productivity are skyrocketing. She looks at student loan debt, and how that issue can tear apart families or deter bright, young kids from seeking a secondary education because of the cost. She looks at the tax cuts and corporate welfare that the government has shifted towards in recent decades, a form of socialism for the rich and unfettered capitalism for the rest of society.Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren writes about how the middle class of America is getting smaller over the years, as the manufacturing sector of the United States continues to crash while the financial sector, the big banks, get richer and…
Suitability
Ages 15
Reading With PatrickReading With Patrick, BookA Teacher, A Student, and A Life-changing Friendship
by Kuo, MichelleBook - 2017Book, 2017
Added Feb 01, 2021
Comment:
This book is fantastic because it combines the story of 1 boy in a rural town with an entire system that is prejudiced against black people. Helena is a majority black town, but regardless every private school and suburb in the town is 100% white, while black people make up the worst housing in the inner city and the underfunded public schools. It really goes to show that economic injustice is prevalent in this country, and without systemic reform, children such as Patrick who work hard and are smart, will never realize their potential because of generations of crime and poverty. This book opened my eyes to how crime is not a simplistic issue where you say that this person did something wrong, but that there are much more complex and ingrained factors that contributed to what that person did, which is why I think that it is highly worth reading.This book is fantastic because it combines the story of 1 boy in a rural town with an entire system that is prejudiced against black people. Helena is a majority black town, but regardless every private school and suburb in the town is 100% white,…
Summary:
Michelle Kuo ignores the will of her parents and becomes a teacher in Helena, Phillips County, Arkansas. Helena is one of the poorest towns in the entire United States, and when Kuo arrives, she cannot even find a coffee shop because of how broken the city’s productivity, social services, and business is. Factors such as bad housing, lack of education, and no adequate parenting have led to cycles of international crime and poverty in this town, where parents themselves do not know what is right or wrong so their kids do not get a proper support system, their kids drop out of school early and get pregnant or do criminal acts, and the cycle keeps repeating. However, Kuo is determined to make a change, and against all odds, helps a class of middle schoolers learn proper English, such as grammar, punctuation, poetry, and other fundamentals. Kuo did such a good job, that when these kids were asked who made the biggest difference in their life, most put Ms. Kuo. However, Kuo left Helena for a job at a law firm, and these kids fell back into the school to prison pipeline. One kid, Patrick, had developed a good relationship with Ms. Kuo when she taught him, and when she comes back to Helean to visit, she finds out he has been convicted of second-degree murder. A drunk man had come on his home’s porch one day, and an interaction between the two left the man dead. Kuo begins to visit Patrick in jail daily, teaching him more english so when he finally leaves jail, he can get a job. After he leaves jail, because he has a felony over his head, he has some difficulty getting a job, but he eventually finds one, proving that Kuo turned his life upside down.Michelle Kuo ignores the will of her parents and becomes a teacher in Helena, Phillips County, Arkansas. Helena is one of the poorest towns in the entire United States, and when Kuo arrives, she cannot even find a coffee shop because of how broken…
Suitability
Ages 15
Born A CrimeBorn A Crime, BookStories From A South African Childhood
by Noah, TrevorBook - 2016Book, 2016
Added Feb 01, 2021
Comment:
Noah is the host of the Daily Show, on Comedy Central, and the way he talks on that show is really apparent in the book as well. HIs ability to turn anything into humor made me laugh constantly while reading this memoir. However, at the same time, I appreciated how he was able to get serious about issues such as racism and explain the type of violence black people experienced in their own country from colonization from Europeans. This book really helped me draw some parallels between black peoples’ experiences in South Africa and the United States, and deepened my understanding of the systematic racism that can dehumanize an entire population. This type of mix between humor at times and discussion of serious issues at others makes this a phenomenal book to read.Noah is the host of the Daily Show, on Comedy Central, and the way he talks on that show is really apparent in the book as well. HIs ability to turn anything into humor made me laugh constantly while reading this memoir. However, at the same time, I…
Summary:
Trevor Noah, a stand-up comedian, depicts his childhood in this hilarious memoir as he battles the racist Apartheid in South Africa, combats domestic violence against his mother, and escapes gangs in his hometown of Johannesburg. Trevor tells the story of his deeply religious mother, and how they would spend hours every Sunday just trying to get to Church, even when their car broke down. Trevor discusses the multiple African languages, and how he got to learn many by growing up in diverse schools where he met people of different cultures. He talks about how he almost got arrested for stealing chocolates from the mall, and the police get away he had to execute shortly after. He discusses the segregation in schools and neighborhoods, where white kids were put into higher level classes and lived in better communities with more housing. Trevor sympathizes over how he thought he met his dream friend, a dog, which and later the dog left him for another boy. These childhood stories go on and on, and higher-level make you laugh while others will question the racism, bigotry, and violence that occured in many parts of South Africa.Trevor Noah, a stand-up comedian, depicts his childhood in this hilarious memoir as he battles the racist Apartheid in South Africa, combats domestic violence against his mother, and escapes gangs in his hometown of Johannesburg. Trevor tells the…
Suitability
Ages 15
Harry Potter and the Goblet of FireHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Book
by Rowling, J. KBook - 2019Book, 2019
Added Dec 10, 2020
Math Olympiad Contest ProblemsMath Olympiad Contest Problems, BookVolume 2 (revised)
Book - 2011Book, 2011
Added Jun 29, 2020
Stamped From the BeginningStamped From the Beginning, eBookThe Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America
by Kendi, Ibram XeBook - 2017eBook, 2017
Added Jun 29, 2020
Comment: