Mr. Allocco
PASSION PRIDE SUCCESS
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
WORLD STUDIES
Born A Crime
Comedian and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah recounts his experiences growing up in South Africa in the final years of apartheid and the changes that followed with Nelson Mandela's election. While the book is a personal account, Noah gives readers a glimpse of life for black citizens living under a racist government. It's informative, funny, and sad. A highly-recommended read.
Eating With The Enemy
Eating with the Enemy is the true story of Bobby Egan, the owner of Cubby’s Restaurant in Hackensack, NJ. Egan tells a very eye-opening and humorous story about his relationship with North Korea.
11th Month, 11th Day, 11th Hour
Joseph Persico’s book describes the final hours of World War I. Knowing that the armistice was to take effect at 11 AM, Allied generals continued to push an already defeated Germany to the brink. The result was 11,000 casualties - a total more than the D-Day invasion. By following the lives of ordinary soldiers, Persico also gives the war a human element.
Russians Among Us
Gordon Corera writes a well-researched and riveting history of Russia's "illegals" spy program. For decades, Russian citizens - in most cases - posed as American citizens in an effort to not only collect information, but to gain influence in American politics and economics. These spies, who operated without diplomatic cover and were therefore referred to as "illegals" by intelligence personnel, blended into American society and could have been your neighbors. In fact, in 2010, a family of spies were arrested at their home in Montclair, NJ. Russian president Vladimir Putin has championed their work and believed it to be a vital defense against the West. Now, Russia has invented "cyber-illegals" to insert themselves into American social media and sow the seeds of discord within the nation's democracy.
In The Skin Of A Jihadist
In this book, investigative journalist Anna Erelle (not her real name) recounts her experience with ISIS. Posing as a disaffected youth named “Melodie,” the journalist is contacted by a high ranking member of ISIS via social media who wants to make her his wife. The book provides great detail in how terrorists use social media to recruit and the techniques used to manipulate young people. The story was adapted into the 2021 film, Profile.
TERRORISM TODAY
My Journey Into The Heart Of Terror
German journalist Jurgen Todenhofer was given unprecedented access into the Islamic State in the winter of 2014. Wanting to learn what life was like under ISIS control, Todenhofer received permission to enter Syria so that he could report on the "truth." While Todenhofer was not an ISIS supporter, the group saw him as an honest man based on his earlier writings on the Taliban. In the book, Todenhofer interviews members of ISIS, citizens living in ISIS-occupied areas, and even Kurdish prisoners. His report delves into the mind and goals of the terror group
SPORTS & AMERICAN CULTURE
Game Over
Dave Zirin has become the preeminent voice on the cultural significance of sports. In Game Over, Zirin examines sports relationship with politics. Oftentimes, sports reflects society's cultural attitudes, but today's athletes have become more outspoken in fighting for political and social change. Throughout the book, Zirin details specific examples when the sports world got political.
INSPIRATIONAL
The Last Lecture
The Last Lecture, written by Randy Pausch, is an extremely inspiring book. Pausch, a former professor at Carnegie Mellon University, became a YouTube sensation following his optimistic lecture on living life to the fullest and achieving your childhood dreams. Pausch’s hopeful message was inspiring because he had been terminally diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Readers will find themselves laughing one minute and crying the next. A must read!