Tag Archives: nonfiction

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

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In my English class, we read the graphic novel They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. George Takei is an actor, known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the Star Trek franchise, author, and activist. They Called Us Enemy is a powerful graphic memoir of Takei’s life in the Japanese-American concentration camps during World War II.  

For context, during World War II there were two alliances. They were the Allies (including France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China) and the Axis powers (including Germany, Italy, and Japan). On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Two months later, Executive Order 9066 was passed by President Roosevelt, forcing those with Japanese Ancestry to leave their homes for internment camps because they were not considered citizens, but aliens, or foreign citizens, to the US.

George Takei was around 4 when his family had to leave for the camps. He went to two camps, Rohwer and Tule Lake, surrounded by metal fences that would influence his sense of self-belonging for the rest of his life. The book explores the aspects of dehumanization and injustice committed by the US government through his family’s imprisonment in the camps. 

In AP World History, we learned about World War II and all its outcomes. Through my class, I discovered that concentration camps for Japanese-Americans were extremely detrimental. Once I read the book, I realized that the Japanese Americans were living, breathing human beings and they weren’t just a number. They were somebody’s mother, father, uncle, aunt, brother, and/or sister, and not just some identification code. They Called Us Enemy made me realize that what happened to hundreds of thousands of people was as real as ever and detrimental to all.

They Called Us Enemy is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

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I have really wanted to get back into non-fiction texts and Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, did that for me. I actually had to read some chapters of this book for my AP English class but I ended up just reading the entire book to get a full understanding of Gladwell’s interpretation of success is.

There is no clear “main-character” or “plot” but rather simply stories of those that garnered success with their different life stories. Gladwell touches on people like the Beatles or Bill Gates and expands on how they were able to reach the level of success that they got. I would say that the chapters build off of one another so reading the entire book is great but also reading certain chapters is fine because Gladwell typically has a vocal person he talks about in each individual chapter.

Gladwell’s overarching idea of success is illustrated through other people’s experiences and he tells it in a way that shows not a certain factor contributes to becoming successful. Factors such as socioeconomic status, race, IQ, all play parts in success but can’t be done alone but rather a unity of parts will create a successful person.

I’ve read non-fiction texts more related to us as individuals and more about self-growth but reading about experiences from other people was truly awakening because it allowed a new perspective for me to indulge in. Seeing the stories that got other people successful was in a way motivating and I felt a growth of determination to reach these same levels.

I would recommend this book to anyone trying to get into non-fiction texts or just interested in the idea of success. Also, since it’s a relatively short book it good for readers getting into non-fiction and I would say that the topics Gladwell presents are pretty interesting and insightful.

-Madison C.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is available to checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.

Book Review: Humble Pi by Matt Parker

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One of my favorite books that I have recently read is the book Humble Pi by Matt Parker. It is a very interesting book about how math mistakes affect the real world. I also found it very humorous and funny, and it was very interesting how it described many real-life examples in detail as well.

One thing that I liked most about the book was how detailed the descriptions are, giving a great deal of information on each of the various topics. I found it interesting about how it talked about how math affects and can even cause problems in the real world. I also liked how the topic was unique, as it talked about many things not covered in most books. It gives many good explanations for countless areas and topics, and it is sure to provide you with a very interesting, intriguing read.

The book is also very humorous and funny, also helping to make it an entertaining read. It has a very witty, delightful sense of humor, making for a lot of laughs. I found the book to be very amusing and entertaining overall, merging a funny, comic tone with fascinating descriptions. I also liked how it used many drawings and images to explain the different ideas and causes behind the events in the book.

One of my favorite sections from Humble Pi is about how math can go wrong in video games and other computer programs. I found it intriguing about how much math is used in everyday things like computers, and how important it is in the real world. I was surprised by how much math and numbers are used in things like programming. In addition, I found the book as a whole to be very educational, as it taught many ideas about how math and the real world interact.

Overall, Humble Pi is a great book to read as it is interesting, entertaining, funny, and educational. It has been one of my favorite books to read, and it’s sure that you’ll enjoy it as well. I would recommend this book to someone who wants to learn more or just wants an interesting read. If you enjoy this book, I would also recommend the other books by Matt Parker which cover math in a similar way to this book, and Math With Bad Drawings by Ben Orlin, which provides another fun, entertaining take on math. So don’t forget to check these books out for yourself sometime!

The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedman

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The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane is a Newbery Honor award-winning book by Russell Freedman. This book is about the true story of Wilbur and Orville Wright, who are credited with inventing the first practical airplane. 

The Wright brothers were curious about flying machines since they were young, but their first business venture was a printing press, followed by a bicycle shop. When they heard about Otto Lilienthal’s gliding experiments in Germany, their interest in human flight grew. Wilbur wrote that “insects, reptiles, birds and mammals were flying every day at pleasure, it was reasonable to suppose that man might also fly.” Within just a few years, Wilbur and Orville developed a flying machine and became two of the most famous brothers in history.

I did not know much about the Wright brothers before reading this book, so I found it to be very interesting and informative. One of the main things that I learned from this book is how much trial and error the brothers went through. I was also unaware that many people had already tried to make flying machines before the Wright brothers. I was fascinated by the science involved with making an airplane.

I was also impressed by the Wright brothers’ childhood experiences. Wilbur and Orville were very close to each other. Wilbur said that from the time he was a little child, “my brother Orville and myself lived together, played together, worked together and, in fact, thought together.” They did not have any special training in science or engineering. They did not complete high school or attend college. They learned more by teaching themselves than by formal schooling.

Another thing that I enjoyed about this book is that it contains many photographs that were taken by the Wright brothers themselves. The brothers had taken up photography as a hobby long before they invented airplanes. As they experimented with different flying machines, they took many photographs to help them learn from their mistakes. They also wanted to record a photographic history of their work. As a result, we now have many beautiful photographs of their airplanes.

This is an inspiring book because it tells a true story of making something that seems impossible into reality. Through patience and hard work, the Wright brothers became two of the most famous inventors in history. I would recommend this book to anyone.

The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane by Russell Freedman is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Book Review: Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder

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This book was gifted to me by my uncle, and to be honest is not the type of thing I would ever take off the shelf myself. From the outside, A book that promises a history of all of western philosophy can sound very intimidating, but I think Gaarder does a great job and breaking all of this information down into bite sizes pieces for the reader.

Also, I think Gaarder does a good job of giving just enough information about each philosopher or method of thinking to give the reader a good overall understanding of each subject, while still encouraging the reader to seek out more info about everything covered in the book. Personally, I used my notes app to write down certain ideas or philosophers I found interesting so that I could come back to them later If I ever had time.

While this book does work as a beginner’s guide to philosophy, it also has what I would say is a relatively strong story with interesting characters. Most of the philosophy in the book is taught through a character named Alberto Knox, a philosopher who slowly teaches the protagonist, Sophie, the history of philosophy piece by piece. I think this is an effective way to keep the reader engaged while they learn about these concepts, as the reader can put themselves in Sophie’s shoes for most of the book. The plot does develop later, which adds a lot more substance to the characters and the story. One thing I like about how Gaarder handles this story is that later on in the book is how we see Sophie use the same philosophical concepts both her and the reader have just learned, serving as an example of how to approach thinking like a philosopher.

This book can be a bit boring if you are not at all interested in Philosophy or have no desire to try learning about Philosophy, but I would encourage anyone else to try this book because I think It can serve a starting point for anyone to become more involved or educated about philosophy.

Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP by Mirin Fader

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Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP is a book that details Giannas Antetokounmpo’s rise to greatness. 

In 2008, if I told you that a skinny Nigerian kid living in Greece was going to become the face of the NBA and win 2 MVPs, would you believe me? If you said no, you would agree with the majority of people. However, if you said yes, would you stick with your answer if I told you that this kid had illegal immigrant parents, and he had to sell on the streets every day to get his family food to eat? If you would still say yes, you would have predicted the rise of Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Giannis had to go through many struggles as a kid. He would go with his mom to sell sunglasses for a couple of euros each just to try to get food on the table. Sometimes, he would have to go to sleep with a rumbling stomach, imagining the food that he wasn’t able to eat. He would always try to smile, so his brothers wouldn’t start to worry. His family would get evicted a lot, and they would have to move to a different apartment often because they couldn’t pay the rent. However, basketball was a way out. Giannis would forget about all of his worries when he was on the court, playing his heart out. He would dream of playing in the NBA and having his family all with him along the journey. 

Giannis’s childhood was difficult, but he worked hard and didn’t complain. His story should be a lesson to all of us: Anything is possible as long as you put in the effort and work extremely hard. His childhood shows us that we should never count anyone out based on their circumstances. 

The author, Mirin Fader, did a great job including interviews and quotes from people who played a role in Giannis’s childhood. His mom, brothers, and former coaches all had quotes in this biography of Giannis Antetokoumpo. 

While reading about Giannis’s rise to stardom, I was not able to put the book down. It was so intriguing to read about the struggles that he faced and overcame to get to where he is today, and I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Giannis Anteokounmpo. Also, anyone who wants to learn a thing or two about the challenges that some people face would find this book interesting, too. 

-Mert A.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

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Disclaimer: There are two versions of Persepolis: the graphic memoir version and the literary memoir. The graphic memoir version is divided into two parts. I have only read the first graphic memoir book of Persepolis, not the actual memoir. Therefore, there’s still some of Satrapi’s writing that I haven’t been exposed to (yet). I will definitely try to find the second graphic memoir or the actual memoir soon, but for now, this review is based solely on the first graphic memoir.

Persepolis is both a graphic memoir and autobiography published in 2000. With the memoir originally written in French, Satrapi has received numerous awards for her work including the Cannes Jury Prize and the César Award for Best Writing.

The narration is written through the eyes of the main character—Marjane “Marji” Satrapi, the author herself—during her childhood at the time of the Iranian Revolution. A series of small stories are written in the memoir based on her own experiences, portraying political upheaval and how her own family was affected by the Iranian Revolution, Iraq’s oppressive regime, and the Iran-Iraq War. Marji’s accounts mainly focus on her and her family who live in Tehran, as well as how they attempt to rebel against the regime and take part in Iranian history.

As a daughter of immigrant parents but of non-Middle Eastern descent, I felt like I could connect with aspects of this memoir all while still learning more about Iran’s history. The memoir is a beautiful representation of Islamic and Iranian culture from the first-hand perspective of an Iranian citizen. The illustrations themselves are unique and drawn to perfectly fit the memoir, making Satrapi’s experiences seem more significant.

Although it’s a graphic memoir, I highly recommend Persepolis to high schoolers more than elementary or even middle schoolers. Some topics and drawings can be graphic, making the memoir a difficult read, and there are often parts that simply cannot be taken lightly. However, the book itself is unique at being able to broaden readers’ perspectives on other cultures as a memoir, historical account, and comic book all at once.

– Natisha P.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

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Amazon.com: Into the Wild (Picador Classic Book 78) eBook : Krakauer, Jon: Kindle Store

On April 28, 1992, twenty-four-year-old Christopher McCandless walked into the untamed wilderness of northern Alaska. Having donated all his savings to charity, abandoned his car, and burned all the cash in his wallet, he was fully prepared to forge a new life for himself. However, only four months later, he was found dead by the Sushana River.

In Into the Wild, acclaimed journalist and outdoorsman Jon Krakauer attempts to crack the case of what killed Chris McCandless. He retraces McCandless’ steps from his former life as a member of a well-off family in Virginia to his increasingly meandering, wanderlust-filled travels across the continent to, eventually, the fatal trip to Alaska. Krakauer intersperses his findings with personal information and claims, including facts about McCandless’ home life and how it led to his Alaska trip, as well as events from Krakauer’s own life, such as his ascension of the Devil’s Thumb.

Into the Wild balances the themes of the call of the wilderness with the pull of familial ties, the desire to explore the world with the need to settle down, the need for belonging with the desire to discover one’s true identity, and more. Though it is a nonfiction book, it certainly reads like an adventure novel, admittedly tinged with sadness because of the inevitable conclusion.

While I am personally not one for the outdoors, I appreciated and was intrigued by Krakauer’s writing style. He manages to create an investigative survival story out of McCandless’ story in a way that keeps the reader hooked on both McCandless’ adventures and his family’s concern back East. In the end, although McCandless’ story has a tragic ending, it not only serves as a lesson for aspiring naturalists who wish to “live off the land” as he tried to do, but also to regular people living their lives, encouraging them to follow their dreams, whatever they may be, or wherever they may lead them.

– Mahak M.

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. It can also be downloaded for free from Overdrive.

Flip the Script by Ed Orgeron

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Ed Orgeron, LSU’s football coach, led the team to a national championship in 2019. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to get there. Coach O, now in his 60s, had a troubled start to his career at different universities like Ole Miss. He had to fight through his addiction to alcohol and he had to flip the script of the way his life was going. Instead of staying at rock bottom, he decided to climb the ladder, one rung at a time, to make his way to the top. He persevered to stop his addiction to drinking and alcohol. This book is an autobiography about his life, written by Coach O and about Coach O. 

If you have an interest in football or want to become an athlete or coach one day, I suggest reading this book. Not only does it have many important lessons inside, but it also is fun to read and learn about the inside of the locker room during those games and events that you might have seen on TV. For me, it was cool and interesting to be able to learn about Coach O’s journey to becoming one of the best coaches in all of college sports. 

The book talks about Coach O’s early career in coaching and how he had many different jobs at different universities. He was a defensive line coach (DLC), assistant head coach (AHC), assistant strength coach (ASC), as well as a head coach (HC) throughout his coaching career. He is still the head coach of LSU, but he played a role in the pasts of the University of Miami, USC, University of Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU, and other universities. He also was a part of the New Orleans Saints coaching staff at one point in his career. That is why this book is a perfect book for athletes looking to play in college and professionally. This book shows what coaches in different levels of the sport look for and care about! 

I give this book a 10/10 rating. It shows Coach O’s insights on college and high school football players as well as coaching. He explains how to coach and Coach Orgeron talks about the different ways you can connect to players. If you want to be a coach, this book can be a big help to your career and you can learn from one of the best coaches out there in Coach Ed Orgeron. You can learn how to recruit, talk to players, and how to handle the media. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning from not only an experienced coach, but also a very experienced person.

-Mert A.