Colleges That Change Lives, by Loren Pope

This is a book I heard about after meeting a professor from Clark (he mentioned that Clark University was included in Pope's list of influential colleges). I bought two copies off Amazon (one for myself and one for my boyfriend), and while I do have some new colleges on my list to tour and consider, I found myself rather underwhelmed.

Pope and I at least agree on something - the racket about the Ivy Leagues. These schools are ridiculously overpriced (unfortunately, setting the standard for tuition rates), and often don't have the quality of education everyone thinks they do. Most often, you are taught by grad students (TAs to professors). Ivy Leagues have great appeal for professors - the promise of research resources without having to teach as much as other schools. Pope endeavored to create a list of the best colleges across the country, based on student satisfaction and graduate paths.

Pope's school listings were wide and varied, but one common theme I found was an abundance of statements like this: "We'd rather have the 2.0 or 3.0 student with mediocre SAT scores and a great character, goals, love of learning and experiences than a straight-A, 4.0 student." Which, to be honest, I would too, were I the dean of admissions at a college. However, I felt myself asking throughout the book, "I AM the straight-A, 4.0 student, who also has great goals and loves learning. What do you have to offer me?" The silence was deafening. This isn't to say these schools have nothing to offer for a student like myself, but they didn't mention too much about it.

My only other complaint about some of these schools is that a great percentage of them are religious schools. Which is fine if you're Methodist or Presbyterian, but I would prefer a nonreligious school. One school I found (Wheaton College) was Christian, but nondenominational (on my list). But for the most part, all religious schools were Methodist, Presbyterian, Catholic or evangelical fundamentalist. All in all, I give Pope's collection of schools a mediocre rating. It definitely changed the way I thought about college, but didn't go anywhere with that change in thinking. This is definitely a book to take out from the library, but probably not worth the investment to own.

Overall: 4 out of 10.

Details:

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Revised edition (July 25, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0143037366
ISBN-13: 978-0143037361

Field Notes from a Catastrophe: Man, Nature and Climate Change, by Elizabeth Kolbert

Elizabeth Kolbert's nonfiction book, Field Notes from a Catastrophe provides an honest, factual and comprehensive look at climate change in today's world. From Alaskan villages to South American jungles, Kolbert details the devastating effects of pollution on today's world - in places where it's already happening. While the book is quite dry for anyone not interested in climate change, it is a crucial and encompassing work that will leave any reader better informed. Kolbert cites a lot of facts and figures in her book, but don't be alarmed if they aren't true - it is five or six years old, so I wouldn't take any of her numbers as fact before checking them yourself. Kolbert interviews many experts on the subject of climate change. She is also very factual when addressing the causes and solutions to many problems, but doesn't shy away from politics either. While many would say that climate change is a "leftist" issue, purported only by fear-mongering Democrats (and yes, Kolbert was a writer for the New York Times), she gives fair recognition to politicians of all stripes. She expresses disappointment at the Bush administration's handle on climate issues, but also praises Senator John McCain for supporting and introducing strong climate legislation in the Senate. She also addresses the arguments of global warming disbelievers, and explains the faults in a respectful but comprehensive way. Among all Kolbert's warnings of future devastation, hope is present. She spends an entire chapter detailing the efforts of Burlington, Vermont to make their town more eco-friendly. This rather large town has worked hard to reduce their carbon emissions by over 175,000 tons in 16 years. Their electricity use has dropped by 1%, while the rest of Vermont has risen by 15% (so a total 16% savings). Her book provides a clear, focused and wide-sweeping look at the effects of climate change (from melting ice sheets to extinct Costa Rican toads), to our future losses, to solutions to the problems facing the next generation. While not quite as passionate as other climate-related books, Field Notes from a Catastrophe is a hard look at our energy future, and the changes that need to be made for our planet, our children and future.