2010-2011 Books of the Year are here

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m.
UAA Fine Arts, Room 150

UAA and APU are pleased to present Mountains Beyond Mountains and This Is Not Civilization: A Novel as the 2010-11 Books of the Year, illustrating inspirational service in a foreign land.

Together, these books examine the motivations for service--both noble and self-serving--while also outlining the challenges and disillusionments of humanitarian efforts. They raise important questions about the individual's responsibility to society and to other human beings.  Each year, faculty select books that support a theme.  The theme chosen this year is Service in a Foreign Land. This theme is well presented in both Mountains Beyond Mountains and This is Not Civilization.

Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder follows Dr. Paul Farmer on a personal journey to open a health clinic in Haiti. There he fights to alleviate TB and AIDS-related disease among the poorest and least-served populations in the world. This inspirational non-fiction clearly shows how one person can make a difference.

This is Not Civilization: A Novel by Robert Rosenberg tells an inspirational story of a young Peace Corps volunteer. The novel includes multiple perspectives, such as from running a teen center on an Indian reservation, teaching English to factory workers in Kyrgyzstan and organizing earthquake relief efforts in Turkey. Rosenberg uses insight, realism and humor to illustrate the costs of trying to do good in the world.

What is Books of the Year?

UAA and APU have an ongoing partnership that brings faculty, staff and community members together to discuss and better understand common themes. The books serve as part of a Ford Foundation Difficult Dialogues initiative, providing a safe environment on campuses for challenging and difficult topics.

Join the Conversation:

You can buy the books at the UAA Campus Bookstore and receive 20 percent off. UAA and APU will be hosting community forums and panel discussions throughout the academic year around this year's theme. People can exchange stories, insights and reflections about the books.

Books of the Year presents Robert Rosenberg, author of This is Not Civilization on Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in UAA's Fine Arts Bldg., Room 150. This lecture is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact (907) 786-6374 or visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/books-of-the-year .