Best Teen & Young Adult Anthropology

Adapted for young readers from No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam , this exploration of Islam by Reza Aslan, internationally acclaimed scholar of comparative religion, delves into the rituals and traditions of a religion that is largely misunderstood by the West. Because all religions are bound to the social, spiritual, and cultural landscapes from which they arose and in which they developed, prophets must be understood as reformers who redefine and reinterpret the existing beliefs and practices of their communities. On the contrary, by Muhammad's own admission, his message was an attempt to reform the existing religious beliefs and cultural practices of pre-Islamic Arabia so as to bring the God of the Jews and Christians to the Arab peoples. As unique and divinely inspired as the Islamic movement may have been, its origins are undoubtedly linked to the multiethnic, multireligious society that fed the Prophet's imagination as a young man and allowed him to craft his revolutionary message in a language that would have been easily recognizable to the pagan Arabs he was so desperately trying to reach. In the arid, desolate basin of Mecca, surrounded on all sides by the bare mountains of the Arabian desert, stands a small, nondescript sanctuary that the ancient Arabs refer to as the Ka'ba: the Cube. Then, in a remarkable ritual--the origins of which are a mystery--the pilgrims gather as a group and rotate around the Ka'ba seven times, some pausing to kiss each corner of the sanctuary before being captured and swept away again by the current of bodies. The Ka'ba, like the Pyramids in Egypt or the Temple in Jerusalem, may have been constructed as an axis mundi: a sacred space around which the universe revolves, the link between the earth and the solid dome of heaven. The only thing scholars can say with any certainty is that by the sixth century c.e., this small sanctuary made of mud and stone had become the center of religious life in pre-Islamic Arabia: the time known as Jahiliyyah. Traditionally, the Jahiliyyah has been defined by Muslims as an era of moral depravity and religious discord: a time when the sons of Ismail had obscured belief in the one true God and plunged the Arabian Peninsula into the darkness of idolatry.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"And the struggles between the different belief streams are as present now as they were 14 centuries ago in the early years of the religion."
"This book is a good basic biography of the life of the prophet Mohammed, clearly written for the non-specialist who wishes to know more about the events of Mohammed's life and the environment in which Islam developed."
"Please note that this book, published under Random House's "Ember" imprint, is an abridged version of author Reza Aslan's original book, edited for teen readers."
"I bought it because of Asian's book on Jesus (Zealot: the Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth)."
"Perhaps the processes are "over simplified" but Aslan makes the Islam's internecine warfare somewhat more comprehensible."
"It is an excellent start to one's understanding of a faith with deep roots to Judaism and Christianity."
"UPDATE: Just read some of the other reviews and realized this is the abridged version... Well that's just frustrating... I read Zealot and enjoyed that and was interested in seeing what Aslan brought to a history of Islam. I wanted to understand both the history and beliefs of islam better. I know there is a balance (ie it would have been a SLOW book if every sentence was marked as history or koran).. but a chapter or two saying which was which would have been great.. 2. Very little attention is paid to how modern Islam came about (for example, s***e and sunni are mentioned, but not followed through on... seems like these are sort of a big deal in modern islam, right?)."

2 Pyramid
Through concise text and richly detailed black and white illustrations we come to know the philosophy of life and death in ancient Egypt. "David Macaulay's brilliant Pyramid shows, detail by detail, how the great pharaohs' burial places were conceived and constructed .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is not a story as I was expecting but it was still pretty interesting to read about how they think the pyramids were made."
"Macaulay is the master of simplifying complex topics."
"Classic."
"Great starter for young people interested in the monutmental projects of the ancient world."
"Classic book that I love."
"Just when I thought I had finished chapter One, I discovered I had finished the entire book!"
"The four books: Pyramid, Mill, City and Castle."
"Read this book with my fifth grade son while we studied ancient Egypt."

The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt explains how archaeologists have pieced together their discoveries to slowly reveal the history of Egypt’s people, its pharaohs, and its golden days. n 3,000 years, Egypt was a great civilization that thrived along the banks of the Nile River.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Interesting and educational, I added this book to our homeschool library."
"The book was as promised and I am very pleased with it."
"A must have - for ANY age reader."
"Easy to read product description."
Best Teen & Young Adult Travel

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher*. About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, children's books, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places where they travel. TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2012 and 2013 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.'.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"With this book, the whole family learned about each site and looked forward to getting inside."
"I gave this book to an eleven year old as a gift before she went to Paris with her grandmother."
"I personally poured over it and found it adorable, but, at 30+, I'm slightly out of the age demographic..."
"She is now constantly filling me in on fun facts about her favorite city."
"my 7 year old daughter loves it!"
"I was a little concerned that these books would be too juvenile for them, but for the price thought it was worth a shot, because there's no way I'm going to get them to sit down with a guide book to start giving me ideas and opinions on what they might be interested in seeing! So I sat down to lunch with them, and while they read their books, I started reading the London book, and occasionally shared something funny or weird. Then 14 year old picked up the London book to keep reading when I went to get my drink, and 12 year old slipped away with the Paris book a few minutes later."
"I bought this book for my grandchildren, ages 9 and 11, to take on their trip."
"A fun, thorough introduction to Paris, for kids (and adults!)."
Best Teen & Young Adult Archaeology

Kids will clamor to read this book in the classroom or at home—and they’ll absorb science, ancient cultures, geography, and more, as freaky photos and intriguing stories keep them glued to every page. A bibliography of adult material and three websites are included, but there are no suggestions for further reading that might list Sandra Markle's fine Outside and Inside Mummies (Walker, 2005), Shelley Tanaka's more difficult Mummies: The Newest, Coolest & Creepiest from Around the World (Abrams, 2005), Kelly Hall's more tightly focused Mysteries of the Mummy Kids (Darby Creek, 2007), or, on a different slant altogether, Philip Manning's intriguing Dinomummy: The Life, Death and Discovery of Dakota, a Dinosaur from Hell Creek (Kingfisher 2007).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My 4year old son LOVED this book when we borrowed it from our library."
"Hilarious book."
"For example: The Ice Man, the Bog bodies of Denmark (many of whom met a very grisly fate), King Tut, the Warrior Woman of Peru, and some celebrity mummies reach out to us from the past. After reading MUMMIES, young readers will have a better awareness of the science underpinning this fascinating field, as well as enjoying the thrill of having read something slightly "shocking.""
Best Teen & Young Adult Sociology

A plea and a warning to citizens to examine the actual state of America after a century of emancipation.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Baldwin touches upon the use of religion to control, and the belief that the white man is the marker to which the black man should aspire, and that is still very clear in the world... As black men and women are told that their natural hair should be tamed to make them more appropriate for the work place, that the vernacular of their homes and families is somehow uneducated, even as they are surrounded by people who code-switch from a redneck southern dialect or a tough talking New York slang at home, to proper grammar in the workplace."
"He discusses a hidden message telling black people to settle for mediocrity rather than striving for excellence. Baldwin believes that black people need to know their history and where they came from so that there will be “no limit to where you can go.”. "…We, with love, shall force our brothers to see themselves as they are, to cease fleeing from reality and begin to change it.""
"I wish I had read James Baldwin when I was younger."
"Very important book for all Americans to read regardless of race."
"brilliant essays from James Baldwin--a must read."
"Great read."
"Great book!"
"Just finishing it."
Best Teen & Young Adult Psychology

With more than five million copies in print all around the world, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens is the ultimate teenage success guide—now updated for the digital age. In an entertaining style, Covey provides a simple approach to help teens improve self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, and get along with their parents, as well as tackle the new challenges of our time, like cyberbullying and social media. As prejudiced as this may sound, this is a remarkable book, a must-read!” (Stephen R. Covey, Sean's dad, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and cofounder and former vice chairman of Franklin Covey Co.). “I wish I'd had this book when I was a teen.” (Shannon Hale, New York Times bestselling author of Newbery Honor winner Princess Academy and The Goose Girl). Whether you are a teen or not, you should read this book!” (Anson Dorrance, University of North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer coach, 22 time national collegiate champion). I have personally read it and practiced the timeless principles with my daughters.” (Diana Thomas, U.S. vice president of training, learning & development, McDonalds Corporation).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Believe them when they say it is tiny."
"A must have for every teen."
"My granddaughter read this in school and recommended it for her brother."
"While he walked around the house reading it aloud (to make fun of grandma thinking he would learn something positive) he did read it."
"Great book for my high school students!"
"Excellent book for teens."
"Good habits to avoid and acquire very effective."
"Bought for kids for school."
Best Teen & Young Adult Folklore & Mythology

LEARN TO DRAW DRAGONS In easy-to-follow, step-by-step detail, Drawing Dragons teaches you all the tricks and techniques you’ll need to create your own amazing dragons. Sandra Staple is an artist and photographer who has been drawing dragons for over 15 years, and has literally sketched thousands of them.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"When it first arrived, i flipped through the pages."
"nice book - i was able to draw dragons that i was pleased with right from the beginning."
"Granddaughter loves this."
"great instructions for a tween."
"Great, delivered on time and product was as expected."
"Bought this as a gift for my nephew."
"My grand kids just love this book, and I always give them my copy."
Best Teen & Young Adult Politics & Government

Inside this practical and inspiring guide to effecting change in today’s world, you’ll learn how to: · Understand and navigate the current system of policy and government. · Work to change the system to reflect your values and to protect our society’s most vulnerable. · Organize for the causes you care about most. · Resources for further reading and organizations to get involved with. He served as mayor of Burlington, Vermont’s largest city, for eight years before defeating an incumbent Republican to be the sole congressperson for the state in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1991.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Love the mobilize section at the end of each chapter along with resources to learn more about the chapter subject."
"I give Bernie Sanders and his ideas a 5+ but I am going to have to give this book a four and if I was really being truthful a three might be more appropriate but I decided on a four since the information in this book is so valuable."
"Sanders has long advocated for a social-democratic system (which is capitalist, not socialist) – one that has been implemented to moderate-to-excellent success in Canada, Australia and many European countries – but these smearers only cite fringe-example countries like Venezuela and Cuba, which are hard-line dictatorships and a very perverted representation of any ideology they claim to be about."
"It's Bernie doing what Bernie does, getting we the people involved! "."
"Great book as Bernie provides solutions for all of his recommendations which is very unusual for politicians."
"Great book."
"This guide is perfectly detailed to talk about the crucial issues that are affecting us right now in the US."