Honors Common Reading Program
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind & Spirit
By Daniel Quinn

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF POSED BY THE STUDENT SELECTION COMMITTEE

1. Vegetarians will often say that eating meat is cruel and immoral. What do you think Ishmael would say to this and do you agree?
2. Has our cultural narrative left out something vital about how we view nature? If so, how can we change the way we view our relationship with nature to make a more sustainable future?
3. Why do you think Daniel Quinn chose a man for the student character? Do you think this decision was intentional? What impact do you think it had on the novel? Would the story have been more or less effective with a woman as the student?
4. What significance are the terms "takers" and "leavers" with their correlated meanings of "civilized" and "uncivilized"?  How do you interpret their connotation and do you agree with what the author is implying by them?
5. Ishmael speaks of the growing population and the problems that this presents. Do you believe that the problem can be aided or even solved if starving countries were sent birth control and no food?  How do you think other countries or peoples would interpret this, as a novel idea or an outrage?
6. In Ishmael, Daniel Quinn examines Mother Culture and the roots of society’s beliefs. While it is important to look at those from a historical standpoint, place what Ishmael teaches in context of today’s world. How does government interfere with ways individual people, certain groups, and even an entire society might wish to live? Should the U.S. government be doing anything differently? Finally, why are there not more sustainable/environmental policies in place?

FILMS RECOMMENDED BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE

• Earth Hour <www.earthhour.org>
• Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey
• Into the Wild <www.intothewild.com>
• The Gods Must be Crazy
• Happy Feet
• Chinatown
• FernGully
• Whale Rider
• Planet in Peril
• The Day After Tomorrow
• An Inconvenient Truth
• Koyaanisqatsi www.koyaanisqatsi.org/

LOCAL/CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS

Feminists for Animal Rights <www.farinc.org/>: An Ecofeminist Alliance. Mission Statement: Feminists for Animal Rights is a non-profit national educational organization dedicated to ending all forms of abuse against women, animals and the earth. Welcome to our online exploration of the interconnections between the exploitation of women and animals and how you can help bring about a more caring society for all. The most exciting part is that they are located in Tucson , Arizona !

Campus Sustainability < www.sustainability.arizona.edu/ >

FURTHER READING

This catalog for Eco Books < www.ecobooks.com/books/voice.htm> appealed to me because of the environmental theme that will be stressed in the common reading book. The website is more of a reference website but I liked its overall purpose and thought it was interesting to look at.

UA Bookstores Sustainability <uabookstores.arizona.edu/Sustainable0408.html>

BOOKS RECOMMENDED BY THE SELECTION COMMITTEE

Guns, Germs, and Steel <www.pbs.org/gunsgermssteel/> – This describes theory behind the evolution of civilization and specifically explains why some cultures have dominated others. It is a book, has a television series, and a great website. REALLY interesting!!!

Last Child in the Woods <richardlouv.com/ >

Last Hours of Ancient Sunshine <www.thomhartmann.com/last.shtml >

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Confluence: A River, the Environment, Politics, & the Fate of all Humanity by Nathaniel Tripp

The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do by Clotaire Rapaille

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

The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth by Tim Flannery

When the Rivers Run Dry: Water—The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-first Century by Fred Pearce

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman (a UA journalism professor!)

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart

A Contract with the Earth by Newt Gingrich and Terry L. Maple

See Daniel Quinn’s recommendations <www.ishmael.org/Education/Readings/>

SUBJECT LINKS

Socrates and the Socratic Method <www.philosophypages.com/hy/2d.htm>

www.chicagoclimatex.com/

Chicago Climate Exchange (Ford, Rolls-Royce, IBM , Motorola are traders)

www.weathervane.rff.org

A Guide to Global Climate Policy

www.lcv.org/scorecard/

National Environmental Scorecard; League of Conservation Voters

www.pewtrusts.org/our_work_category.aspx?ID=110

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ site on the Environment; includes details on their Climate Change Campaigns, Marine Conservation Campaigns, and Wilderness and Public Lands Campaigns. Also, details on Global Warming, Other Environmental Work, Protecting Ocean Life, and Wilderness Protection and Public Lands .

www.awea.org

American Wind Energy Association

www.climateark.org

Climate Change and Global Warming Portal (Featuring Customized Climate Search of Reviewed, Authoritative Content) – News, Blog, etc.

www.gcrio.org

U.S. Global Change Research Information Office

www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/renewable_energy

U.S. Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

www.ases.org

American Solar Energy Society

www.focusthenation.org/nationalteachin.php

Focus the Nation (Global Warming Solutions for America ).

Sustainability in the World

This first one is a 5-6 minute video about how Birmingham , England is making great progress on cutting carbon emissions and creating a more sustainable city. It might be a little too scientifically-based for certain students, but it's still pretty interesting. Also, the right shows related videos (e.g., Carbon trading, hydrogen power, green car painting, etc.) for students looking for more... www.ideasforlife.tv/watch/259