“Black, Brown, and White: Stories Straight Outta Compton”
by Lynne A. Isbell, Rebecca Pantaleon, and Bonita Bradshaw
Black, Brown, and White: Stories Straight Outta Compton chronicles the lives of three friends from different ethnic backgrounds, including their unique individual experiences while coming of age in Compton, California, during the 1960s and early ’70s. Against the backdrop of the nation’s civil rights and black power movements, Compton quickly transitioned from majority White to majority Black and became known as the “Murder Capital of the United States.” Although the girls grew up together, they experienced Compton’s transformation very differently. Their experiences left indelible marks on their later development into adulthood, a warning to those who would minimize the effects of violence on other young lives today. As our country struggles yet again with highly charged racial tension, not seen since the 1960s, the timing of this book could not be better: it offers a real-life example of how finding common ground with those who are from different cultural backgrounds can lead to a lifetime of mutual caring and support. This book will appeal to those who appreciate books about urban history, racism, and social justice, books from underrepresented voices, or coming-of-age memoirs. It will also be useful to academic programs in English, California history, ethnic studies, and race and social justice discussions.
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“The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent: Why We See So Well”
by Lynne A. Isbell
The worldwide prominence of snakes in religion, myth, and folklore underscores our deep connection to the serpent – but why, when so few of us have firsthand experience? The surprising answer, this book suggests, lies in the singular impact of snakes on primate evolution. Predation pressure from snakes, Lynne Isbell tells us, is ultimately responsible for the superior vision and large brains of primates – and for a critical aspect of human evolution.
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