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School of Public Health Summer Reading List 2023

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Young people reading books in the park. Summer landscape background.

Looking for a book to inspire you as you recharge your batteries this summer? Or maybe you’re searching for a new perspective on public health. Either way, the School of Public Health has you covered! 

Our summer reading list, created with input from faculty and staff, touches on everything from the complexity of the disabled experience to racism, oppression and mistakes made in the healthcare industry.

 

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The Doctors' Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever and the Strange Story of Ignac Semmelweis by Sherwin B Nuland 

“It’s a fascinating story and also a reminder of both how far we have come in public health and also how some challenges remain the same.”

Malinda Kennedy, project director, The Maryland Collaborative and faculty specialist, Center on Young Adult Health and Development

 

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Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century by Alice Wong, Alejandra Ospina, et al.

This anthology gives a glimpse into the “rich complexity of the disabled experience” and invites listeners to question their own understandings. 

Brit Saksvig, associate clinical professor and director of graduate student services

 

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Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

“This book is simultaneously profound and funny. It reminds readers that the root of public health problems are complex and dynamic. Successful work in public health requires interdisciplinary approaches and outside perspectives. This book was what inspired me to study public health.”

Jamie Trevitt, assistant clinical professor and director of graduate studies

 
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The Power of Meaning by Emily Esfahani Smith

“A short, well-written, science-backed book combining research, philosophy, and personal stories. An inspiring blueprint for a meaningful life that touches on many public health topics including belonging, mental health and longevity.”

Mary Shelley, director of information technology

 

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Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto by Tricia Hersey

“The author troubles our relationship with non-stop work and its toxic connections to our sense of self worth, to capitalism, and to white supremacy (and all forms of oppression) and passionately tells us to rest as a form of resistance (not just for your health, but for all of us), which seems like a great, and often missed, summer assignment. Highly recommend the short audiobook because the author reads it and it is powerful to hear her voice.”

- Beth Douthirt Cohen, DEI activist in residence and faculty specialist
 

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How to Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal Fleming

“I am recommending this book because it is a down-to-earth guide for anyone seeking more practical information about challenging racism and oppression. The author includes many relatable (and humorous) personal anecdotes.” 

Rianna T. Murray, assistant research professor and director of graduate studies

 

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A Spell of Good Things by Ayobami Adebayo

“This is the best book I’ve read this year! A stunning story set in modern Nigeria about two different families on opposite ends of the social spectrum and how their lives become intertwined.”

Rianna T. Murray, assistant research professor and director of graduate studies

 

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The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed

“This is [on] my list for the summer ... Supposedly an extremely well-researched book tracing the family lineage and relationship between Sally Hemmings and Thomas Jefferson. Apparently explores issues of power and autonomy.”

Dina Borzekowski, research professor and director, The Global Health Initiative

 

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When We Do Harm by Danielle Ofri

“New York Times essayist and internist, Dr. Ofri takes on mistakes made in the healthcare industry. This is Dr. Ofri's 6th and most recent book. Her writing is stunning and provocative. She's also a childhood friend.”

Dina Borzekowski, research professor and director, The Global Health Initiative

 

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Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa

Amazon summary: “Under the Skin lays bare the forces in the American health-care system and in American society that cause Black people to ‘live sicker and die quicker’ compared to their white counterparts … Villarosa describes the new understanding that coping with the daily scourge of racism ages Black people prematurely.”

Elisabeth Maring, clinical professor and associates director, The Global Health Initiative

 

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Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want by Ruha Benjamin

Amazon summary: "Part memoir, part manifesto, Viral Justice is a sweeping and deeply personal exploration of how we can transform society through the choices we make every day."

Elisabeth Maring, clinical professor and associates director, The Global Health Initiative

 
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We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Bettina Love 

"I saw her present at a local Black Girls Thrive Festival and was absolutely blown away by her realism paired with down to earth delivery on such hard topics." 

- Cara Grant, program director of the master's certificate in physical education (PE-MCERT)

 

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Finding Me by Viola Davis

"I love this book because Viola Davis captures the juxtapositions of what we’re given in life and what we make of our lives. She speaks power to the deep impact of structural and systemic racism and inequalities, as well as the people and experiences that mitigated those barriers. Addressing big secrets, being real, getting out of one’s comfort zone and self love are some of the many powerful topics she breathes and speaks truth into."

- Erin McClure, assistant dean for diversity & chief of staff

 

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