- The Summer Reading Committee, made up of students and faculty and chaired by Rev. Bob Ganung and Mrs. Patti Taylor, is pleased to announce that this year’s all-school book is The Legacy: An Elder’s Vision for Our Sustainable Future by Dr. David Suzuki, award-winning geneticist, university professor (Univ. of British Columbia), broadcast journalist, environmental activist, writer and educator.
- “If I had one last lecture to give, what would I say?” mused Dr. Suzuki in 2009, and the speech that became the book, The Legacy, was born. Filled with warmth and humor, Suzuki’s impassioned message is a simple one: that we must learn to live in balance with the natural world which sustains us and learn to temper our obsession with economic growth so that we can preserve the Earth for future generations.
- As a third-generation Japanese Canadian, Dr. Suzuki’s early years were painful as he and his entire family were uprooted from British Columbia and sent to live in an internment camp for Japanese Canadians during WW II. For several years he was ashamed of his Japanese features. He also experienced racism as a person of color while living in suburban Ontario and was forbidden from dating girls in school because of his Japanese heritage (the surrounding community was almost entirely white). Feeling lonely he decided to explore nature in the surrounding ponds, lakes, and woods bringing home all kinds of insects and animals to learn about and study. Looking back on his childhood years much later he realized that his experience with racism and loneliness helped him discover his passion for science, nature, and the wonders of the universe.
- Dr. Suzuki is a brilliant, engaging, and captivating speaker sought after by colleges, universities, and organizations around the globe. His book, Legacy, is a must read for everyone who cares about the ecological, economic, moral, and spiritual crisis that we face in our global community today.
- Dr. Suzuki will visit campus for much of the day on October 10. For more information, visit www.davidsuzuki.org.
In addition to The Legacy: An Elder’s Vision for Our Sustainable Future, students will read a second book this year as well, selected from a list of books that faculty have chosen to sponsor. Both books are required, and we will discuss them in the fall.
Of course, we hope that students will read several more than just these two books, because reading expands one's perspective on life, besides being entertaining. And we hope the list of faculty-sponsored books will provide many options and ideas and create an opportunity for many discussions in school and beyond. Enjoy!