SBCC Recommends - Nonfiction

Books, including memoirs.

Title Author Why I Recommend This Book Personal Story (optional) Recommender
Tuesdays With Morrie Mitch Albom The author (a college professor) shares life lessons on love, aging, forgiving and the overall meaning of life while battling ALS and facing his own mortality.   Mary Sullivan, Director of the ADN Nursing Program 
Powerful Teaching: Unleash the Science of Learning Pooja K. Ararwal Practical advice about increasing cognition for learning.   Say Dempsay Skiles, FRC Development Specialist
December's Child: A Book of Chumash Oral Narratives
 Thomas C. Blackburn (editor)
 These stories, many of which predate the period of colonization, are full of magic and adventure. If you have not read Chumash oral narratives before, you will look at Santa Barbara and the surrounding regions in a completely different way. Example: “Coyote and Xelex” tells the story of Coyote, who swims to the bottom of the ocean, just off the coast of Santa Barbara (Syuxtun - near West Beach), to rescue Falcon, who was kidnapped by the Swordfish, powerful wizards that live in a house on the bottom of the sea. After several contests using magic he outsmarts the Swordfish, revives Falcon, and brings him home.
   Christopher Brown, Faculty
Waterlog: A Swimmer's Journey through Britain
 Roger Deacon
 This is a collection of short vignettes by naturalist Roger Deacon about his swims in the streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans of Britain and the wild life swimming with him. He includes histories and descriptions of the locations, a discussion about public/private ownership of the waterways, and the state of the local waters. He has a New Yorker writing style, and the book can be read as a series of small stories.
   Kathy Bower, Returning Student
Empty Mansions
 Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr. The book covers the 23-acre Bellosguardo estate on the Santa Barbara coast, which was largely vacant for decades.  I love learning about where I live and the history that came before me.  Dr. Laura Woyach, Professor of Accounting
The Cost of Being Undocumented: One Woman's Reckoning with America's Inhumane Math
 Alix Dick and Antero Garcia
 Talks about the systemic barriers undocumented individuals face in the USA.  

Antonia Atilano, Academic Counselor
Public Intellectual: The Life of a Citizen Pilgrim
 Richard Falk
 The author is one of those rare academics who attempts to practice what he preaches. He is an activist. His opposition to the Vietnam War brought him to Hanoi, and more recently he served as the UN Rapporteur for Palestine.
 He has the courage of his convictions and offers his readers a chance to believe in the impossible.

Peter O. Haslund, Professor Emeritus
What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Complex Trauma
 Stephanie Foo
 As someone who explains that her dedication to investigative journalism in high school kept her from killing herself, Stephanie Foo has the skills and tenacity to face the challenge of learning how to live with complex-PTSD and write an incredible book about her experiences. (Both her parents were psychologically and physically abusive, and both abandoned her--we get well-chosen details, mediated by humor, in the short first part of the five-part book.) Foo chronicles her courageous journey towards healing in prose that is searingly honest, often funny, and--of course--impressive for its specific detail and pace. It's an engaging, inspiring story.
 An English Department colleague told me about What My Bones Know, reporting how much her English C1000 students liked it. I added it to the memoir choices for my class this spring and my students are really connecting with it so far. (The other choices this semester are Charles M. Blow's Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Reyna Grande's The Distance Between Us: A Memoir, and John Elder Robison's Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's. I also recommend Laurie Halse Anderson's SHOUT, which is written in free verse, that has been a choice in the past.)

Kim Monda, English Professor
Being Mortal Atul Gawande Being Mortal talks about what happens to the human body after it peaks: organs break down, everything takes longer to heal. It talks about modern medicine, and its pushiness to keep us alive. It also encourages the reader to think about and face our own mortality, in turn making one really think about how it is that we want to live.  I read this book with my partner, Omar, when we had just moved in and were starting our life together. It inspired deep conversations which guided the way we shaped our relationship, how we formed our community and overall how we lived our every day life. Over a decade later, he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and I can confidently say that the last year of his life was one of our happiest. Omar died peacefully at home, as I held him in my arms and reminded him he was very loved. 

Cristina Avendano, Academic Programs Support Specialist
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
 We live in difficult times, with things like climate grief and political upheaval moving many to feel hopeless, powerless. Rather than ignoring these problems, Jane Goodall addresses them and offers us tools and paths to navigate them with hope. This book is essentially a conversation between Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams, so I highly recommend listening to the audiobook because they each narrate their own portions. Jane Goodall has a soothing, kind, and charismatic voice that will put you at ease.  

Mae James, Environmental Science Major
The Distance Between Us
 Reyna Grande
 Easy reading that can be relatable across the different themes that are talked about in this memoir.
 I've never felt more seen after reading this book. Thank you, Jenny Baxton, for including this reading in the ESP class ENG 117, a class that no longer exists, but that taught me that I am a good writer. As a first-gen, this book gave me all the hopes and inspiration to follow through with my goals and dreams.

Alondra Lazaro Gonzalez, Basic Needs Student Program Advisor
The Distance Between Us
 Reyna Grande
 El Otro Lado by Reyna Grande shares what it was like growing up in Mexico while her parents were in the U.S., and how that distance affected her and her family. She talks about immigration in a really honest, emotional way that feels real and relatable. I recommend it because it shows the sacrifices families make and the strength it takes to keep going. This book hit home for me because some of the things she talks about reminded me of my own family’s experiences. It made me think about everything people go through just to create a better life. It’s one of those stories that stays with you.

Cristal Perez, Student
Goodbye to All That (1929)
 Robert Graves
Memoir chronicling his transition from a bullied student with a love of history, mythology and language at an elite boarding school through the harsh realities of WWI and finally his decision to sever ties with Great Britain.
Living through a time of upheaval it is helpful to look back and learn from a fascinating, candid and thoughtful writer working through their own experience of harrowing times. It is a book I wish I could have read at twenty. His prose is beautiful and worth reading for that alone.

Chris Ulivo, Associate Professor of Art

Everything is Tuberculosis John Green This book uses humor and unflinching honesty to investigate how humans have chosen to allow a preventable and curable disease to kill about a million people worldwide every year. It is also a fascinating look at the surprising number of ways tuberculosis has shaped our cultures.  

Robbie Fischer, Biology Professor
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
 Will Guidara This book explores how we can create meaningful, memorable experiences and spaces for the people we serve—rooted in exceptional hospitality. Guidara’s ideas resonate whether you’re building a business or working to make a classroom feel like home.  

Sarah Hock, Associate Professor, Department of Communication
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow Yuval Harari Despite being written before the pandemic, this book holds true in many ways to how the trajectory of society has been going based off of what the author, a historian, has gathered from all his knowledge, research, and reflections. The book has served me as a refreshing resource that compiles so many different influences into an easy-to-read captivating collection. I say this as someone who rarely picks up a book anymore. I truly love and appreciate this book for navigating our society and our species that evolves faster than my mind can comprehend.   M.E., Former Environmental Horticulture student, furthering education online
The Psychology of Money Morgan Housel The Psychology of Money is a rare gem that I found myself rereading immediately after the final page. Morgan Housel moves beyond dry formulas to offer surprising, real-world insights into how our personal philosophies and emotions shape our financial lives. It’s less about "math" and more about the human experience of risk and ego. This book taught me that financial success is less about intelligence and more about behavior. It is a transformative guide for anyone looking to align their wealth with a meaningful life, offering a profound sense of discovery and clarity.   Yen Chou, Math Faculty
The Psychology of C. G. Jung
 Jolande Jacobi
 This is Jungian psychology in one short volume. For the deepest dive into the mind, there's nothing like it. The most challenging, thought-provoking exploration of the structure and function of consciousness we have. It's just one view, but of the greatest profundity and wonder. This brief treatise has been blowing my mind for four decades. Every time I pick it up, it immediately energizes my own thinking. It is simply enthralling. When very bright people ask me for a recommendation, I often say, "This little book is the one I would choose if I were stranded alone on a desert island."
 Spencer Sherman, Psychology Instructor
Snakecharmers in Texas
 Clive James
 The late Clive James was an Australian poet, journalist, critic, novelist, songwriter, and talk show host. His huge range of interests is reflected in this amazing essay collection. James writes with wit, gusto and good humor about every subject, whether highbrow or lowbrow. He gives us his takes on ice dancing, stock car racing, Eugenio Montale, Roland Barthes, the Statue of Liberty, Barry Humphries, Barry Manilow and a lot more.
When I was a lad, none of James's books had been published in the US but somehow a copy of Snakecharmers had made its way from Singapore to Bart's Books in Ojai, where I bought it on a whim, having never heard of the author. My mind was duly blown by its contents and I spent years trying to track down James's books and articles.
Kip Buis, Student
The Twentysomething Treatment Meg Jay, PhD It tackles a dozen different challenging mental health issues our students regularly face and provides tangible ideas (and case studies) for how to face them.   Sara Hartley, Academic Counselor
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
 Jon Kabat-Zinn Introduces mindfulness meditation clearly and simply, with humor and heart. A very easy, fulfilling read. I was writing my first book, a guidebook for mindfulness meditation, when I read this. I almost stopped writing. I thought, "He's done it so beautifully and perfectly, what can I say that he hasn't?" I still recommend this book to all my meditation students.
 Spencer Sherman, Psychology Instructor
The Liars' Club Mary Karr
 This coming-of-age tale recounts Karr’s life in an East Texas refinery town when she was eight years old. Her father is a blue-collar oil worker who enjoys making up stories with his friends while they drink and play dominoes or poker. Karr’s mother struggles with bouts of rage and psychosis. The book is a stunning example of Memoir (it is credited with igniting interest in the genre back in 1995). And since Karr is a poet, her use of figurative and precise language is especially noteworthy.
   Barbara Bell, Professor of English
Lit
 Mary Karr
 Brilliant, accessible writing, honest depiction of a young adult struggling.
   Wendy Lukomski, Professor
An Encyclopedia of Bending Time Kristin Keane Creative nonfiction with a unique structure of short “encyclopedic” entries, this is a poetic memoir of mourning. The author weaves chaotic personal memories, accessible philosophy, ideas about time travel, and popular culture series (the original Quantum Leap) into a coherent, enticing, and uplifting conversation.
The author's comments on time, structure, and memory speak not only to loss, but to the work of creative nonfiction itself. As a writer, I love the possibilities she opens up with her creativity.
Julia Offen, Student (Extended Studies)
Strength in What Remains
 Tracy Kidder
 This is the inspiring story of a young medical student from Burundi, who escapes the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and Burundi and comes to the U.S. Arriving in NYC with $200 and no English, he somehow finds the strength to survive and ultimately flourish with the help of caring strangers.
   Kathy Molloy, English Professor Emeritus
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Robin Wall Kimmerer Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer artfully blends her expertise in both Western science and Indigenous wisdom as she weaves them together with life stories to create a beautiful basket of a book. She teaches us how to begin to restore our relationship with the land, not just scientifically, but emotionally and culturally, expressing the necessity of reciprocity. This book is a long-overdue salve that will recontextualize the way you engage with the natural world, science, community, and yourself. I also recommend Insectopolis: A Natural History by Peter Kuper. Mae James, Environmental Science Major
An African in Greenland
 Tété-Michel Kpomassie
 Tété-Michel Kpomassie as a child growing up in Togo has one dream: to travel to Greenland. His desire for travel to this arctic landscape began as so many dreams of discovery do, in a book. Ultimately, after years of saving money and working abroad, Tété-Michel makes it to Greenland and quickly learns his voyage to the far north was actually a voyage of self discovery. This deeply fascinating memoir draws parallels between Togo and Greenland one would not expect there to be.
I read this memoir when I was 17 and it deeply piqued my curiosity in culture and human connection. I did not know it at the time, but it planted the seed for my own voyage of discovery that took me to far off, and not so far off, places as an anthropologist.
 Tara Carter, Anthropology Professor
The Singularity Is Nearer: When We Merge with AI
 Ray Kurzweil Same author that wrote The Singularity is Near, which he published back in 2005, describing basically the world we live in now with the emergence of AI. In the book he reevaluates his ideas from his first book focusing on two key ideas: in the year 2029 AI would reach human level intelligence, and by 2045 he predicts that humanity could fully merge with machines, calling that event the singularity, where he thinks that from that point forward our human consciousness will expand in ways we can even comprehend.
 It's not any easy read at all, because of the nature of the book. It shares a lot of data like graphs, numbers, equations, and algorithms. Although I have yet to finish the book, there is a lot to be learned. This is a small glimpse into the already vast and fast paced world of AI/machine learning. Some of the analysis he does on AI vs. computing power is a bit outdated but just goes to show how fast this technology is moving and advancing day by day.
 Gustavo Muratalla Jr., Computer Science Major
Goat Brad Land
 As the author is leaving a late-night college party, two guys, whom Land has never met, ask for a ride—Land agrees. This turns out to be a mistake with life-altering consequences. The two strangers proceed to kidnap and brutally assault Land, leaving him for dead on a rural South Carolina road. While the physical wounds eventually heal, the emotional scars follow Land to Clemson (where his younger brother is enrolled) and are reopened when Land joins a fraternity and endures the traumatic hazing process. This is a powerful coming-of-age Memoir that deals with issues of isolation, violence and brotherhood, using an informal, colloquial, almost stream-of-consciousness Voice.   Barbara Bell, Professor of English
Goat Brad Land
 This is an extraordinary memoir about coming of age and fraternity hazing written by my older brother. It is a beautifully written, engaging, and powerful story about not fitting in and confusion and grief. Anthony Lane in a review in The New Yorker wrote, "Parents, if you have kids going off to college this Fall, you both should read Goat."
This book has been turned into a movie starring James Franco and Nick Jonas. Curious fact: Nick Jonas plays me.
 Brett Land, PhD
The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris
 David McCullough
 From the 1830's to the end of the nineteenth century, Americans flocked to Paris to study art, music, and medicine. This wonderfully researched book tells their story along with the French political upheavals during those years. Highly recommended for the details and the way McCullough writes, making these fascinating characters come alive--and Paris itself during that lively era.
 After the seeing recent Monet to Matisse exhibition at the SB Art Museum and attending the connected lectures there, I wanted to learn more about those artists' times.
 Jinny Webber, PhD, Professor of English, Emeritus
Never Lie
 Frieda McFadden This is a sort of mystery psychological book, It gets you thinking. It reminds me of many stories I’ve heard in the media. I couldn’t even read it at night because I got spooked. It told many different stories but kept everything very organized. I love this author. Any book written by her is great! I listen to this book in the car. I have never had an experience like what is in this book but it’s a mystery story. It kind of changed my perspective on life especially while listening to the book and looking around as I drove. Olivia Sudry, Communications Major
The Quaking of America
 Resmaa Menakem
This book provides a guide to embodied anti-racism, specifically written for the post 2020 moment of intense political polarization in America. The issues and practices that the author explores are so relevant to many of the concerns we are struggling with at SBCC.
  Justina Buller, Professor
Born a Crime Trevor Noah This book, about Noah growing up in South Africa, really does have something for everyone. It is entertaining and easy to read. But it is also eye-opening and sobering. For a book full of humor, its themes are haunting. It calls into question the assumptions we so easily make about other people and places. It also challenges us to consider how the people who raise us and the places we come from shape us. Read this book: it will make you laugh, and it will change how you see the world.   Bonny Bryan, English Professor
Born a Crime Trevor Noah Born a Crime is Trevor Noah's memoir of growing up during and after apartheid in South Africa. The book tackles challenging themes such as institutional racism, poverty, and survival, yet Noah's perspective as a stand-up comedian infuses each story with humor and warmth. The result is a powerful and surprisingly fun read. My English C1000 students have read Born a Crime for several years, and every time I've floated the idea of replacing it, they revolt. This book has turned many reluctant readers into devoted ones. I also have students listen to the Audible version, narrated by Noah himself, which is absolutely brilliant. Marit ter Mate-Martinsen, ESL Faculty
Kitchen Table Wisdom Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Written by a doctor who has Crohn's disease and over forty years of working with patients, this is a book of stories about real people experiencing life in all of its aspects. It was a New York Times bestseller. Published in 1996, it deserves a new life in the  chaos and angst of the 21st century.  I was deeply affected by the book's warm insights into the human condition. David Morris, Retired History Instructor and Trustee
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Compassion
 Marshall B. Rosenberg
 Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a life-changing way of communicating, and it’s a revolutionary world view, too. The book’s author used to come to SBCC’s Adult Ed twice a year to teach workshops that attracted hundreds of people. Free classes in NVC are still taught at SBCC’s School of Extended Learning under the titles "Compassionate Communication" and "Essence of Compassionate Communication." NVC gives people a better life; it’s that significant.
   Nancy Keller, Retired SBCC staff and adjunct instructor; current SBCC student
Mother Mary Comes to Me
 Arundhati Roy
 In this memoir, Roy takes the reader through rural India and her upbringing as she encircles her story around two women: herself, a writer, and her mother, a schoolteacher. Among the many topics at the backdrop of Roy’s own story are women’s rights in India (her mother was the first woman to challenge discriminatory laws against women and the inheritance of land), and the historical implications of the caste system. This book is not only about the making of a writer, but how societal traditions shape family dynamics. Roy infuses her narrative with a sweet and inspiring warmth.
  Clara Oropeza, Professor
The Four Agreements Don Miguel Ruiz A very simple way to make things clear. Four agreements to live your best!

When I got legal custody of my two students, I became a new mom after many years. We read it together and we are still together and remembering our beginning ♡.

 Margarita Martin del Campo, Retired Spanish Language Instructor
The Four Agreements Don Miguel Ruiz Life changing and vital element of my personal bookshelf.

I discovered this book at the Santa Barbara airport on a trip back home to Philadelphia. I picked it up due to two factors - its size (I thought I would be able to read it on the 6-hour flight) and the colors on the cover. Little did I know that this book was life changing and has impacted me in my personal and professional lives. I have reread this book in part or total multiple times over the last 15 years. It is a vital reframing of how you navigate life and relationships.


 Dr. Lynette Williamson, MBA, RHIA, CCS, CPC, FAHIMA, FCAHIIM, Professor and Department Chair HIT/CIM
The Fred Factor Mark Sanborn The book is an inspirational work that shows how the little acts of kindness can make all the difference in someone's day. One of my favorite phrases from the book is "What kind of difference you make today?" It makes you feel like going the extra mile after reading it.

After I read this book, I truly reframed how I thought about my day. I diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate injuries for athletes and I found myself paying attention to the small details of each interaction to see the kind of difference I could make with each athlete.

Julianna Adelman Wright, Athletic Trainer
Gentrification of the Mind: Witness to a Lost Imagination
Sarah Schulman
Gentrification of the Mind chronicles the cultural impact of the AIDs crisis, expanding the scope of it's influence beyond a body count and into realms which affect us all regardless of our proximity to HIV. It deals with the impacts on literary arts, higher education, publishing, housing and city planning, and a general philosophical relationship to other members of our communities. This book felt like seeing a map to a place I've lived in for year for the first time, showing things I have experienced and felt and their relationship to other experiences and histories more clearly than I had ever understood them before, and allows me to imagine a lost past and a possible future.

 

 Cyrille Miller, Music and Sociology Major, Music Dept. and Garvin Staff
A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America
 Ronald Takaki
 This book is used in SBCC’s “Racism in America” and “The Immigrant Experience in the U.S.” classes. What an eye-opening education this book is! An easy, enjoyable and fascinating read, it’s a remarkably well-documented revelation about the past and present of our country, with its people and cultures from around the world.

 

 Nancy Keller, Retired staff and adjunct instructor; current SBCC student
The Secret Life of Plants
 Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird
 Subtitled “A fascinating account of the physical, emotional, and spiritual relations between plants and man.” Did you know that plants have emotions, and spiritual relationships too? I didn’t know it either, until I read this book, with its many interesting stories and experiments with plants. You’ll never see plants in the same way after reading this!

I also recommend The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto and Wesley the Owl: The Remarkable Love Story of an Owl and His Girl by Stacey O’Brien.

 Nancy Keller, Retired SBCC staff and adjunct instructor; current SBCC student
Educated Tara Westover It’s a powerful story. She talks about her family and how women are so powerful!

 

 Heloisa Kaman, Student, Early childhood education enthusiast
Outsmarting Your Brain
 Daniel T. Willingham
 This book is written for learners and teachers and gives excellent practical strategies for learning with explanations about why your brain is inclined to take the easy path, so we have to "outsmart" it.

 

 Pam Guenther, Professor

 

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