The books listed below are all available in the Secondary Library - some are fiction, some are not. All of these books will make you think, don't keep your thoughts to yourself - start a class discussion!
Uses the life of a schoolgirl, Sophie, as a backdrop for a discussion of the meaning of life and the history of philosophy.
Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.
Using case studies, Sacks examines the effects of impairment and incapacity of neurological function such as loss of speech and loss of memory, and looks at the relationship between the brain and the mind.
After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orangutan - and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
Charlie Gordon, born with an unusually low IQ, must face his gradual return to his former state when the astounding results of an experimental surgery that increased his intelligence prove to be only temporary.
Tells the story of an Andalusian shepherd boy who follows his dream and meets an alchemist
Provides insight and analysis on some of the most fundamental questions associated with philosophy by looking at such areas as perception, certainty, truth, and free will.
Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it. His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands of readers to rethink their beliefs about life
Analyzes Edwin Abbott's nineteenth-century satire "Flatland", explores its references to Victorian England, explains how the work provided a foundation for Einstein's theories of relativity, and provides an extensive bibliography for further reading
Presents fifteenth-century Italian leader Niccolo Machiavelli's treatise on political power, statecraft, and the qualities of the ideal ruler, and includes historical context, explanatory notes, excerpts of criticism, discussion questions, and other study tools
Integrating Eastern and Western spiritual traditions with psychoanalysis and philosophy, this title tells the story of a young Brahmin's search for ultimate reality after meeting with the Buddha.
This sequel to 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat' contains portraits of 7 of Sack's neurological case studies. These people show us a new perspective on the way our brains construct our individual worlds.
Nature -- Religious aspects -- Zen Buddhism.
A study of human nature as viewed from the perspective of evolutionary psychology.
A satire on the follies and dangers of collectivism in which the United States is faced with the prospect of economic collapse when the country's leading innovators and industrialists go into hiding.
Examines Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash's game theory and the ways it has shaped evolutionary biology, neuroscience, and quantum physics, linking the three sciences in a way that could lead to a science of human social behavior, or "Code of Nature."
Describes the risks involved in using nuclear power to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions, including potentially catastrophic accidents, and discusses alternative energy solutions.
Collects eleven essays that examine and debate issues facing humanity, discussing overpopulation, global hunger, the oil supply crisis, global warming, nuclear proliferation, and poverty.