Caleb Crainer @currentcaleb

BOOK REVIEW: I was excited to learn that Robin Wall Kimmerer had written a earlier book...this one all about moss. Again her insightful observations along with her deep gratitude for the plants imbued this non-fiction book with rare earnestness and beauty. bit.ly/3hVveud

BOOK REVIEW: bell hooks outlines an engaged pedagogy that can help shape how education transforms us. I wish more professors had read this so more classrooms would model respect and mutual learning. I wonder how this could be applied across disciplines. bit.ly/3FBtQES

BOOK REVIEW: This book is on lists of best non-fiction books because it offers an insightful critique of western knowledge production while demonstrating the power of relational foundations. I learned so much from this book about gratitude and science. bit.ly/3BQQ7O2

BOOK REVIEW: This is the theology overview you've been looking for. If you expect to be part of global theological dialogues in the future, you'll need to have read this. She gives us the background, present realities, and a comprehensive list of sources. bit.ly/3FKo8Rj

BOOK REVIEW: If you're interested in historical fiction, I recommend this book that tells a story of European contact and colonization in California from an indigenous perspective. Though it's for younger folks, it's a useful intro for adults too. bit.ly/3VdNE73

BOOK REVIEW: This book is such a keen and compassionate memoir. @brandonkgood brings a unique compassionate candor that builds us up with love. I appreciated BKG's reflection on past relationships and self-discovery. Highly recommend! bit.ly/3VKy589

BOOK REVIEW: It's easy to see why Midworld was a sci-fi classic. So much of this story has become familiar tropes in other Sci-Fi, it was still fun to imagine this new world. I valued the plot that spoke to a colonizing dynamic. bit.ly/3H1WGke

BOOK REVIEW: Fanon is often cited for his chapter on violence, but the book really is a broad conversation about why we can't have nice things. It's simultaneously philosophical & grounded in real human trauma. Whether you agree or not, it's worth reading. bit.ly/3hWnisk

PLAY REVIEW: This play was powerful for me in the sheer level of cringe it produced, but also in the ways I felt called out. I definitely saw myself in these privileged characters and wish I didn't. I loved that the play didn't push for easy answers. bit.ly/3g9DEx3

BOOK REVIEW: This was a heavy handed metaphor about immigration and dehumanization. You'll get the central message immediately and then wish you read a nonfiction book instead. I found myself hoping for more complexity in the characters. bit.ly/3GakQsl

BOOK REVIEW: I can't remember who recommended Nimona by @Gingerhazing...but I want to thank them. What an enjoyable graphic novel! The characters are unique and engaging and the story balances action, sweetness, and a bit of sourness too. It's just great! bit.ly/3tg5b35

BOOK REVIEW: This book was at the top of some sci-fi lists for good reason. While it utilizes familiar spacey tropes, we get a nuanced vision of a different human culture in the future with cyborgs and vampires and some really imaginative aliens. bit.ly/3E1loiC

BOOK REVIEW: This book has come up so many times over the years, I've only read parts until now. Less about "education," more about cultural systems. If you've been in a Freire-style class setting, you know it's high value despite the convoluted writing. bit.ly/3SWtNbx

BOOK REVIEW: That time you realize you never actually read 1984. Now I have. It was as chillingly vivid today as it was when it was published. (It's not very long.) Folks talk about surveillance, but the history and language rewriting felt applicable now. bit.ly/3fnoeF8

BOOK REVIEW: @stevennovella and his brothers deliver an incredibly fun and informative book about the science behind our favorite sci-fi materials and tech. Find out what is happening already & which ideas have "non-trivial" obstacles. Who will WE become? bit.ly/3swuq0z

BOOK REVIEW: I highly recommend @CCenizaChoy's intro to Asian American Histories. It's not only comprehensive, it's also thoughtful and even personal. Gathering both headlines & stories, she delivers a complex book that avoids simplistic explanations. bit.ly/3TzJohV

BOOK REVIEW: I'm so glad I finally got to @adriennemaree 's book about emergent organizing. As a sci-fi fan (yay Judith Butler references!) I appreciated her way of holding space for others in this work. I'm excited to implement these techniques! bit.ly/3CUHeE7

BOOK REVIEW: Ringworld is a bold book of world building that is held back by subpar writing. All the ingredients are there for a great sci-fi adventure, but it falls pretty short. Incomplete descriptions made it difficult to imagine what was happening. bit.ly/3Mi5SRW

BOOK REVIEW: @paragkhanna thoroughly explains why we need to know acronyms like BRI, IIT, and ASEAN. The trends are clear: Asia is accelerating and working more with other Asian countries. He highlights the ways economics and cultures shape each other. bit.ly/3Cj4JF3

BOOK REVIEW: If you need a brief guide to the recent political histories of China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, this is it. With wit and curiosity, the author's travels help you understand the complicated relationships between these nations and peoples. bit.ly/3r67DrB