UNC/Duke Summer Reading - Losing My Cool

(click book cover to read a review)

A while ago I did a post about a few books that I planned on reading for leisure while I'm preparing for grad school and Losing My Cool by Thomas Chatterton Williams happened to be one of them.  Today I caught word via Twitter that Williams was actually doing something in conjunction with my alma mater, UNC-Chapel Hill.

I did a little digging and found out that he is one of the finalists selected for the 2011 Carolina Summer Reading Program. If his book is selected, it will be read by incoming freshmen at both UNC and Duke Universities this summer.  This is major! Some of the books selected in the past were A Home on the Field by Paul Cuadros (who I was fortunate enough to hear speak!), Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich (which I had to read for an amazing Social/Economic Justice class), and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (which was my freshman class' book...and I admittedly didn't read. Don't judge me!).

Needless to say, there has not been a book about Hip-Hop culture, which is contemporary, pervasive, and relatable! I think the incoming freshmen would LOVE this book.  If you are a UNC/Duke student, or know anyone who is, go HERE, login, and leave a comment for Losing My Cool. The last day to do this is Valentine's Day!