Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012 Book Selection

The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads program is a community initiative to promote reading and civic dialogue through the shared experience of reading and discussing a common book.

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012 has chosen Daniel Tammet's book, Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Extraordinary Mind Of An Autistic Savant for next year's book selection. The three books considered for the finalist were all centered on the theme of "Language: How We Communicate."

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012 is scheduled to occur January through February 2012. There will be multiple opportunities for the community to become involved. An author appearance has been scheduled to take place at Washtenaw Community College on Thursday evening, January 19 at 7:30 pm.

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads committee members have discussed book availability and copies of the title are now being shipped to area bookstores. Both the Ann Arbor District Library and the Ypsilanti District Library own copies of the title and will order more.

Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads Book Finalists

The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area has a decade-long history of successful community reads programs which encourage all of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to read one book. University, Library, bookstore and community representatives from both Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti have now been busily planning Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2012.

In 2012, the program will encourage readers of all ages to explore the subject of Language: How We Communicate.

A screening committee has narrowed book choices covering this theme down to three titles:

Eva Hoffman, Lost In Translation: A Life In A New Language. New York: E.P Dutton, 1989.
Susan Schaller, A Man Without Words. New York: Summit Books, 1991.
Daniel Tammet, Born On A Blue Day: Inside The Extraordinary Mind Of An Autistic Savant. New York: Free Press, 2007.

Visit the finalists page and read more about the books. The site also acts as a platform for the public to post comments about which book they would be the most excited for the selection committee to choose. Books are available in our catalog - check them out or place a hold on them!

Born on a Blue Day

Born on a Blue Day Born on a Blue Day: Inside The Extraordinary Mind Of An Autistic Savant :A Memoir, by Daniel Tammet.

Born On A Blue Day is a journey into one of the most fascinating minds alive today -- guided by the owner himself. Daniel Tammet is virtually unique among people who have severe autistic disorders in that he is capable of living a fully independent life and able to explain what is happening inside his head.

He sees numbers as shapes, colors, and textures, and he can perform extraordinary calculations in his head. He can learn to speak new languages fluently, from scratch, in a week. In 2004, he memorized and recited more than 22,000 digits of pi, setting a record. He has savant syndrome, an extremely rare condition that gives him the most unimaginable mental powers, much like those portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the film Rain Man.

Fascinating and inspiring, Born on a Blue Day explores what it' s like to be special and gives us an insight into what makes us all human -- our minds.

What did you think of this book? Tell us!

A Man Without Words

Man Without Words A Man Without Words, by Susan Schaller.

For more than a quarter of a century, Ildefonso, a Mexican Indian, lived in total isolation, set apart from the rest of the world. He wasn't a political prisoner or a social recluse, he was simply born deaf and had never been taught even the most basic language.

Susan Schaller, then a twenty-four-year-old graduate student, encountered him in a class for the deaf where she had been sent as an interpreter and where he sat isolated, since he knew no sign language. She found him obviously intelligent and sharply observant but unable to communicate, and she felt compelled to bring him to a comprehension of words.

A Man without Words vividly conveys the challenge, the frustrations, and the exhilaration of opening the mind of a congenitally deaf person to the concept of language.

What did you think of this book? Tell us!

Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language

Lost in Translation Lost in Translation: A Life in a New Language, by Eve Hoffman.

A classically American chronicle of upward mobility and assimilation, Lost In Translation is also an incisive meditation on coming to terms with one’s own uniqueness, on learning how deeply culture affects the mind and body, and finally, on what it means to accomplish a translation of one’s self.

When her parents brought her from the war-ravaged, faded elegance of her native Cracow in 1959 to settle in well-manicured, suburban Vancouver, Eva Hoffman was thirteen years old. Entering into adolescence, she endured the painful pull of nostalgia and struggled to express herself in a strange, unyielding new language.

Her spiritual and intellectual odyssey continued in college and led her ultimately to New York’s literary world, yet still she felt caught between two languages, two cultures. But, her perspective also made her a keen observer of an America in the flux of change.

What did you think of this book? Tell us!

AADL Productions Podcast: Richard Glaubman

This episode features 2011's Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads author, Richard Glaubman. Richard spoke with us about his collaboration with Life is So Good, a chronicle of Dawson's inspired personal journey through the tumultuous 20th century, culminating in his learning to read at the age of 98. Richard talks about his experience developing the book's narrative structure and George's voice, as well as his personal friendship with George and the irresistible effect of his optimism and quiet humanity on everyone he encountered. You can also watch or download a video of Glaubman's presentation when he visited in January.


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Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Reads Event: Literacy Learners Share Their Stories

Tuesday February 15, 2011: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

The 2011 Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Reads 2011 book Life Is So Good is the story of George Dawson, a man who learned to read at age 98. Dawson's story of becoming literate at a late age is truly inspirational. What are the learning stories of local residents - and what are their successes?

Be inspired as a panel of local literacy learners share their experiences. Discover how you can engage in learning that makes life worth living as a learner or volunteer. This event is co-sponsored by the Literacy Coalition of Washtenaw County.

Roger Chard: A Self-Determined Life

Roger Chard is totally blind. He recently retired from a twenty-two year career as a real estate attorney in Ann Arbor. Among his many achievements are awards in high school and college debate and in downhill skiing. He has performed as a baritone vocal soloist and presented recitals with other musicians in small and large venues. He will speak on how self-determination helped him create a life worth living. This amply reflects the theme of the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads 2011, depicted in the book Life is So Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman.

Wed., January 26 | Malletts Creek Branch | 2:00-3:30 pm

Dance Through Life: Nia Dance Playshop

Teresa Myers of Soul to Sole presents a Nia Dance Playshop this Sunday, January 23 at 2 pm at the Traverwood Branch. Why is this a "playshop" and not a "workshop," you ask? Because Nia is all about fun! By focusing on improvisation and the body's natural motions, Nia helps people rediscover the pure joy of movement. Dance makes life worth living! Grade 9-Adult.

What Book Would You Have Chosen For the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads?

The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Reads screening committee reviewed many books before deciding on the official selection of 'Life is So Good.' What book would you have chosen to embody the theme "What Makes Life Worth Living?"

Leave a comment on the wall of our AA/Y Reads Facebook page and let us know your pick!