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Tension City
January 8th, 2016
Author: Jim Lehrer
Selection Requirement Checklist
- Readability for 17 to 18 year old student (easy-intermediate-difficult)
- Tension City reads as a play-by-play of televised presidential debates, and some vice-presidential debates, taking place between 1960 and 2008. Mr. Lehrer backfilled the debate reports some participant stories, as well his assessment of the impact of a particular debate. All of which was easy to consume.
- Less than 300 pages
- 198 pages, including introduction
- Speaker Price
- According to the Washington Speakers Bureau website, $40,000+ (http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/speakers/speaker.cfm?SpeakerID=759#)
- Easily adaptable across LSEM, disciplines, majors, etc.
- For the most part, yes. Tension City raises many questions and ideas to explore across all LSEM classes. For example, Mr. Lehrer addresses the effectiveness of interview preparation, and body language. Concepts that all students need to be mindful for as the approach professional settings. However, for those students/faculty who focus on the earth sciences this book may be hard to incorporate with coursework.
- Current theme, current event
- Lehrer explores the importance of debates, public discourse, and the practice of interviewing. All three topics are relevant for 2016 as it is an election year, and Longwood given the institution’s opportunity to host the vice-presidential debate.
- Price less than $15
- Paperback, $15.77 (Amazon.com)
- Promotes critical and/or creative thinking
- In the last chapter of the book, “Good Nights,” Mr. Lehrer outlines what he feels are the critical responsibilities involved with being a moderator – research and engaged listening.
- How to incorporate into LSEM class
- You could set up a series of mock debates within the classroom. For example, in the exercise science LSEM section I would have the student argue the merit of Olympic lifting versus high intensity interval training.