Student Picks - Kresge Library: All Titles

"Abstract Algebra by Dummit and Foote is a brilliant introduction to a more advanced field in mathematics that drives the cutting edge of engineering physics, communication systems, and more."
Matthew Cai
IEEE

"I recommend The Alchemy of Us because it reveals the hidden stories behind everyday materials and the diverse innovators who shaped our world, making engineering feel both personal and powerful. Ainissa Ramirez’s engaging storytelling makes complex science accessible and inspiring, perfect for students curious about how engineering impacts society."
UC Berkeley student

"As a busy Berkeley student, I enjoyed this page-turning YA novel told from 3 perspectives and 2 timelines about the experience of being a Pakistani-American immigrant and child of immigrants. Really moving, entertaining, and socially important!"
Rebecca Dang

"Great book on the 'meta' of engineering, from a pioneering engineer."
Ashvin
Space Technologies at California

"Incredibly fascinating and makes you a better person :)"
UC Berkeley student

"Atomic Habits is a life-changing book, teaching how consistent micro-improvements can compound into remarkable results that I never imagined. Small things matter."
Irene Song
Korean Scientists & Engineers Association

"An insightful description of how and why we have our current food system and how that drives Americans' decisions around food that create negative outcomes for their health and nutrition. Dr. Zepeda explains how this is not a bug but a feature of our food systems. At the end she suggests solutions that are not only policy-based but also cultural in how we think and feel about food."
Student member
UAW 4811

"The Big Score is a deeply interesting book covering the real story of the growth behind Silicon Valley, its biggest players, and the engineering that has earned the valley now trillions of dollars."
Luke Phillips
Space Enterprise at Berkeley

"The title is self-explanatory. As students, we encounter difficulties in so many ways. For such times, we need bursts of inspiration and optimism from everywhere to keep us going."
UC Berkeley student

"This is an awesome book that looks at the scientific method from a more nuanced, non-western perspective. It really opens the reader's eyes to a more ambiguous, non-concrete definition of science, particularly through a view of traditional ecological knowledge. It's a great read, one of my all time favorites - highly recommend!"
Addie Brandt
Society of Women Engineers and CS Kickstart

"I am really interested in the transformational power of a good book and that moment when you find yourself in the words of the author. Read, reflect, and enjoy the authors effortless ability to connect the technical with what makes us human: storytelling."
Jon Gallardo
Civil and Environmental Engineering For Anti-Racism

"If you're interested in social justice or learning about experiences of folks in urban America, I'd highly recommend Buck. It's one of my favorite books because I got to see him grow up through his eyes and all the challenges he faced in a tough environment."
Hillary
Society of Women Engineers, Graduate Women of Engineering, and Association of Women in EE&CS

"This is for you EECS majors! Tired of looking at a screen to practice LeetCode? Read this book instead to practice algorithms for your upcoming SWE interview."
Hillary
Society of Women Engineers, Graduate Women of Engineering, and Association of Women in EE&CS

"This book covers decolonial environmentalism and touches anti-racist ideals that are very prevalent in today's day and age, and especially to the environmental movement."
Sumukhi Prasad
Civil and Environmental Engineers for Anti-Racism

"I think it's an excellent book that challenges the way we see ourselves and the world around us, empowering us to take control of our own thoughts. I'm confident it could also be a helpful tool for overcoming imposter syndrome."
Zainab Alyosha

"Factory Girls is a beautifully touching story about migrant factory workers in China, and it really resonated with me as a child of Chinese immigrants. The book describes how working factories have reshaped the lives of countless Chinese villagers."
Student member
BEACN, CalSol

"This book is short and concise, offering practical strategies to help you build conversations with others. As an engineer, I find communication skills extremely important, and this book provides valuable tools to connect more easily and confidently in both professional and social settings."
UC Berkeley student

"From Baldwin himself: 'And all this is happening in the richest and freest country in the world, and in the middle of the 20th century. The subtle and deadly change of heart that might occur and you would be involved with the realization that a civilization is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless.' We need to be conscious about what happens in our world, before it is gone."
Student member
Black Engineering & Science Student Association, Society of Women Engineers, Space Technologies & Rocketry

"Unlike Hemingway I could never listen to an order to dynamite a bridge; the civil engineer in me wouldn't let me."
Brennan Smith

"I think engineers in general sometimes lack soft skills that may benefit in the long run. This book can help with forming relationship and networking in the industry."
Student member
Transportation Graduate Students Organizing Committee

"This book uses data (or a lack of data) to show how women are excluded and adversely impacted in all parts of our daily lives, including health, work, families, education, and success."
Srishti Hazra
Energy, Civil Infrastructure and Climate

"[Invisible Women] reveals how the default male perspective has been standardized and implicitly embedded into nearly every aspect of our society - both intentionally and unintentionally. Super insightful and a must read for everyone!"
Student member
Graduate Women of Engineering

"In today's world, decisions are made by looking at data. So much of that data is skewed in a way that is detrimental to women. It is important that we acknowledge this bias in order to strive for better ways to collect, manage, and analyze data."
UC Berkeley student

"This book was a touching look on the slow effects of grief, creeping up in places you don't quite expect. Joan is a witty narrator to her own tale, and presents both memories and current events together in a stream of consciousness that immerses you in her headspace."
Rosette Kinney

"A exemplary thought experiment that explores a universe inhabited by people without a fixed gender. If anyone were capable of imagining such a thing, it would be Ursula Le Guin."
UC Berkeley student

"Inspiring fiction about young adults, national security, and the role of technology in justice. Takes place right here in the SF Bay Area (the Bay Bridge is a major plot point)!"
Kaveer

"I enjoyed this book's conversational perspective on everything surrounding the titular plastic ducks: plastics manufacturing, cargo ships, pollution controls, ocean currents, and more. The author thoughtfully observes how science and engineering decisions impact the communities he visits."
Ann Scheliga
Environmental Engineering Advocacy Team and Civil and Environmental Engineers for Anti-Racism

"We are all Sisyphus, especially as engineering students. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."
Matthew Liberman
Engineers Without Borders

"As a native North Carolinian, I had no idea about all of the indigenous knowledge and history throughout the state. This book is written by a hydrologist who is a professor at Duke University and highlights human and nature interactions through an indigenous lens, highlighting historical environmental injustices. Even for those not from North Carolina it is still an informative intriguing and emotional read."
Camille Brule
Environmental Engineering Advocacy Team

"I read this book for my Comparative Literature R1B class in undergrad and was struck by the parallels to our current societal and equity challenges regarding climate change driven wildfires, droughts and floods as well as manufactured vulnerability. As an engineering student I appreciated this fiction novel which inspired me to think about adaptation to a changing climate through engineered solutions."
Alejandra Amador-Caro

"I am really interested in the transformational power of a good book and that moment when you find yourself in the words of the author. Read, reflect, and enjoy the authors effortless ability to connect the technical with what makes us human: storytelling."
Jon Gallardo
Civil and Environmental Engineering For Anti-Racism

"It's educative about the role of engineers and technology in shaping our sense of freedom and justice as Americans as well as an inspiring first-person story of having the courage to do what you know is right when it would be easy to do nothing."
Kaveer

"Man gets plastic surgery and gaslights an entire class system."
Kovidh Singh
Sports Analytics @ Berkeley

"Amid the noise and rush of our modern world, it's easy to lose sight of how we came to be. Harari not only offers a sweeping historical perspective, but also presents a thought-provoking analysis of what the future of humanity might hold."
Aparimit Kasliwal

"I recommend She Engineers because it provides valuable strategies for women in engineering to overcome bias and unlock their full potential. It’s a great read for anyone looking to navigate challenges and succeed in a male-dominated field."
UC Berkeley student

"I got a copy of this book from Prof. Pruitt who teaches at UC Berkeley in the mechanical engineering department. I truly enjoyed reading the book because I gained insight on the struggles that others go through. On the outside, professors can seem very intimidating but Prof. Pruitt was very authentic in her book. She shared troubles with bulimia and relationship issues and how she persevered through them and later became a mentor to younger students."
Hillary
Society of Women Engineers, Graduate Women of Engineering, and Association of Women in EE&CS

"It's a wonderful, darker and more adulty take on a classical fairy tale. It's beautifully witty, dark, and nostalgic all at the same time; 10/10 read!"
Student member
BEACN, CalSol

"Set in Berkeley in the 90s, Stay True tenderly captures a how place and friendship define us. Read if you want to see familiar sites and reflect on your own college experience!"
Allison Hartley

"I am really interested in the transformational power of a good book and that moment when you find yourself in the words of the author. Read, reflect, and enjoy the authors effortless ability to connect the technical with what makes us human: storytelling."
Jon Gallardo
Civil and Environmental Engineering For Anti-Racism

"This book of blueprints attempts to explain as much as possible in only the 1,000 most commonly used words. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded that a suspension bridge can also be called 'tall road hanging from sticks.'"
Leilynn Glenn
Berkeley Engineers and Mentors

"Decision making affects every part of our lives, and also our careers, regardless of what you study. Learn how to make decisions better, from someone with connections to Cal!"
Treves
GeoEngineering Graduate Student Association

"I really like this book because it helps me to feel seen as a woman of color and to gain empathy for those who are different than me."
Student member
Chow Research Group

"A fun and unique graphic novel that highlights Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage and imagines their experience if they were to build the Analytical Engine. It combines history, technology, humor and sheds an important light on the contributions that Lovelace and Babbage made to the beginnings of computer science."
Student member
Society of Women Engineers

"It's a fun book to read! The author weaves the story of the Tower of London into a couple's day-to-day life, the (difficult) things they go through, and things that were Lost and Found."
Joyce Chen

"A first hand account of an activist's journey to bring awareness to an environmental health crisis still happening. This book shows how historical inequities and racism continue to influence infrastructure and health outcomes and is a good example of how engineering challenges require understanding policy and environmental justice context."
Jenna
Civil and Environmental Engineers for Anti-Racism and Graduate Women Engineers