Hasday, Judy L. Forty-Nine Minutes of Madness.

Hasday, Judy L.   Forty-Nine Minutes of Madness.      Enslow      48p   $23.93  978-0-7660-4013-7           ms/jr       Series: Disasters - People in Peril (Enslow) VG-BNS        

Judy Hasday’s book is both powerful and informative.  The events of the day of the horrific shootings in Columbine, Colorado, brief biographical information about the killers and details about the aftermath tell of a premeditated attack that could have had even more victims had the propane bombs detonated.  The author’s writing style is terse, fast-moving and dramatic.  Her purpose is not to show cause nor to offer judgment.  Instead, Hasday presents details in a somewhat journalistic style.  The events unfold in such a way that the reader feels a chill as he/she moves through the five chapters.  In Chapter One, the information is largely introductory and describes Columbine and its community, discusses the perpetrators of this cold-blooded crime, and ends with a few summary details of the school shooting.  Chapter Two describes the friendship that developed between Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in which Harris is portrayed as the extrovert and Klebold as the introvert.  Possible causes are also enumerated.  Chapter Three presents the details of the morning of the shooting chronologically.  Chaos and confusion reigned as the killers went around the library systematically killing most in their path, and while SWAT teams, police and other officials converged outside, killings continued until the young men killed themselves at the end of their rampage.  All of the victims are named in this chapter.  Chapter Four presents the aftermath.  The dead could not be removed from the school until it was certain that there were no bombs.  It is left for the reader to ponder how family and friends must have felt at their inability to look for the children inside.  The final chapter summarizes, showing how the community has moved forward and what is being done by law enforcement officials around the nation to better prepare for student violence.  The layout is simple and powerful, the supporting photographs are authentic and poignant, and there are general support features such as a glossary, chapter notes, resources to consult and an index at the end of the book.  All in all, in her portrayal of the events of that day, Hasday has created an oxymoron, a “thorough summary,” no easy feat with the plethora of information that is available about the Columbine High School shootings. 

Disasters-People in Peril examines catastrophic events, including the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the 2004 tsunami, and the storms caused by El Nino and La Nina.  Facts, photographs and authenticated quotations are used to tell each story.  This series is best for middle-school libraries, although upper-elementary students with a certain maturity level could handle the contents as well.                                                        -- Martha Squaresky    

Hasday, Judy L. Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg.

Hasday, Judy L.   Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg.  Morgan Reynolds, 2011.

$28.95.  ISBN 978-159935176-6 ms/hs E-BNS      

     This book covers Mark Zuckerberg’s fascinating life story and his meteoric rise to fame as Facebook’s originator.  It highlights the personality, skills, and selfishness that converged to create the world’s premier social network.

Author Judy Hasday has achieved what all authors of nonfiction hope to achieve: she has written a book that will appeal to children and adults of all ages and life experiences.  Who doesn’t want to read about the role of Facebook in the overthrow of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarek?  Who doesn’t want to stay up to date on Zuckerberg’s court case, which involves the three classmates who originally asked him to help them program their web site, HarvardConnection?  By the way, the three won in court, and Zuckerberg had to pay them $67 million.  No one can deny the role of the brilliant young man who took Facebook to where it is today, the leading social networking site on the Internet.  With its many facets, Facebook is not exclusively Zuckerberg’s, but it is certainly his baby.  Others help him with engineering, programming and marketing, but the changes Facebook has made in our way of life are largely attributed to this man and his vision.  Zuckerberg refuses to take a billion dollars for its sale, and this book explains why.  He wants to change lives, and the only way to do that is to continue to participate in Facebook's growth.  Hasday’s language is simple, her message is clear, and her fascination with Zuckerberg is palpable.  All of these factors combine in a work of nonfiction that is an excellent choice for readers of all ages and interests.  The book ends with a timeline, source notes, and an index. 

     The series, Business Leaders, includes books about a wide range of people who have excelled in business, as well as in other areas, such as Oprah Winfrey, Ralph Lauren, and Steve Jobs.  The books show the strengths of each and their rise to prosperity, with authentic quotations about each business leader.

Subject: Social networks

Martha Squaresky