Spark

New
Hardcover
2018
$51.46

Professor Peyton Wilde has an enviable life teaching sociology at an idyllic liberal arts college--yet she is troubled by a sense of fading inspiration. One day an invitation arrives. Peyton has been selected to attend a luxurious all-expense-paid seminar in Iceland, where participants, billed as some of the greatest thinkers in the world, will be charged with answering one perplexing question. Meeting her diverse teammates--two neuroscientists, a philosopher, a dance teacher, a collage artist, and a farmer--Peyton wonders what she could ever have to contribute. The ensuing journey of discovery will transform the characters' work, their biases, and themselves. This suspenseful novel shows that the answers you seek can be found in the most unlikely places. It can be read for pleasure, is a great choice for book clubs, and can be used as unique and inspiring reading in qualitative research and other courses in education, sociology, social work, psychology, and communication.

Synopsis

Professor Peyton Wilde has an enviable life teaching sociology at an idyllic liberal arts college--yet she is troubled by a sense of fading inspiration. One day an invitation arrives. Peyton has been selected to attend a luxurious all-expense-paid seminar in Iceland, where participants, billed as some of the greatest thinkers in the world, will be charged with answering one perplexing question. Meeting her diverse teammates--two neuroscientists, a philosopher, a dance teacher, a collage artist, and a farmer--Peyton wonders what she could ever have to contribute. The ensuing journey of discovery will transform the characters' work, their biases, and themselves. This suspenseful novel shows that the answers you seek can be found in the most unlikely places. It can be read for pleasure, is a great choice for book clubs, and can be used as unique and inspiring reading in qualitative research and other courses in education, sociology, social work, psychology, and communication.

$51.46

Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 144
Publisher: Guilford Publications
Published: 30 Nov 2018
ISBN 10: 1462538169
ISBN 13: 9781462538164

Media Reviews

This compelling, highly original novel brings us to a meeting of people with radically different perspectives and life experiences who are asked to collaboratively answer a question. We eavesdrop on their lively discussions, explore the beauty of Iceland with them, cheer as we see them help each other conquer personal fears, and rejoice as they bond into a caring community. People with very different ideas can learn to learn and care for each other. Kindness matters. We need each other's ways of knowing. If I ran the world, I would make this book required reading. --Laurel Richardson, author of Seven Minutes from Home

A thoroughly enjoyable and thoughtful read! Seven brilliant thinkers from diverse disciplines and countries have just four days to answer a deceptively simple question. This beautifully written novel, set in Iceland's magical landscape, draws readers into a puzzle the group must solve, while simultaneously exploring characters' personal struggles. The gradual peeling back of layers, intriguing premise, realistic dialogue, and abundant food for thought make Spark not only a page turner, but also an intellectual treasure that will stick with me. --Christine Sleeter, author of The Inheritance

Author Bio

Patricia Leavy, PhD, is an independent sociologist and former Chair of Sociology and Criminology and Founding Director of Gender Studies at Stonehill College in Easton, Massachusetts. She is the author, coauthor, or editor of over 25 books, and the creator and editor of seven book series. Known for her commitment to public scholarship, she is frequently contacted by the U.S. national news media and has regular blogs for The Huffington Post, The Creativity Post, and We Are the Real Deal. She is also co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of the journal Art/Research International. Dr. Leavy has received numerous awards for her work in the field of research methods, including the Distinguished Service Outside the Profession Award from the National Art Education Association, the New England Sociologist of the Year Award from the New England Sociological Association, the Special Achievement Award from the American Creativity Association, the Egon Guba Memorial Keynote Lecture Award from the American Educational Research Association Qualitative Special Interest Group, and the Special Career Award from the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry. In 2016, Mogul, a global women's empowerment platform, named her an Influencer. The School of Fine and Performing Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz has established the Patricia Leavy Award for Art and Social Justice in her honor. Dr. Leavy delivers invited lectures and keynote addresses at universities and conferences. Her website is www.patricialeavy.com.