Teams & Gangs

Anyone who has played a team sport knows the rush that comes from feeling like an integral piece of a well-oiled machine. Yet exhilaration and cooperation are only one aspect of team dynamics. This collection explores all facets of the team relationship, both positive and negative.

Publication year 1992

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Politics & Government, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams

Tags Military / War, History: U.S., Politics / Government, American Civil War, Education, Education, Leadership/Organization/Management, Business / Economics, History: World, Biography, Self Help


Publication year 1871

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Society: Education, Relationships: Friendship, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Joy, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Masculinity, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Loyalty & Betrayal, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality, Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Tags Classic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Children's Literature


Publication year 2011

Genre Autobiography / Memoir, Nonfiction

Themes Society: War, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams

Tags Travel Literature, Inspirational, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Military / War, Love / Sexuality, Social Justice, Biography


Publication year 2021

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Identity: Gender, Relationships: Teams

Tags Fantasy, Mythology, Action / Adventure, Trauma / Abuse / Violence, Gender / Feminism, Grief / Death, Love / Sexuality, American Literature, Romance


Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Teams, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Self Discovery

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction, Children's Literature, Modern Classic Fiction


Publication year 1993

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Relationships: Mothers, Relationships: Teams

Tags Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Poverty

First published in 1993, Virginia Euwer Wolff’s Make Lemonade is a young adult novel written in free verse. The novel received numerous awards, including the Golden Kite Award for Fiction and the Parents’ Choice Book Award, and was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and School Library Journal Best Book. While Wolff herself defines her novel as “prose” with “stanzas” rather than poetry, she includes poetic imagery and innovative use of language and... Read Make Lemonade Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Win & Lose, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Masculinity

Tags Self Help, Inspirational, Psychology, Leadership/Organization/Management, Military / War, Business / Economics, Psychology, Biography

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…and Maybe the World is a work of self-help psychology by Admiral William H. McRaven. The book is a continuation and expansion of a commencement speech McRaven delivered at the University of Texas at Austin in 2014, which went viral on the internet. Formerly a high-ranking officer of the US Navy and Commander of US Special Operations Command, McRaven relates his experiences in Navy SEAL training to... Read Make Your Bed Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Revenge, Identity: Femininity, Identity: Mental Health, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Midlife, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Fantasy, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2023

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Hate & Anger, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Emotions/Behavior: Regret, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Life/Time: The Future, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Good & Evil, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Values/Ideas: Trust & Doubt

Tags Fantasy, Romance, Horror / Thriller / Suspense Fiction, LGBTQ, Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Religion / Spirituality


Publication year 2017

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos

Tags Business / Economics, Leadership/Organization/Management, Self Help


Publication year 2007

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Identity: Indigenous, Life/Time: The Past, Relationships: Teams

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Sports, History: World, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2003

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Order & Chaos, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Natural World: Appearance & Reality

Tags Business / Economics, Sports, Science / Nature, History: World, Biography

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a nonfiction book by Michael Lewis published in 2003 by W. W. Norton. Lewis holds a master’s degree in economics and made his writing debut with the acclaimed Liar’s Poker (1989), based on his experience working for the investment bank Salomon Brothers. This background prepared him for Moneyball, a book about how statistics is applied to baseball in a method known as sabermetrics. A movie adaptation... Read Moneyball Summary


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Family, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Fear, Emotions/Behavior: Forgiveness, Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Emotions/Behavior: Loneliness, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Aging, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Animals, Natural World: Environment, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Society: Community, Values/Ideas: Fate, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger, Self Discovery

Tags Realistic Fiction, Animals, Children's Literature


Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Literature, Relationships: Teams, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Values/Ideas: Win & Lose

Tags Action / Adventure, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Realistic Fiction, Fantasy


Publication year 1998

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Values/Ideas: Art, Emotions/Behavior: Guilt, Emotions/Behavior: Love, Emotions/Behavior: Shame & Pride, Identity: Gender, Life/Time: The Future, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Appearance & Reality, Relationships: Teams, Society: Globalization, Values/Ideas: Beauty, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Historical Fiction, Middle Eastern Literature, Mystery / Crime Fiction, Asian Literature, History: World, Arts / Culture

My Name is Red (originally titled Benim Adim Kirmizi) is a 1998 historical novel by the Nobel Prize winning Turkish author Orhan Pamuk. Set in late-16th century Istanbul, the novel explores cultural tensions stemming from contemporary philosophical understandings of visual art. Told from the viewpoints of many different animate and inanimate characters—including Muslim and Jewish individuals, a corpse, the color red, and paintings of a horse, a devil, and a dog—the novel integrates elements of... Read My Name is Red Summary


Publication year 2022

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Natural World: Environment, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Emotions/Behavior: Determination / Perseverance, Emotions/Behavior: Memory, Life/Time: Childhood & Youth, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: The Past, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Family, Relationships: Friendship, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Safety & Danger

Tags Mystery / Crime Fiction, Children's Literature, Action / Adventure, Historical Fiction


Publication year 2002

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Education, Relationships: Teams, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed

Tags Business / Economics, Education, Education, Science / Nature, Social Science, Psychology, Psychology, Finance / Money / Wealth, Politics / Government

Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science is a nonfiction book by Charles Wheelan published in 2002. The author holds a PhD from the University of Chicago and is a senior lecturer and policy fellow at Dartmouth College. Previously, he was a correspondent for the magazine The Economist. He has written a number of other books, including Naked Statistics and Naked Money. This study guide refers to the 2019 third edition of Naked Economics.SummaryNaked Economics is... Read Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science Summary


Publication year 1996

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Grief, Identity: Race, Life/Time: Coming of Age, Life/Time: Mortality & Death, Natural World: Place, Relationships: Daughters & Sons, Relationships: Siblings, Relationships: Teams, Self Discovery, Society: Community, Society: Immigration, Values/Ideas: Religion & Spirituality

Tags Sports, Realistic Fiction


Publication year 2016

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Society: Economics, Values/Ideas: Power & Greed, Relationships: Teams, Identity: Language

Tags Business / Economics, Self Help, Leadership/Organization/Management, Psychology, Psychology

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It is a 2016 nonfiction book cowritten by Chris Voss, an international hostage negotiator turned business consultant and professor, and journalist Tahl Raz. In this book, which straddles the line between the business and self-help genres, Voss shares principles gleaned from decades of experience in high-stakes negotiations. Citations in this guide correspond with the first edition published by Harper Collins. Although Raz is credited... Read Never Split the Difference Summary


Publication year 2017

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Relationships: Teams

Tags Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction, Climate Change, Fantasy

New York 2140 is a 2017 dystopian/science fiction novel by Kim Stanley Robinson. Through the viewpoints of multiple characters, global warming and its consequences acts as a backdrop to examining issues of greed, exploitative capitalism, the occasional need for revolution, and the importance of teamwork when organizing against a system. New York 2140 is a cautionary tale about global warming, and an illustration of the author’s fondness for resilient, tough New Yorkers.The novel unfolds in... Read New York 2140 Summary