NSU IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE ITS COMMON READ FOR 2023!
How to Take Over the World by Ryan North
Taking over the world is a lot of work. Any supervillain is bound to have questions: What's the perfect location for a floating secret base? What zany heist will fund my immoral plans? How do I control the weather, destroy the internet, and never, ever die?
In How to Take Over the World, bestselling author and award-winning comics writer Ryan North details a number of outlandish villainous schemes, drawing on known science and real-world technologies. His real-life explanations of these fantastic schemes are as fun and informative as they are completely absurd.
As he instructs readers on how to take over the world, North also reveals how we can save it. This sly guide to some of the greatest challenges and existential threats facing humanity accessibly explores ways to mitigate climate change, improve human life spans, prevent cyberterrorism, and finally make Jurassic Park a reality. Illustrations by Carly Monardo elevate the text throughout.
"Knowledge, [North] proposes, is the greatest superpower of all. An exuberant handbook for making the world better." - Kirkus
About the Author
​Ryan North is a writer of both comics and prose. His recent work includes the non-fiction books How To Take Over The World and How To Invent Everything, the semi-fictional graphic novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five, and the so-far-fictional Fantastic Four and Unbeatable Squirrel Girl series for Marvel Comics. He's a multiple New York Times bestseller whose work has been translated into 16 different languages so far, and as a linguist, he's very happy about that. He lives in Toronto, where he once messed up walking his dog so badly it made the news. Learn More about Ryan!A common read helps to create connections among students, faculty, and staff. Having a common topic of discussion can frequently start conversations, expand viewpoints on complex issues, or introduce new ideas. Students learn and universities thrive through discussion, research, and critical thinking.
NSU started its Common Read experience in 2016 to promote a shared experience in learning and literacy for the NSU community and its stakeholders. All first year freshmen participate in Common Read activities and assignments during UNIV 1003 University Strategies, and all interested faculty are encouraged to incorporate the text into their curriculum as appropriate.
The Common Read committee, which includes faculty, librarians, staff, and students, identifies potential books for the next year.
These books are read by committee members and others, and the list is narrowed to three to four finalists. Selection criteria include appeal and relevance to students; cross-disciplinary content; accessibility, reading level, and length, as well as reviews and supplemental materials. The finalist list is shared with the entire campus who can vote and provide feedback through a survey. The final selection is made in December. During the spring semester, the committee works to identify course and campus activities that support the use of the Common Read in the curriculum.