This year’s selection for the One Book Per Semester Program, The Party’s Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies by Richard Heinberg is a part of the curriculum in the Department of Management and Marketing.
Each semester, a book is picked from nominations turned in by the faculty. The vision of the program is to encourage the students to come together and talk about different topics as they relate to current issues.
This selection is the fifth book in the series. In his book, Heinberg shares his apocalyptic view of the future world without oil.
The book was nominated by Dr. Amy Hietapelto, who is also the associate dean of the department. In her overview of the book, Hietapelto said that the author explains that we have had so much growth for so many years that we are not really paying attention to what is happening with the oil supply. The readily accessible supply is decreasing yet the demand is steadily increasing.
Hietapelto said that if we were to run out of oil, then it could be the end to a certain way of life as we know it, meaning that our lives would change dramatically.
There are signs that the limited oil supply is going to be a problem in the future. “Maybe not in my generation,” said Hietapelto, “but the next one. We’re not out of oil, but we would be ignorant to ignore this.
“There is natural oil in the soil that comes from the environment, but that is much harder to extract. We need to have a plan of action so we won’t have another situation like [Hurricane] Katrina,” Hietapelto continued.
“War is not the answer,” said Hitapelto, but there are signs that oil is going to be a problem in the future. “We need to come up with a plan and look for alternative sources of fuel. Ignoring this issue could be catastrophic, and society needs to be made aware of what is looming ahead so we can deal with it now before it’s too late.”
The selected book for the One Book Per Semester Program is shared between many courses, and the goal is to have students obtain knowledge about present-day situations by discussing the issues and debates that are talked about in these books.
Dr. Hamid Akbari, the chair and associate professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, feels that since NEIU promotes community, that this program helps bring the students together through communication.
The common experience of reading the chosen books generates a sense of community as the students come together in their classes and in what is called “super sessions” to talk about what they got out of each book.
According to Akbari, some of the faculty were a little skeptical, as they felt that the students wouldn’t have time to read the books. Only a few faculty members participated at first, but now about 80 percent participate in the program.
Akbari said that out of 75 courses offered in the department, half of them participate in some way. Super sessions are held where the faculty, students and invited guests discuss the book.
Before a book is chosen, there are certain criteria it should meet. The book should be a best-seller and must deal with business, management, leadership or other related topics.
After the nominations are turned in, they are placed on a listserve where the faculty and students go to place their votes for the book of their choice. The choices are narrowed down to two by selecting the two that received the most votes.
The book that ultimately gets the most votes is then chosen and approved by the department and the chair. The books are then purchased by the dean’s office, and each faculty member receives one. The College of Business and Management is encouraged to use the book, which may become a part of the syllabus.
The next book is Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores The Hidden Side Of Everything by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J.Dubner.