The New Cool (book)
Encyclopedia
The New Cool: A Visionary Teacher, His FIRST Robotics Team, and the Ultimate Battle of Smarts is a 2011 non-fiction
narrative
book by American writer Neal Bascomb
. It follows four FIRST Robotics Competition
(FRC) teams through the course of the 2009 season
. Its main subject, however, is team 1717
and the exploits of its students and its head mentor Amir Abo-Shaeer
; the other teams followed were teams 217, 395, and 67, from Sterling Heights, Michigan
, New York City
, and Milford, Michigan
respectively.
set at the 2009 FIRST Championship in Atlanta and describes the exciting environment there. It then switches back to the kickoff event in January 2009 and describes Dean Kamen
and how he founded FIRST. Afterwards, it details the history of team 1717 and the program that it is a part of, the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy
. Then the book describes how the 2009 team winds its way through a 6 week build season, enduring many struggles from mechanical failures to a bout of sickness. A chapter is dedicated to team 217, the Thunderchickens, who attempt to construct a robot with military style precision, and to team 395, 2TrainRobotics, whose students must deal with issues related to being in the poor inner city, as well as to team 67, Heroes of Tomorrow. After the build season, team 1717 competes in two regional competitions, Los Angeles and Sacramento
. The team loses in the finals at Los Angeles, and wins in Sacramento after going undefeated. 1717 then competes in the FIRST Championship, where it loses to a heavily favored team in the division finals.
for the book gave the book five stars, and three reviews gave it four stars.
wrote in the Wall Street Journal that The New Cool "is effective in capturing the students' loyalty, dedication and ingenuity." Popular book blog Bookin' with Bingo called The New Cool "an important book for everyone but especially those who are interested in our educational goals for today and the future." FIRST has promoted the book at the FRC kickoff and its regional competitions. James Floyd Kelly of Wired
stated that "any students or adults considering jumping into FRC for the first time should read this book."
at the FIRST Championship, a screenplay based on the book is being written. The rights to the book have been optioned to Scott Rudin
through the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
book by American writer Neal Bascomb
Neal Bascomb
Neal Bascomb is an American journalist and author. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Miami University with a B.A. in Economics and English Literature . After graduation, he worked as a journalist in London, Paris, and Dublin. He was an editor for St. Martin's Press, and in 2000, he began writing...
. It follows four FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
(FRC) teams through the course of the 2009 season
Lunacy (FIRST)
Lunacy is the game for the 2009 FIRST Robotics Competition.Announced on January 3, 2009, the name and some of the features of the game honor the 40th anniversary of the first manned mission to the Moon . It is FRC's 18th game. This is the first FRC competition to use the cRIO Mobile...
. Its main subject, however, is team 1717
D'Penguineers
Team 1717, the D’Penguineers, is a FIRST Robotics team associated with the Dos Pueblos High School Engineering Academy in Goleta, CA. The D’Penguineers have won multiple awards at the regional and international levels of the FIRST Robotics Competition, and participate regularly in outreach...
and the exploits of its students and its head mentor Amir Abo-Shaeer
Amir Abo-Shaeer
Amir Abo-Shaeer is an educator. In 2001, during his first year of teaching, he established the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy on the Dos Pueblos High School campus. In addition to being the Director of the DPEA, he teaches physics, engineering, robotics, machining and manufacturing...
; the other teams followed were teams 217, 395, and 67, from Sterling Heights, Michigan
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Sterling Heights is a city in Macomb County of the U.S. state of Michigan, and one of Detroit's core suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 129,699...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Milford, Michigan
Milford, Michigan
Milford is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,175 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Milford Township.- Geography :...
respectively.
Summary
The book begins with a prologuePrologue
A prologue is an opening to a story that establishes the setting and gives background details, often some earlier story that ties into the main one, and other miscellaneous information. The Greek prologos included the modern meaning of prologue, but was of wider significance...
set at the 2009 FIRST Championship in Atlanta and describes the exciting environment there. It then switches back to the kickoff event in January 2009 and describes Dean Kamen
Dean Kamen
Dean L. Kamen is an American entrepreneur and inventor from New Hampshire.Born in Rockville Centre, New York, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but dropped out before graduating after five years of private advanced research for drug infusion pump AutoSyringe...
and how he founded FIRST. Afterwards, it details the history of team 1717 and the program that it is a part of, the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy
Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy
The Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy is a four-year program at Dos Pueblos High School that provides generally exceptional students with experimental science education. The coursework is designed to provide the academic foundation necessary to support the students' participation as Team 1717 in the...
. Then the book describes how the 2009 team winds its way through a 6 week build season, enduring many struggles from mechanical failures to a bout of sickness. A chapter is dedicated to team 217, the Thunderchickens, who attempt to construct a robot with military style precision, and to team 395, 2TrainRobotics, whose students must deal with issues related to being in the poor inner city, as well as to team 67, Heroes of Tomorrow. After the build season, team 1717 competes in two regional competitions, Los Angeles and Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. The team loses in the finals at Los Angeles, and wins in Sacramento after going undefeated. 1717 then competes in the FIRST Championship, where it loses to a heavily favored team in the division finals.
Reviews
Responses to the book have been generally positive. As of July 24, 2011, 13 of 16 reviews on AmazonAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
for the book gave the book five stars, and three reviews gave it four stars.
Praise
Science historian Robert P. CreaseRobert P. Crease
Robert P. Crease is a philosopher and historian of science. He writes a monthly column, "Critical Point ", for the international physics magazine Physics World....
wrote in the Wall Street Journal that The New Cool "is effective in capturing the students' loyalty, dedication and ingenuity." Popular book blog Bookin' with Bingo called The New Cool "an important book for everyone but especially those who are interested in our educational goals for today and the future." FIRST has promoted the book at the FRC kickoff and its regional competitions. James Floyd Kelly of Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
stated that "any students or adults considering jumping into FRC for the first time should read this book."
Criticism
Kate Vander Wiede of the Christian Science Monitor panned the book, stating that "the book fails to resonate" and "doesn't do...justice" to FIRST or Team 1717.Film adaptation
According to Dean KamenDean Kamen
Dean L. Kamen is an American entrepreneur and inventor from New Hampshire.Born in Rockville Centre, New York, he attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but dropped out before graduating after five years of private advanced research for drug infusion pump AutoSyringe...
at the FIRST Championship, a screenplay based on the book is being written. The rights to the book have been optioned to Scott Rudin
Scott Rudin
Scott Rudin is an American film producer and a theatrical producer.-Early life and work:Scott Rudin was born in New York City, NY, on July 14, 1958, and raised in the town of Baldwin on Long Island. At the age of sixteen, he started working as an assistant to theatre producer Kermit Bloomgarden...
through the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.