Table 5 Representative quotes from the focus groups regarding student thoughts on the use of popular books in the course, and their thoughts on each of the chosen books

“Normally, when I get a textbook it’s like I still haven’t broken the seal, but I actually read it [Why We Get Sick] and I found it interesting. I was like ‘whoa Dad!’ [sounds of the group agreeing and laughing] I told all my friends and they were like ‘That’s so cool!’”

“Like I told my dad to read it. I thought Why We Get Sick was good. I didn’t really read that much of Homicide, enough for the presentation.”

“I think the Why We Get Sick book really did it. It relates to the present, not just facts about evolution in the past or like the history, it’s in our society today.”

“Homicide is interesting to learn about but all the statistics in the book, the majority of the chapter is statistics and I want to skip through it but then I feel that later they are going to relate to but it’s so boring I can’t actually sit down and read it. I have to walk away from the book, come back, walk away, come back, it’s just annoying.”

“How many of us can relate to homicide, it’s more observational then participatory.”