52 Book Challenge

In this episode, I share three stories of courageous women who were forced to choose between embracing their past or  leaving it behind. If you are looking for your next book to be real, raw and powerful, this episode is for you. 

Books: 

Educated by Tara Westover 

Leaving the Witness: Exiting a Religion and Finding a Life by Amber Scorah 

Netflix Mini-series: 

Unorthodox 

Books are powerful at all ages! In this episode, I take a break from our regular book matchmaking to share a few tried and true books I have used in the past to teach kids about kindness. The earlier we can teach these lessons with constant reinforcement, the more kindness becomes a habit. If you have any children in your life: your own, cousins, nieces and nephews, students etc., take a listen to this episode and share these books with them. 

There is so much going wrong in the world. It's hard to feel good when everything is just so bad. But what if I told you it doesn't have to be like that? You can have hope and still not be ignoring the major problems we face. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World-and Why Things Are Better Than We You Think by Hans Rosling tells us it's okay to believe in positive outcomes for the future. Using data, Rosling argues things are not as bad as they seem and we can use this knowledge to actually do better. After the break, I'll give you another book that'll leave you in awe of the technological possibilities for the future. 

You may remember Abigail Adams from your history class as the former first lady who wrote to her husband, "remember the ladies.." as he drafted the Declaration of Independence. But did you know she broke societal norms by drafting her own will? That she advised her husband on political matters? Abigail Adams by Woody Holton is a biography of our often misunderstood first second lady and second first lady. In this episode, I'll talk about this fascinating book and also give a recommendation of an award-winning TV series to watch while you read. 

The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson is a digestible read for anyone wanting to learn more about the human body who doesn't know much about the topic. Bryson excels at keeping the information engaging, concise, and even humorous. After talking about this book, I'll give another book with a crazy title written by an author whose last name is perfect for his job. By the time you finish both, you'll be in awe of the complex mechanics of the human body and alarmed by the many gaps in our healthcare system.

In this episode, I discuss a biography from 2007, Obama: From Progress to Power by David Mendell, a Chicago Tribune reporter. Mendell covered Obama early-on in his political career. This book helps us understand how Obama went from a brainy political neophyte to a world-wide influential leader.  After, I share a podcast series that pairs with the book. By the time you finish both, you'll know nearly everything to know about pre-presidential Obama. 

You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe is a book about our first president. Throughout American history we've typically heard Washington's story told from a man's perspective. Coe, a former research curator at the New York Public Library and yes, a woman, tells us the biography of Washington with a different view. After discussing the biography, I'll give a podcast recommendation to go along with it! 

Libraries play such a central, yet often unappreciated role in our lives. In this episode, I'll be talking about The Library Book by Susan Orlean and then giving an exceptional movie to watch after you read it. 

There are plenty of book reviews out there, but have you ever wanted more? In this book review, I'll talk about one of the best books of 2018, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters by Priya Parker. But I won't stop there, if you're interested in The Art of Gathering, I'll give you another book that has one of my favorite titles of all time and that'll put your gathering skills to the test.