Hi folks,
As I noted in the November newsletter, we here at TOA HQ are buried under a major backlog of reading reviews. Since some of you loyal readers seem to take my book log fairly seriously, I thought I would chime in with some quick notes on recent reading and highlight an important thought or two about each work.
Rising Strong by Brene Brown (February 2019)
Brown is probably known by most as a shame and vulnerability researcher but this book is more focused on their aftermath, resilience. It’s a natural sequel to Daring Greatly and I recommend maintaining the sequence in your reading. The definition of creativity as ‘connecting the unconnected’ has stayed with me all year. If good rules are made by exceptions, then let's say my rule to never make assumptions is bolstered by Brown’s note to assume everyone is always doing their best.
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama (February 2019)
Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama (April 2019)
There’s no need to automatically lump books together by author but I think it works well with Obama. His writing is excellent throughout these works and I feel his unique combination of experience and perspective make it unlikely for a reader to stop after reading just one of the two books. The Audacity of Hope is essentially an outline of his political philosophy while Dreams from My Father is an identity-seeking memoir. One thing missing for me in these works was a new idea to carry with me. However, I found much that I agreed with and plenty else to think about (especially regarding the ongoing role he saw for religion in building the country).
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch (June 2019)
This book is a strong example of the common phenomenon of self-help books having terrible covers (although I think in the pure 'terrible cover competition', Plain Talk has it clinched). However, it’s the inside that counts and this book inspired me to change my eating habits. Intuitive Eating is highly recommended for those skeptical of dieting but unwilling to act until they hear a coherent argument.
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (July 2019)
Baldwin should be a required part of high school reading (like honestly, what’s a seventeen year old going to do with Hamlet?). The challenge may be that much of his work is unlikely to be everyone’s cup of tea. This one could be the compromise – a short enough novel that the lazy students could skip by watching the movie. The next person to express disappointment to me regarding this book will be the first.
