Rosling, a Swedish statistician and academic who died last year, wrote the book with his son and daughter-in-law. The book delves into human tendency to incorrectly guess global trends and lays out several human instincts that cause such a distortion in perspective.

“Although I think everyone should read it,” Bill Gates writes, “it has especially useful insights for anyone who’s making the leap out of college and into the next phase of life.”

Gates concludes by sharing a quote from Rosling … [Read more...] about Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World

Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit priest who for the past 30 years has been running Homeboy Industries in L.A., a social enterprise that has helped thousands and thousands of gang members get job training and, more importantly, love and acceptance. His stories and take on life left me enthralled. Boy, do you want to meet this man and hear him speak!  He writes, “We want to live our lives ‘out loud’—for all the world to see—not with the volume cranked high but with our lives speaking for themselves.  … [Read more...] about Barking to the Choir

What do you want to be when you grow up?  How would you have answered that question when you were a kid?  Lindy West, the brilliant, funny, and insightful author of Shrill, is my new author crush.  She literally changed my view about so many things as I read her book.  She was asked that same question as a kid, but her reminiscence is both hilarious and biting with a big dose of (from my perspective) “wow, I never thought of that before.”  She writes: “Thanks to a glut of cultural messaging, I … [Read more...] about Shrill

When George Washington was a lad of sixteen, he copied down all 110 rules from "The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation." He knew he had a fiery temper, a trait he worked hard to control all his life. Many of the rules he copied were about restraint, patience, and dignity, and according to the authors of Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and In Life, these lessons of Washington’s youth were invaluable during the Revolutionary War and … [Read more...] about Treating People Well

When Lyndon Johnson was trying to pass the Civil Rights Act, he often tried to coerce opponents with stories of his beloved family cook, Zephyr Wright (a woman who had served as cook to Johnson’s family for more than three decades) but that did not protect her from suffering Jim Crow indignities.  Lyndon, Lady Bird and Zephyr drove from Texas to Washington and as they passed through a small town, Lady Bird said, “Lyndon, would you mind stopping at the next gas station?”  They stopped, used the … [Read more...] about Potlikker Papers

The opening description of a 17-year-old girl playing a pickup game of basketball on the streets of NYC in the 90's is electric. Captivating story, thought-provoking themes, incredible writing. I devoured this book and just sent it off with my 22-year-old son on his trip to Florida. Maureen Corrigan at NPR reviews it here. She loved it too! Maureen Corrigan's review of The Falconer … [Read more...] about The Falconer

This was so funny and helpful--no pun intended. Adored this book and am recommending it to everyone. Powers is witty and cheeky and thought-provoking. A gas to read. Rachel Rosenblit of The Post said, "Marianne Power had me at hello. I’d only read a few pages of her blog-turned-memoir, “Help Me!: One Woman’s Quest to Find Out If Self-Help Really Can Change Your Life,” and I was already all in." Me too, Rachel!!!!! … [Read more...] about Help Me!

Oh, wow! Poetic, fascinating, brilliant writing. I gave this book to my son for Christmas, and I think it changed his life. By that, I mean, he's become a reader. He can't stop. (Talk about sparking joy in ME!) What could be a better endorsement than that. But if you still need convincing, read what The New York Times has to say about A Poet Who Loves Tennis Follows the Grand Tour, in Prose. … [Read more...] about The Circuit

I read more non-fiction than fiction, but this book reminded me what I love about great novels-- could be considered historical fiction as well. It takes place in Newport RI, but it's five distinct stories spanning multiple generations. Thematically the book questions what we have in common as human beings even though we are separated by time, gender, race, and sexual orientation. The way Smith captured the essence of each time period and fleshed out these different characters was fantastic. Ron … [Read more...] about The Maze at Windermere