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

This is an enthralling narrative that profiles five historical figures: polar explorer Ernest Shackleton, President Abraham Lincoln, legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass, Nazi-resisting clergyman Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and environmental crusader Rachel Carson. Each faced a significant, at times, life-threatening crisis.  Koehn shares their compelling/inspiring stories and the powerful lessons to be gleaned from their examples of leadership, courage, and perseverance.  Most interestingly, … [Read more...] about Forged In Crisis

Naomi Alderman, author of The Power, is Margaret Atwood's protege.  Alderman's new book
is the winner of the 2017 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.  The television rights to the book have already been snapped up.  In talking about  the relevancy of sci-fi/dystopian books, especially ones that deal with the roles of women, I like what Margaret Atwood (author of The Handmaid's Tale) says about this genre: "I'm not a prophet. Let's get rid of that idea right now. Prophecies are really about now. … [Read more...] about The Power

Wonderful historical fiction set in 18th C. NY thirty years before the Revolution. Francis Spufford is a fantastic storyteller—his characters and plot are entertaining and compelling to the extent that I couldn’t put the book down. Spufford’s writing is smart, well-crafted, and unique. It was such a pleasure to read his prose—absolutely loved it. I was completely engrossed by the story and the main character’s adventures with all kinds of surprising plot developments, wonderful characters, and a … [Read more...] about Golden Hill: A Novel of Old New York

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

Excellent writing, unusual story, quite well done!  Everyone in book land is lauding this book. … [Read more...] about Asymmetry

Fascinating book about the current and potential impact of computers and robots on our world.  For sure to spawn much discussion. … [Read more...] about 21 Lessons for the 21st Century