All of us have watched Lesley interview famous people on "60 Minutes." She's good at that. But wait till you hear her take on being a grandmother. Like other moms, she felt guilty over not being there as much as she would have liked for her own daughter. But Lesley is all in on the grandmother track. She even shares scientific information about the powerful impact grand parenting has on both the grandchildren and grandparents themselves. … [Read more...] about Becoming Grandma
Kirk is over a hundred and he and Anne have been married for over 60 years! How did they make a Hollywood marriage work that long? There's lots to learn about not just marriage but any relationship from Kirk and Anne. A delightful read with beautiful, moving, and heartfelt letters from both of them. … [Read more...] about Kirk and Anne
Catriona discovered running in her 30's and found joy in the movement itself. She ran her first half marathon after training on a treadmill only. Although she participates in marathons, she is less interested in the competitive nature of running and more in how running makes her feel, including how much more connected she feels to her surroundings as she experiences them as a runner. There are some great parallels between running and life. It's also an enlightening history of the sport from … [Read more...] about The Long Run
We don’t really like to talk about--DEATH. Even the word itself can suddenly cloud a conversation or cause someone to squirm. What makes death so difficult to talk about? That’s the subject of Warraich’s elucidating and provocative new book, Modern Death. Warraich writes, “The very nature of death, the mystery that surrounds it, breeds uncertainty. Uncertainty breeds fear, and contrary to general perception, never has death been as feared as it is today.” Warraich is at once doctor, scientist, … [Read more...] about Modern Death
Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve by Ben Blatt What makes a book great? Are the prize-winning authors really better writers? And what makes them better? In Ben Blatt’s book Nabokov’s Favorite Word is Mauve, he sets out to answer these questions by applying a mathematical and statistical formula for examining the classics, bestsellers, and our own writing. He analyzed thousands of texts by loading them into databases and then letting his hard drive churn through them, seeking to determine if our … [Read more...] about Nabokov’s Favorite Word Is Mauve
Goodwin will capture your heart and mind with her poignant and fascinating exploration of these four remarkable leaders: Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson. It’s captivating to see how the influences of their formative years played out as they grew into adults and politicians. Most striking, however, is at the core, each had a voracious appetite for learning, a willingness to change and grow, tremendous empathy for others, and a desire to truly make the world a … [Read more...] about Leadership In Turbulent Times
When Mary Byron first arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa, she was only 29 and newly married to a U.S. special agent whose job it was to protect the entire American community in the Western Cape Province during South Africa’s transition to democracy under Mandela. What had this midwestern girl signed up for? Madly in love and eager to join her husband Patrick on his mission, this independent career girl would suddenly find herself thrust into uncharted territory as she learned to navigate a … [Read more...] about No Ordinary Life
Why do women drink so much these days and feel the need to hide it? It’s a really important question, and Glaser’s book offers an eye-opening exploration of the history of women and drinking (especially wine consumption), the lack of research even done on women and drinking, and the limited options women have when they feel they have a problem. She also provides research and examples of successful alternatives to AA. A very useful and enlightening book. … [Read more...] about Her Best-Kept Secret
Do you remember reading an essay in the New York Times a couple of years ago entitled: “You May Want to Marry My Husband”? It was an incredible tribute written by Amy Rosenthal to her husband before she died at the age of 51 from ovarian cancer. I know, I know, but she’s such a great writer and she lived life so joyfully that it’s worth revisiting. So I was delighted when I finally got around to reading her book Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life and found myself chuckling, laughing out loud, … [Read more...] about Encyclopedia of An Ordinary Life