In 1847, Lucy Stone was the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree.

When she arrived at Oberlin College, she had to petition the university to take their public speaking courses. Women were excluded from taking oratory classes.

She graduated in the top ten percent of her class and was chosen to write the commencement address, the highest honor for any Oberlin student.

The kicker? After she wrote it she found out that she would have to choose a MAN to read HER … [Read more...] about Leaving Coy’s Hill

I had never thought about the harrowing experiences of the female nurses serving in Vietnam had endured.  Frances, (Frankie) McGrath is the protagonist who wants to do her part to serve her country, not only to honor her brother who has been killed in Vietnam, but to try to earn her chauvinist father’s respect.  The hospital scenes are horrific; the friendships she forms with the doctors and nurses are incredible—sometimes disappointing; and the depiction of the Vietnamese civilians is … [Read more...] about The Women

The Little Book of Talent is an easy-to-use handbook of scientifically proven, field-tested methods to improve skills—your skills, your kids’ skills, your organization’s skills—in sports, music, art, math, and business. The product of five years of reporting from the world’s greatest talent hotbeds and interviews with successful master coaches, it distills the daunting complexity of skill development into 52 clear, concise directives. Whether you’re age 10 or 100, whether you’re on the sports … [Read more...] about The Little Book of Talent

Whether your goal is to make it to the Moth stage, deliver the perfect wedding toast, wow clients at a business dinner, give a moving eulogy, ace a job interview, be a hit at parties, change the world, or simply connect more deeply to those around you, stories are essential. Sharing secrets of The Moth’s time-honed process and using examples from beloved storytellers, a team of Moth directors will show you how to

• mine your memories for your best stories
• explore structures that will boost … [Read more...] about How to Tell a Story

Loved this book!
Lynn Slater had the most incredible adventure of her life. During her 6th decade, a professor of social work, a grandmother with gray hair and wrinkles, became a fashion star. Somehow an ordinary woman found herself living an extraordinary older life as her alter ego, known as Accidental Icon. She says, “Ironically, during the years when society assumed I would become invisible as an older woman, I was more visible than at any other time of my life. Infinitely more visible than … [Read more...] about How To Be Old

Loved this review from the NYTimes by Judith Newman
"It’s a little misleading to call TREATING PEOPLE WELL: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life a self-help book. It’s really a charming memoir about being a social secretary in the White House, by Lea Berman, who worked for the George W. Bush administration, and Jeremy Bernard, who worked for the Obamas. The book is divided into 12 lessons that describe the different facets of gracious behavior: self-confidence, humorand charm … [Read more...] about Treating People Well

Author Laurie Frankel’s characters often break all the molds and see all the angles. That’s how one reviewer puts it, and that sums it up perfectly. Family Family explores all the dynamics of a modern family, and along the way reminds you of the complexities, nuances, challenges, joys, and hardships of what it means to be a person in the world and what it means when we say family.

The first question that comes to mind when you pick this book up is what does the title mean. Buckle up and enjoy … [Read more...] about Family Family

In 1847, Lucy Stone was the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree.

When she arrived at Oberlin College, she had to petition the university to take their public speaking courses. Women were excluded from taking oratory classes.

She graduated in the top ten percent of her class and was chosen to write the commencement address, the highest honor for any Oberlin student.

The kicker? After she wrote it she found out that she would have to choose a MAN to read HER … [Read more...] about Leaving Coy’s Hill

I had never thought about the harrowing experiences of the female nurses serving in Vietnam had endured.  Frances, (Frankie) McGrath is the protagonist who wants to do her part to serve her country, not only to honor her brother who has been killed in Vietnam, but to try to earn her chauvinist father’s respect.  The hospital scenes are horrific; the friendships she forms with the doctors and nurses are incredible—sometimes disappointing; and the depiction of the Vietnamese civilians is … [Read more...] about The Women