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

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

What can food tell us about the history of the South and the rise of southern cuisine? In John T. Edge’s book The Potlikker Papers, he writes that “During the antebellum era, slaveholders ate the greens from the pot, setting aside the potlikker for enslaved cooks and their families, unaware that the broth, not the greens, was nutrient rich.”

Using food as the centerpiece, Edge describes how stories about food illumine history. “On the long march to equality, struggles over food reflected and … [Read more...] about The Potlikker Papers

I read Shred Sisters by Betsy Lerner in two days. I couldn’t put it down. Great writing is such a treat, and when you get a book like this in your hands, you know the author is on a different level.

I bought Shred Sisters after reading about it in the NY Times because I was so interested in why the author wrote it. Lerner is in her 60s and has had an impressive career in publishing. She loves non-fiction and wrote a memoir a number of years ago.

It wasn’t until a lockdown during the … [Read more...] about Shred Sisters

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