Last month, I heard a young woman say, “You cannot become what you cannot see.”
I thought of the well-known fairytale Cinderella after recently reading Rebecca Solnit’s updated take on the old classic. Solnit is a brilliant writer, philosopher, feminist and author of a number of books, including Men Explain Things to Me.
She wanted her niece to grow up with the charm and transformation of the Cinderella story while working out a more palatable exit for Cinderella’s plight than the one we all … [Read more...] about Cinderella Liberator
THIS TENDER LAND is part Coming of Age, Huck Finn, Grapes of Wrath and Wizard of Oz. The narrative starts at the Lincoln (Minnesota) Training School in 1932—The Great Depression. WAIT! Before your mind goes ballistic with “Who wants to read something juvenile and depressing?” I assure you this book is not that! Yes, you’ll be sad about some of it, but you’ll be more fascinated and inspired by most of it. Even though the narrative begins in the Indian orphanage with some of the themes we’re … [Read more...] about This Tender Land
Richard Powers’ THE OVERSTORY is a tour de force. It’s also a Pulitzer prize-winner which is being made into a movie. When I say a tour de force, I’m not kidding—it’s 502 pages long and it has a complex structure—but don’t be put off by that. And don’t be put off by the fact that the characters are introduced in vignettes that might make you think you’ve come upon an anthology of short stories. By the end of the book, you’ll know each of these characters intimately and you’ll be glad you do. … [Read more...] about The Overstory
Gobbled this book down in two days. Gave me such insight into other people. She's a remarkable writer who with wit and wisdom captures her journey from lonely, bulimic twenty-six year old (also at the top of her law school class) to confident adult, wife and mother. Relatable, insightful, and funny. … [Read more...] about Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life
I've always been a fan of this man. Watching his heroic battle with Parkinson's disease over the years, I knew I wanted to read his book.
From the jacket cover: Michael shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, again, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. Thoughtful and moving, but with Fox's trademark sense of humor, his book provides a vehicle for reflection about our lives, our loves, and our … [Read more...] about No Time Like The Future
All In: An Autobiography
Billie Jean King, No. 1 tennis player in the world and tireless advocate for women’s equality, would earn 39 Grandslam tennis titles, triumph over Bobby Riggs at the Battle of the Sexes, be voted one of the 25 most influential people of 1981, earn the medal of freedom from Obama at the White House in 2009, and champion inclusivity for all.
Even so, there was one battle that was harder to win and would almost destroy her in the process. If she could win it though, it would give her the … [Read more...] about All In: An Autobiography
Think Again
When you hear the term “impostor syndrome,” you probably think of a negative feeling of self-doubt—that you’re not really as intelligent, creative, or charming as people think you are. In his new book, popular psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant shares surprising new research that feeling like an impostor can actually motivate you to work harder and smarter in order to reach your goals.
What about searching for happiness? According to Grant, new evidence suggests the more people … [Read more...] about Think Again
Marcus Aurelius: Meditations
Two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius, Stoic philosopher and Emperor of Rome, would start keeping a journal—notes to himself about learning how to live. In one entry he writes, “Whenever something happens that might cause you distress, remember to rely on this principle: this is not bad luck, but bearing it valiantly is good luck.”
His timeless meditations on how to be a better person, newly translated and annotated in Robin Waterfield’s book, capture the universality of meeting life’s … [Read more...] about Marcus Aurelius: Meditations
Figuring
Emily Dickinson’s (1830-1886) spare poems, with their dashes, singular punctuation, capitalization, and original ideas—were “trailblazers” for their time. She would confide to a friend: “There is always one thing to be grateful for—that one is one’s self & not somebody else.” Yet her poems were deemed too unconventional by the publishing community of the mid 1800’s, not to mention that she was a woman!
Even Emily’s devoted friend and confidante Thomas Higginson, with whom she … [Read more...] about Figuring