As I wander through bookstores and online communities, I pick up quite a few books for learning and enjoyment. After a great year of reading and reflecting on my learning, I'm happy to share out my reading prescription list for 2017.
Creativity and Thinking:
What We See When We Read by Peter Mendelsund - How do we visual what we're reading and fill in the gaps in the text? Understand more about your own reading and also learn how you can help students become better readers.
Originals by Adam Grant celebrates our unique talents and skills which allow us to go against the status quo and have success in our work and personal lives.
The Autistic Brain: Helping Different Kinds of Minds Succeed by Temple Grandin. Temple shares her unique and personal perspective on autism and provides us with great strategies for connecting with autistic students.
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery. What's not to love about an octopus? This personal account by Sy Montgomery allows us to peek into the lives of these intelligence creatures and learn more about how they connect with each other and with humans.
Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor by Lynda Barry. Any teacher who struggles with creating the required course syllabus will love this interactive approach to teaching writing and creativity.
So Many Ideas:
What Do You Do With an Idea and What Do You Do With a Problem by Kobi Yamada. When you're facing a big problem or you have a big idea, these books will inspire you to keep going. Suitable for young children as well as adults who are young at heart.
Innovating for People Handbook of Human-Centered Design Methods by the LUMA Institute. The LUMA Institute provides a wealth of activities to use during the design thinking process. Keep this book handy!
Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques by Michael Michalko. Think like a genius and unlock your creativity with these techniques. Use the Thinkpak to jumpstart your thinking when you're feeling stuck.
Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. Use this book as a guide to run your own five-day design sprint to solve tough challenges for your organization.
Being Our Best:
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg. Take a deep dive into the research about how habits are formed and learn strategies to bring winning habits into your life.
Healing Spaces: The Science of Space and Well Being by Esther Sternberg. Our senses, emotions, and immune system all work together and can bring us a sense of well being or feelings of disaster and anxiety. Find a great place to read this book and reduce the stress in your life.
Unsubscribe by Jocelyn Glei. Unsubscribe, disconnect, and get yourself loose from those pesky e-mails and messages that take up so much of your time. Tame the beast and bring sanity back into your life.
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brené Brown. Brené's exploration of the research behind shame led her to some surprising discoveries about our need for connection and community. By becoming shame resilient and opening ourselves up to vulnerability, we also open up the door to wholehearted living. Watch her TED Talk to be inspired!
Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington. Through her own experience of being over-worked and stressed, Arrianna Huffington shares strategies that helped her to unplug and feel more connected at home and work.
The Human Condition:
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. You'll grow to love this cranky neighbor! Ove inspires readers to look beyond the exterior and see the person inside.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce. Walk out of the door with Harold Fry and you'll go on your own journey of self-reflection and discovery.
Off the Road: A Modern Day Pilgrim's Walk Down the Pilgrim's Route into Spain by Jack Hitt will inspire you to take your own pilgrimage and do it your way.
There Is No Good Card for This: What to Say and Do When Life is Scary, Awful, and Unfair to People You Love by Kelsey Crowe, Ph.D. and Emily McDowell. The authors explore empathy and how we can connect with others who are encountering challenges in their lives.
