The Road Less Traveled » Books

Back To School

wolfdreamer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:08:53 +0000

WARNING: I’m trying to get myself back into the educational spirit, so this post will be a bit scholarly. I also just finished reading Andy Andrews’ The Traveler’s Gift, so I’m feeling a bit inspired.

It will soon be time for some changes. And I am excited. I have a job interview at South Charleston Middle School tomorrow, which (if I get the job) will put me about ten minutes closer to home and inside one of the county’s most historical school buildings. South Charleston is a growing community that lies somewhere between big city and small town. I’ve heard some of the same complaints about SCMS as I did about Stonewall Jackson Middle: poor discipline, apathetic students, etc. If any of that is true, guess what? It doesn’t hurt my interest in the school; it improves it. I see situations like that as challenges, opportunities to grow as a teacher and, most of all, to help my students grow.

I stopped by WVSU today to pick up my textbooks for my two classes. As proof that I have grown up, I could not contain my enthusiasm and pulled the plastic off of the books while sitting in my car, grinning as I flipped through the pages. I remember just a little less than ten years ago, I hated school. I loved to read, but usually snubbed my nose at college textbooks (unless they were literature anthologies). Now, I am practically drooling at the opportunity to dive into a Geography text, especially one like this that has plenty of online resources and tons of useful information.

Unlike the army of students who brave the almost endless line to sell back their textbooks, I have always thought of the best college texts as those you could keep and use again. The bookshelf next to my teachers’ desk is filled with grammar texts, anthologies, writing manuals, and other variations. And, yes, I use them for my own resources and even in my lesson plans.

Which brings me to the second text I bought: Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Social Issues. The Taking Sides collection is a group of books that present a list of topics and then show works of writing and/or speeches from different people that discuss that topic. The greatest thing about it is that it is written in debate-style and presents two works of writing with each issue: one “for” and one “against”. The benefits of a textbook like this in the hands of a teacher are limitless. I’ve been looking for a great way to liven up persuasive writing. Looking at two different sides of an issue makes students feel a lot like Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, weighing the pros and cons of both sides. Now that’s critical thinking at its best.

One of my writing/teaching mentors Gretchen Bernabei says in her book Reviving the Essay, “Many students seem to consider the act of changing their minds equivalent to an act of weakness, or concession, or defeat. This way of viewing thinking is not only immature, it’s also dangerous in a democracy where reasonable, informed voters make decisions for the nation” (12). This kind of book in the hands of a teacher could help students make informed decisions (even if it means changing their minds) as opposed to holding fast to conclusions that are based only on personal prejudices.

So, regardless of where I teach this year, it will definitely be a year of change, both with my attitude, my teaching, and my circumstances. The great thing is that all of these are things I can control.

I’ll close out with a few lines from Andy Andrews’ excellent novel about a down-on-his luck businessman who travels through time and meets important historic figures who all give him advice for personal success, The Traveler’s Gift: “Circumstances do not push or pull. They are daily lessons to be studied and gleaned for new knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom that is applied will bring about a brighter tomorrow (155).”

Well said, Mr. Andrews.

Until later — “There’s no turning back now that you opened up to your mind.”

Yours truly bragging about Gretchen’s book, Reviving the Essay:

News to Me…

wolfdreamer — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:20:53 +0000

Everyone who knows me or reads my blog knows how much I love books and movies. When the two are combined, hey that’s just great. I just read on IMDB that a move based on the novel The Time Traveler’s Wife is coming out some time this year. It stars Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams. I don’t want to give away too many details, but here is a basic plot summary for the novel from books.google.com:

“A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare’s passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger’s cinematic storytelling that makes the novel’s unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant. An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler’s Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.”

I’m really excited about this. If it is done right, this could be an Oscar contender. It is directed by Robert Schwentke, same guy who directed Flightplan. It will be interesting to see how he handles the scenes in which Henry passes through time. Parts of the book are also a little controversial and I’m curious to know if any of that will be included in the film.

Since we’re on the topic of movies, I have been obsessively browsing the web site Flixster, which is kind of like Facebook for movie-lovers. It’s funner that I thought it would be, reviewing movies, completing movie quizzes, and listing my favorite movies and actors/actresses.

I highly recommend this site to all movie lovers. It’s easy to navigate and has a lot of excellent features, including a movie theater with 100+ movies you can watch with limited commercial interruptions.

Here is a list of 140 of my favorite actors/actresses (not really in any order). Hopefully this works:

Cary Grant
Johnny Depp
George Cloo…
Ewan McGreg…
Katharine H…
Audrey Hepb…
Ingrid Berg…
James Cagne…
Humphrey Bo…
Gene Kelly
Spencer Tra…
Kevin Space…
Dustin Hoff…
Claude Rain…
Gregory Pec…
Marlon Bran…
Jack Nichol…
Cate Blanch…
Meryl Stree…
Heath Ledge…
Gary Cooper
Leonardo Di…
Robert Duva…
Tom Hanks
Robert De N…
Al Pacino
Hugh Jackma…
Russell Cro…
Bill Murray
Christian B…
Paul Newman
Ralph Fienn…
Morgan Free…
Liam Neeson
Ben Kingsle…
Joe Pesci
Albert Finn…
Daniel Day-…
Jude Law
Sean Penn
Gerard Butl…
Scarlett Jo…
Geoffrey Ru…
Samuel L. J…
Glenn Close
Kate Winsle…
Emma Thomps…
Harvey Keit…
Philip Seym…
Michael Mad…
Christina R…
Bruce Willi…
Robin Willi…
Tim Curry
Peter Kraus…
Tim Robbins
Sean Conner…
Denzel Wash…
Will Smith
Ashley Judd
Lauren Ambr…
John Travol…
Djimon Houn…
Nicolas Cag…
Tommy Lee J…
Joseph Fien…
Ron Perlman
Jonny Lee M…
Robert Carl…
Adam Sandle…
Harrison Fo…
Ian McKelle…
Brad Pitt
Edward Nort…
Bill Nighy
Owen Wilson
Adrien Brod…
Clive Owen
Carol Burne…
Richard Har…
Richard Dre…
Gwyneth Pal…
Michael Cai…
Gene Hackma…
Clint Eastw…
John Cusack
Christopher…
Jack Black
Val Kilmer
Drew Barrym…
Jeff Bridge…
Grace Kelly
Orson Welle…
James Stewa…
Patrick Ste…
Kate Hudson
Adam Brody
James Caan
Will Ferrel…
Kathy Bates
Wes Bentley
Benicio Del…
Josh Brolin
Ray Liotta
James Earl …
Julie Andre…
Winona Ryde…
Richard Ger…
Laurence Fi…
Kirk Dougla…
Charlton He…
Rex Harriso…
Lee Marvin
Ryan Goslin…
Joaquin Pho…
Helen Mirre…
Helen Hunt
Holly Hunte…
Javier Bard…
Matt Damon
Abigail Bre…
Steve Carel…
Alan Arkin
Judy Garlan…
Renée Zellw…
Ryan Philli…
Adrian Gren…
Jeremy Pive…
Stanley Tuc…
Michelle Pf…
Chow Yun Fa…
Kevin Conno…
Ziyi Zhang
David Carra…
Steve Busch…
John Goodma…
Sam Elliott
Judi Dench
Vince Vaugh…
Eric Bana
.

Make Your Actor Wall

Flixster

Are You a Connector?

wolfdreamer — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:01:32 +0000

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell writes about “Connectors,” people who are responsible for spreading “social epidemics” to others. He has a test in the book that lists 250 surnames taken at random from the Manhattan phone book. The task is to go down the list and give yourself a point every time you see a surname that is shared by someone you know. Here is the list:

Algazi, Alvarez, Alpern, Ametrano, Andrews, Aran, Arnstein, Ashford, Bailey Ballout, Bamberger, Baptista, Barr, Barrows, Baskerville, Bassiri, Bell, Bokgese, Brandao, Bravo, Brooke, Brightman, Billy, Blau, Bohen, Bohn, Borsuk, Brendle, Butler, Calle, Cantwell, Carrell, Chinlund, Cirker, Cohen, Collas, Couch, Callegher, Calcaterra, Cook, Carey, Cassell, Chen, Chung, Clarke, Cohn, Carton, Crowley, Curbelo, Dellamanna, Diaz, Dirar, Duncan, Dagostino, Delakas, Dillon, Donaghey, Daly, Dawson, Edery, Ellis, Elliott, Eastman, Easton, Famous, Fermin, Fialco, Finklestein, Farber, Falkin, Feinman, Friedman, Gardner, Gelpi, Glascock, Grandfield, Greenbaum Greenwood, Gruber, Garil, Goff, Gladwell, Greenup, Gannon, Ganshaw, Garcia, Gennis, Gerard, Gericke, Gilbert, Glassman, Glazer, Gomendio, Gonzalez, Greenstein, Guglielmo, Gurman, Haberkorn, Hoskins, Hussein, Hamm, Hardwick, Harrell, Hauptman, Hawkins, Henderson, Hayman, Hibara, Hehmann, Herbst, Hedges, Hogan, Hoffman, Horowitz, Hsu, Huber, Ikiz, Jaroschy, Johann, Jacobs, Jara, Johnson, Kassel, Keegan, Kuroda, Kavanau, Keller, Kevill, Kiew, Kimbrough, Kline, Kossoff, Kotzitzky, Kahn, Kiesler, Kosser, Korte, Leibowitz, Lin, Liu, Lowrance, Lundh, Laux, Leifer, Leung, Levine, Leiw, Lockwood, Logrono, Lohnes, Lowet, Laber, Leonardi, Marten, McLean, Michaels, Miranda, Moy, Marin, Muir, Murphy, Marodon, Matos, Mendoza, Muraki, Neck, Needham, Noboa, Null, O’Flynn, O’Neill, Orlowski, Perkins, Pieper, Pierre, Pons, Pruska, Paulino, Popper, Potter, Purpura, Palma, Perez, Portocarrero, Punwasi, Rader, Rankin, Ray, Reyes, Richardson, Ritter, Roos, Rose, Rosenfeld, Roth, Rutherford, Rustin, Ramos, Regan, Reisman, Renkert, Roberts, Rowan, Rene, Rosario, Rothbart, Saperstein, Schoenbrod, Schwed, Sears, Statosky, Sutphen, Sheehy, Silverton, Silverman, Silverstein, Sklar, Slotkin, Speros, Stollman, Sadowski, Schles, Shapiro, Sigdel, Snow, Spencer, Steinkol, Stewart, Stires, Stopnik, Stonehill, Tayss, Tilney, Temple, Torfield, Townsend, Trimpin, Turchin, Villa, Vasillov, Voda, Waring, Weber, Weinstein, Wang, Wegimont, Weed, Weishaus.

When I took this test, I scored a 72. Gladwell says that “the first–and most obvious–criterion is that Connectors know lots of people.” One of my close high school friends used to joke that I know everyone because whenever we were out, I would see four or five people or more that I knew. There was a running joke that if I went to a different state, I would still see someone I know.

I never took this joke seriously until a few years ago my wife and I were at King’s Island and I bumped into a lady I used to teach with. The next summer, I was in line for a ride at Cedar Point and realized I was just a few people behind one of the school counselors at GW.

Wait… it gets better. The following year, I traveled to Disney World with my wife and kids. Keep in mind that Disney has four parks, each of which has hundreds if not thousands of people in attendance. We were walking through Magic Kingdom when I spotted a student of mine and her father, sitting on a bench.

Gladwell says, “Sprinkled among every walk of life, in other words, are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. They are Connectors.” I don’t know if I’m a connector or not, but I do know a lot of people. Gladwell also points out that most people score around 20 or less.

It isn’t hard to believe that I know a lot of people. I have worked in fast food, retail, and at the local movie theater. And as a teacher, I have approximately 125 students and I get to know many of their parents, as well. So I get the opportunity to get to know 200+ people a year. And I’m grateful for every one of them.

Try this test out and see how you score. I was thinking of trying it with a local phone book, but I don’t know if it would be as effective.

Until later– “There’s no turning back now that you opened up to your mind.”

My new Playlist…

wolfdreamer — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:25:03 +0000

DISCLAIMER: The following playlist contains language that may be offensive to some listeners.

This one was actually not the result of boredom. I was made after a creative whim. I was thinking of how cool it would be to make a playlist inspired by the Beat Movement. The playlist has a mix of jazz and blues that are true to the Beat Movement time period as well as some more modern poetic songs that I feel are true to the messages and views of the Beat poets. And, my favorite part, there are some poetry readings by famous figures of the Beat Movement.

If you’re not familiar with the Beats, check out this Wikipedia article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_Movement

Right now, my favorite Beat writer is Jack Kerouac. I’m currently working my way through On the Road and I just recently bought The Dharma Bums (which I heard is more enjoyable than On the Road, but not as important). I just love the idea of traveling across the country just to feel free. My brother and I are planning to hike into the woods this summer with sleeping bags, food, and anything else we think we need, walking until we get tired, rolling out our sleeping bags, and spending the night wherever we are in the woods.

Hope you enjoy. You should try this some time, create a playlist inspired by your favorite book, movie, video game, or whatever you want.

My Top Twenty Favorite Novels…

wolfdreamer — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:49:42 +0000

This is really difficult. I have read a lot of great books, mostly because my taste is picky and I don’t even bother finishing a book if it’s not great. I’m the guy who walks out of bad movies and I’m the guy who donates the worst books I have read to charity.

Nevertheless, here is what I think of as the top twenty greatest books I have ever read. I ranked these by enjoyment, not by importance. Mind you, they’re not the greatest of all time, just my favorites:

1. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

2. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

5. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

6. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut

7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

8. Lord of the Flies by William Golding

9. On the Road by Jack Kerouac

10. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

11. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

12. I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb

13. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

14. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

15. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

16. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

17. The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

18. Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina

19. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

20. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

So there you have it. That was every bit as difficult as expected. I hope it wasn’t difficult for you to read or agree with.

Try posting your own list (if you’ve read 20 novels to rank.)

My Top Ten…

wolfdreamer — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:20:23 +0000

In an article for Time magazine, Lev Grossman says, “Literature is the realm of the ineffable and the unquantifiable; lists are the realm of menus and laundry and rotisserie baseball. There’s something unseemly and promiscuous about all those letters and numbers jumbled together. Take it from me, a critic who has committed this particular sin many times over.”

Nevertheless, when inspiration calls, I must answer. I have decided to compile a list of the top ten authors who have made the greatest impact on my life, as a writer and as a person. These are not the greatest authors of all time, just the ten who have made an impression on me, personally. A brief explanation of each one will follow.

1. Stephen King — The first author who fascinated me and possessed me. Since ninth grade, his work has inspired me to write. In his book On Writing, he says:

“Talent renders the whole idea of rehearsal meaningless; when you find something at which you are talented, you do it (whatever it is) until your fingers bleed or your eyes are ready to fall out of your head. Even when no one is listening (or reading, or watching), every outing is a bravura performance, because you as the creator are happy. Perhaps even ecstatic.”

Stephen King’s work, style, and inspiration has had more impact on me than any other writer. He is the reason I became a writer.

2. Kurt Vonnegut — No writer has made me laugh so hard or shown me that cynicism can be okay when it is justified. I started with and loved Slaughterhouse-Five until someone recommended the funniest book I have ever read: Breakfast of Champions. In an article about style, Vonnegut gave some of the best advice I have heard:

“Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style.”

3. Sylvia Plath — Her autobiographical novel The Bell Jar was the first book I read more than once. I fell in love with her and consumed her poetry the way you consume the words of a trusted friend.

“I felt like a race horse in a world without racetracks or a champion college footballer suddenly confronted by Wall Street and a business suit, his days of glory shrunk to a little gold cup on his mantel with a date engraved on it like a date on a tombstone.”

“If neurotic is wanting two mutually exclusive things at one and the same time, then I’m neurotic as hell. I’ll be flying back and forth between one mutually exclusive thing and another for the rest of my days.”

“There ought, I thought, to be a ritual for being born twice – patched, retreaded and approved for the road.”

4. Ernest Hemingway — I think every guy who has read Hemingway would say he was a favorite. And I don’t think there is a writer out there who does not at least consider him as an inspiration. Hemingway’s simple but profound stories touched hearts, turned stomachs, and gave thousands of boys a taste of African adventure.

5. Ray Bradbury — Other than Stephen King, I have read more work from Ray Bradbury than any other writer. Diving into a Bradbury story is like transporting to a different world. Bradbury became my escape through high school and college. If you’re new to Bradbury, try his collection of stories The Illustrated Man. This book amazed me. Just read it.

I have also found that you can never go wrong reading a good Bradbury story to a group of students.

6. Katherine Paterson– Her novel Bridge to Terabithia was the first book to make me cry. My first year as a teacher, I wrote her a letter thanking her for being such an amazing writer. I did not expect a Newbery winning author to write back, but she did. She even took the time to write a post card to my students, encouraging them to “read more and more books from many different authors.”

Thank you, Katherine, for helping me remember that famous authors are people, too.

7. Denise Giardina — Some of you have not heard of Denise. She was the first published author I met. Shortly after taking one of her college courses, I bought and read every book she wrote. And I was lucky enough for her to sign every one of them. She gave me a lot of hope that West Virginia authors have a chance to be heard and she encouraged me to have more faith in my abilities and to always push myself to become better and better with each day. Check out her books: Storming Heaven, The Unquiet Earth, Saints and Villains, Good King Harry, Fallam’s Secret

8. Belinda Anderson — The first author I met to also become one of my best friends, my mentor, and taught me more about writing than anyone. I spent three days of an unforgettable summer talking to Belinda about writing, life, childhood, marriage, and anything else that was on our hearts and minds. She taught me that everyone has a story to offer and we all deserve a chance to tell it our way. Her two collections of stories, The Well Ain’t Dry Yet and The Bingo Cheaters are must reads.

9. Dolly Withrow — Dolly is possibly the funniest grammar goddess I have ever met, the kind who would argue over the difference between nauseous and nauseated. She is a writer whose work inspires you to enjoy life and look out for important moments, and to laugh, laugh, laugh. She was also one of the first authors to agree to visit my students and read some of her essays to them.

I thank Dolly for being a mentor and a great friend.

10. Brad Barkley — Another West Virginia author I had the pleasure of meeting during a summer writing workshop. Brad’s humor and wit is sometimes dry and harsh, but always honest. But humor, Brad taught me, is sometimes the writer’s way to a reader’s heart. He also taught me to carry a notepad and jot down funny or interesting things that I experience every day.

Check out Brad’s two novels, Money, Love and Alison’s Automotive Repair Manual.

So, there you have it. My top ten. Did it feel sinful? Not really, because I am proud to say that I know four of the ten personally.

Can you come up with your top ten most influential writers? Post it in my comments.

ADHD Reader…

wolfdreamer — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:03:36 +0000

People who know me well know that I am an ADHD reader. I am usually reading three to four books at a time, and sometimes I will completely forget about a book and start another one. The funny thing is I could map a list of books that I have started and not finished in order to move on to a different book. I’ll put (inc.) next to the ones I didn’t finish and you’ll see my point. This will also tell you a lot about my eclectic taste in books. I’ll start with last summer:

The Gunslinger—-> Bag of Bones (inc.)—-> On the Road (inc.)—-> To Kill a Mockingbird—-> Crum (inc.)—-> All the Pretty Horses (inc.)—> The Book on Leadership—-> It’s Not About Me (inc.)—-> Empire Falls (inc.)—-> Lonesome Dove (inc.)—-> Breakfast of Champions-—> Cat’s Cradle—-> Sirens of Titan (inc.)—-> The Maltese Falcon (inc.)—-> Trainspotting (inc.)—-> The Kite Runner (inc.)—-> One Hundred Years of Solitude (inc.)—-> The Tipping Point (currently reading).

See what I mean. Now, in my defense, some of those books are pretty hefty. Lonesome Dove is somewhere near 1000 pages and Trainspotting is tough to read because it is written using Scottish phonetics. “Now most people would put this doon tae experience, ye always want what ye cannae have and the things that ye dinnae really gie a toss aboot get handed tae ye oan a plate.” And I have read Bag of Bones before,but I wanted to read it again. Once I stumbled on to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, however, I just abandoned Stephen King’s beautifully written horror romance to go traveling across the country with the Beats. And when I suddenly remembered I had never read To Kill a Mockingbird, I was appalled and just had to read it right away. And so on, and so on.

You can also tell from this list what kind of impact Kurt Vonnegut’s work has on me since I did finish all but one of his novels on the list.

In her book The Bell Jar (the first book I read more than once, by the way ) Sylvia Plath’s narrator says,

I’m usually flying back and forth between six or seven mutually exclusive things at the same time, and it is usually a stack of books.

A Very Similar Video… The Connected Classroom

wolfdreamer — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:21:24 +0000

This is a very similar video to Did You Know 2.0 but is more focused for teachers. Before watching this video, I had my room set up in rows because I was taught in college that it was the best set up for maintaining classroom management. After, though, my desks are arranged in clusters of five.

Download Video: Posted by khokanson at TeacherTube.com.

I think I may start a series of videos on education and technology to post on this blog for anyone who has not seen them yet. I’m not as frightened of the 21st century as many others are but I am also a fast learner when it comes to technology. I think, though, one of the reasons so many people are worried is because now we have no choice but to learn and grow.

In The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Friedman interviewed Nandan Nilekani, CEO for Infosyst Technologies Limited. Nadan said, “The playing field is being leveled” and that America is going to be challenged but “… the challenge would be good for America because we are always at our best when we are being challenged” (Friedman, 7).

I love a challenge. I don’t always rise to the occasion, but I do believe that people are at their best when being challenged. That is an important thing to understand as a teacher. Increase expectations, challenge students, and you will see the best in them. They may not all meet the expectations, but they will be amazed by how hard they worked to try.

Until later– “There’s no turning back now that you opened up to your mind.”

A Few Good Books…

wolfdreamer — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:02:29 +0000

I can understand what people who have a shopping addiction are going through. I just bought three new books today, The Dharma Bums, The World is Flat, and Blink. I felt that exciting rush when I cracked open the first one and read the first line. It was The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac. The line was this: “Hopping a freight out of Los Angeles at high noon one day in late September 1955 I got on a gondola and lay down with my duffel bag under my head and my knees crossed and contemplated the clouds as we rolled north to Santa Barbara.” People just don’t write like that anymore. In fact, no one has ever written like Kerouac.

All three of the books I picked up have something in common. They have been said to have changed people’s lives. According to most of the reviews, all three of these books have had an impact on our country in some way.

Jack Kerouac pioneered a movement that changed the face of literature and art forever and opened readers’ eyes to a generation of men who were beaten but not defeated. The Dharma Bums tells about his venture into Buddhism and self-discovery. Reviewers of this books have said it changed they way they look at life, at material possessions, at money, and inspired them to pay more attention to what really was important. I’ve read On the Road and most reviewers say that Dharma Bums is much better. I can’t wait.

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century is one of those books I already know is important without even reading a word of it. WV State Department of Education is pushing for 21st century learning skills and this book is one of the essential texts for understanding how much our world has changed in just the past few years and what we can do to prepare to become 21st century learners. This book has been out for several years and I already feel like I’ve missed something by not reading it.

Blink is another one that I know is important. Who can resist the title: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. It’s tough for me to explain what this book is about, so I will recruit my amazon.com announcer friend to do it for me.

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Blink is about the first two seconds of looking–the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of “thin slices” of behavior. The key is to rely on our “adaptive unconscious”–a 24/7 mental valet–that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea. Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us “mind blind,” focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to “the Warren Harding Effect” (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the “dark side of blink,” he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making. In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell’s ideas about what Blink Camp might look like. –Barbara Mackoff –This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Sounds great doesn’t it? Amazon users only gave it 3 ^1/2 stars, but that;s been true about a lot of books I have read and loved. His other book, The Tipping Point only received 4 stars and I absolutely love that book. That’s a lot coming from someone who shunned nonfiction works for years (except for autobiographies and memoirs).

So go out and but one of these great books. Let me know what you think if you have already read them.