2016 was the year that didn't end for so many reasons. But, it wasn't always all bad! I got a wonderful new job at an educational organization I love, I went on a couple of wonderful trips, and made wonderful memories with family and friends! I also read a bunch of books- some work-related, a lot non-work-related. I review them for you here, mostly for my benefit so that I can actually recall what I read and what I thought about the books.
Happy reading, and here's to many books, adventures, and memories in 2017!
Modern Romance- Aziz Ansari Hilarious and insightful! Ansari puts a comedians twist on a very salient sociological topic! I was impressed by the thorough nature of the research and the relevant conclusions formed. This is a great read for anyone- whether single/married, modern/ancient, in love/burnt out.
Wave- Sonali Deraniyagala I did not realize this was a true story until the acknowledgment section at the end of the book. The whole time reading I was captivated by the raw emotion underlying the beautifully written story, rich with imagery and lively stories. I think this book might be every human's worst fear- to lose everyone and be left alone to sort through the wreckage. However, Sonali Deraniyagala takes us through her deeply personal grieving process and shows how it is possible to live after so much death and hope after so much despair.
Planetwalker- John Francis: A gorgeous book that served as an ode to nature. Dr. Francis pushed the limits of what I may think is possible and took me on his journey, helping me to understand the capacity within myself. The accompanying haikus and drawings are a nod to the beauty of simplicity. I actually wrote Dr. Francis after reading this book to send him appreciation for his journey and for sharing his life and work. I was also left with a renewed inention to work toward decreasing my carbon footprint and paying closer attention to our impact on the earth.
All the Light We Cannot See- Anthony Doerr A beautiful book, expansive and covering a period and perspective of history we always need more of. Such an intricate tale, but the characters become intimate friends.
Between the World and Me- Ta’Nehisi Coates This book is an essential read for understanding the relationship between the black body and its innate fragility in this world. Coates writes a letter to his son outlining his own experiences in the world living in a black body and having friends who live in black bodies, as well. This book brings a critical perspective about race and racial tensions from an important new voice of our time.
Salt- Nayyirah Waheed One of the most incredible books of poetry. The poet's style is succinct, lyrical, and cuts to the bone in its simplicity. I wanted to carve each poem on to my brain and remember it forever. Particularly because she speaks with the voice of a person from two places (geographic and internal/external), I could relate so deeply to the themes she wrote of and this is one of the few books of poetry I've gone back to re-read.
Milk & Honey- Rupi Kaur An incredible book of poetry that takes the reader through the journey of hurt and healing, and the many ways both can happen. She points us toward the sweet in the sweet and in the bitter.
Citizen: An American Lyric- Claudia Rankine- This book of poetry and prose examines different facets of racism (overt and micro) in America. There were a few particular essays that truly hit home. Holding the critical nature of the writing, one can also appreciate the force of the poetry itself, too.
Lean In- Sheryl Sandberg Finally read this book, after years of "needing to." I appreciated the call to step up for myself and other women. I also came to understand this book as one for women who already have a good amount of privilege. How do you tell a woman with three kids working at TB to lean in...?
Big Little Lies- Liane Moriarty I read this book for a book club, and was surprised at the depth of conversation it inspired. Moriarty writes a wonderful tale of drama and comedy, with a Greek-Chorus type presence woven throughout to comment on the characters and provide information. I was skeptical, but it won me over.
Pushout- Monique W. Morris This book brings to greater awareness to the female side of disproportionality in school discipline, which is so often overlooked. Morris talks through the different aspects of the black girl experience that lead to unfair discipline practices and uses many anecdotes for better illustration of these particular vulnerabilities.
Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome- Joy DeGruy This is a book that America needs. Dr. DeGruy thoroughly debunks the narratives surrounding the construct of race and describes the impact of racial trauma on Americans. She describes her own story of coming to understand the truths she reveals in this book; this, combined with her treatment of stereotypes and microaggressions, as well as her call to action for all individuals makes for a powerful and rousing read.
Pedagogy of the Oppressed- Paolo Freire I'll have to admit here that I did not finish this book in its entirety, but I read most of it. I have never underlined so vigorously in my entire life, though. Freire's insight into the education underlying revolution and education as revolution is an insight that goes beyond time. There are universal truths in how knowledge is tied up in power and privilege and tends to be the protected domain of the oppressor. Thus, the oppressed must reclaim their power and education altogether. It will not be given up easily, but for this they must struggle. For real education to happen, there must be a joint learning and understanding between the "educator" and "educated" and therefore real education inevitably leads to social change. This is dense as a text, but must be read to understand the psychology of education and social change.
Neurobiology Essentials for Clinicians - Arlene Montgomery This book provided great insight into the neurobiology of our brains and bodies and how this plays out in the therapeutic setting. She combines research with interesting examples and annotated therapeutic dialogue to show exactly what is going on in our brains as we engage in the difficult work of working through.
Teach, Breathe, Learn- Meena Srinivasan: I heard Meena speak at Momentous Institute's Changing the Odds Conference this past October. She is a Program Manager for Oakland Unified School District's Social Emotional Learning and Leadership Department, and she is a huge proponent of mindfulness; she is a woman after my own heart in many ways! Her book was a quick and easy read on her history with mindfulness, her call to bring mindfulness into her work as an educator, and the impact this trajectory has had on her life and hte lives of students and colleagues. She also embeds small mindfulness practices throughout, embracing the Tibetan practice of meditation combined with mantras. A lovely book, and a lovey person!
The Little Book of Restorative Justice in Education- Katherine Evans & Dorothy Vaandering If you're looking for a great intro to restorative practices, definitely check this book out. It has a lot of the basics you need to understand the intent and philosophy behind restorative practices and also looks at the practical applications of restorative practices (e.g. circles, conferences) in different settings.
Just Mercy- Bryan Stevenson After reading Just Mercy, I have since had the opportunity to hear Bryan Stevenson speak in person. The man is incredible. I initially read this book for a book club focused on topics of social justice, and I was blown away. His work as a lawyer doing the impossibly difficult job of defending innocent people in a broken criminal justice system breaks my heart. The stories he shares will hurt you so deeply because they speak to the unfair treatment of our country's black & brown population and of the poor; justice tends to be available to those who can afford it or those who look a certain way. He speaks to the powerful impact of proximity- taking ourselves closer to those who are incarcerated, seeing these individuals as humans with infinite heartache, love, and compassion. His message takes us beyond grief and dismay to hope, which is what we need to carry the work he calls for us to do. Read this.
Brainstorm- Dan Siegel Dan Siegel is one of the research gurus of brain research on minduflness. In this book, he helps us understand what is particularly powerful about the adolescent brain, and how a reframing of it can help us to truly meet the needs of this developmental age. He also writes for adolescents who may be reading the book, placing the power of self-knowledge in their hands and guiding them through several practices to better understand themselves and the decisions they make. An essential read for anyone who has any contact with adolescents.
No-Drama Discipline- Dan Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson If you haven't read The Whole Brain Child, another book by these two, do that first. It's excellent. This is a great book as well and goes into more specifics of how to actually discipline (read: teach) children as they are buffeted by their emotions and their developing brains. It's a fantastic perspective and flips the idea of power and authority on its head when it comes to discipline; it's about actually meeting the needs of children and helping to bridge the gaps their brains may not be ready to take on yet.
Good Neighbor- A.J. Banner I read this book on a whim and will put it in the category of a beach read murder mystery. Decent and interesting, but not excellent and enthralling.
Smart but Scattered Teens- Colin Guare, Peg Dawson & Richard Guare A quick read that focuses on the executive funcitoning skills of adolescents and provides great hacks to help support the development of the critical prefrontal cortex. This book also offers some great handouts and workbook type pages to aid with actionable planning.
The Mindful Teen- Dzung X. Vo I was highly skeptical of "yet another mindfulness book." BUT I was really impressed with this book. Written by a doctor who works a lot with adolescents, Vo speaks directly to the teen brain with simple, yet incisive writing. He includes well-written mindfulness practices, great nuggets of wisdom, and has an accompanying website with audio versions of mindfulness practices to help teens. A great gift to the teen/adolescent in your life, but also good for adults!
Year Up- Gerald Chertavian I read this at Sagar's recommendation and was really surprised by it! Chertavian recognized that he had been given a "year up" or a leg up by various people in his life. Many of us have- it's a part of whatever type of privilege you hold. You didn't get anywhere on your own, so why do we expect youth in difficult situations to figure it out on their own? Chertavian's program combines explicit instruction in "soft skills" like dress, speech, punctuality, etc. with explicit instruction in workplace skills. This yearlong program asks a lot of its participants, but has also helped to launch many out of a cycle of poverty and into well-paying jobs where they earn recognition and find meaning. Year Up has been launched in many major cities across the nation and is coming to Dallas soon! Get involved!
A Man Called Ove- Fredrik Backman Recommended by my sister, this book was a read I wasn't totally prepared for. It is so well-written, so funny, and so poignant. Ove is the curmudgeon in our lives (in my case, he is me), and this book gives a beautiful and moving insight into the adage "Be kind to people who aren't. They're the ones who need it the most."
Grit- Angela Duckworth A psychology research book for the nerd in you that explores the idea of grit- what makes people tick, persevere, and succeed. An excellent read and likely very applicable to you in whatever field you're in. Key takeaways: being gritty is often very instrumental to success and you can increase your grittiness with a well-groomed growth mindset. You can also take a grit quiz on Duckworth's website. Check it out!
Teaching with Poverty in Mind- Eric Jensen This book is so critical to any educator working with students who live in poverty. Poverty has profound impacts on brain development, yet educators can work around this. The first step is understanding. For such a small book, it's amazing when Jensen manages to pack in, including suggestions for classroom set-up, activities, and teaching strategies.
Engaging with Poverty in Mind- Eric Jensen Similar to Teaching with Poverty in Mind, but Jensen looks more closely at what it takes to engage a student, especially one with a brain wired for survival. Again, he packs a lot into a small book. This is a great read for all educators.
Attachment-Based Teaching- Lou Cozolino This book is INCREDIBLE! Cozolino gets to the heart of the matter of teaching, which is the heart (or attachment). Without it, learning cannot happen. He brings the idea of tribes to the top of mind as a way of creating attachment and provides excellent "hacks" for getting our brain's primitive wiring to open up to learning. Beautifully written and so so relevant. You really need to read this if you teach or support teachers in any way.
Age of Opportunity: Lessons from the New Science of Adolescence- Laurence Steinberg Research-heavy, but well-written. Steinberg summarizes in a surprisingly readable format all of the recent research around adolescent brain and body development. He provides basic information in compelling ways that really flip the way I understood adolescence and the way we treat this group of youth as a society. Some of the statistics he provides will blow your mind, especially around the treatment of adolescents by the criminal justice system. For instance, we know that most crimes are committed by indviduals under the age of 26 (the time the PFC is fully developed), and the likelihood of youth offenders (26 and under) to repeat crimes is very low. This means we are putting youth behind bars, forcing them to lose years of their lives for crimes committed before their brains had fully developed. A testament to the idea of prevention and intervention over criminalization.
Switch- Chip & Dan Heath This book was SO good. In personal and professional spheres, people are always wondering how to create change, how to move things forward, and create a shift that lasts. The tips and clinics in this book makes that change a little more clear by taking clear psychological and social concepts and applies them to directing the rider, motivating the elephant, and shaping the path.
Born a Crime- Trevor Noah I knew very little about Noah when he took over The Daily Show, and wow! What a life he has led! It's a wonder we don't all know these stories of Noah's youth, which he shares in such a glib manner. Noah's nuanced understanding of family, race, apartheid, class, and language is incredible to read.
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