Overprotective parents tend to be universally characterized as “evil” by their children. You know the type… these parents do anything they possibly can to influence their child’s directions. This often happens along gender lines: mothers with daughters and fathers with sons. This short story, spun by Margaret Atwood, a master of the craft, describes how such a relationship evolved over time and was passed on to the next generation. This story is filled with humor,…
In the last few decades, computers and the Internet have provided humans with new access to untold masses of information. Humans are just now catching up on how to use this information for our own good. The technology needs to make our lives easier and more productive, not less so. Fortunately, first-time author Tiago Forte points the way to use these tools to aid creativity. In book form, he teaches a method that he’s shared…
John Polkinghorne is a respected professor of physics at Cambridge University who became an Anglican priest. The President Emeritus of Queen’s College, he is well-known for his understanding of common terrain between science and religion. This book contains the text of the 1993-94 Gifford Lectures and describes his theological belief system. This belief system roughly aligns with Christian orthodoxy. This text explains how he studiously came to these beliefs as he explains why he eschewed…
Many people pridefully take the stance that they don’t need self-help books. “It’s all easy and common sense,” they claim. Often, those people are the very people whose personal relationships are most disordered. In truth, we all can use a little help sometimes, and I often am more receptive when reading it in a book at my own leisure rather than sitting on a therapist’s couch. In this book, Manney brings us to his therapist’s…
America was a different place in 1906 when Upton Sinclair published The Jungle. Teddy Roosevelt was President. The country was coming out of the Gilded Age capitalism into a new progressive era. Monopolistic trusts dominated the economy. Society resembled more of a two-class system and lacked a dominant middle class. Writing fiction, only realistically like a journalist, Sinclair showed how hard working class life was. A quick bestseller, this book led to national reforms, particularly…
In the last twenty years, autism has risen to the forefront in the American consciousness. High-functioning autism (otherwise known as Asperger’s) is of particular interest because these people can and do function positively (even excellently) in society. Still, they face unique challenges in socially interacting with colleagues, family, and friends. Robison’s memoir shows how such an adaptation can happen and how happiness can ultimately be found. Robison was raised without a formal understanding of his…
Climate science is a hot topic these days, and many books (like Bill Gates’ How to Avoid a Climate Disaster) provide introductions to the topic for a popular audience. Those books are written to be digested by the masses, but detailed academic work is often lacking in them. Enter Perona’s textbook. (He calls it a “handbook,” but it more resembles an interdisciplinary textbook.) He explains the nitty-gritty of the science and extends the reasoning from…
Kearns Goodwin sits among the best current American presidential historians, and her book takes an intriguing look at Teddy Roosevelt, his successor and Vice President William Taft, and the role a changing press played in their presidencies. Lifelong friends, they became bitter political enemies. Roosevelt ended up founding his own political party and running against Taft, the Republican nominee, in 1912. Woodrow Wilson ended up winning that election. Kearns Goodwin unpacks this story in award-winning…
A century ago, people with mental illness was handled through a sanitarium. Since the advent of helpful but imperfect medications in the latter twentieth century, however, many with mental illness now live in the community. As a result, they have to deal with stigma around their illness – both others’ and their own. Siddoway (simply Rachael in the tale) tells a true story of her parents and her family. She shows how hard their lives…
I do not work in the field of public relations but rather work with others that do. Thus, I have a vested interest in learning about their work without going through educational certifications. Further, I’m always eyeing ways to spotlight the positives of my work in an open and tactful manner to interested audiences. This compilation of articles by leading figures addresses a variety of core issues in PR and shows where the field has…