MY FAVORITE READS!
Think Again, Adam Grant
If you are guided by thought-provoking ideas set on widening your perspective, Adam Grant’s Think Again proposes a set of skills that internalizes how we can improve our way of thinking by “re-thinking”. This is the first book I read that included literature from the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant’s examples are rooted in research, going through trial and error of what could and should happen in situations. I have personally seen how I become a “politician, persecutor, or preacher” through daily life when my ideas are challenged. This book really highlights that are blind spots are not hidden, but standing right in front of us. I am always looking to rethink my ideas, yet I still find myself repeating the same mistakes Grant captures in this book. Even so, the final pages of the book are a toolkit of resources I plan to employ in my daily life. I personally discovered this book from Brene Brown’s podcast “Unlocking Us”.
The Hill We Climb, Amanda Gorman
I learned early on in life that poetry was my form of escape, translating the real world into tangible metaphors and imagery that made sense to my experiences. I resonated this message with Amanda Gorman’s inaugural and landmark poem The Hill We Climb. Gorman’s work captures the soul of our nation, doing much needed justice to the parials America faces, such as institutional racism and domestic extremism. “We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover, / In every known nook of our nation, / In every corner called our country, / Our people, diverse, and dutiful. / We’ll emerge, battered but beautiful” is my favorite quote from the work. The capacity to describe resiliency is so apt in this poem, I wonder how I can improve in my own perception of life. One thing I would say to Gorman: immaculate.
The Choice, Dr. Edith Eger
Another recommendation from Brown’s podcast, The Choice by Dr. Edith Eva Eger has been my favorite read in quite some time. Knowing Brown’s selection of works, I was convinced I knew what the novel was going to be about: self-help. This memoir transcends time, harking back to the mid-20th century. Dr. Eger’s story is powerful and raw in its testament to the emotional and physical journey of the atrocities of the Holocaust. My understanding of resilience has grown tremendously from this book. My favorite quote comes at the beginning of chapter 20 on pg. 237, “There is no one-size-fits-all tem[plate for healing, but there are step that can be learned and practiced, step that each individual can weave together in his or her own way, steps in the freedom of dance”. If there is ever a way to learn about someone’s story, this book is it.
The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection was the first book by Brené Brown I read, and remains my favorite. Brown communicates her truth in applying her teachings to her everyday life. I use this mentality whenever I get sucked into a shame rut. I have two copies of this book, and I am sure over the years I will acquire more. People know this book speaks to me not because I am a perfectionist, but it keeps me growing as a person. I pick up this book whenever I doubt myself because I know Brown articulates what I can’t. The book is framed around guideposts, and ends each time with a DIG Deep, where we can galvanize our ability to harness vulnerability. I continue to reach out to my support system during difficult times because they remind me of the values and guidance this books offers for me.
A Promised Land By Barack Obama
President Obama was in office during the pivotal years of my life, where I was coming of age. A Promised Land led me on a journey through history that I faintly remember, but delightfully enjoyed reading about. Having read Michelle Obama’s book Becoming, I was enticed to better understand Barack’s view of his political journey. One of the mannerisms I picked up from his work was his ability to be sensible to the moment. President Obama could cross his “t’s” and dot his “i’s” even before he knew what he was going to write. Although I’ll candidly admit I support his presidency immensely and have done critical thinking to some of the poor outcomes of his time in office, such as work on immigration, I commend his ability to be that of a great thinker. Philosophers and scholars could match President Obama if they merely applied their word to their work. I felt as if my mind was guided through a personal meditation of my own decision making process, allowing me to gauge how I view the world. As someone who aspires to work in public service, President Obama’s words of wisdom, perhaps not explicitly marked, continue to linger in my practices today with those I work with.
All The Odes By Pablo Neruda
This is the book. If I had to take one book with me anywhere, All The Odes by Pablo Neruda would be the one. I was first introduced to his odes in high school, where I found the simplicity of language and captivating depth of his poems as a spoken word to the humanity of people. His work channels the essence of life I hope to achieve. Neruda wrote poetry as if he were putting food on the table of the working class laymen. I have tabbed my favorite odes with thin blue sticky notes, and to write them all out would force you to buy the book, which I encourage you to do anyways. I am not a poet by any means, but Neruda creates the inspiration for any one to pick up the pen and write poetry.