In the midst of this pandemic, one of the things I’ve been grateful for (in addition to stable employment and good health) is having more time to sit down and read a book—thanks to the absence of a daily commute. When I was a journalist, I had an editor who often asked, “What’cha reading these days?” So here’s a list of five titles I’m currently reading, a mix of history, self-help, fiction, and comic book fandom.
AUGUST READS
Three words: Read. this. book. I’ve been a fan of Isabel Wilkerson’s poetic writing and insightful analysis since her days as a reporter for The New York Times. “Caste” examines the origins and function of the American caste system, one in which “a fixed and embedded ranking of human value sets the presumed supremacy of one group against the presumed inferiority of other groups on the basis of ancestry and often immutable traits…” In the United States, Wilkerson argues, “caste is the bones, race the skin.” This timely book gave me a new perspective on the necessity of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Can anyone become known? Not famous, but known? That’s the question at the heart of this fascinating book by business consultant Mark Schaefer. Being known means to have the authority, reputation, and audience to achieve your goals (e.g., write a book, launch a speaking career, sit on a company’s board, etc.) Schaefer argues that in this digital age the person who is known has a permanent advantage over the person who is not. Distilling insights from interviews with nearly 100 people who have become known, this book provides a roadmap for building your personal brand. A must-read for me and my fellow bloggers.
As I prepare to write my first children’s book, I’ve been studying the work of Jason Reynolds, an author of novels for young adult and middle-grade audiences, including Ghost, a National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature. I absolutely loved Ghost, so I decided to pick up this collection of short stories. Reynolds is truly a poet at heart. The voices, descriptions, and scenarios of his characters never fail to draw me in.
When my wife and I learned three years ago that our daughter was on the autism spectrum, I sought information that would help us prepare for our journey as an “ausome” family. This book by Barry Prizant helped me better understand my daughter’s behaviors and affirmed my belief that autistic people don’t need to be fixed, but rather better supported so they can thrive.
I‘ve been collecting comic books since I was a teen. Mostly Marvel. I was never a big fan of Ant-Man, but after watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe film about this reluctant superhero, I decided to pick up a few collected volumes. This 2015-2016 volume includes: The Astonishing Ant-Man #1-4, Ant-Man: Last Days #1, and Ant-Man Annual #1. A light and fun read.
What’s on your reading list this summer?
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Previously Published on Fatherhood@Forty
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