In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day

by Mark Batterson

Another Christian book with a good message and life lessons in In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson.  The book provides a perspective on how to face the most challenging obstacles in life, risks that are worth taking, and coming face to face with the scariest things in our lives (the lion in the cage).  Batterson draws upon the Bible to share moments of courage from the ‘actors’ who have ‘crosses’ to carry.  Each chapter is underscored by a quote that introduces the main theme.  For example: “You are responsible forever for what you have tamed” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery. This introduces the theme for the chapter called “Locking eyes with your lion”.  Each person has to tame the thing that holds them down.  We determine how we will respond.  Batterson provides a sensible process for how to move forward in our lives to be the best we can be.  At the end of each chapter, the author presents a review of the top ‘takeaways’ and an exercise to reinforce the lessons learned.  A quintessential self-help book grounded in Christian doctrine.

Hearing God

Hearing God: Eliminate Myths. Encounter Meaning.

by Nathan Finochio

NYU RAs always provide a breadth and depth in the recommendations they share with me as favorite books.  It was refreshing to be offered a Christian book that discusses how to have a better relationship by listening to God.  Hearing God: Eliminate Myths. Encounter Meaning. by Nathan Finochio, a pastor in the Hillsong NYC congregational church, provides a series of reflections that offer a way to deepen connection to a Higher Being – in this case, the Christian God. What is my purpose?  How do I begin to find life’s path?  What meaning do the relationships I have with others have with respect to my journey? These are a number of the questions raised, and they are connected to readings from the Bible. Finochio writes nine chapters that debunk myths related to our relationship with God.  He suggests that God is connected with a person constantly.  We need to be more aware of how to listen more clearly and learn to have a conversation about what matters in life and how we interact with nature & others. And we need to focus on the big question: what am I doing in this life? What is my calling?  All really thoughtful questions and very much connected to biblical readings & real life stories from the author.  Helpful perspective for believers and great questions to ponder even for those who don’t believe in a higher being.

Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window

Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window

by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

What a beautiful story in Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi and translated by Dorothy Britton.  It is a true-life story told by the author reflecting on her childhood attending the Tomeo school after being expelled from her first elementary school.  The Tomeo school was run by a gentle man and leader, Sosaku Kobayashi, who believed in a non-traditional way to educate young children. He believes in fewer rules, less structure, and a heightened sense of exploration and creativity.  Tetsuko’s memories are heartwarming in describing how she learned, the students with whom she attended the school, and her wonderful upbringing with loving parents and playful dog.  All of the story takes place with the backdrop of World War II creeping closer to Japan.  The stories flow in a way that highlights the lessons taught through great parenting, a tremendous educational environment, and children who experience love and acceptance for who they are, no matter their abilities nor their physical characteristics.  Tetsuko informs her headmaster that her life dream is to eventually teach at the school, which leads to her desire to write the book years later.  With the war growing closer to Japan, the school is destroyed when a bomb drops on the building.  Tetsuko is reunited with her classmates years later (the group has annual reunions).  In the epilogue, Tetsuko shares updates on many of the children and other people she highlighted in the book.  This was a best-selling book and worth a read for all young children to learn the lessons of dreaming big and learning outside the box.  Highly recommend!

Heartburn

Heartburn

by Nora Ephron

Finished reading Heartburn by Nora Ephron, which was published in the early 1980s.  The story is about a married woman, Rachel, who seems very happy and is pregnant with her second child.  Rachel is a well-known cookbook writer and she includes recipes throughout her stories. The main story here is one that will end with a key lime pie in the face of her husband (soon to be ex).  Rachel learns from the local Washington, DC “wives group” of the local politicians that her husband is having an affair with another woman in the group.  Rachel tries to come to terms with her husband’s transgressions, trying to hold on to the marriage, but to no avail.  The themes of marriage, divorce, affairs, women’s counseling groups, and even how to cook with the recipes she shares are thrown together in this ‘comedy’, which is very much reminiscent of the early 1980s. There is tension throughout surrounding whether or not she will leave her husband.  A few laughs, but, for the most part, a light read that you might enjoy. 

The Argonauts

The Argonauts

by Maggie Nelson

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson is her free-flowing, true-life story. Nelson describes the journey of marrying a female-to-male transitioned partner, the adoption of their son, the relationship with her parents (and consequent loss of her mother to cancer) and the pregnancy/birth of her son Iggy. Nelson’s style of writing is drawn from other influential authors, particularly Roland Barthes. Her writing moves from inspirations from her life to moments of pain surrounding issues related to gender.  She tells of the time she is stalked by an older white male recounting the death of her aunt Jane in the book she authored by the same name.  Her ability to interweave sexuality/gender transitioning, cancer, love, raising a step child, and the uncertainty of Prop 8 in California keeps the reader engaged throughout.  Nelson is a prolific author whose style matches many of the students of today who stay connected in ‘short bites’ of narrative.  Complex topic, complex writing, depth beyond words.  It is a relatively short read but will take some time to understand all of the themes and messages.

The Purity Myth

The Purity Myth

by Jessica Valenti

Finished The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti.  The book provides the perspective of a feminist author and her views on how women, specifically young women, face the challenges of sexuality. Valenti presents data that runs the spectrum from pregnancy rate decline, the amount the federal government has funded healthy marriage initiatives and ‘chastity’-focused programs for young girls, sexual activity rates among high-schoolers, STI rates, HPV rates of infection, and demographic statistics for pregnancy/low-income and other issues related to young girls.  This is a book that would serve as a great resource for a student studying young girls and how they are influenced by society/impacted by governmental policies centered on sexual activity.  Valenti also presents her memories of losing her virginity and even reaches out to the boy she had sex with at age sixteen to get his thoughts on the experience.  A well-researched and data driven book.   A quick read with a ton of information.  It was published in 2009, so a decade has passed since it was first released and data may need to be updated.

Mindset

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.

A really good book to help one re-think their approach to life in Mindset by Carol Dweck.  The book outlines how a person should adopt a psychology for success.  Dweck draws upon the work of leadership guru Warren Bennis, a long-time researcher on leaders in industry.  One will either live with a fixed mindset or a growth mindset – which will you choose?  Dweck provides the “how-to” in growing that ‘growth’ approach by suggesting the following: embrace challenges (don’t avoid them); persist in the face of setbacks (don’t give up); see effort as the path to mastery (don’t view it as fruitless); learn from criticism (don’t ignore it); and find lessons and inspiration in the success of others (don’t feel threatened by the success of others).  Learn from the lessons of those who think they are ‘better’ than others, especially from athletes, business leaders, and even teachers.  Look for those who are sincere with their feedback, who provide honest appraisal and want you to be the best you can be.  Too many people who impact youth can do harm with relentless criticism or praise that is not deserved.  This is a required reading in some of NYU’s courses in the psychology department.  I couldn’t recommend this one more.  We all need to take a real and detailed look at our effort to do the best we can in all that we do.  Dweck’s research is well-received and focuses mainly on children in elementary and high school, where the real impact can be made for building a brain that pushes one to be their best.

Station Eleven (RA Alumni Favorite)

Station Eleven

by Emily St. John Mandel

It’s nice to reconnect with an alum who served in the RA position, and it’s even better when they share an all-time favorite book to read.  I thoroughly enjoyed Station Eleven written by Emily St. John Mandel.  It tells of an epidemic, the Georgian flu, that devastates the world, killing most of the population.   The book begins at a Shakespearean play where the lead, King Lear, dies of a heart attack and moves from pre- to post-Georgian flu to fill in the background.  Arthur Leander (King Lear), Jeevan Chaudhary (the paramedic in the audience who tries to save him), Kirsten Raymonde (a child actress in the show), Miranda Carroll (Arthur’s first wife), Clark Thompson (Arthur’s lawyer), and Tyler Leander (Arthur’s young son from his second wife) are all part of the story. It describes their days in Toronto (pre-epidemic) and their journey to the Great Lakes area, where the characters who live through the flu epidemic fill in what happened to get where they are now.  Mandel’s story grabbed my attention early, and I loved how I learned more about the twenty-year change in the world.  Exceedingly well-written with characters who are eager to share their story.  A science-fiction graphic novel with a very unexpected outcome.  Can fiction actually come to life?  This one is a must read.  I love when the author is able to build multiple stories within one book….  Well done!  

(Extra Book) The Nickel Boys

The Nickel Boys

by Colson Whitehead

Thanks to Tracey G. for this recommendation - a really good read in The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.  The book is based on the real-life story of a reform school in Florida for young boys who committed minor offenses, lacked parents, or were there for a variety of other reasons.  As portrayed in the book, Nickel Academy is a cruel place full of hatred, especially for black boys who regularly get whipped and placed in solitary confinement. This is the place that seventeen-year-old Elwood Curtis ends up after receiving a free car ride home from his first day of a pre-college program.  Elwood was a bright young man destined for success, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He was forced to go to the academy by the judge of his case, and that’s when his living hell begins.  Rules were arbitrary and, for someone who worked so hard, always doing the right thing, he entered a place where there was no understandable ‘right way to behave’.  During his first week at the academy, he faced a beating for trying to assist another student being taunted.  In this place, he was bound to secrecy and there were serious ramifications if he spoke out against the academy. But this didn’t stop Elwood from making a plan. He waited for an opportunity to alert the authorities of the dangers in the academy and got that chance when a tour by the officials took place.  Elwood wasn’t ready for what happened next.  The story is a reminder of the type of world we live in where hate has and continues to prevail. It is disturbing to learn that those who ran the system at the academy brutally murdered some of the black boys who attended and buried them on the grounds.  All great stories have a twist, and this one is no different.  It is hard to believe that the 1950s and 60s was the time frame of this story. In this world today, we still witness abuse of children, lack of equality, and pure hate.  Books like this serve as a reminder so that we never forget what happened in our past.  Elwood and children like him need love, education and opportunity.  A profound story.

Being Mortal

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End

by Atul Gawande

Death… it comes to everyone at some point, either suddenly or through a long disease.  I have experienced them both in my life.  My brother was killed in a motorcycle accident when I was nineteen years old.  He was vibrant and living a wonderful life and it happened instantaneously, whereas my sister struggled through cancer for 4+ years.  Neither is easy.  This RA Favorite book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, focuses on how we plan our final days.  It is written by a physician, Atul Gawande, and he intersperses his own family story of a parent at the end of their life. He also tells of a number of patients who teach him how to be a better doctor when it comes to a diagnosis that needs conversation and thoughtful decision making.  He begins the book with a discussion on how America has turned away from the elderly, where families look for nursing homes/assisted living and other venues to place their loved ones.  This is in sharp contrast with many countries where families keep their elders with them through their final days.  The book continues with how medicine has increased the life span of people today coupled with improved hygiene and how we filtrate water/sewage.  The most meaningful chapters for me include the idea of how we think through our end-of-life decision making.  Having experienced two instances in my family where that didn’t seem to happen as openly as it could have, I recommend everyone think through what your “goal” is when faced with a life-altering surgery, path for medication, or procedure that might end or substantially change how you live.  What outcome will be right for you?  Dr. Gawande is compassionate and shares his own failures and how he has improved patient conversations.  Letting go is not easy.  We all have a time to live and a time to die.  How do you want that time to work best for you?  Not an easy book to get through, but it is done with impeccable judgement and clarity.  Thank you, Dr. Gawande.  Add to your list, but do so when you have a clear mind and not faced with tough decisions.