"As leaders, we have an obligation to help each of our team members develop a career as robust and rewarding as they desire it to be..." - Anne Chow, "As leaders, we have an obligation to help each of our team members develop a career as robust and rewarding as they desire it to be..." - Anne Chow, CEO of AT&T Business
From the leadership experts at FranklinCovey, "The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias" is an extraordinary guide to reframing bias, cultivating connection, and creating high-performing teams. Written in a remarkably accessible and practical style, "The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias" starts with a basic truth - unconscious bias is impacting organizational performance whether we know it or not.
From there, FranklinCovey chief thought leader on inclusion and bias Pamela Fuller joins co-writers Mark Murphy, a Franklin Covey senior consultant, and AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow in crafting a four-part framework to identify bias, cultivate connection, choose courage, and apply against the talent lifecycle.
The end result, both applicable and inspirational, is a book that equips readers with tangible tools to create the best environment for all of their team members and to mitigate possible negative impacts of workplace bias.
I wasn't much past the preface to what I'll start calling "Unconscious Bias," a preface sharing that between the time the authors sent their manuscript to the editors at Simon & Schuster on May 15th, 2020 and two weeks later when they received it back for review that the world had dramatically changed as the impact of quarantine had begun to be overshadowed in powerful ways by global protests about racial injustice.
While the connection between injustice and bias, especially within a corporate setting, may seem thin, the truth is they are interwoven. "Unconscious Bias" asserts that bias is, in fact, part of the human condition and how our brains work.
To be human is to have bias.
The power of "Unconscious Bias," a book that challenged me in ways big and small, is that it simultaneously speaks to the corporate world while tapping into the humanity that we all bring into our roles as employees, leaders, and human beings. While speaking to organizations, "Unconscious Bias" encourages each reader to explore vulnerability, develop curiosity, and build empathy - essential choices to be made in moving past our negative biases and choosing courage.
Tackling our biases does take courage.
"Unconscious Bias" explores best practices and strategies applicable to the Talent Lifecycle and speaks to building high-performing teams AND high-performing individuals and creating the high-performing cultures that will foster both of these things.
Yet, it was the final paragraph of the preface that really hooked me, a simple statement shared from FranklinCovey CEO Bob Whitman that "You must do the work your goals require," words shared at a conference yet words that ultimately guide the organizational cultures we create and our work toward a more inclusive world and organization.
Fuller, Chow, and Murphy have crafted an intelligent, insightful, and almost stunningly compassionate book that defines bias, explores the ways in which it helps and hurts performance, and explored tangible ways, many of them documented at the end of each remarkable chapter, we can course-correct when we become aware of unconscious bias influencing our work.
As a professional with a disability, it has been rare for me to see a book addressing leadership skills that gives attention to employees, job seekers, and professional leaders with disabilities.
Yet, "Unconscious Bias" does so and does so regularly throughout the book.
Truthfully? I'll even admit I cried once. Okay, actually, I think I cried and then did a fist bump in the air.
The core of "Unconscious Bias" is the Bias Progress Model, a model that takes the central concepts of identifying bias, cultivating connection, and choosing courage and applies it across the Talent Lifecycle. The power of this teaching for me is found early in the book as we learn to take that lifecycle and go beyond the usual realm of law and policy. Each central concept is associated with a principle, for example "self-awareness," and "Unconscious Bias" beautifully explores both central concept and principle and the ways they work together.
In addition to the wisdom of each chapter, each chapter ends with an extended reflection for individuals along with "Application for Leaders," both essentially practical exercises to help integrate the material more fully.
"Unconscious Bias" became a book that I started with reading.
Then, I read it again.
Then, I re-read it again AND began working through both the reflections and applications. Truthfully? I'm still not done. Each time through "Unconscious Bias" has resulted in seeing something new and having a new "Aha!" moment come to life.
The chapters make sense and flow beautifully.
The first part, Identify Bias, explores identity, an understanding of neuroscience, recognizing bias trips, and embracing mindfulness.
Ah, mindfulness.
In the second part, Cultivating Connection, "Unconscious Bias" explores belonging, curiosity, empathy, the power of networks, and the ever important navigation of difficult conversations.
Choosing Courage explores the courage to identify, cope, be an ally, and be an advocate. While, finally, the actual Talent Lifecycle explores the very real world issues of getting hired, contributing/engaging, and moving up.
All of these areas are addressed in ways that are meaningful to both individuals and organizations and in ways that are inclusive and refreshingly transparent and vulnerable.
If it's not yet readily apparent, I loved "The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias," a powerful and enlightening book both personally and professionally that is beautifully written in a way that makes it easy to read yet also in a way that will make you want to re-read it again and again and again.
I would easily recommend taking the time to explore the exercises at the end of each chapter, exercises that marvelously illuminate the writing and will no doubt help integrate the material so that you'll find, as I have, that the teaching will come to mind the next time you find yourself in a situation where you're experiencing unconscious bias.
In the short time since I read the book for the third time, I've seen myself applying these lessons as an employee and as a leader and there's no doubt this will continue as I work to have the courage to understand bias's role in my life and what I can do about it.
Easily one of my favorite books on business and leadership in 2020, "The Leader's Guide to Unconscious Bias" is available November 10th from Simon & Schuster.
There are those experiences in life that when we look back have somehow come to define our life journey. For "Madman in the Woods" author Jamie GehrinThere are those experiences in life that when we look back have somehow come to define our life journey. For "Madman in the Woods" author Jamie Gehring, one of those experiences is the subject of her work here as "Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber" explores a childhood spent living in the deep woods of Montana with Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, as her family's closest neighbor.
"Madman in the Woods" vividly captures the uniqueness of this experience, simultaneously humanizing Kaczynski while also attempting to reconcile this man who would display occasional kindnesses, especially toward her, with the man who would also become known as the longest active domestic terrorist in U.S. history who would eventually be known as responsible for mailing explosives to strangers that would kill three and wound 23 others before his 1996 capture and subsequent eight lifetime prison sentence that is being served at Colorado's notorious Supermax.
One can practically feel the psychological wheels turning for Gehring in "Madman in the Woods," a book that spends nearly as much time processing Gehring's own unique childhood as it does Kaczynski's connection to it.
While "Madman in the Woods" does, at least on some level, humanize Kaczynski it does not, it must be acknowledged, romanticize or excuse him.
"Madman in the Woods" plays out like a psychological drama, a young woman forced to look at the distorted innocence of youth when it's realized that the same odd hermit who brought her painted rocks as a gift in childhood was also far more menacing than initially realized to locals who conflicted with his worldviews and who was also, quite simply, a killer who actively desired to kill far more than he was able to kill with his destructive yet often crude bombs.
The book paints a portrait of a young man whose genius was obvious early on, though his inconsistent childhood left him ill-prepared emotionally and developmentally to deal with his childhood, his parents, his genius, and his remarkable promise. Entering Harvard at age 16, Kaczynski was thrust into a world for which he had almost no coping skills and it became a world that altered a psyche that was already a bit distorted. From failed attempts at relationships to work experiences that would implode when those around him failed to live up to his standard, it seems almost inevitable that Kaczynski was headed toward a different sort of life but few could imagine it would include a path of destruction.
"Madman in the Woods" finds Gehring trying to reconcile this chasm of different life experiences, an effort both internally and externally realized. The book finds Gehring's research, admittedly a term I find somewhat loosely utilized here, to include established correspondence with those who investigated the Unabomber, those who were impacted, Kaczynski's former friends and family and, yes, finally Kaczynski himself as he would even respond to her inquiries.
"Madman in the Woods" is an engaging read, a book both intelligently realized and emotionally resonant with a deep core of heart amidst all of its fact-finding. As "Madman in the Woods" begins to wind down it becomes, at least for me, a little too procedural in nature as I found myself most enthralled by Gehring's vivid descriptions of her Montana life with an eccentric oddball nearby who was never quite friendly but was often sociable enough for his eccentricities to be dismissed and for him to be welcomed into the Gehring family home.
How do you reconcile it when everything you thought you understood about your childhood turns out to be a combination of rose-colored glasses and based upon unrealized truths? This question is at the heart of "Madman in the Woods" and Gehring explores her own answers with intelligence, insight, honesty, and heart in a book that doesn't necessarily reveal a lot of new information about Kaczynski but adds layers of depth to its meaning.
"Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber" will be released in April 2022 by Diversion Books.
Merged review:
There are those experiences in life that when we look back have somehow come to define our life journey. For "Madman in the Woods" author Jamie Gehring, one of those experiences is the subject of her work here as "Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber" explores a childhood spent living in the deep woods of Montana with Ted Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, as her family's closest neighbor.
"Madman in the Woods" vividly captures the uniqueness of this experience, simultaneously humanizing Kaczynski while also attempting to reconcile this man who would display occasional kindnesses, especially toward her, with the man who would also become known as the longest active domestic terrorist in U.S. history who would eventually be known as responsible for mailing explosives to strangers that would kill three and wound 23 others before his 1996 capture and subsequent eight lifetime prison sentence that is being served at Colorado's notorious Supermax.
One can practically feel the psychological wheels turning for Gehring in "Madman in the Woods," a book that spends nearly as much time processing Gehring's own unique childhood as it does Kaczynski's connection to it.
While "Madman in the Woods" does, at least on some level, humanize Kaczynski it does not, it must be acknowledged, romanticize or excuse him.
"Madman in the Woods" plays out like a psychological drama, a young woman forced to look at the distorted innocence of youth when it's realized that the same odd hermit who brought her painted rocks as a gift in childhood was also far more menacing than initially realized to locals who conflicted with his worldviews and who was also, quite simply, a killer who actively desired to kill far more than he was able to kill with his destructive yet often crude bombs.
The book paints a portrait of a young man whose genius was obvious early on, though his inconsistent childhood left him ill-prepared emotionally and developmentally to deal with his childhood, his parents, his genius, and his remarkable promise. Entering Harvard at age 16, Kaczynski was thrust into a world for which he had almost no coping skills and it became a world that altered a psyche that was already a bit distorted. From failed attempts at relationships to work experiences that would implode when those around him failed to live up to his standard, it seems almost inevitable that Kaczynski was headed toward a different sort of life but few could imagine it would include a path of destruction.
"Madman in the Woods" finds Gehring trying to reconcile this chasm of different life experiences, an effort both internally and externally realized. The book finds Gehring's research, admittedly a term I find somewhat loosely utilized here, to include established correspondence with those who investigated the Unabomber, those who were impacted, Kaczynski's former friends and family and, yes, finally Kaczynski himself as he would even respond to her inquiries.
"Madman in the Woods" is an engaging read, a book both intelligently realized and emotionally resonant with a deep core of heart amidst all of its fact-finding. As "Madman in the Woods" begins to wind down it becomes, at least for me, a little too procedural in nature as I found myself most enthralled by Gehring's vivid descriptions of her Montana life with an eccentric oddball nearby who was never quite friendly but was often sociable enough for his eccentricities to be dismissed and for him to be welcomed into the Gehring family home.
How do you reconcile it when everything you thought you understood about your childhood turns out to be a combination of rose-colored glasses and based upon unrealized truths? This question is at the heart of "Madman in the Woods" and Gehring explores her own answers with intelligence, insight, honesty, and heart in a book that doesn't necessarily reveal a lot of new information about Kaczynski but adds layers of depth to its meaning.
"Madman in the Woods: Life Next Door to the Unabomber" will be released in April 2022 by Diversion Books....more
I would likely be less than honest if I said that Jemar Tisby's "The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance" is a pleasure reaI would likely be less than honest if I said that Jemar Tisby's "The Spirit of Justice: True Stories of Faith, Race, and Resistance" is a pleasure read, though it was, for me, a deviation from my pattern of primarily writing for review in favor of reading an author whose books I find fiercely compelling and books that I read simply because they are meaningful to me.
"The Spirit of Justice" is a more academic book than perhaps we've read from Tisby previously, though it's worth noting that Tisby is, in fact, an academic whose relentless research is often masked by his relatable writing style. "The Spirit of Justice" is more pointed, an extensively researched book offering both historical survey and cultural insights into the history of racism in the United States and a dominating theme of compromise and complicity.
Grounded largely within faith, "The Spirit of Justice" explores both those who created and/or perpetuated racist ideas/actions and those who resisted them. "The Spirit of Justice" serves up example after example of people who fought against racism and sought justice in the name of their faith. Tisby takes us from the early days of the nation through present day and with remarkable candor gives undeniable and often profound examples of how people opposed racism, the price they paid, and what was gained for themselves and others.
If it seems as if "The Spirit of Justice" is heavy, well, that's certainly partly true. Truthfully, I found much light and hope within the pages of Tisby's writing as he writes to inspire a renewed desire for liberation and guides us toward unleashing a renewed spirit of justice.
I read "The Spirit of Justice" while I was wheeling across Indiana raising money to eliminate medical debt - and, yes, I mean "wheeling." (I'm a wheelchair user). Tisby's words informed, inspired, and called me into something bigger and these true stories deeply moved and challenged me while always returning me to a sense of hope.
While the tone here is somewhat different for Tisby, the mission is definitely all Tisby and fans of Tisby should easily find much to love within the pages of "The Spirit of Justice," a book that demands to be read slowly and thoughtful and then put into action. ...more
For many of us from my own generation, there's no more powerful example of the seduction of evil than the rising of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
ForFor many of us from my own generation, there's no more powerful example of the seduction of evil than the rising of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
For most of us, whether survivors of childhood abuse or those who survived other significant traumas, we often expect evil to be obvious - the evil guy in the dark alley or the powerful dictator over an evil movement or nation or organization. However, as we head into Mike Cosper's "The Church in Dark Times: Understanding and Resisting the Evil That Seduced the Evangelical Movement," we are reminded that malevolence is often more subtle and kept alive by our best intentions and seemingly righteous ideas.
If you don't believe that evil has seduced much of the current evangelical movement, the odds are fairly strong you'll struggle with the very foundation of "The Church in Dark Times."
I, for one, do believe it.
Drawing on the work of twentieth-century political theorist Hannah Arendt, Cosper dives into her theory of the "banality of evil" - the thoughtlessness that allows ordinary people to become complicit in all kinds of manner of corruption. It's an idea not far removed from another book I'm reading right now by Jemar Tisby, ""The Spirit of Justice."
Cosby explores the growing crisis of abuse and other failures in modern evangelical churches, lifting the veil to expose underlying causes yet, like Tisby, also exploring reasons for hope and practices that foster healing and renewal.
Indeed, "The Church in Dark Times" is very committed to both understanding and resisting this evil, hence its title, yet also uncompromising in portraying it. This isn't a melodramatic work - instead, it's a powerfully researched look that largely avoids politicization and likely has more significant crossover appeal than other titles I've read on this particular subject.
Cosper is a cultural critic who produced and hosted The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast. He services as director of podcasts for Christianity Today and co-hosts the weekly podcast The Bulletin. "The Church in Dark Times" is an expansion, really, of Cosper's Mars Hill podcast as it looks at those very issues and applies them in a myriad of different ways. "The Church in Dark Times" is a well-researched, informative, engaging, and very necessary portrayal of the evil that has seduced the evangelical movement and how it can be resisted. ...more
It's hard to imagine that there's a soul who doesn't know about the life of Terry Fox. Yet, there are, in fact, people who've grown up in the years afIt's hard to imagine that there's a soul who doesn't know about the life of Terry Fox. Yet, there are, in fact, people who've grown up in the years after Fox's life ended at the age of 21 who are unfamiliar with the remarkable journey of this intensely driven, courageous, and resilient young man.
In 1976, the 18-year-old Fox was diagnosed with osteosarcoma and would end up having his right leg amputated just above the knee. It didn't take long for Fox to set out on a mission to help cure cancer in an effort to keep others from enduring what he'd endured. The "Marathon of Hope" became Fox's almost unimaginable mission with the goal of running 5,300 miles across Canada from St. John's Newfoundland, to Victoria, British Columbia. Fox started his run on April 12, 1980, a Canadian public mostly not paying attention to his efforts.
Then, it began to grow.
Terry's running would inspire the nation. It wasn't rare for him to be on the news multiple nights weekly and the entire nation became obsessed with the Marathon of Hope. Sadly, after 143 days and 3,339 miles Fox was forced to end his run when his cancer returned. He passed away in 1981, Canada becoming a nation that picked up his passion and raising $850 million to date - well above his original goal of raising $1 for every Canadian. The Terry Fox run continues to be an annual, worldwide event.
Hope by Terry Fox features excerpts from Terry's very own Marathon of Hope Journal along with interviews from dozens of people throughout Terry's life including siblings, nurses, coaches, volunteers, and others who share how Terry touched their lives and how he was able to run a marathon a day.
The print version version contains over 200 photos and documents along with the interviews, stories, and passages that will inform, inspire, and challenge everyone to do what they can to make a difference in the world.
Having grown up practically in the same time period as Fox (he was slightly older), his efforts inspired me as a paraplegic and soon to be double amputee. When I began my long-distance wheeling events in my early 20s, there's no question that Fox was one of my primary sources of installation.
In fact, there's little doubt I'll be picking up the print version of this book. On this occasion, however, I experienced the audio version of the book read by Sarah Wilson and Evan Mackenzie. I must confess that I found the audio version somewhat less satisfying, Wilson's narrative almost too reverent and the book's tone easily crossing the line into what the late British comic Stella Young called "inspiration porn." As someone who has wheeled over 6,000 miles myself for charity, I completely get it. However, there were times in "Hope by Terry Fox" that it became downright syrupy. The story itself is inherently dramatic - I'd have preferred a little more variation in the reading to help humanize the different storytellers. This is especially true because, at times, the stories were very similar.
However, for those of us who've long been inspired by Fox "Hope by Terry Fox" remains a "must read" and definitely a book I'll be adding to my own collection. ...more
If you're expecting "Growing Up Urkel" to evoke that unmistakable 90's feeling of its namesake "Family Matters" character Steve Urkel, you might want If you're expecting "Growing Up Urkel" to evoke that unmistakable 90's feeling of its namesake "Family Matters" character Steve Urkel, you might want to change your expectations.
I can't help but think that at least part of the inspiration of Jaleel White's memoir "Growing Up Urkel" is to shake off the dust off the character he played for nine years and that came to define him for the rest of his adult life even as he tried to maintain an acting career once the hit series finally came to its close.
While there's definitely humor to be found in "Growing Up Urkel," there's little denying it contains an emotional edge from someone whose career never came close to equaling his childhood years playing a character initially intended for a one-off episode but who quickly became a fan favorite with his nasally voice, ever-present suspenders, coke bottle glasses, and social awkwardness.
The truth, if we're being honest, is that all you have to say is "Urkel" and anyone who was alive in the 90's will instantly smile.
Much to Jaleel White's dismay, saying "Jaleel White" may very well elicit a "Who?"
White was 12-years-old when he acquired the role of Steve Urkel. In "Growing Up Urkel," we get a sense of what it's like to be catapulted into the stratosphere of American pop culture and what it's like to be brought back down to earth nine-years-later as a young adult entering UCLA as an undergrad and facing a world that still sees him as that adorably nasally nerd.
There are times that "Growing Up Urkel" is insightful and emotionally engaging, White's obvious mixed emotions around his time as Urkel evident throughout the memoir. Where I struggled with "Growing Up Urkel," at times mightily, is in its tonal shifts and in the basic fact that for the most part I felt like I didn't know much more about Jaleel White by the end of "Growing Up Urkel" than when started it.
In some ways, "Growing Up Urkel" reminded me of Chris Kattan's memoir "Baby, Don't Hurt Me," a memoir that reflected on the comic's emotionally and physically chaotic years on "Saturday Night Live" and beyond. In my review of Kattan's book, I remarked similarly on the author's tonal shifts in the book and the surprisingly dark turn the book takes.
"Growing Up Urkel" never really turns dark, however, there's an underlying emotional edge to it that the narrative never fully leans into. At its best, "Growing Up Urkel" is an emotionally incisive exploration of what it's like when a former child star is no longer a child nor a true star. White would have, some might say, one more claim to fame when he would join "Dancing with the Stars," however, it's practically undeniable that his acting career peaked well before he was 21-years-old.
That has to it. In "Growing Up Urkel," it's obvious that it does.
To be fair, the now 47-year-old actor has consistently acted since those years and is, in fact, talented well beyond what was a gimmicky character that required more acting than one might think (Urkel and White were not synonymous).
The truth is that I wanted to experience more of Jaleel White in "Growing Up Urkel." I hesitate to even call it a memoir as the vast majority of the book deals with White's "Family Matter" years and then dealing with the emotional and practical baggage of having played a career-restricting character like Urkel. And while there's no denying Urkel has, in fact, restricted his career, it's equally true that he's continued to consistently act and is, at least according to public records, also successful financially and recently married. While we get a sense of White's parents, whom he largely credits for his ability to avoid many of the "child star" issues, we learn very little about them as is true most of White's life with the exception of those encounters he chooses to complain about here a lot. We briefly detour into the fact that during his "Dancing with the Stars" time he was struggling with the mother of his two-year-old daughter (who seems to be not much more than a narrative device here), however, at times it feels like "Growing Up Urkel" is more a child star tossing off his baggage than an actual memoir.
"Growing Up Urkel" is a decent enough exploration of the emotional life of a child star after childhood is over, though it never really lives into its full potential. For fans of "Family Matters," it's likely a must-read, however, I found myself reaching the end of "Growing Up Urkel" and asking myself "Who is Jaleel White?"
I will confess that as I began my time with Tiffany Bluhm's "The Women We've Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and CommI will confess that as I began my time with Tiffany Bluhm's "The Women We've Been Waiting For: A 40-Day Devotional for Self-Care, Resilience, and Communal Flourishing," it wasn't quite what I was expecting.
This isn't a bad thing. At all. I'll simply acknowledge that I was expecting a more traditional devotional. "The Women We've Been Waiting For" is a more immersive experience, a devotional for sure, that transcends your usual tidy quotes and tidier inspirations to create a more engaging, meaningful, practical, and person-centered experience.
"The Women We've Been Waiting For" isn't the kind of devotional that you browse, briefly reflect on, then place it comfortably back on the bedside table. "The Women We've Been Waiting For" is the kind of book that you wrestle with, engage, and ultimately put into action.
Specifically targeting women, and you could probably guess that, "The Women We've Been Waiting For" isn't interested in quick solutions and soundbyte inspirations. Bluhm invites women into a deeper and more meaningful understanding of self-care. It's not the kind of self-care you can buy in a store or solve all your problems in five minutes (neither of which work anyway). Instead, Bluhm invites women into a journey of faith, rest, joy, lament, collaboration, and empowerment. She vividly illustrates via Scripture, liturgies, and beautifully realized storytelling that self-care is critical to women's spiritual growth and empowerment. Self-care equips women to honor their place in the world and to make a difference in the world for themselves and others.
In fact, I perhaps most loved that Bluhm connects-the-dots between self-care and communal flourishing quite wonderfully. Utilizing her own writing along with guest contributions from a diverse group of ministers, authors, and activists, Bluhm invites readers to, in essence, be mentored by women who have learned to manage tension, survive the seemingly impossible, and lean into a resilient faith.
Truly best appreciated as a 40-day journey, "The Women We've Been Waiting For" guides women, or folks like me who choose to embrace it, toward a more vibrant spirituality for everyday living. ...more
For those of us who identify as Christian, I think it's likely true that there are those biblical figures with whom we identify, with whom we are furiFor those of us who identify as Christian, I think it's likely true that there are those biblical figures with whom we identify, with whom we are furious, with whom we don't particularly identify, and those with whom we simply want to learn more.
Paul is, I think, one of the most intriguing figures in Scripture. "The State of Pauline Studies: A Survey of Recent Research" surveys the current landscape of Pauline studies and offers readers a surprisingly clear, concise, and engaging guide to contemporary discussions in Pauline scholarship.
Scholars such as Scott McKnight, Nijay K. Gupta, Ben Blackwell, Dennis Edwards, Timothy Gombis, John Goodrich, Erin Heim, Joshua Jipp, Angela Parker, Kris Song, Jennifer Strawbridge, Sydney Tooth, Chris Hoklotubbe, B.J. Oropeza, Peter Oakes, Cynthia Long Westfall, and Kent Yinger provide remarkably diverse perspectives on Christology, salvation, the Spirit, gender, and empire. Beyond this, they go into each of the Pauline letters in detail - often beginning with whether current research would indicate they really are Pauline letters.
"The State of Pauline Studies," it should be obvious, really isn't for the casual reader. It's for those who want to dig deeper, study more comprehensively, and/or for those in seminary, teaching settings, or pastoral settings. A basic knowledge of Paul is likely essential along with a basic knowledge of theological terms. As a seminary graduate, I was fine. However, I could also easily see someone being confused by the material without a fundamental background in theology.
For those with that basic knowledge, "The State of Pauline Studies" is a terrific place to begin the deeper dive. If you're like me (You're probably not, I'm a weirdo.), you'll likely find yourself taking the hundreds of resources offered here and diving even deeper after finishing the book. What "The State of Pauline Studies" does really well is encourage a truly deeper dive into these remarkable professors, theologians, researchers, and scholars.
Paul is a fascinating figure and "The State of Pauline Studies" really captures that quite briliantly in a myriad of ways. Utilizing diverse voices and contemporary approaches, "The State of Pauline Studies" is a book that informs, inspires, and challenges from beginning to end. It's a perfect seminary companion and practically a must-read for anyone wanting to better understand Pauline studies. ...more
In some ways, I love winter. I love the intimacy of it. I love the mystery. I love the chill and the wonder aWinter both captivates and confounds me.
In some ways, I love winter. I love the intimacy of it. I love the mystery. I love the chill and the wonder and the darkness.
But yeah, there are practical matters to consider. I'm a wheelchair user living in a Midwestern city that most definitely experiences all four seasons. Indianapolis is sort of in-between those cities that experience really intense winter seasons and those cities that barely experience a snowflake.
In some ways, it's the most challenging way to experience winter because my city is good but far from great at facilitating winter, an issue that Dr. Kari Leibowitz talks about in her book "How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days." She addresses the fact that part of what helps us switch into a wintertime mindset is when our environment facilitates peace within those winter blues. It's a lot easier, and as a wheelchair user I feel this, to embrace winter when the roads are paved, the sidewalks are cleared, and I don't have to worry about getting stuck in my wheelchair simply going to work.
There's much to appreciate about "How to Winter," a weaving together of mindset science, original research, and cultural insights. I was most enchanted by "How to Winter" when Leibowitz was immersing us in the cultural insights and experiences she's had along the way of her unique and extensive research.
Because I live in a city that is on the border of winter wonder, the dread of the end of Daylight Saving Time is strong. Heck, even mentioning Daylight Saving Time seems to put my fellow Hoosiers into a grump. We mostly make it through the magic of the holiday, however, by the time January rolls around melancholy seems to set in and hang around until the first signs of spring.
Leibowitz gently nudges us toward an enjoyment of winter - not just tolerating it or enduring it.
"How to Winter" plants us within Leibowitz's initial move to the Arctic Circle, a place where the sun doesn't rise for two months each year, as she begins with a plan to research the season's negative effects on mental health. Instead, however, she encounters a surprise - those around her actually look forward to this with equal parts delight and enthusiasm.
There's nary a fear to be found.
As her own perspectives shifted, Leibowitz reshaped her research and began years of traveling to some of the coldest, darkest, longest, and most intense winters.
She discovered the power of "wintertime mindset." "How to Winter" serves up research, culturla immersion, and very practical strategies for developing a "wintertime mindset."
"How to Winter" is a comprehensively researched yet accessible exploration of how we can truly harness our mindset so that we don't just survive but actually thrive on cold, dark, and difficult days. ...more
Jamie Sumner's "Rolling On (Roll With It)" is a middle-grade novel that closes out a trilogy of books inspired by her son with cerebral palsy yet centJamie Sumner's "Rolling On (Roll With It)" is a middle-grade novel that closes out a trilogy of books inspired by her son with cerebral palsy yet centered around a young girl, Ellie, whose adventures first began with 2019's acclaimed "Roll With It" followed by "Time to Roll." In "Rolling On," Ellie is a now 13-year-old wrapping up the final days of middle school and hesitantly moving toward high school with a BFF, Bert, who's suddenly become really attractive and a grandfather whose health seems to be rapidly declining.
In other words, life is changing for Ellie.
The real shame here is that "Rolling On" is my introduction to Ellie, though there's little doubt I'll journey my way back and catch the other two books in the trilogy. Sumner's writing is often fueled by her life as a parent of child with a disability, though she has a wonderful knack for weaving a tapestry of normalcy rather than the usual maudlin, cutesie storytelling that far too often accompanies disability themes.
I am a writer myself, and yes with significant disabilities, and I sometimes approach these types of stories with more than a little hesitation. However, accepting that this is a middle-grade novel and not really targeting adults life myself, "Rolling On" is an absolute charmer and Ellie's winning presence makes it clear that while being a wheelchair user is a huge part of her life it's not the only thing that defines her.
There's baking.
There's family.
There's Bert.
There's Coralee.
There's a whole lot more. Ellie's a refreshingly fleshed out character who is also a very real, very authentic wheelchair user.
Sumner has written for adults and children. Sumner has written both fiction and non-fiction. While I'm in my early stages of following her writing, it's clear that she writes with candor and compassion and dignity for her characters. In an interview I read with her, she talked about the importance of making sure she had her family's permission when she writes about them, acknowledging that there are family stories that are off-limits and more universal experiences that often end up in her writing.
The same is very true with "Rolling On," a breezy and enjoyable novel that features appealing characters and familiar, relatable storytelling. As noted, Sumner avoids unnecessary histrionics and instead grounds her writing in identifiable experiences that will likely resonate with children with and without disabilities.
If there's a side benefit here, it may very well be that "Rolling On" makes disability a lot less scary and makes it clear that those of us with disabilities aren't really that much different from everyone else in our big feelings and common life experiences.
There's an awful lot to love about "Rolling On" and for those seeking disability-centered storytelling for the middle-grade crowd, this is an absolutely wonderful place to start.
Okay. Okay. Start with the first book. Or the second. Or maybe this one? Ah, whatever. Just read all three. ...more
As a lifelong basketball fan, I immensely enjoyed my journey through the 750+ page "The Basketball 100," an arguable yet entirely entertaining and infAs a lifelong basketball fan, I immensely enjoyed my journey through the 750+ page "The Basketball 100," an arguable yet entirely entertaining and informative countdown through the NBA's 100 greatest players of all-time.
If you're a basketball fan, you're going to disagree. That's a given.
True story. I once lost a friend during a debate about the two players likely to be Indiana's two greatest pro players - Reggie Miller (NBA) and Tamika Catchings (WNBA). NOTE: No, Larry Bird doesn't count since he didn't play professionally in Indiana.
See, already arguing.
I argued for Catchings, in case you wondered, and to this day I'm comfortable with that choice. For the record, my friend and I eventually re-connected. We simply don't talk basketball.
He was wrong.
Compiled by The Athletic's foremost basketball writers and analysts, "The Basketball 100" doesn't ignore the ABA entirely (which would be a serious mistake), however, there's no question this countdown emphasizes the NBA's greatest.
What's refreshing with this collection is that it's not a simple case of presenting a basketball bio with stats. We get engaging stories and vivid portraits of some of the game's most compelling players.
For true basketball fans, the inclusion of George Mikan is a must. Cut from his high school team because he wore glasses, he would become the NBA's first true mega-star. There's other familiar names here, of course, from Gary Payton to Dennis Rodman and Allen Iverson to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar among dozens of others. There seems to be a leaning toward contemporary greats (I would argue against inclusion of at least a dozen players) and, of course, we get a bold declaration of the greatest of all-time - no big surprise who's picked, though certainly many will disagree.
"The Basketball 100" explores what all the stats can and should mean in determining the greatest players - championship rings vs. stats? past vs. present? individual success vs. team success?
It's all here.
Basketball is king in Indiana and "The Basketball 100" is befitting of a king. It's a beautifully written countdown filled with authoritative info, stories, and stats. It's a book that truly celebrates the sport of basketball and the greatest players of all-time. If you don't disagree with the list, you're probably not a real basketball fan.
My beloved Reggie Miller is here, of course, though a bit low for my liking. Indiana-born Larry Bird is a no-brainer and, deservedly so, Attucks High School great Oscar Robertson is also given his place of honor here (I will confess disappointment that no ABA Pacer made the list - especially George McGinnis).
"The Basketball 100" is an absolute blast and a must-read for basketball fans. Now then, let's do the same for the WNBA....more
It's easy to forget Anne Frank's humanity. It's easy to forget that before she even thought about writing a diary, Anne Frank was a little girl born iIt's easy to forget Anne Frank's humanity. It's easy to forget that before she even thought about writing a diary, Anne Frank was a little girl born in Germany and living much of her childhood in Amsterdam.
With "When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary," acclaimed writer Alice Hoffman has crafted a middle-grade historical novel that explores the Anne Frank we never knew.
Based upon extensive research, "When We Flew Away" is an immensely moving and informative novel richly humanizing one of history's most captivating and intriguing figures. We ultimately know how it ends, however, "When We Flew Away" creates a wider tapestry and lens through which we can understand the world in which Frank lived and the world it became.
Frank's "The Diary of a Young Girl" was published posthumously, her father (the family's lone survivor of the concentration camps) having discovered the diary upon his post-war return to Amsterdam had been safely kept by his secretaries Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl.
"When We Flew Away" paints a vivid portrait of a family that relocated from Germany to Amsterdam believing themselves to be safe from Hitler's rise to power in German. Over time, and this is remarkably captured by Hoffman, the Nazi party would strengthen its grip on the Netherlands and life would be increasingly precarious as ordinary people became monsters and a community that had once been safe and loving would become anything but safe and loving.
We also get in touch with Anne Frank as aspiring writer.
Written in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, "When We Flew Away" is a beautifully written, impossible to forget novel and perhaps even a must-read for adults and middle-graders alike. For those new to the Anne Frank story, it's a vital way to really grasp what unfolded. For those who grew up reading "The Diary of a Young Girl," "When We Flew Away" is a necessary expansion of Frank's story that is so vital for understanding the life of a young girl and the horrific growth of the evil that would ultimately claim the lives of nearly her entire family.
"When We Flew Away" will not only help you understand the fullness of Anne Frank's story, but it will hopefully inspire all of us to do whatever it takes to eliminate such evil in the world. ...more
I will admit that once I spied Cass Donish's I initially resisted it. Still, I kept looking back at it and knew that it was a book I needed to read.
AI will admit that once I spied Cass Donish's I initially resisted it. Still, I kept looking back at it and knew that it was a book I needed to read.
As someone whose partner also died by suicide, I am drawn to writers who find a way to go deep into the soul of loss, memory, and the intertwining journeys of what it means to live and love.
Written in the aftermath of their partner's suicide, Cass Donish's "Your Dazzling Death" radiates as grief ritual, observance of queer place, and deep honoring of nonbinary/trans love.
It's difficult to describe "Your Dazzling Death" without somehow compromising Donish's profound and deeply moving words, equally embracing of light and dark and life and loss and the body's place within the universe. Donish writes with tremendous vulnerability and yet empowerment and resolution, the loss of partner and poet Kelly Caldwell just as the global pandemic was unfolding in 2020. "Your Dazzling Death" is elegy, a conversational lament and claiming of a new reality that attempts to make sense of the senseless. "Kelly in Violet" is a masterpiece grounded within the work of Uruguayan poet Marosa di Giorgio, presented in ways that both linger and fade.
There isn't a poem that feels as if it doesn't belong here. There isn't a poem that feels out of place here. Donish's work feels as if it's free-flowing, non-linear, and yet also present everywhere. Love and grief exist in one tapestry, Donish's journey feeling both stunningly intimate yet also universal. It's a journey that resonated with my own, a now long ago loss different in a myriad of ways yet possessing of common ground and a seemingly universal bridge.
"Your Dazzling Death" is that rare poetry collection that makes me want to immediately immerse myself in an author's writings. It creates a demand that I come to know better this Cass Donish and their literary world. This is a collection that both devastates yet somehow also exhilarates.
As soon as I finished "Your Dazzling Death," I needed to read it again. ...more
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