I was challenged by Jamie Easterwood to list 10 books that have stayed with me for some reason then challenge 10 other people to do the same without putting too much thought and effort into it. Well the challenge was to narrow it down to only ten but below are the first 10 that popped into my mind. I am challenging: Abbie McEnturff, Jillian Leiah Downey, Angie Smajstrla, Angela Goff, Carrie Walker Pilant, Troy Volkmann, Charlotte Pendleton Cox, Sheri Tuggle, John Luttrull, and Tracy Linn Cates Erwin. Here is my list in no particular order: Kindred by Octavia Butler. It is an emotional story that depicts how violence warps everyone, the victim and perpetrator alike; and how situations that are initially foreign and even painful can eventually seem ordinary and perhaps even acceptable in order to survive. Butler argues that it is the ability to adapt to anything, to feel at home in any mode, that can make whole societies accept shockingly immoral behavior. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. This is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe, or neighborhood finds your ambition threatening. This is a story for people who follow their hearts and find pleasure in doing something well, even if only for themselves. Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I consider this to be a favorite childhood classic. I was introduced to Samuel Clements a.k.a. Mark Twain in the 5th grade by my Science teacher who encouraged us to read. Her incentive if the class was good was to take the last 10-15 minutes of class to read Tom Sawyer followed by Huck Finn to us. Both were great reads about a small-town boys pranks that took the reader on a whimsical journey of adolescent escapades with timeless humor and wisdom. In later years, I read the books for myself and enjoyed them just as much. Myrtle the Turtle by Maxine Hail. Mrs. Hail was my 2nd grade teacher and she gave every student an autographed copy of her book and inspired her class to read and to write…but more importantly to use our imagination to the fullest! The story is about perseverance. Dick and Jane by William S. Gray. What can I say? I am dating myself. I learned to read with Dick and Jane…Go, Spot. Go and find Dick. Go and find Jane. Run, Spot, run. I am happy to report that it served me well. I am a good reader from the get go. Thank you Mrs. Randolph for teaching me to read and giving me opportunity to read aloud…a lot to the class! The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot is a riveting story about a dying African American woman in 1951 whose cells were taken without her knowledge for research. In every case up to her cell harvest, the cells of others died rapidly but for some reason HeLa’s (the term scientists referred to her) cells lived indefinitely. Henrietta’s cells became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, pap smears, and more. Henriettas cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family cant afford health insurance and only discovered her cells were still be used in recent years. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness by Robert Greenleaf and Stephen Covey. This book encourages collaboration, trust, listening, and empowerment. It offers long-lasting change, not a temporary fix and extends beyond business for leaders of all types of groups. Fish is Fish by Leo Lionni is a wonderful children’s book but serves as a tool for teaching teachers about perception. It has many facets and is a lovely read with colorful illustrations. I use it in workshops to illustrate the “fish bowl” instructional method. The Bible. I prefer the NIV translation but enjoy other translations as well. All 66 books are fascinating and from a literary perspective the stories are perfectly woven with seamless accuracy. It is filled with beautiful poetry, harrowing tales of rage and violence, inspiring hope, and unconditional love. It is so compelling that Hollywood has used many of the stories to make multi-million dollar movies (however it would be remiss for me not to mention that oftentimes Hollywood embellishes the story). For me it is more than a remarkable literary masterpiece but rather the living word of God. Embracing Christianity is not for sissies…it is not an easy lifestyle; but embracing Christ fills my heart and soul with joy and gives me hope in a greater good; it helps balance my shortcomings with my intrinsic motivation to be a servant leader, and fosters strength and a noble character for my life. The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary by Mark Sanborn. Just as the title infers this book inspires the reader to be extraordinary! Carpe Diem! There are four principles outlined in the book: make a difference, build relationships, create value, and reinvent yourself. I was inspired and now, every time I see someone making a true difference I think about Fred, the character in the book and it makes me smile.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 06:24:37 +0000
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