Book 1: How Children Succeed

I found this very interesting, both from a personal perspective (what can I do to help my own children), but in a larger, national context (what are some possible solutions for generational poverty and other socio-economic inequalities).

These issues are complicated and there are no easy answers, nor any answers that will solve every problem, but Paul Tough describes some programs and ideas that seem to be working.

As for me, I'll just go back to "licking and grooming" my little ones, because attachment matters.

Book 49: Dad is Fat

Jim Gaffigan may be the official standup comedian of parents. He still has more kids than we have, though we are trying to catch up! (Just kidding!)

This book was overall very funny, but there were a few times that I thought it was a bit too earnest to be funny. His standup is genius, though--we listened to a couple of recent recordings on New Year's Eve and laughed uproariously.

Book 47: The Fish that Ate the Whale

Who knew there was so much to know about bananas growing and banana sales?

Not that long ago, the banana was quite a mover and a shaker in world politics. In addition to helping me understand the ol' slipping-on-a-banana-peel gag, this was really fun to listen because it was so engagingly written.

Book 46: Debt Free on Any Income

Ironically, I can't really remember anything from this book.

Um, spend less, debt snowball, stop using credit cards?

Book 45: 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

This is one of those kind of gimmick-y life experiment books that I always say I'm not going to read anymore.

This one gave me a lot to think about, in terms of recognizing the overabundance around me, and how I might simplify and at the same time enrich my life.

Book 43: The Cooked Seed

A few years ago, I read Anchee Min's memoir of her early years in China, Red Azalea. This second volume recounts her experiences coming to the United States as a student and making her way as a writer.

If you have had cross-cultural experiences or you work with international students, you might find this interesting and relevant.

Book 42: Second Suns

If you're interested in global health and global poverty, this is a very readable look at the power of eye surgery to improve lives. Second Suns follows the lives and work of two eye surgeons and the work they do to provide cataract and other eye surgery to people with preventable blindness.

The methods used by these two surgeons to bring sight to as many people as possible are inspiring.

Book 41: The Swerve

Not sure what electromagnetic field affected my brain to such a degree that I haven't posted anything in two months, but here we go again!

This one will blow your mind.

I had no idea that so many of our "modern" ideas originated in ancient Greece, or how many of them were lost in the Middle Ages. It poses some interesting, challenging questions about religion, as well.

Book 40: Book of Ages: The Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin

Jane Franklin was Benjamin Franklin's younger sister, and this book describes her life, as much as is known from the correspondence that survived. Most of her writings were lost, but a few of her letters, and a small book listing birth and death dates of her children (her "Book of Ages"), remain. Many of the letters Benjamin wrote to her in reply survive, so Lepore has read between the lines about what Jane might have written to her brother.

I found this book a little bit frustrating, since it seems to focus so much on Benjamin and not Jane. Lepore admits that was one of her main worries when writing the book: that it would become about Benjamin, not Jane. In spite of this weakness, it illuminates the experience of an ordinary woman during the time of the American Revolution, those of her words that survived.

Book 38: Missing Microbes

I've started to hear the term "microbiome" used now and then, and I'm intrigued. It rolls off the tongue so nicely. Microbiome. It's in your gut, mostly.

Dr. Blaser's premise is that many diseases on the rise are increasing because of changes in our microbiomes, often because of antibiotic overuse. He describes his research regarding microbes and these diseases, including asthma, GERD, and obesity. It's intriguing.

Book 35: The Triple Package

How about some more controversy from the Tiger Mother?

This book presents a theory as to why some cultural groups are more successful than others. It's an interesting theory. But I'm a bit at a loss as to what can be done with this information.

Book 33: Do You Believe in Magic?

Maybe it's just my imagination, but Paul Offit is a little defensive in this book.

Not that I can really blame him; Paul Offit developed the rotavirus vaccine and understandably has a bit of a chip on his shoulder regarding people who are anti-vaccine (and I used to be sort of in that camp, so I took some of the jabs).

Much of this information I was already familiar with, but some was new to me, and was very interesting.

Book 29: 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

For a while I felt like I was being handslapped by Laura Vanderkam about misusing my time. If Debra (a real person) can run a business full-time, mother six children, sleep eight hours a night, and still have time to take afternoon-long hikes with her large dog, why was I whining about not having time for my hobbies?

Nobody likes to be handslapped, but I came to see that Vanderkam really has a point. There are vast swaths of time in my life that are filled with pointless activities. For instance, I was horrified to consider how much time I spent online, accomplishing very little.

Vanderkam also suggests reviewing activities that are necessary, but don't necessarily need to be done by you, like laundry, grocery shopping, or even cooking. I think it's valuable to consider if certain default activities are really worthwhile personally, professionally, and financially. I won't be outsourcing our laundry, but I did find it helpful to consider.

Book 28: Eat Move Sleep

I can't believe I stayed up late reading a book about how important enough sleep is.

I got a few good ideas out of this book, but overall, it wasn't really new information. 

Book 27: All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood

If you were in my presence during the time that I was reading this, you undoubtedly heard me excitedly telling you all about it.

So much of it rang true to my experience as a parent. I loved the first section about parenting preschool children and the challenges that poses to individuals and their relationships. Senior has some theories as to why parenting sometimes feels like 99% boredom and 1% panic. She does this by presenting several case studies of families in each stage of parenting: those parenting the very young, those with elementary school age children, and families with teenagers. The case studies are presented with empathy and without unnecessary judgment. 

I think most parents will see some aspect of themselves in it, no matter what "type" of parent you are. It helped me understand myself and my stage of life in different ways.

Book 24: What to Look for in Winter

I found myself asking, "What is this book about?" quite frequently. That doesn't seem like such a good sign.

Candia McWilliams began to lose her sight when she lost the ability to hold her eyes open for most of the day, a condition called blepharospasm. Her memoir is an attempt to explain to herself and others how that might have happened. There were some compelling parts of this book, but much of it left me scratching my head.

Book 23: Prague Winter

Madeleine Albright only discovered her family's Jewish heritage 50 years after World War II, when she became Secretary of State for the Clinton administration. She then learned that a number of her relatives had died in Jewish internment camps in Czechoslovakia.

This book is a mixture of personal remembrance, family history, and the history of the Czech people and Czechoslovakia, focusing particularly on the years leading up to and including World War II. There was much that was new to me.

The writing was lovely. The reading was done by Albright herself, which was nice in a way, but sometimes the pausing was odd or confusing.

Book 22: Notes from a Blue Bike

Tsh Oxenrider runs a great website called The Art of Simple. She also has a new book out this year. In it, Oxenrider gives ideas and poses questions to help readers make more intentional choices in there family lives.

In it, Oxenrider gives ideas and poses questions to help readers make more intentional choices in there family lives.

I really wanted to love this. I even joined the associated online book club, but the book just did not speak to me. There wasn't anything particularly thought-provoking or new to me. The blue bike only made two appearances: in the prologue and the epilogue. As Lance Armstrong said, It's Not About the Bike. That's a shame, because I'm really drawn to the idea of living simply and cruising around with my kids on a bike. Oxenrider's writing style isn't my favorite, either.

Book 21: 10% Happier

I'm always astonished to read about how smart, capable adults do really crazy, irresponsible things, like take drugs or participate in smuggling rings.

Dan Harris was a TV news correspondent who began using drugs as he adjusted to returning from covering the war in Afghanistan. After he had a panic attack on the air, he discovered mindfulness meditation to manage his anxiety.

This is a very readable introduction to mindfulness meditation, including simple instructions to get started, if you've never explored the topic before. I've read a bit written by Jon Kabat-Zinn, one of the earliest and best-known mindfulness meditation teachers and researchers in the U.S., so early on in the book, I recognized where Harris was going. Experienced meditators may find it a bit too basic and  his journey tedious.

Book 20: David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

This was a guilty pleasure read for me. Read by Malcolm Gladwell himself! He's Canadian! It includes a story from Manitoba (albeit a rather gruesome one)! Really, what's not to love?

Oh, Malcolm Gladwell, how I wanted to embrace your "insight porn."

Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that most stories can't possibly be as simple (or even complicatedly tidy) as Gladwell makes them sound. But the stories are interesting, and I do feel like I have learned something.