Here's the assertion: "Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals." In a 2006 poll given to adults in 32 countries, the resulting U.S. statistics were just plain staggering to me ...
For the past week, I've been talking nonstop about this book to friends, even those who don't have children. This is one of those titles that should be on every bookshelf, regardless of breeding status. Really. Because it's as much about relationships with all people,...
If you haven't heard of Randy Pausch and experienced his delightful, heartbreaking, inspiring Last Lecture, surely you must: Click here for a comprehensive summary page created by Carnegie Mellon University where he was a professor before he passed away on July 25, 2008 of pancreatic...
Even before this book hit U.S. shelves, French-born Turkish author Elif Shafak was charged with insulting "Turkishness" in violation of Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code because one of her characters refers to the large-scale massacre of Armenians that began in 1915 in Turkey as...
Forty-three (yes, 43!) hours is a major commitment to a single book. And in spite of the most eye-rolling, not-so-nicely-talking back to a continuously babbling (for 43 hours, 3 minutes to be exact!) iPod that I have ever done, I will actually admit that Shantaram is...
Since Lisa See's latest has been sitting high on all the best bestseller lists for many weeks, presumably many have already read the story of two sisters and their odyssey from China to LA's Chinatown. I probably should have done the same – read the...
With a father in jail and a mother trying hard to keep her family together, San Lee's peripatetic home life is anything but zen. He's entering yet another new school as an outside eighth-grader – and moving from big town Houston to small-town Pennsylvania isn't...
If you don't think you've got the time to read this whole book, turn at least to the very end (don't expect to hear me say that again anytime soon!) and read Yunus' inspiring lecture he gave when he and his remarkable Grameen Bank together deservedly won the...
I've gotten so spoiled that I have to have Malcolm Gladwell read his books to me [in true groupie mode, we not only have the audible.com download, turns out we also own two copies of Tipping, including one that's actually been signed by Gladwell!]. As this is the...
Even prison did not stop William Smith from his tenacious decades-long journey to create a map that clearly captured in one colorful creation what was buried under England's rolling hills and valleys. Prison is where Simon Winchester, a remarkable chronicler of obscure and near-forgotten but terribly important lives...
So I'm getting on the Gladwell bandwagon a little late – and seemingly going backwards, too. Outliers floored me last month. And I'm hoping to get to The Tipping Point by next month. But timing is everything: I think I was meant to read Blink now because I have...
We listen to a lot of recorded books, shuttling the kids here and there. Every once in awhile, you get an unforgettable one like Edward's Eyes. It's not very long, but wow is it memorable, especially for parents! Jake and Edward are two especially bonded brothers...
The inaugural post for a historic inaugural year! While finding out so much more about our first African American president, you can also discover his Asian Pacific American cultural heritage, as well. He was born in Hawai’i, his father-figure ages 4-6 was an Indonesian man, Lolo...
Clearly, this is one of those books that will change the way you think about the world. Forget the 'rags to riches' stories out there, the lone 'self-made man' who rises to the top from nowhere. Gladwell, in his third intriguing book, argues that outliers...
In 1979, 9-year-old Suleiman already lives a fractured existence in the Libyan capital of Tripoli, controlled by Qaddafi and the ever-present threat of his secret police. While his father is often away on some unknown business, young Suleiman is left behind to take care of...
Looking into the brave new world, more likely than not, the next generations of America’s best and brightest will be working for Indian and Chinese multinational companies. Read why … and be prepared. Bonus: Fascinating and...
The perfect companion piece to Fast Food Nation, with even gorier details of death and destruction, as well as the most enlightening look at where, when, and how our food gets processed in our overindustrialized food...
This is one of those life-changing books. Truly. I read it just before my first-ever trip to India (hoping to also go to Bangladesh at some point, but hasn't happened...
