Massively Better Healthcare by Halle Tecco

MASSIVELY BETTER HEALTHCARE by Halle Tecco is self-described as “The Innovator's Guide to Tackling Healthcare's Biggest Challenges.” Tecco, the founder of the venture fund Rock Health and an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School, has been a healthcare innovator herself, supporting and investing in numerous digital health companies. Her text is well-written and accessible and delivered in a logical manner. She begins with a section that describes US Healthcare, its costs and availability relative to other countries around the world, as well as describing the numerous stakeholders. This provides a strong basis for subsequent sections which deal with pathways to innovation and a checklist for evaluating new opportunities, and the four big lessons (“Work from the inside out, not the outside in; Align the margin and the mission; Be a good steward of health data; and Invest in evidence”) that she has learned from others in the field. Throughout, Tecco provides facts (“If the US healthcare system were a country, it would be the fourth-largest economy in the world.”), her own experiences (pricing for a prescription dermatological cream that went from $275 to $25 thanks to a pharmacist’s intervention), and tons of case studies (see graphic here).  Although MASSIVELY BETTER HEALTHCARE focuses on a particular sector, much of her framework could apply to innovators in other businesses.

Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

To be published in early March, LAKE EFFECT by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is a multi-generational story with a Rochester, New York setting. I loved the many local references like Sibley’s or McCurdy’s department stores and several restaurants as well as the Lilac Festival. With a story that focuses mainly on the last third of the twentieth century, D'Aprix Sweeney also subtly weaves in historical details like Mr. Bubble (loved that!), Lollypop Farm, and the new concept of personal computers and the “undo” button for mistakes. She writes about cooking, Weight Watchers, divorce, Xerox corporate strategy, growth of supermarket chains, the AIDS epidemic and much more… all against a framework of two intertwined middle-class families, the Larkins and the Finnegans. I could readily picture them going to church on Sunday, socializing, and raising children in a close-knit town where so many folks worked for Kodak or Xerox (like Sam Larkin). Finn Finnegan pursues the family business, updating and expanding the local grocery chain (shades of Wegman’s?). But both their marriages are unhappy and changes impact them, their spouses (Nina and Honey), and their high school age children, Clara and Bridey (Bridgid) Larkin and Dune and Fern Finnegan. Subsequent events track the life choices of that younger generation (particularly the relationships between mothers and daughters), with a poignant ending. Overall, I would recommend this novel, but caution readers that there are some explicit scenes, including the rape of a fifteen-year-old girl. LAKE EFFECT received starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus (“An inviting family drama with the warmth, interest, and edge readers love in Sweeney’s work.”), and Library Journal. Marin Ireland performs well as the audiobook narrator. 

Parenting Anxiety by Meredith Elkins

PARENTING ANXIETY by Meredith Elkins is about “Breaking the Cycle of Worry and Raising Resilient Kids.” Elkins, a clinical psychologist, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and the co-program director at the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program (MAMP) at McLean Hospital, is well-regarded in her field. She draws on her work and education as well as her personal experience as a parent. Elkins appeared recently at a FAN (Family Action Network) session where she was interviewed for an hour by a local school superintendent. There, she repeatedly pointed to the idea that well-intentioned attempts to “protect” children can instead foster an environment where anxiety is allowed to thrive. As in her book, she encouraged parents and educators to approach, rather that avoid, uncomfortableness. Other chapters explore concepts such as Overparenting, Exposure Therapy, and “Finding Your Way.” At the end of each chapter is a helpful set of bullet points “to take home with you.” Over the years, we have commented on numerous books dealing with anxiety, particularly as relates to teens, although Elkins’ work applies to children of all ages. A glossary, list of resources, and notes make up over ten percent of PARENTING ANXIETY and there is also a lengthy appendix which covers “Decoding Diagnoses.”

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston

ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI by Ashley Elston (First Lie Wins) is a VERY twisty tale that is a LibraryReads selection for January. This is a very fast, but also complicated, read with jumps in both perspective and timeline. And then there are the secrets, the lies, and the pretending by various people to be someone they aren’t. Set in Louisiana, the main characters include Camille Bayliss who comes from a well-connected family; her lawyer husband Ben; her brother and sister-in-law, Silas and Margaret Everett; Ben’s law partner; local law enforcement; and Aubrey Price, a local bartender whose parents were killed many years ago in a hit and run accident; plus Aubrey’s housemates (some with criminal associations). Of course, there’s a murder and then there’s “… the tricky part. It's not just the anatomy of an alibi: having someone vouch you were somewhere else when the crime was committed, but it's the psychology of it: that someone is believable.” In her acknowledgments, Ashley Elston says this book was her hardest one to write. Readers will truly appreciate her efforts as they experience the suspense and try to unravel clues. Enjoy!  

Was That Racist? by Evelyn R. Carter

WAS THAT RACIST? by Evelyn R. Carter describes in detail “How to Detect, Interrupt, and Unlearn Bias in Everyday Life.” Carter is a social psychologist, author of cutting-edge research, and a consultant on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.  Her text is relatively short, but powerful, with chapters that discuss topics like how racial bias can be subtle or the magnitude of White privilege. She objectively defines terms like systemic racism or bystander effect and offers relatable examples as when she talks about comments from her own healthcare provider. One of her strongest positions is that “to stop biased behavior, you must call out the person responsible for the behavior” and she devotes another chapter to various means (e.g., public declarations) for calling out bias. Yet another chapter explores ways in which children learn bias and how and when they discover race and racism, again with some memorable personal anecdotes. Resources listed in that chapter are valuable, too: EmbraceRace; social justice books for teens; We Need Diverse Books; and PBS Kids for parents. Near the end, Carter acknowledges the current difficult situation and references Dr. King’s famous speech: “We shall overcome ... because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Her call to action is blunt and hopeful: “If we collectively take responsibility for calling out bias -- questioning how our families, workplaces, and communities can improve, and actively working toward that vision -- change will follow.” WAS THAT RACIST? is thoroughly researched and notes comprise approximately twenty percent of the text. 

The Cradle of Citizenship by James Traub

THE CRADLE OF CITIZENSHIP by James Traub is subtitled “How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy” and Traub spent over a year visiting schools around the country. He rightly notes that “we no longer have common criteria for truth” and “we have very few civic levers other that school left to pull.” In general, however, I honestly found the arguments in this text difficult to interpret. Traub has a view, but he buries it in so much talk about standards and classroom experience that it was difficult for me (a former teacher) to summarize. I did find it interesting that the Wall Street Journal (strong pro-charter school stance) published both an excerpt (promoting classical education) and a review by Meghan Cox Gurdon. She seems to believe that Traub was too progressive in his approach, but I found him to be negative towards standards and teaching pedagogy. It is disquieting to think about the divergence (both in content knowledge and methodology) between teachers from different generations and the likely impact on students. Although I had hoped to purchase THE CRADLE OF CITIZENSHIP and to encourage our Social Studies Department teachers to read this text, I am hesitant to do so after struggling with the preview. Traub did make me think and he encouraged me to look at the bipartisan effort named Educating for American Democracy and their Roadmap. He clearly cares about America and its citizens.

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart

DETOUR by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart (The Warehouse) is about a space mission to Titan, one of the moons near Saturn. There are six astronauts who travel together for two years: family man and cop Ryan Crane; artist and lottery winner Stitch Smith, scientist Padma Singh (whose ex-boyfriend Brett also works for NASA), and three astronauts who all have personal issues to deal with: Mike Seaver (an alcoholic), Della Jameson (mother of twins, but separated from her husband), and Alonso Cardona (closeted bisexual). It already strains credibility to think that NASA would agree to send a crew with three relatively inexperienced and untrained civilians, but using limited payload to send wine and beer into space? There are many more questions that arise, particularly when the crew eventually returns to Earth. That is where the writing really takes off (almost like the first half of the book, including the space flight, was just introducing characters, including a rich businessman and possibly corrupt politician, John Ward). The story is told from different perspectives and locations so there is quite a bit to track. I also admit that I missed where the publisher described DETOUR as “the FIRST book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series.” I agree that it is mind-bending, but I was disappointed in the abruptness of the ending and having to wait for a sequel.