Book Talk ... Continuing a Conversation ...
Monday, September 14, 2026
The Human Scale by Lawrence Wright
Friday, September 11, 2026
Off Ramp by Spencer Cox
Thursday, September 10, 2026
We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Leadership Intelligence by Caroline Webb
LEADERSHIP INTELLIGENCE by Caroline Webb (How to Have a Good Day) offers “Science-Backed Strategies for Mastering 21 Everyday Management Challenges.” Webb, Senior Advisor on leadership to McKinsey & Company, was recently interviewed in a Family Action Network webinar by Jonathan Haidt (The Anxious Generation). They discussed her ideas regarding three main themes: Deliberate Wisdom (widen and lighten); Intrinsic Inspiration (competence and connection); and Reasoned Resilience (manageable and meaningful). Her new book covers specific situations (e.g., how to make time for your top priorities or how to handle disagreement well) and offers practical solutions to real-world issues. Managers will find her coaching to be very valuable; here is a link to some suggested reading paths. I want to spend more time with LEADERSHIP INTELLIGENCE and am recommending this text.
Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Receipts from the Bookshop by Katie Clapham
Monday, September 7, 2026
Coding Kids by Natasha Singer
CODING KIDS by Natasha Singer (New York Times reporter focusing on technology in schools) describes “Big Tech's Battle to Remake Public Schools.” Described as the “best possible introduction” (Sherry Turkle), a “must read” (danah boyd), and a “necessary book” (Diane Ravitch), CODING KIDS has the potential to be a great “one book one school” choice for adults as it probes questions about the influence of tech companies as well as the purpose of education. Booklist summarizes Singer’s solution as “Stop preparing kids to be cutting-edge tech savvy. Reassert public education's main mission: to teach kids to become independent thinkers.” Isn’t that refreshing? Preparing students for their whole lives, not just for a job. Singer divides the book into three main sections (The New Power; The Big Tech Education Playbook; and AI Literacy for All). For example, she looks back in time at Microsoft’s efforts to mainstream computer science classes in high school and a famous video (What Most Schools Don’t Teach) that prompted wider interest in coding. Singer also describes the evolution and impact of programs like Learning to Code with Google and Apple’s influence on Advanced Placement Computer Science classes. She brings in teacher and student voices by chronicling classroom discussions such as one on surveillance, tackling the question: “would you rather be under video surveillance or audio surveillance every day, all day?” CODING KIDS is based on years of research, and the Notes section comprises roughly ten to fifteen percent of the text. The Kapor Center, a non-profit that Singer references just recently released an updated version of its “Responsible AI and Tech Justice for K12 Education” with six core components. Interested readers may also want to explore the edsurge (iste/ascd) article on “Protecting Student Cognition in the Age of AI” or The Digital Delusion by Horvath.
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Ash and Honor by Jeffrey Robinson
ASH AND HONOR by Jeffrey Robinson details “The Untold 368 Minutes of 9/11.” Robinson, a prolific non-fiction writer, offers over sixty eyewitness accounts, all while describing the confusion and uncertainty of that eventful day. Because of all of the acronyms and bureaucracy involved this text is difficult to follow at times, but it is well-researched and brings up aspects of which few may be aware. The description of getting all of those planes out of the air and subsequently finding box cutters on some after they landed gave me goosebumps. Publishers Weekly calls ASH AND HONOR “a valuable record of bureaucracies and chains of command operating under extreme pressure” and that does seem to be Robinson’s main focus. Look also for other books related to 9/11 if your interests differ.
I am grateful that we collected so many contemporary works (such as Understanding September 11 by Mitch Frank and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies’ Collection of Front Pages) so that they could be available for future student research. We also have numerous works of young adult fiction related to 9/11. And the public library offers several relevant documentary videos through the Kanopy platform. Two items on my own to-be-read list are The Only Plane in the Sky by Graff and The Day the World Came to Town by Defede (also commemorated in the musical Come From Away currently playing in Austin). Despite the sad subject, the passing of twenty-five years deserves a respectful remembrance.
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We are in the midst of migrating book reviews to this new blog. To see past reveiws and comments, please visit Book Talk ... A Conversation...
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HEART OF A STRANGER by Angela Buchdahl is certainly in contention for my favorite book of the year. That is a surprise because this is the ...
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MRS. ENDICOTT'S SPLENDID ADVENTURE is the latest historical fiction from Rhys Bowen ( In Farleigh Field ). She is a personal favorite a...
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EAT YOUR ICE CREAM by Ezekiel J. Emanuel offers “Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life.” Emanuel, a bioethicist and professor at the...






