Always have Enough by Maria Melchor

ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH by Maria Melchor, founder of FirstGenLiving, covers “How to Build Wealth When You Don't Come from Money.”  Melchor writes in a very accessible, understandable tone and offers numerous insights, including a 6-Week Kickstart Plan, to her readers. She focuses on habits to develop like savings goals and smart borrowing. I found this book to be quite helpful, especially for younger people who are struggling to understand the world of finance. Melchor writes about the AHEM (Always have Enough Money) system and encourages budgeting and planning. She frequently references her own experience as an immigrant and writes with empathy for those who are seeking to balance their personal needs and those of cultural, familial obligations. This text is designed to improve understanding and encourage reflection; for example, several chapters include homework exercises (e.g., creating a financial toolbox with simple steps related to banking and credit cards or strengthening one’s safety net). It might take someone who is less familiar with the system longer than her six-week program goal, but the checklists are very useful and a great first step towards more financial stability. 

A Culture of Promise by Fee Stubblefield

A CULTURE OF PROMISE by Fee Stubblefield is subtitled “The True Story of a Small Company's Quest to Transform the Senior Living Industry.” Stubblefield, who has been involved in developing and managing senior living for close to two decades, repeatedly cites his Grandmother’s request to not be “put” in an old folks’ home as a motivating force. He notes that the wish (fairly common amongst a certain generation) is negative, fear-based and discriminatory. I liked that he provided some rationale for this concern by pointing to the history of senior living: the first, spanning roughly the 1960s to the early 1990s, is referred to as the Skilled Nursing Home period when the major emphasis was on safety. A second period focused on the “assisted living” concept and lasted roughly through the major disruption of COVID. Change is again necessary according to the author and the pandemic has provided an opportunity to further transform the industry. Describing his investment relationship with Harrison Street Real Estate, he writes at length about the concept of “limiters” and says, “my company was limited by the lack of understanding of the challenges our customers were going through, which created a lack of understanding as to how to meet their needs.” So true, especially his emphasis on the value of communication, and a key takeaway that “the employee experience defines the resident experience.” He offers charts that look at three dimensions labeled the customer, employees, and investors; then, he looks at three decision nodes: to move/join; to stay; and to thrive. Although Stubblefield references Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, it could be fascinating to look even more deeply into applying psychological concepts to his arguments. Stubblefield promotes “high-quality care, support, and love designed for every budget” and I would be curious to learn more about how well the twenty or so properties he operates across at least three states achieve that lofty goal. Even he comments on the “cultural misunderstandings between capital and operations.” A CULTURE OF PROMISE is written with an inspirational tone and will hopefully prompt some discussion and even soul-searching in an industry that tends to be very opaque and fragmented (most regulation is by the states). I have recommended this title to the administrators I know in the field. They may also be interested in relevant websites Stubblefield mentions like the National Investment Center or other trade associations. I am curious to see what else (like Here be Dragons about urgent care clinics) Forbes Books is publishing concerning changes in the healthcare arena.

Third Millennium Thinking

THIRD MILLENNIUM THINKING by Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun is based on a successful multidisciplinary course at UC Berkeley taught by a physicist, a philosopher, and a psychologist, respectively. The authors’ goal is “Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense” by teaching and writing about using science and thinking tools to make better decisions. They begin by exploring how to build trust in a shared understanding of reality. Subsequent sections deal with applying probabilistic thinking and a “radical can-do stance.” The final areas they delve into include mental traps (the ways our personal thinking tends to go wrong) and then how we can better solve problems with others. Throughout, these professors offer multiple “hands on” examples which greatly increase the ability of readers to understand and relate to their key points. They also suggest exercises (e.g., accompany every statement of fact with an indication of degree of confidence) to further help readers in attempt to offer “a good translation -- a clear and concise explanation that expresses the scientific approach in an accessible way, and that illuminates its practical uses in everyday life.” I sincerely hope that this text has a wide readership, but I fear it will be mostly read by people who are already very concerned about our ability to find common understandings and who agree with the authors that “we need to learn to accept the possibility of errors in our own thinking, and our need for opposing views that help us see where we are going wrong.”

Money, Power, Respect and Glass Walls - plus more

I just realized that August 26th is Women’s Equality Day which commemorates the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. Given that and the recent controversy resulting in suspension of the Spanish soccer coach, it seemed worth sharing a number of new books which deal with women’s sports or gender bias:

MONEY, POWER, RESPECT is a debut work by Macaela MacKenzie, a journalist most recently at Glamour. Here, she explores “How Women in Sports Are Shaping the Future of Feminism.” Looking first at Money, Mackenzie devotes a chapter each to the pay gap, to underinvestment in women’s sports and to the motherhood penalty. She argues forcefully that these issues occur across industries, but that the public nature of sports means that “the differences in resources are as obvious as the stadiums women play in and the uniforms on their backs, offer[ing] those trying to shortchange women fewer places to hide.” The section on Power has chapters dealing with a collective voice, changemakers, barriers, and recognizing your worth. Again, MacKenzie draws on a variety of instances including prejudiced comments by a former Japanese Prime Minister which resulted in his resignation. The final section, on Respect, contains chapters which deal with sexist images and language, how men feel threatened (e.g., citing data from Accenture and Girls Who Code regarding women in the tech industry), and the importance of visibility and media coverage for women. MacKenzie is adept at illustrating her points with real life cases and at drawing on academic research (like studies of media bias) to support her points. In an author’s note, MacKenzie indicates that she “interviewed dozens of athletes, academics, and activists;” she also lists additional sources in a formal Notes section that comprises roughly twenty percent of the text. MONEY, POWER, RESPECT appeared on several “must read” lists including ones from Time Magazine and the Next Big Idea Book Club.   

GLASS WALLS by Amy Diehl and Leanne M. Dzubinski discusses “Shattering the Six Gender Bias Barriers Still Holding Women Back at Work.” Before reading further take a moment and write down your thoughts on what those could be. Diehl, an information technology leader and gender equity researcher, and Dzubinski, an associate Biola University in California, label the barriers as male privilege, disproportionate constraints, insufficient support, devaluation, hostility, and acquiescence. How many did you name? The authors encourage readers to “reflect on how intensely you have been socialized into gender stereotypes that permeate society. And think about how that socialization may be affecting you, even unconsciously.” Diehl and Dzubinski give numerous examples (such as gatekeeping, tokenism, using derogatory language, or interrupting) and often provide specific details by quoting business women or faith leaders (an area where Dzubinski has done previous research). Pointing out that “identifying and exposing bias is the first step to eliminating it,” they also provide helpful, actionable strategies for leaders, allies, and self at the end of each section. Roughly a fourth of the text is devoted to Notes, Bibliography and Index. GLASS WALLS received a starred review from Booklist (“practicality and clarity make this a valuable contribution”). 

Looking for more reading ideas? McKinsey just posted “Ten Books by Women Authors in Honor of Women’s Equality Day.” Related titles we have reviewed include Invisible Women; Pay Up; When Women Lead; Up to Speed; Controlling Women; The No Club; and so many more.

Fixed by Amy E. Herman

FIXED is a stimulating new book by Amy E. Herman, a self-described “leadership consultant who has crisscrossed the globe for eighteen years teaching professional development courses to everyone from Silicon Valley executives to Navy Seals.” She decided to explore creativity and the work of artists “from conceptualization to actualization, while facing obstacles from deadlines to a death of resources including money, materials, and motivation” in order to craft a text outlining the problem-solving process. Herman’s book is divided into three sections (Prep, Draft and Exhibit) which encourages the use of open eyes, open minds, and the universal language of art. In just the first few pages, she uses portraits of three US Presidents to memorably illustrate the meaning of bias. Next, she discusses the importance of self-awareness, noting studies from the Hay Group (only 4% of executives were considered truly self-aware) and the University of Kansas (that our desire for similarity and selective truth-seeking is a hardwired psychological default). Herman’s emphasis on visual intelligence will be of interest across disciplines.  I am looking forward to spending more time with her text and the many exercises she advocates.

Noise by Kahneman, Sibony, and Sunstein

Last night I had the pleasure of listening to William Tipper, Associate Editor of Books for The Wall Street Journal interview Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein regarding their new book, NOISE. These authors’ credentials in terms of critical thinking, strategic planning, and decision-making are impressive: Kahneman (a Nobel Prize winner) also wrote Thinking Fast and Slow, while Sunstein co-authored Nudge and all three are professors at well-regarded institutions (Princeton, HEC Paris and Oxford, and Harvard). They subtitled their book “A Flaw in Human Judgment” and focus on how “noise” (random scatter or variability) along with bias (systematic deviation) each contribute error as humans make decisions. Citing numerous examples from diverse fields like the justice system (think about juries or sentencing), medicine (diagnoses, etc.), and the business world (hiring decisions, underwriting, and investment choices, for example), they explain the problem, including our resistance to believing how vulnerable we are to noise. They also devote considerable attention to suggestions for institutional design or “decision hygiene” such as aggregating independent views and consulting experts (“wisdom of crowds”); establishing guidelines (as is done for judges); adopting processes to structure decisions by breaking them down and keeping components separate; and delaying intuition and snap decisions. The book’s appendix provides instructions on how to conduct a noise audit, a checklist for a decision observer, and information on correcting predictions. Extensive notes are also supplied. Given the disruption of the last year or so, this seems an especially valuable text worth consulting. 

Adolescent Health titles ...

GOODNIGHT MIND FOR TEENS by Colleen E. Carney is part of the New Harbinger Instant Help   Books imprint. Carey, a professor and researcher,  writes here specifically to teens. She notes that their sleep problems are distinct from others’ and offers “solutions that use sleep science and consider the unique biology and life demands of young adults.” Her tone is generally non-judgmental and soothing throughout; she encourages teens to take an approach of “tracking your sleep, learning about your sleep, coming up with a plan for a change, and checking whether you are satisfied with the results of your plan.” Her focus seems to be on individual goal setting – plus, readers are welcome to create an account and view related accessories. The text itself is organized so that each chapter centers around a tip (e.g., establishing a wind down routine or making a plan for getting out of bed in the morning) and that should help teens to break up their approach in a manageable (and hopefully successful!) manner. Carney assists in this by providing a well-organized summary and plan for the week at the end of each chapter. As she says, “this book focuses on creating an environment for change rather than inflexibly dictating standards for sleep behaviors.” GOODNIGHT MIND FOR TEENS may be a good starting point for some students, although others may find her advice (references to substance abuse, for example) to be too simplistic.  In any case, sleep is an important topic in our health classes and students could benefit from exploring Carney’s efforts to build “Skills to Help You Quiet Noisy Thoughts and Get the Sleep You Need.” The book could use more illustrations – maybe a fun class assignment would be to create those more memorable messages?

THE NEW ADOLESCENCE by Christine Carter is subtitled “Raising Happy and Successful Teens in an Age of Anxiety and Distraction.” It seems even more relevant in these days of COVID as we try to navigate uncertainty and more “together” time than usual. Carter knows what she is talking about due to her training as a sociologist, her role as a senior fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, and her practical experience as a Mom of four teenagers. The book is certainly geared towards parents and while it refers to numerous scientific findings, it is written in an accessible manner with bold type throughout for key ideas. I do think that teens may be put off a bit by some of the suggestions (no phone, tablet or computer in your bed does not seem reasonable in times of remote learning) and also with some of the language (e.g., her driving and technology contracts start out “Dear Sweet Child of Ours”). However, the statistics to which she points are certainly significant ones and worthy of discussion. The book itself is divided into three parts, with the first providing a Foundation which provides background and discusses helping teens to set up good systems and supporting them when they miss the mark. In the second section, she discussions Three Core Skills for the Digital Age (i.e., connection, focus (“a twenty-first-century superpower”), and rest. Part three covers talking points for the new sex talk, drinking and drugs, and money.  The conclusion provides a useful summary about parenting strategies and tactics to support reconnection for tweens, teens, and college students. There is about twenty pages of source notes and an index. To me, this work further highlights a need for educators to be thinking about how to help teens find meaning and connect, especially if traditional options (like Fall sports or other extra-curricular activities) are limited due to COVID. 

DECODING BOYS by Cara Natterson describes the “New Science Behind the Subtle Art of Raising Sons.” A pediatrician, Natterson shares a great deal of medical information, particularly about brain development and effects of testosterone hormone. An entire chapter discusses how puberty for boys is beginning earlier, too, at roughly 9 or 10. Another section is titled, “When They Look Like Adults, But Don’t Think Like Them.” That one begins humorously with stories involving her own children, but carries some serious messages as do subsequent sections on pornography, consent, addiction, and aggression. This is uncomfortable reading at times, but Natterson’s emphasis on listening and communication would be echoed by Lisa Damour, author of Untangled and Under Pressure as well as a recent FAN speaker, who says, “If you're raising a boy, you need this brilliant book.”  The text concludes with an objective, alphabetical (acne, body odor, etc.) list of body changes that occur as well as “a relatively brief explanation of the behind-the-scenes biology.” Overall, a useful resource with a science slant.