Four Mothers by Abigail Leonard

FOUR MOTHERS by Abigail Leonard is subtitled “An Intimate Journey through the First Year of Parenthood in Four Countries.” And Leonard, an award-winning journalist, contrasts giving birth and raising a young child in Japan, Kenya, Finland, and the United States. Leonard cleverly shares events and policies, often providing important political background for each country. The personal stories, particularly conflicts with parents and partners, are compelling, although I did question how representative they were (especially the polyamory relationship in the US). Taken together, they point to the advantages for children in a nuclear family with two involved parents (and maybe other relatives as well), showing the impact of societal expectations and gender roles. This research should give other scholars and policy makers much to consider in terms of paid maternity and paternity leave, daycare availability and cost, other incentives (tax, etc.) for families, and both physical and mental healthcare. In its starred review for FOUR MOTHERS Publishers Weekly says, “This is an enthralling and kaleidoscopic view of modern motherhood.” Here is a recent interview with Abigail Leonard from PBS NewsHour:

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.

Ageless Aging by Maddy Dychtwald

AGELESS AGING by Maddy Dychtwald and Kate Hanley is from the Mayo Clinic and it focuses on being “A Woman’s Guide to Increasing Healthspan, Brainspan, and Lifespan.” Dychtwald has been writing about age/aging with a particular focus on women for over a decade. She has really gathered key points in one place and offers practical advice in a friendly, conversational tone. She writes, “In each chapter, I've included practical tips, techniques, and hacks that I've categorized according to your level of experience…. [even including] an ‘if you do one thing’ tactic so that you'll know the simplest and most impactful step to get you started.” Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, the Kindle version of this preview was so badly formatted that it was impossible to complete her suggested assignments (like checking off current practice of age accelerants or decelerants  or highlighting changes a reader wants to make). Dychtwald begins by noting differences between chronological aging, psychological aging, and physical aging. Her subsequent suggestions are intended to help battle what she calls the intention/action gap and could be quite useful and motivating to readers. Between five and ten percent of the book is devoted to notes and helpful bibliographic references. Dychtwald says, “Let joy lead the way!” and I do think this could make a wonderful gift, but I would like to see a better formatted print version first.  

Another reviewer has suggested Outlive by Peter Attia which is an Economist and Bloomberg Best Book Of The Year. It is also more readily available through public libraries and bookstores so I will be looking into that title, too. Attia has serves on the editorial board of the journal Aging and is host of The Drive, a popular podcast covering the topics of health, medicine, and longevity.

To Dye For by Alden Wicker

A Next Big Idea Club selection for June, TO DYE FOR by Alden Wicker is definitely worth reading. Wicker, an award-winning journalist and sustainable-fashion expert, outlines “How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick.” She uses very relatable examples, including the new uniforms distributed to Alaskan Airline personnel and subsequent adverse reactions. Hives, rashes, breathing difficulties are just a few examples of how Wicker contends that clothes (and the many unregulated chemicals they carry) may make us sick. Later chapters address concerns like fertility issues and autoimmune disease. Fashion is a 2.5 trillion-dollar global industry so it has vast resources and that means increasing consumer knowledge and wariness is critical. Wicker describes conditions in factories abroad and offers an entire chapter with suggestions of how to protect yourself (more natural fabrics, less dry cleaning, etc.). Approximately twenty percent of the book contains a lengthy Glossary and detailed Notes. I agree with Booklist which gave TO DYE FOR a starred review and which also recommended the text for teens, saying that as a group they “are way ahead of the curve with sustainable fashion, and they will appreciate this smart investigation.” Our students will be engaged and further motivated after reading TO DYE FOR. Looking for a preview? The publisher’s website has an audio excerpt and amazon offers one to read. Even better: “meet” the author via Zoom on Tuesday, August 29 at 7:00pm (East Coast time) at an event sponsored by the Hudson Library and Historical Society.