So yesterday I turned the beautiful age of 48, and with that came my yearly gift from my incredible wife…money for books! You see, we have this deal that I’ve written about before, whereby I get to order books each year on my birthday, and if I finish them all before my next birthday then I get more money to do it all again…awesome! Anyway, I finished my last book from 2017 just a few weeks ago, and I’ve spent the last month or so compiling my birthday list for 2018…I’ve pored over book reviews and on-line articles, I’ve combed through book stores, and I’ve asked around for recommendations from friends and colleagues from all around the world, and I now have a preliminary list of 15 books that I’m super excited to read…see below.

I’ll order these in the next week or so, and my goal of course is to finish them in the upcoming year. I’m encouraging all of you to take a few minutes this week to look through these titles, and to order one (or five, or ten) that resonate with you…or, do your own search and share those titles with me please so I can add them to my list. The suggestions below revolve around my favorite themes of education, leadership, creativity, innovation, and culture building, with an overarching focus on becoming a better person for our world through a few small, simple, and powerful life changes. Happy reading in 2018 everyone, and let me know if you have a suggestion or two of your own so I can get them into my shopping cart. A good book can be transformative in so many ways as you know, so please take the time…I promise you it will be time well spent. Have a wonderful week everyone and remember to be great for our students and good to each other…Happy reading!

 

Quote of the week…

Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you!

– Carlos Ruiz Zafon

 

Great At Work – Morten T. Hansen

The Culture Code – Daniel Coyle

When – Daniel H. Pink

Powerful – Patty McCord

The Vibrant Workplace – Dr. Paul White

Thinking in Bets – Annie Duke

When the Adults Change, Everything Changes – Paul Dix

The Innovation Code – Jeff DeGraff

Who Are You, Really? – Brian R. Little

Creativity Rules – Tina Seelig

The Power of Moments – Chip and Dan Heath

Radical Inclusion – Martin Dempsey

The Case Against Education – Bryan Caplan

Rethinking School – Susan Wise Bauer

Teaching as a Subversive Activity – Neil Postman (Published in 1969, still very relevant today however)