Adult

I dare you to watch “Famous Amos” Wally Amos speak or write and not grin, as his enthusiasm and positivity is contagious (and sorely needed now more than ever). Best known for his famous cookie businesses, Amos shares the secrets behind his success in both his professional and private lives in this rapid read.

Written by National Geographic magazine writer Jennifer Holland, this book documents one heartwarming tale after another of animals who, with nothing else in common, bond in the most unexpected ways. Great book to reflect on starting the new school year with new friendships.

Three millennia ago, the Greek philosopher Zeno constructed a series of logical paradoxes to prove that motion is impossible. Today, these paradoxes remain on the cutting edge of our investigations into the fabric of space and time. Zeno's Paradox uses the motion paradox as a jumping-off point for an exploration of the 2500-year quest to uncover the true nature of the universe. From Galileo to Einstein to Stephen Hawking, some of the greatest minds in history have tackled the problem and made spectacular breakthroughs, but through it all, the paradox of motion remains.

A treasure trove of bright ideas guaranteed to give you hours of fun, this book will bring out the secret sorcerer and scientist in all of us.

The bad stuff always starts in your own head. In this quick read, Allen inspires and equips readers to transform their emotions, outlooks and circumstances by taking control of their thoughts. Perfect antidote to the (hopefully) ending global pandemic.

Read this book in three hours – grinning the entire time. Turns out Itzler attended my alma mater (American University) just before I arrived. Pity, as I would have loved to hung out with him. He’s crazy, and the “Seal” he lives with for a month is even crazier. Have to admit that this book had a profound effect on me, as it inspired me to live much healthier and focused. Fantastic read!

Alice Pendelbury believes everything in her life is pretty much in order – from her good friends to her burgeoning career. But even Alice has to admit it’s been an odd week. Not only has her belligerent neighbor, Mr. Daldry, suddenly become a surprisingly agreeable confidant, but he’s encouraging her to take seriously the fortune-teller who told her that only by traveling to Turkey can Alice meet the most important person in her life…and he’ll finance it, in this irresistible tale.

Full disclosure: Hal is a friend of mine, and I just adore him. This 80-year-old educator always has a kind word to say, and this book is just an extension of his life. We’d all be a LOT better off if everyone had a Hal Urban to turn to in this world. This book is the next-best thing.

The extraordinary story of the small Vermont town that has likely produced more Olympians per capita than any other place in the country – and whose citizens provide a model for achieving excellence while leading a well-rounded life.

Need a laugh? I’ve always enjoyed Seth Rogen as an actor, and this collection of short essays literally had me in tears. The perfect antidote to a tough day.

During the 1960s and ‘70s, Polaroid was the coolest technology company on earth. Like Apple, it was an innovation machine that cranked out one must-have product after another. Led by its own visionary genius founder, Edwin Land, Polaroid grew from a 1937 garage start-up into a billion-dollar pop-culture phenomenon. This book tells the remarkable tale of Land’s one-of-a-kind invention-from Polaroid’s first instant camera to hit the market in 1948, to its meteoric rise in popularity and adoption by artists such as Ansel Adams, Andy Warhol, and Chuck Close, to the company’s dramatic decline into bankruptcy in the late '90s and its unlikely resurrection in the digital age. Both an inspiring tale of American ingenuity and a cautionary business tale about the perils of companies that lose their creative edge.

What you don't know about yourself can hurt you and your relationships. Witty and filled with stories, this book – while exploring one’s connections with Christian spirituality – is more about becoming wiser and more compassionate with others. We could all use a little bit more of that, no?

I have Kirk Kirkwood to thank for this recommendation. A wonderful collection of eight short stories from memories of youth, meditations on music, and an ardent love of baseball – to dreamlike scenarios and invented jazz albums. Together, these stories challenge the boundaries between our minds and the exterior world. Occasionally, a narrator may or may not be Murakami himself. Is it memoir or fiction? The reader decides.

With the pandemic starting to subside (let’s pray it’s over!), it looks like families can finally start going out again. This light-hearted “trip down memory lane” chronicles the informal history of the family road trip with hysterical and painstaking accuracy.

Nearly thirty years ago, while Claire and her brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in their grand London home. The next morning, her father's car was found abandoned, with bloodstains on the front seat. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since. Now a doctor living under an assumed name, Claire learns the police may have found him, and her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture.