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The Areas of My Expertise

The Areas of My Expertise

By John Hodgman 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

Do not let the page length fool you, as there are lots of photos, graphs and blank pages. Perfect for lazy readers! I always like funny books, and I have my good friend Rob Schwartz to thank for loaning me this hilarious “compendium of complete world knowledge.” I found myself laughing throughout, and I especially enjoyed Hodgman’s sections on failed palindromes and hobo poetry. Demented and a riot.
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Lanterns

Lanterns

By Marian Wright Edelman 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

Amazon lists this book as 208 pages, but they must be including the 30 pages of photos, too. I devoured this memoir. I had the honor of meeting Marian Wright Edelman at a Town Hall meeting in Los Angeles a few years ago, and she was one of the most eloquent and amazing speakers I have ever seen. She is also a warm and genuinely “interested” person. Author Jim Collins said that some of the best advice he received from his mentor at Stanford, John Gardner, was to “be less interesting and more interested.” Edelman has had such a tremendous impact on America by being interested in the futures of every child in this country. You will be a better person just by reading this book.
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The Five Love Languages

By Gary Chapman 203 pages Adult

Danny Says

It should not take a holiday to get your loved one roses or write a card or make a nice compliment. I confess: I saw this book in the front of the bookstore, and I was intrigued. The book deals with spirituality as well as romance, and I am glad to have read it if, for no other reason, to remind me how much I love and adore my wife.
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Letters to a Young Mathematician

Letters to a Young Mathematician

By Ian Stewart 224 pages Adult

Danny Says

 I grabbed this book at Border’s the other day and read it from cover to cover before leaving the store. This is the way to get people interested in math. Stewart beautifully captivates the imagination with fictitious letters to his niece about why math matters. He gets you thinking about how math is in every basic item of our daily lives, even in the vegetables we eat. With a teacher like this, I may have pursued a degree in math, as Stewart does a superb job of showing math’s benefits (intellectually, professionally and financially).
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Clearing the Bases

Clearing the Bases

By Mike Schmidt 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

Baseball season is back! It just seems to work out this month that a lot of the books I have been reading are new releases. Mike Schmidt was one of my favorite players when he played third base for the Phillies, and I greatly respect his opinion. If you are a really lazy reader, you can always get the gist of this book simply by reading the title. Schmidt’s publisher must have thought of this as a dissertation. Still, I agree with almost everything Schmidt says, and I believe Roger Maris still holds the home run record (the non-steroid mark, that is).
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Flavor of the Month: Why Smart People Fall for Fads

Flavor of the Month: Why Smart People Fall for Fads

By Joel Best 222 pages Adult

Danny Says

So what if this book just came out, and I tend to always read books that are sent to me from publishers for free? While Joel Best can often bore with statistics (he wrote the wonderful Damned Lies and Statistics), his point of this book is intriguing: Americans often fall for scams. He is not talking about the guys that buy Ab Rollers sold on late night infomercials (which I own, pitifully). Best is talking about how smart people in business, medicine and education cling to the next 7-step approach or easy-to-use carb diet. Education, in my opinion, suffers from this disease more than any other profession, as the pendulum has swung most recently to drilling letter sounds and endlessly assessing students as a part of the government’s No Child Left Untested program. If nothing else, this book will get you thinking. I’ve attached an anecdote from my own teaching experiences on this month’s blog (click here).
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The Bad Driver's Handbook

The Bad Driver's Handbook

By Zack Arnstein & Larry Arnstein 192 pages Adult

Danny Says

This is the funniest book I’ve read this year. I delighted in reading it from cover to cover at Border’s while listening to the Mamma Mia! soundtrack. Filled with hilarious tips and illustrations, who could not love a book with chapters like “Turn Signals – Why Give Up the Element of Surprise?” and “Bumper Stickers: Religion & Politics Are Just the Beginning – You Can Start a Conflict with Another Driver Over Almost Anything.” It also has my favorite “direct paraphrase” from Patrick Henry: “We must fight to dismantle systems of oppression created by distant and tyrannical monarchies, and the DMV!” This book is sure to bring a smile to any driver frustrated by other motorists’ ineptitudes. 
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Everyman

Everyman

By Philip Roth 182 pages Adult

Danny Says

Discussing books by Philip Roth will make you look intelligent. I really enjoyed Roth’s The Plot Against America, but this is a great book to introduce you to Roth’s writing style (nice and slim for the lazy reader). This book, in particular, spoke to me about life’s “unfulfillments.” Am I the only person who does not feel like I have reached my potential? Roth is a good person to read if you are suffering from a mid-life crisis (as I do every three years).
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Use This Book!: The Only Book You'll Ever Need!

Use This Book!: The Only Book You'll Ever Need!

By Melissa Heckscher 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

I am always fascinated by how clever authors are. This book is literally “the only book you’ll ever need,” as it includes a variety of pages that can be used immediately. For example, one page can be assembled into a sun dial for those who do not have a watch. Maps of the world, “No Parking” signs, charts with measurements and a variety of other useful information fill this spiral volume, which could be deemed the “MacGyver” book. Cool idea.
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Choke

Choke

By Darnella Ford 215 pages Adult

Danny Says

At the insistence of my teaching credential students at the university, I have begun reading more African-American literature. It may seem silly for a white guy to be reading a book about a divorced black woman trying to start a new life for her talented daughter, but I could identify with this story based on my teaching experiences in Compton. Darnella Ford is a gifted writer, and you do not have to be black to appreciate this moving tale of the lengths a mother will go to ensure a brighter future for her daughter. Touching and powerful. Click here to read this month’s blog, a monologue I wrote inspired by one of my past second graders. 
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The Man Who Ran the Moon

The Man Who Ran the Moon

By Piers Bizony 272 pages Adult

Danny Says

I have decided to stop including subtitles to books, as too many books nowadays seem to include overly long subtitles like this one, “James E. Webb, NASA, and the Secret History of Project Apollo.” For goodness sake, folks: read the book, as it chronicles how James Webb ran NASA in the 1960s, for better or worse, by brokering all sorts of backroom, good ole boy deals. Bizony’s book is fascinating, as it reveals the realistic side of inspirational programs like our country’s space program. I loved the book and commend the author for presenting the facts without shattering the dream. If you have not guessed, I am a space nut who admires the one program that seems to rally the world around America (in a positive way, that is): NASA.
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The Franklin Affair

The Franklin Affair

By Jim Lehrer 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

Bet you did not know that the host of “Newshour” on PBS and the moderator of several Presidential debates is also a novelist. This is actually Lehrer’s 15th book, but it is quite different from his previous works. Too many people get their history from the mass media, and I got a kick out of this mystery/thriller that examines the fine lines of plagiarism with great comic effect. It made me want to become a Benjamin Franklin groupie.
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Death of a Snob

Death of a Snob

By M.C. Beaton 160 pages Adult

Danny Says

With school starting, a lot of teachers, students and parents find themselves with little time to read. I have just the cure: M.C. Beaton. Beaton’s series of mysteries featuring Scottish detective Hamish Macbeth is one of my favorites, as these books are always quick, intelligent and written with just the right amount of humor.
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Rick Monday's Tales from the Dodger Dugout

Rick Monday's Tales from the Dodger Dugout

By Rick Monday 192 pages Adult

Danny Says

I selfishly included this book on this month’s list because I am caught up in pennant fever, and I am pulling for the Dodgers to hold on to the NL West. Rick Monday has always been one of my favorite commentators, and he is beloved by all for sparing the American flag from a couple of knuckleheads who tried to ignite it on the field of a game at Dodger stadium in the 70s. This book recounts the ups and downs of the 1981 world champion Dodger team, with great anecdotes about one of my favorite teams. Yes – this is a selfish pick.
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The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories

The Unfinished Novel and Other Stories

By Valerie Martin 212 pages Adult

Danny Says

Browsing the shelves at Border’s one day, I was intrigued by this book’s title and cover art. Four hours and two coffees later, I found myself advertising the book to all who would listen. Wonderfully written with its fair share of twists and turns, this book left me wanting more books by Valerie Martin.
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