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A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me

A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me

By Jon Katz 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not an animal lover. It is not that I dislike animals; I simply tend to despise irresponsible pet owners who think I enjoy their cats ripping up my welcome mat or celebrate their dogs doing their business in my front yard. That is why I was surprised to love this book so much. I guess Jon Katz is well-known, but I just grabbed his book from a pile and found myself instantly captivated. He is better known for other books, and I intend to read them. In the meantime, grab a copy of this treasure and learn plenty about human beings as well as “man’s best friends.”
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Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...

Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar...

By Thomas Cathcart & Daniel Klein 215 pages Adult

Danny Says

Subtitled “Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes,” this book is simply AWESOME, and I would recommend it for everyone over the age of 18 (only because some of the jokes may be inappropriate for younger readers). I have always felt that humor is one of the best teaching strategies (and brain research confirms this), and I was fascinated by how co-authors Cathcart and Klein make philosophy interesting and hilarious. Many thanks to Pat Gallagher for loaning me his copy.
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Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself

Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself

By Alan Alda 252 pages Adult

Danny Says

Alan Alda is just one of my favorite actors of all time (not just because his name is great for a certain drinking game), as he made the character of Hawkeye Pierce my American idol. I had no idea that Alda almost died, and this book treated me to one of the best inspirational books I have read this year (and anyone who knows me knows that I read a lot of inspirational books). Do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this wonderful and thoughtful account of how one man grapples with life’s eternal questions when given a second chance to live. 
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I Am America (And So Can You!)

I Am America (And So Can You!)

By Stephen Colbert 240 pages Adult

Danny Says

While the nightly news may depress me, watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report with Stephen Colbert always brings a smile to my face. This is mandatory reading, especially since it is the recipient of the prestigious “Stephen Colbert Award for The Literary Excellence.” Pure pleasure reading.
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Made to Stick

Made to Stick

By Chip Heath & Dan Heath 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

So what if the book may be over 300 pages with all the appendices? If you enjoyed Malcolm Gladwell’s excellent The Tipping Point, you have to read this book. If it were up to me, every teacher, manager and leader would get a copy of this book, which teaches how to get ideas to stick to people’s minds. Quite honestly, I have dog-eared numerous pages and find it to be one of the most useful books I have read in years. You will not regret spending a couple of hours plowing through this excellent book.
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A Three Dog Life

A Three Dog Life

By Abigail Thomas 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

When I read a quote on the cover of a book from Stephen King that boasts “the best memoir I’ve ever read,” I am just a tad curious about the contents. This book does not disappoint, as it tells the compelling story of Thomas as she deals with her husband’s brain trauma following a car accident. A truly honest, inspiring and often hilarious account.
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Our Dumb World

Our Dumb World

By The Onion 256 pages Adult

Danny Says

Since I despise textbooks, I have been on a fake textbook kick. If you are not familiar with The Onion, you are in for a treat, as the Onion provides readers with all sorts or egregious, inaccurate and hilarious “facts.” Since the news can often be a drag, I recommend you pay attention to the Onion’s news. It may not be true, but it certainly brings a smile to my face (something the nightly news rarely accomplishes).
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Born Standing Up

Born Standing Up

By Steve Martin 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

Wow! This wild and crazy guy has led an amazing life, and Steve Martin has managed to create a tight autobiography that makes you laugh, cry and think. One of the few autobiographies I have ever read that I actually thought was too short, as I could not put this book down once I opened it. Any fans of the comedian will find this highly intimate account to be fascinating. 
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"Simpsons" Comics Royale

By Matt Groening 128 pages Adult

Danny Says

I think too many people take for granted The Simpsons. How that show has managed to stay funny and pertinent for the past 20 years is astounding to me. Here is a comic for grown-ups that includes all sorts of great insights from Groening and a WONDERFUL essay at the end entitled “Give a Hoot, Read a Book” about books that inspired Groening when he was a kid.
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Sisterhood of Faith

Sisterhood of Faith

By Shirley Brosius 412 pages Adult

Danny Says

Is that a typo? I thought I was supposed to only share books that are under 250 pages? Let me explain this pick: it is meant to be read as a page a day. Subtitled “365 Life-Changing Stories About Women Who Made a Difference (the extra pages are references, etc.),” this book is one of those books I turn to everyday for inspiration. The vignettes are wonderful and take less than a minute of your time. Can you spare a minute for daily inspiration? How about turning down the volume during a TV commercial and reading a page from this wonderful book. I highly encourage you to buy a copy.
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A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works

A Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works

By Jonathan Swift 64 pages Adult

Danny Says

I wanted to begin the new year with a book that could make everyone laugh, cry and think, and I could not think of a finer writer to capture all human emotions than the expert satirist Jonathan Swift (best known for Gulliver’s Travels). This book contains a wonderful collection of Swift’s essays that should bring joy to anyone who is trying to decide who to vote for in 2008’s elections (I have not seen any candidate make as bold of a proposal as Swift’s “modest” idea for solving hunger and overpopulation by encouraging poor Irish folks to eat their babies). This is one of the books that actually attracted me to literature as a teenager (while almost all other reading assigned to me quickly decimated any interest I had in the classics).
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The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest

By Oscar Wilde 64 pages Adult

Danny Says

This is the perfect type of book for the lazy reader who wants to sound “cultured” at a cocktail party. At under 80 pages, this classic is a terrific introduction into the quick wit of one of literature’s most prized humorists. The play is easily adaptable for modern middle and high school students, as well.
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People First

People First

By Jack Lannom 150 pages Adult

Danny Says

The great thing about the start of the new year is the vast amount of potential that each of us has. I included this book because it is a quick-read and reviews some simple considerations for improving a variety of life skills. We each have the power to change our own lives, and I enjoy books like this to reinforce that concept.
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Beguiled by the Wild

Beguiled by the Wild

By Charley Harper 132 pages Adult

Danny Says

I try to include a variety of books for all ages and genres, and here is a book that captures the imaginations of all ages and fits a variety of genres. Charley Hopper’s modern art drawings of animals, along with brief descriptions, make this a great coffee table book that is sure to start wonderful conversations at any party (or in any classroom).
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Customer Mania!

Customer Mania!

By Ken Blanchard 208 pages Adult

Danny Says

You need to know that I LOVE Ken Blanchard. He is one of the best speakers on the circuit, and his books read like his speeches: inspirational, filled with practical advice and packed with great anecdotes. I’d recommend anything Blanchard writes, and this great, quick read chronicles the success of the Yum! Corporation (which includes KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, A & W, etc.).
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