Adult

If you have failed to read a Walter Kirn novel yet, you are in for a real treat. He writes for slate.com, and I would consider him a modern George Orwell, suspicious of technology and corporations. Kent Selkirk works for AidSat, a cyber how-to organization run amok. Let’s just say that there is surveillance taking place everywhere, and you may wind up looking over your back more than once after reading this quick read.

I have Stacey Mulrenin to thank for this recommendation. The winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, it tells the tale of how a new lector changes the lives of Cuban immigrants working at a cigar factory in Florida in the 1920s. This is a topic I have been interested in, as the magazine Cigar Aficionado had a wonderful feature in their June 2008 edition on the tradition of lectors reading aloud to workers. A great story, and very easy-to-read play.

Subtitled “A Guide to Understanding and Nurturing Your Child’s Friendships,” this book is essential reading for parents trying to better meet the needs of their children. I have three children who all live under the same roof, share the same genes and could not be more different from one another, and I am grateful to Hartley-Brewer for the many practical tips this book offers.

This is exactly the book you need to read to make for a happy new year. Kathy Magliato's touching memoir about her experiences as one of the few female heart surgeons in a heavily alpha-male field accomplishes the trifecta: it makes you laugh, cry and think. Magliato is a role model for little girls everywhere. She inspires me.

I am a sucker for humorous travel books, and this clever “travel guide” reveals everything one needs to know when traveling to the fictional country of Molvania. Yes, it is a one-joke book, but anyone who has ever trotted abroad with a copy of The Lonely Planet, Fodors or Let’s Go is sure to enjoy this satire. I would be interested to know how many tourists purchase it thinking that there is such a country (I wish geography found greater importance in American classrooms).

Very few books get me to laugh out loud, yet this one did it repeatedly. I picked up this book because of its unique title (it made me do a double-take), and I was treated to Tina Fey-like story about a woman obsessed with the wrong man. Perfect for a cross-country flight.

This is a phenomenal account of Teddy's life up until he became President. Before reading this, I only knew that Teddy bears were named after him, and for some reason he has his mug on Mt. Rushmore. Now I consider him one of the most fascinating Americans in history. Morris points out that Teddy read nearly 20,000 books by the time he was 30. I am trying to make up ground by reading lots of short books!

Heck – why not begin the new year with a grin on your face? I know no better way than to read Baker’s clever, poignant and funny prose. He is a poet that has delighted me since his book Mezzanine.

I have been doing a lot more speaking with associations and businesses lately about the importance of teamwork and collaboration, and Lundin and Nelson have created an easy-to-read parable based around a wonderful African philosophy. By the way – Bob Nelson gives a wonderful glimpse of this philosophy in his recent TEDx talk.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and basis for the movie "Gettysburg." His son Jeff wrote a prequel (Gods and Generals) and sequel (The Last Full Measure), and, while not as good, they are both very appealing.

The Killer Angels is a must-read, as I have recommended it to nearly 100 people of all ages, races and genders, and all have told me that it is one of the best books they have ever read. I never knew how interesting the Civil War could be, and I would recommend that all high school social studies teachers recommend this book to their students. I would have been much more interested in this time in history (now I read every book on the Civil War that I can get my hands on).

I am all about New Year’s Resolutions (evident from my annual holiday guilt diet that I am currently following), and one of the things I hope to see and attract more of in 2011 is happiness. There are a lot of people hurting out there, and one of my goals is to get more people smiling. Dr. Smith’s book is a good guide for those interested in making small changes that can lead to big results.

Subtitled “New Yorker Covers You Were Never Meant to See,” this wonderful book provides a glimpse into the art selection process of one of America’s magazine mainstays. The examination of current events is both entertaining and thought-provoking, as I have always thought that political cartoonists and satirists are perhaps society’s most influential catalysts of public opinion.

Subtitled “The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life,” this book does a great job of ripping to pieces the current educational programs of America’s top bastions of higher learning. If you – like me – feel like too many of our top students are learning how to fill test bubbles well rather than think critically, you’re in for a treat. Excellent book – almost a “manifesto.”

I’ve been reading a lot of Classics lately that I never got around to reading in high school. There is something about 19^th century French literature that I find marvelously appealing. The writing is filled with wit, pain and social commentary that can be gripping and hilarious – sometimes within the same sentence.

Thought I’d include a Classic, just to mix things up. A lot lazy readers might not realize this, but some of the important literary authors they need to know to impress people actually wrote some shorter works. This is a great introduction to Plath, considered by many to be one of the most important “self-confessional” poets of the 20^th century.