Adult

I constantly seek inspiration from great teachers, and I would cut off a limb if it ensured my children could attend Rafe Esquith’s class. Perhaps the Secretary of Assessment (there seems to no longer be a Department of  “Education” since “No Child Left Untested” took effect) should read this book about how create students who are lifelong learners. This book pumped me up. It should me mandatory reading for anyone interested in becoming a teacher.

A friend at a Harvest Festival recently told me there are no good short horror stories. Now – I tend to avoid horror stories, as I like to look at the world with rose-colored glasses, but if you want to read a book cover to cover in a couple of hours that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, this Classic is worthy of your attention.

A touching fable about a lawyer who, prompted by a heart attack, re-examines his priorities. He gives up the fast life in search of spiritual enlightenment in the Himalayas. If it sounds a lot like Somerset Maughm’s The Razor’s Edge, it is. By the way, I love that book (at 320 pages, however, it does not qualify as a “lazy reader” selection). Do my book selections this month adequately demonstrate to you how much I am seeking inspiration and re-examining my own life? 

I have had the pleasure of watching Jason Hanson speak at a couple of events, and this book captures his amazing self-survival insights he learned as a former CIA agent.

This book is listed on Amazon as being over 250 pages, but my copy is only 222 pages with all sorts of appendices, photos and other nonsense that should make this a quick, enjoyable read. Co-authored by Douglas Adams, author of one of the funniest books ever written, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this book dabbles between comical observations and serious pleas to protect endangered species. I wish more funny writers would tackle serious subjects, as I always have an easier time paying attention to messages hidden in good writing.

I have my friend Eddie Fiszer to thank for recommending that I watch Sir Ken Robinson speak on the value of play in life. I have always made play the primary method I use in delivering my presentations to various educational and business organizations, and I was delighted to see that there are others who agree with me. Brown’s wonderful book illuminates play’s value in developing the brain and keeping it fit, and I consider this a must read, after you throw around the football and sing a song with friends.

I know a lot of stressed people who need to get off to a good start in 2005. This is the ultimate “anti” self-help book that celebrates butter and booze over diet and exercise. Read this book, and you just may live the life of Jack Nicholson instead of the dude in the “American Gothic” painting.

Perfect book for a lazy day. Cozy up with this charming story of a quirky family’s eccentricities. I read this book on a cross-country trip and smiled the entire flight.

I confess, when I don’t link to Amazon via the Lazy Readers’ website, I buy most of my books from a great discount book broker called Edward R. Hamilton (they send me a monthly catalog of books that all cost under $3). I bought this book for a buck and read it in three hours. I loved it! It is filled with fascinating two-page obituaries of people I truly wish I had known. Inspirational, quirky and fun.

I saw this ultra-long title and became curious. I was treated to one of the most engaging adventures I have ever read, and if a movie studio is reading this they should snag the rights, as it would make a great film. Memoirs of a kidnapped Igbo prince who discusses his enslavement in the New World, service in the Seven Years War with General Wolfe in Canada, voyages to the Arctic, Central America and Mediterranean and numerous other adventures. Almost like a real-life Forrest Gump. Tyler Perry, buy this book!

Great book for those who are having trouble getting to sleep. I am not a huge fan of Henry James, so I figured I’d recommend one of his shorter books (I believe it was his first big commercial success). Impress people at cocktail parties by discussing Daisy’s flaws abroad (she is like a 19th century sorority girl scampering around Europe). This short book is a tad less painful than some of the film adaptations of James’s other works.

Subtitled “The Brief, Remarkable Life of Danny Lewin, The Genius Who Transformed the Internet,” this book is a MUST READ. I could not put it down, and you won’t be able to either. Don’t believe me? Read the preface, one of the best prefaces I have ever read.

I was looking for titles related to the 4^th of July and stumbled upon this hilarious travelogue of Keeble’s misadventures across America, following his girlfriend’s rejection of his marriage proposal at Niagara Falls. This book makes for great quick reading by the pool and BBQ grill.

Yes, I dig short stories. What stands out about this collection is how each story deals specifically with one of the five senses, minus two (why Calvino left out sight and touch are a mystery to me – perhaps he passed away before getting to those). Still, this is a great quick read that will definitely intrigue your senses of sound, smell and taste.

I have to confess that I did not think Jimmy Fallon was very funny at first, but he has definitely grown on me. I admire a lot of the comedy bits he does, and this is one of those books where I constantly found myself laughing aloud. Perfect coffee table reading for when you are stuck waiting for someone.