Adult

This book provides us all with a wake-up call to live in the here and now. All of us need to appreciate the journey a lot more, as that is “where all the magic happens.”

Kinky Friedman has written over 20 books – from mysteries to cookbooks. He is a writer, an animal rights activist, a singer, a humorist – and, oh, he’s running for governor of Texas in 2006. He was recently featured on one of the most relaxing, interesting and informative shows on television, CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, and by the end of that profile I resolved to recommend at least one of his books. He reminds me of Will Rogers, in a way, as he is down to earth and folksy while also making very pointed observations. If I lived in Texas, I’d vote for him. Check out this book and enjoy an introduction to one of America’s most unique Renaissance scholars.

Do you need a pep talk? I always try to read as many inspirational books with positive messages that I can, as too often we are subjected to all of the negatives in the world. Believe it or not, there are a lot of amazing people with amazing stories out there; they just do not make the nightly news. Les Brown is a speaker I must meet now, as this book touched me in a very personal and positive way. By the way, as an African-American male, Les Brown also serves as an excellent example to share with students seeking role models (I have shared anecdotes from his life with many of my students).

As summer begins I understand that a lot of folks are looking for quick beach reads. What better than a fast-paced murder mystery on a lazy afternoon?

Subtitled “Confessions of an Elementary School Teacher,” this book is a perfect primer for teachers looking to smile as they begin the new school year.

I need to purchase another copy of this book, as the one I have is filled with underlined passages, scribbles in the margins and dog-eared pages. This is the sort of book that can change your life – IF you put the principles into action. Fascinating reporting on how to “grow” achievement. I LOVED this book.

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.