Adult

Since I hardly ever get out to golf anymore (I have a young baby with another due in a few weeks), I satisfy my golf fix by watching tournaments on television and reading good golf books. I bought this book because it said that the great golfer Davis Love recommended it, and I can see why. A great guide for understanding the mental components of the game and how to master them en route to playing better.

MacLeod’s doodles have become simple gems of wisdom that humor and inspire. Good to read with Dan Roam’s The Back of the Napkin. Just as applicable for teachers and parents as it is for corporate executives.

Bowden is one of my favorite true crime writers (he wrote Killing Pablo, the story of the hunt for drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar), and this one allows him to use all his writing talents. This tragic-comic tale is a roller coaster ride that is so absurd it reads like fiction.

Perception is not reality. Kennedi Mason thinks she has it all until everything breaks down. Great page-turner.

It may be a little over 250 pages, but this book is loaded with scintillating photos of chocolate to entice anyone to attempt one of the 150 recipes for using chocolate. Engoron is a cross between Willy Wonka and Indiana Jones, as his terrific book blends recipes with history in the most enticing travelogue I have read this year. See more in my interview with Ed at: http://www.dannybrassell.com/vlog-ed-engoron-pmad/.

Between this book and Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," I think it is safe to say that I will not attempt to climb any high peaks anytime soon. Fascinating account of Simpson's harrowing experiences in the Andes.

You need to buy this book, as I flew threw this one. Kargman is hysterical, as I have not found myself laughing so hard reading a book of essays since my first encounters with Woody Allen (long ago) and David Sedaris (more recently). This book should improve anyone’s mood for at least a week.

More than a study in leadership and strengthening one’s organization, this book resonates because of Slap’s passion for incorporating and acknowledging one’s values in the workplace. I breezed through this book and highlighted dozens of passages. One of the most useful business books I’ve read in years.

I have my friend, Janice Gerson, to thank for introducing me to this lovely book. A smash in 1981 in Japan, the book is an autobiographical account of Kuroyanagi, who was Japan’s equivalent of Oprah. Gorwing up in World War II, she was expelled from school in first grade and placed in what turned out to be the most engaging and beautiful “special” school that recognized her uniqueness. I had tears in my eyes reading this book – as the school, Tomoe Gakuen, and its headmaster, Mr. Kobayashi, represent all that education can be. This may be one of the most touching books I have ever read, and I have sending copies to scores of friends.

Just out in paperback, this book is quite enjoyable. Truss is fed up with miserable punctuation, and this book not only makes fun of various mistakes but also teaches the reader how to avoid errors. Trust me: it is worth reading just to understand the title.

If you’re looking for a quick, quirky tale, you’re in business. This book reads like a relatable, nightmarish family reunion featuring 99 brothers (one couldn’t make it) ranging in age from 25 to 93 trying to locate their dead father’s remains. Fun, demented humor.

My lifelong friend Adam LeVrier was the first person to introduce Kurt Vonnegut’s demented dark humor to me, and I have devoured anything Vonnegut ever wrote ever since. This quick read represents Vonnegut’s first and last works and shows off his ability to deal with touchy subjects in a way that makes us all laugh at ourselves – uncomfortably!

Why wouldn’t Stan Lee create a graphic novel autobiography? The creator of virtually every recognizable superhero, Lee represents all that is good about the human spirit. His zest for life, kindness, sense of justice…this is a man all of us can learn from. Learning that he does not receive royalties for all of the iconic characters that he has created made me livid, yet Lee takes it all in stride. A book that truly delivers on its title.

If you have not read any of the books in this series, why not start with the fourth installment? After all, the others stretch to about 240 pages each. Precious Ramotswe, a female private detective in Botswana, is one of the more interesting characters to have been created in recent literature. A perfect book for those who have to deal with bureaucracy daily.

I can tell I am getting older when I can relate to childhood memoirs that take place in the 70s. Peppe is funny and engaging, and the book does what any good memoir does: it reminds us of simpler times and pleasures. A great gift.