June 2017 Bookshelf
Books 09 June 2017
Living with Complexity
Donald A. Norman
Life is complex. And, the demands to simplify it can often result in gaping holes that lead society down unnecessarily dangerous roads—let the world of diet fads be proof of concept. What if we decided to tame this complexity rather than eliminate it? Donald A. Norman’s Living with Complexity invites readers to consider this very notion. Author of The Design of Everyday Things, Norman wants us to celebrate our ability as human beings to master life’s complexities through two things: sheer intellect and beautiful design. Calling upon our collective brain power and artistry, Norman favors intentional problem-solving over extreme simplification.
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
Seth Godin
At the core of every local and national movement is a group of strong visionaries and action takers able to gather support from unexpected segments of the community. And, the key to their leadership is overcoming one major roadblock—fear. Recognizing this reality, Seth Godin wrote Tribes to showcase what can happen when we overcome our personal fears in order to lead our communities to a brighter future. Discover what lies on the other side of fear and how you might encourage your community to answer your call for transformation.
Caffeine for the Creative Mind: 250 Exercises to Wake Up Your Brain
Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield
When push comes to shove, local leaders are best equipped to determine the structures and strategies that will match the unique needs of their learners. Attacking each day with an intense focus on creativity and problem solving can cause mental fatigue. So, what can you do to jumpstart your day, even when you’re up against one roadblock or obstacle after another? In Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield’s Caffeine for the Creative Mind, they provide 250 exercises to get your creative juices flowing. Select one, and see where the rest of the day takes you.
To Teach: The Journey, in Comics
William Ayers with illustrations by Ryan Alexander-Tanner
A picture is worth a thousand words. And, in William Ayers’ To Teach: The Journey, in Comics, the illustrations provided by Ryan Alexander-Tanner leave educators of all backgrounds speechless. With each page, and in just a few words, Ayers and Alexander-Tanner express deep insights into the many inefficiencies within the traditional model of education. They implore readers to question tradition and explore the possibilities that sit outside the traditional paradigm of learning. Explore the opportunities available to all educators if the goals of education shift to the interests and needs of each individual learner.
The Other Side of Normal: How Biology Is Providing the Clues to Unlock the Secrets of Normal and Abnormal Behavior
Jordan Smoller
The world would be a very simple (and boring) place if everything could be de ned along a black and white, this or that, line of thinking. But of course, there are limitless grey hues mixed within every subjective continuum. Jordan Smoller explores these grey areas in The Other Side of Normal, where he specifically digs into the concept of “abnormal” psychological behaviors. Smoller, a Harvard professor, invites readers to consider where their absolutist nature may separate conditions of the mind as if they are worlds apart when, in actuality, they are sitting right next to one another.
We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education and Social Change
Myles Horton and Paulo Freire
As learner-centered pioneers work at the edges of education transformation, there are two important support structures guiding their work. One, knowing there is a community they can connect with to accelerate the learner-centered movement. Two, understanding the power of social change and recognizing the leaders who have made it happen in the past. Two of the greatest social change actors, Myles Horton and Paulo Freire, invite you into their minds in We Make the Road by Walking. Discover how these historic movers and shakers of the world make such a high impact in their communities.
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