Friends,
I have always been a voracious reader and I really enjoy books about education, outside-the-box thinking and new ideas. Here’s a brief description of some books I’ve read recently and a couple that I always keep close at hand.
-Jerry Weast
Nurture Shock, by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, (Twelve/Hatchette Book Group, 2009) really challenges the "conventional wisdom" about how we raise and educate our children and how we interact with our young people. Bronson and Merryman, writers of many articles on the science of parenting, have put together a book filled with new, thought-provoking insights into age-old issues, including why kids lie, how much we should praise our children and how parents discuss race.
The Next 100 Years: A Forecast for the 21st Century, by George Friedman, (Doubleday Publishing, 2009), was given to me by a member of my staff and really makes some bold predictions about this century. Friedman, the founder and CEO of one of the world’s leading private intelligence and forecasting companies, identifies where the new global war fronts will be, how technology will continue to dramatically change our lives and what the next 100 years hold for the United States. This is an interesting, provocative read.
The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life’s Hurdles, by Karen Reivich, Ph. D. and Andrew Shatté, Ph. D., (Broadway Books, 2002), presents seven techniques that can help readers handle changes and setbacks in their lives. These two well-respected psychologists present strategies for coping with grief and anxiety, achieving physical health, and improving your relationships at home and at work.
Leave No Child Behind, by James Comer, (Yale University Press, 2004), offers parallels between the initiatives being undertaken at MCPS to close the achievement gap and the programs and philosophies Dr. Comer has been talking about for more than 30 years. Having discussed education at length with Dr. Comer, reading this book reinforced my belief that a child’s success does depend on "the village." Dr. Comer teaches that turning around a failing school system means providing support for a child's complete social, emotional, and academic development, and requires the collaboration of parents, educators, and the community.
Good to Great, by Jim Collins (HarperCollins Publishing, New York, 2001), has been around for several years, but continues to be a relevant discussion of how organizations can be their best. The book presents little known case studies with the intention of teaching that greatness in corporations is a matter of choice by those who lead them. The most important choice is to select the successful team around you and to have the right people in the right position. After ten years at MCPS, I’ve seen how having the right people "on the bus" makes all the difference. This is a "must-read" for current and future leaders!