Leadership and Self-Deception

I got this book from my sister for Christmas.  Thanks, Maddi!  I was surprised I'd never heard of it--it's apparently quite well known in the business world.  It's definitely a business book, about how we deceive ourselves at work (and home) by failing to see others as people.   It's told in a narrative--we follow Tom as he learns from his boss Bud and others at Zagrum Company.  The narrative format makes the book very digestable.  As a fan of concrete examples and stories, this book delivered--every new idea is introduced with stories and actual examples, rather than elaborating on research.   Leadership and Self-Deception has actually benefited me at work, and caused me to understand why some of my work relationships weren't exactly where I wanted.   Definitely a good read for anyone who interacts with other people. :)

Because of Mr. Terupt

Having just finished Wonder over Christmas break (Fantastic read--without doubt it's the first book I'll read aloud to my firth grade class when I'm back in the classroom), I was in the mood for more in the feel-good classroom genre.

I definitely enjoyed Because of Mr. Terupt, though not as much as Wonder.  It's the story of a new fifth grade teacher who finds a way to reach all of his kids, and puts a lot of trust in them.  Just as he's about to win over even the most stubborn holdouts, something happens. 

  Both stories are told from the viewpoints of several of the characters, but Palacio does a more convincing job of portraying the emotions and experiences of a variety of characters.   That said, I enjoyed the book by Rob Buyea (an elementary school teacher himself) and would definitely encourage my students, and even adults, to read it if that genre sounds appealing to you.

52 Books in 2014

One of my resolutions is to read 52 books this year--an average of one a week.   It took me a while to compile the list, but here it is.   I leave lots of blank spaces for books that I discover, or rediscover, and want to read throughout the year.

52 Books in 2014

Because of Mr. Terupt 1/5/2014	Leadership & Self-Deception 1/12/2014	The Happiness Project 1/19/2014	Be Excellent At Anything 1/26/2014
Matched 2/2/2014	Start With Why 2/9/2014	My Name is Asher Lev 2/16/2014	2/23/2014
The International Bank of Bob 3/2/2014	The Fifth Wave 3/9/2014	3/16/2014	3/23/2014
Uncle Tom’s Cabin 3/30/2014	The Casual Vacancy 4/6/2014	Teach Like a Champion 4/13/2014	4/20/2014
Made to Stick 4/27/2014	Middlesex 5/4/2014	5/11/2014	5/18/2014
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People 5/25/2014	To Kill a Mockingbird 6/1/2014	6/8/2014	Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls 6/15/2014
Bossy Pants 6/22/2014	The House on Mango Street 6/29/2014	7/6/2014	7/13/2014
How to Win Friends and Influence People 7/20/2014	Dear Life 7/27/2014	8/3/2014	A Thousand Splendid Suns 8/10/2014
Make Just One Change 8/17/2014	The Alchemist 8/24/2014	8/31/2014	9/7/2014
Unbroken 9/14/2014	Zeitoun 9/21/2014	Helter Smelter 9/28/2014	10/5/2014
Ghostly Matters 10/12/2014	Phantom Tollbooth 10/19/2014	David and Goliath 10/26/2014	11/2/2014
Proof of Heaven 11/9/2014	The Orphan Master’s Son 11/16/2014	11/23/2014	11/30/2014
Leading So People Will Follow 12/7/2014	12/14/2014	12/21/2014	12/28/2014