Letter From The Birmingham Jail

By Martin Luther King Jr.

Confined to the Birmingham city jail, Dr. King succinctly and carefully answers the criticism of his fellow clergymen regarding the nonviolent protests of the civil rights movement. King writes, "I have looked at the South's beautiful churches with their lofty spires pointing heavenward. I have beheld the impressive outlines of her massive religious education buildings. Over and over I have found myself asking: 'What king of people worship here? Who is there God? Where were their voices . . .?" King's questions for the white church and its leadership are one's for his day and our day too.

Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education

By Joan P. Shapiro and Jacqueline A. Stefkovich

Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in Education provides an overview of the ethics of justice, critique, and care. The authors argue for a fourth ethical paradigm, that of professional ethics. Shapiro and Stefkovich provide a framework to help educators develop that "professional ethic" paradigm through the use of a dynamic, multidimensional model. 

The author's overview of the ethics of justice, critique, and care is clear, sufficient, and brief. Personally, I would like to see them treat that portion of their book with a little more depth. That said, their overview of the literature and documentation is stellar and their explanations cogent.

Shapiro and Stefkovich do a really outstanding job of highlighting the complexity, i.e. paradoxical nature of ethical decisions. Their case-study approach is helpful and made more so by the number and variety of cases they attach to each of the complex dilemmas an educational leader may face.

It is easy to see why this book is in its fourth edition. A very helpful resource and guide. I echo Martha McCarthy's words: "This book is a must-read for the educational leaders and those who prepare them for their ethically challenging roles."

Hidden Figures

By Margot Lee Shetterly

I'm giving Hidden Figures five stars for bringing to light these hidden figures of flight, for her careful research, for her thoroughness, and for helping the reader to appreciate that our country can advance on two fronts (space and civil rights) even though one (space) may outpace the other (civil rights). Shetterly highlights the inequities for both blacks and women without an off-putting rancor; though justifiable for those who lived/live it.

While her story line could be more crisp and her characters more clearly differentiated in places, I love this book. It is history and civil rights advocacy presented in a compelling fashion.

In the Heart of the World

By Mother Teresa

As the title suggests, this work is a brief but rich compendium of Mother Teresa's thoughts, stories, and prayers (hers and others). You can read it quickly, but will benefit more by musing on it unhurriedly. Francis Bacon said, "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." This book is to be chewed and digested.

A Man In Full

By Tom Wolfe

Reading Tom Wolfe is an education in culture, the vicissitudes of life, the human condition, the power of narrative, and the riches of the English language. Like Sherman McCoy (Bonfire of The Vanities) and Charlotte Simmons (I Am Charlotte Simmons), Wolfe's protagonist Charlie Croker is frustratingly real. The author's attention to detail is amazing and his story captivating . . . riveting in some places. At some point every writer must land the plane. To me, A Man In Full felt like it hit the tarmac a little hard. Were Wolfe to place a Bible in Conrad's hands instead of Epictetus and The Stoics many may have ignored his sermon. That said, I appreciated the message!

The Holy Bible (ESV)

By Crossway Bibles

Charles Spurgeon reportedly said, "To me the Bible is not God, but it is God’s voice, and I do not hear it without awe." I say "Amen" to that. I have read the Bible since my youth -- over and over -- and my experience mirrors that of the prophet Jeremiah, "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight." Jeremiah 15:16

Little Teammate

By Alan Williams

I placed Little Teammate on my "Children's" shelf, but I could have just as well placed it on my parenting shelf, or coaching shelf, or baseball shelf, or "winning" shelf. Alan Williams delivers a simple mantra parents would do well to memorize and implement. I have coached five sons in baseball, coached Jr. High and JV Basketball, and watched a daughter play competitive soccer though college. And I have witnessed too many parents (myself included at times) go overboard in their efforts to "bring out the best" in their student athlete. Without preaching or moralizing, Williams points us to a better way. The illustrations by Stephen Marchesi are stellar too.

Manage Your Day-to-Day

By Jocelyn K. Glei

Manage Your Day-To-Day is a day/life-changer. I highly recommend it. Here's why I give it four stars: (1) Immediately applicable; (2) I want to pass it on. We have six grown children and 19 grand kids. In my copy I've written, "Give this to mamas for their kiddos" and "Get this for ...". (3) Jocelyn Glei provides a framework for doing what she suggests. (4) It is a collaborative project so you are getting the author's input and that of many experts as well. How much do I like this book? I have it Kindle, Audible, and Paper.