Books I Read and Other Assorted Oddities

 This is a book I'm getting ready to teach in my AP course for next term to help with the argument section of the test. David and Goliath  explores the advantages of being the underdog, and what makes it possible for Davids to beat Goaliaths. Gladwell attempts to persuade readers that sometimes, being bigger and stronger is actually a disadvantage, and that when a person has nothing to lose, they're more likely to do anything to be successful. Disadvantages can also sometimes be strengths. Gladwell uses real stories from people he interviewed to persuade his readers that people like David are more likely to defeat people like Goliath. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Gladwell uses fantastic real-world examples and stories to prove his point. I think he did a great job setting up his book within the context of the Biblical story of David and Goliath, and I enjoyed the details that he chose to include to make his point. The one complaint that I have was that the last chapter...

Brene Brown is one of my favorite TED speakers of all time. I have listened to her TED talks numerous times and used them in my classroom each year. I love her message: that we can't have success, innovation, change, and creativity without first having vulnerability. I love that she is seeking to demystify vulnerability and teach what shame is and how it destroys our ability to accept ourselves and others. I am not normally into the self-help kind of books, but of the books I've read this year, this is one of my favorites! Daring Greatly  by Brene Brown discusses the concepts of shame and vulnerability and how we need vulnerability, but not shame. She gives strategies for combating shame and becoming "shame resilient." She gives strategies to use as parents, teachers, friends, and spouses. For one thing, I love Dr. Brown's Texan accent (she narrates the audiobook herself! 💗). Her voice and personality are all throughout this book. She is not afraid to use persona...