It’s almost summertime.
That means longer days,
shorter sleeves,
eating barbecue,
and my summer recommendations.
“How to Know a Person” by David Brooks.
He really gets into the specifics
of human interaction, and the idea that
some people are just naturally good at connecting,
and asking questions.
This one honestly got me thinking a lot more
about what he calls ‘active listening’
and about broad societal things.
I binged each season of “Slow Horses”
when it came out on Apple TV.
It’s so intriguing, a very complex plot,
with a lot of flawed, but interesting characters.
Gary Oldman leads a group of British spies.
These agents that are sort of in disrepute,
even though they’re pretty amazingly talented.
“Brave New Words”, by Sal Khan.
Well, Sal has helped kids learn for decades,
and now he’s using AI.
He built Khanmigo, and he’s explaining
how it’s going to really change education.
Getting motivational engagement,
and personalization,
and feedback on things like writing.
“The Women”, by Kristin Hannah.
“The Women” is an amazing story
of a woman who goes to Vietnam as a nurse,
and comes back to the United States.
It’s a challenging story but rings very true.
“Infectious Generosity”, by Chris Anderson.
He makes a pitch that this idea of
helping each other,
and seeing the positive results
and encouraging each other to be generous
with time and money,
that he thinks that absolutely can happen,
on the internet.
I’m certainly with Chris
that I see the potential is there.
The book is a reminder that we need to
set even more aspirational goals in this area.
Have a great summer,
wherever your road takes you.