tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83680782762599274522012-02-16T11:24:41.183-08:00Umpqua Community College staff share their favorite book or summer reading recommendations.Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-11005127871830163472008-06-09T08:43:00.000-07:002008-06-09T08:46:40.708-07:00

“Imagine a world in which there is no time. Only images.” Thus begins a chapter in Alan Lightman’s novel Einstein’s Dreams. In the book, Lightman conjures a series of alternate versions of reality that Albert Einstein might have imagined as he finished his special theory of relativity (in 1905). Some of the imagined worlds seem impractical and quirky; others are elegant and beautiful; all are

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My favorite book I have read this year is Geography of Bliss : One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner. I borrowed it from the UCC library, and the author took me around the world to gain an understanding of how happy people are in different countries, and why. I love to travel, and reading is one way I can experience the exhilaration and insight of world travel,

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-19252133384726811412008-06-04T10:32:00.000-07:002008-06-04T10:34:36.859-07:00

My book is The Life of Poetry by Muriel Rukeyser. I continue to return to this book as a resource and a guide. Muriel Rukeyser, American poet, activist, and teacher, believed passionately in the need for Americans to overcome their resistances to poetry and allow this undervalued art to inform and transform their lives. The Life of Poetry explores how this could happen and reveals much about the

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-46895165702592592352008-06-04T10:08:00.000-07:002008-06-04T10:36:53.029-07:00

1) The Ascent of Man, Jacob Bronowski. Jacob Bronowski was an amazing man. Although initially trained as a mathematician, his talents and expertise extended into poetry, literature, intellectual history, and the philosophy of science. Bronowski was contracted by the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) to script a series of educational programs on the development and history of science. He

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-76554515137844241652008-05-28T12:28:00.000-07:002008-05-28T20:45:29.187-07:00

One of my favorite books is Star of the Sea by Joseph O’Connor. This story takes place on a ship crossing the Atlantic bound for America in 1847. On board are Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine. In reading this book I reflected on the trials my relatives endured to enter this country, and on the similarities to the hardships that immigrants face today.

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-69937178340373619892008-05-27T12:46:00.000-07:002008-05-27T12:51:42.836-07:00

McGuffey’s First Eclectic Reader is my favorite book of all time. The summer before kindergarten, I visited my grandmother and expressed that I wished that I could read. She handed me the old reader with a print date of 1920; and by the end of the day, I was reading!

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-18154404925782694442008-05-27T10:36:00.000-07:002008-05-27T12:52:19.274-07:00

Baby boomers can relive (or recreate) their childhoods through Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin, an emotional memoir set in 1950s Brooklyn. "Return with us now to those days of yesteryear," when there were no fences in the backyards of your neighborhood, all of you friends' moms had unlimited lemonade, and you could leave your bicycle unlocked outside the corner grocer's to stop in for

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I loved The River Why by David James Duncan because of its references to Pacific Northwest landscapes and themes, because of its quirky and loveable characters, and because it made me laugh out loud. A smart and funny (and at times surprisingly deep) all around great read.

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-62083964670273528772008-05-19T08:27:00.000-07:002008-05-19T08:33:52.165-07:00

Historical fiction is my favorite genre. And it boasts many great authors – E.L. Konigsburg, Karen Cushman, Avi, Bruce Alexander, Steven Saylor, and my favorite, Rosemary Sutciff, to name a few. But while I can declare a favorite genre and a favorite author , and even a favorite librarian, I can’t settle on a favorite book. But in these times, as we examine the definition of patriotism,

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I read two to three books a week and have a very eclectic reading style. But if I could only recommend one book to someone, it would have to be Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I first read the book as an assignment in junior high school and have read it many times since. It is exciting, thought-provoking, and vivid. No wonder the book won the Nebula and Hugo awards... it’s a great read!

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-87860207953918794392008-05-15T08:40:00.000-07:002008-05-15T08:46:28.297-07:00

There is not a day that goes by that I don’t read. I read a wide variety of books so it was hard to come up with one recommendation. I decided to recommend The Know-It-All : One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World by A.J. Jacobs because this book made me laugh. This is a memoir of the year the author spent reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from A to Z. Doesn’t really

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Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth’s Children Series) by Jean Auel is the first book in a series of five. I’ve read and enjoyed all in the series, but the first book provides the background and character description for the complete series. The books depict the journeys of a man and woman (Ayla and Jondalar) across Europe during prehistoric times.

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-36770728697366586112008-05-14T14:11:00.000-07:002008-05-14T14:18:11.866-07:00

The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge focuses on the five major leadership disciplines that lead to effective and strong organizations - personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, team learning, and systems thinking.

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The most important role I have in life is being a Grandma. Therefore, the book I have chosen, Double Trouble in Walla Walla by Andrew Clements, is a book I have read many times to my grandchildren. It is my personal belief, children learn to love reading from examples set by parents, grandparent and teachers. This book has wonderful illustration, wonderful sounds, and children love it. I

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As I am a person who loves to read, and always has, there are many books that are considered favorites. Often it is the one that I am currently reading, or have just finished. Currently, I am reading, Kentucky Sunrise, by Fern Michaels. It is the last in a series of 10 books. The series began with Texas Rich and an introduction to the Coleman family and their strong, successful women. Ten

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I highly recommend The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, as an opportunity to pause and appreciate what really matters in life. Pausch, a professor at Carneige Mellon, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and as a means of leaving something that would help to define him to his young children, delivered his "last lecture." As an institutional tradition CM faculty are asked to consider what they would

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My book is A New Life by Bernard Malamud. This is one of those books where we wonder and dispute whether it's an autobiographical novel. It is a story of a young intellectual, on the skids in New York City, who comes to the Pacific Northwest to start a new life. He finds that it is hard to do, a change of location is not sufficient and, ultimately, he fails. What fascinated me

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At no time in recent history has there been such energy and excitement surrounding a presidential election campaign. Because of the importance of this election not only for us as Americans, but for the global community as well, I would challenge every voter to read books written by each candidate. Here are my recommendations:The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama.This book gives insight into

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My most favorite book, if I have to pick one, is Toni Morrison's, Beloved. I love this book for its portrayal of a mother who loves her child so much she will destroy her rather than allow her to be taken into slavery. The power of Morrison's language and her ability to paint images with words always move me. I return to this book whenever I want to be fed by good literature.

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My book is When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan. This book shows that courage, persistence, honesty, and incredible patience in the face of setbacks are essential to success as an individual and a leader.

Recommended Reading!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09744920677244368514noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8368078276259927452.post-46589173886113396072008-05-07T10:37:00.000-07:002008-05-09T11:28:03.817-07:00

One of my favorite novels is Norwegian Wood, and I first read it because of a conversation about kitchen appliances. One day, my friend called and asked: “Which sounds better to you: ‘The cat was in the fridge,’ or ‘The cat was in the refrigerator’?” “Isn’t the real question: why is the cat in the refrigerator at all?” “Yes,” she said, “But I think you answered my dilemma.” As it turns

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One of my favorite books is The Washing of the Spears: The Rise and Fall of the Zulu Nation by Donald R. Morris. This is an outstanding example of well-researched history joined with engaging writing that makes you feel you are there in Zulu land in 1879. A history that, in short, enlarges perspective and excites interest in knowing more.

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Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle is an excellent and thought provoking book. The style is reminiscent of John Steinbeck and opens with a quote from The Grapes of Wrath…"They ain't human. A human being wouldn't live like they do. A human being couldn't stand it to be so dirty and miserable." According to Wikipedia, it's "about middle-class values, illegal immigration, xenophobia, poverty, and

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One of my favorite books is The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. It's an historical novel based in the Southern US in the 1960's. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down & I didn't want it to end. . . The publishers summary is the best way to tell you about the book. Lily Owens has shaped her entire life around one devastating memory - the day her mother was killed, when Lily was

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Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace. . .One School at at Time by Greg Mortenson. This amazing story accounts mountain climber Greg Mortenson's journey from a San Francisco nurse to a school builder in one of the world's most remote regions--the Himalayas. He found that world peace really can start with one man's hard work. Inspirational!!!

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Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi. If you only have an hour or two to spend with a book, pick up this acclaimed story of a young girl growing up in the turmoil of revolutionary Iran in the 1970's. The storytelling is presented as a "comic book" or "graphic novel", though those labels don't quite work as the book is neither comic nor fiction. This is a very personal story of

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