Headstrong by Rachel Swaby

Rachel Swaby’s Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science - and the World is filled with 3 to 5 page summaries about the lives and accomplishments of remarkable women in the fields of medicine, biology and environment, genetics, physics, astronomy, math, and invention.  Swaby purposefully does not include Marie Curie, arguing that she needs no introduction and embodies our stereotypical view of a women scientist. Instead she writes about Curie’s daughter, Irène Juliot-Curie, who also won a Nobel Prize. Profiles primarily feature American and European scientists such as Virginia Apgar, Mary Anning, Rachel Carson, Grace Hopper, Maria Mitchell, and Sally Ride.  I am sad to say that I did not readily recognize many other names which underscores an exciting opportunity to learn from this collection.  Those were frequently the most interesting sections, such as one about Jeanne Villepreux-Power who invented the aquarium.

  

The cover looks as though this is geared to younger readers, but the language is fairly sophisticated and Library Journal is recommending it for smaller academic libraries. To me, it’s the perfect book to pick up and leaf through, to find an interesting person and then decide to use other resources and learn even more. Middle and high school students will find much of interest as they contemplate possible careers and course selections. I love that there are 52 vignettes – one per week for a whole year of investigating and exploring!

I also wanted to add these links (already mentioned elsewhere) about innovation from both men and women: Maria Popova at Brain Pickings created a terrific visual review of 100 Ideas that Changed the Web by Jim Boulton (check out #27 about Hedy Lamarr’s contribution to wi-fi type communication; she is also profiled in Swaby’s Headstrong).  Or look into The Gentleman who made Scholar and be sure to investigate 12 Lesser-known Google Projects that are Absolutely Amazing.

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Monsters … the Loch Ness Monster, Hitler, and several characters … feature in At the Water’s Edge from Sara Gruen, best-selling author of Water for Elephants. Set mostly in the remote and beautiful Highlands of Scotland during 1945, it is impossible to ignore the impact of WWII; the rationing, the carnage and suffering, the fear and the bravery are all aptly woven into this novel.

Hank, Ellis and Maddie leave behind a privileged, albeit confining, life in New York in order to attempt to film the Loch Ness Monster and make amends with Ellis’ father. If that seems frivolous during wartime, it is. But that entitlement attitude (“hey, barkeep” … “where’s the porter?”) characterize Hank and Ellis’ selfish attitude towards others. Initially, Maddie joins in their enterprise but gradually grows closer to the local people, especially Anna, Meg and Angus who work at the pub/hotel where they stay. 

At the Water’s Edge includes abuse towards women, an element of mystery and promising romance, too. My reservations about this book have to do with a somewhat rushed ending and some incredulity about how “clueless” a person can be.  Perhaps that’s the nature of our relationship with Monsters, though?  It’s our unwillingness to believe and deal with the “other-ness” and evil they embody.  Overall, I would recommend At the Water’s Edge and know that members of our faculty especially will enjoy another engrossing work of historical fiction from Sara Gruen.

Do the KIND Thing by Daniel Lubetzky

Do the Kind Thing: Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, Live Passionately is an empowering book which I will be adding to a list of recommended reading for our Business classes. In this work, the CEO of Kind Healthy Snacks, founder Daniel Lubetzky, explains the company’s "AND" philosophy (help solve social problems and identify commercial gaps) while outlining 9 additional tenets which form his approach to business and life. Aimed at socially motivated entrepreneurs, Do the Kind Thing is a truly inspirational read for anyone as Lubetzky honestly and freely comments on several past mistakes while noting that “failure holds the seeds for greatness.”

In Do the Kind Thing Lubetzky writes about a life shaped by his father’s experience as a Holocaust survivor and his own early efforts to forge a business partnership between Palestinians and Israelis for making sundried tomato spreads while simultaneously fostering better understanding of each other’s culture. He continues by asking whether one can teach grit and empathy. Lubetzky’s writing and numerous examples made me think about our school efforts to support stores like 10,000 villages or to educate about innovative groups such as Kiva Loans.

The story in Do the Kind Thing focuses on innovation and authenticity (using transparent wrappers to emphasize product quality), making an investment (giving away KIND bars to gain purchasers and recommenders), and listening to others. Meeting Lubetzky would be fascinating – he seems like a person who clearly sees where he is and where he wants to go. His writing style is personal and conversational and this book will be popular with many young adults – a perfect graduation gift along with Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture. As you pick up a copy, begin to “Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, Live Passionately” for as Lubetzky says, “pursuing what you believe in already constitutes success regardless of the outcome.” 

Other suggestions for books by social entrepreneurs include Onward: How Starbucks Fought for its Life without Losing its Soul by Schultz and Start Something that Matters by Mycoskie.  

4/7: Adding a slide share Weekend Essay  with Daniel Lubetzky:

At KIND, There's a Limit to Innovation from LinkedIn Pulse