What Matters in Life

Mattering by Jennifer Breheny Wallace is such a good read on "The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose." What I appreciated the most about the book was how it weaves in emotional intelligence throughout the chapters. Also, as it says up front — "Mattering is both a call to action and a blueprint for living a meaningful and purposeful life." It uses many interviews and research to carry its message on what matters in life. "One study found that regular volunteering was linked to higher levels of energy and well being." (pg. 39) As a dedicated volunteer in my life, I can readily verify this statement.

So much of the book focuses on how helping others helps us in our own lives. This matters so much to me.

Here is her powerful TED Talk . . . 

459 Weeks!

When I was reading the May 10, 2026 NYTimes Book Review "CHILDREN'S & YOUNG ADULT BEST SELLERS," I discovered in the top 10 Picture Books section The Wonderful Things You Will Be by Emily Winfield Martin and that it was #7 in the top 10 list AND that it has been on the list 459 weeks.

Well, I immediately went to the library and checked it out. Whew! It is such a beautiful book with magnificent illustrations and charming story. When I read it to a preschool class, the children were fascinated and enjoyed the story and illustrations.

The Ideal Team Player

When it comes to finding a team player for a faculty, board of trustees, a non-profit organization, a town select board, etc., you will want to read The Ideal Team Player book by Patrick Lencioni. I have read just about all of his books and they are terrific. What I love the most about his books is that the first two-thirds of the book read like a novel story, and the the last third provides non-fiction advice on how to deal with the setting of the beginning of the book.

In The Ideal Team Player Lencioni discusses three key characteristics of a Team Player; HUMILITY, HUNGER, and STAR. Here is a video of a brief view of the book, and you can meet author Patrick Lencioni.

ANOTHER Excellent Book Review

 

Here is a link to a new book review of Forward backwards - THE SAME as posted in the spring issue of Tomorrow's Child, a magazine from the Montessori Foundation. Launa Schweitzer, a long time educator and head of a school wrote the excellent review and did a wonderful job capturing the essence of the book. 

By the way, the price of the book has been reduced from $13.99 to $8.50 to enable more people to buy the book!

The Importance of Humor in Our Lives

Catch the value of humor in our lives by reading Humor Me by Chris Duffy. When he is not writing books, Chris is a standup comedian. 

In his last few pages, Duffy captures humor nicely. "My understanding of the core goal of humor is simple: It's to make people laugh and have a good time. All the other benefits that I've explored over the course of this book flow from there. So if you're doing things right, humor is going to bring people in, welcome them, and make them have a good time." (pg. 216)

Here is his excellent 7-minute TED Talk, "How to Find Laughter Anywhere." 

A Special Eric Carle Book . . . and Others

If you are not familiar with author Eric Carle, this is a perfect book for getting to know him. I am reading it to the preschool children I read to each week. This book has 11 one-page Aesop fable stories retold and illustrated by Carle that children love. His illustrations are of the best in the business of children books.  

Along the way, I discovered this YouTube video that is a reading of many of his books. It is amazing! Oh, and by the way, here is a link to his museum, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. 

Here Comes The Sun

This post is not the popular song by the Beatles (😎), but it is the recently published book by Bill McKibben. The author presents the world's transition in electric power and heat from coal, oil, and gas to solar and wind power. The statistics he shares are so impressive. 

Here is a link to a brief YouTube video to capture your interest in reading his book. The statistics he presents are so impressive and a wake-up call on energy production and use. I lean towards the solar panels as I have 12 on my house. The savings alone are amazing.

Children Are So Sharp

I was reading to a group of preschool children as I do every Tuesday and Thursday, and I thought it might be good to read a book I discovered in their school library. Make Van Gogh's Bed by Julie Appel and Amy Guglielmo was a children's book that I thought they would enjoy. Van Gogh was one of the artists  along with other artists of that period. 

When I turned to the page below, I introduced the painting by saying that my wife and I crossed this water-lily pond in France. Before I could say anything further, Frankie, a 4-year old class listener, said, "Monet." My jaw dropped, and I quickly recovered by saying, "Yes Frankie, it was painted by artist Claude Monet, well done!"

 

A MUST READ FOR KIDS & PARENTS

As a follow-up to his fantastic bestseller, The Anxious Generation, author Jonathan Haidt has a graphic book that beautifully appeals to kids and adults — especially parents and educators. This is a must-read book for preteens, teens, young adults, and parents. 

The book mentions that AI and technology goals are pitching social media apps no matter what the human damage results are, so long as financial profits are high priority. The book and this video below have Jonathan's two simple student rules for going forward with today's technology: "Use technology as a tool. Don't let it use you. And, second, fill your life with real freedom, friends, and fun."

Take five minutes to view this YouTube interview with Jonathan Haidt.

DD Reads Boffo to Many Children

I—also known as DD—love to read books to children. I have been reading to them since 1980 — first to my children, then to children ages preschool through middle school.

The characters come to life with the different voices I use, which I do now every Tuesday and Thursday at two different schools. Boffo - The Great Motorcycle Race by Frank Dickens is a classic and a favorite for 3- to 8-year old children. This — and many others — YouTube below was made so I could share with children because of COVID restrictions. If I get lots of views, I will periodically share other readings.

A Next Step of Artificial Intelligence - ROBOTICS

 If you thought AI was the next technology takeover, you must check out the CBS 60 Minutes TV program that aired Sunday, January 4. Here is the 13-minute segment with reporter Bill Whitaker leading "Progress made on AI-powered humanoid robots | 60 Minutes." It is amazing  to say the least.

Janitor at a Middle School Makes People Cry

Here is a very special video from 2025 America's Got Talent. The singer presents himself in a very humble way and changes all expectations once he begins singing a song. See what you think . . .