My Most Recent Reads - April, 2015

Reading went pretty strong this month with about seventeen books completed.  Not many of them were great, but definitely a few left me with great things to consider.  So here are the highlights:

The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker - A Sense of Style Book Cover
I heard much about Pinker's book when it came out last year and put it on my To-Read list.  I've been a big fan of Pinker in general and his book, The Better Nature of Our Angels is still one of my all-time favorite books.  I rather enjoyed this book too, in part, because Pinker is eloquent and clear.  This style guide is something I'm likely to purchase and revisit as it really does layout some fundamental guidelines while simplifying writing and not being preachy.  It's a must for anyone who wants to find better ways to improve his or her writing.



In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria

As the debate continues in our culture about what a college education means, Zakaria provides a strong and cohesive defense about the importance of a liberal education--not just for the elite, but for everyone who wishes to pursue it.  Further, he captures and destroys many of the myths and concepts about what a liberal education is.  Further, he emphasizes that the fixation on STEM is problematic--not because STEM is problematic, but the idea that STEM-focused education seems to be the only focus could undermine many of the great dynamics of American higher education.

Here 2015's reading reflections thus far:

Books
  • What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver
Audiobooks
  • The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person's Guide to Writing in the 21st Century by Steven Pinker
  • Yes, and: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--Lessons from the Second City by Kelly Leonard
  • Find the Good by Heather Lende
  • In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria
  • Just Between Ourselves: A Play by Alan Ayckbourn
  • The Lucky Spot by Beth Henley
  • Is Shame Necessary?: New Uses for an Old Tool by Jennifer Jacquet
  • The Price by Arthur Miller
Graphic Novels
  • Ares & Aphrodite: Love Wars by Jamie Rich
  • X-Men, Vol. 4: Exogenous by Marc Guggenheim
  • Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde [A Graphic Novel] by Robert Louis Stevenson
  • When the Wind Blows by Raymond Briggs
  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer: I Wish (Season 10) by Christos Gage
  • March of the Crabs Vol. 1 by Arthur de Pins
  • Curse by Michael Moreci
  • Neurocomic by Hana Ros

So what have you been reading lately?  What's your favorite book of 2015 so far?


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