Professional Readings
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Professional Readings includes reviews of recent publications and highlights of reports on current issues that affect schools. Your contributions are welcome. Send them to principal@osu.edu. Please indicate if we may use your name in the “contributor” credits.
June 2007 Summer Reading
This month, members of the editorial board have suggested their best professional and personal reads for your summertime enjoyment!
Maxwell, John C. (1998). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Thomas Nelson Publishers.
I found this book to be an easy read. It is an invaluable resource for anyone in a leadership role and is not specific to education. The laws serve as tools to develop a blueprint for success. Each law has its own message such as respect, empowerment, intuition, etc. I like the fact that throughout the book you can find thought provoking quotes, often motivational in nature. This is a great choice for you lifelong learners to add to your library. Joann
Cottrell, David. (2002). Monday Morning Leadership. Dallas, TX: CornerStone Leadership Institute.
This book is a quick and enjoyable read of eight “mentoring sessions” (chapters) that include anecdotes to further explain the concepts. This book offers good, concise, and practical advice for becoming a more effective leader.
Obama, Barack. (2006). The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York: Crown Publishers.
The author gives a well-reasoned discussion on such issues as Values, Family, Opportunity, Race, The World Beyond Our Borders, and other relevant topics. He offers hope for our relationships in our country and world.
Payne, Ruby. (2001). Bridges out of Poverty. Highlands, TX: aha! Process, Inc..
This author is well known for her work on understanding issues of schooling as they relate to children of poverty. More about this book >
Friedman, Thomas L. (2005). The World Is Flat. New York Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
In addition to explaining his concept of a “flattened world” that has been created by forces generally referred to as globalization, the author forces us to think about what our students are going to have to know to compete in this ever-changing world. More about this book >
Hosseini, Khaled. (2007). A Thousand Splendid Suns. New York: Riverhead Books.
This book is the second by the author of the acclaimed The Kite Runner. The setting is Afghanistan and the book tells the stories about the lives of two women spanning unfathomable wars and hardships. You will never forget these characters. In addition to offering a glimpse into another cultural world, it reminds us of those who are forgotten when a country is torn apart by war and strife. This book is a page-turner.
