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21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The
by John Maxwell |
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Danny Says: I know, this sounds like an
"academic" book, and I will admit that Maxwell sometimes delves into graphs. However, the majority of the book includes inspirational anecdotes about
people from Harriet Tubman to Jaime Escalante. I read this book in three hours, and I now have a better clue as to who deserves my vote for President. |
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25th Hour, The
by David Benioff |
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Danny Says: Nothing can be more thrilling than to read a first time novelist who rocks. This story hits every emotion, as it chronicles a convicted drug dealer’s last night on the town with his two best friends before he heads to prison. Plenty of twists ensue, including a biggie that I never saw coming. Fantastic first effort! |
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700 Sundays
by Billy Crystal |
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Danny Says: A journalism professor once told me that it was not enough to be funny. “If you want to be a great writer,” he said, “You need to make people laugh, you need to make people cry and you need to make people think.” Billy Crystal, one of my favorite comedians, writes a touching memoir of his father that makes me yearn to see his Tony award-winning. one-man Broadway show. |
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Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The
by Mark Twain |
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Danny Says: Probably the greatest, truest American novel ever written. If this does not relax you, you’re in for a pretty miserable life. |
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All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
by Robert Fulghum |
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Danny Says: Short anecdotes of inspiration, humor and philosophy. |
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Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned
by Walter Mosley |
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Danny Says: Walter Mosley is one of the most talented writers around, and this collection of stories about Socrates Fortlow is a wonderful look at life in the 'hood. My students could relate to this book, and I found myself very attached to Socrates by book’s end. |
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Ambrose Bierce and the Ace of Shoots
by Oakley Hall |
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Danny Says: Readers keep on asking me to include more mystery recommendations, so here is a nice series to keep you busy for a little while (there are five books so far in the series). Ambrose Bierce , of course, was a famous 19th century American journalist, and this latest mystery takes him to Colonel Studley’s Wild West Show in San Francisco. Yup, there’s a murder, and yup, there’s a ton of suspects. Another fun tale in this series narrated by Bierce’s own Dr. Watson-like character, Tom Redmond. |
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And Never Stop Dancing
by Gordon Livingston |
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Danny Says: Grab a copy of this book, or anything else by Gordon Livingston, if you want a quick read that makes you smile, think and treat others better. Subtitled “Thirty More True Things You Need to Know Now,” this book is filled with simple wisdoms that rank among the best writing I have seen since Robert Fulghum. How can I not recommend an author who has an uncanny ability to inspire me to be a better human being after every book? I am serious – check out anything by Gordon Livingston. |
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Animal Farm
by George Orwell |
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Danny Says: When you talk about literature at cocktail parties, you sound pretty smart. Here’s a two-for-one: important literature by important author AND IT’S SHORT. |
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Anna in the Tropics
by Nilo Cruz |
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Danny Says: I have Stacey Mulrenin to thank for this recommendation. The winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, it tells the tale of how a new lector changes the lives of Cuban immigrants working at a cigar factory in Florida in the 1920s. This is a topic I have been interested in, as the magazine Cigar Aficionado had a wonderful feature in their June 2008 edition on the tradition of lectors reading aloud to workers. A great story, and very easy-to-read play. |
Adult books
on 31 pages, 10 books per
page.
