Carnegie's Maid (Marie Benedict)

 

I enjoyed this book. It was interesting to learn about the Carnegie family (which we all, apparently pronounce incorrectly....emphasis should be on the second syllable!)  the main character is made up - the author's attempt to find a reason for Andrew Carnegie's business dragon personality that changed into a philanthropist. 

I learned at book club that his organization funded the first library in Calgary - Memorial Park Library. It is my favorite library in Calgary. If only there was better parking around there, I'd go there a lot just to sit and soak in its beauty.

I borrowed this book from a book club friend. She said it was an easy read and that she read it in two days. I felt bad that it took me a week to read it. I thought I should have read it faster and then be able to pass it on - but actually, a little over a week isn't that bad. I wasn't compelled to keep reading like my friend said she was. It was an enjoyable read but not one where I couldn't put it down.

Goodreads says:

From the author of The Other Einstein, the mesmerizing tale of what kind of woman could have inspired an American dynasty.

Clara Kelley is not who they think she is. She's not the experienced Irish maid who was hired to work in one of Pittsburgh's grandest households. She's a poor farmer's daughter with nowhere to go and nothing in her pockets. But the other woman with the same name has vanished, and pretending to be her just might get Clara some money to send back home.

If she can keep up the ruse, that is. Serving as a lady's maid in the household of Andrew Carnegie requires skills he doesn't have, answering to an icy mistress who rules her sons and her domain with an iron fist. What Clara does have is a resolve as strong as the steel Pittsburgh is becoming famous for, coupled with an uncanny understanding of business, and Andrew begins to rely on her. But Clara can't let her guard down, not even when Andrew becomes something more than an employer. Revealing her past might ruin her future -- and her family's.

With captivating insight and heart, Carnegie's Maid tells the story of one brilliant woman who may have spurred Andrew Carnegie's transformation from ruthless industrialist into the world's first true philanthropist..

The Body Keeps The Score (Bessel Van Der Kolk)

 

This book explains why people who have experienced trauma often respond to situations in unexpected ways. If someone you know seems to respond to situations in ways that seem bizarre, it's possible they have experienced trauma in their life. This books has a LOT of information and took me a long time to get through. He ends with therapies that can make a big difference.

Goodreads says:

A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing.

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world's foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers' capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain's natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk's own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

Hello, Habits (Fumio Sasaki)

 

I love books about habits. This one gave me plenty to think about with what habits I'm focusing on and tracking.

p. vii It isn't talent. It's continuing.

Genius is often only the power of making continuous efforts (Elbert Hubbard)

p. xi

Habit is as second nature (Cicero)

Habit a second nature! Habit is ten times nature. (The Duke of Wellington)

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit (Will Durant)

p. 4 All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. (Blaise Pascal)

p. 5 We're happier if we don't have too much free time.

p. 6 Indolence is a delightful but distressing state; we must be doing something to be happy. (Gandhi)

p. 62 I don't do special things for the purpose of something something special. I do ordinary, everyday things in order to do something special (Ichiro)

p. 113 The fuel that a rocket uses for the first few minutes immediately after launch is greater than the amount used in the eight hundred thousand kilometers to follow.

p. 170 When my habits are on track to getting cemented, I gain a sense of cntentment. For example when exercising, I'll feel that I can go on running forever. But if I decide to test my limits and run until I'm exhausted,  know I'll get the impression that running is too strenuous, which will have na impact on the next time I run. 
It's more important than anything to continue our habits, so I stop when I think I want to do more. I quit while i'm around 80%. That way, I'll stop the action wit hthe impression that it's fun.....I don't keep going until it isn't fun anymore....Muscles develo further when they go beyond their limits and are hurt. Top athletes undergo tough practices beyond their comfot zones, but that lies far ahead, in a future time when we have already acquired our habits. Quitting in the middle of something is effective for developing the habit in the first place.

Good reasons for never skipping a day:
p. 173 When Nippon Professional Baseball goes off season, all the players, return to their hometowns. But even during off-season, Ichiro alone shows up at the ballpark and starts his training.
"I once tried to take time off. To see if it would help, I didn't work out for a month. Then it didn't fee llike m body anymore. As if my body were sick," he said.
Ichiro tried different methods at least once, but ultimately did the opposite of what other players do. He i a true seeker of truth. What's important to him is to not quit completely.
The novelist John Updike also made it a habit to write every day, instead of waitng for inspiration. The reason was, there's so much busy work a writer can do. "You can actually spend your whole life being a writer and totally do away with the writing."

p. 174 Anthony Trollope (the God of habits according to the author) made it his task to spend two and a half hours writing before going to work. He wrote forty-seven novels and sixteen other works while working full-time, leaving behind a sizable oeuvre in the history of literature. 
His secret to producing so many works was starting the next project as soon as he finished the previous one. Once, he complete a lengthy work that comprised six hundred pages. A normal author would have wanted, perhaps, to celebrate or take plenty of vacation time. But because he had about fifteen minutes remaining until his usual two and a half hours were up, after finishing the manuscript, he simply put it aside and got started on his next one. 
The senses of pianists and guitarists are said to become dull when they don't touch their instrument for just one day. Some musicians claim they lose three days of practice if they skip just one. Not only is there no improvement when they don't touch their instrument for a day, they lose what they've nurtured. For me as well, three or four days without exercise makes it difficult to return to my previous condition. I get out of breath if I run, and I feel heavier. 
I have a real sense that the longer I veer from my habits, the tougher it gets to resume them. That's all the more reaso to avoid lapses in between. Your habits are further bolstered as you proceed to move forward with them.

p. 203 Do it; it's better than not doing it
He interviewed a professional runner. He's been running every day for more than 20 years. He still has days he doesn't want to run.

While habits refer to actions that we perform with barely a thought, we can't always make choices without thinking; conflicts will always, eventually, arise. Because we're human, there will always be times when we simply aren't in the mood to do something.
There is suffering in continuing to practice habits. But compared to the regrets we have when we don't practice them, I think it's far better to do them. By accumulating failures in our attempts to do something, we will someday gain a greater amount of rewards. If we don't make the attempt, we'll have the same regrets anyway, and we'll also have a sense of self-doubt. So we can choose whichever seems to be even slightly better: doing the task at hand, even when we don't want to.

p. 220 Create habits that are unique to you

It were not best that we should all think alike; it is difference of opinion that makes horse races (Mark Train)

Ichiro has reflected on the intensive training he used to go through like this:
"It's true that when I was spending time at the Orix training cap when I was eighteen, nineteen and twenty, I was hitting hundreds of balls until two or three in the morning. Looking back, I can see that it wasn't a rational way to practice. But if someone told me that at the time and I hadn't done it, thinking that itw as a waste of time, I wonder if I would have thought this way now." 

There are also things that seem necessary for us despite our different situations. Records are one example. You should keep records of the conditions - your mood, physical condition, the season, how busy you are - in which you can it can't continue to practice your habits. If you keep records, you'll begin to see how to avoid difficulties that you've experienced before. 

There are no examples of habits that you have to acquire. The important thing is to think for yourself.

p. 223 Make eace with the knowledge that your habits will eventually collapse

Habits are surprisingly tough, and habits are surprisingly fragile (Gretchen Rubin)

Habits will eventually collapse. The important thing is to keep rebuilding them.

Write a "spell of restoration"

When we keep notes on the methods that have worked, we become confident that we can always find out way back to that state.

Maintain a sense of novelty in achieving habits: When you want to make a change to yourself, a tip is to not think about whether it will make things better. If things get back, you can make another change when you realize it. If a change doesn't change things the way you wanted it to, you can make another change.

p. 235 Whether it's your choice:

Two rats placed in separate cages are given an electric shock. Of teh two rats, only one of them can press a lever that allows both to escape the electric shock. As a result, the rat without access to the lever ends up showing signs of chronic stress, which leads to weight loss, ulcers, and even a higher incidence rate of cancer. Although both rats are given the electric shock for the same amount of time, the rat with the power to choose to avoid the shock experiences less stress.

....in other words, when we feel like there is no choice in our situation, it affects our health.

Deciding you do have control over things in your life (no matter how small the things are) is key.

p. 237 It's okay to judge your own efforts by your own standards

He's quoting a part from Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain:

Phil Lawler, a junior high school PE teacher, added heart rates to the measurements taken during PE class. One day, he had an eleven-year-old girl who wasn't good at exercising put on a heart rate monitor as she ran. Since she wasn't good at exercising, her time probably wasn't good. But Lawler was surprised when he looked at her heart rate. In theory, a person's age is subtracted from 220 to get what is generally considered the maximum heart rate. And Lawler couldn't believe hsi eyes when he saw her heart rate: an average of 187.

Age elevent meant her maximum heart rate would be about 209. And it increased to 207 when she reached the finish line that day. That meant she had run mostly at full speed. Reflecting on that day, Lawler said:
"You gotta be kidding me! Normally, I would have gone to that girl and said, "You need to get your ass in gear, little lady!"
"I started thinking back to all the kids we must have turned off to exercise because we weren't able to give them credit. I didn't have na athlete in class who knew how to work as hard as that little girl."

Running at a fast speed is different from doing your best. Whenever I read this anecdote, the tears start to fall. The girl who wasn't good at exercising had practically been crushing her chest putting in more of an effort than anyone else in her class.

p. 241 The simple truth about talent:

...sociologist Daniel Chambliss, who studied top swimmers for many yeras found:

• The best performaance is the result of accumulating countless small skills.
• There is nothing special or superhuman about what athletes do.
• Athletes achieve outstanding results through continuous efforts.

What this paper says is terribly ordinary: the ones who keep working diligently come out ahead....the diligent continuation of habits creates talent.

p. 244 Knack versus talent:

• Knack: A natural ability or predisposition for a certain skill, which helps you acquire it quickly.
• Talent: The skills and capacities that you acquire as a result of continuing to do something.

Recap: The 50 Steps for Acquiring Habits

1. Sever ties with vicious circles.
2. First, decide that you're going to quit.
3. Leverage turning points.
4. Quit completely - it's easier.
5. Know that you always have to pay the price.
6. Examine the triggers and rewards for your habits.
7. Become a detective who looks for the real criminal.
8. Don't make identity an excuse.
9. Start with keystone abits.
10. Keep a diary to record observations about yourself.
11. Meditate to enhance your cognitive ability.
12. Realize that enthusiasm won't occur before you do something.
13. Whatever you do, lower your hurdles.
14. Realize that hurdles are more powerful than rewards.
15. Raise the hurdle for habits that you want to quit.
16. Spend money on your initial investment.
17. "Chunk down".
18. Make your targets ridiculously small.
19. Start today.
20. Do it every day (it's easier).
21. Don't make up "exceptions" as you go.
22. Enjoy it because you aren't good at it.
23. Set triggers.
24. Create an adult timetable.
25. Realize that no one has the power to concentrate.
26. Take action according to the date.
27. Set up temporary rewards.
28. Make good use of people's attention.
29. Make an advance declaration.
30. Think from a thid-party perspective.
31. Quit in the middle of something.
32. Don't quit completely.
33. Keep records of your habits.
34. Take necessary breaks to conserve your strength.
35. Nap (the effects of a power nap are enormous).
36. Rest aggressively.
37. Cherish the things that you aren't making into a habit.
38. Don't mix up your "objectives" and your "targets".
39. Look only at the targets in front of you.
40. Experience failures - they're indispensable for your habits.
41. Stop worrying about how long it will take for something to become a habit.
42. Do it it's better than not doing it.
43. Gradually increase the level of difficulty.
44. Overcome each challenge along the way.
45. Keep at it, and increase your self-efficacy.
46. Create a chain reaction.
47. Adapt habits s needed.
48. Create habits that are unique to you.
49. Make peace with the knowledge that your habits will eventually collapse.
50. Know that there is no end to habits.

14 Good Habit Inhibitors
1. Believing that a bad habit is necessary to relieve stress.
2. Trying to focus on just the good points.
3. Relying on your motivation.
4. Not having the right tools.
5. An awareness of the difficulties.
6. The sense of self-doubt produced by one failure. 
7. Starting at a "good" time.
8. Thinking that tomorrow, you'll be Superman.
9. Creating an exception for the day in question.
10. Thinking that it's too late to start.
11. Not having a trigger.
12. Giving yourself a conflicting reward.
13. Pretending something never happened.
14. The "single-coin" issue.

Goodreads says:

The internationally best-selling author of Goodbye, Things shares insights and practices to help you become the best version of yourself.

Fumio Sasaki changed his life when he became a minimalist. But before minimalism could really stick, he had to make it a habit. All of us live our lives based on the habits we’ve formed, from when we get up in the morning, to what we eat and drink, to how likely we are to actually make it to the gym. In Hello, Habits, Sasaki explains how we can acquire the new habits that we want―and get rid of the ones that don’t do us any good.

Drawing on leading theories and tips about the science of habit formation from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, along with examples from popular culture and tried-and-tested techniques from his own life, he unravels common misperceptions about "willpower" and "talent," and offers a step-by-step guide to success. Ultimately, Sasaki shows how ordinary people like himself can use his principles of good habit-making to improve themselves and change their lives.

Faker (Gordon Korman)

 

In the midst of the American election fall out, this has been a really interesting read. With a majority of Americans choosing who they did in the election because he will bring them more money, this book was really timely. 

It was our Grade 3 Book Club read. I felt like it was a little old for our students and too difficult a read for many - but a few enjoyed it. It will make some good discussion questions about honesty and priorities, for sure!

I'm also reading this for my adult Children's Lit Book Club. It will be interesting to compare the discussions!

Book club activity ideas: "

• debate a topic in the book
• p.86 ...Robin Hood. You know, who lived in Sherwood Forest with his band of Merry Men. And they battle the evil Sheriff of Nottingham in the name of King Richard the Lionheart." "Robin Hood was the guy who stole from the rich to give to the poor," I put in
  "Exactly. So I ask you....was Robin Hood a good person?"
  "Of course," Kaylee replies. "He helped the needy. That's charity."
  "Yeah, but he steals," Teresa counters. "That's always wrong."
  "But where's he going to get the money if he doesn't steal it?" Logan argues. "The guy lives in a forest. Like my mom always says, money doesn't grow on trees."
  That gets a few Snickers, but mostly groans.
  "So now you see how complicated ethics can be," Mr. Novak announces. "Giving to the poor - great. Stealing - not so great. Is it ever okay to do something wrong n order to do something right?" 

• p. 100 In social studies, Mr. Novak has divided us up into teams so that we can debate ethical issues. For the first, we watched part of Disney's Aladdin - the scene near the beginning, where Aladdin is caught stealing a loaf of bread. Question: Is the theft justified because, without that food, his family might starve?

Notes (warning....full of spoilers!):

p. 190 I thought I'd sleep better once I learned the identity of I.C.All. Scratch that. Maybe I know more now, but the dilemma is the same. Arianna is just a younger, more extreme version of Dad. Our family is a runaway train chugging relentlessly toward a broken track over a cliff, yet we keep shoveling in more coal because that's all we know how to do.

p. 193 I guess my father is'nt the only con man who always "knows a guy." The Romanox know one too - an art forger, and a pretty good one at that. I think back to the ictures I took of the artwork in Logan's house back on the very first day Mona Lisa wandered up my driveway. Dad's art guy couldn't identify a single piece as fake.

p 206 Listen to yourself! Don't you understand what this means? You're just a kid! You'd be turning yourself into an orphan - a ward of the state for the next six years!"

The fact that he's speaking as my dad rather than a professional con man trying to wriggle out of a tight corner makes this ten times harder for me. But Ican't back down. Somehow I know that if I don't take this escape hatch now, I'll never get out.
...It's worth it. Even if you take away the Houdinis and the moving and the lost friends, it would be worth it to be able to look at myself in the mirror and see an honest face looking back at me."Goodreads says:

The story of a family of liars... and the son who wants to break the family tradition.

Trey knows the routine. His dad gets him into a school full of kids with rich parents. Trey makes friends, and his dad makes connections. Soon, there's the con, where Trey's dad suckers the other parents into investing in one of his schemes. Once the money's in the bank, Trey, his sister, and their dad are on the run... until they set up somewhere else and start again.

Trey believes his father when he says no one's getting hurt. After all, these parents have money to spare.

But Trey's starting to get tired of running... and lying... and never having a friend for longer than a few months. But how do you get your family to stop lying when your lives depend on it?

Battle of the Butts (Jocelyn Rish)

 

Need something to keep kids engaged?! This will do it. It will bring up some great questions too! Even just all the different words for butts, farts and poop sent them into fits of giggles. It was hilarious.

Goodreads says:

Did you know manatees swim using farts? Or that herrings communicate by passing gas?

Butts are used for breathing, eating, swimming, talking, and even killing in the animal kingdom. Focusing on ten different animals and their derrières, and offering fun facts about their origin, habitat, and "posterior power," this hilarious book captures the wonder of our ecosystem. Which animal has the coolest butt power? That's up to you to decide! 

Outsmart Your Brain (Daniel T Willingham, PhD)

 

I got this book from the library after following the author on TikTok. I didn't read all of it - but I did read the instructor tips.  His TikTok account is a brilliant way to share good tips from the book as well a the other things he knows about the science of learning. 

The thing about this book is that it is full of great tips - but I don't know if people who struggle in school read these kinds of books. The "for the instructor" of each section was really good too. My wish is for everyone to enjoy and do well in school and his book is a great tool for making that happen.

In the chapter, "How to Read Difficult Books" he made me feel good about my habit of note taking when I read non-fiction books. Most, I get from the library so I can't highlight them. Instead I write notes and he says that is a great learning strategy. Yay! He says taking notes keeps you mentally on task and the notes will help refresh your memory later. He also suggests posting a question when you begin a section of a book...and then when you finish that section, go back and see if your question was satisfactorily answered and whether or not you caught the gist of the section.

Goodreads says:

In this revolutionary, comprehensive, and accessible guide on how the brain learns, discover how to study more efficiently and effectively, shrug away exam stress, and most of all, enjoy learning.

When we study, we tend to focus on the tasks we can most easily control—such as highlighting and rereading—but these practices only give the illusion of mastery. As Dan Willingham, professor of psychology and bestselling author, explains, familiarity is not the same as comprehension.

Perfect for teachers and students of all ages, Outsmart Your Brain provides real-world practices and the latest research on how to train your brain for better learning. Each chapter provides clear and specific strategies while also explaining why traditional study processes do not work. Grounded in scientifically backed practical advice, this is the ultimate guide to improving grades and better understanding the power of our own brains.

Horrid Henry Robs a Bank (Francesca Simon)

 I'm trying to read the books in my classroom library more often to my class. Many of them have been in my classroom for 10+ years (even before me!) but don't get read a lot. I decided we should dip into them. This one was, well, horrid. Henry is an obnoxious kids who is always on the fight. We didn't even  finish it. We couldn't stand his naughtiness. It wasn't even funny. It's also very British. Many of the words used weren't familiar to my students so I'd change them on the fly but if they were reading it on their own, it'd cause a problem in comprehension, for sure.

I actually put this one in the recycling. Crazy!

Goodreads says nothing about this book either! Weird.