Stocking up on books to read this summer? Consider these top picks from Middle States staff.
Push: A Climber’s Journey of Endurance, Risk, and Going Beyond Limits by Tommy Caldwell
American rock climber Tommy Caldwell’s memoir is a thrilling read that will appeal to adventurers and non-adventurers alike. Caldwell’s story is a reminder that a healthy sense of purpose, determination, and a bit of daring can take us to new heights personally and professionally. — Henry McCorkle, Director of Global Membership
Change Leader by Michael Fullan
Michael Fullan shows how a competent leader can become a powerful leader by identifying what matters most and how to leverage their skills for the benefit of their organization. — Lorna Fairess, Ed.D., Associate Vice President
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
What would your life look like if you changed just this one thing, made a different choice at a crossroads, went left instead of right? This book is about the choices we make and what it means to really live. — Audra Chin, Director of Policy and Operations
Easy Beauty: A Memoir by Chloé Cooper Jones
This groundbreaking memoir is about disability, motherhood, and the search for a new way of seeing and being seen. In Easy Beauty, Chloé Cooper Jones challenges traditional ideas around beauty and disability. — Priscilla Feir Ph.D., Associate Vice President
Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service by Theodore B. Kinni
Theodore B. Kinni’s book offers a window into the business-side of the Walt Disney Company and reveals how they deliver on the magical experience people have come to know and love. In the Middle States world, we are always trying to create a positive accreditation experience. Who better to assist us in that endeavor than the masters themselves? — Dan Rufo, Senior Associate Vice President, Accreditation
Playing to Win by Roger Martin
Too many schools engage in “strategic planning” before they have “designed strategy.” There are a lot of strategy frameworks out there, but Roger Martin’s is, for me, the very best. (He also writes a wonderful blog on Medium.) — Christian Talbot, President
Weapons of Math Destruction by Cathy O’Neil
From pop tarts to racism, and from the electoral college to college rankings, mathematical models continue to be used to perpetuate stereotypes and predict and react to social structures. The antithesis of our Middle States model, WMD’s (math not mass) misuse data and rely on poorly collected statistics to create one-size-fits-all ‘fixes’ that hurt schools, institutions and people. — Michelle Haag, Ph.D., Associate Vice President
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.
In this classic work of developmental psychology, renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry reveals how trauma affects children—and outlines the path to recovery. As we explore mental health issues in education, it is important we understand the science of the mind and the power of love and nurturing to heal the spirit of even the most wounded child. — Glen Mort, Ed.D., Executive Vice President
The Ghost Ship of Brooklyn by Robert P. Watson
Although countless history textbooks cover the American Revolution, seldom do they describe the role of young privateers, inexperienced sailors who joined a fleet of private ships to transport arms and munitions to the American continent. These adventurers never officially joined the ranks of professional soldiers, but they defied the British nonetheless. This book weaves together stories of privateers who were caught and imprisoned on the H.M.S. Jersey near Brooklyn. — Jeremy Basescu, Director of School Support and Volunteer Services
