Summer Reading
I've actually had some time this summer to get through a few books, and I've really enjoyed the ones that I've read.
I started with Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. I read his novel Outliers earlier this year and learned a lot from that book - he wrote about how successful people are successful. Blink is about how people make good decisions in a short amount of time, with a small amount of information. Gladwell does a good job in explaining how bad decisions are made, and how having too much time to make a decision interferes with our gut instincts. I can relate to that... I remember many times in my life when I lost several nights of sleep over trying to make a decision, whether it was which college to go to, how to respond to a dispute with a friend or how to spend the little free time I had.
The second book I read this summer was The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Tuesdays with Morrie, another Albom novel, is one of my favorite quick reads. I think I've read that one a half-dozen times, and I always feel better about life after I read it. Like the title states, the newer book is about the five people who meet you in heaven. It's a very good story and an interesting perspective on the afterlife. More importantly, Albom explains how each of our lives is connected to each other and how even the shortest interactions we have with others can make a lasting impression on our life journey.
I'm just a few chapters shy of finishing Born to Run, by Christopher McDougall. I think this is a must-read for any physical therapists who treat runners. McDougall describes how the human body is naturally built to run, and writes incredible stories of the Tamahumara culture and their dedication to maintaining a running lifestyle. First, I felt like a total wimp as I was reading the first few chapters, because he makes running 50 miles seem like a relaxing day when I struggle through five. There is one point in the book where a character explains how important it is to have a good running coach, because great athletes in nearly every other sport have coaches. Kids learn to swim, play tennis or golf by going to lessons, so why should running be any different? I'm excited to finish the book, hopefully tonight!
I have two more books to finish before my wedding in September. One is called Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson and the other is My Stroke of Insight, by Jill Bolte Taylor. My Stroke of Insight is a fairly popular book among my physical therapy friends, and I'm looking forward to experiencing it myself!
Have you read anything this summer? What's your favorite book?