Research shows that sharing books with children helps them learn about peer relationships, coping strategies, building self-esteem and general world knowledge. Our new Deputy Director, Jamie Simoneau, reflects on these ideas as she shares her own excitement about sharing her passion for reading with her young son.
Read More
The Heart of the Matter, published last year by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, makes the case that the humanities and social sciences are essential for civic society, innovation, and life in a globalized world. The humanities and social sciences are, in the report’s own words, “the keeper of the republic.” At Books@Work we are bringing these ideas to life everyday.
Read More
Happy New Year from all of us at Books@Work. As we close the books on 2013, I cannot help but reflect back on the prior year. Nothing has occupied my thoughts and energies more this past year than Books@Work. 2013 was intended to prove that the program works in multiple industries, with diverse participants and a wide array of reading materials. And prove it we did! As we embark on 2014, we are all excited to take the program to the next level.
Read More
When most people think of the writer John Cheever, they think of the stuff of Mad Men: wealthy old New England suburbs, outdoor swimming pools, bored housewives, frustrated husbands and afternoon martinis. Cheever’s world is hard to imagine from the shores of the Rock River in Beloit, Wisconsin, a town that has endured prolonged economic hardship.
Read More
Why read philosophy? The short answer: philosophy helps us discover what it is we value and believe. This response may sound counterintuitive. After all, shouldn’t I already know my own thoughts? Aren’t they my beliefs? Undoubtedly. But values and beliefs are often like the air we breathe – we rely upon them to live without giving them much thought. Philosophy offers us a mechanism for paying closer attention, for seeing ourselves anew.
Read More
When we started Books@Work, a surprising number of people questioned the potential impact of professors in the workplace. “Won’t they be intimidating?” asked one skeptic. “Will people really want to read the stuff they want to teach?” worried another. “Aren’t professors too expert to be really open-minded about what adult learners would have to say?” The lack of confidence was frankly dispiriting.
Read More
On day one at Swagelok I asked the Books@Work participants why they signed on for the program:
“The program was a natural. I love to rip through books to find out what happens.”
“I don’t read much besides work-related stuff anymore and thought the program would be a good way to get back into it.”
“I just thought the idea of talking about what I read is cool.”
Read More
In his most recent Topics letter – a periodic communication to his followers using “old world” means: print and snail mail – President Thomas V. Chema of Hiram College shared his excitement about the progress of Books@Work: “Like many good ideas, this is a simple one. But it’s one I believe can grow into a national opportunity.”
Read More
Welcome to the Books@Work Blog! In this space, we share news of the program and its development, as well as interesting thoughts and ideas at the intersection of workplace learning, critical thinking and lifelong personal growth. Highlighting interesting research, relevant news, issues and insights, we seek to inspire debate and discussion with our weekly posts. Featuring our own thoughts as well as the ideas of a variety of interested contributors, we aim to become an important source of food for thought! Please let us know how we are doing!
Read More
