Lead from the Heart: Transformational Leadership for the 21st Century

By Mark C. Crowley, 2011. If you want to get the most out of your employees, it pays to be nice to them. Leading from the heart results in employees who are more loyal, engaged, and productive. The author backs up the points he makes with references to published research and anecdotal evidence to support his views. The book’s conclusion is particularly compelling as a convincing example of the good that comes with leading from the heart. It reinforces the idea that “long after you can remember the actual work or the targets you met along the way, what’s sustained in your memory is the effect you had on people’s lives. By this one measure, above all others, you’ll know the true impact you had as a leader” (p. 137).

The Loving Push: How Parents and Professionals Can Help Spectrum Kids Become Successful Adults

By Temple Grandin and Debra Moore, 2016. Eight real stories told by people on the autism spectrum provide insight into the uniqueness of those with ASD. This motivational, hope-filled book includes chapters on subjects like how to get kids off their computers, how to build on their strengths and get back to caring about their lives, and how to find a path to a successful, meaningful life. A must-read for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about a child or teen on the autism spectrum, who wants to give them a loving push so they can reach their full potential.

Dumbing Us Down – 25th Anniversary Edition: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling

By John Taylor Gatto, 1992; revised in 2015. Thirty years of teaching in the public school system led this New York State Teacher of the Year to the sad conclusion that compulsory governmental schooling accomplishes little but to teach young people to follow orders like cogs in an industrial machine. He argued that institutionalized education drives out the natural curiosity and problem-solving skills that children are born with, replacing them with rule-following, fragmented time, and disillusionment. Since Gatto first wrote his book, there has been an explosion of alternative routes to learning. The 25th Anniversary edition will inspire a whole new generation of parents and teachers to cultivate an empowered society of self-directed lifelong learners.

Learning for Life: Educational Words of Wisdom

By Teri Ann Berg Olsen, 2004. This treasury of classic and contemporary rhetorical gems contains almost 3,000 quotations by more than 1,000 people on teaching, learning, and the pursuit of knowledge. Quotes are categorized by subject, covering both traditional and nontraditional forms of education. Learn from the remarkable words of philosophers, scientists, writers, political leaders, psychologists and educators from throughout history. Learning for Life isn’t just a book of quotations…”it’s a handbook of living lessons on learning!”