My Mother’s Son
David Hirshberg
Fig Tree Books
“When you’re a kid, they don’t always tell you the truth”—these are the opening lines of My Mother’s Son, the debut novel by Fredric Price WG69 written under the nom de plume David Hirshberg. Set in post-World War II Boston, this is a classic coming-of-age story told through the perspective of a retired radio announcer reminiscing on his youth with his brother. Shifting between past and present, the brothers experience Boston in the wake of the Holocaust, the polio epidemic, and the Korean War looming over everyday life. Price examines both a unique era in American history and the events that shape childhood and adulthood.
Calm Clarity: How to Use Science to Rewire Your Brain for Greater Wisdom, Fulfillment, and Joy
Due Quach WG06
TarcherPerigee
Inspired by the struggles and triumphs of its author, Calm Clarity is a guide to navigating negative, unproductive mindsets. Quach moved to the United States as a young refugee from Vietnam, and while at Harvard University, she began experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder from unresolved parts of her childhood. In working through her PTSD and other challenging mental states, Quach learned how to shift her way of thinking to achieve greater fulfillment and happiness in life, and created a three-tier system for our emotional states. Part autobiography, part mental guide, this book outlines the tools to move from “Brain 1.0” to “Brain 3.0,” in which one’s actions and core values are aligned.
Beyond Silicon Valley: How One Online Course Helped Support Global Entrepreneurs
Michael E. Goldberg WG98
From Cleveland, Ohio, to Kosovo, Vietnam, and Botswana, entrepreneurs who live in places deemed as “unsupportive” business ecosystems have used Goldberg’s massive open online Coursera course, Beyond Silicon Valley: Growing Entrepreneurship in Transitioning Economies, to help launch their companies. His book highlights the stories of 20 different students who took the course and aims to show that one can develop a successful business model anywhere in the world, regardless of the numerous challenges standing in the way. To help navigate those obstacles, Goldberg—an assistant professor of entrepreneurship at Case Western Reserve University—addresses the roles of governments, donors, and NGOs, and access to capital and mentoring.
The Camino Way: Lessons in Leadership from a Walk Across Spain
Victor Prince WG96
AMACOM
Located in northern Spain, the Camino de Santiago trail attracts hundreds of thousands of peregrinos (pilgrims) each year. Prince began his hike alone, but his solitude quickly vanished as he learned about, and became a part of, the vibrant community that walks the ancient pathway. Combining his reflections on the trek with interviews of other peregrinos, Prince outlines seven essential leadership lessons that can be applied to life’s adventures in and outside of the workplace. In addition to his work as a leadership author, trainer, coach, and speaker, Prince is also a regular contributor to Wharton Magazine’s blog network.
