Good reads

After a banner year for book reading last year, I feel like I've been faltering in this area so far in 2019. The fact is, I have been reading quite a bit. But much has been on the internet. Here are a few good bits worth checking out, if they strike your fancy.

How to cook like a Nonna, compiled by Mark Bittman. I particularly appreciate this (as someone who has guiltily adjusted at least two grandmothers' well-worn recipes): "Cooks who grow and mature seek other ways to cook dishes they already know; they look for alternatives to the recipes they learned from cookbooks or their parents. This is real growth, because guess what? The first version of a recipe you learn may always have a special place in your heart, and that’s valuable, but it’s not likely to be the best possible iteration."

The Pressing Need for Everyone to Quiet Their Egos (Scientific American): "Paradoxically, it turns out that quieting the ego is so much more effective in cultivating well-being, growth, health, productivity, and a healthy, productive self-esteem, than focusing so loudly on self-enhancement." I've been drawn to the principles of the quiet ego at various points in my adulthood without knowing it had a name. This frames it so well and makes so much sense. I want to grow this way.

When Strangers Meet (by Kio Stark): Speaking of quiet egos, I've kind of been meditating on the role of strangers in our lives over the last several months. I read this book in response, and then watched Stark's TED talk. Honestly, the talk is about as good as the book, so I'd recommend it over the book to get the general idea. The book delves a little deeper with steps to take you out of your comfort zone if you, like me, are more apt to mind your own business in public settings.

Educated (by Tara Westover): This had been on my shelf for months, waiting patiently for me to finish other diversions, and when I finally started I could not stop. Reading it made me feel like I was at the scene of a horrific accident, feeling simultaneously nauseous, in awe, and unable to look away, hoping the victims would make it out alive. I appreciated Westover's acknowledgement and incorporation of others' accounts that differed from her memory. I feel like one of the last people to read this book, but if you've been wondering about it, I highly recommend it.