Books That Make Us More Human

Above is an excerpt from Fredrick Buchner’s daily meditation book, Listen To Your Life.

Here’s a list of books I’ve read recently that have made me “more human.”

  • How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
    • Powerful look at how racism lives inside our society and inside each of us
  • The World’s Fastest Man: The Extraordinary Life of Cyclist Major Taylor by Michael Kranish
    • Interesting look at the life of the first Black sports hero. There is a cycling velodrome 2 miles from my home named after him.
  • The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
    • I see how our system of criminal justice and many other policies hold back people’s humanness.
  • Keep Going by Austin Kleon
  • How to Listen to Jazz by Ted Gioia
    • I’ve always enjoyed jazz music…most days it’s playing as I work. This book showed me the depth of the origins of the music and the intricacies inside each song. It’s more than background music and the musicians are becoming my friends in a way.
  • The a Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stainer (I didn’t read it recently but refer to it often)

What books would you add to this list? I’d love to hear!