Media Recommendations from the IVOH Community
Buy yourself a great read and donate to IVOH in the process! Following are some of our favorite books, suggested by members of our community. Every time you use the links below to buy a book, Amazon donates a portion of the proceeds to IVOH.
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Alone Together by Sherry Turkle. Alone Together is a thought provoking probe of our busy online lives. MIT professor and psychologist Sherry Turkle hits the pause button and reflects on our obsession with texting, friending, tweeting, and emailing. She wonders what the impact is on real connection and intimacy. Put down your smart phone, tablet, or computer and read this provocative book. [buy the book]
ROBERTA BASKIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST |
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We First by Simon Mainwaring The idea that responsible capitalism can benefit everyone, not just those at the top of the wealth ‘food chain,' is a transformative one. In We First, Simon Mainwaring has created a blueprint for a better future. This is no ‘touchy/feely' dream of utopia. It is an inspiring vision of a world in which private enterprise is integral to a more equitable society; in which evolving from a culture of Me First to one of We First leads to true prosperity. Mainwaring suggests the power is in our hands, thanks to the social technology that enables us to share our values as well as our voices. We First should be required reading not only in every corporate boardroom, but also in Congress, the Senate and the White House. [buy the book] FRAN JOHNS, Brand and Consumer Insight Consultant |
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As Far as the Heart Can See by Mark Nepo. Part poetry - part spiritual narrative, Mark Nepo invites us into a sheesh mahal a ‘palace of mirrors,' where the soul sits on its immortal throne, sparkling like the Kohinoor diamond. Each narrative touches a unique facet of life and draws the reader into reflection --" oh soul, look into the mirror of your heart and see with love." This precious book places truth in the core of the heart and shows how pure feelings set it free. [buy the book]
GAYATRI NARAINE, author, Something Beyond Greatness
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Shooting in the Wild; An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom by Chris Palmer. Chris Palmer founded the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University and is a worldclass wildlife film producer. His book explores the hidden side of wildlife film-making where too often there's sensationalism, distortion and animal cruelty. Palmer's passion for movie making led him to showcase filmmakers who are reforming the craft with a strong focus on ethics, not just entertainment. [buy the book]
ROBERTA BASKIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST |
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Waging Nonviolent Struggle: 20th Century Practice and 21st Century Potential by Gene Sharp. This groundbreaking work builds on 50 years of Gene Sharp's academic research and practical experience aiding nonviolent struggles around the world. It provides unprecedented information about how to strategically plan nonviolent action and make it more effective. Most recently, it is claimed that the protest movements in the Middle East drew extensively on his ideas. [buy the book]
RITA CLEARY, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR |
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Ahead of Time; My Early Years as a Foreign Correspondent, by Ruth Gruber. Pioneering journalist Ruth Gruber, whose 99th birthday was in September 2010, is the subject of the documentary Ahead of Time. She reported for the New York Herald Tribune as the first journalist to enter the Soviet Arctic in 1935, covering the Nuremburg trials in 1946 and, during World War II, agreeing to Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes' plan to escort Jewish refugees to the United States. [buy the book]
RITA CLEARY, SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR |
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Feast for the Senses: A Musical Odyssey in Umbria, by Lin Arison and Diana Stoll. This book seems to transcend travel and music, becoming more about discovery and appreciation. It is the story of Arison's journey through Italy with New World Symphony musicians and Founder/Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas. Both Arison and the musicians discover newness in their lives with every experience. Through this journey, she realizes the interconnection between poetry, music, dance and other arts. [read entire review] [buy the book]
MEREDITH PORTE, PRODUCER & HOST, WRLN Television |
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Norman Corwin's One World Flight, The Lost Journal of Radio's Greatest Writer, Edited by Michael Keith and Mary Ann Watson. Norman Corwin is America's poet laureate of radio. After his travels to 17 countries in 1946, he returned and wrote his account of the journey. More than 60 years after the trip, these extraordinary documents provide a unique analysis of the international scene after World War II, and also demonstrate the rare power of Corwin's words. [buy the book] Visit Corwin's website for more info about this extraordinary writer who is now 100 years old and going strong.
KATHLEEN PEARCE, FILMMAKER & JOURNALIST
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Junger shows us the lives of the men and women who fight for us-how they live, what they see and learn and feel. WAR is a heartfelt depiction of an experience that few of us at home can comprehend. Junger and Tim Hetherington shot the documentary Restrepo while experiencing the "front lines" in Afghanistan. Both the book & documentary are excellent and help us to understand what our young men and women are going through and the psychological needs of those returning from the war. [buy WAR] [buy Restrepo]
KATHLEEN PEARCE, FILMMAKER & JOURNALIST
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This inspiring book belongs on every book lover's must-read list. Imagine the 60s when United Airlines had an "Executive Flight" from NY to Chicago "for men only," and stewardesses were fired if they married. This insightful history will amaze young people, and remind older ones of the progress made and challenges left. [buy the book]
ROBERTA BASKIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST
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 Cognitive Surplus, by Clay Shirky
Shirky takes the reader beyond the epiphanies of his popular Here Comes Everybody to explore new frameworks of media, drawing our attention to the outpouring of talent and contribution through new media and the way it is leveraging our cognitive surplus - often for good. [buy the book] [read the full-length review of this book]
JUDY RODGERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Images & Voices of Hope |
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Something Deeper Happened: Young Voices and the 2008 U.S. Election edited by Avideh Shashaani This is a tapestry of art, essays, and poems written in the spirit of wonder and hope that young people experienced with America electing its first African-American president. In his enthusiastic foreword to the book, Archbishop Desmond Tutu reprises his Inauguration Day exclamation, "You crazy, wonderful Americans!" [buy the book]
ROBERTA BASKIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST |
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I look at books like this and the work in the business community toward "Conscious Capitalism" as evidence that there is a growing larger movement toward a new ethical and values framework for our society. [buy the book]
SAM SIMON, Senior Fellow, Intersections International |
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The Power of Personal Storytelling by Jack McGuire This book recaptures the thoughtfulness, dignity, beauty, and sheer delight of sharing personal stories. I especially liked this book because it teaches us in a clear and simple manner on how to share real life stories. It also highlights how personal storytelling is an essential element in forging friendships, families, and communities. [buy the book]
SHIREEN CHADA, Managing Team, Images & Voices of Hope |
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Duane Elgin was always there before everybody else. In this wonderful new book, his subject matter is epic – way beyond the limitations of media. But what he has to say about media in our times is not to be missed. This book isn’t just a great read. It’s an important read. [buy the book]
JUDY RODGERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, Images & Voices of Hope |
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Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations In the past, cost controlled who could become a producer, and who could not. But now cost is no longer an obstacle, or as Shirky says “the future presented by the internet is the mass amateurization of publishing and a switch from “Why publish this?” to “Why not?” Read my full review of this book. [buy the book]
ELI BLEICH, PRESIDENT AND CEO, mediagroup, inc. |
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On March 22, 2010 I led a crowdsourcing conversation with the IVOH Thought Leaders with guest speaker Jeff Howe from Wired magazine. Jeff literally coined the term and wrote the book on crowdsourcing, Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd is Driving the Future of Business. Highly recommended. [buy the book]
MICHAEL SKOLER, VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERACTIVE MEDIA, PUBLIC RADIO INTERNATIONAL |
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I began 2010 reading Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
ROBERTA BASKIN, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST |
. Despite the grim descriptions of injustice and inhumanity, each story inspires the reader to DO something NOW. So my mission is to gather together caring friends who will read the book, reflect, and feel galvanized to take action. Maybe it will be a "giving circle" that creates a microfinance project together. [