Stop right there. What are you reading right now? And no, I don’t mean this blog. Is it a captivating book, an enthralling article or maybe new book of poetry?
While some of us have dustier “to be read” piles than others, the HMA-ers are always reading something new and interesting. Since May is Get Caught Reading month, we decided share a few of our favorite and most recent reads.
“In thinking about the variety of business segments our clients are involved in and how those relate to the world’s water supply, I remembered a movie I watched several years ago – What the Bleep Do We Know. And that led me to go back and re-read the study Dr. Masaru Emoto did on how words, thoughts and emotions can actually change the crystal structure of water. I think Dr. Emoto’s work is fascinating. To read about how ‘The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health,’ visit ww.whatthebleep.com/crystals.” -Rita Kissam, Business Manager
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“Currently, I am going through a Shakespeare phase and am working my way through Henry VIII. I chose to read this particular play for a number of reasons, the first being my love of all things theatre, followed by my overwhelming awe of Shakespeare and his ability to connect pen to paper in such a beautifully, moving way and lastly my obsession with Tudor England. I’ve always been interested in reading Henry VIII, because I know and have studied the story of Henry VIII so in-depth. I love to explore other thoughts on the controversy. Shakespeare in particular has a way of producing pieces that express pure human emotion but often have underlining messages and hidden innuendos ahead of his time. As he wrote this play so close to the reign of Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I, I’ve really been interested in seeing how he was able to bring his thoughts and depictions across in a politically correct way during a time period where almost anything could land you in the tower for treason.” -Jamie Wilson, Account Coordinator
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“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul by John and Stasi Eldredge focuses on the way women view themselves and how the childhood fantasies of romance, adventure and beauty are things most women only dream about when it comes to their life story. It compares the differences between the male (with excerpts taken from Wild at Heart, a similar book written for men) and female perspectives and how explores God can help write a woman’s story, capitalizing on the ‘essence that God has given to every woman.’” -Diana Williams, Traffic/Production Manager & Graphic Designer
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“I recently read Mary Oliver’s newest collection of poems, A Thousand Mornings, in which her love and quiet acceptance of the natural world is strongly evident. I am always restored after reading her work. Next on my ‘to be read’ stack is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. This book is a true account of a family who dedicated themselves to eating locally for an entire year. It tells the story of how their lives were changed when they vowed to eat only food raised in their own neighborhood and grown in their own garden–the rest they learned to live without.” -Kim Klugh, Copywriter
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“In addition to the wonderful blogs and web content my team sends to me each day, I am also in the midst of reading three books. The first, Planets by Dava Sobol, is a wonderful book about the formation of the planets with wonderful narrative about some of the myths and culture surrounding each one. As I seek the planets through my telescope at night, I am now also thinking about one of my favorite parts of the book–the description of the moon and planting a moon garden.
The second book is on my Kindle app and is by one of my favorite writers, Chris Brogan. Every Sunday morning, before church, I treasure the few minutes I take to read his weekly newsletter. Chris is an incredible guru of community, and his book, It’s Not About the Tights, was one I could not wait to get. Chris writes with the utmost honesty, and he really helps me to be brave in spite of myself.
The last book on my reading list is one I am slowly digesting, reading chapters two and three times to fully understand the content. Falling Upward by Richard Rohr is helping me live a fuller second half of my life. As I struggle to navigate my mid-life crisis, this book helps me understand what to do with my gifts and see how to move from grinding things out to growing.” -Drew Dorgan, President
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“I’m admittedly not a huge book reader apart from the ones that were assigned to me, but I do make a regular habit of reading Kevin Karpiak‘s weekly anthropology distribution at kevinkarpiak.wordpress.com. He has been an inspiration to me as an anthropologist and social scientist who specializes in writing about the culture of policing and technology and society in particular, which have also been interest of mine since beginning school.
I find his work is a perfect fusion of the now and the past. He uses a lot of old school theorists to situate everyday topics. So, you always feel like you’re learning, no matter what you’re reading about. Highly recommend!” -Kris Castner, Search Marketing Analyst
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“How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid is surprisingly not a self-help book but rather an introspective novel exploring the fierce rawness of humanity. Told in second person, the story’s protagonist navigates from an impoverished village boy to successful businessman on a quest for ‘the pretty girl’ and the growing scarcity of clean water. Hamid has a command for storytelling and provokes infinite emotion through his universal dissection of the human condition.” -Colleen Hofmann, Interactive Marketing Manager
Now tell us, what are you reading?
